Ganesha - Bravery

In India, Shiva is recognized as the god who controls the forces of destruction. Parvati, his wife, is a powerful goddess, and Nandi, is Shiva's loyal servant.

One day, Parvati was preparing to take a bath so she ordered Nandi to stand guard outside her house. She instructed him not to let anyone enter without her permission.

Later Nandi saw Shiva approaching the house. "How can I stop my master from entering his home?", he wondered.

Nandi allowed to Shiva to enter. Parvati came from her bath and was startled by her husband. Shiva laughed when he saw how his presence had scared her, but Parvati was not amused.

"All my servants are Shiva's servants first," she thought. "I need someone who will obey me above all others."

Alone in the house the next day, Parvati created someone who would be devoted only to her. Pulling ointments and creams from the surface of her body she built a statue of a young boy. Then, with her divine powers, she gave the statue life and created a son.

"Guard this door and let no one enter without my permission," said Parvati.

"As you wish," the boy responded.

Shiva returned home but was blocked by the strange boy. "How dare you keep me from my own home!", said Shiva. But the boy only repeated that no one was to enter without his mother's permission.

Shiva could not believe that this boy would stop a god from entering his own house. He sent Nandi to teach the boy a lesson.

Nandi took a small group of Ganas, Shiva's army, and went to the house. When Nandi tried to remove the boy from his post the boy threw him to the ground. Nandi became angry and attacked with his men, but the boy fought them all with such strength that Nandi had no choice but to retreat.

"I have never witnessed such a thing," he told Shiva, "We could not defeat the boy. He was too strong and too fast."

All the Gods in the Heavens had heard of Shiva's conflict with the boy. The gods and their armies assembled to assist Shiva.

Brahma, the god of creation, spoke of peaceful solution. "He is just a boy," he said. "Let me talk to him." But when Brahma tried to talk, the boy chased him off.

When Shiva saw how the boy treated Brahma he became extremely upset.

He stood up and addressed the troops. "Man your weapons! The boy has given us no choice but to fight!"

And so the battle continued with the boy successfully defending his mother's house.

Parvati was furious.

"Why Shiva?!?" She cried, "Why would you go to such lengths rather that simply ask permission to enter? Why would you bring so many great warriors to get rid of one small boy?"

Parvati focused all her anger to create two powerful warrior goddesses and ordered them to go help her son.

The goddesses created from Parvati's anger were very powerful. Using their magic they swallowed up the weapons of the soldiers. Most of the men ran away so that only the strongest warriors and gods remained to continue fighting.

Shiva became even more determined to defeat the boy. He turned to Lord Vishnu, the protect of the world, and said, "We must work together to defeat his child. I have a plan."

So carried by his loyal servant Garuda, Vishnu flew down from the sky and engaged the boy in fierce combat.

Seeing his chance, Shiva crept up behind the boy with his golden trident raised...

Shiva threw his weapon and removed the boy's head.

The Heavens rejoiced at Shiva's victory, but Parvati was enraged. The waters of the oceans boiled. The mountains quaked and there were fires and disasters throughout the heavens and Earth.

The gods pleaded with Parvati to stop the destruction and asked how they could make up for her son's death.

"Shiva must bring my son back to life and honor him as a god," she replied.

Shiva agreed to Parvati's conditions.

Since the boy's head could not be found, Shiva sent Nandi and his men to bring back the head of the first animal they saw. Nandi obeyed and a short journey returned with the head of a magnificent white elephant.

Shiva was pleased. He placed the head on the boy's body, gave it his blessings and brought the boy back to life.

In honor of the boy's bravery and courage, Shiva named him Ganesha, leader of the Ganas. Shiva announced to the Heavens and Earth that Ganesha was to be known as the Lord of Beginnings, the Protector of all that is new. 

 

Story Of Prahlad

The mythological story of Prahlad, is described in Vishnu Puran as the fourth incarnation of Vishnu, Nara-simhavatar.

 

Prahlad was the son of the Asura king Hiranyakashipu. The Asuras were super-humans who lived in the underworld, unrighteous in act and were hostile to gods. Hiranyakashipu wanted to be the undisputed ruler of the three worlds - the heaven, the earth and the underworld. He performed severe penance to seek blessing of Brahma for immortality.

 

Brahma, however, declined, saying "All living beings must face death Hiranyakashipul. You can, however, choose your death wish." Hiranyakashipu then asked for three conditions, as his death wish, "He be killed by someone who is neither human nor a beast, in a time which is neither during the day nor during the night, and in a place which is neither inside nor outside." Brahma agreed and Hiranyakashipu got his death wishes granted. Thus he became practically immortal.

 

Hiranyakashipu, with his new powers, attacked heaven and subdued all the gods. He then declared himself to be the king of all the three worlds. He soon ordered all people to worship him and no one else. His hostilities knew no bounds. The gods approached Lord Vishnu for His help. Vishnu assured that He will take rebirth when the time comes.

 

Soon Hiranyakashipu got a son. He was named Prahlad. Prahlad grew up to be a lovely boy. His father was unaware of the fact that Prahlad was an ardent devotee of Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu, however, wanted his son to be the king of the Asuras, strong and ruthless. 

One day Hiranyakashipu lovingly asked his son, "Dear Son, what do you think is the best thing in life?" Prahlad replied, "To renounce the world and seek refuge in Vishnu." Hiranyakashipu was shocked to hear this. He could not tolerate the idea that his son loves the sworn enemy of the Asuras, Lord Vishnu. He felt that someone deliberately trying to brainwash his son, undermining his future dreams. To find this out, Hiranyakashipu sent Prahlad to his teacher.

 

 The teacher lovingly asked Prahlad, "Who has taught you about Vishnu?" Prahlad calmly replied, "Vishnu himself." The teacher was furious. He called for his cane and beat Prahlad mercilessly. Prahlad stayed quiet and completed his education. He quietly shared his feelings with his friends without the knowledge of his teacher. His serene behavior and thoughts of divine happiness appealed the young students. They believed that Vishnu is all prevailing, caring and the true preserver of the universe.

 

After his graduation, Prahlad returned to his father. Hiranyakashipu expected his son to behave like an Asura prince. So he loving asked, "What worthwhile occupation did you learn from the teacher?"

 

Prahlad unhesitatingly said, "Father, the only worthwhile occupation that I learnt is to dedicate my life in the work of Vishnu, the Lord of Preservation."

 

Hiranyakashipu shouted, "You wicked teacher, you taught my son to worship my worst enemy, Vishnu!" The teacher repeatedly tried to assure that he did not teach such a thing.

Prahlad tried to convince his father "Father, my friends in the school believed me when I said Lord Vishnu reveals Himself to all who devoted to Him. You should also do the same and humbly accept Vishnu as the Lord of the Universe."

