[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Charity and generosity : Road to Vaikuntham ...

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Om Namo Narayanaya Vinodji Thanks for this meaningful story. With Prayers Meera vinod_ps77 <vinod.ps wrote: !! Sri Rama Jayam !!At the foot of Gandhamadana mountain there lived an old woman. She was the worst of all misers in the country. She lived alone because in the company of others she would have to share some of her possessions. Charity was unknown to her. She did not part with even a grain of rice or wheat during her lifetime.Lord Vishnu watched with interest the life and actions of this old lady. He found that she was to die soon. She had only three more days of life on earth.The Lord therefore called Kaka Bhushundi (the crow-devotee of Sri Ramachandra who advised Rama-Tatwam to the celestial bird-king Garuda at Kailasa-Manasa sarovaram) to His side and said, "O my dear Bhushundi! Look at this old lady. She has not done even a little of charity. She has been miserly all throughout her life. You go and try to snatch something

from her at least today, because tomorrow she has to die. When she dies, she will have some merit to her credit".Kaka Bhushundi nodded assent. He took the form of a crow and sat on a tree near the house of Kanjani. It was the time when she was washing a handful of black gram soaked in water for cooking her food. Bhushundi decided to snatch away a beakful of gram.Suddenly, at one leap he flew near the vessel and took a beakful of grain with lightning speed. The alert Kanjani grabbed him with greater speed. She wrung his neck and kept it twisted lest the grain slip down into his stomach. Meanwhile, with her other hand, she parted the beak and took out the gram to the last grain from the throat of the struggling crow.Kaka Bhushundi struggled for his life. At last he was let free. He flew to Lord Vishnu and fell at His feet. Lord Vishnu questioned him as to what had happened after he left Him. Bhushundi

gasped out the whole story and said, "O Lord! I was almost strangled to death. I could not succeed in my mission. I could not gain even a grain of food from that wretched old lady".Then the Lord said, "O Bhushundi! Do not say so. Come, let me examine your mouth".Bhushundi opened his mouth. Lord Vishnu noticed a small bit of gram husk sticking to his palate, and said, "Look Bhushundi! There is a small bit of husk sticking to your palate. I am satisfied. The old lady has earned something. When she goes back to the world after death, let her be fed on the husk of the particular gram which is found sticking to your palate".Great and marvellous are the benefits of charity. Infinite and overwhelming is the love and compassion of the Lord. Such is the mysterious potency of even the least act of charity, that the fruit of it will cling and save you in your life beyond. The Lord Himself, in his great love,

creates opportunities for the redemption of the sinning man.When the old woman, who did no meritorious act, was ordained to get bread made of husk, what will be the result of your hundreds of meritorious acts of poor-feeding, clothing the naked, relieving the distress of others, and comforting the sorrowful? One bit of husk will multiply itself a thousand fold and feed the old lady in her next life. Such is the glory of charity!Therefore, share what you have with all. May you all become embodiments of charity and generosity! May you all attain blessedness through charity!Hare KrishnaHare Rama

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