The King and the Scholar

King Visvedev had retired from his royal duties, handing them over to his capable son. He decided to delve into the study of the Bhagavatam.

The king had a friend in the old guru, Vishnu Sharma, who lived in an Ashram far away. At the king’s request, Vishnu Sharma sent him an annotated manuscript of the Bhagavatam. The annotations were both lucid and profound, and the king felt immense happiness in his reading.

As he progressed with his study of the Bhagavatam, he felt inspired to express those ideas through poetry. When he completed his work, he believed he had become a great poet. He wrote to Vishnu Sharma, requesting that a critic be sent to evaluate his poetry.

A few days later, a young man arrived to meet the king. He had been sent by Vishnu Sharma.

The king was taken aback at the sight of the young man. “You see, the Bhagavatam is a difficult scripture, and my poetry is similarly complex. Go back and ask Sharma to send an expert,” the king insisted.

After a fortnight, Vishnu Sharma himself arrived. The king asked, “Why did you send a young man to evaluate my poetry—especially on the Bhagavatam?”

The king sat stunned. “Why did he not mention his scholarship?” he inquired.