STORIES FOR CHILDREN – PART II

INDEX

1. King Ambarisha
2. Hanuman and Surasa
3. Mountain and the Squirrel
4. Kindness to All – King Sibi
5. Udupi Krishna
6. Three wishes of Mother Eswaramma
7. Truth about God
8. Azhagi story
9. God watches everything
10. The Red Airplane
11. Prince of Oman
12. The Race – Goodness
13. Need for Prudence
14. Naga Mahashaya
King Ambarisha

King Ambarisha was a righteous monarch who ruled his kingdom with
wisdom and compassion. He was not just a capable ruler but also a
devout follower of Lord Vishnu. His devotion was unwavering, and he
regularly performed religious rituals and sacrifices to please the
Supreme Lord.
One day, King Ambarisha decided to observe a special fast called
“Ekadashi,” dedicated to Lord Vishnu. As part of this fast, he refrained
from eating or drinking anything for an entire day and night. The fast
concluded the next day at a specific time, and it was customary to
break the fast by offering food to a qualified Brahmin.
As the auspicious moment for breaking the fast neared, a great sage
named Durvasa arrived at the king’s palace. Durvasa was known for his
short temper and unpredictable behavior. King Ambarisha, with all due
respect, welcomed the sage and requested him to partake in the
ceremony to break his fast.
Durvasa agreed but decided to complete his daily ritualistic bath in the
river Yamuna before participating in the ceremony. However, as time
passed, the moment for breaking the fast was quickly approaching, and
Durvasa had not returned from his bath.
The king faced a dilemma. Breaking the fast at the prescribed time was
crucial, as it was a sacred observance, and not doing so would be a
grave sin. On the other hand, offending the sage Durvasa, even
unintentionally, could result in his wrath, which was known to be
formidable.
In his dilemma, King Ambarisha decided to prioritize his duty to the
divine. He consulted his ministers and Brahmins, who advised him to
break his fast as prescribed, fearing the consequences of a delayed
offering to Lord Vishnu.
The king followed their counsel and took a sip of water to break his fast
at the exact moment. Just as he did so, Sage Durvasa returned from his
bath and learned what had transpired. Enraged by what he perceived
as a slight, Durvasa created a fearsome demon to harm the king.
In the face of this impending danger, King Ambarisha calmly
surrendered to Lord Vishnu, seeking His protection. Lord Vishnu, in
response to His devoted servant’s plea, dispatched His divine weapon,
the Sudarshana Chakra, which not only destroyed the demon but also
pursued Durvasa.
Terrified by the relentless pursuit of the Sudarshana Chakra, Durvasa
sought refuge with Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, but they were unable
to intervene. Finally, Durvasa approached Lord Vishnu Himself, seeking
safety. Lord Vishnu informed Durvasa that He could not countermand
the power of His own weapon, and only King Ambarisha could do so.
Recognizing his folly and the king’s unwavering devotion to Lord
Vishnu, Durvasa approached King Ambarisha and sought forgiveness.
King Ambarisha, demonstrating his magnanimity, not only forgave the
sage but also prayed for his well-being.
This incident underscores the supremacy of devotion and duty over
even the wrath of great sages. It highlights the unwavering faith of King
Ambarisha in Lord Vishnu and the divine protection that comes to
those who earnestly seek the Supreme’s shelter. The story of King
Ambarisha serves as an enduring example of the power of devotion and
the grace of the Almighty.
HANUMAN AND SURASA
From Krodhavasha, the daughter of Daksha, Kashyapa got 10 daughters
named Mrigi, Mrigamanda, Hari, Bhadramata, Matangi,
Shardduli, Shveta, Surabhi, Surasa and Kadru. From Surasa were
born nagas.
From the anger of Krodhavasha was born Surasa. Surasa had three
daughters named Anala, Ruha and Virudha.
To test Hanuman who went to search for Sita the deities employed
Surasa, the mother of nagas.
Surasa appeared before Hanuman in the shape of giant and started
eating him. The words of Hanuman did not make any change in the
behaviour of Surasa. When she opened her mouth Hanuman became
10 times bigger. When she opened her mouth 20 times, Hanuman
made himself 30 times bigger. Then Surasa opened her mouth 40 times
bigger making Hanuman responds by making himself 50 times bigger.
Thus they went on competing and then Surasa opened her mouth 100
times bigger and then Hanuman made himself as small as a finger. Then
he entered Surasa’s mouth and came out. Surasa was happy. She
blessed Hanuman for his ability in doing things as per the need.
MOUNTAIN AND THE SQUIRREL
The mountain and the squirrel
Had a quarrel,
And the former called the latter
"Little prig."
Bun replied,
"You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it no disgrace
To occupy my place.
If I'm not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry:
I'll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track.
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut."

