Struggling Father desirous to see his Son - 45

My Dearest Beta Shanu,

How are you Shanu beta? I’m running little bit physically low after prolonged fasting. But now things are coming back in perspective. From now on dearest beta, I will try to quote some lessons and teachings in the form of stories based on old Vedic fables and translated from ancient manuscripts. This will not only be the source of bliss but and education on basic social values. Today’s story has been taken from Brahmavarchas and translated by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya.

Enjoy and learn and spread the learning from the story.

Here is the story:

“
Once upon a time in a forest lived a herd of elephants. The members of the elephant family loved each other very much. They moved together in herd in search of green leaves from the trees and water from the ponds.

However one elephant in the herd was very disobedient and selfish. He never followed the orders of the leader of the family and always did whatever he liked. While other elephants of the family lived together, ate together and drank water together, this rogue elephant preferred to move alone.

When a person becomes undisciplined, disobeys the elders and does not take care about the convenience and comforts of family and neighbors, everyone dislikes him. Nobody wants to make friends with such a person. None comes forward to help a self centered person when he is trouble. The same thing happened to this elephant he was pushed out of the herd.

One day, the herd of the elephant was moving in the forest following the leader in search of the food. On the path of the elephants a bird has made a nest and laid eggs in it. When the bird saw the leader of the herd coming, it became very worried. The bird became afraid that the elephants are going to trample over the nest and destroy the nest and the eggs.

When the leader of the herd came near, the bird said,”Sir, I’m afraid the elephants of your herd may trample on my nest and it will be destroyed. I have prepared this nest with much labor. I have my eggs in the nest. These will also be crushed. If you could kindly ask your fellow elephants be careful and walk at a distance, my eggs and nest will be saved. For this favor I will be extremely grateful to you.”

The bird has spoken very sweetly and politely. If you speak softly and politely, all good people become your friends and help you.

The elephant leader became very pleased with the politeness of the bird.

The elephant said, “Sure, I will definitely help you. I will protect your nest and eggs and see to it that none of the elephants of my herd coming behind me would harm it in any way.”

Saying this, the elephant carefully moved forward placing its left two legs on one side and other two on other side of the nest bringing the nest under its belly. When other elephants following their leader from behind came near, he asked them to move by his left and right side. The elephants of the herd obeyed their leader and moved either from the left or from the right side of the nest and their leader. The nest of the bird was saved.

After the elephants had passed away, the bird said, “Thank you sir! Because of you my nest and eggs are saved.”

It is good manner to thank one who has helped you. When you thank people for some favor, they remember you as a grateful person and come to your help.

Before departing, the leader elephant said,” I am happy that I could help you. Since I help everyone in need, God also helps me whenever I need. God provides me food when I’m hungry and water when I’m thirsty. However before going from here I would like to give an advice. After sometime there is one more elephant coming behind us. We have turned him out of our herd, because he is very disobedient and selfish. Be careful he may not save your nest.”

The bird again thanked the leader for his good advice.

To save the eggs from the lonely rogue elephant, the bird quickly took out the eggs from the nest and moved them safe away from the path of the elephant. Then the bird came to take the nest also. But it was too late. By that time the rogue elephant has arrived.

The bird politely asked the rogue elephant not to harm the nest. But the rogue elephant was very cruel. He did not care for the convenience of others. Therefore he did not pay any attention to the bird’s request and deliberately put his heavy foot on the nest. The nest was destroyed.

The bird became very sad. It had worked hard to prepare the nest. Now it had to make it again.

The bird thought, if someone had punished the elephant for his bad deeds earlier, he would not have formed the habit of harming others.

However who could punish the big and strong elephant? The elephant was the biggest and strongest animal in the forest. All animals were afraid of him.

God always punishes whosoever troubles a weak person. It does not matter how big or strong the wrongdoer is, God gives ideas to the weak to punish such a person. God also sends someone to help the sufferer.

The bird did not lose the courage. It decided to seek help from its friends. Bird had frogs and parrots as friends. When it explained the incident about the rogue elephant to them. They planned to bring elephant on correct path. Elephant use to come everyday to the pond to drink water. One day all the parrots flew towards the elephant and covered his eyes. Rogue elephant was not able to see anything. Suddenly elephant heard frogs croaking. Elephant was thirsty so he moved blindly towards the direction of the croaking sound. Frogs took elephant away from the pond out of the jungle. Then parrots and frogs returned back to their places. Elephant was left alone and realized his mistakes and arrogant behavior. He was very thirsty and hungry. He started crying, then he saw few birds and requested them to show him the way back to jungle. He promised that he will never disobey or hurt anyone. Birds accepted his request and took him back to the pond. Elephant apologized to the bird and went back to his herd under the leadership of the leader elephant.

So dearest beta below are the moral of the story:

- When a person becomes undisciplined, disobeys the elders and does not take care about the convenience and comforts of family and neighbors, everyone dislikes him. Nobody wants to make friends with such a person. None comes forward to help a self centered person when he is trouble.
- If you speak softly and politely, all good people become your friends and help you.
- It is good manners to thank one who has helped you

“

As always your image stays with me and motivates me towards truth and justice and service. I’m and will always pray for your health and values. May Lord bless you and be with you always. May Goddess Gayatri shower values and virtues on you, May lord Vishnu be with you and provide bliss to you, May Lord Shiva protect you. I pray, my dearest and lovely son.

Om!

Your Father
Ravi