Thoughts, Deeds & Fortune

THOUGHTS, DEEDS & FORTUNE ​

It was mild winter. Dusk was just settling in. Cool wind from South was blowing across face of Krïsnā & His brother in law Arjuna. They were in their routine stroll.

In the dim light, they noticed a haggard -an old man from hunger approaching them on trot. With folded hands, he supplicated for alms. Krïsnā glanced at Arjuna as if granting an approval.

The old man immensely pleased when Arjuna handed him a stout pouch of one thousand gold coins.

“This coins would be adequate to run my family for next several years” thought the old man. At the same time, this drawn attention of a rogue of the first water - a perfect thief - who was passing by. “A stout heavy golden-coloured pouch” - thief thought it was God-sent opportunity. He followed him from a distance and at an opportune moment, snatched the stout pouch from him and vanished into pervading darkness.

Next day, this old man happened to meet again Arjuna & Krïsnā together. He narrated to them his previous day’s sad episode. For some unknown reasons, Lord Vishnu lying on snake bed in milky ocean under the azure sky crossed his mind.

Listening to his sob story of losing pouch of gold coins, Arjuna empathised and handed him a valuable high quality gem stone with instructions to carry it home safe and keep it secure.

Old man carefully carried it home. Without announcing to spouse, in hush-hush manner, kept the gem stone in a large wide mouthed mud-pot that was lying on the kitchen-loft.

Ignorant of this, next day at dawn - his spouse took that pot to fetch water and proceeded to the near by river. When she was washing the pot in the running river, the gem stone fell from it into the swishing river.

Hugging the pot brimming with cold water on her left waist, she was about to enter her dwelling.

The sight of spouse dressed in a wet red saree was ominous and at the entrance with pot on her waist got the old man bewildered. He demanded to know at once from her what she did with the gem stone. In response, she could only display a wry expression on her face. The Old man immediately exited home chaotically, rushed to the river and searched for gem stone in vain.

During next day-break, when old man happened to meet again Arjuna and Krïsnā near the river, he in halting tone narrated the loss of stone in the river. Arjuna - Looking sad, said to Krïsnā
“This elder person seem to have run out of luck. A poor soul”.

Endorsing this statement, Krïsnā suggested to Arjuna, “now gift him only two coins”. Arjun was apprehensive and politely voiced his concern, “Providing just two coins - would it bring any happiness to him at all?”

“Me too can’t hazard a guess. Anyway let us go behind him and watch from a distance what follows” responded Krïsnā.

On his way, along the the river-bank, the old man was intercepted by a fisherman who requested him to buy the two live-stout-fishes that were caught only a few minutes ago.

This request by fisherman made old man pensive. He thought of inadequacy of the two coins in his possession that would not quell even his own one-time-hunger and thought about the positive karma that could accrue to him if these two live fishes were brought back to life. He immediately grabbed the live fishes from fisherman’s hands paying him that two coins.

With great satisfaction, gently he slid one of the fishes into the running river. He observed the other silvery-grey-live-fish in his hand was struggling hard to breath.

He guessed that something must have trapped and lodged in its mouth. With his fingers,he pried it’s mouth open and pleasantry surprised to see the shining gem stone held precariously there”. It was the same precious stone that his spouse had lost in the river.

In the ecstasy that followed this Eureka moment, the old man jumped in joy; he cried aloud, “catch- catch - super catch - i caught - i got it.” That was the moment, the thief appeared there and thought that the old man had spotted him and would try to catch him and therefore he took to his heels.

Arjuna and Krïsnā ran after the thief, chased and caught him by his scruff and put him in jail. They could retrieve from his dwelling the lost pouch of gold coins and handed it to the old man.

A non-plussed Arjuna then exclaimed,

“ Oh! what a life of vicissitudes! Strange indeed.
Dear Krïsnā- may i know what could be reasons for such an unexpected turn of events”.

Krïsnā - The Master of the Universe - smiled enigmatically answered thus:

“Dear Arjuna, In the first instance when you gave him thousand coins, his intent was only to keep all of it for his family and himself.

The second gift he had received from you - that gem stone - he neither used it nor he put it for family use but preferred to hide it away. Therefore those high-value -gifts didn’t stick with him. But then, the third gift you had given him was less in value, yet he thought that those two coins could save life of fishes and decided to put the coins to better use: and also felt that kind act might pave way for better life in his next birth.

Thus that noble thought he acted out, resulted in his getting back lost wealth which was more in value than that of two coins.

Only those who in the heart of heart think benevolently & act out for the universal good can get holistic blessings of Laksmi - the Goddess of wealth”.

Krïsnā concluded his indoctrination.

Dharmo rakshadhi rakshi-thah:

 

Thank U Ma jee. I am glad there are folks in IL like moral stories. And am happy you had spotted it and offered nice comments. visitors logging -in are far and few between which is bit discouraging to post. Many of my posts are displayed as a category "no response". Is it due to holiday season?
I remember your gripping serial story in fiction forum spanning four generations.
Regards.
God Bless.

 

I owe my thanks to @iyerviji @mbharani @joylokhi
With likes from veterans, I hope this thread will take of well and leap forward. The dung story too for long remain dormant. Later when @maalti & ms. Iyerviji marked their "like" it took off well and eventually it won FP of August,'2022 my month of birth.
It looks every story needs at start a kick - a blessings from veterans.
I trust devotees like @mathira @EnlightenedSoul
@Jaysree @Charanyamuna
all would like to read this note.
Regards
God BLESS us all.

 

Tagging @jyothishri
This story might appeal to you.

 

Thanks to @drdiva for awarding a
"Like" here. Shall be more glad if you post your comments on this story".
Regards.

 

Thank you sister Malala.
Now you had put a like and comment and I expect this th thread would take off reasonsbly well. Here I share separately a post in Tamil about olden days fountain pen.
Trust u celebrated the pongal festival in gay abandon with family members.
Regards.

 

Thanks to @happyperson for granting a LIKE here. Comments welcome.
Regards.
God Bless.