Translating Pragya Puran Stories into English

The link to the pdf file from which the stories have been translated
http://www.awgp.org/books/hindi/pragyapuran/03pragyaa_puraana01.pdf

(Page 73)
Boat in a Jug

Once upon a time, a saint was sitting on the bank of the river Ganga and
preaching about the oneness of creatures with God. "A creature is just a small part of God
Himself!" said the saint. "All the magnificent qualities of God are present in every
creature", he added. Hearing this, one of the listeners raised his doubt and asked, "Sir,
God has perfect knowledge and is Almighty, while the creatures have imperfect
knowledge and are weak. Then how do you claim that both are the same?"
Turning to the questioner the saint said, "Will you please fill my jug with the
water from the river Ganga?" So, he went down and fetched the water in the jug. Now,
the saint asked him, "Is the water in this jug, and that flowing in Ganga the same?" "Yes,
indeed", was the reply. Then the saint smiled and said, "There are several boats sailing on
the river, why don't you try to sail one boat in the jug too?" To this the man replied, "Sir,
the jug is so small, it contains only a little water, how can a real boat sail in this jug?"
Now the saint said grimly, "My dear friend, creature is confined within a small
limit, and hence, like the Ganga water in the jug it is limited. If you go and pour the water
in the jug back in the river, then boats can sail on it too. Similarly, if we break our bonds
of meanness and attain greatness, each one of us can easily acquire the strength and
knowledge equal to God."

(Page 73)
King Raghu's Sarva-Medh Yagya

This is a story about how God showers his blessings upon those who take up a
good cause for the benefit of the society, even though they may be lacking in means.
A long time ago there ruled a very powerful king in India who was known as
Raghu. King Raghu had decided to perform a Sarva-Medh Yagya, which involved
donating all his wealth for the benefit of his citizens. After giving away the last penny in
his treasure and all his possessions, the only things that were left with the King were an
earthen jug and a grass carpet.
At this juncture a saint called Kautsya arrived at the King's door and expected
some donation from the king. The saints in ancient India relied on the patronage of Kings
to run their monasteries, which were great centers of learning and spiritual pursuits.
However, when saint Kautsya realized that the King has already given away all
his possessions for the benefit of the society, he turned back without uttering a single
word. King Raghu was quick to realize that the saint had come with a very important
mission of collecting funds for his monastery. King Raghu requested the saint to wait for
a while so that he may arrange for the donation. The saint stayed back wondering how the
King would honor his words.

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 Raghu invoked Kuber - the divine treasurer with Vedic mantras. And behold!
Gold coins started raining from the sky. Raghu thus satisfied Kautsya with ample
donation. Saint Kautsya was astonished how a small prayer by a King resulted in such a
miracle. Kuber explained to him, "O saint! It is a Divine law that a person who believes
in the Almighty and dedicates himself whole heartedly for the benefit of the society shall
never face scarcity."

(Page 74)
Benevolence Brought Ganga to Earth

King Bhagirath's ancestors were suffering unbearable miseries due to wrath of a Rishi.
Bhagirath knew very well that if the divine river Ganga could be requested to descent
from the heaven to Earth, it would end the miseries of his ancestors, as well as quench the
thirst of innumerable flora and fauna.
With this noble cause in mind he left the comfortable life of his palaces and
performed great penance in the Himalayas. After a very long time, considering the
generous and selfless objectives of Bhagirath, Ganga was ready to descend upon Earth.
Lord Shaker controlled the force of the river Ganga as it descended from the heaven and
the divine river since flows through the great plains of India benefiting millions of
people.
King Bhagirath's own powers were far from sufficient to achieve such an
extraordinary feat. It was his benevolent objectives that attracted the divine blessings and
cooperation from Lord Shanker. His ancestors were freed from the dreadful curse,
Bhagirath became famous for ever, and most of all millions people benefit from this great
river even today.

