Hindu Article - Merit of serving parents

[Guest guest]

friends,

 

I am no crane

 

There are many stories skillfully woven by Vedavyasa into the

Mahabharata. After reading the article in Hindu, I looked into the

Rajajis book and found this story which too says that we should not

neglect our parents who were responsible for our human birth, which

is rare and which will enable us to realize the self.

 

There was once a brahmana named Kausika who observed his vow of

brahmacharya with great steadfastness and devotion. One day he sat

under the tree reciting the Vedas. A crane, perched on the top of the

tree, defiled his head with its droppings. He looked up at it, and

his angry look killed the bird and it fell down dead. The brahmana

was pained when he saw the dead bird lying on the ground.

 

How frightful it would be if wishes fulfilled themselves, if each

hasty or angry wish took effect at once! It is lucky for us that

wishes depend on outward circumstances for accomplishment, since that

saves us from much sin and sorrow.

 

Kausika sorrowed that the evil thought that passed in his mind in a

moment of anger had killed an innocent bird. Some time later, he went

as usual to beg alms.

 

He stood before the door of a house to receive his dole. The

housewife was cleansing utensils at that time, Kausika waited in the

hope that she would attend to him after her work was over. In the

meantime the master of the house returned, tired and hungry, and the

wife had to attend to his wants, wash and dry his feet and serve him

with food. In this preoccupation she seemed to have forgotten the

mendicant waiting outside. After her husband had been cared for and

fed, she came out with alms to the mendicant. She said: "I am sorry

to have kept you waiting long. Pardon me."

 

Kausika, burning with anger, said: "lady, you have made me wait for

such a long time. This indifference is not fair."

 

The women told the brahmana: "Best of brahmanas, kindly do forgive

me. I was serving my husband and hence the delay."

 

The brahmana remarked: "it is right and proper to attend on the

husband, but the brahmana also should not be disregarded. You seem to

be an arrogant woman."

 

She said: "Be not angry with me and remember that I kept you waiting

only because I was dutifully serving my husband. I am no crane to be

killed by a violent thought and your rage can do no harm to the woman

who devotes herself to the service of her husband."

 

The brahmana was taken aback. He wondered how the woman knew of the

crane incident.

 

She continued: "O great one, you do not know the secret of duty, and

you are also not aware that anger is the greatest enemy that dwells

in man. Forgive the delay in attending to you. Go to Mithila and be

instructed in the secret of good life by Dharmavyadha living in that

city."

 

The brahmana was amazed. He said: "I deserve your just admonition and

it will do me good. May all good attend you." With these words he

went to Mithila.

 

Kausika reached Mithila and looked for Dharmavyadha's residence,

which he thought would be some lonely hermitage far from the noise

and bustle of common life. He walked along magnificent roads between

beautiful houses and gardens in that great city and finally reached a

butcher's shop, in which was a man selling meat. His amazement was

great when he learnt that this man was Dharmavyadha.

 

The brahmana was shocked beyond measure and stood at a distance in

disgust, the butcher suddenly rose from his seat, came to the

brahmana and inquired: "Revered sir, are you well? Did that chaste

brahmana lady send you to me?"

 

The brahmana was stupefied.

"Revered sir, I know why you have come. Let us go home," said the

butcher and took the brahmana to his house where he saw a happy

family and was greatly struck by the devotion with which the butcher

served his parents. Kausika took his lessons from that butcher on

dharma, man's calling and duty. Afterwards, the brahmana returned to

his house and began to tend his parents, a duty which he had rather

neglected before.

 

The moral of this striking story is the same as the teaching of the

Gita, that man reaches perfection by the honest pursuit of whatever

calling falls to his lot in life, and that this is really worship of

God Who created and pervades all.(Bhagavad Gita,xviii, 45-46.)

 

cdr bvn