Along the way they felt thirsty, so he had come to bring water from the river. He then requested the king, “Please take this water to my parents so that they do not die of thirst.” King Dasarath took the pitcher full of water to Shravan Kumar's parents and offered it to them. The blind couple understood from the king's voice that he was not their son and asked, “Who are you?” King Dasarath replied, “I shot your son by mistake and he died. But before dying he asked me to quench the thirst of his parents. So I have brought water for you.”
Shravan Kumar's parents said, “We cannot drink water from the hands of the person who killed our son. We would rather die.” And as they died, they cursed him saying, “You will also die due to separation from your son, just as we are dying now.” Years later, when Lord Shri Rama was exiled and left for the forest with Laxman and Sita, King Dasarath did indeed give up his life due to the grief of separation from his son.
Similarly Lord Rama, during his period of exile, shot Bali with an arrow from behind a tree. He then approached Bali and offered to give him his life back if he so wished. Bali said, “Lord! I am dying by your hand. Can there be any higher death than this?” But still Lord Rama said, “I killed you while hiding behind a tree. You will be avenged for this act of mine when I incarnate on this earth as Krishna in Dwapar Yuga and you will come in the form of a tribal man. Then I will abandon my life due to your arrow.” And so it happened. One day Lord Krishna was resting under a tree and his leg twitched. A forest hunter saw this movement and thought it was a bird. He shot an arrow which hit Lord Krishna's leg and he died. In other words, when even Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had to suffer the fruits of their actions, then what to say of us ordinary beings! So the master souls say that a person understands the value of the human body when he acquires Spiritual Knowledge.
Once a king organised an exhibition with the condition that each visitor could take away only one thing. Many people came to see the exhibition. One poor farmer also came there. He saw a pair of oxen and a plough which he liked very much, but, according to the rules of the exhibition, he could take either the pair of oxen or the plough but not both. So, without taking anything, he went to the king who was sitting on a throne and bowed humbly to him. The king asked him if he did not like anything on display because he was empty handed. The farmer replied, “Your Majesty, I like both the oxen and the plough, but the condition is that I can take only one of these. Then it occurred to me that the whole exhibition is owned by you and if I touch you then the whole exhibition would become mine. So, once again I touch you.” The King was pleased by the farmer's simple words and said that he could take both items.
This is only a small story but it is there to teach us something. God, like the king, has created an exhibition of this world. There are all kinds of things here. Each person desires something and prays to God to give it to him. But a spiritual person understands that if he acquires the Almighty Himself, then all things in this world will automatically belong to him. So, now take shelter in the true Spiritual Master and know the Holy Name, remembering which one can reach God.
www.manavdharam.org
