Time is elastic!

 

 One day a man went to a Guruji and told him he was always short of time and that he did not find time for anything that he wanted to do. The Guruji told him that time is what it is for everyone. Then he began telling a story.

One day the Narada was chatting with Lord Vishnu and as usual, in a teasing tone asked Lord Vishnu what was needed to be a great Bhakta or devotee.

Lord Vishnu told him that the thinking about God amidst the daily chores makes a great Bhakta. “Then”, said Narada laughingly, “I am your greatest Bhakta!”

It was now the turn of Lord Vishnu to laugh. Narada asked Lord why he was laughing. Lord Vishnu then pointed towards Bhooloka or the earth and told Narada to keep following the actions of a farmer who had just woken up. Narada was now very curious. The farmer woke up very early in the morning, had his bath, did his pujas for about 5 minutes and went to the field. He tilled his field all through the morning and then ate the lunch that he had brought. He slept peacefully under a tree and then woke up around 3 p.m. He watered the plants and removed the weeds from around the field. 

He then sprayed pesticide, manured the field and washed himself up. Then, he got ready to go home. After one look to check if he had missed something, he set off on foot homewards.

As he passed through the temple he got flowers for his wife and for the puja the next day. He went home, played with his children ate his food and went off to sleep.

Now, Lord Vishnu handed over a completely filled cup of oil to Narada. He asked Narada to take 3 circles around the Lord himself. Lord Vishnu was now in a very mischievous mood. As Narada started walking, the lord told him that not a drop of oil should spill and he must complete the three circles within a minute. Narada took careful steps one after the other and went around the Lord. He completed one tensed round and prepared for the next. Lord Vishnu cautioned Narada that one small oil drop on the floor and Narada would not pass his test. Narada became doubly careful. This time he took smaller steps and ensured that the oil in the cup was intact.

Before the Lord could say something the third time, Narada intervened and said, “I know, Lord, not a drop of oil on the floor and I must complete three rounds in a minute, right?” Vishnu gave a charming smile laden with mischief and kindness at the same time. He felt sorry for Narada.

Once Narada finished his third round he put the cup down and sighed with relief. “Now tell me lord, am I not the greatest Bhakta?” he asked triumphantly.

“No” said Lord Vishnu. “You took three rounds around me and how many times did you think of me?” asked the Lord.

Narada objected at once. If a person has been given a tough task and asked to complete within a minute, where is the time to think about God?

Lord Vishnu told Narada, that the farmer had to reach the field early and finish his tasks and return home before sunset. To complete every single task in the field he only had measured time and yet with all the constraints that Narada complained about, the farmer took time to pray to God and to buy flowers for offering Him the next day. 

Lord Vishnu concluded by saying, in life you never get free time, you have to free time to do what you have to do. "Time", said Lord Vishnu, "is elastic".

When the Guruji completed the story, the man was only waiting to thank the Guruji as he knew what he had to do.

Vibhishanan vs. Kumbakarnan Part I

In the Ramayana, the face-off between the two brothers Vibhishanan and Kumbakarnan, is the most poignant scene and speaks volumes for the great character shown by both these great men. 

Lord Rama sends Vibhishanan to bring Kumbakarnan over to his side. Knowing the integrity of Kumbakarnan, Lord Rama does not want him to pay a price for Ravana’s folly. Vibhishanan goes up to Kumbakarnan and tells him that everything that Lord Rama gives him, he is willing to surrender it under Kumbakarnan’s feet. He also promises Kumbakarnan that he will serve him until his last breath. I will follow in your footsteps if you choose to guide me, says Vibhishanan to his older brother.

Vibhishanan further argues that when a person has done a crime he needs to be punished in order to uphold justice. Showing a differential treatment because he is close to you is injustice, says Vibhishanan. He also adds that Kumbakarnan should at once join Lord Rama as these arguments are not unknown to him. “Why am I telling you something that you already know too well?  Can anyone blame you for siding with truth?” asks Vibhishanan.

The thought of losing his innocent brother in the war disturbs Vibhishanan to a great extent and he tries reasoning out with him. If there is a possibility of saving ‘your’ older brother, there is sense in fighting for him. Neither is that possible, nor can you change dharma to justify what your brother has done, says Vibhishanan to Kumbakarnan. “All that will happen is that you will die in the battle field and hell will be your next destination”, he warns.

But if Kumbakarnan fights for justice and joins Lord Rama in the war, he will get the blessings of the great saints. He can conquer all his enemies with ease. His glory will remain undying. At this stage in his life he should fight for justice. Taking up arms for an erring brother is like plucking the flowers when it starts becoming a fruit.

“The Lord of Vedas has beckoned you to his side. His love for you will be unconditional” says Vibhishanan. Vibhishanan bows in front of his brother and begs him to save himself and the future generations of Lanka by making the right choice.

In reply Kumbakarnan justifies his position to Vibhishanan. In his speech Kumbakarnan not only exhibits mental and physical tenacity, but he also shows his deep rooted loyalty and gratitude towards his older brother, Ravana.

Twice as much

In the kingdom of Hanumanthanagara, there lived a dhobi along with his wife and children.

The King Veervardhan was an able ruler and a compassionate human being. But he always desired for more. Very often he would say that he wished he had two kingdoms. His only son, Prince Harivamsa, was sent to the Gurukul to learn the various skills that would make a good King in the future. The King also desired he had two children. This greed sometimes got the better of him and put his subjects in trouble.              

