king Dharmapalan
King Dharmapalan was a kind and generous ruler. His palace was grand and he had hundreds of attendants. He enjoyed all the luxuries fit for a king. But at heart he was an ascetic. So he was known as Rajayogi.
Once a yogi came to see him. He looked at the king's fine robes and all his paraphernalia. He was furious. “You call yourself a Rajayogi and you bask in luxury and enjoy all the pleasures. You are a hypocrite!” he said.
The king was unperturbed. He asked the yogi if he could serve him in any way.
“I'll have nothing from you," the yogi said, adding, "you are cheating the world and yourself."
“What should I do to be worthy of your regard?" the king asked the yogi.
“Just leave the palace right now and come with me. I'll teach you the essence of life and how to be detached from everything around.”
The king got up and followed him barehanded without any hesitation. They walked quietly, the yogi showing the way. Halfway through, the yogi suddenly stopped.
“Do you need anything?” the king asked.
"Yes. I forgot my kamandalu. I always keep it with me.”
To this the king said, "I left my entire kingdom in a second and came with you. You can't even let go of a kamandalu. I thought you were going to teach me to be truly detached. I'm surprised."
The yogi hung his head in shame. He apologized for his rude behaviour and unkind words. He had now understood that the king was a real Rajayogi.
