In plain words
There is no sin greater than going back on the word one has given. So let whatever hardships come. I will not go back on the word I have given,” he said.
Conduct must befit the garb
One day a masquerader came to King Bhoja's garden dressed as a sannyāsī and explained Vedānta beautifully. King Bhoja was pleased, had gold coins brought on a tray, and was about to give them to him. He refused them: “King! I am a sannyāsī. I have renounced every attachment. So I have no need of these. I shall come again tomorrow,” he said, and went away. The next day the same man came dressed as a woman and danced wonderfully. The king was delighted and was about to present him with some gold coins. Then he said, “King! These are not enough for me; I want still more.” The king was astonished: “Sir! Yesterday, when you came dressed as a sannyāsī, you said you would not so much as touch the coins. Today you say that what is given is not enough. What is the meaning behind this?” he asked. Then the man: “King! Conduct must suit the garb, must it not? Yesterday I put on the garb of a sannyāsī. So I said I would not touch gold. Today I have put on the garb of a dancing girl. So I say I want still more,” he said.
Embodiments of Prema! You have put on the garb of human beings. So you must behave as human beings. A student must live as a student. A householder must keep the Dharma of the householder. A sannyāsī must follow the Dharma of the sannyāsa āśrama. But today actions that befit the garb are nowhere to be seen. The ochre kāṣāyam outside and a bitter kaṣāyam inside: that is not good. Changing the clothes is not enough; the qualities must change.
It is best that each does his own work
In King Bhoja's time everyone did his own work. Even the queen saw to everything the king needed, herself, in person. Cooking, serving, cleaning the vessels: all such work the lady of the house did herself. No one liked to have service done for him by others. But in this modern age, if there is a husband and wife in a house, they keep four servants. There must be a driver, there must be a cleaner, there must be a cook, there must be a man to scour the vessels! This is precisely why people are turning into idlers. People are not doing their own work. If they have a small handkerchief, some give even that to the washerman. They could wring it out and hang it to dry themselves, could they not! Why depend on others in little, little things?! Each doing his own work: that is the best way.
The four letters God sends
Once a queen was rubbing oil into the king's head. In the king's hair she saw two or three white hairs. Seeing them, she began wiping away her tears with the end of her sari. As there was a mirror in front of him, the king saw this. “Queen! Why are you crying?” he asked. “My lord! Before God calls a man to Himself, He sends him four ‘letters’. When white hairs come, it means the first letter has come. That is to say, it warns him to keep away from now on from the desires of worldly life. Next a film of cataract covers the eyes. That is the second letter. After a while the brow is lined with wrinkles. That is the third letter. And at last the hands and feet begin to tremble. That is the fourth letter. My lord! I grieve that the first letter has come to you so soon. We must be careful from now on,” she said. The king understood the queen's words well; as soon as he had bathed he sent for the minister. “Minister! From now on the duty of ruling this kingdom is yours. The two of us will go to the forest and do tapas,” he said.
‘Yathā rājā tathā prajā’
As the king commanded, the minister had this news proclaimed throughout the kingdom. Then the people all began to come to the palace, crowd after crowd.