Alexander and the Indian monks

The exploits of Alexander the great are known to all of us. His march towards the east ended when he reached the North West India. Here he met King Porus and the great ‘Battle of Hydaspes’ was fought between the two kings. Though King Porus lost the battle but his valor impressed Alexander and he reinstated him as the king. It is said that after this battle the soldiers of Alexander revolted and wanted to return back, and thus Alexander and his forces returned from North West India.

Alexander in his young age was tutored by the great philosopher Aristotle and he had a keen interest in these matters. While he was in Taxila he saw many Indian monks who would be without any possession and were naked and he was fascinated by them.

Once when he along with his army was marching, he saw a few such monks in the jungle. These monks were stomping their feet on the ground seeing him. Out of curiosity he asked them as to why they are doing it. The monks replied that it was way to demonstrate to him that man only possesses only that much ground that he is standing on, that his power and quest to conquer is only causing trouble and that he will soon die and will only require that much land that is sufficient to bury him.

Monk Dandamis – the one who refused to meet Alexander

He was the oldest and the wisest monk of Taxila. So Alexander sent his messenger Onesikritos from his court to fetch him. So he went to his forest retreat and said to Dandamis:-

> “The son of the mighty God Zeus, being Alexander who is the Sovereign Lord of all men, 
asks you to go to him, and if you comply, he will reward you with great gifts, 
but if you refuse, he will cut off your head!”

Dandamis replied -“I also am a son of Zeus, if Alexander be such. I want nothing that
 is Alexander’s, for I am content with what I have, while I see that he wanders with 
his men over sea and land for no advantage, and is never coming to an end of
 his wanderings.”

 “Go and tell Alexander that God the Supreme King is never the author of insolent wrong,
 but is the Creator of light, of peace, of life, of water, of the body of man and of 
souls; He receives all men when death sets them free, being in no way subject to evil
 disease. He alone is the God of my homage, who abhors slaughter and instigates no wars.

“Alexander is no god, since he must taste of death. How can such as he be the world’s
 master, when he has not yet seated himself on a throne of inner universal dominion? 
Neither as yet has he entered living into Hades, nor does he know the course of the
 sun through the central regions of the earth, while the nations on its boundaries 
have not so much as heard his name!”

After this chastisement, surely the most caustic ever sent to assault the ears of the 
“Lord of the World,” the sage added;

“If Alexander’s present dominions be not capacious enough for his desires, let him 
cross the Ganges River; there he will find a region able to sustain all his men, if 
the country on this side be too narrow to hold him.

“Know this, however, that what Alexander offers and the gifts he promises are things 
to me utterly useless; the things I prize and find of real use and worth are these 
leaves which are my house, these blooming plants which supply me with daily food, 
and the water which is my drink; while all other possessions which are amassed with 
anxious care are wont to prove ruinous to those who gather them, and cause only 
sorrow and vexation, with which every poor mortal is fully fraught. As for me, 
I lie upon the forest leaves, and having nothing which requires guarding, close
 my eyes in tranquil slumber; whereas had I anything to guard, that would banish sleep.
 The earth supplies me with everything, even as a mother her child with milk. 
I go wherever I please, and there are no cares with which I am forced to cumber myself.”


“Should Alexander cut off my head, he cannot also destroy my soul. My head alone, 
then silent, will remain, leaving the body like a torn garment upon the earth,
 whence also it was taken. I then, becoming Spirit, shall ascend to my God,
who enclosed us all in flesh and left us upon earth to prove whether, when here below,
 we shall live obedient to His ordinances and who also will require of us all, 
when we depart hence to His presence, an account of our life, since He is Judge of all 
proud wrongdoing; for the groans of the oppressed become the punishment of the oppressor.”

“Let Alexander then terrify with these threats those who wish for wealth and who
 dread death, for against us these weapons are both alike powerless; the Brahmins 
neither love gold nor fear death. Go then and tell Alexander this: Dandamis has no
 need of anything that is yours, and therefore will not go to you, and if you want 
anything from Dandamis, come you to him.”<

Hearing this from his messenger Alexander understood the wisdom of the great mystic and did not force a meeting with him.

Monk kalanos- the one who prophesied Alexander’s death.

However Alexander was successful in persuading Kalanos to accompany him to Persia.

It is said that when Kalanos was invited to meet Alexander he commanded him to strip naked to hear whatever he would say or else he would stay silent.

Kalanos proceeded to Persia as a spiritual guide to Alexander.

When Kalanos was 73 years old, he decided to end his life by self immolation in the city of Susa in 323 BC. Alexander tried to dissuade him but he insisted. He said to Alexander that ‘we shall meet shortly in Babylon’. He gave away all his possessions to the poor people and his disciples. A huge crowd had come to see the ritual. He bid farewell to all his followers. Then he sat on the funeral pyre with a smile and he had no pain and fear in his face. When the pyre was lit he did not move once from his position and was consumed by the fire.

It is said that at that time Alexander had no plans to go to Babylon, but one year later Alexander left Persia and died in Babylon at the prime of his age. Thus the prophesy of the mystic proved to be true.

Note: The reply of Dandamis has been taken from the book> Autobiography of a Yogi<in verbatim to keep the essence and depth of his statement.