Here I am presenting a story of believing the God.
Once there was a wise person in a village; villagers admired & respected him as a scholarly person, all called him Pandeyji. Reading religious scriptures & worshipping the idol of his household deity Lord Rama was his foremost duty daily. A middle aged milkmaid named Shanti used to provide him cow milk every day morning. She was a simple lady. She had to cross a river by boat to reach that person’s house. One day as it was raining cats & dogs, the boat service was not available, so Shanti couldn’t give delivery milk to Pandeyji. Pandeyji that day waited for a long time & being disgusted on her started his worshipping . As usual he couldn’t offer milk to his beloved deity, this fact made him furious.
Next day when Shanti came with cow milk as usual he asked angrily , “ Shanti why didn’t you come yesterday?” The milkmaid firstly apologized for the matter & narrated the cause for her absence. Pandeyji took her cause casually & with an underestimated tone said, “Oh, for a trivial cause you couldn’t cross half a kilometer wide river! Do you know by taking the name of Lord Rama one can cross the seven oceans without anyone’s help?”
“Really! Is it possible sir?” – the woman said with great surprise.
“Yes of course, it is 100 percent true. There is such a divine power in that name which can do unbelievable things.” – Pandeyji replied firmly,
Then the woman said, “Sir, I am an illiterate woman, I am not as wise as you, so I don’t know the glory of Lord Rama’s holy name. Please forgive me now & accepts this milk.”
Pandeyji by hearing the praising about him from that woman was pleased & forgave her for her ‘nuisance’.
After that the course of life was continuing as before. Two weeks later of that incident again it was raining heavily , that day none could go out of home, the water of the river had become double in its volume ; whole village life became stand still, even Pandeyji couldn’t get out of his house for an urgent piece of work in his neighboring. So he busied himself in counting beads & chanting the holy name of his deity. Dark clouds turned the day to an evening. It was the certain time when he daily sat for worshipping his beloved deity. The moment he sat to worship, he could hear the voice of Shanti calling from outside, “O Pandeyji, please come & take your milk.”
When he came out of his room, he couldn’t believe his own eyes. He saw Shanti was standing at their doorstep holding an umbrella in her left hand & the milk can with other hand. He was surprised how she could come there in such kind of devastating rain.
“O girl, are you ok? How have you come here crossing the swollen river?” –anxiously asked Pandeyji.
“Don’t worry sir, I am ok. I just have followed your words & crossed the river.” – smiling said Shanti.
“I can’t understand, what are you saying?” –he again asked inquisitively.
“You have told me to take name of Lord Rama. Today when I saw no boat in the river bank, I just chanted the holy name of Lord Rama & walked across the water to reach to you.” –she added.
Now Pandeyji became surprised at first then in a suspicious tone said, “What nonsense you are talking. It can’t be. I warn you not to tell lie.”
“No sir, my words are true. I swear.”- Shanti
“It is impossible. What I had said to you was nothing but a myth, a popular belief only; it has no value in present life.” – he tried to give arguments.
Shanti politely said, “Sir, I don’t have any knowledge like yours, I am a simple village woman. I have just followed your words, that is why I am here before you. And sir I haven’t told a lie in my whole life.”
Pandeyji became thoughtful with her last words. He then looked at her eyes dubiously & asked, “ Can you show me walking on the river?”
“Yes, why not.”- she said affirmatively.
They both went to the river bank, the bank was lonely. Shanti chanted the name of Lord Rama wholeheartedly & went forward to the river water. She stepped on the water but her feet did not dip into the water. Going 4-5 yards on the water, she looked back to him & said , “ Sir, see, I was not lying. Please come like me.”
Hearing the call of that woman, Pandeyji suddenly became conscious from the dream-like situation of watching her walking. He then began chanting ‘Lord Rama’ & stepped cautiously into the water, but alas! His feet dipped into the water; the more he stepped further the more his body went under the water. Became disappointed he came back to the river bank & said to her in a crying tone, Shanti you are sacred soul, so the God is with you. Your birth is blessed. Be happy & forgive me.”
Here is the end of the story. It is the power of simplicity & pure belief to the almighty which made that illiterate woman get the blessing of the almighty. The arrogance of having wisdom & shaky attitude leave that scholarly person away from the God. Wisdom doesn’t allow anyone to be upstart but be polite. Mere worshipping whole life is not the criterion to have the grace of God, the God only responds to the pure mind.
So friends be pure minded & be happy having the grace of Him.
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