In this poem, a squirrel and a mountain have a quarrel because the

mountain feels as though it is more important. Each person has his or
her own individual talents, and everyone/everything has its purpose in
this world, none greater or less than another.
The story of Shibi chakravarti
Indian mythology holds a strong place in the hearts of millions across
the globe. Folklores mentioned in Indian epics are a source of
inspiration and ideal living for people worldwide. One such beautiful
recital is of Shibi. He was the son of Ushiinara King and a devotee of
Lord Vishnu. The place is also known as Hastinapur at that point of
history. King Shibi was known for keeping his words, compassion and
justice.
Hearing about his compassion and justice, Agnideva and Dev Indra
wanted to test his greatness and humility. The Gods decided to test the
greatness of Shibi’s limits of donation. Agnidev characterized him as a
pigeon and Dev Indra took the form of an eagle. Portraying an eagle,
Dev Indra started chasing Agnidev who was in the form of a pigeon. The
pigeon entered Shibi chakravarti’s palace where he was seated with his
court mates. The pigeon yelled “Save me O King”. Seeing this Shibi’s
Guru said “O King! The pigeon has come to you for protection.
Everyone has the right to survive and there is no better help than
saving a being’s life”.
The pigeon requested the king to save him, as it was the duty of the
king to protect the disabled. The eagle following the pigeon came to
the palace.” O king every being takes a number of forms. The pigeon
came to you for protection, but it is a meal for me. Please leave the
pigeon, which is my food and save my life. If I do not eat I will die.
Shibi thought, “In a country ruled by a King, who does not give
protection to his people, there will be no crops, no rain and the land
will become barren. The people will curse the king and finally such a
king will go to hell. On the other hand, he thought about the poor
eagle, which was hungry and had chased the pigeon for so long.
Shibi requested the eagle to leave the pigeon. The King promised that
he would give him tastier food than this. Listening to his plea the eagle
replied “O' King! There can be nothing tastier than this pigeon and it
was decided by Brahmadeva that they are food for us.”
Shibi requested the eagle to leave the pigeon in his protection and help
him not to break the rules. He was also ready to sacrifice his life to save
the pigeon. He asked the eagle to ask for anything other than the
pigeon. The eagle asked the king to give him the flesh from his right
thigh, which is equal to the weight of the pigeon.
Immediately Shibi ordered the court mates to get a balance. He kept
the pigeon on one end of the machine and started to cut his thigh.
However much he was cutting his flesh, it could not balance the
weighing machine. Failing to equal the weight of the pigeon, he decided
to sit on the other end of the balance.
Seeing this step of Shibi, Agnideva and Dev Indra decided to reveal their
identity. They told King Shibi that they had come to test his will for
compassion and protection towards the other human beings. They
announced that King Shibi had passed this test with flying colours and
his name will be known over ages for his love and compassion.
Udupi Krishna Story

If you are familiar with the story of Lord Krishna, then you would know
that he was born in Mathura, spend his childhood in Vrindavan and
then ruled from Dwarka. All in the northern part of India. Then how,
you might ask, did Sri Krishna land in Udupi which is in South
India? Well, for that, I have to take you back to the life of Lord Krishna.

Owing to her imprisonment, Lord Krishna’s birth mother – Devaki could

not experience the childhood of Lord Krishna. In Dwarka, she expressed
her desire to see the Lord as a kid. Krishna took the form of a child
again for some time. He played with her and performed his famous
childhood antics of stealing butter. The entire episode was witnessed
by his wife- Rukmini who fell in love with his child form (called
Balakrishna).