(Page 74)
Elephant and the Five Blind Men

Someone said to five blind men, "There is an elephant in front of you, can you guess how
it looks like?" The first blind men caught the elephant's tail, the second its ears, the third
its legs, the fourth its tusks, and the fifth one touched its back. Based on their experience
they all came up with radically different answers. The first blind man who had caught the
elephant's tail concluded, "The elephant is definitely like a rope." The second one, who
had caught its ears strongly disagreed and said, "No! It's like a saucepan." The third blind
man who had caught its leg concluded that an elephant is like fat pole. The fourth one,
who had caught the tusk, thought it was like a stick, and the fifth one, who touched the
back was absolutely sure it was like a rock. They all started quarreling over the matter
and never reached a conclusion.
Telling this story to his disciples, a holy man said, "Just like the five blind men,
most people have only partially experienced God, and useless quarrels take place in
religious discourses."

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(Page 75)
Association Begets Blessings

As soon as the human consciousness gets connected with the God's treasure of
greatness, blessings start flowing in spontaneously. Sudama was leading a life of scarcity
although he had been Lord Krishna's classmate. However, Sudama really got associated
with the greatness of Lord Krishna, when he surrendered his ego and visited him at
Dwarika. And then Lord Krishna showered his material and spiritual blessings upon
Sudama. Similarly, when Saint Kabir surrendered himself completely in the hands of
God, he got back immense wisdom and spiritual enlightenment which made him famous.
When Vibhishana, who was Ravana's younger brother associated himself with Lord Ram,
his fortune changed profoundly. Lord Ram immediately addressed him as the 'King of
Lanka', and in due course he actually became the king of golden Lanka. All these
instances point to a simple fact - a close association with greatness is a prerequisite for
God's blessings.

(Page 76)
Saint Gyaneshwar and Ornaments

"Wisdom, power and devotion is sanctioned by God only to the worthy", said saint
Gyaneshwar. Hearing this, a lady reacted sharply, "Then where is the greatness of God?
He should scatter his grace equally on everyone!" The saint kept quite and the discussion
came to an end.
The next morning, the saint sent for a stupid person and asked him to go to the
lady's home and request her to lend all her ornaments. He did the same. The lady scolded
him and immediately turned him away.
After some time, saint Gyaneshwar himself went to the lady and politely
requested her to lend her ornaments for a day. Without asking a single question the lady
opened her safe and happily gave all her ornaments. Now, returning the ornaments, the
saint asked, "In the morning another person had come to you with the same request, why
did you turn him away?" "How could I give my valuable ornaments to an unreliable
person?", the lady retorted. Saint Gyaneshwar smiled and said, "Dear sister, when you
can't entrust your ornaments to a person without considering his worthiness, then how
can God bestow His priceless divine blessings upon unworthy people?" Our worthiness is
tested repeatedly to assess our capacity to receive God's grace.

(Page 76)
Porridge in a Filthy Bowl

A rich man once arrived at Lord Buddha's monastery. He wanted Lord Buddha to give
him the wisdom of self-realization. Buddha promised to come to his home the next day.
Since Buddha himself was arriving, the rich man ordered his chef to prepare the
best possible porridge. Finally, Lord Buddha arrived carrying a bowl in his hand. "O
Lord!" , said the rich man, "special porridge has been cooked for you, please accept it"
Buddha asked the porridge to be served in the bowl he had brought with him. The rich

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man was shocked to notice that the bowl was filled with filth and cried, "Your bowl is
filthy! My special porridge will be wasted if served in it"
Buddha laughed and said, "Son, the precious wisdom of self-realization will be
wasted unless you cleanse your thoughts and character, just like the porridge can't be
served in a filthy bowl!"

(Page 76)
Prepare Yourself to Receive God's Grace

Someone had left two tubs out in the open. One was facing up, the other was facing
down. Rains came and filled the tub with its face up. The other one, facing down
remained totally empty. The empty tub was furious. He cursed the other tub as well as the
rain. The rain told him, "Don't be upset. I am not prejudiced. I provide water everywhere.
The fault is entirely yours. If you turn your face up, I will fill you with water as well."
The tub got the point and accepted his mistake. Telling this story to his disciples a monk
said, "Just like rains, God's grace is showering down everywhere. We must prepare
ourselves to receive it by performing Upasana. Worship is not begging for alms, it is
about preparing oneself to receive the grace of God.

