PARABLES OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA (3) True Devotion
Kaushik Banerjee
equalled him in love and devotion to his Lord and friend. The omniscient Lord, Sri Krishna, reading the
heart of His friend, took him one day for a walk. They had not proceeded far when Arjuna saw a strange
Brahmana eating dry grass as food, but nevertheless he had a sword dangling at his side. Arjuna at once
knew him to be a holy and pious devotee of Vishnu, one whose highest religious duty was to injure no
being. As even grass has life, he would not eat it green,' and sustained his life by eating it dry and lifeless.
Yet he carried a sword. Arjuna, wondering at: the incongruity, turned towards the Lord and said, "How is
this? Here is a man who has renounced all ideas of injuring any living being, down to the meanest blade of
grass; yet he carries with him a sword, the symbol of death! and hatred!" The Lord said, "You better ask the
man, yourself." Arjuna then went up to the Brahmana and said, "Sir, you injure no living being, and you
live upon dry grass. Why then do you carry this sharp sword?"
The Brahmana: It is to punish four persons if I chance to meet them.
Arjuna: Who are they?
The Brahmana: The first is the wretch, Narada.
Arjuna: Why, what has he done?
The Brahmana: Why, look at the audacity of that fellow: he is perpetually keeping my Lore. awake with
his songs and music. He has no consideration whatsoever for the comfort of the Lord. Day and night, in and
out of season, he disturbs the peace Of the Lord by his prayers and praises.
Arjuna: Who is the second person?
The Brahmana: The impudent Draupadi.
Arjuna: What is her fault?
The Brahmana: Look at the inconsiderate audacity of the woman; she was so rash as to call my beloved
Lord just at the moment He was going to dine. He had to give up His dinner and go to the Kamyaka Vana
to save the Pandavas from the curse of Durvasas. And her presumption went so far that she even caused my
beloved Lord to eat the impure remnant of her own food.
Arjuna: Who is the third?
The Brahmana: It is the heartless Prahlada. He was so cruel that he did not hesitate for a moment to ask
my Lord to enter the boiling cauldron of oil, to be trodden under the heavy feet of elephants and to break
through an adamantine pillar.
Arjuna: Who is the fourth?
The Brahmana: The wretch Arjuna.
Arjuna: Why, what fault has he committed?
The Brahmana: Look at his felony. He made my beloved Lord take the mean office of a charioteer of his
car in the great war of Kurukshetra.
Arjuna was amazed at the depth of the poor Brahmana's devotion and love and from that moment his
pride vanished and he gave up thinking that he was the best devotee of the Lord.
Bharat Churiwala
Respected Kaushikji,
What a wonderful series you have started! The 3rd posting is really AN EYE OPENER!
Though, I have a querry. I have not come accross this PARABLE in THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA neither in THE GREAT MASTER or DIVINE PLAY OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA. Could you be kind enough to let us know the source of this parable?
However, THE PARABLE IS MARVELLOUS AND GIVES US A NEW PERSPECTIVE TOWARDS "DEVOTION TOWARDS GOD".
Looking forward to many such POSTINGS and THANKING YOU FOR SHARING SUCH "FULL OF WISDOM" POSTINGS.
More later,
Bharat
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Kaushik Banerjee
Fortunately, during one of his visits to the Brahmo Samaj, Suresh happened to hear about Ramakrishna, the saint of Dakshines-war. He waited for two months before he suggested to Durgacharan that they visit the Master. After lunch that very day, they left for Dak-shineswar.
Suresh met Rama-krishna in 1883. After associating with him for a couple of years, he discovered that the Master's teachings were more precious than gems and jewels. He felt that the words of the Master must be recorded. He had heard many sermons at the Brahmo Samaj and had read its literature. Ramakrishna's simple, convincing words and examples, stories and parables made a deep impression on his mind. He asked some of the Master's close disciples who lived with him to record his teachings. But the disciples were too absorbed in the bliss of the Master's holy presence and overwhelmed by his personality to do such a thing at that time.
So, driven by evangelical inspiration, Suresh began recording the teachings of the Master that he heard directly from him. Haramohan Mitra, another householder disciple of the Master, had some experience in publishing. He came forward to help Suresh, and in December 1884 he published 100 of the Master's teachings while Ramakrishna was still alive. The second part, which comprised another 100 teachings, came out in 1886. Inspired, Suresh started collecting even more of the Master's teachings from other disciples who had heard them directly from the Master. Thus Suresh collected 600 teachings. In 1894 he combined all of the teachings he had collected and added a biography of the Master. Thus Sri Sri Ramakrishnadever Upadesh came into existence. The rapid sale of the book inspired both Haramohan and Suresh. Over time, Suresh added to his collection; the book now contains 950 teachings. 3 These wonderful teachings of Ramakrishna have not yet been translated into English in their entirety. Some stories and teachings appear in different forms in Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna (published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata) and Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna (published by Rama-krishna Math, Chennai)."
manisha khuller
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Kaushik Banerjee <kaushik...@gmail.com> wrote:
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