Once upon a time there lived a rajah. He loved to listen to astrologers predicting fate from the stars.
One day, a wise old astrologer arrived in the capital of his state, who was making a pilgrimage to Benares.
[Benares is the “holy city” of the Hindus; center of Hindu theology, a place of pilgrimage for adherents of this religion.]
The Raja ordered that this sage be called immediately.
When the astrologer came to the royal palace, the Raja wanted to hear what awaited him, the Raja, in the future.
Unfortunately, the horoscope compiled by the sage did not foretell anything comforting. The Raja became terribly angry and immediately ordered the execution of the astrologer.
- Death awaits you! - shouted the Raja. “For everyone’s peace, it will be better that people like you don’t exist in the world!”
But before sending the sage to the gallows, the Raja decided to test him again.
– Can you determine how long you have left to live? he asked.
“If I tell him that I will live for a long time, he will execute me today to prove what a bad soothsayer I am,” thought the sage and after some reflection he replied:
- O lord! The stars predict that I am destined to die only one week before you. Therefore, now I say goodbye to you, but soon we will see each other in another world, and I will try to meet you there with dignity. Tell me to send me there as soon as possible!
Hearing this answer, the Raja became furious.
- Get out of my palace! - he yelled, his eyes sparkling. “Take this charlatan away and never let him here in the future!”
And that’s all the sage needed. And he hurried to go his way, saying: “If only my head were intact, then the trouble would not be terrible.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru