Great Shishyas

Great Shishyas

Great Shishyas

Shuchi and Shubhrata were given utmost importance in our Indian culture, since ever. Right from small things like brushing teeth etc. fixed rules and regulations have been placed, such that utmost cleanliness prevails in the society. The following story portrays the obsession of Indian culture for cleanliness.
Long ago there used to live an obedient shishya of the great Paila maharshi. His name was Udanka. Udanka, due to his obedience, learnt quickly his lessons. After completing his Vidyaabhyaasam, before leaving the Guru-aashramam, Udanka requested his Guru to take Guru-dakshina. Paila maharshi replied “you being a shishya of me is itself enough. It is difficult to get good shishyas like you. Please go on”. Upon many times being requested by Udanka, finally Paila maharshi said “do the work that your Guru-patni tells you and then leave”.
He approached Guru-patni, did Yathaa-vidhi namaskaaram, with Vinayam, asked her to give him some work. She asked him to get the kundalas of the country’s Mahaaraani for a Vratam. Udanka immediately set out for it. On the way he sees a radiant brightly glowing God coming on a huge Vrushabham. He does the required namaskars to him and the God gives him goomayam. He eats the goomayam, takes leave from the God and continues his journey to meet Poushya, the king of the country. Poushya was a very great king, ruled his subjects as his own kids and made dharma walk on its four legs.
Poushya welcomed Udanka and offered him a warm welcome when he arrived at his courtyard. Udanka tells the reason for his arrival and immediately the kings granted him permission to collect the kundalas. He asked udanka to go to the queen’s palace and collect them from her personally. Udanka went into the palace and searched for the queen everywhere. Failing to find her returns to poushya informing that he could not find the queen. Poushya hesitantly says “O great Brahmana! How can I say that you are not clean? My queen is a Pativrata and hence only people who are clean can see her”. Udanka recalls why he was not in a clean state and realizes that in the hurry to finish gurupatni’s task, he forgot to wash his hands, feet and mouth and do aachamanam, after eating the gomayam. He immediately washes and does aachamanam and goes back to see the queen and sees her in her palace.
Story will be continued later in some other contexts. So will Udanka be able to complete his gurupatni’s task? who was the God? Keep reading for answers 
Morals in the Story:

1. It is very basic and important to always be clean.
2. The mahima of pativratas is immense. It seems even the trimurtis do not have power to go against the will of a pativrata.

Message:
Neglecting the Indian aacharams and culture seems to be the main cause for today’s “modern” Indian’s un-cleanliness and other related ill-effects. So let us strive to uphold our culture reforms ourselves and think twice to act in this mad run for “technological advancement”.
Also now-a-days we miss our olden education system. Peviously Guru used to give Vidyaa, housing, food everything, expecting nothing in return. Shishya also used to learn with great Vinayam and try his best to give Guru-dakshina. This Unnata-aadarsham of Bhaarateey-Vidyaabhyaasam is well shown in the story through the conversation of Udanka and Paila maharshi. Contrast it with present day education — it has reached a level where educational institutes, in their hunger for money, do advertisements!!

Paushya’s mahaarani gives her kundalas to Udanka, but warns him that “Takshaka always has an eye on this — so be careful”. Udanka thanks the queen and returns to Paushya to ask him for leave. Paushya, who knows the shaastras, pleaded Udanka to accept his aatithyam and eat at his place. Udanka accepted the King’s request and Udanka sat to eat in a separate Bhojana shaala for vidvaans. The very first piece he was about to eat had a hair strand in it!
For Indians, parishubhrata is of utmost importance and especially for eating. There are many rules in shaastras about how a person who eats must be, how the person who cooks must be and who clean the food itself must be etc. Even after following all the rules, some doshas might creep in. Hence Indians always put godhrutam (cow ghee) in the food before eating, considering the food as havis, the person who eats as havirbhokta and the the act of eating as a yagnyam!
Ukdanda gets angry on Paushya for offering uncleaned food. Since he knows all shaastras, he knows that neither the cook nor the person who served nor the head of the bhojanashaala must be blamed, it is the ajamaani who gave aatithyam, the King, who needs to be blamed for this.   He, in the anger, says to Paushya “Since you gave me such food, may you become blind”. Knowing that Udanka gave him such a big punishment for a small mistake, Paushya says to Udanka “May you have no children”.
Since both Udanka and Paushya never deviated from the path of Truth, whatever they said now, in anger, became really true! The nature of a sajjana is that, he will never become angry and if he becomes angry, his anger will be like the spill of boiling milk, just for a fraction of a second. Immediately Paushya and Udanka realize their mistake and Paushya asks Udanka to save him from blindness. Udanka, with his tapas-shakti, told Paushya that he will be blind for a very short time. However Paushya could not give a shaapaavasaanam to Udanka. Paushya says “O great scholar! Since you are a sage and have immense tapas-shakti you were able to help me, but I cannot do it and my words cannot be changed, because of my satya-vaak-paripaalana”. Udanka then takes leave of Paushya and immediately resumes the work given by his Guru-patni.
Will Udanka be able to take the kundalas safely to his guru-patni? Wont Takshaka cause any trouble? Please keep reading to know the answers 

