अच्छी नियत से ही सुधरेंगे आपके कार्य और सवरेंगे आपके रिश्ते।

People often emphasize the importance of intentions—saying that negative outcomes stem from poor intentions or that everyone should cultivate positive ones.

Reflecting on this, Manoj Kumar Sharma, a former IAS officer, author, and motivational speaker, draws from his rich experiences and storytelling to share a thought-provoking narrative that sheds light on how intentions, when aligned with self-awareness and balance, can lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Once upon a time, during the era of kings and kingdoms, hunting was a favored passion among royals and high-ranking nobles. Kings often embarked on elaborate hunting expeditions, accompanied by their grand entourage of soldiers and attendants. On one such occasion, a king set out into the wilderness, intently focused on tracking a specific animal. With bow and arrow in hand, he followed the creature deep into the forest.

Engrossed in the chase, the king ventured further and further, unaware that the dense and tangled forest had separated him from his men. The animal eventually disappeared into the wild, and the king suddenly found himself alone, lost in the heart of the impenetrable jungle.

By now, twilight was approaching—it was around 3 to 4 PM. The king, realizing the danger of spending the night in the wild, feared that he might become prey to the beasts. Determined to survive, he scanned his surroundings and spotted the tallest tree nearby. With resolve, he climbed the tree, hoping to get a clearer view of his escape. From the treetop, he spotted green fields and farmlands about a mile to the south. A glimmer of hope sparked within him. He descended quickly, mounted his horse, and rode toward the fields with urgency. As he rode, however, a new challenge emerged—his throat grew parched, and the intense thirst began to wear him down.

Just after escaping the dense forest and reaching the open fields, the weary king noticed an old lady working in a sugarcane field. She was extracting juice using a simple manual press, humming to herself peacefully.

Still mounted on his horse, the parched king called out, “O lady, I am extremely thirsty. Could you give me some water?”

The old woman looked up and replied, “I don’t have water, but I do have fresh sugarcane juice. Would you like some?”

Grateful, the king nodded. The old woman quickly prepared a glass and handed it to him. The king dismounted and drank it eagerly. The taste was divine—like nectar from the heavens. Amazed, he exclaimed, “This is the sweetest drink I have ever had!”

Unable to resist, he asked for another glass. Then a third. Each time, the juice tasted just as sweet, fresh, and fulfilling.

Curious and delighted, the king finally asked, “Tell me, wise lady, which kingdom is this?”

So the Old Lady replied, “Hey traveller,” and told the name of the kingdom. So the king thought in his mind that he is the king of this kingdom and yet he wasn’t aware that this delicious nectar juice is produced and made in his kingdom.

So he asked the lady, “How many people in the kingdom are farming and producing juice like the one you made?”

The lady replied, “Hey noble person, I think it is done on almost 50,000 Bigha land.”

The king thought that he didn’t know about this before, so he thought in his mind that now I will go and impose 50% tax on this, so my treasure will be filled and nothing else will be required.

While going, something came to his mind and he asked the lady for another glass of juice. So the lady picked the sugarcane and made the juice out of it, but only 1/4th of a glass of juice came out of it and gave it to the King.

The king drank it and found it very bitter like poison. So he asked the lady, “How could this happen? It is very bitter.”

For which the lady replied, “Hey traveller, I think recently the king might have developed some bad intentions.”

The king started to reflect and realized, “Yes, I did think about imposing the 50% tax.” With this realization, he decided in his mind that he would not impose any such tax. He then turned to the old lady and requested her to extract the juice once more.

This time, the lady crushed the sugarcane again, and just like before, three full glasses of sweet, nectar-like juice flowed out. The king was astonished and deeply curious. He asked the old lady, “Tell me honestly, why did you think the king might have developed bad intentions?”

The old lady calmly and wisely replied, “Whoever you are, when the intentions of the ruler turn negative, nature itself begins to resist and react. That is why a ruler—or any individual—must always maintain pure and positive intentions. When the heart is clean, even nature supports your efforts.”

Through this story, Manoj Kumar shares a powerful insight: even the smallest shift in our intentions can cause everything around us to turn against us—including our relationships, our surroundings, and even nature itself. He emphasizes that it doesn’t cost us anything to keep our intentions pure. When our heart is in the right place, life aligns beautifully. So, he urges everyone: No matter the situation, choose sincerity—because pure intentions lead to peace, harmony, and true success. He also mentioned that we also talk about women empowerment and see how a woman can change the perspective of the individuals.