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Limits of the Mind

By Nitya Ramakrishnan; Illustration by Shinod AP

Ekalavya was a little boy, born in a poor family, many many years ago. His people lived a little away from Hastinapura, the capital of the Kuru kings. They used to clean other people's dirt for a profession.

And for this reason they were shunned by society. Ekalavya and other kids of his group knew they too had to follow their parents' professions.

Their parents often told them, "You are not meant to go to school. What use is school for carrying garbage which is your only job?"

"Don't go near those people; they are high born, we are low born."

Ekalavya didn't understand.

"Why, but why?" he asked his mother. She replied "God set these limits."

"God! Why would God want nice things for them and dirty things for us? Hasn't God made all of us?" Ekalavya asked.

She sighed, "Darling I don't know, but there are bounds we cannot cross, this is God's rule."

Ekalavya became quiet. From that day the only important thing for him was to understand the meaning of "limit".

You know, kids (and grown ups) are sometimes cruel. One day Ekalavya and his friends trapped a little ant and were watching it try to escape. The ant tried and tried till it found a little opening at the edge of the trap and escaped.

Other children moved to trap it again but Ekalavya stopped them shouting, "The brave ant has broken the bounds. Limits are meant to be broken. I am free, free".

One day, Ekalavya saw beautiful chariots come into the forest near his village. He saw boys of his age get out of the chariot one by one. What lovely clothes they wore!

Last, an old man with snowy white hair and spotless white clothes came out looking stern and calm. The boys seemed a little scared of the old man but with one dusky handsome boy, the old man's behaviour was different, he smiled and patted this boy on the head.