Morals in the story:

1. For a person who always speaks Truth, whatever he speaks will become true!
2. Anger, even for a fraction of second, may cause disasters.
3. Importance of parishubhrata, especially for bhojanam, is clearly displayed in the story. The otherwise calm Udanka, became angry because the food offered to him (an Atithi, knowing Atithi-devo-bhava) had dosham. One must do bhojanam as if he was doing a yagnyam.
4. The knowledge of shaastras helped Udanka to immediately decide who needs to be blamed for the dosham in the food.
5. The power in Tapas (Daiva-dhyaanam) is clearly displayed by Udanka. With his tapas-shakti, he was able to undo his mistake.

Kachah (Greatness of Vidyābhyāsam  )

Devatas and daityas always have fights among themselves. The daitya's Guru is Śukrācārya. He knew the vidya of mṛtasanjīvanī, which he obtained through a long tapas for Parameśvara. Using this vidya, Śukrācārya used to bring back the dead daityas to life and save them. However the Devatas neither knew the vidya nor had amṛtam, because this story happened before the Kṣhīra sāgara mathanam. The Devatas asked their Guru, Bṛhaspati, for help. Bṛhaspati asked his son, Kaca, to become a śiṣhya of Śukrācārya, do Guru seva with utmost care, learn all the śāstras etc. and the mṛtasanjīvanī vidya from Sukrācārya. Kaca immediately followed the instructions of his father and reached the āśram of Śukrācārya.
He did sāṣhṭāṅga namaskāram to Śukrācārya and said "O Gurudeva! I am from the Āṅgīrasa gotram and the son of Bṛhaspati, the Guru of the Devatas. People call me by the name Kaca. I came to you as a vidyārthi". Śukrācārya happily agreed to have the son of the great Bṛhaspati as his śiṣhya. Everday Kaca used to wake up before the Sun, and do Sandhyāvandanādi āhnikas, after his kāla-kṛtyas. He used to be very obdient to his Guru and learn his vidyas with utmost concentration and respect. He never let any attractions, diviations to enter his mind and always concentrated on Guru seva and his vidyābhyāsam.
Śukrācārya had a very beautiful daughter by name Devayānī. She was very young and had a lot of prema for Kaca. She tried to express herself many times to Kaca, but Kaca never had anything in his mind except his vidyābhyāsam. Also since Devayānī was the daughter of his Guru, who is equal to his father, he had sodarī-bhāvam on Devayānī. Slowly Kaca, due to his unparalleled efforts and vinayam became the favourite śiṣhya of Śukrācārya. This could not be tolerated by the daityas who were burning with īrṣha. Also they were afraid that Kaca would soon learn Mṛtasanjīvanī vidya from Śukrācārya and later it would be difficult for them to face the Devatas.
Once Kaca went to the forest as his Guru's gopālaka. As the Sun was setting the power of daityas increased. They attacked Kaca and killed him. Devayāni was waiting for Kaca in the āśram. She told her father, "everyday by the time for sāyam-sandhyāvandanam, Kaca returns home. Somehow he did not return today. O father! please see if he is ok." Śukrācārya with his divya-dṛṣhṭi saw what happened to Kaca and immediately brought him back to life. The daityas īrṣha increased with this and this time they planned to kill Kaca in such a way that it will be difficult for Śukrācārya to save him. They killed Kaca, burnt him and mixed his ashes in surāpānam and served it to their Guru. Śukrācārya drank the surāpānam. Seeing Kaca not returning home, again Devayāni asked her father. Śukrācārya was shocked to know what mistake he committed unknowingly. He thought "a man who is under the influence of surā-pānam will loose all his distinction of good and bad, does not think and can do any great pāpa-kāryam". Once the pāpa-karyam is done, for normal humans, it is impossible to undo it. Śukrācārya thought that if he was not under the influence of surāpānam, he could have easily identified, with his tapobalam, that Kaca's ashes were mixed in his surāpānam. So he made a firm rule that surāpānam, in what ever small quantītes, is mahāpāpam and it must never be drunk.
He used his Mṛtasanjīvanī vidya and brought back Kaca to life. However Kaca remained in Śukrācārya's stomach in a sūkṣhma rūpam. Śukrācārya then taught Kaca Mṛtasanjīvanī vidya and asked him to come out of him, by tearing his stomach. Kaca came out of Śukrācārya and then used the Mṛtasanjīvanī vidya to bring back the life of his Guru. Kaca, after the completion of his vidyābhyāsam, took the anujña of Śukrācārya and was planning to leave. Devayāni then told Kaca "Please do not leave me and go. Marry me". Kaca said "you are like a sister to me, since a Guru is equal to one's father". Devayāni got angry with Kaca and said "Since you rejected my love and pained me, your vidya will not be of any use to you". Kaca was not sad because he knew though his Vidya will not be directly useful to him, he can spread his vidya to others and thereby become useful to the society. Vidya dhanam is the only dhanam that can never be destroyed and robbed. The more and more it is given to others, the more and more it grows…
Morals in the story:

