King Pari's kindness to the jasmine creeper

This is the story of King Pari Vallal (Vallal – Patron King), the legendary 9CE Tamil Chola king (and later turned sage and philanthropist).

Once upon a time the king went for an outing to the nearby woods. He asked the charioteer to park the chariot at an open space and went to the lake that was further inside the woods. The king felt relaxed by the cool breeze of the lake and sat by its side for a long time with his charioteer.  Finally evening fell and he decided to return. When he went to his chariot, he noticed that a small creeper had twined itself around a spoke of the chariot wheel. There was a small bud at the tip of the creeper. The king kneeled down and observed the creeper. He realized that it needed support in order to survive and blossom. So the king decided to leave the chariot behind in the woods and walk back home.

After a month, the chariot was covered with the creeper that bore so many flowers. Birds and bees were attracted by the flowers and the king’s chariot buzzed with life.

This story shows how the kindness of the king enabled the tiny jasmine creeper to come to life and a very good example of sustainable living.