The Orator Who Silenced a King

The king of Kumudpur sent a scholar and orator, Bhaskar Mishra, with an important message for the king of Vasavgiri. The king of Vasavgiri, who held a grudge against the king of Kumudpur, sought to humiliate the messenger. “We hear that you are a great orator. Will you please speak to our intelligentsia tomorrow afternoon?” asked the king of Vasavgiri, addressing Bhaskar Mishra.

“Gladly, my lord,” replied Mishra without hesitation.

The next day, Mishra arrived at the appointed time. The king and his minister led him to an adjacent hall and instructed, “Go and speak!” Bhaskar Mishra entered the hall, only to find it completely empty. Undeterred, he began his oration.

To the king’s astonishment, he had expected Mishra to leave upon discovering the lack of an audience. Instead, Mishra spoke passionately for two hours before finally emerging from the hall.

“Mishra, how could you speak on philosophy, poetry, and ethics when nobody listened to you?” asked the king in disbelief.

“My lord, I evidently had the most distinguished audience—the king and his minister. Perhaps I am the only speaker in the world capable of keeping a king spellbound for two hours!” After a brief pause, Mishra added, lowering his voice, “If this kingdom has no intelligentsia, that is not my fault!”

Hearing this, the king regretted his earlier actions and realized the value of genuine intellect, even in the absence of an audience.