Stories Of Jivavarta: Tanner of Vidari (Allegory)

In one of the islands of Vidari there lived a tanner, whose name the villagers rarely bothered to remember. His life was simple. Day after day he worked by the river, soaking, scraping, and curing. He sold his cured hides in a nearby village. Although his labor fed his family, his heart remained restless.

Whenever he carried his hides to the market of Trishala, only the poor came to him. They would touch his leather, haggle, and buy, while the wealthy passed by with a glance of mild contempt, as though the very smell of the tanner’s work offended them.

Disheartened by this constant rejection, he told himself, “I will create the finest hide in all of Jivavarta”. He began to dream of creating something so perfect that even those who despised him would be forced to bow before it.

Days passed, months passed, then years passed. Festivals came and went, but he kept working. His children grew up watching a man chase perfection. Still he worked. He spoke little, ate little. His world had narrowed to a single pursuit, the flawless hide, the proof that his obscure life had meaning.

His family begged him to sell what he had crafted, but he refused. “Not yet,” he said. “Not until it’s worthy of the highborn.”

Then one day he emerged from his workshop holding a hide so smooth it seemed woven from water, It bore no scent, no blemish, no memory of the animal it once belonged to. He felt certain that nobles would flock to him, that they would marvel, and that they would finally see him.

With renewed hope, he loaded his goods onto a small boat and crossed the river to Trishala. The market was in full swing, bright muslins fluttering, the smell of spices, traders shouting. He laid out his wares, waiting for people to see, to marvel at what he had created.

But none came. The poor inspected it briefly, bartered as they always did, and left with polite indifference. The wealthy did not even pause.

Finally driven by frustration, he approached a nearby shopkeeper.

“Tell me, why does no one see the worth of my hide?” he asked.

The shopkeeper surprised by this question replied, “Where have you been? Nobles don’t use hide anymore. Everyone wears muslin now.”

The tanner stood still, not because he was tired, but because he realized he had mistaken labor for life. A man may give his life to achieve mastery in his work, but it is worthless if the world has moved beyond its need.

Reflection: Perfection matters, but only time decides its worth.

Key Philosophical Concepts Represented

1. Misalignment of Purpose (Telos)
   Mastery pursued without regard to who needs it or why.
2. Impermanence of Value
   What is perfected can lose worth simply because time has moved on.
3. Means–Ends Inversion
   Work becomes life itself, rather than serving life.
4. Temporal Blindness
   Excellence arrives too late to matter.
5. Deferred Living / Alienation
   Life is postponed while waiting for recognition.
6. Social Construction of Worth
   Value depends on collective taste and historical moment, not effort alone.
7. Tragedy of Isolated Mastery
   Skill refined in isolation loses relevance without social dialogue.

——

Shon Mehta is an author and philosopher, creator of the Jivavarta Universe, a grounded sociopolitical world exploring human resilience, social dynamics, and moral philosophy through systems thinking. Her novels (The Timingila, Lair of the Monster), poems, aphorisms, parables, and stories are used in academic curricula internationally and featured by Oxford University Press. 

At the core of her work is the Jivavarta Framework, including tools such as Outcomes = Choice × Structure × Constraint and the “Survive, Thrive, Strive” hierarchy. Together, her writing and frameworks form a literary and philosophical system recognized for its clarity, depth, and enduring relevance.