(Page 77)
Misers are Unfit for God's Kindness

This is a story of the times when saint Chedember was famous for granting wishes. One
day a woman approached him to bless her with a son. The saint gave him some roasted
peanuts and said, "You have come from very far. Have some peanuts and rest in the
courtyard. The woman started eating the peanuts. Little children, who were playing there,
looked at her and wanted some peanuts too. But, she turned her face away and continued
eating. When she went to the saint to receive blessings, he said grimly, "When you can't
share some peanuts with the children, how can the God give you the priceless gift of a
child?" We must develop generosity to receive God's kindness.

(Page 77)
Rain of Gems Caused Disaster

Lord Buddha was once beseeched by a young Brahmin who wanted to learn some Tantric
ritual. Buddha taught him a secret Tantric method which if used on one particular date,
could cause rain of gems. However, Buddha always thought he should have tested the
maturity of the Brahmin before disclosing the secret.
One night Buddha was crossing a dense forest with that Brahmin. They were
attacked by a gang of robbers who tied the Brahmin to a tree and told Buddha to get the
ransom money to free his disciple. Buddha remembered that the next day was the
auspicious date to use the Tantric method. Before departing, He whispered into the
Brahmin's ears, "Son, Do not misuse the Tantric secret. I will surely return with ransom
and set you free."

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 But next day, the Brahmin did not heed Buddha's warning and invoked Tantra.
Gems rained from the sky. The robbers collected the gems, set him free and went away.
On their way another gang of robbers attacked them, took all the gems and came to know
about the Brahmin who could cause gems to rain from the sky. They caught the Brahmin
again and ordered him to repeat the feat. But, the Brahmin told them that the method
worked only on a particular day that arrived once in a year and expressed his inability to
repeat the feat. The greedy robbers did not believe him. They were extremely furious and
killed the Brahmin. They then fought among themselves over the gems and killed each
other as well. Buddha came back the next day. His apprehension had turned out to be
horribly true. Seeing the ghastly scene Buddha said to himself, "Bestowing Divine
blessings, without testing the worthiness is always disastrous."

(Page 78)
Transformation of Ashok, Angulimal and Shraddhananda

The Divine blessing comes in the form of a motivation for following the noble path. The
blessing manifests itself in the form of a radical transformation in a persons, nature,
likings, and attitudes.
Emperor Ashok conquered the great kingdom of Kalinga at the cost of large scale
violence. The success obtained through bloodshed and destruction did not give him peace
of mind. Buddha's preaching transformed Ashok totally. From a blood-thirsty lusty king
he became the messenger of love and peace and donated all his wealth for the mission of
spreading the spiritual way of life.
Angulimal was a cruel dacoit, who used to rob people, cut off their fingers and
wore garlands made of his victims' fingers. When Budha's divine love showered upon
him, there was an amazing change. Angulimal became Buddha's disciple and devoted
himself to the cause of spreading spirituality.
As a youth Swami Shraddhananda was following the dirty path of promiscuity.
He was also addicted to gambling, alcohol and meat. He was a spoilt son of a police
officer. One night he returned home very late from a prostitute and started vomiting. His
wife was a very pious lady. She washed him, changed his clothes and put him to bed.
When he woke up he asked her, "Did you have your dinner?" The pious wife replied, "As
my husband I see the image of God in you. How can I eat without offering you dinner
first?" This incident shook him from inside, that night he completely transformed and
eventually became a great divine leader of the Arya Samaj.

(Page 79)
Minimum for Self, Maximum for the Society

We have amazing examples of generosity in the history of India. Kings lead the society
with their own examples. Emperor Harshavardhana performed Sarvamedha Yagya and
gave always all his possessions to the needy citizens, retain only the bare minimum
facilities for his own livelihood; whereas, he was the undisputed ruler of the Indian
subcontinent and could have led a lavish life style. Janaka was a great king with immense
wealth and power, but led the life of a saint and dedicated all his wealth for social
welfare. He became famous as Videha, meaning one who is free from bodily lusts. Ishwar

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Chand Vidyasagar was a professor who gave away all his salary as scholarship for poor
students. Such generosity is the real worship of God.

