Mithyachari August 5, 2008
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Once upon a time there was a very cunning fox. He was craftier than all the rest. He would steal burfi, halava, sandesa, and other sweets from the sweet shop regularly. The shop owner saw his stock lessen everyday. “I’ll have to catch the thief,” he thought to himself.
That night the owner sat awake. Around two o’clock at night the fox entered the shop. The shop owner felled him with a chair. He then dragged the fox outside. The fox was dazed but still alive. He decided to just lie there and pretend to be dead. The next morning the villagers got together. They found out that the sweet shop owner had killed a fox. It was decided to punish the owner; he could have taken some preventive measures rather than resort to killing. The fox lay quietly listening to everything. He thought it right that the owner be punished.
After a while a carpenter came by. He said to the shop owner, “I’d like to take away the fox’s tail.” The owner said, “Take it. Cut it off.”
The fox decided, “Let him take my tail. I won’t say a word. But I want that shop owner punished.” The carpenter cut off the fox’s tail and went away pleased. After a little while another man was passing by. He said to the shop owner, “I’d like the fox’s ears.” “Cut them and take them,” replied the owner. He did so. A third man arrived, he said, “I’d like the fox’s teeth.” Hearing this, the fox thought. “If this goes on I’ll end up really dead. How will I be able to eat without teeth?” And so he jumped up and ran for his very life. And now it so happened that a dyer was mixing paint in a small pit. The fox jumped into it. When he came out he was coloured red and yellow all over. No one recognised the strangely coloured fox with no ears and tail. He was thus able to escape into the nearby forest.
News spread in the forest about the appearance of a strange creature. All the animals were scared of the coloured fox and would run away on his approach. The fox named himself Mithyachari. He began making plans to become the king of the forest. One day he proudly declared to those frightened animals, “I am the king of the forest. You shall all obey me from now onwards.” All the wild animals began to come to him and pay homage.
For his protection the fox placed sentries in three circles around him. In the inner circle near to him there were only foxes. In the next circle were tigers and finally the lions. He ordered them, “You should stand guard six kilometres distant from here.” Two months passed in this way. Winter arrived. The foxes began to howl in the cold. Mithyachari would also quietly howl with those foxes around him.
In the colder months they would howl more. One day the lions said to themselves, “We’re the original kings of the forest, and it is not right that we are not allowed to go near the king.” They went to Mithyachari with their request, “Sire, we were the previous kings of the forest. For two months the foxes have stayed near Your Highness. Please send them away and let us stay close to you as your personal bodyguards.” Mithyachari could not stop himself from saying yes. The lions then stood close to him as guards.
In the cold Mithyachari felt an urge to howl as before. In the distance the other foxes began to howl. But what could he do? If he howled, he would be caught and everyone would kill him. The cold soon increased and the desire to howl became even greater. Mithyachari would make strange noises in his throat, “Oohoo, Oohoo.” The lions asked him, “Sire, what is wrong? Does your stomach hurt?” What answer could the fox give. Slowly, the noises increased and Mithyachari couldn’t resist any longer - he began to howl.
The lions at once realised, “This Mithyachari is a fox! He’s fooling us.” With one pounce they killed the pretender. The truth can never be hidden for long.
There are many pretenders who refuse to work in Krishna consciousness but make a show of meditation, while actually dwelling within the mind upon sense enjoyment. Such pretenders may also speak on dry philosophy in order to bluff sophisticated followers, but according to the Bhagavad-gita these are the greatest cheaters. Their knowledge has no value, because the effects of such sinful men’s knowledge are taken away by the illusory energy of the Lord. Such a pretender’s mind is always impure, and therefore his show of yogic meditation has no value whatsoever.
The End
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