BHAKTISANDESAM / IT IS THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

[Guest guest]

Hari-Om

-------

To be in association with the pure devotees of the Lord is the

graeatest blessing one could have.

 

SADHU SANGA !!

 

Once, the great sage Narada Muni went to Vaikuntha and asked Lord

Vishnu, " Please tell me Bhagwan, what are the results of being in the

association of devotees? " The Lord smiled & said, " My dear Narada, go

to a certain forest on earth. There you will find a banyan tree, on

the left branch of which is the nest of a parrot. In the nest will be

a newly-born baby parrot. Ask the baby bird this same question and it

will give you the answer. "

 

Narada muni went to the tree. As he reached the nest, an egg hatched

and a tiny parrot came out. Narada approached the bird and

asked " Baby bird, please tell me what is the effect of Sadhu sanga ? "

 

The moment the sentence was uttered, the baby bird fell down dead.

 

Narada muni was shocked. He went back to Lord Vishnu and told him

that before answering him, the bird had died.

 

Lord Vishnu, once again smiling told him to go to a certain village

where a calf was just born to a Brahmin. " Question the calf and get

your answer. "

 

Narada muni came to the village and found the house of the Brahmin.

The new-born calf was just getting up on its legs when Narada

asked, " Dear calf, please tell me what is the result of associating

with devotees? " No sooner had he completed his question that the calf

fell down dead.

 

Narada was very sad. " What a sinful person am I, " he thought, " I

appear to be responsible for two deaths. "

 

Grieving, he went to Vaikuntha and told Lord Visnu what had happened.

The Lord consoled him and said, " Don't worry, its not your fault. In

the stable of the king of Kasi a foal has been born. Go and ask the

baby horse for the answer. "

 

Narada went to the stable as directed and very hesitantly put forward

the same question to the baby horse. Here too, the baby horse fell

dead as soon as the question was completed.

 

The great sage Narada muni was now in despair. Three deaths on his

conscience !! What mistake hade he made in approaching these new-born

babies ? The Lord had directed him in each case, then how could such

tragedies occur?

 

Puzzled and confused Narada muni went to Lord Visnu and reported the

death of the foal.

 

Looking at Narada's harrased faced the Lord smiled and said " Despite

all your trouble, you didn't get the answer. Now do one thing. A son

has just been born to the king of Kasi. Go and ask the baby your

question. " Narada's face grew pale with fear.

 

" No more, Lord, " he cried out. " I don't want any more deaths on my

account. Let my question remain un-answered. I am already weighed

with guilt. I don't want the death of a prince also on my

conscience. " The Lord smilingly assured Narad muni, " This time you

will get the answer to your question " .

 

Very reluctantly Narada went to the palace of the the king of Kasi.

There was great rejoicing in the palace because of the birth of a

prince. When the king saw Narada muni, he considered himself doubly

blessed. He immediately brought his son for the sage's blessings.

 

Narada gathered the baby in his arms and very softly asked: " Baby,

kindly tell me what is the result of associating with devotees? "

 

Hardly had he completed his question that the baby gurgled and

said, " O greatest of the sages, have you not understood so far? I was

the baby bird whom you questioned on the banyan tree. Because of the

brief contact with a saint like you, I got released from the tiny

body immediately and was born as the calf. There again you came and

questioned me, and by that short contact i got rid of my

insignificant birth and was born as a horse. In that birth too, you

asked me the same question. As a result of that brief contact with

you I have been blessed with the most precious human form as the

prince of the Kasi kingdom. This is the result of a " BRIEF

ASSOCIATION WITH DEVOTEES (SADHU SANGA) " I am grateful to you, O

Sage, for elevating me to this stage.

 

On hearing this, Narada muni's doubts were cleared. He was not sad

any more for the deaths of the baby animals. He blessed the prince

and singing the glories of the Lord went away.

 

 

 

********************

 

Jai Shree Krishna !

In the devotional service of Bhagavan Shree Krishna !