Dattatreya Teaches Alarka

Dadi: "Come sit with me, Guddu. Tonight I'll tell you about a king who lost everything—his kingdom, his happiness—but found something far more precious."

Guddu: "A king who lost his kingdom? That sounds sad, Dadi!"

Dadi: "It was sad at first. King Alarka was a good king, ruling his father's kingdom with care. But his elder brother Subahu burned with jealousy. "Why should my younger brother sit on the throne?" he thought."

Guddu: "That's not fair! Being older doesn't automatically make someone better."

Dadi: "Exactly, beta. But Subahu didn't see it that way. He joined forces with another king and attacked. Poor Alarka lost everything—his throne, his palace. His beloved queen wept with sorrow."

Guddu: "What did King Alarka do? Did he fight back?"

Dadi: "Here's where the story becomes interesting. Alarka remembered something his wise mother Madalasa had taught him when he was young: "True happiness doesn't come from thrones or treasures." So instead of raising an army, he went looking for a sage named Dattatreya."

Guddu: "A sage? But didn't he need soldiers?"

Dadi: "That's what most people would think! But Alarka was searching for a different kind of strength. When he found Dattatreya, the sage smiled. "You're honest about your suffering. That's the first step. Now tell me—who exactly is suffering?""

Guddu: "Um... King Alarka was suffering?"

Dadi: "But Dattatreya asked him to look deeper. "Your body is made of five things—earth, water, fire, air, and space. Which one of these is suffering? Your hands? Your feet?""

Guddu: "Oh! That's a tricky question!"

Dadi: "Very tricky! Alarka sat in deep thought. He realized something amazing. His body wasn't suffering—his *mind* was. The thoughts saying "I lost MY kingdom, MY throne" were creating all the pain."

Guddu: "So the problem was in his thinking?"

Dadi: "Brilliant, Guddu! Dattatreya then explained something beautiful. He said our ego is like a tiny seed that grows into a huge tree. The trunk is selfishness. The branches are our possessions. The leaves are our family attachments. And the fruits? Pleasure and pain—always coming and going."

Guddu: "That's a strange tree, Dadi!"

Dadi: "The strangest tree of all! And Dattatreya said, "To be truly free, you must cut down this tree with the axe of wisdom." He taught Alarka about meditation, about the sacred sound "Om," about finding peace within."

Guddu: "Did Alarka learn all this?"

Dadi: "He did. And then something wonderful happened. When Alarka finally understood that true happiness comes from within, he decided to give up his kingdom completely—not because he lost it, but because he no longer needed it!"

Guddu: "Whoa! He didn't even want it back?"

Dadi: "Not anymore. And here's the funny part—when his brother Subahu saw this transformation, HE didn't want the kingdom either! Seeing Alarka's peace, Subahu realized that spiritual wisdom was worth more than any throne."

Guddu: "So neither of them wanted to be king anymore?"

Dadi: "Neither! Alarka gave the kingdom to his son and went to live in the forest, spending his days in meditation and peace. His brother did the same."

Guddu: "That's such a different ending! Usually the hero fights to get his kingdom back."

Dadi: "That's why this story is special, beta. The real victory isn't winning back what you lost. It's realizing that what you truly are—your soul—can never be taken away. Dattatreya's final words to Alarka were: "When there is no sense of 'mine,' there is no misery.""

Guddu: "So if I stop thinking "my toys, my games, my stuff" all the time, I'll be happier?"

Dadi: "*chuckling* You're already wiser than many kings, my little philosopher. Now, shall I get you some milk before bed? Not MY milk—just milk!"

Guddu: "*laughing* Just milk! Good night, Dadi. I'm going to think about that ego tree."

Dadi: "Good night, beta. May you always know the difference between what can be taken and what is truly yours."