Rukmini commissioned the famous celestial architect – Vishwakarma to

make an idol of Balakrishna. He created a gorgeous one using shaligram
stone. This idol was worshipped by Rukmini every day. Once Lord
Krishna left the world, Arjuna (from the Mahabharat fame) cremated
his body and buried this statue of Balakrishna in Rukmini
Vana (Rukmini’s forest). The place and the statue were lost in the flood
that engulfed Dwarka.

Later in the 13th century, a ship headed from Dwarka got caught in a
storm. A sage – Anandatirtha happened to be on the shores of Udupi
(present-day Malpe beach) and saw the ship in trouble. He guided the
ship through to the coast using his angavastram. As a gesture of
gratitude, the captain asked Madhavacharya to take anything he
wanted from the ship. The saint chose the rocky ballast as his gift.
As the rock was being transported, it chipped off in a few parts to
reveal the shaligram idol of Balakrishna. Anandatirtha scooped up the
idol, bathed it and then set it up as per rituals – thus creating the
famous Udupi Krishna temple. Given that he was responsible for the
discovery of this ancient idol, he became famous as Madhvacharya and
was credited as the founder of this Sri Krishna temple Udupi.

Today, the Udupi Sri Krishna temple is considered one of the must-visit
pilgrimage places in India. Since the Udupi Krishna is the child form of
the Lord, the place is also, deemed as the Mathura of South India – the
place where the Lord was born.
Three wishes of Mother Easwaramma

