The Divine Pool
The Kingdom of Dharanipur
The kingdom of Dharanipur was ruled by King Karunisa. After defeating an enemy king in battle, he returned to his kingdom. On the way, as the army crossed a patch of desert, the king felt thirsty. His soldiers fanned out in all directions to search for water.
The Discovery of the Spring
In their search, they soon came across a valley where a rocky well brimmed with clear water. When they drank from it, they found the water sweet and refreshing. The king quenched his thirst, and the army prepared to move on. Just then, a hermit approached the spring and said to the king, “Oh King! This water is divine. For miles around, everything was arid until it rained. A sparrow, unable to bear the heat of the sun, came down and pierced the earth with its beak. Then an eagle scooped up the earth, and at once this spring appeared. All the animals of the desert and the nearby forest come here to drink water. This spring is the lifeline for all of God’s creatures.”
The King’s Ambitions
After the hermit left, the king pondered the notion that there must be a perennial spring underground. He was determined to build a tank there to gain fame for himself. Soon, work commenced, and after some months, a lovely tank was built. Nearby, he constructed a choultry for tired travellers, and on an auspicious day, the tank was named Dharaniswar Tank.
The Downfall of the Tank
However, when people came to draw water, they found that it tasted sour and brackish. Soon, it became unfit for human consumption, and people used it only for washing. Even the hermit, who had once frequented the spring, ceased to come there. This news disturbed the king deeply, and he ordered his soldiers to find the hermit and bring him to the palace.
A Humbling Encounter
After a long search, the hermit was found and escorted to the king’s presence. The hermit asked, “Oh King! Why have you brought me here?” The king replied, “Holy sir, I understand that you no longer use the pool I have built. You no longer drink water from there. What can be the reason?” The hermit responded, “Oh King! Let me explain. The waters of the pool are no longer divine. The creatures of God made that pool with their efforts without expecting any reward. But you built a wall around the pool seeking fame for yourself, and the animals in the forest could no longer quench their thirst. Hence, the pool lost its sanctity, and its waters turned sour because of your selfishness.”
The Restoration of the Spring
The king felt ashamed to have his guilt so pointedly revealed. Understanding his error, he demolished the wall surrounding the pool, and it once again became a natural spring, fit for all of God’s creatures.