1. The importance and greatness of Vidya is well shown in the story.
2. Though Devatas and daityas were enemies, Kaca never tried to conceal his identity, since he knew by cheating a Guru vidya cannot be acquired. Also Śukrācārya, knowing who Kaca was, accepted him as śiṣhya, because a deserved one must always be taught.
3. Vinayam and kṛṣhi are were important for vidyābhyāsam. Kaca was never involved in any other activity than his Guru seva and studies.
4. One must never have jealousy. Because of jealousy that Kaca is performing better than them, the daityas did not think what is right and what is wrong.
5. Surāpānam, in what ever small quantites, must not be done. This is well shown through Śukrācārya's words.
6. The knowledge of Kaca helped him decide whether to accept Devayāni's love or not.

Kautsa

It was the time of Śrī Rāmacandra’s grandfather’s rule. Raghumahārāja was a parama dharmātma like the other Raghuvamśa rājas. In his rājyam there were many Gurukulas, each with as many as 1000 śiṣhyas. In one of the Gurukulas, a Guru was telling to his śiṣhya, Kautsa,  “O priya śiṣhya! I have taught you all the vidyas that I know. You also learnt them well. Now you can take Gṛhasthāśram and do samāja kalyāṇam”. The śiṣhya replied “Ayya! Please give me a chance to give you Guru-dakṣhiṇa”. The Guru told “You are very poor. You need not give me anything”. However Kautsa repeatedly said he wanted to give and the Guru said no need. Finally the Guru said “Ok. Since I have taught you 14 vidyas, give me 14 dhana-rāśis. Each rāśi must of this height: the height to which a maṇi goes when thrown by a strong man standing on a tall elephant” (similar to Viśvāmitra maharṣhi’s niyamam). Kautsa said ok and came back but was worried how to give the Guru-dakṣhiṇa.
Knowing that the King is equivalent to father, Kautsa approached Raghumahārāja. The previous day Raghumahārāja did the great Viśvaji-Yajñam and gave away whatever he had in the form of Dānas (around 14-crore dīnāras). Raghumahārāja was doing his Sandhyāvandanam, using earthen pots, by the time Kautsa came. Seeing the King himself to have nothing and using earthen pots in place of golden sthālikas, Kautsa did not ask Raghumahārāja anything. However seeing Kautsa, Raghumahārāja invited him and asked him the reason for his arrival. Kautsa hesitatingly said “it is difficult for you to give …” Raghumahārāja said “Coming to a King’s place and going back bare-handed is not good. Please do ask me what you want”. Kautsa told the King the reason for his arrival. Raghumahārāja told kautsa “please come tomorrow, I will give you the dhana-rāśis”.
Knowing that his Purohita (word itself means one who is the first to do hitam) is the only person who can help him, Raghumahārāja approached Śrī Vasiṣhṭha maharṣhi. “O Rājā! Now there is no enough time for you to earn your money, that too such a huge amount. Thus you do a danḍa yātra on Lord Indra” said the great maharṣhi. Immediately Raghumahārāja announced a daṇḍa yātra on Indra, the Devādhipati. The dundubhis and bheris were played and the sounds reached the ears of Indra Himself. Knowing that they were from Raghumahārāja, Devendra immediately ordered his sevakas “Raghumahārāja is a great Dharmātma. Fill his dhanāgāram”..
The next morning rakṣhaka bhaṭas of Raghumahārāja informed him that all his dhanāgāras are full and he can stop the daṇḍa-yātra. When Kautsa came back Raghumahārāja said “your dhanam is safe in our kośāgāram. Please take all of it”. Kautsa replied “O rāja! I need only 14 dhana-rāśis, other than that I will not take anything”. Raghumahārāja, not knowing what to do with the rest of the dhanam, gave it back to Devendra.
Morals in the story:
1. The Guru-śiṣhya paraspara anyonya sambandham is well shown in the story. The śiṣhya always wanted to do give Guru-dakŚiṇa and the Guru was worried how the śiṣhya will pay it.
2. The Dāna guṇam of Raghumahārāja must be learnt by all of us. It was not new for him to give away all he had and to earn in order to give away everything he will get.
3. The dharmavartanam, santrupti showed by Raghumahārāja and Kautsa must be an eye-opener for all of us.