(Page 79)
The Nectar of Generosity

This is a story from the life of Swami Ramteerth. He used to wander around the whole
day preaching kindness and love for God. He used to cook dinner himself. One evening
he came home very tired after along tour and preaching session and started cooking his
dinner. Just then a group of kids came to him. Swamiji served all his dinner to the
children. One onlooker was amazed and asked him, "Swamiji, you have given away all
your dinner, now what will you have?" A bright smile crossed Swami Ramteerth's lips as
he replied, "The purpose of dinner is to satiate hunger. It doesn't matter whose stomach it
has gone into, it has served its purpose. But, to me, the joy of giving is million times the
joy of receiving"

Another story is from the life of the great Indian poet Magh who was also famous for his
generosity. His financial condition was not very sound, yet that made no difference to his
generous attitude. One late night a poor man came to seek his help and said, "I have to
arrange my daughter's marriage ceremony, but I am penniless. I have heard about your
kindness. Would it be possible for you to help me, sir?"
Poet Magh's heart was filled with compassion. He looked around his house. There
was nothing to offer. Suddenly, he saw the golden bracelets in the hands of his wife who
was asleep. Very slowly, he took off one bracelet from his wife's hand, and said, "I do not
have much to offer, please accept this gift."
Just then his wife opened her eyes and said with a smile, "How can a marriage
ceremony be arranged with a single bracelet?" And she took off the other bracelet and
gave it too. Magh and his wife were filled with a divine joy that cannot be described in
words.

(Page 80)
The Angels on Earth

There are people who are not attracted by worldly vices and have dedicated their lives for
social uplift. Such people are really the angles on this Earth. Ancient India had an
abundance of such angels. A long time ago, there ruled an Indian king called Bindujaat.
One day he decided that all the monks in his empire be distributed gold coins for their
livelihood. He assigned this task to his trusted councilor Gritsmud. For several days
Gritsmud roamed around the kingdom but could not distribute a single coin. At last he
came back to the king and returned all the gold coins.
Surprised, the King asked, "Couldn't you find a single needy monk in the entire
kingdom, who would accept my help?" Gritsmud drew a deep breath and said, "O great
King I have indeed failed to implement your orders. There is no shortage of monks who
have dedicated their entire lives for missions of social uplift, but they have reduced their
own personal needs to such an extent that they do not need our help. If you really wish to

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spend this wealth on monks, you have to invest it to their missions, since none of them is
ready to accept it for their personal use."

(Page 80)
Vacant Palaces in the Heaven

Once upon a time Rishi Varud arrived at heaven to meet Indra- the divine king. Indra
greeted him and took him for a trip of the heaven. As a result of their good deeds on
Earth many persons were leading a lavish life in the heaven. But in the center of the
heaven the best of golden palaces were vacant. Noticing this, Rishi Varud asked, "Why
are these fascinating palaces full of alluring amenities unoccupied?" "These palaces have
been constructed for the saints and compassionate devotees of God," replied Indra, "They
are lying vacant because the true saints do not want to come here and spend their time in
pleasure. They derive gratification in public service on Earth." God's love and grace is
reserved only for such devotees.

(Page 80)
The Joy of Service is better than Heaven

The divine king Indra was very pleased with the devotion of saint Arishtnemi. He sent
down an angel to invite him to heaven. The Angel approached the saint and said, "Sir, the
king of heaven, Indra has sent me to you. It is his request that you accompany me to the
heaven and stay there." But, the purpose of the saint's devotion was self-realization and
social service, he had never wished for a place in heaven. So he replied, "Dear Angel! I
have made a little heaven for myself right here on Earth. I have no need for the amenities
in heaven. The gratification I will get in heaven is already available to me by serving the
needy. The pleasures in your heaven are feeble as compared to the joy of service."

