Varta 7 - Antarangbodh - The Voice Within

An old woman was walking along, carrying a bundle on her head. Just then, a horseman came riding by. Seeing him, the old woman said, "Sir, please put my bundle on your horse and carry it to the nearby village. Carrying this load while walking is tiring me out. If the weight is lighter, I can walk more comfortably."

The horseman replied, "I will reach that village in very little time, while you, walking slowly, will get there much later. Should I really wait around for that long? That's not possible." So saying, he rode on ahead.

As he rode on, a thought crossed his mind: "Wrapped in her cloth bundle, there might well be valuable things. I could easily make them mine." So he turned back, went to the old woman, and said, "Give me your bundle. I will carry it for you."

"No, thank you," said the old woman. "I won't hand over my bundle. You should go on your own way."

Surprised, the horseman asked, "Just a little while ago, you yourself said you wanted your bundle carried to the village. So why refuse now?"

The old woman replied, "Sir, an inner voice told me that the one who spoke to you was your conscience itself — telling you not to give this deceitful man your bundle. So I will carry the weight of my own bundle myself. There is no need for your help."

Puzzled, the horseman thought, "How did she come to know the deceitful thought I had in my mind?" With a downcast face, he then rode away.

- Balmodini January, 2025