Baital Pachchisi Story 12, "The Cup That Held Four Inncocences"

Have you ever noticed how when something

Have you ever noticed how when something

goes wrong, our first instinct is to

goes wrong, our first instinct is to

find someone to blame? It's like a

find someone to blame? It's like a

reflex. A fire starts, a project fails,

reflex. A fire starts, a project fails,

a relationship ends, and our minds

a relationship ends, and our minds

immediately start scanning for a

immediately start scanning for a

villain. It feels better, doesn't it, to

villain. It feels better, doesn't it, to

have a target for our anger, a neat

have a target for our anger, a neat

little box to put the problem in. But

little box to put the problem in. But

what if there is no villain? What if the

what if there is no villain? What if the

real enemy is just chaos? There's an

real enemy is just chaos? There's an

ancient Indian story that explores this

ancient Indian story that explores this

very idea and it's a brilliant trap for

very idea and it's a brilliant trap for

the mind. It's called the cup that held

the mind. It's called the cup that held

for innocences and it goes like this.

for innocences and it goes like this.

There was a young brilliant man named

There was a young brilliant man named

Haraswami deeply in love with his

Haraswami deeply in love with his

beautiful wife. One hot summer night

beautiful wife. One hot summer night

they were sleeping on the roof of their

they were sleeping on the roof of their

house when a migot flying through the

house when a migot flying through the

sky saw the wife's face struck by a

sky saw the wife's face struck by a

sudden desire. He swooped down, lifted

sudden desire. He swooped down, lifted

her sleeping body and vanished into the

her sleeping body and vanished into the

night. When Har Swami woke up, his wife

night. When Har Swami woke up, his wife

was gone. The space beside him was just

was gone. The space beside him was just

an empty, insulting void. He searched

an empty, insulting void. He searched

the house, the streets, the entire city,

the house, the streets, the entire city,

but found nothing. The grief was so

but found nothing. The grief was so

absolute, so devastating that it

absolute, so devastating that it

completely broke him. Laugh when it

completely broke him. Laugh when it

turns feral can make you do extreme

turns feral can make you do extreme

things. He renounced his entire life. He

things. He renounced his entire life. He

smeared his body with ash. put on the

smeared his body with ash. put on the

simple robes of a pilgrim and began to

simple robes of a pilgrim and began to

wander the earth. A man basically

wander the earth. A man basically

walking around like an open wound. He

walking around like an open wound. He

traveled from town to town. His grief

traveled from town to town. His grief

and hunger his only companions. One day

and hunger his only companions. One day

absolutely starving. He arrived in a new

absolutely starving. He arrived in a new

village. He made a small cup out of

village. He made a small cup out of

leaves and went to a local Brahman's

leaves and went to a local Brahman's

house to beg for food. The Brahman

house to beg for food. The Brahman

wanting to perform an act of charity

wanting to perform an act of charity

took the leaf cup, filled it with rice

took the leaf cup, filled it with rice

and milk and gave it to him. The pilgrim

and milk and gave it to him. The pilgrim

took the food to a large banyan tree by

took the food to a large banyan tree by

a pond. He set the cup down at the base

a pond. He set the cup down at the base

of the tree and went to wash his hands

of the tree and went to wash his hands

and face before eating. And in that

and face before eating. And in that

moment, the world did what the world

moment, the world did what the world

sometimes does. It introduced a small

sometimes does. It introduced a small

ordinary horror. A black snake slithered

ordinary horror. A black snake slithered

out from the roots of the tree. It

out from the roots of the tree. It

dipped its fangs into the cup of rice

dipped its fangs into the cup of rice

and milk, poisoning the food, and then

and milk, poisoning the food, and then

slipped away unseen. The pilgrim

slipped away unseen. The pilgrim

returned. His hunger was screaming so

returned. His hunger was screaming so

loudly it drowned out any sense of

loudly it drowned out any sense of

caution. He didn't notice anything

caution. He didn't notice anything

wrong. He quickly ate the food but

wrong. He quickly ate the food but

pausing took effect almost immediately.

pausing took effect almost immediately.

Staggering back to the Brahman's house,

Staggering back to the Brahman's house,

he collapsed gasping. You have given me

he collapsed gasping. You have given me

poison and I am dying. And then he died

poison and I am dying. And then he died

right there on the doorstep. But Brahman

right there on the doorstep. But Brahman

seeing the dead man panicked. His act of

seeing the dead man panicked. His act of

charity had somehow resulted in a man's

charity had somehow resulted in a man's

death. In his fear and rage, he did what

death. In his fear and rage, he did what

so many of us do. He turned on the

so many of us do. He turned on the

nearest, most convenient target. He

nearest, most convenient target. He

dragged his own wife out of the house,

dragged his own wife out of the house,

threw her into the street, and screamed,

threw her into the street, and screamed,

"Get out, you murderer of a Brahman."

"Get out, you murderer of a Brahman."

So, here's the puzzle the story

So, here's the puzzle the story

presents. A man is dead. Who is guilty?

presents. A man is dead. Who is guilty?

Think about it. We have four potential

Think about it. We have four potential

suspects. Let's break them down. First,

suspects. Let's break them down. First,

the snake. Who's the snake guilty? Well,

the snake. Who's the snake guilty? Well,

a snake's mouth contains venom. That's

a snake's mouth contains venom. That's

its nature. The snake doesn't have a

its nature. The snake doesn't have a

moral code. It just has a biological

moral code. It just has a biological

function. To blame the snake is like

function. To blame the snake is like

blaming a storm for being wet or fire

blaming a storm for being wet or fire

for being hot. It's just what it is.

for being hot. It's just what it is.