 

Hiranyakashipu raged in anger and ordered his subordinates to kill Prahlad. They tried different means but Prahlad stayed in deep meditation of Vishnu and nothing hurt him.

 

Hiranyakashipu became thoughtful. "This boy is immortal and fears nothing. Will he be the cause of my death?" He shouted in anger, "You wicked wretch! Are you trying to destroy me and my race! The rulers of the three worlds quake before me. What is the source of your power?"

 

"Oh father" replied Prahlad, "It is Vishnu. He is the source of our power. He is present everywhere and protects all who believed in Him."

 

Impatient Hiranyakashipu could not bear any longer. He pulled out his sword and challenged Prahlad, "I will see how Vishnu can protect you." Hiranyakashipu pointed towards the pillar outside the hall and shouted, "Is He present in this pillar?"

"Yes father" was the calm reply from little Prahlad. Hiranyakashipu outrageously ran towards the pillar shouting, "I will first kick the pillar to prove that you are wrong and then I will kill you."

 

When Hiranyakashipu kicked the pillar with great force, to his utter surprise, he saw the pillar burst open and Lord Vishnu emerged as Nara-simha, half human and half lion. Hiranyakashipu remembered his first death wish, "To be killed by some one who is neither human nor beast." It was also the twilight hour, neither day nor night, the second death wish. 

Nara-simha caught Hiranyakashipu and carried to the threshold of the courtroom. The place was neither inside nor outside. This was Hiranyakashipu’s third death wish. There Hiranyakashipu was killed by the fourth incarnation of Vishnu, Nara-simha. Other three were fish, turtle and wild boar. After killing Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha sat at his thrown and peace came back to the earth.

 

All the gods came to pay homage to the incarnation of Vishnu and asked Prahlad, who was not the least afraid of the horrible beast, to pacify him so that He comes back to his normal peaceful form. Narsimha was touched by Prahlad’s devotion. He came back to his normal form and asked Prahlad to ask for any boon. Prahlad humbly said, "Let my father be purified of all his sins." Vishnu blessed Prahlad and asked him to reign in his place and perform the duties of a just ruler. Prahlad ruled wisely and well ever after.

Story Of Dhruva - The Pole Star

The Vedic name of the Pole Star is Dhruva Nakshatra, named after Dhruva, the son of King Uttanapad.

At a very young age, Dhruva demonstrated such steadfast commitment to Lord Vishnu that he was blessed by Vishnu to take the position of the steadfast Pole star.

 

Let us hear the story of Dhruva which is taken from the Bhagawat Purana. Dhruva's father, King Uttanapad, was a great ruler of ancient India. He had two queens. The elder one, Queen Suniti, was Dhruva's mother. Queen Suruchi, the younger one, did not like her stepson, Dhruva and wanted her own son, Uttam, to become king . Unfortunately, King Uttanapad liked Queen Suruchi better than Queen Suniti and did not want to disagree with her even though Dhruva was older and was the rightful heir to the throne.

 

One day, little Dhruva went to sit on his father's lap along with his stepbrother, Uttam. But he was stopped by Queen Suruchi's cruel words. "You are not allowed in your father's lap," she scolded. "Only my son is allowed to sit on the King's lap. Pray to Lord Vishnu that you should die and be reborn as my son if you want to sit in your father's lap!" Deeply hurt, Dhruva went crying to his mother. But Queen Suniti was helpless. "Pray to Lord Vishnu," she said. "He will surely help you if you can pray long and hard enough."

 

Dhruva made up his mind that he would go deep into the jungle to meditate on Lord Vishnu and would not return to the kingdom until the Lord had answered his prayers. On his way to the jungle, he met the eternal sage, Narada. Narada was concerned that Dhruva was too young to be in the jungle alone. He tried to dissuade Dhruva, warning him that he would be eaten up by wild animals if he stayed. 

But Dhruva was steadfast in his resolve. Satisfied that Dhruva had the mental strength to remain in the jungle, Narada taught Dhruva the art of meditation.\par \par Little Dhruva meditated for many months, giving up all worldly comforts. He even stopped eating. Lord Vishnu was amazed at the little boy's determination and finally appeared before him. He blessed the boy and told him to return to his kingdom.

 

In the meantime, King Uttanapad repented the injustice done to Dhruva. He was heartbroken at the thought of little Dhruva being devoured by wild beasts. Narada consoled him, telling him that Dhruva's resolve was firm and that he would received Lord Vishnu's blessings. Narada was sure that Lord Vishnu would protect the boy from the wild animals.

 

When Dhruva finally returned safely home after receiving Lord Vishnu's blessings, King Uttanapad went personally to receive him. Queen Suniti was overjoyed at her son's safe return. In the course of time, when King Uttanapad became old, Dhruva was crowned king, and ruled wisely for many years.

 

The story of Dhruva is a lesson to us all. We do not have to wait until we are old to attain spirituality. Sincere, steadfast, meditation on God helped such a young child overcome the obstacles thrown in his way. It can help us all. 

 

Story Of Yama Kumar

Once upon a time Yama, the god of death, fell in love with a mortal woman. He disguised himself as a mortal man and won her hand. As she was mortal, he lived with her on earth rather than taking her to his underworld kingdom, Yamapuri. But it was not long before he discovered that the wife he had chosen was shrewish and quarrelsome.

She became even worse after she bore him a son. The son was named Yama Kumar. Yama frequently disagreed with his mortal wife over Yama Kumar’s upbringing, but she argued so violently with him that in the end Yama agreed to whatever she said.

Finally, Yama couldn't bear her bad temper any more and returned to his kingdom. From there he kept an eye on his son whom he loved very much. Unfortunately, his wife was unable to raise the boy properly and he grew up without learning anything to make a living for himself.

One night Yama appeared before his son and promised him the gift of healing if Yama Kumar work very hard and learn about medicinal herbs and plants. The young man gratefully accepted his father’s gift. After some time, the young man became a qualified doctor.

"I am proud of you, my son," Yama said, "Now any time you approach a patient, if you see me sitting at the patient’s head, that means the patient will die. Then you should refuse to treat that patient."

The boy followed his father’s instructions and soon became widely known for his excellent diagnosis and treatment.

Some years later, the princess became very ill. Royal physicians came from far and near to cure her but they were all unsuccessful. The princess grew weaker and weaker. The king’s courtiers then told the king about Yama Kumar. The king decided to let Yama Kumar try to cure the princess.

Yama Kumar was thrilled at the opportunity to compete with the royal physicians. But as he approached the princess’ bed he was dismayed to see his father sitting there.

"Oh father!" Yama pleaded, "Please spare her life! She is so young and beautiful. Must you take her life away now?" Yama loved his son very much and wanted to let the princess live, but he was also duty bound to take her. Finally he agreed to let her live for just three more days.

Thanking his father, Yama turned to the king and queen who could not see or hear the conversation between father and son.

"Your majesties, your daughter is very ill" Yama Kumar told them. "I think she may have only three days of life left. However, if she outlives these, she will live to a ripe old age." Saying this he sat down beside her and thought hard of a plan to save her life. Yama Kumar never left the princess’ bedside

Finally, on the third day, he saw his father approaching from a distance. Before Yama could reach the princess, Yama Kumar slyly called out, "Oh mother! How nice of you to come to see father!"

Upon hearing his son’s words, Yama immediately fled before he could even reach the princess’ bedside. Yama’s sense of duty could not overcome his fear of his shrewish wife! Yama Kumar’s trick had worked!

As soon as Yama left, the color began to return miraculously to the princess’ cheeks. After a week had passed, Yama Kumar announced to the king that his daughter was cured.

So happy were the king and the queen that they married the young man to their daughter and the couple lived happily to a ripe old age. 

The Supreme Knowledge Of Brahman

Many years ago, in India, there lived a king named Janashruti (widely known). He ruled over the kingdom of Mahabrisha (meaning the big bull). He was a benevolent and generous ruler. He built rest houses for travelers along the roadside, distributed free food to the poor and needy, built hospitals for the sick and old and he taxed his subjects fairly. 

Quite naturally Janashruti was pleased with himself for having done so much for his kingdom. Unfortunately it did not take long for him to turn into a vain man.

One evening while he was relaxing on the terrace of his palace he saw two swans flying over him and conversing.

"Be careful while passing over the King Janashruti" one of them said. "The glow of his fame may burn you to ashes."

"You must be joking" replied the partner, "As if King Janashruti is greater than the humble cart-man Raikva!"

The king understood their conversation and became thoughtful.

"Who is this Raikva?" The king pondered. "How could he earn more merit than me?"

King Janashruti felt restless and could not sleep for the rest of the night.

The following morning, when the elaborate ritual of waking up royalty began, the king got irritated.

"Stop all these adulations and empty praises for me. I am not worthy of it."

The king's attendants were puzzled,

"What happened Maharaj?" asked the bard.

The king told the bard about the swan's conversation he had overheard.

"Now go and seek out Raikva," the King ordered, "He is the most pious of all men."

A massive search was soon launched to locate Raikva. Many days had passed and finally they were told by a peasant that Raikva was a cart-man in their village. All the kings men then saw Raikva, a poor cart driver, sitting on the ground and engaged in his own thought.

"Our king wishes to meet you" said an attendant.

"Well, here I am," said Raikva without budging from his place. "The king can come here if he wants to see me."

The attendants were surprised. "What does our worthy king seek from this ordinary man?"

The king was pleased to hear that Raikva was finally found. He ordered to make preparations to leave for Raikva's village the next morning.

King Janashruti took with him an army of men with impressive presents of 600 cows, an expensive gold necklace and a chariot for Raikva.

Upon arriving at the village, King Janashruti introduced himself and said, "I have heard a great deal about you. I am told that you are one of the rarest person who has the personal experience of Brahman, the supreme Lord."

"Oh Raikva" the king continued, "I will give you all that you desire, and in return I ask that you impart me the supreme knowledge of Brahman."

Raikva smiled. "So you want to buy the divine knowledge!"

Then he scolded the king, "Oh ignorant king! The knowledge of Brahman cannot be purchased. It is not a commodity that can be bartered. You are not yet ready to receive the supreme knowledge. Go home."

The disappointed king returned to his palace. He became withdrawn, drowned in his sadness , always wondering, "What do I lack?"

His sadness and sincere anxiety to know Brahman, made him humble. His ego disappeared and King Janashruti became a different person in just a few weeks. He then decided to go to Raikva once again.

Upon reaching the village, the king could not help himself. He fell at the feet of Raikva begging to impart him the knowledge of Brahman.

"Enlighten me" the king cried out "I have no peace. Your knowledge has more richness than my entire kingdom. Please give me a part of it. I beg you with all my sincerity."

This time Raikva saw that the king had lost all his vanity and the genuine desire for knowledge was evident. He picked up the king and said, "I bless you, O virtuous Janashruti. All the knowledge that is mine will now be yours as well."

Raikva then drew the king close to him and spoke at length, "The supreme knowledge cannot be imbibed unless one has shed one's ego. Only the humble can perceive the Brahman. Now that you attained the humility, come with me and I will share wit h you whatever little I have about the knowledge of our creator."

So saying Raikva accepted Janashruti as his disciple. The king could realize that Raikva was materialistically poor but spiritually rich. As time passed by, Janashruti received the gospels of Raikva and dedicated his job of royalty as a service to Brahman without taking the credit of his personal achievements.

The BOld Begger

Once there were two sages (rishis) who lived in a hermitage located in a forest. They spent most of their time worshipping Vayu, the wind god.


One afternoon, as the sages were beginning their meal, a Brahmachari (an unmarried monk) beggar arrived holding his begging bowl.

The Brahmachari pleaded to the sages, "Pardon me respectful sages, could I beg for a part of your excess meal?"

"Sorry young man, we cannot spare you any food," sourly replied one of the sages.
The persistent young monk continued, "May I ask you most humbly, which Deva (God) do you worship?"

"We worship Vayu, the wind god" answered the sage with pride. "He is also know as Prana, the breath of life."


"Ah! Then you must know that Prana pervades the whole universe" said the young Brahmachari.

The sages were getting impatient, "Yes, yes, we know all that young man."
The beggar than asked firmly, "Oh honorable sages, could you tell me to whom did you make this food-offering?"
"Prana, the life, who else?" said the irritated sage.

The young monk smiled and retorted, "If life pervades the universe, it pervades me too. Am I not a part of that universe?"

"Yes, that's right" replied the sage, in a puzzled state of mind.
"It is Prana, or life, that pulsates in me, as this hungry body of mine stands before you and speaks," appealed the beggar.

The sages were trapped in the argument and admitted, "You speak the truth."
The beggar then made his final appeal, "Then Oh revered rishis (sages), in denying me food, you are denying Prana for whom you have prepared the food."

The rishis had no answer. They realized that merely the reading of scriptures can not assure them of their assimilation and true understanding. Ashamed at their ignorance, the sages gladly shared their food with the young Brahmachari.

Angulimal - The Sinner

King Prasenajit, the ruler of Kosala (was located on the northeast of modern Uttar Pradesh, India), was a disciple of Buddha. Shravasti was his capital. He respected the principle of non-violence that Buddha taught. One day, his royal priest Garg, came to him in distress. An astrologer had predicted that his newly born son was to become a robber and would be a menace to society.

"What should be done?" asked Garg.

The king asked Garg to educate his son well hoping that he may turn out to be a good citizen despite the astrologer's forecast.

The son was named Ahimsaka, meaning a person who favors nonviolence. Ahimsaka proved to be very intelligent and was interested in learning the scriptures. When he was in his teens, he expressed his desire to go to Takshashila, a renowned educational center. His father agreed and Ahimsaka joined one of the most renowned teachers at Takshashila. Soon he became the most favored disciple of the teacher (guru).

The teacher was so impressed by Ahimsaka's performance that he told his other disciples to follow Ahimsaka's footsteps. This made them jealous and they jointly made a heinous plan to turn the teacher against Ahimsaka. The teacher fell in their trap and banished Ahimsaka from school. Ahimsaka returned home with a heavy heart.

When Garg, Ahimsaka's father, learned that his son had been turned out of the school, he was furious. He accused Ahimsaka of disgracing his family and threw him out of the house. Poor Ahimsaka. He could not understand why his teacher turned against him and his family was unwilling to hear his side of the story. When he looked for a place to stay, no one was willing to help. He was badly hurt and felt rejected by the world.

Finally Ahimsaka decided to leave Shravasti and move to Kaushambi, a nearby town. Deep in thought, as he was walking down the highway, that passes through a hilly forest, he was attacked by a highway robber. The robber demanded his valuables. Ahimsaka was so frustrated that he unloaded his frustration on the robber and gave him a big blow. The robber fell to the ground and was overpowered by Ahimsaka. He begged for mercy. Ahimsaka decided then that he could make his living as a highway robber.

Soon he started to attack travelers and traders, looted them and killed them. His extreme frustration and anger against the society turned him into an animal. He not only robbed and killed his victims, he collected their little fingers to make a garland. So people called him Angulimal or the wearer of a garland made of little fingers.

People approached king Prasenajit for help. But when Prasenajit sent a small army, Angulimal killed most of them by hurling down huge boulders. The king was amazed by his strength. Prasenajit finally advised his citizens to avoid the highway, until Angulimal was killed.

One day, Angulimal found the highway deserted. He was waiting for his prey when he saw a monk passing by. He was none other than Lord Buddha. Angulimal chased the monk for a long time but mysteriously the monk was always one step ahead of him.
Angulimal shouted, "Stop moving." The monk replied, "I am not moving, I am at rest. It is you who is in constant motion because of your discontent." Angulimal threatened to kill Buddha and use his little finger for his garland. Buddha was not the least disturbed. He stretched his arms out and asked Angulimal to take his fingers if that would make him happy. Angulimal was baffled. 
He realized his mistake and fell to the feet of Buddha, seeking his mercy.

Buddha took Angulimal to his monastery to teach him the life of an ascetic.. Angulimal listened to Buddha's preaching everyday and started to serve in the monastery, taking care of the sick. Gradually, he transformed from a sinner to a saint. When king Prasenajit came to visit Buddha on his way to capture Angulimal, Buddha told him of the change that had come over Angulimal. The king was pleasantly surprised and left Angulimal in Buddha's care.

A few days later when Angulimal was collecting his alms as an ascetic, he met a boy whose father he had killed many years back. He felt depressed and hopeless.

When Buddha inquired as to the cause of his depression, Angulimal said, "I am a sinner. My hands are stained with blood. I have no hope." Buddha said, "Repentance is the only fire to burn the sins already committed. You are on the right path." Angulimal came to his senses.

One day people recognized Angulimal on the streets as he was out as an ascetic. They thought it to be his new trick and to beat him. Angulimal did not fight back. Later he dragged his half-dead body to the monastery where Buddha received him. He died on Buddha's lap saying, "Father, I am at last at peace with the world."

Buddha, later commented that "Angulimal was a great soul. He had conquered vice, cruelty and anger. He had attained Nirvana (the Eternal Truth)."

Story Of Buddha

King Suddodana ruled the kingdom of Kapilavastu, located in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. One night his pregnant wife, Queen Mahamaya, dreamt of a white elephant with six tusks entering her body. When she woke up, she told the king about her dream. The king consulted the wise men, and they predicted that the child would either be a great king or would renounce the world to become a holy man.
 
\The child was born and was named "Siddhartha" which means every wish fulfilled. Siddhartha was the only heir to the throne and, king Suddodana did not want him to renounce the world. He decided to keep the prince within the walls of the palace so that he would not be exposed to any holy man who may influence him. Unfortunately, Qeeen Mahamaya died soon after childbirth. Siddharata was then raised by his aunt with great love and care.
 
Siddharatha was highly gifted and mastered everything that he was exposed to. But was a loner and an introvert. One of Siddharthas cousins, Devadatta, was very jealous of the prince and did cruel things to hurt him. One day Devadatta shot a flying swan. The prince caught the bird as it fell, removed the arrow, and nursed the swan back to life. Devadutta demanded the swan from Siddhartha, claiming it as his prize. But Siddhartha refused. So they brought their disagreement to the royal court. The judges awarded Siddhartha the swan, saying, "Life is more valuable than anything else in the world. Whoever saves a life is in harmony with the Truth, and owns it."
 
When Siddhartha was sixteen, King Suddodana decided to get Siddhartha married. At that time a swayambara ( where the princess selects from the assembled princes, her husband, on the basis of his superior demonstration in martial art) was arranged for the beautiful princess Yasodhara. Siddhartha won in all the competitions and won the hand of the princess. In few years they had a son. He was named Rahul, meaning, conqueror of all miseries. King Suddodana rejoiced for now it seemed less likely that Siddharatha would renounce the world.
 
But soon after Rahul was born, prince Siddhartha began to feel restless. He was curious about what lay outside his sheltered world. So one day he asked his charioteer to take him for a ride far outside the kingdom. They slipped beyond the palace gates and there, for the first time in his life, the prince saw human suffering: an old man, a sick man, and a dead man.
 
Siddhartha asked the charioteer, "Does everyone become sick, old and die?" The charioteer replied, "Yes master. This is the law of nature." Siddhartha felt very depressed. On their way back Siddhartha spotted a monk, wearing saffron robe, meditating under a tree. He seemed completely at peace. Siddhartha came near the monk and asked, "Who are you?" The monk replied, "I am a seeker of the Truth, of life over death. And to find it, I have given up everything on this earth." Siddhartha was deeply influenced. He decided to leave his luxurious life and family and follow the monks footsteps.
 
That night he gazed at his sleeping wife and his infant child for the last time and crept out of the palace. He rode with his charioteer until dawn. In a remote place, far away from the kingdom, Siddhartha dismounted and told the charioteer, "Now I begin my quest for the Truth. Tell my father that I will either return someday as the conqueror of sickness, old age and death, or I will fail and die." The charioteer sadly left to tell to the king this sorrowful news.
 