                                

The subjects living in the kingdom did not have enough as the King wanted to save twice as much as he needed. The dhobi and his family who lived in Hanumanthanagara, made enough to satisfy their own needs. Each day the dhobi would take his clothes to the banks of the river and wash and dry them.  Just before eating the lunch that his wife dutifully packed for him each day, he would fetch the dried clothes and place them under the tree. He would then eat his lunch, rest for a while and carry on with his duty by segregating the clothes and binding them in different bundles to be handed over to the respective owners. Then he would go from house to house to return the clothes to the owners, make his collection and go back home before the sun set.

One day, as was his usual routine, he went to the banks before lunch to collect the dried clothes. He had to segregate them and bind them in different bundles to hand them over to their owners. With these thoughts he picked up the clothes and placed them on his shoulders when he heard a sob coming from under the tree. He promptly dropped the clothes and went in the direction from where the sobs came.

He saw a young boy sitting under the tree and sobbing. The dhobi gently went next to him and asked him why he was crying. The boy, on seeing the dhobi wiped his tears and took control over himself before replying that he was tired and hungry and wanted to get back home.

Without another word, the dhobi gently led the boy to the shade of the tree where he had kept his lunch. He opened the pack, neatly divided the food into two parts and fed the lad before eating his part of the food. Then he asked the boy who he was and where he lived. 

The young boy did not reply and simply said, “I know the way to my house and if you can accompany me I will show the way.” The dhobi went with the boy until they reached the palace of Raja Veervardhan.  

As they entered the palace, the king came running towards the boy and hugged him. The young boy was none other than Prince Harivamsa. Harivamsa then told the King that he had wanted to tour the kingdom on his own, but lost his way and only after a long tiring walk came to the banks of the river. He told the King that the dhobi had shared his food with him and accompanied him to the palace without asking him who he was.

The King was pleased with the dhobi and asked him how he could share his already meagre food with a stranger. 

The dhobi, though overwhelmed by the happenings, calmly replied that one person’s food can be safely shared and eaten by two people, but when one person tries eating the food of two people it is recipe for disaster!

The King understood his folly and thanked the dhobi for his timely advice. 

                         

The rent collector

Once upon a time there lived a poor Brahmin who lived by taking alms from people. Though he was unable to find a profitable occupation for himself, he lived a life of self-discipline and integrity. He woke up before the sun did each day and had the food that he got only after a bath and after giving the first handful to the crows.

He would wait patiently for the crows to come and have the first peck at the grains before he ate the food. His simple nature and humble ways made him likeable and the villagers were eager to offer him whatever he asked for.

The Brahmin was neither too happy when he got tasty food, nor was he too sad when he did not get any. He took whatever was given to him with prayers on his lips and contentment in his heart. Before food he would visit the nearby temple to offer his prayers to God and gave away whatever was excess with him to people who were poorer than him.

One day a few tourists visited the village and decided to chat up with a few people.They came to know about the poor Brahmin and the life that he led.

Upon hearing about his life, the tourists were very critical and felt that he should try and get himself a work that would give him more money. They decided to meet the Brahmin and talk him into doing something better. Feeding crows every day from food got through alms is no charity, they argued.

They tried telling him that what he distributed by earning for himself is real philanthropy. All that the Brahmin did was to listen to them patiently. After a while the Brahmin started speaking. He decided to ask a few questions and the visitors began answering his questions.

The Brahmin wanted to know if they made rice flakes at home and what they do when they dry the flakes. The crowd laughed and said that they would spread it on the terrace of the house and allow it to dry. The Brahmin asked how many of them would keep watch over the drying food with a stick in their hands and all of them replied that they all would do it to shoo away the crows. 

The Brahmin smiled and told them that the terrace and the open space belonged to the crows. While using the space we shoo them away. So all that he was doing was collecting rent on behalf of the crows and other birds in the form of alms. 

"Therefore", he continued, "I fed the crows with what rightfully belonged to them!"

Bhargava and the scorpion

 Once upon a time, along the banks of the Sarayu River, there was an ashram where the great guru Yogananda lived. He had many disciples living with him and learning various skills from the renowned guru.

Among the disciples there was a rather different boy by the name Bhargava. He always listened intently to the guru’s words and was a very obedient student. One evening as the guru was strolling by the banks of the rivier. Just then a huge storm hit the village and the water was lashing with all its fury. The guru was about to trace his steps back to the ashram when he saw Bhargava squatting on the banks of the river trying to pull something out of the water.  Curious to know what it was, the guru went close to Bhargava, only to find that he was trying to save a scorpion from the furious current of the water. As soon as Bhargava took the tiny little creature out, it stung him and ran away.

The boy gave out a scream and fainted. Luckily the guru who was near him took him to the ashram and treated him with herbs and medicine. Very soon Bhargava was fine and sat up bright.

The Guru called all his disciples and narrated the story to his students. He then asked them if Bhargava was right in saving the scorpion. Some of them said yes and some said no.

The guru turned around to Bhargava and asked him the same question. But this time he framed it differently. He asked Bhargava what he would do if he ever saw a scorpion struggling in water again.

Bhargava, without any hesitation said that he would once again save the scorpion. There was an audible gasp from the rest of his ashram mates. They could not believe what they had heard. Some of them shouted at him while the others said he would be called a mad man if ever he did it again.

The guru gestured his students to remain silent. He then looked at Bhargava and asked him to explain why he would do it. Bhargava said that it was his innate nature to help people or animals that are in trouble. But, said the guru, the scorpion did not realise that you have helped him. Bhargava looked earnestly at his guru and said, “Guruji, it is the innate nature of the scorpion to sting. I cannot change my nature and therefore cannot expect the scorpion to change his nature too!”

While it is difficult to change ourselves, it is impossible for us to change others.