466 THE STORY OF APPAJI
of their own nation, one of these princes, named Krishna Roya, was holding sway over one of the most fertile provinces of Southern India. This benevolent ruler was ever anxious to gain the love and respect of his subjects by doing everything in his power to make them happy; and, in order to attain this end more readily, he always took the most particular care to employ as his ministers and confidential advisers those persons only who by their wisdom, experience, and prudence were capable of affording him wise counsel. His prime minister, Appaji, enjoyed more
of his confidence than any other, because he possessed the happy knack of letting his master know the truth about things by means of the most entertaining and striking
allegories. One day, when this wise minister was alone with his sovereign, the latter, having nothing particular to do at the moment, asked him to solve the following problem.
'
Appaji,' said he, ' I have often heard it said that in their religious and social usages men simply follow a beaten track, blindly and indiscriminately, however absurd such usages may be. Can you prove to me the truth of this assertion and the justice of that famous proverb:
Jaira marula, Jana marula l? Appaji, with his usual modesty, promised the king to apply himself to the solution of the question and to give his answer in a few days. Returning home with his mind
full of the problem, the minister sent in search of his shepherd who was taking care of his sheep. This man was
a simple country boor with a rustic ' s ordinary intelligence.
When the shepherd arrived, Appaji addressed him as follows
—
'
Hear me, Kuruba 2; you must instantly lay aside your
shepherd ' s garb and put on that of a sannyasi or penitent, whom you must represent for a few days. You will begin by rubbing your whole body with ashes; you will then
said to date a short time before the Mahomedan invasion. However, whether this little story be fact or fiction, it is none the less a most excellent satire on the credulity of the Hindus. Dubois.
1
The meaning of this is '
: Is it the customs that are ridiculous, or is it the persons who follow them who are ridiculous?' The answer being:
'
It is the people who follow them who are ridiculous.' Dubois. 2
This is a name common enough among persons belonging to the caste of shepherds. Those who take care of cows or goats form another caste called Golla.— Dubois.