“Easwar Chandra Vidyasagar spent all his earnings to fulfill the desires
of his mother. Easwaramma also had similar desires.
Once she told Me, ‘Swami! Our Puttaparthi is a small village. As there is
no school in this village, the children are forced to walk long distances
to attend schools in the neighboring villages. I know that You are the
ocean of compassion. Please construct a small school in the village.’ I
asked, where she wanted the school to be built. She said she had a
piece of land behind her house. She wanted the school to be
constructed there. As desired by her, I got the school constructed.
Though it was a small school, the inaugural function was a grand affair,
attended by many devotees.
The next day, Easwaramma expressed her happiness over the
inaugural function and said that she had one more desire. She wanted a
hospital also to be built in the village. She said, ‘Swami! I don’t want to
put You to trouble. If You are troubled, the whole world will be in
trouble and if You are happy, the world will be happy. So, if it gives You
happiness, please construct a small hospital.’ As per her wish, I got the
hospital constructed. Bejawada Gopal Reddy, a highly reputed person
in those days, was invited to inaugurate the hospital. The inaugural
function was a grand one, attended by thousands of people from
neighboring villages. Easwaramma did not imagine that this would be
such a grand affair.
Next day, she came up to Me and said, ‘Swami! It does not matter even
if I die now. I have no more worries; You have fulfilled My desires and
mitigated the sufferings of the villagers to a great extent.’ I said, if you
have any more desire, as Me now. She replied hesitantly that she had
another small desire. ‘You know the River Chitravathi is in spate during
the rainy season. But, in summer it dries to a trickle and people do not
have drinking water. So, please see that some wells are dug in this
village.’ I told her that I would not stop with small wells and that I
would provide drinking water to the entire Rayalaseema region.
Easwaramma said, ‘I don’t know what Rayalaseema is. I am satisfied if
our village is provided with drinking water.
The Truth About God
Once, the great sage Uddalaka Aruni wanted to teach the knowledge of
the Brahman to his son, Svetaketu. He thought of a simple device. He
pointed to a big banyan tree nearby and asked his son to bring a ripe
fruit from that tree. When he brought the small, red, berry-like fruit,
Uddalaka said to his son, “Split it into two, dear child.”
“Here you are. I have split it into two.”
“What do you find there?”
“Innumerable tiny seeds, of course, and what else can these be?”
“Well, take one of those tiny seeds and split it again.”
“Yes, here it is. I have split a seed.”
“What do you find there?”
“Why, nothing at all.”
“Oh, dear child, this big tree cannot come out of nothing. Only you
cannot see that subtle something in the seed from which springs forth
this mighty tree. That is the power, that is the spirit unseen, which
pervades everywhere and everything. Have faith. It is that spirit, which
is at the root of all existence. That thou art, Oh Svetaketu!”
“This is something very baffling, father. But, how on earth can I realise
it, even if I merely know it?”
Uddalaka said, “Just do one thing. Take a few crystals of salt and put
them into a bowl of water, when you go sleep and bring it to me in the
morning.”
The obedient son did as he was told and on the next morning, took the
bowl to this father.
The father said, “Dear son, take out the salt please.”
Svetaketu felt exasperated and said, “Father, what do you mean? How
is it possible to take out that salt?”
“All right, then just taste the water on the surface. How does it taste?”
“It is saltish and is bound to be so.”
“Take the water in the middle and at the bottom and tell me how it
tastes.”
“That, too, is saltish and is bound to be so.”
“My dear child, do understand now that the Spirit I spoke of pervades
all existence, like the salt in this water in the bowl. That is the Subtle
Spirit. That thou art, dear Svetaketu.”
Dear father, how to go about all this? It looks so simple and yet, is so
very difficult.”
Uddalaka said, “Now, I shall tell you how to go about trying to realise
the Spirit. Suppose we blindfold a man and lead him into an unknown
forest away from his usual residence. What would he do? How would
he try to find his home? As soon as he is left to himself, he would just
remove the cover from his eyes. Then, he would wander about
inquiring for the region, from which he had been taken away. He would
go from village to village and ultimately, he would come across
someone, who would lead him in the right direction. Thus would he
reach his home. That is the way to find out the spiritual home, from
which we have all strayed into the wilderness. The Spirit is the one
reality, towards which we have all to direct our steps. That thou art, Oh
Svetaketu.”
Azhagi
Raja Raja-1 was a mighty emperor, who ruled during 985-1014 A.D. The
whole of South India and Ceylon were under his sway. He had a large
fleet and the whole of modern Malaysia and Indonesia and parts of
Burma were being ruled by him. Even at the height of such power and
glory, he held himself humbly before God.
There is an interesting story connected with the temple, begun by 1003
A.D., was finished and consecrated by about 1009 A.D. It stands today
as a monument of the prowess as well as devotion of the Chola
monarch. It is still a source of attraction to tourists, Indian and foreign,
