The Greatest Indian Stories Beautifully Retold for Todays Children
Presents
Author: Simon Maddock
Illustrations and Book Design: Pavel Gutsalov Narrated by: Rob Paterson Music and Sound Engineer: Ishan Isaacs
This book is copyright Gilsar Pty Limited, 2014
Illustrations are copyright Gilsar Pty Limited, 2014 Voice recording is copyright Gilsar Pty Limited, 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. The moral right of the author has been asserted.
he Holy sage Narada, clothed in flowing
robes, his hair piled up on his head, sat in Heaven on a fluffy white cloud and played on his sitar. His fingers moved nimbly across the strings and the music flowed without ceasing. He sang in a heavenly voice, song after song, praising his beloved Lord Vishnu.
This was his favourite pastime. He loved
Lord Vishnu with all his heart and nothing pleased him more than sitting for hour after hour recounting all the wonderful attributes of the great God. The time slipped by and Narada was entranced by his own music and the captivating qualities of the Lord. And the germ of an idea wormed its way into his mind. I sit all day playing my sitar and singing the praises of the Great Lord Vishnu, he thought, recounting his exploits and worshipping him. I must be the greatest of the devotees of the Lord. And this thought warmed Naradas heart. He turned it over and over in his mind until he could sit still no longer. So he arose from his seat and made his way into the very presence of the Lord.
ord Vishnu, resplendent in his majesty,
was seated on his golden lotus throne with his wife Lakshmi beside him. Beautiful maidservants fanned the divine couple and majestic peacocks, their tails fully extended, strutted to and fro.
Narada bowed low with his hands pressed together
in respectful greeting. Narada, my faithful friend, welcome, welcome, said the Lord Vishnu smiling. Come and sit beside me and ask your question. Oh Lord, said Narada when he had seated himself beside Lord Vishnu, You know what is in my heart before I do. You know my question already. Yes, that is true, but I love my devotees to ask their questions themselves. Oh Lord, with your divine permission I will therefore speak. My question is this. I sit day after day joyfully singing your praises, without ceasing I think about you. Am I indeed your greatest devotee? Yes, my dear Narada, you are indeed my greatest devotee. Narada was overjoyed to hear this until the Lord Vishnu raised his finger and continued: With one exception. Oh Narada, there is one other of my devotees who is greater than you. Narada was astonished and begged to meet and worship at the feet of this giant of devotion, this great sage, this god-like being whose devotion to Lord Vishnu was greater even than his.
ut the story grew stranger still, for Lord
Vishnu continued. This devotee is no king, or great sage. No, he is but an ordinary man, said Lord Vishnu, a humble farmer who lives on Earth. If you are still eager to meet him, we will visit him together, but we must disguise ourselves as men.
Narada readily agreed and, in the blink of an
eye, he and the blessed Lord Vishnu, disguised as dusty travellers were standing at the front door of a farmhouse. They knocked on the door which was opened by a young girl, who stared up at them in wonder. Who is there?, came a voice from inside. Two men, said the girl. Praise be to the Lord Vishnu, who has sent two guests to partake of our hospitality and share our meal. Oh daughter, invite them in at once in the name of the Lord, came the voice, which was soon followed by the farmer himself.
he man bowed to the two strangers and
begged them to join his family for the evening meal. Vishnu and Narada did so, and sat cross-legged around a rustic mat with the man, his wife and his four children.
The farmer said a short prayer of thanks and
blessing over the food and then everybody served each other and all were satisfied with the simple country fare. The man offered his guests a bed for the night and praised the Lord when they accepted his invitation. Early the next day a similar scene was played out, the man offered a short prayer and then a simple meal was prepared and shared with the guests, after which the farmer left his wife and younger children to attend to household chores while he, with his eldest son, left for the fields and cattle sheds. The disguised Lord asked if he and his friend could observe the farmer at work for the day, which he gladly agreed to. After offering some few words of thanks to God the four set off.
he man settled to milking his cows and
hummed a hymn of devotion to Lord Vishnu as the milk pails filled and his son carried them back to the house. The milking done he wiped his brow, gave thanks to the Lord once more and then headed off to the fields to tend his crops. After a whole day spent in this fashion he and his son, tired after a long days work, said a short prayer together and prepared to head once more for home.
Lord Vishnu and Narada thanked him and took their
leave. They had walked for a few minutes and they had arrived at the foot of a small hill when Narada, bursting with curiosity, could contain himself no longer. Oh Lord forgive me but I must ask you about this man, whom you say is your greatest devotee. I see he is a hard-working man of virtue, kind to strangers and one who cares for his family and his livestock. But his devotions were short and occasional; he said prayers in between his other activities which took his whole attention. Surely my unbroken devotions to you are superior to his. Lord Vishnu looked thoughtful and smiled. Perhaps Narada you are right. Perhaps this fine fellow is not your superior or even your equal in devotion to me. Narada beamed at this praise from the Lord. And the Lord continued. Yes, now that I think about it, perhaps you are my greatest devotee. Might I ask you therefore to complete a task for me? Narada was all eagerness to comply. Yes, he said, Yes My Lord, anything! I will fly to the moon and back. I will bring you precious jewels from the high Himalayas, I will journey to the sacred Ganges and bring you holy water. Just ask. You are in my heart and in my thoughts unceasingly! Lord Vishnu laughed and said: Oh Narada, you are truly the prince of devotees. No, I have a much simpler task for you.
nd with that he held out his hand and in it
appeared a large jar filled to the very brim with oil. Take this jar of oil and balance it carefully on your head. Then walk around this small hill and dont spill a single drop.
Narada was mystified by this strange request but,
excited to prove his devotion he carefully took the jar of oil and slowly lifted it up and placed it gingerly on top of his head. Slowly he removed his hands and began to take one cautious step after another. With his arms spread wide to maintain his balance, he slowly shuffled forward until, rounding the hill he could see Lord Vishnu waiting for him. Finally he arrived and triumphantly placed the jar of oil at Lord Vishnus feet. There, he said I didnt spill a drop! Wonderful, O faithful friend. And, might I ask, how many times did you think of me? How many prayers did you offer to me? How many songs of praise did you sing to me? Why, none, stammered Narada, I was too busy concentrating on the jar of oil. I was totally absorbed in making sure not a drop was spilled. Yes, said Lord Vishnu, you had your jar of oil, which drove all thought of me from your mind. But our farmer friend with a wife to care for and four hungry children to feed, and guests to entertain, and a farm to manage, with cows to milk and crops to tend, remembers me time and again. He offers prayers, he sings songs of praise and he remembers me again and again. Tell me Narada, who do you now believe to be the greatest of my devotees?
nd Narada, humbled, bowed low, he praised
the humble farmer as the greatest of devotees, and thanked the Lord for his gracious lesson.
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(Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies) Nils Arne Pedersen-Demonstrative Proof in Defence of God A Study of Titus of Bostra's Contra Manichaeos The Work's Sources, Aims, and Relation To Its Contemporar