It's an agent of nature, not an agent of

It's an agent of nature, not an agent of

malice. So, the snake is not guilty.

malice. So, the snake is not guilty.

Okay. What about the Brahman who gave

Okay. What about the Brahman who gave

the food? His intention was pure. He was

the food? His intention was pure. He was

performing a charitable act, giving food

performing a charitable act, giving food

to a hungry man. He had no idea the food

to a hungry man. He had no idea the food

would become poisonant. He was part of

would become poisonant. He was part of

the chain of events that led to the

the chain of events that led to the

death. But can we say he is morally

death. But can we say he is morally

culpable? These story says no. Being a

culpable? These story says no. Being a

cause is not the same as being guilty.

cause is not the same as being guilty.

He is innocent. What about the Brahman's

He is innocent. What about the Brahman's

wife? This is where it gets interesting.

wife? This is where it gets interesting.

She's the one who gets punished. But

She's the one who gets punished. But

what did she actually do? She simply

what did she actually do? She simply

followed her husband's instructions,

followed her husband's instructions,

likely preparing or handing over the

likely preparing or handing over the

food. She is the classic scapegoat. When

food. She is the classic scapegoat. When

tragedy strikes and we can't find a

tragedy strikes and we can't find a

clear villain, we often lash out at the

clear villain, we often lash out at the

most convenient or powerless person

most convenient or powerless person

available. It gives us a false sense of

available. It gives us a false sense of

control in a chaotic situation, but in

control in a chaotic situation, but in

reality, she is completely blameless.

reality, she is completely blameless.

That leaves our final suspect, the

That leaves our final suspect, the

pilgrim himself. Could he be at fault?

pilgrim himself. Could he be at fault?

He's the one who ate the poison food,

He's the one who ate the poison food,

but he ate it unwittingly. If you look

but he ate it unwittingly. If you look

deeper, his entire state of being was

deeper, his entire state of being was

the real poison. He was living in raw,

the real poison. He was living in raw,

unprocessed grief, so consumed by his

unprocessed grief, so consumed by his

loss that he wasn't paying attention.

loss that he wasn't paying attention.

His hunger made him rush and his rush

His hunger made him rush and his rush

made him not notice the subtle signs of

made him not notice the subtle signs of

danger. But is that guilt or is that

danger. But is that guilt or is that

just profound vulnerability? The story

just profound vulnerability? The story

argues it's the latter. He is a victim

argues it's the latter. He is a victim

of his circumstances, not a perpetrator.

of his circumstances, not a perpetrator.

So if the snake isn't guilty, the

So if the snake isn't guilty, the

Brahman isn't guilty, his wife isn't

Brahman isn't guilty, his wife isn't

guilty, and the pilgrim isn't guilty.

guilty, and the pilgrim isn't guilty.

Who is? The answer the story gives is

Who is? The answer the story gives is

radical. No one. The guilt of killing

radical. No one. The guilt of killing

the pilgrim attaches to none of them.

the pilgrim attaches to none of them.

The real takeaway from the story isn't

The real takeaway from the story isn't

about solving a murder mystery. It's a

about solving a murder mystery. It's a

profound lesson about the human need for

profound lesson about the human need for

blame. It's a warning against the sin of

blame. It's a warning against the sin of

false accusation. When we can't find a

false accusation. When we can't find a

clear person to blame, we get

clear person to blame, we get

uncomfortable. That feeling of

uncomfortable. That feeling of

unresolved injustice, of pure random

unresolved injustice, of pure random

tragedy, is terrifying. So, we invent a

tragedy, is terrifying. So, we invent a

villain. We point fingers. We sacrifice

villain. We point fingers. We sacrifice

the innocent just to feel a little more

the innocent just to feel a little more

certain, a little more in control. The

certain, a little more in control. The

story says, "Stop. Slow down before you

story says, "Stop. Slow down before you

accuse. Trace the intent. Trace the

accuse. Trace the intent. Trace the

knowledge. Trace the agency. And if you

knowledge. Trace the agency. And if you

can't find clear evidence of any of

can't find clear evidence of any of

those things, then you must accept the

those things, then you must accept the

difficult truth. Sometimes terrible

difficult truth. Sometimes terrible

things just happen. Sometimes the only

things just happen. Sometimes the only

villain is chaos itself. Resisting the

villain is chaos itself. Resisting the

urge to falsely blame someone isn't a

urge to falsely blame someone isn't a

sign of weakness. It's a sign of

sign of weakness. It's a sign of

profound wisdom and moral strength. It's

profound wisdom and moral strength. It's

about keeping your own hands clean when

about keeping your own hands clean when

everyone else is looking for someone to

everyone else is looking for someone to

stone. This story is thousands of years

stone. This story is thousands of years

old, but it feels like it could have

old, but it feels like it could have

been written yesterday. In our own

been written yesterday. In our own

lives, in our communities, online drama

lives, in our communities, online drama

erupts, things go wrong, and the

erupts, things go wrong, and the

pointing begins immediately. This

pointing begins immediately. This

ancient tale reminds us to take a

ancient tale reminds us to take a

breath, to resist the easy, satisfying

breath, to resist the easy, satisfying

path of blame, and instead embrace the

path of blame, and instead embrace the

more difficult, but ultimately more

more difficult, but ultimately more

truthful path of understanding. Because

truthful path of understanding. Because

sometimes the most courageous thing you

sometimes the most courageous thing you

can do in the face of tragedy is to

can do in the face of tragedy is to

admit that you don have all the answers.

admit that you don have all the answers.

Thanks for watching. If you found this

Thanks for watching. If you found this

interesting, think about subscribing for

interesting, think about subscribing for

more stories that make you think. See

more stories that make you think. See

you next time.

you next time.