STORY I

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SHANKARAM

SHIVA SHANKARAM

 

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Dear all,

Starting from today I will start sending one story every Sunday from the

book Stories and Parables quoted from the Discourses of Sri Sathya Sai Baba,

which is translated from the Original Telugu by N.Kasturi. Hope all of you

will enjoy reading the same.

 

STORY - I

In South India, in the Tamil country, there was a certain Adigal or Dasa, in

a village, Thangalur by name. He had heard of the spiritual grandeur of

Saint Appar and developed great admiration for him. So he built rest-houses

in his name; named his children after him so that they might grow up in the

halo of his glory; he donated lands and houses, all in the name of the Saint

he had not seen. See how faith preceded experience here. There are others

who require experience before they fix their faith. The first path is more

thrilling and lasting.

Well, one day by chance Appar himself walked into Thangalur for he had

missed his way and had to deviate. He noticed everywhere in the town Appar

Rest-houses and Appar Charities, and wondered how his name had preceded him.

Then Adigal ran forward to His Guru and took him home and prepared a grand

feast for him. When his eldest son went to his garden to cut a few plantain

leaves for a dinner, a snake bit him and he died on the spot. Adigal

however, was not affected in the least; he covered up the corpse, heaping

dry leaves upon it and proceeded with the formalities of hospitality for the

long-sought Guru. The Guru, however, insisted on all the children of Adigal

sitting around him during the meal, and he ordered the father, " Go, call

every one here. " Adigal did as he was commanded. He called and the dead son

rose. He too came and sat for dinner with the rest. When he knew what had

happened, Appar said, " Your Bhakthi is greater than my Shakthi. "

Source: Chinna Katha I, 172

 

Sivakumar Seshadri

 

 

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