Seeing his princely clothes, a beggar came asking for alms. Prince Siddhartha exchanged his princely clothes with the beggar. He then cut off his hair and began his quest for enlightenment. Siddhartha continued his journey, seeking wisdom from the monks he met along the way. But none could teach him how to obtain the ultimate peace. He gave up eating, torturing his body to get closer to the Truth but failed. Soon he became weak and was on the verge of losing his life. A low caste village girl, Sujata, saw his miserable condition, and took care of him. Siddhartha revived and renewed his search for enlightenment.
 
Sidhartha was determined to succeed. One day, after bathing in the river, he walked to a large bodhi (banyan) tree where many others had received enlightenment. He spread straw beneath him, and vowed, "I will not leave this seat until I have attained my goal.
Evil powers tried to dissuade Siddhartha from attaining his goal but he was steadfast. At dawn, when Siddharatha opened his eyes with the rising sun, he saw the whole cycle of life; the whole mystery of life. He saw the whole of existence within himself, and himself within the whole of existence. Siddharthas search for the Truth had ended. At the age of thirty five he had become Buddha. Siddhartha, the Buddha, continued to sit in meditation. He left the shelter of the bodhi tree to go forth and teach others what he had learned.

When he found the five hermits of Uruvilva, located in Kashi (todays Varanasi), he taught them the four noble truths which he had discovered.

1. Life ends in death.
2. The cause of sufferings of life is desire and our bad deeds, the Karma.
3. The end of desire leads to the end of suffering.
4. The way to end desire, and hence to end suffering, is to follow the righteous path and discovering the divine Truth that is inherent in us.

The five hermits became his first disciples. Buddha then traveled far and wide, teaching the four noble truths as well as the art of meditation to purify body, speech, and mind. Soon Buddhas teachings spread throughout the land, and he had many followers..
 
During his travels, Buddha met a young woman grief stricken over the death of her child. She came to Buddha with her dead child begging Buddha to bring her child back to life. Buddha looked at her with great compassion and said, "To heal your child I need a mustard seed from a home where death has never occurred." The woman went to every house in the village, but there was no home where death had not occurred. Then she began to understand the law of nature: Death is universal. She returned to Buddha to learn the path that leads to eternal peace.
 
When Buddha returned to Kapilavastu, king Suddodana came to see him, along with his grandson, Rahul, Buddhas son. When the king saw Buddha begging on the street, as holy men do, he became alarmed. "You are a prince" he exclaimed. "It is not fitting that you should beg in the streets of your own kingdom!" Buddha replied, "Father, yours is the custom of kings, but I come from a long line of Buddhas, whose custom has always been to beg for food."
 
Buddhas cousin Devadatta had retained his childhood jealousies and joined the Sangha or congregation of Buddhists, to turn people against Buddha. But he failed. He then tried to kill Buddha by hiring criminals but the criminals became Buddhas disciples. When he turned loose a mad elephant while Buddha was begging on the street, the wild animal came near Buddha and submitted to him.
 
At last, Devadutta decided to kill Buddha himself. He waited at the edge of a steep over-hanging hill over a path where Buddha often walked. Devadutta pushed down a huge boulder when he saw Buddha coming, but the boulder broke into pieces. A tiny fragment, however, cut Buddhas foot. For this assault against the great Buddha, Devadutta instantly died.
 
At the age of eighty, after preaching for forty-five years, Buddha prepared himself to enter Nirvana, a state of eternal peace, where there is no more birth or death. Before his final departure, Buddha addressed his disciples:
REALIZE YOUR OWN SELF. THE TRUTH IS IN YOUR HEART THAT WILL LEAD YOU TO HEAVEN.

Breaking The Vanity Of GOD

 The story you are about to hear was narrated by an unnamed Rishi (sage), to his disciples, that brings home the basic concept of one god, the Brahman. 

Other gods and goddesses are his manifestations facilitating the operation of this universe that He created. The moral derived from this story is the fact that our righteous acts need to be well guarded against the evils which constantly try to take over.

Long long ago, the tyranny of the Ashuras, the evil people, made this earth uninhabitable. The gods, or Devas, were defeated by the Ashuras and they were banished. The gods approached the all powerful Brahman, the creator of the universe and source of energy for all beings, to help them defeat the Ashuras and bring peace back to the earth. Brahman blessed them and asked them to pursue and fight even harder. The Ashuras were then finally defeated and they fled underground, preying on the opportune moment to rise above again.

The Gods began to celebrate their victory over the Ashuras and became boastful of their power forgetting that it came from the one and only source, the Brahman. In fact they forgot their duties and became engaged in drinking, merry making and licentious behavior. So, to give a lesson, Brahman sent a Yaksha (demigod) to the place where the gods gathered for their celebration party. Indra, the king of the gods and the god of weather, saw the Yaksha approaching them. He asked Agni, the god of fire to inquire who he was.

Agni came near the Yaksha and introduced himself as the powerful god capable of burning off anything that touches him.

The Yaksha said with false surprise, "Is that right?" Then he picked up a small dry grass and said, "Can you burn this?"

Agni, drowned in his ego, laughed, "Ha! Ha! Ha! You must be kidding!"

Yaksha calmly replied, "Why don't you try it?"

Agni took the grass in his hand and tried to burn it. But strangely enough, he could do nothing. He soon returned to the party without telling any one what happened. He couldn't help but wonder, "Who is he?"

After a while, Indra asked the wind god Pavan to go to the Yaksha and find out the reason of his visit.

When Pavan approached the Yaksha, the Yaksha asked him, "Who are you?"

"I am Pavan, the wind god" he said. "I can blow every thing away when I want to."

"Really!" said the Yaksha and gave him the small blade of grass to blow away. "Could you blow away this blade of grass?"

Pavan could not even believe that any one would challenge his power with a blade of dry grass. He callously put the grass on his palm and blew on it. To his utter shock, it stayed exactly as he had placed it on his palm and had not moved. He tried repeatedly to blow it away and finally gave up. Ashamed of his inability to stir a small blade of grass, he sneaked away.

Then Indra came himself. As he approached the Yaksha, it disappeared and there stood a woman. She was none else than Indra's conscience (self acquired knowledge), called Uma.

"Did you see the Yaksha standing here?" asked Indra.

Uma said, "Indra, being the king of the gods you could not recognize the messenger of Brahman, the Yaksha? The Yaksha carried the message that Brahman is the one and only source of power and none else. He taught to be humble and to stay away from the ego that destroys you. You have had enough celebration for your victory over the Ashuras, and now return to the duties entrusted upon you by Brahman."

The gods were ashamed of their foolish behavior. They returned to their senses and peace once again was restored on earth.