(Page 81)
When a Saint Led an Army

This story is about self confidence attracting God's grace. Once upon a time, the king of
Taxshila was attacked by a powerful enemy. Seeing the huge army of the opponent the
commander of Taxshila's army lost his confidence and told the king, "O King, the
enemy's army is huge and well armed. It is better to surrender without a fight." Hearing
this, the king became very sad and worried. A saint of Taxshila came to know about this
situation. He approached the king and said firmly, "Let the commander of the army be
immediately removed, I will myself lead the army in this battle." Now, the king was in a
dilemma for a while, but considering that an honorable fight is better than surrender, he
finally gave his consent.
The saint took charge of the army and marched ahead. There was an old temple
on their way. Saint said to the soldiers, let us visit the temple and ask God about the
outcome of this battle. They went in and the saint tossed a coin, saying, saying, "If it is a
tail the victory shall be ours!" And tail it was! Knowing that they had the Divine approval
the soldiers fought valiantly with full confidence and won. Everyone said this is the result

7
of the blessings from the temple's God. But, the saint smiled mysteriously. He showed the
coin he had tossed to them. It had tail mark on both the sides. The saint said, "The victory
is the result of your own self confidence and valor. God helps those who help
themselves!"

(Page 81)
Buddha Derives Inspiration from a Bug

Buddha had not yet obtained self-realization. He was engaged in intense penance. His
mind was restless. A thought crossed his mind, "Despite trying very hard, I have failed to
attain the objective of self realization. Instead of wasting away all this time in penance, I
should have enjoyed my princely life in the palace."
All of a sudden he saw a tiny bug trying to climb up a nearby tree. The bug tried
again and again but would fall off. Still it would not give up. It tried ten times but failed.
On the eleventh attempt it successfully climbed up the tree. It appeared as if this scene
was enacted just for the guidance of Buddha. The self-belief in him woke up, and he
continued his penance with great conviction and ultimately attained his objective of self
realization. He then applied his wisdom for guiding the society on the virtuous path.

(Page 81)
Laxman's Self-Confidence

During the epic Ram-Ravana war, the demon Meghnath used a spiritual weapon called
Shakti and Laxman fell down unconscious. Hanumanji had to arrange the Sanjeevni
medication to revive him. The second time when he faced Meghnath in the battle,
Laxman easily overpowered the demon and killed him. Why couldn't he achieve this feat
in the first attempt? The difference was that Laxman lacked self-confidence. When his
elder brother Ram reminded him of his immense potential and limitless powers, the
energy of self-confidence aroused in him and he was successful.

(Page 82)
Lost Confidence Led to Karna's Defeat

In the epic war of Mahabharat, the great warrior Karna was on Duryodhan's side. He had
a very clever charioteer, Shalya. Since, Duryodhan was fighting for an evil cause, Lord
Krishna secretly told Shalya, "Although you have given your word to support
Duryoudhan by becoming Karna's charioteer, you can still help the righteous cause by
constantly, discouraging and demoralizing Karna during the battle." Although, Karna was
a great warrior, he ultimately lost the battle with Arjuna, just because he lost his
confidence, due to constant demoralizing and discouragement by Shalya. Success can not
be achieved if one looses his confidence. Self-confidence guarantees success provided the
objective is morally correct.

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(Page 82)
Aruni and Upmanyu

This is a story about how Aruni and Upmanyu proved their credibility and thus obtained
wisdom from their Guru. Aruni was a new entrant into Guru Dhoumya's monastery. He
was confronted with a tough test the very first day. The Guru said to him, "Son, it is
raining very hard. Will you please go and check that boundary of the paddy field is intact.
Otherwise, all the rain water will be wasted." Aruni immediately got up and left for the
field. He saw that in the heavy rain, the boundary was really damaged and all the water
was flowing away. He tried all means to stop the flow, but when nothing worked, he
himself lay down across the boundary and blocked the flow with his body. When Aruni
did not return the whole night, Guru Dhoumya got worried, and set out to look for him.
When he reached the field, he saw Aruni lying unconscious stopping the water flow with
his own body. Seeing this, the Guru's eyes were filled with tears. He brought Aruni back
and treated him. Aruni had passed the test of trustworthiness in flying colors. The Guru
then made him a master of spiritual wisdom in a very short time.
The Guru ordered his disciple Upmanyu to graze the cattle while studying. He
deliberately did not make any arrangements for his sustenance. The disciple begged food
from nearby households or drank cow's milk. But, Guru Dhoumya objected, saying, "Son,
a disciple must follow the monastery's discipline and should not take anything without
Guru's permission. Upamanyu vowed never take anything without Guru's permission. He
went without food for several days and became very feeble. He finslly passed the test of
credibility and became a great spiritual leader.

