The Guru's Fee - Krishna and Sandipani

Sandipani: "You have learned in sixty-four days what takes ordinary students sixty-four years. I have nothing more to teach you—in truth, I wonder if I ever did."

Krishna: "You taught me discipline, structure, the joy of systematic learning. Knowledge is eternal, but the path to knowledge needs guides. You were that guide."

Sandipani: "And now comes the question of dakshina. What fee can a student pay his teacher?"

Krishna: "Name it, guru-dev. Whatever you ask, we will give."

Sandipani is silent for a long moment. When he speaks, his voice is heavy with old grief.

Sandipani: "My son. Years ago, before you came, I had a son. He was playing by the ocean at Prabhasa when a great wave took him. We searched but found nothing. My wife still weeps for him."

Krishna: "You want me to find him."

Sandipani: "I want you to bring him back. I know this is impossible—I am not asking you as a teacher asking a student. I am asking you as... as one who has heard what they say about you. About who you really are."

Krishna: "And what do they say?"

Sandipani: "That you are God himself, playing at being human. That the universe bows to your will. That death itself obeys your command."

A long silence.

Krishna: "These are interesting rumors."

Sandipani: "Are they true?"

Krishna: "Guru-dev, does it matter? You asked for your son. You will have your son. That is what matters."

Krishna and Balarama travel to Prabhasa, to the edge of the ocean. Krishna calls to the sea.

Krishna: "Ocean, return what you have taken."

The waves churn. A voice rises from the depths.

OCEAN: Lord, I did not take the boy. Panchajana took him—the demon who dwells in a conch shell at my floor. The child was taken to Yamaloka long ago.

Krishna dives into the ocean. He finds Panchajana—a demon vast as a mountain, dwelling in a conch shell palace. The battle is brief. The demon falls. Krishna takes the conch—it will become Panchajanya, his eternal war-horn.

But the boy is not there.

KRISHNA (emerging): Balarama, we must go further.

BALARAMA: To Yamaloka? To the realm of death itself?

Krishna: "Our teacher asked. We will deliver."

They descend to Yamaloka. Yama, the god of death, sees them coming and understands immediately.

YAMA: Lord, you come for the boy?

Krishna: "I come for what was promised to my teacher. Release him."

YAMA: He has been here for years. His soul has processed through the cycles of—

Krishna: "Release him."

Yama bows. The boy—whole, alive, unchanged—steps forward.

They return to Sandipani's ashram. The guru and his wife fall to their knees, weeping, holding their son who was dead and is now alive.

Sandipani: "How? How is this possible?"

Krishna: "You asked for dakshina. A student pays what his teacher asks. This is traditional."

Sandipani: "Traditional? You descended to the realm of death! You commanded Yama himself!"

Krishna: "I went where the education took me. Guru-dev, you taught me one thing above all others: when you commit to something, you see it through. You asked for your son. Your son is here. The dakshina is paid."

SANDIPANI (still holding his boy, tears streaming): What are you?

Krishna: "Your student. Your eternal student. Whatever else I may be, that is what I am to you."

He touches Sandipani's feet in the traditional gesture of respect—God bowing to teacher, infinity honoring the finite form through which knowledge flows.

Sandipani: "Go, Krishna. Go do whatever it is you're meant to do in this world. But know this: I taught the Supreme Lord. Whatever heaven I earn, it will be because I was permitted to be your teacher."

KRISHNA (smiling): You were an excellent teacher. And I was... a passable student.

BALARAMA: He stole butter from the kitchen every day.

Krishna: "That's education too, brother. Practical application of stealth techniques."

They leave, the guru laughing through his tears, holding the son who has returned from death, understanding finally who had sat in his classroom all those days.