Knowledgeable Persons Can Be Friendly Even If They Have Enmity! Poem by Dr.V.K. Kanniappan

In spite of the fact that even if
the knowledgeable persons have enmity,

They might save you like a friend
when the necessity arises!

But however one shows affinity,
The fools may not behave wisely!

Once the knowledgeable hunter
in the forest saved the Brahman!

But the foolish monkey in the palace
killed the king due to its idiocy!

Note:

Two stories are explaining this poetry

Story 1:

Once upon a time a king presented a ruby stone to a Brahman. Thinking that some burglar will attack him for the ruby while going through the forest, he swallowed it with an idea of spewing out after reaching home.

Knowing this fact, a hunter followed him and asked the Brahman to spew it out. But the Brahman said that the ruby is in the stomach of that hunter.

While they were quarreling, a few burglars appeared and asked the Brahman to spew out the ruby.

Even though the hunter is an enemy to the Brahman, he is wiser and told the burglars that they were simply making fun and how can they keep the ruby in their stomach.

He said that if they want, they can open his abdomen and see. The burglars opened the abdomen of the hunter and could not find the ruby. They felt pity and thought that they don't want to kill another innocent person and let the Brahman go.

Story 2:

A king was rearing a monkey as a pet. One day, the king gave a sword to the monkey and asked it not to allow anybody while he is sleeping.

While the king was sleeping, the monkey noticed a fly was sitting on the king's neck. Thinking that the king has given the sword only to prevent the fly, the monkey made a swift cut over the fly. But the fly flew away and the sword cut the king's neck and the king died.

Moral:

Even though the hunter is an enemy to the Brahman, since the hunter was wise, he did not like both of them to die, but he saved the Brahman.

In spite of treating the monkey as pet and friendly, the king lost his life due to the association with the foolish monkey.