(Page 82)
King Dileep and Nandini

After his retirement King Dileep went for spiritual pursuits along with his wife to stay at
saint Vasishtha's monastery. The saint assigned him to look after the sacred cow Nandini.
Dileep would follow Nandini wherever she went for grazing. He kwpt his bow and arrow
ready for her protection. One day Nandini went deep in the woods and Dilep followed
her. All of a sudden a ferocious Lion attacked the sacred cow. Dileep immediately got
ready to shoot the arrow, but the Lion said, "O king! I am no ordinary lion. I belong to
Lord Shiva, your arrows cannot harm me a bit."
"Whoever you are", replied Dileep, "I shall protect my Guru's cow by all means."
The Lion said, "Alright, I will let Nandini go, if you provide me your own flesh to satiate
my hunger." "I am gladly ready for this deal" replied Dileep. And he set aside his bow
and arrow. He then sat down with eyes closed, waiting for the lion to attack. But there
was no sign of any activity for quite sometime. Dileep opened his eyes, and behold! In
place of the lion saint Vasishtha himself was smiling at him. "The test of your credibility
is over. You truly deserve to learn the science of spirituality", said Vasishtha, and took
him back to the monastery.

(Page 84)
The Effect of Sitting with the King

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 A long time ago a poor Brahmin deposited his money with a merchant. He
thought that when his little daughter will grow up, he will use the money and its interest
for her marriage.
Many years passed by. He now went to the merchant to claim his money. But he
was shocked to find that the merchant refused even to recognize him, and said, "You
never deposited any money with me." The poor Brahmin took his complaint to the King.
The king could not take any direct action against the merchant due to lack of evidence,
but he thought of a plan. It was announced that he next day there will be a great royal
procession passing through the main streets of the city. The King told the poor Brahmin,
"You should wait for my procession, near the merchant's house."
The next day everyone lined up along the streets to witness the royal procession
and greet the King. When the procession reached the merchant's house, the King
suddenly ordered it to halt. The King then addressed the poor Brahmin as Guruji, and
requested to sit beside him and then the procession continued. The King dropped the
Brahmin after sometime. The wicked merchant saw all this and trembled with fear. "Oh
dear! This Brahmin is King's Guru", he thought, "If he complains against me, I will be in
big trouble" The merchant immediately searched for the Brahmin and said, "I am sorry.
Due to some mistake in the accounts your money was not traceable. Now, I have found
out hat you had actually deposited the money with me. Please forgive me" The merchant
gave back all the money along with the interest. He also gave lots gifts for the marriage
of the Brahmin's daughter. Then the Brahmin thought, "Sitting near the King for a very
short while has achieved so much. Then sitting near God - who is the King of all Kings
can surely work wonders. True prayer and meditation is surely like sitting near God"

(Page 84)
God among Sufferers

"Where can I find God?", asked a young man. And saint Namdev said," Come with me in
the evening. I shall show you God right before your eyes." The young man waited
impatiently. In the evening the saint took him to a hutment and stood in front of a poor
old man's hut. They went inside the hut. There on a tattered bed lay a frail sick child
whose mother has passed away. He had been diagnosed with T.B. Saint Namdev gave
him medicine, attended to him and caressed him. When leaving, the saint promised the
boy that he will visit him again the next day.
"We have spent the entire evening", said the young man, "where is the God you
promised me to show?" And the saint replied, "Oh! Didn't you see Him? That poor sick
child was God himself!" Now, the young man understood that serving the humanity is the
real worship of God.

