परीक्षा
Summary
The retired Diwan of Devgarh, Sardar Sujansingh, was asked by the Maharaja to find his own successor. A unique advertisement was placed in newspapers across the country, seeking a capable Diwan. The advertisement specified that candidates need not be graduates but must be physically robust, as those with weak digestion need not apply. Candidates would be observed for a month regarding their lifestyle and conduct. This created a sensation, attracting hundreds of hopefuls from all over India, including Punjab, Madras, and various regions. They came in diverse attires and backgrounds, including graduates, pandits, and maulvis. During the month, the candidates engaged in various activities to impress, including playing hockey. One evening, after a hockey match, a farmer was struggling to pull his heavily loaded cart out of a muddy stream. The players, tired from the game, ignored his plight. However, one man, who was limping from a leg injury sustained during the game, stopped. He put down his hockey stick, removed his coat, and offered to help the farmer. Despite sinking knee-deep in mud, he persevered, and with the farmer’s encouragement to the bullocks, the cart was successfully pulled out. The farmer, grateful, blessed him, saying he would become the Diwan. The man suspected the farmer might be Sardar Sujansingh in disguise, and the farmer’s cryptic reply confirmed his suspicion. At the end of the month, a court was assembled. Sardar Sujansingh announced that the new Diwan was Pandit Jankinath, the man who had helped the farmer. He explained that a man who, despite being injured, selflessly helped a poor farmer possessed the necessary courage, strength, and compassion to be a good Diwan, one who would never oppress the poor and would remain steadfast in duty and compassion.
Conclusion
The selection process for the new Diwan of Devgarh reveals that true leadership is defined not by academic credentials or outward displays of virtue, but by innate compassion and courage. The final choice of Pandit Jankinath, who selflessly helped a struggling farmer despite his own injury, demonstrates that genuine character emerges through spontaneous acts of kindness rather than calculated performances. This outcome challenges the assumption that formal education or social polish are prerequisites for high office, suggesting instead that moral integrity and practical empathy are the most valuable qualities in governance. The story implies that institutions seeking capable administrators would benefit from evaluating candidates through real-world challenges that reveal their true nature, rather than relying on superficial markers of qualification.