Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3877

c9.3877

6) Loss of ministership. By and by Indradatta had fallen into bad ways. The subjects were beset with famine. The people hated the king and the minister. They made a cry to bring Śakaṭāla back. They obtained the permission of the king and brought Śakaṭāla out of the dungeon. Śakaṭāla knew that so long as Vararuci was alive, he could do nothing to the King Yoga Nanda. So he decided to wait for an opportunity, and accepted an office under Vararuci. One day Yoga Nanda went out for a walk. He saw in the Ganges the palm of a hand with five fingers. He called Vararuci and asked him what the sight was. Vararuci showed two fingers in that direction. Immediately the palm of the hand disappeared. The King was amazed at this and asked him for his meaning. He said “The meaning of showing fingers was that if five men unite together, they could accomplish anything. I showed two fingers, to mean that if two men unite together they also could achieve anything.” At this reply the king was much pleased and Śakaṭāla felt miserable at the intelligence of Vararuci.