Upagupta : The Buddhist Monk

Long long ago, in the time of Lord Buddha. there lived a dancer in the city of Mathura. She was known as Vasavadatta. She was well known for her beauty and dance. Although she had many a suitor, none had the character she was looking for.

 

One evening Vasavadatta was looking out through the window when she saw a handsome young monk passing by. He was none other than Upagupta, an ardent disciple of Lord Buddha.

 

Vasavadatta fell in love with him at once and asked her maid to call the young monk to her house.

The maid rushed to the monk and said, "Vasavadatta, my lady, wishes to see you. Oh the holy one, will you come in?"

 

The monk gracefully replied, "No, not now, but I will see her in time."

Vasavadatta was disappointed. She thought that perhaps the poor monk was embarrassed to come bearing no gift. After all, the rich noblemen always came with gifts of gold and jewels. She asked her maid to run out and tell the monk that she wanted only his company and he need not bring any gift.

 

The maid once again conveyed to Upagupta Vasavadatta's wishes.

Upagupta replied gently but firmly, "No, I cannot. It is not yet time to visit Vasavadatta."

Disappointed Vasavadatta stopped dancing. The people were mad.

 

"What is the matter with her? She seems to be always unhappy" complained the nobles.

Vasavadatta's maid knew her sorrow and was sad to see her beloved mistress always brooding over that heartless monk who refused to visit her.

 

To get her mind off of the monk, the maid asked Vasavadatta to go an visit the exhibition of a young sculptor of Mathura. As Vasavadatta admired the works of art, the young sculptor was secretly admiring her beauty. His thought was interrupted when Vasavadatta found a sculpture that she liked.

 

Vasavadatta asked, "This is so beautiful. How much does it cost? Will you sell it to me?"

The young sculptor replied, "You might find the price too high."

Proudly Vasavadatta said, "Whatever its price, I am prepared to pay it."

"It is yours, if you agree to dance again" said the young sculptor.

Vasavadatta hesitated.

 

The sculptor said, "Are you going to go back on your word? You promised to pay any price!" Vasavadatta agreed to keep her promise by dancing again. The people of Mathura thanked the sculptor. The audience gave a thundering applause to Vasavadatta but in her heart Vasavadatta was still not happy.

 

She kept on thinking, "Why did Upagupta shun her when thousands of people long for a sight of her."

 

In the days that followed, the chief sculptor got increasingly interested in Vasavadatta. He asked her to pose for him so that he could capture her image in stone.

 

Seeing his exquisite work, Vasavadatta commented, "My art will die with me but your art will last for centuries to come."

The sculptor remarked, "I am so happy to see my talent bring happiness to you."

 

A few days later, the sculpture vanished. Both Vasavadatta and her maid were worried. They thought he might have left town. To their horror his body was found buried, not far from Vasavadatta's house.

 

People reported that the young sculptor was last seen entering Vasavadatta's house three days before he was killed. The enemies of the sculptor, who were jealous of him for getting the favor of Vasavadatta, had killed him and secretly buried him near Vasavadatta's house so that she would be falsely accused of the crime.

 

The king called Vasavadatta for an explanation. Shocked Vasavadatta had nothing to say. He confiscated all her property and banished her from Mathura. People threw stones at her and she was badly wounded. Finally she took shelter in a crematory. Her dearest maid knew that she was innocent. Vasavadatta was deliberatelly framed for the murder.

 

Vasavadatta soon became ill as her wounds got infected. She received no sympathy or medical help from anyone except her faithful maid. The passers-by would often throw stones at her and asked the maid to leave her to die.

 

"She deserves that for the sin she has committed!" they shouted.

Then came Upagupta, the Buddhist monk. Vasavadatta asked her maid to cover her. She did not want to show her wounded face to her beloved, Upagupta.

 

Upagupta said, "Vasvadatta, I have come to you just as you always desired."

"Oh monk! You rejected me when all of Mathura admired me," said Vasavadatta.

"Why do you choose to come now when I am nothing but a mass of festering flesh, shunned by all?" asked she.

 

Upagupta smiled and said with great compassion, "At that time you did not need me, Vasavadatta. You do now. Come, let me take you to my monastery and allow me heal your wounds."

 

In due course Vasavadatta recovered under the care and nursing of the young monk. But she lost her beauty and was always depressed.

 

Seeing this, Upagupta consoled her, "Vasavadatta, you are sorry for loosing your beauty which lasts only as long as you are young. You are yet to discover a beauty greater than that you have lost, the beauty of the self. Come with me and listen to Lord Buddha, it will bring you peace and eternal happiness."

 

Vasavadatta, curious to know more, began to attend the discourses of Lord Buddha.

"You can't call your body your own!" Buddha said in his discourse. "When the body is cast away, it becomes food for the vultures. Light the lamp within you, only then, will you find true peace."

 

Quietly Vasavadatta began to think and repeat to herself, "Light the lamp within you, peace will come ---."

When the discourse ended, Vasavadatta fell at the feet of Lord Buddha seeking salvation.

Buddha blessed her, "So be it, my child. May you find peace."

Sati And Shiva

According to Hindu view of life, Shiva, the principle male power, unites with his female counterpart in order to acquire the ability to create and destroy. The story of Sati and Shiva, described in the Purana, presents in simple language, the truth and beauty of such a lofty vedic concept.

In the days of ancient mythology, Brahma, the Prajapati, mentally created ten sons (manasa putra) to carry out his task of creation and destruction. Both Shiva and Daksha were the outcome of such a creation but Shiva had superior powers. Daksha, however, never liked the supremacy of Shiva. So, he took Shiva as his rival.

 

One of the daughters of Daksha, named Sati, was a great devotee of Shiva. She was beautiful and virtuous. Most of the time Sati immersed in the thoughts of Shiva and dreamed of being his wife.

 

Sati, through her sincere and devotional prayers, acquired the blessings of all gods and goddesses. Shiva finally yielded and appeared before Sati. She paid her reverence and kneeling down to Shiva chanted in praise of him.

 

Shiva asked her to choose a boon. Shiva knew what she would ask but wanted her to speak for herself.

 

Sati was hesitant, "How can I say that I want nothing else but Him!"

After a while Sati gathered her courage and started to say, "Lord will you ----"

Shiva did not let Sati complete her question, and he blessed her, "Be my consort Sati."

Soon Sati was married to Shiva amidst numerous gods and goddesses.

 

After the wedding, Shiva took Sati to Kailas where they spent many a happy days.

Then one day, Shiva requested Sati to accompany him to Prayag, today's Allahabad, to attend a fire- worship ceremony or Yagna.

 

When Shiva entered the Yagna hall, every one stood up to pay respect.

After some time Daksha entered the Yagna hall. Everyone stood up to pay respect except Shiva. Daksha felt insulted.

"How dare my son-in-law, Shiva, did not stand up! This is a deliberate insult to me," Daksha said to himself.

