Vikram & Baetal - Ice that wasn't

Vikram, sworn in to silence, had started the journey back to Ujjiani, with Baetal on his back. Baetal stared his story...

Once upon a time in Ujjaini, there was a great drought that lasted for several centuries. The people of Ujjaini over the time had become nomadic, always traveling in search of water and resources. It was the 312th year of the draught, and all but the elders had forgotten how it used to be a prosperous populace.

Savitri was the village seeress, and today she was was rejoicing her brother Hima's return from his decade long journey from the unknown far away lands. He brought with him stories of many magical sights, mystical creatures, impossible adventures and many strange tribes. Among the many wonders that he had seen was a magical and magnificent crystal brilliant as a diamond, colder than a desert night and amazingly changed into water when you held it. The townsfolk were baffled by this new and unimaginably wonderful treasure that Hima had witnessed. Hima explained to the townsfolk that there were regions in the northern wastelands that were so cold that the river water stops flowing and
turns in to a solid translucent block. Everyone except Savitri was overcome by awe hearing about solid water. Savitri just said it was a lie, and it could not exist. The law of the gods forbade it.

Savitri challenged her brother in public, and asked him to prove it. Hima said that when it becomes warm, the solid water turns back in to liquid, so by the time he would bring back the magnificent crystal, it would be nothing but water. Savitri mocked him and said

"Ha ! So you cant bring it when asked, and you ask me to believe this? Why brother, such tall tales? Whats next? Dragons that breathe fire? Pigs that Fly? You seem to underestimate the intelligence of our people. We may not have gone beyond our tribe in search of adventure, but our wisdom is one that has grown over the centuries and we have not lost the capacity to reason !".
Hima was lost for words.

Thus concluded Baetal's story and he asked
"Oh ! Great King, Vikram the wise of Ujjaini, what would you advise your citizen Hima to do ?"

( Based on Chapter 10, 'On Miracles' from 'An Essay on Human Understanding' by David Hume, 1748. )

Vikram pondered over the question and replied, "Savitri is right in not believing everything that has been told to her, as more often than not, it is just an exaggeration. But at the same time, we know that Hima was speaking the truth and Savitri was being beligerent in accusing Hima of making up the story of Ice. We know this because we know that ice exists. It is not a tale of fantasy for us, it is just a plain everyday fact.

Savitri is right in questioning an unknown, unproved claim, but she also has to accept the fact that she never witnessed it. The flaw is that she was excreting something which she could not disprove either. Had she made the journey with Hima, and saw and experienced the same sights and adventures, she had the grounds to refute him.

Does this mean that one should experience everything to make up one's own mind about something ? Not really, but the fact is that we often do this unknowingly, and attach skepticism to only those ideas that are not easily tested. Most trivial comments like the question of splendid mangoes from a particular tree in the village attracts less criticism, because at one time or the other the listener has had or will have an opportunity to experience it. But the story of a distant tree across the mountains and beyond the seas, that bears diamonds as fruit is bound to raise eyebrows, and soft chuckles.

Within the more serious realms of faith and beliefs too it holds good. Believers have a hard time convincing non-believers the "truth" and vice versa. Miracles are attributed to divine intervention. Within the social fabric weaved through with a notion of a supreme being, another explanation is heretic. Theories of faith are not easily proved, but faith has a tricky way of not requiring proof, it is what quantifies it.

Had Hima met a saint who took him in to the future, to discover the great truths about life and the world we live in, which were, suppose, against the prelevant notions of the day, he would have been greeted with a similar response, for the simple reason that his notions would have been far too much against the common wisdom of the time and its people.

This does not mean that Hima's story about ice is to be believed blindly. People need to make the decision for themselves; I believe, it is that capability within us, which enables us to choose our own truths that make us human. The only thing that Savitri needs to remember is to to keep an open mind, and not jump to conclusions just because opposing a radical idea maybe be simpler, or because an idea may compromise her own faith in her beliefs."

Beatal laughed at the king, "Vikram, you are indeed wise, but we are not yet out of the forest, and you have run out of words. You have broken the promise you made, that you'll keep the journey light with your wisdom..."
Beatal flew back to the forest on to his tree, and resumed his inverted stance. Vikram, ran to get him back...
[to be continued]