visiting South India. Alagi (means a lovely damsel) was an old woman of
the city, was a very pious, meek, and humble devotee of the Lord.
But,she never expected to receive any favours from God. She
considered herself too low to aspire for any such blessings. She loved
her fellow beings with sincere warmth and affection. She considered all
human beings as manifest forms of God on Earth and so, she never
hesitated to perform little acts of service and help to men, particularly
Godly men, whenever she could.
She knew that the King was building a mighty temple to the Lord. Every
day, she used to go the temple site and watch the sculptors, masons,
carpenters, and engineers, employed in the construction work. She
envied their services and wanted to be of some use in their work. But,
on account of her old age, they could not employ her. Her devout mind
was always seeking out some way, in which she could be useful in God’s
work. Her love for her fellow-beings showed her a way.
She had been visiting this construction work at all hours – in the cool
morning, in the hot midday sun, and in the breezy evening. She had
noticed that the workmen were feeling very thirsty and tired during the
hot midday hour. She planned to help them at this hour. 0:00 / 0:00 She
took a few pots of buttermilk, spiced with ginger, mustard, curry leaves,
etc., went to the workers at their work spot, and gave ach a cup of cool
and refreshing buttermilk. This was very welcome to them. They were
thankful to her for her thoughtful service. The cool drink refreshed
them and they were able to continue their work for the remaining part
of the day, without feeling exhausted.
This service she was doing for a long time. Finally, the finishing stage of
the construction work was reached. The Vimana, a magnificient tower
on the central shrine, 216 feet high, was nearing completion. She had
an idea.
“My friends, I have a small request to make of you. Can you kindly
comply with the request of this old woman?” she asked them. The
sculptors and masons were all very grateful to her for the kindness she
had been showing them for several years, and so naturally, they would
willingly concede any request made by her. So, their Foreman said,
“Grandma, you have only to say your wish. We shall all carry it out with
pleasure.”
She said, “I have a large piece of granite stone in courtyard. I have no
use for it. I believe that it can easily serve as the coping stone for the
central tower of the Temple. You see, I also wish to serve the Lord. Can
you bring that stone here and use it for coping? I shall then be
satisfied.”
“We shall have it done this day,” said he. He went to her house with a
bank of workmen, found the stone to be quite adequate for the
purpose, brought it to the temple, chiselled it, and in due time,
mounted it on the top of the tower.
The construction work was all finished and the King’s priests fixed an
auspicious day for the consecration of the Temple. The King as usual
made an inspection of the work the day before and was feeling happy
that the work of building such a majestic temple to Lord Siva was, after
all, over. He was naturally proud that he was chosen by God as an
instrument for such a great work. The Temple had by then come to be
known as the Great Temple.
Finding everything in order, he gave the necessary last minute
instructions to his ministers for the consecration ceremony the next day
and returned to his palace. During the night, he had a vision of Lord
Shiva, Brahdeeshvara the Great Lord, in his dream.
The Lord said, “My King, We are happy to dwell in the shelter provided
for Us by the old woman, Alagi, in the Great Temple.” King Raja Raja I
woke up. He could scarce believe his ears. The Great Lord, dwelling in
the shelter of the old woman! Impossible! Had he not built this great
Temple? The conception of the Temple, the whole plan, pooling of all
resources, human and material, its execution and finish, it was all his
and nobody else’s. No old woman had any hand in it. But, the Lord
Himself said so! So, it must be true.
In all humility, the king went to the Temple and tried to seek out an old
woman, who had some part to play in the building of the Temple. But,
there seemed to be no such woman. He set his ministers to the task of
finding the old woman, whoever she was. After an elaborate inquiry,
they learnt her story. Then, they told him that Alagi, an old woman,
used to go about among the workers distributing cool buttermilk to
them during the hot hours of the day, all the several years of the
construction work. At once, the King realised that this little service of
hers had pleased the Lord so much as to make Him say that she
afforded Him shelter! With folded hands, he sought her out in her little
hut, brought her to the Temple, honoured her before the public, and
then proceeded with the consecration ceremonies.
Alagi, humble as usual, bowed before the Lord for the recognition given
to her humble and insignificant service and passed the remainder of her
days in the service of God and God’s servants. People were
wonderstruck when they realised how dear the Lord considered her
little service. They celebrated her devotion in folklore and legend. The
place, where she had been living, came to be known as the ‘Alagi
gardens’ and a small tank in front of her hut had come to be known as
the ‘Alagi tank’. The site, which housed her hut in the 11th century,
now houses the city municipal office in the 20th century.
GOD WATCHES EVERYTHING

