In the aftermath of the Kurukshetra war, Dhritarashtra was deeply sorrowful after losing all his hundred sons. He sought answers from Lord Krishna, asking, “Krishna, even though I was blind, I ruled my kingdom by adhering to justice and righteousness. I followed the advice of Vidura and maintained fairness in my reign. Yet, I am now left to grieve over the loss of my hundred sons. Why did this happen to me?”
Krishna responded, “Dhritarashtra, let me tell you a story. At the end of the story, I will ask you a question. If you answer it correctly, you will find the answer to your own question.”
A Mistake from a Past Life
Long ago, there was a king who ruled his kingdom with fairness and justice. One day, a very poor man joined the royal kitchen as a cook. Through his hard work and skill, he quickly rose to become the head chef, pleasing the king with his delicious meals.
The head chef made it his goal to prepare unique dishes that would impress the king and earn him rewards. One day, he secretly caught a baby swan from the royal pond, cooked it, and served it to the king. The king, unaware of what he was eating, was enchanted by the taste and instructed the chef to prepare the same dish regularly. The chef continued to catch and cook baby swans for the king, reaping great rewards.
Krishna’s Question
After finishing the story, Krishna asked Dhritarashtra, “Now tell me, who committed the greater sin: the king or the cook?”
Dhritarashtra answered, “The cook was motivated by greed for rewards, but the king, who was supposed to be wise and discerning, continued to eat the dish without realizing what it was. As a king, he should have been more vigilant. Therefore, the king’s mistake is greater.”
Revelation of the Truth
Krishna smiled at Dhritarashtra’s response. “Your sense of justice is accurate, Dhritarashtra. As a king, you rightly judged that the greater wrong was done by the one in power who failed to uphold responsibility. However, the story I narrated is actually about you.
In your previous life, you were the king who regularly ate a hundred baby swans. Those innocent birds and their mother suffered immensely because of your actions. Now, in this life, you are experiencing the same grief by losing your hundred sons.
Because of your past actions, you were born blind in this life. Justice never fails, and every action bears its fruit. What you are experiencing now is the consequence of the karma you accumulated in your past life.”
Through this story, Krishna conveyed an important truth to Dhritarashtra: divine justice always prevails. No matter how much time passes, the consequences of one’s actions will manifest, and it is only through righteousness that one can hope to overcome the pain of past deeds.
