HOW THE TAMARIND TREE BECAME THE KING OF THE TREES
One day, when mighty Bhima, the second of the five Pandavas, was entering a dense forest at the foothills of the towering Himalayas, he noticed something unusual. The forest, which was usually calm and quiet, was filled with loud, angry voices.
Bhima was surprised.
“I must find out what is going on here today,” he murmured curiously.
As he strode deeper into the forest, he was astonished to discover that the trees themselves were having a heated argument.
“Why are you arguing like this?” Bhima asked one of the trees. “Your voices are disturbing the peace of the forest.”
“We have a problem that we cannot solve,” the tree replied irritably. “That is why we are arguing.”
“Tell me your problem,” Bhima said. “Perhaps I can help.”
“Well,” said the tree, “all the animals and birds have a king. Even the people in the nearby villages have a ruler. But we trees have no king. We need one too.”
“That sounds reasonable,” Bhima said. “But why such a fierce quarrel?”
“Because each of us believes we deserve to be king!” the tree snapped.
Bhima smiled. “It is your good fortune that I came this way. I will judge and decide who among you should be your king.”
“How will you do that?” the trees asked together.
Bhima chuckled. “You all know that I am as strong as a thousand elephants. I will test each of you. I will push every tree one by one. The tree that withstands my full strength will be worthy of becoming your king.”
The trees agreed that this was a fair test.
Bhima began with an ashoka tree. As soon as he pushed it, the tree groaned, “Stop! I do not wish to be king. Just let me stand!”
Next, he pushed a badam tree with rough leaves and smooth bark. It too could not withstand his strength.
“Please do not topple me,” it cried. “I admit I am not worthy of being king.”
Bhima continued, testing a thorny ber tree, a fragrant sandalwood tree, a eucalyptus tree, a neem tree, and a tall palm tree. None could stand firm against his immense strength. Some bent, some cracked, and some were even uprooted.
At last, only three trees remained standing strong—a mighty banyan tree, a tall peepal tree, and a tamarind tree with wide, spreading branches.
“So, which one of us will be king?” asked the banyan tree. “We cannot have three kings!”
“No, you cannot,” Bhima agreed thoughtfully. “Let us ask Brahma, the Creator. He is the wisest and will make the best decision.”
All the trees agreed.
Lord Brahma soon gave his judgment.
“The tamarind tree shall be the king,” he declared.
The banyan and the peepal trees were unhappy.
“Why did you choose the tamarind instead of us?” they asked together.
Brahma smiled and explained, “A king needs a wise and capable minister. The banyan tree, with its vast network of aerial roots, can gather information from every corner of the forest. It is perfectly suited to be the minister.”
The banyan tree felt proud and said, “I will serve the forest faithfully.”
Turning to the peepal tree, Brahma said, “You grow tall and straight, towering above others. You can see far and wide. Therefore, you shall be the guardian of the forest. You will warn everyone of approaching danger by rustling your leaves.”
The peepal tree was pleased and immediately rustled its heart-shaped leaves in joy.
“And the tamarind tree,” Brahma continued, “with its strong trunk and spreading branches, provides shelter and balance. It is steady and dependable—qualities of a true king.”
Thus, the graceful tamarind tree was crowned the king of the forest.
And from that day onward, the banyan served as the wise minister, the peepal stood as the alert guardian, and the tamarind ruled as the beloved king of the trees.