Rajesh was born in a poor family. His parents worked as servants in a

rich man’s house. They both left early in the morning and came back
late in the evening. So Rajesh spent most of his time with his
grandfather. He loved his grandfather very much because he used to
tell him stories. Grandfather always advised Rajesh, “God is always
watching everything that you do. You must be honest and loving,and
only He can help you whenever you are in trouble.”
Rajesh grew up to be a good boy. When he was 12 years old, his father
fell ill and died. He had to stop schooling and look for work so that he
could help his family. He got a job as an assistant in a small eating
house. He used to wash plates, cups pots and pans. The pay was very
little but he gladly gave all of it to his mother.
Everyday, while going to work, he noticed a beggar seated under a huge
tree. He was blind. A towel was spread in front of him. In it he noticed
some coins put by some kind people. Sometimes there was a little girl
seated besides the beggar. She was his daughter who helped to count
the coins. They lived by begging.
One day,while Rajesh was passing the beggar he noticed a five-rupee
note among the coins. He stopped immediately as though pulled by a
magnet. His heart was beating very fast.The little girl was not there. He
looked around and could not see anybody. With his trembling hand he
quietly picked up the note.
Putting it in his pocket he started walking towards his place of work. On
the way his grandfather’s words kept ringing in his ears. For some
moments, he thought of returning the money but his legs kept moving
forward. A big tug-off-war was going on within him, He could not do his
work properly. While washing, he slipped a glass and broke it. The
shopkeeper was a kind man. He asked,”What is wrong with you today.
Since you came to work you have been looking as though hit by a devil.
Are you okay?” Rajesh replied, “Nothing sir, I..I am all right. “Saying this
he continued to do his work.
A few minutes later the shopkeeper called Rajesh. He gave him a ten-
rupee note and told him to change it at the nearby bank.It was not
something new, for Rajesh had done this many times before. He put
the money in his pocket and started walking towards the bank. On the
way, he saw the beggar quietly seated with the little girl by his side
singing a song. Rajesh’s mind was tossing like a small boat in a rough
sea. He started to walk faster and reach the bank.
He went to the cash counter and put his hand in his pocket. He was
shocked as though struck by lightning. His pocket was empty and there
was a big hole in it. Both the beggar’s note and the shopkeeper’s note
were gone. For a moment he stood there dumb without knowing what
to do. He thought,”Oh God! How right was my grandfathers advice. I
deserve this punishment for this cruel act. Now how am I going to
answer the shopkeeper? He will certainly be angry with me for being
careless. Anyways I shall tell him the truthand ask him to deduct it from
my pay.”
Bowing his head low, he started walking back to the shop. Coming near
the beggar, he turned his face away for he felt very ashamed. Suddenly
he heard the little girl talking to her father. "Father, I do not know who
was the kind soul who took pity on us and put a ten rupee note as well
as a five rupee note in front of you. May God bless him."
Hearing this Rajesh stopped immediately. He thought oftelling them
that the ten rupee was really his. But deep within him a voice was
saying, "No". So he bravely walked towards the shop to face the
consequences of his action. Now there was no doubt in his mind that
God watches everything we do.
THE RED AIRPLANE – Right Conduct

