A Very Old Story Page 1 of 10

A VERY OLD STORY

ABOUT
LATERAL THINKING
VIDYALANKARA
DR.S.JAYABARATHI
JayBee
There was a poor Brahmin youth, Chandravarna who
went in search of knowledge and a proper teacher who would
impart the knowledge.
On one exceptionally hot day, he sat down to rest
under a Ficus tree.
He was overcome with hunger and thirst.
That tree was haunted. In that tree, there was a
Brahma Rakshas who was hanging upside down. It used ask
questions to way-farers and if they could not answer
correctly, it would devour them.
What is a Brahma Rakshas?
It is actually the spirit of a dead scholar of high birth.
The earth-bound duties of such a scholar would be to choose
a good student and teach him all that he knew.
If he did not do it, he would turn into a Brahma
Rakshas which is a very fierce demonic spirit. It would still
retain its high level of learning. But it would eat human
beings. This particular BR was searching for a suitable
student to whom it can impart everything that it knew. To
test the level of knowledge, it would ask a difficult question.
As could be expected, nobody could answer. As a
consequence, it had a tummyful of human flesh - but no
student.

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 2 of 10

It was getting fatter and fatter as time went by. The

human-based cholesterol was giving it problems.
How long more?
When it saw Chandravarna, it jumped down and
asked a very difficult question.
But Chandravarna gave the correct answer.
The Brahma Rakshas took human form and told him
that he was indeed a very learned Brahmin who did not
select proper students and did not teach anyone anything. He
did not dissipate nor impart knowledge. So he became a
Brahma Rakshas due to a curse.
He was destined to ask questions and devour people.
Thus he was accrueing more and more sins.
Now since Chandravarna gave the correct answer, he
was released from the Brahma Rakshashood.
He said that he would teach all that Chandravarna
wanted and would also get him married to the king's
daughter.
But there was one condition. He must sit up day and
night and learn everything that the BrahmaRakshas taught
him. And he would teach at a very fast pace.
The Brahma Rakhas did so and whatever he taught,
Chandravarna wrote down on Ficus leaves with his blood.
That was the only writing material that he could get.
After a number days, the teaching was completed.
Chandravarna collected all the leaves and went to the
nearest town.
He was overcome with sleeplessness, hunger, thirst,
and fatigue and fainted in front of a house.
Goats came by and started to eat the precious ficus
leaf notes of Chandravarna.

That house belonged to the most beautiful and

accomplished dancing girl in that town.

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 3 of 10

She took Chandravarnan inside the house and took

great care and nursed him with care, day and night.
Chandravarna regained his health.
One day, the earstwhile BrahmaRakshas appeared to
him in his divine from and told him that he had to uphold his
promise of getting him married to the king's daughter.
He said that he would use his former powers as a
Brahma Rakshas and possess the daughter of the king.
When Chandravarna came and told him to go, he
would release his grip on the princess.
He did so and and princess of the town was
possessed. Nobody could make the Brahma Rakshas go.
The king announced that whoever cast away the
Brahma Rakshas would marry the princess and inherit his
kingdom.
Chandravarna went to the palace and commadned the
Brahma Rakshas and it left with haste.
The king gave his daughter in marriage to Chandra
Varna.
As was the custom of the day, Chandravarna, being a
Brahmin, was asked to marry three other damsels who
belonged to the other three varnas.
One of them was the dancing girl who had given
Chandravarna his life and had saved all his notes.
All the four wives gave birth to children.

Then the king gave the kingdom to Chandravarna and

went to the forests for performing tapas.
Chandravarna ruled well as a king.
When he neared his end, he called his sons together
and told them that since the it was dancing girl who had
given him his life, the son of the dancing girl should be
crowned as the king.

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 4 of 10

So Barthruhari, the son of the dancing girl became

the king.
Chandravarna died and the eldest son performed the
rituals and then went away for performing tapas.
Barthruhari had a shocking revelation which made
him renounce everything and become a sannyasi.
So the throne came to Vikrama, the third son who
was in fact the son who was borne of the princess.
Patti, the son of the merchant girl became the prime
minister.

Vikrama felt that the kingdom was too small.

He wanted a bigger kingdom with a new capital.

He told Patti to search for a proper spot to establish a

new capital city. It should be having forests, hills, rivers and
many temples. So Patti left on a journey of exploration.

By and large, he came to a place which had a temple

dedicated to KaLi with Her parivaarams. He went around the
temple and prayed to KaLi.

He saw a peculiar inscription in the temple.

It said, 'Any man who belonged to any of the four

varnas should take a bath in the pond. Then he should climb
up the Banyan tree on the bank of the pond. There is a litter
hanging from one of the boughs. This litter is actually made
up of seven litters which hang one within the other. The man
should cut all the litters at one stroke of the sword so that the
litter falls into the pond. Before the litter touches the water,
the man should jump toward the tip of a spear that was
erected at the centre of the pond. He should jump in such a
way so that his top of the head would hit the spear's tip. If he

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 5 of 10

does so, KaLi would appear before the man and would give
him anything that the man would wish. Furthermore, he
would rule over all the countries of Bharatham'.

Patti decided that Vikrama should attempt and

accomplish this feat.

Patti went back to Vikrama and told him about

everything that he saw.

Vikrama agreed and they went to the place.

When Vikrama saw the litter, he was aghast.
He asked Patti how it was possible to cut all the
seven litters which wre hanging one within the other
individually.
Patti told him to climb up the tree and get onto the
litter.
He should put his right foot in the litter and extend
and catch the litter's rope with the left hand. With his
extended left leg and right hand he should swivel himself, so
that the litter and himself would go round and round. This
will cause all the ropes and strings to torque with each other
become one thick rope. When it is suitably taught, he must
swing the sword forcefully so that the litter could be cut off
with one single stroke. Immediately thereafter, he must jump
upside down toward the tip of the spearhead.