(Page 85)
Worship Interrupted to Help the Needy

King Vikramaditya had gone out for hunting. He lost his way in a very dense and dark
forest. His soldiers were left behind and he was all alone. In the dreadful forest the King
could not find water and his throat was choking with thirst. Suddenly he saw a hut

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nearby. He went in and saw a holy man in deep meditation. The King then fell down and
lost his consciousness.
When King Vikramaditya regained his consciousness he was surprised to see that
the holy man was washing his face, fanning him and gave him water to drink. The King
quickly stood up and asked with folded hands, "O Holy one, why did you interrupt your
meditation and the worship of God for me?" The saint replied in a soft voice, "Son, it is
the wish of God that no one in this world should suffer. Fulfillment of God's wish is very
important for me. Worship of God can succeed only by the service of mankind"

(Page 85)
Saving a Life is True Worship

Saint Gyaneshwar was walking along a river. A monk was deep in meditation
while a small child was swimming in the river. All of a sudden, the child was swept away
by a strong wave. Now, the poor child was in trouble. He was drowning and frantically
crying for help, but the monk sat calmly in his meditation. He opened his eyes
momentarily, saw the drowning boy and closed his eyes again.
Saint Gyaneshwar immediately jumped into the river and saved the kid. He then
turned to the meditating monk and asked, "May I ask what you are doing, sir?" "Can't
you see? I am meditating!" the monk replied and closed his eyes again. The saint again
asked, "Could you succeed in witnessing God?" "No", replied the monk, "I can't
concentrate due to disturbances." And Saint Gyaneshwar said, "Then get up, and help the
poor and needy. Learn to share the misfortunes and sorrows of others, otherwise you will
never succeed in your worship" Now the monk realized his folly. He thought, "True
worship would have been an attempt to save the drowning kid, rather than ignoring the
incident" From that day the monk changed completely. He regularly dedicated some time
to help others in addition to his meditation.

(Page 85)
God Suffered due to His Ruthless Devotee

A devotee used to take bath in the river Ganga every morning and take its water to offer
in a nearby temple. This was his daily practice. One day, on his way to the temple, the
devotee he saw a sick man suffering from high fever. The poor man had been lying there
the whole night. Seeing the devotee passing by, the sick man pleaded for some water. The
devotee sharply scolded him, "You idiot! How dare you ask for this holy water? I am
taking it to the temple to offer it to God. There may be hundreds like you lying around
sick, should I waste my time offering them water and ignore the God?" And he went
ahead and offered the water in the temple as usual.
That night the devotee had a horrible dream. He saw that the God had become
horribly sick. The devotee asked him about the cause of his sickness. And God said
grimly," You did not help a suffering man. Ignoring the need of a sick person, you
offered the water to me. This is the cause of my sickness." The devotee was alarmed and
woke up in a shock. From the next day he dedicated his time to help the suffering
regularly, since he had now understood the true form of worship.

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(Page 86)
King JanaShruti and Saint Raikya

King Janashruti had obtained the ability to understand bird's language. One morning he
heard a pair of swans talking to each other. One of them said, "I consider Saint Raikya to
be even greater than King Janashruti, since the saint is always engaged in helping out
others." Hearing this, the King felt offended. The next day he called for saint Raikya,
who used to drive a chariot for a living. The King offered many gifts to the saint and said,
"I have heard great praise about you. Will you please teach me the spiritual science?" The
saint's reply was very simple, "O King, if you truly wish to learn spirituality, make
yourself pious from the inside. Suppress your ego and be meek and you shall attain true
wisdom." The King realized his folly. He corrected himself and instead of boasting about
his achievements he tried to develop true greatness from within.

(Page 87)
Service is Superior to Worship

A monk had two disciples. Both were totally dedicated worshippers of God. After
the worship they used to help their Guru in treating the patients who visited their
monastery.
One day, a patient arrived in the early morning. It was the time of worship. The
monk called for his disciples for attending to the patient. The disciples replied, "Our
worship is still not complete. We will come after sometime." But, the monk called them
again. This time, they did come grumbling about the incomplete worship. The monk said
very seriously, "I have called you to serve this suffering man. Prayers can be performed
even by the angels, but only men can help other men in need. Service has higher priority
over worship, since angels can not perform service." The two disciples were ashamed of
their behavior and from that day they gave higher priority to service over worship."