The bright red light streamed through Jeremy's bedroom window and
across his cozy bed. Tentatively, he opened one eye and then the other
and pushed back the covers. He gazed sleepily at the familiar
furnishings: the book case full of books, the cupboard filled with toys,
the wall covered with his collection of toy airplanes. Over in one corner
stood a brightly painted rocking horse, once loved but looking lonely
now because Jeremy no longer played on it. He was ten years old now
and rode a ten speed bicycle instead.
"Jeremy, time to get up," his mother called from the stairway. "The pan
cakes are almost ready".
"Coming", answered Jeremy as he scrambled out of bed. After a heavy
breakfast he dressed hurriedly gave his mother a quick kiss and started
out of the door.
"Wait let me see how you look - you'll do", she said as she smoothed
down his blond curly top. "Better take your new blue jacket. It's cool.
And ride carefully."
As he rode down the pleasant street in front of his house, toward
Philip's home, the houses became smaller - even dingy. They lacked
paint and the yards and fences looked as if their owners were much too
busy trying to earn a living to pay attention to appearances.
Jeremy stopped in front of a small, neat cottage and beeped his bicycle
horn. A dark haired, brown-eyed boy with a merry smile bounded out
of the door and hopped on the back of Jeremy's bike. His clothes
contrasted sharply with Jeremy's. They were faded and well worn
although clean and neat. The two boys had been fast friends since they
first started to school. Philip was somewhat in awe of Jeremy's
affluence. However, to Jeremy, the warmth and friendliness of Philip's
home made up for any lack of luxury.
The route to school took them past a toy store. As they approached a
bright, red object in the window attracted their attention and they
dismounted to take a better look.
"Gee, Philip! Look at that neat airplane," said Jeremy, excitedly. "That
would be great in my collection."
"Sure is nice," said Philip, wistfully. His eyes were shining.
"Must cost a lot."
"Let's go in and see how much it is", said Jeremy. "What for?" asked
Philip. "We can't buy it anyway."
"I can," said Jeremy, confidently. "I've got a lot of money in my bank."
The storekeeper took the airplane out of the window and
let the boys hold it. It seemed even more wonderful, close up.
"Twenty dollars is the price." "Don't sell it, please sir," said Jeremy. I'll
bring my money tomorrow.
They climbed on the bike and proceeded to school. "Twenty dollars!"
exclaimed Philip. "I'd never get that much money. But then, I don't
really need a toy airplane. There'd be better uses for the money even if
I had it." He sighed wistfully.
The next morning Jeremy hurried to pick up Philip. He pictured in his
mind how they would stop on the way home from school and buy the
shiny, red airplane. Philip met him at the door. "I can't go to school
today. My mom's sick and she needs me to help her.
Jeremy was dejected. He'd miss Philip all day and it would have been
more fun to go together to get the airplane. The vision of the beautiful
toy lurked behind all of his lessons and also the memory of Philip's
wistful look. Suddenly, Jeremy came to a decision. "I have so many
airplanes.....I don't really need another one.... What fun it would be to
buy it for Philip." And that's just what he did.
"Wrap it up as a gift," he told the shopkeeper, gleefully. When Philip
opened the package it was hard to tell which boy was happier....the one
who received or the one who gave.
PRINCE OF OMAN STORY
Once the former President of India, Shri Shankar Dayal Sharma visited
Muscat on an official trip. When the Air India flight landed at Muscat,
the Sultan of Oman himself went to the airport to receive him.
Everyone was taken aback. Because this was the first time he had gone
to receive any foreign statesman from the airport. But then what could
have been the reason? Was it because he was the President of our
great India? NO..
When the flight landed, the Sultan went inside the aircraft to receive
him. Not just that. After alighting the flight, he himself drove the car
with the President !
Later when the reporters questioned the Sultan for this strange gesture
of his, the Sultan replied that he had not gone to the airport to receive
Mr.Sharma because he was India’s President.
The Sultan had studied in India and when he was studying in Pune, Mr.
Sharma was his Professor !
How much reverence the Sultan has for his teacher who had taught him
long back and that too belonging to a different country!!
The Race
Once God wanted to find who amongst the animal was fastest? He
decided to conduct a race Most of the animals were not willing to
participate in the race.
However, the deer, the cheetah and the tortoise came forward to run
the race. Those days, these three were considered as the fastest runners
among all animals. God cheered the participants and blew the whistle at
the starting line. The three sprinters ran at a very good pace and the race
turned out to be very exciting.
The tortoise had an evil friend, the snake. He advised the tortoise to play
a trick on his fellow competitors. The dumb-headed tortoise absorbed
the poisonous idea and decided to play a wicked trick.
Halfway through the race, when the three participants were running
parallel, suddenly, the tortoise moved his right foot in front of the deer.
The deer at once stumbled, crashed to the ground and broke his leg. The
tortoise picked up speed, and the good natured cheetah, instead of
running and winning the race, stopped to help the deer, his opponent.
The tortoise finished the race as the winner and his friend snake came to
give him a hug.
But God Himself was witness to the snake’s plan and the trick played by
the tortoise. So, instead of giving prize to the tortoise, he declared the
tortoise as the slowest runner among all animals and made the snake
crawl in shame for his evil suggestion. However, He was very pleased
with cheetah for his unselfish act. He bestowed upon cheetah a gift; he
made him the fastest animal on land. He also blessed the deer as the
