part2 of story by Swamivivekananda

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Part 2 of 2:WHO IS GREATER?A Story by Swami Vivekananda(WIDER HORIZONS Weekly: 06-44)Source: http://www.vivekana nda.net/Now the princess had fallen so much in love with thisyoung man that she said, "I must marry this man or Ishall die"; and she went after him to bring himback.Then our other Sannyasin, who had brought the kingthere, said to him, "King, let us follow this pair";so they walked after them, but at a good distancebehind.The young Sannyasin who had refused to marry theprincess walked out into the country for severalmiles. When he came to a forest and entered into it,the princess followed him, and the other twofollowed them.Now this young Sannyasin was well acquainted with thatforest and knew all the intricate paths in it. Hesuddenly passed into

one of these and disappeared,and the princess could not discover him. After tryingfor a long time to find him she sat down under a treeand began to weep, for she did not know the wayout.Then our king and the other Sannyasin came up to herand said, "Do not weep; we will show you the way outof this forest, but it is too dark for us tofind it now. Here is a big tree; let us rest under it,and in the morning we will go early and show you theroad."Now a little bird and his wife and their three littleones lived on that tree, in a nest. This little birdlooked down and saw the three people under the treeand said to his wife, "My dear, what shall we do? Hereare some guests in the house, and it is winter, and wehave no fire." So he flew away and got a bit ofburning firewood in his beak and dropped it before theguests, to which they added fuel and made a blazingfire.But the little bird was not

satisfied. He said againto his wife, "My dear, what shall we do? There isnothing to give these people to eat, and they arehungry. We are householders; it is our duty to feedany one who comes to the house. I must do what I can,I will give them my body." So he plunged into themidst of the fire and perished. The guests sawhim falling and tried to save him, but he was tooquick for them.The little bird's wife saw what her husband did, andshe said, "Here are three persons and only one littlebird for them to eat. It is not enough; it is myduty as a wife not to let my husband's effort go invain; let them have my body also." Then she fell intothe fire and was burned to death.Then the three baby-birds, when they saw what was doneand that there was still not enough food for the threeguests, said, "Our parents have done what theycould and still it is not enough. It is our duty tocarry on the work of

our parents; let our bodies gotoo." And they all dashed down into the fire also.Amazed at what they saw, the three people could not ofcourse eat these birds. They passed the night withoutfood, and in the morning the king and theSannyasin showed the princess the way, and she wentback to her father.Then the Sannyasin said to the king, "King, you haveseen that each is great in his own place. If you wantto live in the world, live like those birds, readyat any moment to sacrifice yourself for others. If youwant to renounce the world, be like that young man towhom the most beautiful woman and a kingdom were asnothing. If you want to be a householder, hold yourlife a sacrifice for the welfare of others; and if youchoose the life of renunciation, do not even look atbeauty and money and power. Each is great in his ownplace, but the duty of the one is not the duty of

theother." May god bless you, Dr. Saroja Ramanujam, M.A., Ph.D, Siromani in sanskrit.

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