 

Shiva, on the other hand, thought to himself, "Being a superior power, it will not be nice if I stand up, and harm may befall on Daksha." Shiva did not mean to insult Daksha.

Taking this instance as an exception, Daksha promised to insult Shiva in public. He hurriedly returned home and declared that he will hold a grand sacrificial ceremony. He invited all gods and goddesses, but deliberately excluded Shiva.

 

When Sati, Shiva's beautiful wife and Daksha's daughter, noticed a large procession of gods and goddesses passing by, she curiously asked Shiva, "Where are they going?"

Shiva replied, "To the grand sacrificial ceremony to be held by Daksha, your father."

Sati was amazed.

 

"Then why have you not been invited?" she demanded angrily. "You should have been the first to be asked."

Shiva smiled gently at his wife's loyalty and fervor.

"Daksha has always been hostile to me," Shiva tried to explain.

 

But Sati's disbelief increased, "Does my father not realize that you are the supreme power and no one can equal you?"

"You are a good and true wife Sati," Shiva replied gently, "but Daksha thinks differently, he takes me as his rival."

 

"Invited or not," Sati said furiously, "I think we should go. It is after all my own father's house and I atleast need no invitation."

"Then go with my blessings Sati," replied Shiva. "but do not forget that Daksha will shower insults upon me. You must be strong enough to bear it silently and not allow your rage to show in your father's presence. If you are unable to tolerate his insults, I fear you may come to harm."

 

Taking Nandi, the gentle white bull who was Shiva's companion and mount, Sati arrived at her father's grand sacrificial ceremony.

Daksha reluctantly received her and publicly condemned Shiva - calling him the demon of death and an impious haunter of cremation grounds.

 

"What place has the goblin lord of witches and foul spirits in a sacred ceremony such as mine?" Daksha boomed.

Sati was hurt by his insults to her husband and begged her father to stop, but Daksha could not contain himself.

 

"It is disgraceful for a so-called god to wear filthy rags, cover himself with snakes and dance like a madman at ceremonies ---" continued Daksha on and on until Sati could not stand any longer. She remembered her husband's caution, "Do not allow your rage to get over you."

 

Sati painfully said, "I am ashamed to be known as your daughter. As I have promised my husband not to take any revenge, much less upon you, I merely denounce you before this assembly. I shall consume myself in a fire and return to mother Earth until I am born again to a father whom I can respect."

 

Daksha ignored the disappearance of Sati and ordered to continue with the sacrifice.

When news reached Shiva, through Nandi, that his beloved wife was dead, he let out a mighty roar that shook Heaven and Earth. He soon created a powerful demon, named Virabhadra, from his matted hair. Shiva also created a huge army of demons to accompany Virabhadra. They descended like a hurricane on Daksha's feast, destroying the sacrificial offering and killing all those who dared defend Daksha. Finally every one walked over to Shiva's side to seek refuge with him.

 

Shiva was about to destroy the universe, when Brahma came with other gods to calm him down. Shiva was still quivering and shook with wrath and grief at the loss of Sati. All the gods soothed the furious Shiva and pleaded with him to forgive Daksha and allow him to complete the sacrificial ceremony, which he had started, otherwise he would go to hell.

Relenting, Shiva brought back to life all the people who had been killed in the battle and cured all those who had been injured.

Finally he looked up, suppressing the power of his destructive third eye, and stated, "I will return Daksha to life, but he must bear the mark of his foolishness forever."

The gods agreed to Shiva's condition and Daksha was revived. The mark of his foolishness was clear for all to see for instead of his own head, he wore the head of a goat. Daksha fell at Shiva's feet weeping with gratitude, and finally acknowledged Shiva's supremacy.

 

With a mighty effort Shiva contained his grief for the loss of Sati, and he fell into profound meditation, waiting for the time when she would be reincarnated as Parvati and be his wife once again.

The Magic Bowl

Once there was a poor old man who lived with his wife in a small hut in a village of Rajasthan. The old man lost his job because of his age. He was too proud to beg and so he and his wife began to starve. Ultimately he decided to go to the Parvati temple two days before the Dashera. It took all day to get there and when he reached the temple the door was closing. Hungry and tired the old man sat down on the door steps of the temple and fell asleep. Goddess Parvati felt uncomfortable inside the temple and asked her attendants to get the old man.

 

Very soon the old man was brought in and he was surprised to see the living Parvati. He thought he was dreaming. He fell down on Goddess Parvatiís feet and with tears in his eyes he narrated the miseries he was going through. Goddess Parvati took pity and gave him a magic bowl.

 

The Goddess said, "Take this bowl with you. Whenever you are hungry ask the bowl to give you whatever food you want and as much as you want."

The old man returned home happily with his bowl.

 

The wife was very happy to know that their bad days are over by the grace of Goddess Parvati. The old man always wanted to share his food with the king and others. So he decided to invite them for a dinner on the day of Diwali. But when he approached the palace the guard stopped the old man. He explained that he wanted to invite the king to his hut for dinner.

The guard approached the King and sought his permission. The courtiers laughed and were looking forward to the fun. The old man requested the king and the queen and the courtiers to have dinner with him on the evening of Diwali. The king and his ministers laughed in amusement. The chief minister cautioned, "If we come back hungry, you will be hanged for playing jokes with His Majesty." The old man agreed.

 

As the day approached the king was impatient to know what was going on. So he sent his attendant to find out what the old man was up to. The attendant came back and informed him that no preparations were on hand. The old man was not the least worried about the royal visit except that he put up a tent big enough to hold the royal party. The king arrived with the queen and courtiers. At dinner time, the old man came with his magic bowl and asked the king to wish for any food he wants.

The king thought that the old man was joking and ordered some of the most exotic foods in the world. Much to his disbelief, before he could finish, the food was served. Thus the old man, with the help of his magic bowl, served food to the queen and the courtiers. The wicked chief minister asked the king to take away such a valuable magic bowl for the treasury. The old man tried to explain that he would starve without the bowl but no one listened. He lost the bowl. Unfortunately, the bowl did not work for any one but the proud chief minister refused to return the bowl to the old man.

 

Soon the couple were starving again. They some how managed to survive for a year until Dashera came again. The old man decided to go back to the temple seeking Parvatiís blessings. He reached the temple in the middle of the night and started his prayers. Once again Goddess Parvati called him in and inquired what happened. When the old man explained, the Goddess decided to teach the king a lesson.

This time she gave the old man a stick and asked him to go home and use the stick the same way as the magic bowl to get his food. But she asked the old man to invite the king again for a dinner on the day of Diwali. Goddess Parvati further explained that the stick would beat everyone until the bowl was returned to him.