Deepaka

Deepaka was a naishthika Brahmachari. He was once doing shastra-adhyayanam and saw this sentence — “For a pativrata, her bharta is the only Daivam. For a putra, his parents are only Devatas. For a shishya Guru is himself Parabrahma. There are no teerthas, vratas, upavaasas greater than Guruseva”. He immediately decided to approach a Guru, do seva to him and learn all shastras.
On the great Godavari-nadi-teeram, there used to be the ashramam of Vedadharya. He used to teach many shastras, Vedopanishats to his shishyas. Deepaka approached Vedadharya, did saashtaanga-pranaamam to him and asked him to accept him as a shishya. Seeing the Vinayam of Deepaka, Vedadharya accepted him as his shishya. Because of his Guruseva and interest in learning Vidya, Deepaka in no time learnt all shastras.
One day Vedadharya, seeing the Adhyaatmika Vidya-tejas in Deepaka, asked him “Vatsa! I did prayashchittam for my previous janma paapas. However two more paapas are left and they are very frightening. I must go to Kaashi Kshetram and do praayashchittam. In Kaashi the phalitam for a Karma will be 10 times. Hence I will go there and do aavaahana of these paapas. Then I will get dreadful diseases like leprosy, my body will be oozing blood and puss. I will get a ghora-rupam and become blind. My svabhaavam also will change: Saadhutvam will go and I will become a Kathinaatma. There will be no sahanam in me. In that pitiable situation can you help me and do my seva?”
Deepaka, who only had Guruseva in his mind, was very happy to do his Guruseva and said “Guruuttama! Since I am young, I will do the aavaahanam of the paapas and experience the leprosy, blindness etc.” Vedadharya replied “O my son Deepaka! One is responsible for his own paapas. They must be experienced by the karta only. It is not very difficult to experience it, the more difficult thing is to do seva to a paapa-piidita. You need a have a lot of sahanam”.
Deepaka and Vedadharya reached the great Kaashi Kshetram. They arranged a place for their living near Kamaleshvara Mahadeva Mandiram, which is to the North of Manikarnikaa-Ghat. After doing Kaashi Vishvanaatha, Jaganmaata Annapurna puja, Vedadharya did aavaahanam of the 2 previous janma paapas. He started suffering from the diseases as he explained before.
He had no sahanam and used to show it on Deepaka. Deepaka used to cry seeing the Dusthiti of his Guru. He used to take great care of his Guru: neatly wash his wounds, clean blood and puss, apply medicine, tie bandages. He even used to clean the mala-mutras and put new clothes for his Guru. He used to do Bhikshaatana and get food for his Guru. Vedadharya used to eat the whole of it and used to blame Deepaka for not bringing sufficiently more. Deepaka never used to get angry and without any viraamam and with great care he used to do his Guru’s seva.
One day, impressed by the Guruseva of Deepaka, Lord Vishveshvara appeared before him and said “Vatsa! Your Guruseva is amogham. Please ask me what you want”. With great aanandam Deepaka replied “Sarveshvara! In this world I dont know anything except my Guru. I will ask him after he wakes up from his sleep and tell you”. After Vedadharya woke, Deepaka told him what happened and asked him “I will go to Shiva and ask Him to heal you”. Vedadharya didnt accept and said “One must experience the result of his paapam. Then only they will be destroyed. Only in that I will have trupti”.
The next day, Deepaka went to Vishveshvara sannidhi and didnt ask for any varam. Seeing the Aadhyaatmika-saadhana of Deepaka, Parameshvara took him to Nirvaana-mandapam along with Parvati Devi. There Shrimannarayana and other Devatas were there. There Shiva told everyone about the Guruseva and Sevaasakti of Deepaka and praised him. Shrimannarayana said “Please tell Us your abhishtam. We are ready to grant it”. Deepaka did saashtaanga-vandanam and replied with gadgada svaram “Devaadideva! I never did your Naama-smaranam. Neither did I do your puja or archana. Why are you ready to give me varam?”.
“O Vatsa! Guruseva is equivalent to doing seva to all Devatas. Hence please ask Us what you want” said Shrimannarayana. “Then please grant me achanchala Guru-Bhakti” said Deepaka. All the Devatas were happy with Deepaka and granted him the same.
Morals in the Story:

1. Guruseva is equivalent to seva to all Devatas. Deepaka, with his unparalled Guruseva, had the Durlabha-darshanam of all the Devatas.
2. Vinayam, Guru-Bhakti and interest in learning are very important for a Vidyarthi. One who has these qualities can learn all shastras in no time, like Deepaka.
3. One must experience the result of his paapam some or the other time. This was told by Vedadharya many times in the story. Hence one must be very careful not to do paapa-karyas.

Padmapaada

Padmapaada was the priya-shishya of Shri Jagadguru Aadi Shankaraachaarya. His original name was Sananda. Once Shri Aadi Shankaraachaarya overheard His other shishyas discussing why their Guru likes Sananda the most? What is so great about him? In order to show the Guru-bhakti of Sananda to other shishyas Shri Aadi Shankaraachaarya called Sananda who was on the other side of the pavitra Gangaa-nadi. Shri Aadi Shankaraachaarya said “come fast”. Without any doubt, Sananda closed his eyes and with ananya-bhakti started to run across the Nadi (which will be the nearest route). Then Gangaa-maata made Padmas appear below Sananda feet, whereever he steps and made him cross the river, without drowning. From that day onwards Sananda was known as Padmapaada.
Padmapaada was born in Choladesham and right from childhood was a Shri Nrusimha-upaasaka. For Shri Nrusimha-saakshaatkaaram, he did Tapas for many years in Ahobilam, the pavitra Shri Nrusimha Kshetram in Aandhra Pradesh. But Svaami didnt show Karuna. Knowing this, once Shri Aadi Shankaraachaarya, who was then near the Pavitra Phaala-dhaara Teertham in the Divya Shrishaila Kshetram, said to Padmapaada “Putra! Padmapaada! You are very eager to have the Divya-darshanam of Shri Narasimha Svaamy. Time for it has come. Not far from here, there is Chenchuguudem. There is one Parvata-Bilam there. Parvata-Bilams are like Maatru-garbham. They keep Jeevas away from usual Worldly things and make him go in the path of Moksham. So you immediately go there and do Tapas. You will get Mantra-siddhi”.
Immediately Padmapaada reached the Parvata-Bilam in Chenchuguudem and started Ghora-Tapas. The King of the Aativikas, knowing this came running to Padmapaada and said, with great Vinayam, “Svaami! My name is Bayanna. I am the Chenchudora (King of Aativikas). This Bhuu-bhaagam is under my control, so just tell me what you are searching for in this place, I will get it to you”. Padmapaada replied “Dora! I am looking for a Nrusimham which has Simham as head and Maanusha-shariiram”. Bayanna replied “Svaami! I know the whole of this forest. I saw many tigers, lions and many wild animals. But I never saw what you described”.
Padmapaada replied “It is there here only. However you will not be able to see It”. Bayanna replied “Svaami! If really there is some Thing like what you described, I will bind It and bring It before you, else I will leave my life”. Saying this, he left for searching Nrusimham. Always thinking about the ruupam that Padmapaada had described, leaving Nidra-aahaaram, Bayanna searched all day. But his shrama didnt get any phalitam. So he decided to do Praana-tyaagam. Then seeing the Nishkalmasha-bhakti of Bayanna, Shri Nrusimham appeared before him! Immediately Bayanna tied Shri Narasimha Svaamy with some creepers and brought him before Padmapaada!!
“Svaami! See I got What you were searching for. I put lot of effort. Finally I got Him. I tied and brought Him, see” said Bayanna. However Padmapaada was not able to see Shri Narasimha. He cried “Svaami! In one day You gave Your saakshaatkaaram to Bayanna. Even though I did Tapas for so many years I am not able to see you?”. “Putra! Padmapaada! The Ekaagrata which even after 1crore years of Tapas is difficult to get, this Bayanna achieved it in one day. Because of you being in his saagatyam (company), you are able to hear Me. Your Tapas gave you phalitam now. You got Mantra-siddhi. When you are in need, I will Myself come to you” saying thus, Shri Narasimha Svaami dissappeared.
Morals in the story:

