Page 173 - Courage Redifined

11. Secret Revealed

Kamlata’s re-union with her son :

Shepherdess Kamlata went to the city to sell curd and milk.
The special noteworthy thing here was that her son who was
a scholar of Vedas had become the chief purohit (priest) of
that city’s king.

Once it so happened that Kamlata was passing through the
city streets with a pot of curd on her head and she accidently
collided with a lady walking with a pot of water. Both their
pots clashed and fell on the floor. At that time, the other
women carrying water started weeping but Kamlata was
laughing aloud.

The Vedic scholar happened to pass by at that very time and
was astonished to see the situation. The one who had lost water
was crying while the one who lost curd was laughing!

He asked the woman who was crying, “Sister! Why are you
crying so much over spilt water ?”

She replied, “Brother! The loss of water does not bother me.
If only the water had fallen off, I would have gone back to
the well to fetch water. But my pot has broken into pieces
and now my mean mother in-law will get angry and not let
me enter the house. That is why I am crying.”
The learned man felt sorry for the lady and gave her money
to buy a new pot. She happily went home.

Secret Revealed 163