A professional pickpocket

[Guest guest]

Source Chinna Kathas

http://www.saibaba.ws/stories/storiesparables.htm

A professional pickpocket

 

One day goddess Parvathi asked Shiva: " Lord! I have heard that there

is a sacred shrine for your worship by name Kasi and that those who

visit Kasi and offer worship to you after a holy bath in the Ganges

will earn the merit of coming to Kailas and stay there for ever. Is

it true? " Lord Shiva replied: " All the people cannot earn that

merit. Mere visiting Kasi and offering worship to my image are not

enough. Presently, I shall make the point clear to you. Let us go to

Kasi as an aged couple. I shall make you enact a drama! "

 

Lord Shiva and Parvathi appeared before the entrance of the temple

of Shiva, Parvathi as an old hag of eighty years and Lord Shiva a

rickety old man of ninety. Shiva laid his head on the lap of

Parvathi and started groaning in severe pains. The old woman was

crying helplessly. She begged every pilgrim saying: " Oh ye devotees!

look here, this is my husband. He is terribly thirsty and may die

any moment. Will you please fetch some water for him to drink? I

cannot leave him alone and go to fetch water " . The pilgrims were

coming from the ghats after their ceremonial bath in the Ganges.

Their clothes were wet and they were carrying water in small bright

vessels. They saw and heard the woman's lament. Some said: " Wait, we

shall attend to your husband after offering the sacred Ganges water

to Lord Viswanath. "

 

Some said: " Oh what a nuisance! Why can't these beggars allow us at

least to offer worship in peace. " Some others said: " These beggars

should not be allowed to sit here " .

 

There was a big crowd near the temple entrance. A professional

pickpocket walked along with some of these pilgrims. He also heard

the old woman's lament. He could not bear the sight of the suffering

old man and the bewailing old woman. He walked upto them and

said: " Mother, what do you want? Who are you? Why are you here? " .

The old woman replied, " Son, we came here to have the darsan of Lord

Visveswara. My husband suddenly took ill and fainted out of

exhaustion. He might survive if someone were to pour some water into

his parching mouth. His condition is too critical for me to leave

him and go to bring water. I requested many people to help me, but

nobody would spare any water though they have been carrying pitchers

full of it. " The thief was moved to compassion. He had brought some

water in the dried gourd-pot. The woman stopped him and said: " Son,

my husband may die any moment, he will not accept water unless the

person who gives water speaks truth. " The pickpocket could not catch

the meaning. He said: " Mother, please tell me what I should do " ?

With a cynical laughter, he said: " Mother, I have not done any good

deed so far. I am a professional pickpocket. The only good deed is

that which I am going to do now, to offer water to this dying old

man. This is true. " He poured gently some water into the mouth of

the old man. No sooner had the pickpocket done this deed than the

old couple disappeared and in their place stood Lord Shiva and

Goddess Parvathi, in all their full splendor. Shiva said: " Son, you

are indeed blessed. There is no greater morality than speaking the

truth, and no true worship more faithful than service to fellow

human beings. You have been atoned for all the sins you have

committed so far because of this one good deed. "