1. Guru-bhakti of Padmapaada is well shown in the story. Without any kind of doubt, Padmapaada started to walk cross the river as soon as he heard his Guru, Shri Aadi Shankaraachaarya call him. Without Guru-bhakti no Vidya can be learnt .
2. The Nishchala Bhakti, Ekaagrata of Bayanna are well shown in the story. As Shri Narasimha Svaami Himself said, the Bhakti, Ekaagrata which even after 1crore years of Tapas cannot be got, Bayanna got in 1 day.

Rama Sharma

Long time ago, there used be a rushi by name Vedasaagara. He knew all Veda, Shaastra, Puraanas. His aashramam was on the banks of the Kaaverii-Nadi. Following his sva-dharmam, he used to spread his knowledge by teaching many Shishyas. However, since any Daanam must be given only to a Satpaatra (one who deserves), he used to examine the Vidyaarthi before accepting him as his Shishya and do Vidyaa-daanam.
One day, two Vidyaarthis by names Raama Sharma and Krishna Sharma came to Vedasaagara. Vedasaagara asked them to stay in the aashramam till he finishes the exam and accepts them. As a first lesson, he told “Gururbrahma, Gururvishnuh, Gururdevo Maheshvarah, Gurussakshaat Parabrahma, Tasmai Shri Guravenamah”.
On one Ekaadashi, Vedasaagara woke the two Vidyaarthis very early and told “today is Ekaadashi. It is the priya-tithi for both Paramashiva and Mahaavihnu. You must do Upavaasam today. Also goto the Devaalayam in the far off hill and come back by Saayam-sandhya”. Both of them started off for the Devaalayam. By the time of Maadhyaahnika-Sandhyaavandanam, they reached the Devaalayam. They were completely exhausted and were very hungry, thirsty and tired. After Daiva-darshanam, the Devaalaya-puujaari offered them Prasaadam and Tiirtham. Raama Sharma remembered his Guru-aagnya and hesitated to take. Then the puujaari said “at such difficult times you need not follow your Guru-aagnya. That too how will he know that you didnt obey him? So take it”. Krishna Sharma, unable to bear the hunger, ate; however Raama Sharma chose to stick to his Guru-aagnya.
One day, when Vedasaagara was teaching the two some lesson, forest-fire surrounded them. There was only one way out: use the boat (which could carry atmost 2 people) and cross the river. Vedasaagara immediately said “you both take the boat and go. Looking after you is my Kartavyam. I am old, it doesnt matter if I loose my life. Also you are very young”. Krishna Sharma immediately went and sat in the boat.
However Raama Sharma didnt move and replied “O Gurudeva! Kshama for not following your aangya. As you told us, a Shishya’s prathama Dharmam is Guruseva and rakshana. That too the society wont loose anything if a agnyaani like me dies. Uttama Guru like you is very important to the society. So please take the boat”. Saying this, he forcibly made Vedasaagara sit in the boat.
Immediately all the fires vanished. Vedasaagara said “I created all this with my Tapas-shakti to test you two. I was only the puujaari at the Devaalayam. Raama Sharma qualified both my tests and hence I accept him as my Shishya.”.
Morals in the story:

1. The Guru-shishya anyonya-sambandham is well shown in this story. Guru wanted to save the Shishya and the Shishya was worried about the Guru.
2. Whatever happens one must always keep up his word. That too a word given to a Guru. Raama Sharma though he was very hungry, followed his Guru-aagnya and continued his upavaasam.
3. The amruta-vaakyas of Vedasaagara and Raama Sharma (during their conversion when forest-fire came) reveals the unnata-aadarshas of Bhaarateeyas. As shown in their conversion, they always think about what is Dharmam, what is useful to the society and then act.

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...)  

 
<sub>(My humble greatfulness to Moral Stories dot com,  Hindu dot com and Devotees   for the   collection)

( A tribute to the great Bharatiya Samskruti)</sub>