Saturday, February 10, 2007

Short Story - The Slave and the Wise Old Man

The Slave and the Wise Old Man

A rich man once freed his slave since he was very happy with the slave's services. The slave was given a ship and riches with which he could make a happy living.

Thus gifted, the slave steered the ship to find a new island with the hope of establishing a new life. But as fortune would have it, his ship was caught in a storm which dashed his ship and also his hopes of prosperity. As a consequence of this he was marooned in an island.

The island was a peculiar one in the sense it was customary here that whoever marooned in this island would be garlanded and made king for an year and then banished to a nearby island, uninhabited and full of wild animals, after that for the rest of their life. Our slave was thus coronated with regal merriment, but he did not know that his luck would stand him only for a year in good stead.

A wise old man of the island who had seen many a king thus banished, seeing the good nature of the erstwhile slave and now new king, intending to do good to him, apprised him of the malicious custom of that island and that all the pleasure here would last only an year and death was certain to overcome the slave-king after his banishment.

The slave in turn thanked the wise old man for his warning. He did not stop with that. Being wise and desiring more than just the temporary pleasure for that one year, he asked the old man for a solution so that his term in the island would be better for a long time.

The old man advised. "O king live not this year a life of merry making and wantonness but plan to re-construct the other island and make it habitable with the help of your citizens and workmen so the next year in that island for you would be safe and comfortable"

The "slave" glorified the wise old sage, thanked him for his invaluable advise and pleaded with him to always be with him to share his wisdom every time. The old man acceded to his request and said it was his will to always accompany and guide the ones who hearkened his words.

The slave then acted according to the wise old man's advice. He called his dutiful citizens and reconstructed the uninhabitable island that had devoured many a king before him. He planned and created settlements, gardens, water bodies, agricultural land for crops, safe houses and built for himself, a palace in the erstwhile inhospitable island. He also trained an able army for protection from the dangerous creatures in the island. He thus made a wonderful haven of the erstwhile dense uninhabitable forest where he would have to have lived in the next year.

At the end of his term, he moved to the island and lived happily and ruled wisely and was always wary of too much pleasure and put long term welfare, ahead of petty pleasures. He consulted the wise old matters on all matters and lived a life of harmony.

Moral of the story

The slave is each one of us. The rich man is fortune or Providence which blesses us with a good life. The storm suggests that life is full of vicissitudes. The one-year island-term is the allegory for our tenure on earth. The old man is God (and wise men who are one with Him). The uninhabited cruel island is our future. The acts of building palace, agricultural land etc. are the good actions one performs according to God's injunctions so that after death our residence elsewhere (in heaven) is peaceful. God always protects those who seek protection that is why the old man seems to say he would live with the ones who listen to him.

"Let us do good and live according to the will of God and not be engrossed in pleasure forgetting the future"

India is the oldest heritage in the world - which I posted @ Orkut

The Indian civilization is the oldest living civilization. It is the blossoming of a variety of flowers in one garden, nurtured by the Lord and which perennially emanates fragrances of equanimity, joyfulness, peace, contentment and simplicity to the whole world. India is the land of the Gods and the origins of Yoga, Dharma, Nyaya, Sankhya and great texts. India is the land of Sanskrit, of great and holy rivers. The crest jewel of India is the Himalayas from where the Lord of Kailasa protects the entire Universe. India is the land where Mother is worshipped as God. India is where the great sages trod and decided to make their home. Adi Samkara, Shirdi Sai Nath, Parthi Sai Nath, Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, Samarth Ramadas, Meerabhai, Guru Nanak, Jnaneshwar, Tukaram, Meher Baba, Appayya Dikshitar, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sadasiva Brahmendra, Saint Thyagarajar, Bhadrachalam Ramadas, Ramana Mahaishi, Namadeva, Kabir, Surdas and so on... and such innumerable saints and holy men were born in this most Divine land. The ancient kings never persecuted their men. They lived in harmony with nature. All humans are treated lovingly here. Duty and Dharma was given a high precedence even by the Lord Krishna who gave the Bhagavad Geetha to erring souls for their upliftment.

As today's youth, it is our most important duty to protect the Indian heritage. Temples may be razed down with force, aspersions may be cast to confuse and sow seeds of doubt, but the great Nation called Bharatham should always shine in our hearts where it cannot be destroyed by any one! Let us pledge to remember the greatness of this ancient land and live in harmony and with love even in the perilous society, aptly termed Kali by the great Rishis of yore

God Bless Bharatham! Jaya Bharatham!

Monday, February 5, 2007

The Resplendent and Divine form of Sriman Narayana

The most auspicious Lord of all Jeevas (worldly beings), Sriman Narayana (God with Form) took a wonderful four-armed Form which is most pleasing to the eye. Here is my description of it.

The Lord stands on a pedestal indicating that He is above all.
The Lord has a conch shell in His upper left Hand indicating that He is the Originator of Naadam or Omkaram or primeval sound which is the Cause and Dissolution of the Universe
The Lord holds a Chakra in His upper right Hand indicating that He is the Supreme Master of Time or the cycles of Time
The Lord holds a mace in His left lower Hand indicating that He is willing to fight for the victory of virtue and for the establisment of Dharma. But it is in His left hand because it is His Last Resort!
The Lord holds a lotus in His lower right Hand indicating that He is the most detached, like how a lotus is detached from the water and rises above it.
The Lord sports a bewitching smile which indicates that He is compassionate and merciful and well wisher of His Devotees, namely all creation
The Lord wears various costly ornaments indicating He is extremely wealthy and is a bestower of wealth
The Kaustubha in the Lord's chest indicates that He is extremely fond of the Rishis and even adjusts to their whims and fancies.
The tilak in the Lord's Forehead indicates He is most ethical and cultured among all

May the Glorious Lord bring Peace to all. Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi. Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu!