(195) A Salt Story!

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 You may have often heard the saying, "Anything without salt is fit for the trash." It implies that food without salt is essentially waste. Shall we read the origin of this story?

Long ago, the kingdom of Silbaripuram was ruled by Veeravarman. He had five daughters. It was his custom to hold a gathering of scholars at the palace once a month. During these meetings, he would have his five daughters sit in special seats to encourage their interest in state affairs.

Once, during such a gathering, the King felt like asking them a question to demonstrate their virtues to everyone.

He asked his eldest daughter: "If you were to give me a gift, what would you give?"

She immediately replied: "I would give Father the biggest gemstone."

The court cheered, and the King felt proud. When he repeated the question to the second daughter, she said "gold." The third princess said "silver," and the fourth said "wild honey," all of which pleased him.

However, when he asked the fifth and youngest daughter, she happily said: "I will gift Father salt."

Everyone in the court burst into laughter upon hearing this. The King, sensing mockery, became angry and exclaimed: "You have disgraced me; do not stay in this kingdom for even a moment!"

The guards took the girl and abandoned her in the neighboring kingdom of Kosalapuram. At that time, King Kanakaraja of that land happened to be returning from a hunt on horseback. Seeing the girl walking and crying, unsure of where to go, he inquired about the situation.

The King was shocked to learn that she was a little princess! It was a time when these neighboring kingdoms were at odds. Nevertheless, he took her to his own palace and later raised her alongside his own children.

When his son reached marriageable age, King Kanakaraja decided to marry him to the princess. Eventually, the wedding day arrived. Veeravarman of Silbaripuram accepted the invitation and reached the venue.

When the feast was served to Veeravarman, there was no salt in any of the dishes. As soon as he tasted it, he grew furious: "You have invited me here on purpose just to insult me by serving this tasteless food!"

Immediately, the princess sprinkled salt into the dishes from a small bowl. When he tasted it again, the King remarked: "Oh! What a wonderful taste! Did you forget to add salt?"

Then, the princess said: "Father, food is the most important thing for us. But, anything without salt is fit for the trash."

That was when King Veeravarman realized that she was the daughter he had once abandoned! He apologized to everyone for his past mistake and departed from there, filled with remorse.

Moral: Do not impose your own preferences on others. Respect the likes and dislikes of every individual.


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