"The Great"
(356 -323 B.C.)
A L E X A N D R O S
by Plutarch
Which are more numerous, Alexander asked the first one, the living or the dead? "The living," said the Brahmin, "because the dead no longer count."
Which produces more creatures, the sea or the land? Alexander asked the second. "The land," was his answer, "because the sea is only a part of it."
The third was asked which animal was the smartest of all, and the Brahmin replied: "The one we have not found yet."
Alexander asked the fourth what argument he had used to stir up the Indians to fight, and he answered: "Only that one should either live nobly or die nobly."
Which is older: day or night? was Alexander's question to the fifth, and the answer he got was: "Day is older, by one day at least." When he saw that Alexander was not satisfied with this answer, the Brahmin added: "Strange questions get strange answers."
What should a man do to make himself loved? asked Alexander, and the sixth Brahmin replied: "Be powerful without being frightening."
What does a man have to do to become a god? he asked the seventh, who responded: "Do what is impossible for a man."
The question to the eighth was whether death or life was stronger, and his answer: "Life is stronger than death, because it bears so many miseries."
The ninth Brahmin was asked how long it was proper for a man to live, and he said: "Until it seems better to die."
Then Alexander turned to the judge, who decided that each one had answered worse than another. "You will die first, then, for giving such a decision," said Alexander. "Not so, mighty king," said the Brahmin, "if you want to remain a man of your word. You said that you would kill first the one who made the worst answer." Alexander gave all of the Brahmins presents and set them free, even though they had persuaded the Indians to fight him
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5 comments:
Wooo! all this Question/Answers are inspiring n increasing knowledge! really! its awesome post!
Nice Conversation between that alexander n brahmins! Very nice to read it! its such a interesting post!
Slight variation here in the questions from what I have read earlier. Hollywood's attempts at glorifying Greek, and by default European civilization, especially the garbage made by Oliver Stone, NEVER mentions any of these accounts.
Also, it appears increasingly clear that Alexander was defeated and turned back, as against conventionally reported history.
Its awesome.....it really gives us a sense of pride to see how brahminical wit completely foxed and swayed the most ruthless and aggressive kings of all time...gud job...
To add further to Raghu's comment about falsification of Indian history by westerners, here are some unanswered questions about the retreat of Alexander "the Great" from India. We all know the conventional version of the story as to how Alex's troops were too tired after defeating Puru, so I won't repeat it. But please consider the following:
* (1) Why would a ruthless general possessing the ambition of conquering the entire world accept something as lame as "we're too tired to fight any more" as a valid excuse from his soldiers? There is no other such instance
anywhere in the history of warfare.
* (2) Does it behoove soldiers who were considered world-beaters and who had "already conquered half of the known world", to plead tiredness as an excuse to not fight any further? It they were so weak, how did they conquer "half the known world"?
* (3) Why do we not have any accounts of Alexander having carried back any war booty back from India with him unlike his other campaigns?
* (4) Why did Alex choose to return not via the north western route he took while coming into India but slunk away through south-western Multan? After all, according to western historians, he had subjugated all the kings he met on his way in, so he would be better off going through areas ruled by his own governors/vassals? In any case, his armies were too tired to make any more conquests on their way back via Multan so further conquests as a reason for taking the Multan route can be ruled out. Why then would a sharp tactically brilliant warrior subject himself and his troops to further violence when all they wanted was a peaceful passage back home?
* (5) Why did he give Puru large territories he supposedly won throughout North Western India and beyond in Afghanistan, without asking anything in return from Pusu -- not even a declaration of vassalship?
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