Chinna Katha - A Little Story from Bhagavan

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A Little Story from Bhagavan

 

Once when Adi Sankaras parents were to leave the house for some work, his father

instructed him thus, My dear son, you know that I daily worship the Goddess in

our house and later distribute the naivedya (offerings) to all the people.

Similarly, when your mother and I are away, will you please make the offering to

Goddess? The obedient son that Sankara was he immediately agreed to fulfill his

fathers commands. And so after his parents left, he poured some milk into a cup

and kept it before the idol of the Goddess and prayed to her Mother! Please

accept this milk which I am offering. But despite his fervent prayers, the

Mother neither took the milk, nor did she appear. The young boy was

understandably disappointed, but did not give up. He prayed again, Mother!

Mother! You accept the offerings that my father makes to your daily! What sins

have these hands of mine committed that you are not accepting the offering which

I am giving to you?

 

He continued to pray to her earnestly from the innermost depths of his heart, so

much so that he was even prepared to sacrifice his life! Sankara told himself,

My father asked me to offer this milk to the goddess but I am not able to do so

because the goddess is not receiving the offering, which I made. It is better

that I die. He went out and brought a big stone to kill himself. But the

compassionate Mother, the Mother of the Universe could not keep herself away for

too long.

 

Moved by Sankaras unsullied devotion and sincerity, she at once appeared before

him and drank the milk that he had offered and then placed the empty cup before

him. The boy was very glad that the Mother of the Universe came and drank the

milk. But now there was nothing left in the cup.

 

He thought that his father would certainly ask for the naiveidya (consecrated

offering) of the God when he returned. He feared that the father may think that

he drank away all the milk and hence may become angry with him. And therefore he

prayed to the Goddess again.

This time asking her, O Mother, Please give me at least a drop of milk so that I

may be able to give it to my father. But the Goddess did not come. He again

sincerely continued to pray; the Goddess was yet again moved by his love and

faith and she appeared before him. But since she was not able to give the milk

that she drank, she gave her own milk and filled the cup!

 

It is believed that because Sankara was blessed to taste the Divine milk, he

could attain the highest pinnacle of knowledge and wisdom. But the main essence

of the story lies in the sons blind and complete devotion to fulfill his fathers

wishes. Because Sankara tried hard to please his father, he was able to get the

Goddess of the Universe to manifest Herself before him.

 

Revering and obeying the orders of our parents hence is but only a way to earn

the grace and blessings of our divine parent.

 

~ Baba

 

Ram Chugani

Kobe, Japan