To Ask The Right Boon

Anecdotes

oi-Staff

Friday, October 16, 2009, 14:07

What would one ask the Lord if he was to appear before him? The story of Daridranarayana educates one of asking the Lord for the greatest boon.

Daridranarayana as his name denotes, was a very poor man. He neither had any property nor earnings. He supported his family with the milk of his two cows that would yield only when fed with a pound of husk.

One day when his son was returning with a pound of husk for the cows, he tripped and fell into the well. Now Daridranarayana lost his son as well as the husk. He got thoroughly disgusted with life and escaped to Rishikesh from home. At Rishikesh he came upon a Yogi to whom he surrendered and stated his tale of woe. The Yogi took pity on him and initiated him with the Kubera Mantra(The mantra to invoke the blessings of the Lord of wealth, Kubera).

Daridranarayana followed every word of the Yogj's instructions and did Japa (Repetition of chanting the mantra) of the mantra. Soon Lord Kubera, pleased with Daridranarayana's worship appeared before him and asked what he wanted. Daridranarayana quickly asked for four seers of husk. Lord Kubera laughed at his stupidity, granted his wish and disappeared. When the Yogi heard of it he said, “When the Lord of wealth appeared before you, you just asked for four seers of husk? There is no difference between you and the stupid devotee who asked the Lord of the three worlds, who appeared before him for petty worldly prosperity and material wealth instead of asking Him for eternal bliss and everlasting peace".

Is not wise to ask the great Lord for the greatest thing, peace or eternal bliss, the objective behind all human endeavours that sums up for all the other things that one craves for?