second fastest runner of the jungle. This tradition of the jungle is valid till
today.
Moral: If you play fairly without cheating you will be rewarded at the end,
But if you do not, then sooner or later, your lie will be called off, And no
one will ever believe or trust you again
The Need For Prudence
The reputation of Dasaratha, prince of the city of Ayodhya, was known
far and wide. He was proud of his skill as Shabdabhedi, as one who could
shoot an arrow by merely listening to the sound, even in darkness. He
was pleased with the praise of the people. At dusk, he would go out alone
in his chariot and wait in the heart of the forest. Whenever he heard the
sound of footsteps of wild animals or the sound made by them while
drinking water, he would immediately shoot an arrow and kill them.
One night as he lay among the bushes, listening for the sound of leaves
or water, he suddenly heard something moving on the shore of the lake.
He could see nothing in the darkness. But was not Dasaratha a
Shabdabhedi? The sound was enough for him. Feeling certain that it was
an elephant, he shot an arrow. Immediately a cry rang out which made
him leap up. “Help! Help! Someone has shot me!”
The bow fell from Dasaratha’s hands. He suddenly felt dizzy with horror.
What had he done? Wounded a human being instead of a wild beast? He
rushed through the jungle towards the lake. On the bank a young man
was lying in a pool of blood, all disheveled, holding in his hand a pitcher
which he had just been filling.
“Oh Sir,” he groaned, “Was it you who shot the fatal arrow? What harm
have I done to you that you should treat me so? I am a hermit’s son. My
aged parents are blind. I look after them and provide for their needs. I
came to fetch water for them, and now I shall no longer be able to serve
them! Follow this path to their hut and tell them what has happened.
But first pull out this arrow from my breast, for it gives me great pain.”
Dasaratha removed the arrow from the wound. The young man breathed
a last sigh and died. Then the prince filled the pitcher with water and
followed the path, the dying youth had shown him. As he came near, the
father called out: “My son, why have you taken so long? Were you
swimming in the lake? We feared that some harm had befallen you. But
why don’t you answer?”
With a trembling voice, Dasaratha said: “I am not your son, Oh holy
hermit! I am a Kshatriya, and until now, I was proud of my skill. This night
as I was waiting to hunt I heard a sound and thought that it was made by
an elephant drinking water. I shot my arrow. Alas! It struck your son. Oh,
tell me how to atone for my sin.”
Then the old couple cried out and wept. They bade the prince led them
to the spot where their only son was lying dead. They recited sacred
hymns over his body and performed the funeral rites. Then the hermit
said: “Listen, Dasaratha! Because of your fault, we lost our only son and
are extremely sad. We shed tears over our dear son. One day, you also
shall weep over a beloved son. Before that, many years will pass; but the
punishment shall surely come.” They made a pyre to burn the dead body,
then threw themselves into the flames, and perished.
Time passed, Dasaratha became King of Ayodhya and married Kausalya.
And their son was glorious Rama. Rama was loved by all in the city. These
two women, Kaikeyi and her maid Manthara, caused the downfall of
noble Rama and because of them, he was sent into exile for fourteen
years. As the aged parents had mourned in the jungle for the young man
who had died at midnight by the lakeside, Dasaratha gave up his life,
unable to bear the separation from his beloved son Rama.
Dasaratha had once been so proud of his skill that he had lacked
prudence, and given no thought to the risk of wounding someone in the
darkness. It would have been better for him only to draw his bow in full
daylight than to trust in his skill as a Shabdabhedi. He meant no harm,
but he lacked foresight.
Non Violence - Naga Mahasaya
Nagamahasaya was the living example of the precept of Ahimsa. “Non-
injury is the highest virtue.” He followed this in his life to the very letter.
Nagamahasaya could not bear to see the sufferings of any creature.
There was a small tank attached to his house, where a large number of
fish came and settled during the floods every year. One day, a certain
fisherman caught some fish from the tank and, according to the custom
in vogue, came to Nagmahasaya to give him his due share. Nagmahasaya
was greatly affected to see those fish struggling hard for their lives in the
basket. He at once purchased them all at the price demanded by the man
and let them lose in the pond.
Another day, some other fisherman caught some fish from a pond close
to his house and came to sell them to him. This time also, he purchased
all the fish and let them go into the pond. The fisherman was quite
astonished at this strange behaviour and no sooner had he got the price
of his fish and the basket back than he ran away from this mad man as
fast as his legs could carry him and never again in his life crossed the
boundary walls of the abode of Nagmahasaya.
Nagmahasaya was so very strict in following the Ahimsa Dharma that he
would not even allow a poisonous snake to be killed. Once, a venomous
cobra was seen in the courtyard of the house. This alarmed all persons
present there. His wife suggested that it should be killed. Nagmahasaya
objected, “It is not the snake of the forest that does any harm, but it is
the snake that is in the mind that really kills a man.” Then, with folded
palms, he addressed the cobra, saying, “Thou art the visible
manifestation of the goddess Manasa. Thy abode is the forest. May it
please thee to leave my humble cottage and go to thine own dwelling.”
And strange as it may seem, the snake also followed him with its hood
bent down as he directed it to the jungle Nagmahasaya often used to
say, “The outside world is the projection of your own mind. As you give
out to the world, so you receive back from it. It is just like looking into
the mirror. The reflection in the mirror exactly shows what faces you
make at it.”