Srila Prabhupada often shared a simple yet profound story to illustrate how easily people, regardless of their status or intellect, can be misled by common public opinion.
Once, a man was walking and noticed another man weeping inconsolably with a freshly shaved head. Concerned, he asked, “Why have you shaved your head? Why are you crying?” The grieving man, overwhelmed with sorrow, responded, “You haven’t heard? You don’t know? Sarval Singh is dead!”
The first man, though he had no idea who Sarval Singh was, felt too embarrassed to admit his ignorance. Assuming that Sarval Singh must have been an important figure, he too began crying and shaved his head as a sign of mourning. He then returned to his village, where the villagers noticed his grief-stricken state and asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” The man replied, “You haven’t heard? Sarval Singh is dead!” Shocked, the villagers also shaved their heads and began mourning the loss of Sarval Singh, despite not knowing who he was.
As the news spread, a military troop marching nearby passed through the village and saw everyone crying with shaved heads. Curious, they asked, “Why is everyone in the village mourning?” The villagers answered, “You don’t know? Sarval Singh is dead!” Believing it to be a significant loss, the soldiers also shaved their heads and joined the mourning.
When the army appeared before the king, he noticed that all his soldiers had shaved heads and were weeping. Confused, the king asked, “Why do you all have shaved heads? Why are you weeping?” In unison, the entire army cried out, “King, you haven’t heard? Sarval Singh is dead!” The king, assuming that Sarval Singh must have been someone of great importance, turned to his minister and said, “We must shave our heads too, for Sarval Singh is dead.”
However, the minister was an intelligent man and asked the king, “Who is Sarval Singh?” The king replied, “You don’t know? Sarval Singh is dead!” The minister, persistent in his inquiry, admitted, “No, I don’t know who Sarval Singh is.” The king, now realizing that he also didn’t know who Sarval Singh was, said, “Maybe we should find out.”
The minister began his investigation by asking the soldiers, “Who is Sarval Singh?” They responded, “We don’t know. We heard it from the villagers.” The minister then went to the village and asked the villagers, “Who is Sarval Singh?” The villagers, equally ignorant, said, “We don’t know. We just heard that Sarval Singh is dead.”
Finally, the minister traced the story back to the original man who had been crying with a shaved head. The minister asked, “Why are you crying?” The man replied, “You haven’t heard? Sarval Singh is dead!” The minister, determined to get to the bottom of the matter, asked, “Who is Sarval Singh?”
The man, still grieving, explained, “I am a washerman, and in order to carry the clothes of my customers, I rely on my faithful donkey. That donkey served me loyally for many years, but now he has died. His name was Sarval Singh.” (Laughter)
When everyone realized that Sarval Singh was just a donkey, they were all deeply embarrassed for having been so easily misled.
Lesson:
The story of “Sarval Singh is Dead” serves as a powerful reminder of how easily society can be swayed by public opinion without verifying the truth. It highlights the importance of critical thinking, humility, and the willingness to question commonly held beliefs rather than blindly following the crowd.
Prayer:
“O Lord, grant me the wisdom to seek the truth, the courage to question, and the humility to admit when I do not know. Help me to avoid being misled by public opinion and to always strive for clarity and understanding.”
