The Buddha along with his disciples once came near a village and settled down while going around Aryavarta preaching his philosophy.

This tale goes as back as the period of great Shramanas; saints who inspired new schools of philosophy breaking free of the Traditional Vedic Religion. Many found new interpretation to the Shruti, some outright rejected it. They were praised, cheered and even abused by the then society. But the people recognized their ‘shram’, their ardent and spotless spiritual hardwork to realize truth; thus they were called Shramanas.

And in this age was born a prince of the Shakya tribe, Siddharta Goutama, who, shocked by the decaying nature of the material world and the suffering it caused to its inhabitants, and thus overwhelmed, left his royal life of temporary material pleasures, to find a way out. He performed extreme rites and led a extreme life as a monk amongst the Vedics, and later amongst the Jains. But when his sadhanas were in vain, he left all the ‘known paths’ of dharma to find his own. And he realized what he called the truth, the middle way or the eight fold path.

He was called the Buddha, the ‘Awakened One’, and preached about in all of Aryavarta. He was rebuked and rejected by the Vedic scholars, but a lot came under his influence and accepting his teachings became his disciples. They were certainly not less in number; neither limited to any tribe or varna, for from kings to helots came to visit him from long distances. He himself, along with his direct disciples would roam about Aryavarta going from village to village. Some called him a wizard, a magician and even an Avatar!

So when the villagers heard that the Buddha had come, excited to meet this God-man, several journeyed to his abode. But he had settled along with his disciples in the very outskirts of the village, even beyond where the untouchable atisudras and chandalas dwelled. Thus those who whose quest for truth was outweighed by their belief in traditional varnas, were discouraged to meet the saint. Yet many, who were brave enough to discard such beliefs, went to meet him.

Amongst these men, was a Brahmin learned in Vedas and of ardent...