Friday 26 September 2014

Another excerpt from my forthcoming book.


When I was a senior Judge in Allahabad High Court I often told my junior colleagues the story of Raja Nriga. This story is related in the Anushashan Parva of the Mahabharata ( 6.38,chapter 70 ), in the Ramayana ( chapter 7, shlokas 53-54 ), and in Shukraniti ( chapter 4, shlokas 5-8 ).

The story is that once two Brahmins had a dispute over the ownership of a cow, each claiming that it belonged to him. They decided to go to Raja Nriga to get their dispute resolved.

After they reached Raja Nriga's Court they were kept waiting for 3 days, as Raja Nriga was evidently occupied in pleasures with his queens or some sport.  After waiting for 3 days they gave a curse to the King that since he had delayed doing justice he will become a lizard in his next birth.
  
Having related this story to my junior colleagues, I would tell them that unless they decided cases quickly they would meet the same fate as Raja Nriga !

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