Vedantic Tales: The Discipleship of
Sri Nag , The Cobra

One day in late winter he heard a rustling and chirping in the brown grasses outside the temple entrance.

'Sri Nag! Sri Nag!'

Sri Nag went outside, there to confront a row of five mice, one of whom stepped forward. This spokesman, whose name was Akhu, cleared his throat. 'Sri Nagji,' he said in a deferential tone of voice, 'we have come as a delegation to pay our respects to you and to ask you, sir, if we may be so bold, as to why you allowed those bullies to treat you like a piece of rope. It was quite a reversal of the ancient and well known illustration of maya.' He chuckled at his own learned wit. The four other mice tittered in a chorus of appreciation. 'It was a shocking sight,' Akhu went on, his voice becoming bolder. 'But, of course, that is your own affair. Of more concern to us is that you have not been abiding by the Rules of the Game. We have come to inquire why.'

'Perhaps that also is my own affair,' Sri Nag replied without rancor. 'But may I point out that if I had been abiding by the Rules, as you call it, you would not be here today to ask the question.'

Akhu lifted his chin almost imperceptibly and twitched his whiskers. Again ho cleared his throat. 'Meaning no offence, sir,' he said, 'it was only the less agile and alert mice that you were able to catch in the old days. I dare say that even if things had been taking their normal course, I and my colleagues would still be here. Moreover, sir, if I may reply to your first point, it is not your own affair. What you do and don't do has repercussions far a field.'

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