Chapter 14 uses Ratanji's story as a powerful illustration of the idea that no one experiences unmixed happiness. The text explicitly states, 'See, this is the divine plan; no one has unmixed happiness. Everyone has some nagging worry or the other behind them.' Ratanji is presented as a man who has every conceivable material comfort and is outwardly swimming in joy, yet he is internally tormented by the 'crocodile of a difficult inner worry'—his lack of a son. This serves as a moral lesson that worldly wealth is 'entirely fruitless' without true fulfillment, and it prevents arrogance by ensuring that even the most prosperous individuals have some flaw or worry to keep them humble.
How does the narrative in Chapter 14 use the story of Ratanji to comment on the nature of happiness and divine plans?
📖 Chapter 14