Vikrama did as was instructed and jumped on to the

spear tip.

When his head touched the tip of the spear, KaLi

appeared. She bore the unconscious Vikrama on Her arms
and carried him inside the temple. Patti followed Her and fell
at Her feet and asked Her to bless his king with every boon

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 6 of 10

and help him in establishing a magnificent city in that place.

KaLi blessed him and soon after that Vikrama erected

the magnificient city of Ujjaini there with the help of KaLi.

Vikrama became the king of Ujjaini. Then he went on

a tour of conquest and captured all the countries of
Bharatham. Thus he became the Emperor of Bharatham.

In Deva Logam, the world of the Celestial Beings,

there was a furore over who was the best dancer among the
Apsaras, Celestial dancers.
The competition was between Urvasi and Rambha.
The Devas could not decide who was the best.
Naradha told them that Vikrama, the king of Ujjaini
was the only one who had the ability to judge the dancers.

The King of the Devas sent his celestial chariot to

fetch Vikrama.
But Mathali, the charioteer of the gods, did not wish
to take Vikrama to his world. So, before Vikrama could step
into the chariot, Mathali took off at super speed. But
Vikrama put his big toe firmly onto the chariot's edge and
clung on.
Mathali realised that it was only through sheer
superhuman strengh and ability that Vikrama could cling
onto a divine chariot tearing off at such fantastic speed. So
he slowed down and allowed Vikrama to get inside and
apologised to him.
In Deva Loga, Vikrama judged the dancers well. He
hid scorpions inside bouquets and gave them to the dancers.
Rambha winced while she was dancing, while Urvasi danced
on gracefully.

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 7 of 10

Rambha had held the bouquet hard. That had

disturbed the scorpions which stung Rambha. Hence Rambha
winced. But Urvasi held the bouquet ever so lightly and she
won the contest.

Devendra was so elated that he gave a special throne

with thirty two mystical steps. Each step had one statue
called padhumai. He told Vikrama, that he would rule for
one thousand years from this divine throne.
Mathali took him back to Ujjaini.

Vikrama asked Patti to set up the throne in the throne

room.
Then he told Patti about all that happened.

Patti was taken aback and said, "O King! You have
the good fortune to rule from this throne for one thousand
years. You could have asked a boon so that I could be your
prime minister for the same one thousand years".

Vikrama shamefacedly admitted his mistake.

Patti told him not to worry about it anymore.

Patti then went straight to the KaLi temple in the

middle of the night. He meditated upon Her. When KaLi saw
this She asked him the purpose.
Patti told Her that since his brother, the Emperor
could rule for one thousand years, KaLi should make him be
the minister for the same period.
KaLi told him that She would give Patti two thousand
years.
But it would be possible only if the head of a
SaarvaBauman was brought; in that case it was the head of
Vikrama.

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 8 of 10

Patti went back to Vikrama and told him the story.

Vikrama willingly offered his head which Patti cut off and
took to the KaLi temple and demanded the two thousand
years of life.
KaLi granted him the two thousand years.

Patti then laughed derisively.

KaLi asked him the reason why he laughed.
Patti asked KaLi whether the boon of two thousnad
years that She had granted was real and true. KaLi said it
was sure and certain and asked why he had that silly doubt.
Patti told Her that only a few weeks ago, Devendra
and the other devas had given Vikrama the power to rule for
one thousand years.
But Vikrama was lying dead at that precise moment.
If the boon given by Devas was proven to be false, Patti had
every right to know the veracity and validity of the boon
given by KaLi.

KaLi smiled at the audacity and commended the

shrewedness of Patti. She gave Vikrama his life back.

When Vikrama became alive, he learned about what

happened and then pointed out the disparity between the
length of the tenure of Vikrama and Patti. That Pati would be
minister for two thousand years while Vikrama would rule
for only one thousand years.

Patti told him, "There is something known as Lateral

Thinking. Millenia from this time in the future, there will be
a rishi born in the West - from RomaPuri. He will be known
as The Eduvardhana Subha Rishi. This rishi will rediscover
Lateral Thinking and spread it in the world. At that time, the

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 9 of 10

leader of Bharatham will relearn the process from him. Little

will he know that we already know about that particular
method of thinking ourselves. Did not Lord Vishnu appear as
Narasimha to kill Hiranyakasibhu according to his own
rules? Ah! That was Lateral Thinking.
Now we will adopt Lateral Thinking. Let us wear our
'Thinking Thalaipaas'.
According to the devas, you are supposed to rule
from that divine throne for one thousand years. I am going to
be the minister for two thousand years. Let us adjust the
system. In each year, you will rule from your throne for six
months only. Then we will go to the forest and be there for
another six months. Then we will come back to the capital
and you can ascend the throne and rule for another six
months. This way, we can extend your tenure of
imperatorship for a total of two thousand years. You rule in
installments".

That is how King Vikramaditya came to rule six

months from his divine throne and become a wanderer for
another six months, alternatively.

Thus the 'naadaaRu maadham, kaadaaRu maadham'

system of Vikramaditya became very famous.

Now.....
That what I call 'Lateral Thinking'.

Regards

JayBee
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
A Very Old Story Page 10 of 10

RETURN TO MAIN MENU

http://www.visvacomplex.com/A_Very_Old_Story.html 1/9/2011
This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com.
The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only.
This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.