(Page 87)
Saint Eknath's Offering to a Donkey

Once upon a time a group of saints were carrying the pious water of the river Ganga from
Prayag in north India, to offer to Lord Shiva at Rameshwaram in the South. It was a long
and arduous journey. Saint Eknath was with them. When they were crossing a vast desert,
they saw a donkey dying of thirst. Saint Eknath immediately offered his water to the
donkey and saved his life. The other saints in the group were furious, and considered it an
insult to the Lord Shiva, since the water meant for offering to the God had been wasted
on a donkey. Saint Eknath explained his act very calmly, "O wise men, you have read
again and again in the holy books that God is everywhere. Then, why are you so upset?
Any thing that is not utilized at the right moment is useless. The water that this dying
donkey drank has reached straight to Lord Shiva in Rameshwaram!"
Ox's Wounds Appear on Saint's Body

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Saint Kewalram was traveling in a bullock cart. He was narrating Lord Krishna's fables to
the coachman. Suddenly the oxen stopped at a place and the coachman, as usual, cracked
a couple of whips on them. The bullock cart was now racing along. The coachman now
realized that the saint is silent. He turned around and was horrified to see that the saint
had fainted. He picked him up and saw that the marks of the whips were clearly visible
on the saint's back! True saints develop oneness with all creatures and can feel their
sufferings.

(Page 88)
Saint Gyaneshwar Felt Buffalo's Suffering

The orthodox Pundits used to criticize Saint Gyaneshwar's liberal thoughts. Once, a man
crossed their street tormenting a buffalo with a whip. Everyone was astonished to see that
the marks of the whip were appearing on the saint's back. "God is everywhere", said saint
Gyaneshwar, "and I have experienced the pain the buffalo felt."
But, the Pundits said, "If God is in the buffalo too, make him chant the Vedic
mantras." And a miracle happened! When commanded by the saint, the buffalo stared
chanting the Vedic mantras. Seeing this, the Pundits realized their mistake and
apologized for their bad behavior.

(Page 88)
The Service by Dhramraj

People asked Lord Krishna, "Why do you call Yudhishthira -Dharmaraj?" Krishna told
them that during the Mahabharat war, every evening Yudhishthira used to mysteriously
disappear somewhere. They found out that he was spending his time serving the wounded
in the battlefield. When asked why he was doing this so secretly. Yudhishthira told them
that he was serving the wounded in the enemy's camp too. Lord Krishna said, "Dharma
(religion) and service are equivalent, hence I call him Dharmaraj".

(Page 88)
The Last Meeting with Buddha

Buddha was lying on his death bed. He was not meeting anyone. A rich man, Subhadra
arrived and requested Anand ,"These are the last moments of Lord Buddha. I need to
urgently discuss some important future plans, please allow me to meet Him". Anand
expressed his inability to do so. Lord Buddha heard the discussion. He called Subhadra in
a feeble voice and said, "Although I am gravely ill, yet in my last moments if I cannot
meet a person who has come to seek my advice on the future plans for social awakening,
I will consider my life wasted". This last meeting changed the entire course of life for
Subhadra. He dedicated himself to the spreading of religious thoughts and established
Buddhism far and wide.

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(Page 89)
Why Arjuna Could Defeat Karna

The great war of Mahabharata was over. In Maharshi Jaralkaru's hermitage two of his
disciples were discussing the difference between the winners and losers of Mahabharata.
One of them said, "Karna was definitely superior to Arjuna in all the methods of battle.
He was the number one in generosity and was brimming with spiritual energy. How come
he lost the battle against Arjuna?" No one could come up with a satisfactory answer. So
they approached their Guru. The Maharshi gave a clear cut answer and said," Arjuna was
Nar and Krishna was Naryan. It is the pair of Nar - Naryana that always wins against
demons. Karna was superior to Arjuna in all respects, but he made a crucial mistake of
not seeking the blessings of Naryan and considered himself invincible due to his bloated
ego. This fundamental mistake in his attitude was the root cause of his defeat".

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