The Sacred Book of Chandanpur

The Sudden Death of the King

The king of Chandanpur died suddenly, leaving no heir. Several kinsmen of the king aspired to claim the throne. However, a young man named Suryakant ultimately took the crown with the help of Shekhar Sharma, the royal priest.

Struggles for Power

The rival candidates did not take Suryakant’s ascension lightly. They conspired against him and even attempted to kill him. Yet, Suryakant proved to be brave and clever, winning the support of the people. With Shekhar Sharma’s guidance, he managed to outwit his rivals one by one. Some fled the kingdom, while a few of those who plotted against his life were imprisoned. Soon, peace returned to the realm.

The Sacred Book

Shekhar Sharma was widely respected. On an auspicious day, he presented the new king with a book and said, “I have written this as directed by God. It contains the code of conduct that you and your successors should follow while ruling the kingdom. You will be a sinner before God if you violate the principles laid down in this book.”

King Suryakant received the sacred book with humility. He studied it thoroughly and oriented his government according to the ideals it contained. As a result, he was respected by all as a man of principles.

The New Reign

King Suryakant died when his son, Chandrakant, was in his teenage years. Chandrakant ascended the throne, but by then, Shekhar Sharma had grown quite old and was living a retired life. The new king appointed Pravin, Shekhar Sharma’s son, as his priest and chief adviser.

The Price of Negligence

One day, while hunting, Chandrakant accidentally killed a man. The sacred book prescribed equal punishment for all—king or commoner. For his crime of negligence, the king was to be imprisoned for ten years.

However, Pravin loved the new king too much to let him suffer punishment. He approached Shekhar Sharma and said, “Father! If the book was written at God’s direction, tell me how to please God and change the law with His approval.”

The Compromise

“Fool! I had resorted to God’s name so that the book would be considered inviolable. Otherwise, a king could turn tyrant,” replied Shekhar Sharma.

This confession encouraged Pravin to declare that God had directed him to add a new principle to the sacred book, stating that the law could not apply to the king and the commoner in the same way. Thus, Chandrakant was spared punishment.

The Usurper’s Wrath

A few years later, the commander of the army killed the king in a treacherous conspiracy and seized the throne. Pravin was deeply grieved by the murder of his dear friend Chandrakant.

The usurper soon summoned Pravin and demanded his allegiance. But Pravin told him, “You were not the king when you killed Chandrakant.” The usurper replied, “I am above the law!”

A Dangerous Demand

“You must help me by adding a new principle to the sacred book, stating that once one becomes king, he is free from the consequences of all he might have done before!” demanded the usurper.

”I will never do that!” Pravin exclaimed.

”In that case, you die!” said the usurper sternly, brandishing his sword.

Stupefied, Pravin realized the gravity of the situation and reluctantly announced the addition of a new principle to the sacred book.

The Fall of Tyranny

However, the usurper soon proved to be a great tyrant. Pravin secretly mobilized the people against him and announced, “The book is cancelled. Henceforth, the king should govern the land according to the advice of the experts and the wishes of the people.”