Once there was a boatman in a village. He was poor and illiterate. He used to row boat from morning till evening. It was the month of Baishakh. One day a scholar got into his boat. He was enjoying his journey very much because the weather was very fine. He was gossiping with the boatman. The scholar said to the boatman “Do you have any knowledge about the creation of the universe?” The boatman said, "No". The scholar got astonished and told him, “Without the knowledge of astronomy half of your life is spoilt". The boatman was sad and thought of the uselessness of his life.
He again asked the boatman, “Do you know about the history of human civilization?” The boatman again replied in the negative. This time the scholar said, "Three fourth of your life is useless". The boatman felt ashamed and kept silent. He kept rowing the boat in a sad mood. Suddenly, the weather became rough. The sky was overcast with clouds. There was darkness all around. A storm arose in the river. The boat was about to capsize. The scholar was trembling with fear. But the boatman was calm and quiet. He asked the scholar. “Sir, do you know how to swim?” The scholar replied, “No”. Now the boatman said, "Your life is totally spoilt.” Then the scholar realized the importance of practical knowledge.