 

The old man did as he was told. The king readily believed him this time and agreed to come with the queen and courtiers. The old man came with the stick. When the orders were placed, the stick began to beat the king, the queen and the ministers. No one could stop the stick so they begged the old man to rescue them. The old man explained, "The stick wants its partner, the magic bowl, until then it will keep on beating you."

The minister ran to the treasury to fetch the bowl. The bowl was then placed in the hands of the old man and the stick stopped. Soon dinner was served and the king once again enjoyed the worldís best food. The king then built a special house for the old man where he lived happily with his wife. 

 

Surdas

In the village of Sihi near Delhi, in the house of a poor Brahman, a child was born in the year 1478. He was born blind. He had three other brothers. He was so neglected by his neighbors and his own family that by the time he was three, everyone forgot his real name and he was called Sur, which means blind. He was later known as Surdas.
 
Surdas would often go hungry because his mother would not bother to feed him. His brothers would receive new clothes at Diwali time but not Surdas. Surdas' parents thought he wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. It hurt his feelings.

 
Surdas' outside world was not very kind either. His playmates enjoyed teasing him and when he came to his mother for sympathy, she scolded him for going out. So, unfortunate Surdas stayed on the porch most of the time.
One day, a group of singers passed by his house singing in praise of the Lord. Swept up by the joy the music brought forth in him, he forgot for a moment that he was blind.
  "One day I will learn how to sing," he told himself.
 
When Surdas joined his brothers to learn from their father how to read and write, his father said, "Go away. You are blind, you cannot read." His brothers teased him as he sat and wept.
 
A few days later, another group of singers came by, passing through the village, begging for alms and singing in praise of the Lord. They passed by Surdas' house. Surdas followed them. At night they stopped to cook and rest near a lake. One of them came to Surdas and asked, "Why are you following us?"
 
"I would like to learn to sing" answered Surdas.

 
They fed him that night but didn't want to be burdened with the blind boy. In the morning they left without telling him.
 
Where could blind Surdas go? He sat under a tree and began singing the Lord’s praise. He had a good voice and his feelings were expressed with utmost sincerity. Villagers passing by gave him food and he survived. The lake was a popular resting spot for those travelling to Mathura and Vrindavan. From their conversation, Surdas learnt a lot about the outside world.
 
By the age of fourteen, Surdas developed a keen sixth sense and could predict many things. People were amazed and he was called "miracle boy." 
If a villager lost an animal, Surdas could tell him where to find it. He was cosulted on the appropriate day to travel or to start any project. People from other villages travelled a long way to meet him and gave their offerings. One day, the landlord's little toddler wandered off and could not be found. Surdas predicted where the boy was and the boy was found. 

The landlord was so pleased that he fell at Surdas' feet and asked his men to build a cottage for him near the tree under which Surdas stayed. Shortly thereafter, people offered him a string instrument to accompany his singing. Some people became his disciples. They began to write the songs he composed. The disciples loved him and served him to the best of their ability.
 
One night, Surdas dreamt of Krishna and people praising Him through bhajans. Surdas woke up and was convinced that Krishna was calling to him. The next morning, he departed for Vrindavan. His disciples came running and were worried.
"Why are you leaving us? Are we at fault?"
 
Surdas consoled them and continued on his way to Vrindavan through the jungle. Wherever he went people wanted to listen to him sing and have him stay with them. They would beg him to stay in their village. They respected him, honored him and fed him. But Surdas kept moving.

 
"I am a traveling monk, I cannot stay at any one place," Surdas said.
One day, while he was resting at the edge of a shallow abandoned well, he fell into the well. Blind and injured, he did not know how to get out.
 
Surdas stayed in the well for seven days praying for help. Suddenly he heard a child’s voice, "Hold my hands, I will take you out."
Surdas came out of the well and the boy disappeared. He kept searching for the little boy who rescued him. In his imagination, the boy was none else but Gopal Krishna (Krishna's childhood name). People thought he was crazy.
 
One day one of his disciples told Surdas that the great learned saint Swami Balabhachari was going to visit Vrindavan. Balabhachari was famous for his writings about Krishna. Surdas keenly wished to see him. While Surdas was making arrangements to cross the river to visit Balabhachari, Balabhachari himself arrived at Surdas’s residence. Surdas was overwhelmed with joy. He fell at Balabhachari's feet and sought his blessing. Upon his request, Surdas sang a bhajan about Krishna. Balabhachari requested Surdas to dedicate his life to the praise of Lord Krishna.
 
Balabhachari stayed with Surdas for a few days and taught him about Krishna's scriptures. Then he initiated Surdas to his own religious order. Surdas went to Vrindavan with his guru, Balabhachari. Balabhachari appointed Surdas as the chief singer of Srinath temple in Govardhan, near Vrindavan. Srinath is another name for Krishna.

Surdas’ reputation as a singer and devotee spread far and wide. One day in the court of the mogul emperor Akbar, the court singer Tansen, sang one of Surdas' songs. Akbar was charmed. Tansen admitted that the tune and the lyrics were that of Surdas, the blind devotee of Krishna.
 
Akbar was a broadminded Muslim. He invited Surdas to his court. Surdas declined saying, "I am so very honored, but I sing only in the court of my beloved Krishna."
 
When Akbar heard of this, he gladly came to Surdas and listened to his prayer songs in the temple. He was very pleased and asked Surdas to ask for anything he wanted.
 
Surdas said, "Just do not ask me to go to your court to sing." Akbar agreed.
Surdas lived a long life and wrote many songs in praise of Krishna's childhood days. Surdas' songs are sung to this day. 
 

The Girl In The Dream

Betal once again narrated a story to Vikram.

Manikdweep was ruled by a king named Mani Verma. His son, Sudhir, was very dutiful. When Sudhir reached twenty, Mani Verma decided to get him married to a beautiful girl. Finally, the king selected the princes of a neighbouring kingdom.

That night Sudhir saw a beautiful dream of a fair, doe-eyed girl with her arms open, waiting to embrace him. Sudhir woke up startled. Completely smitten by this dream he decided to delay his marriage and hunt for the girl. Taking permission from his father he left the palace dressed a commoner.

He searched villages, towns, and cities. For three months he travelled thus but the girl was nowhere to be found. Tired he decides to take a break near a river. There he spotted a girl with her back turned to him. Curious, he went up to her.

Just as she turned his heart skipped a bear-before him stood his dream girl. Excited, he proposed marriage to her. On hearing a stranger speak this way the girl complained to her father. When Sudhir came to meet him, he asked , "Who are you and why are you chasing my daughter?"

Sudhir felt ashamed and kept mum. He returned home and married the princess.

Betal asked Vikram, "Why did Sudhir feel ashamed ?" "He realised he was foolishly running after a dream about which he knew nothing," Vikram replied.

"Right again ," cried Betal and flew away.