The Lop-Sided Attitude

Anecdotes

oi-Staff

By Staff

Thursday, May 28, 2009, 14:23

There was once a Brahmin who tended his garden with utmost care day and night. Once a cow strayed into it and grazed a mango sapling which the Brahmin had attended to with great care. The Brahmin finding the mango sapling nibbled by the cow, flew into a fury and beat it so badly that the injured animal died.

The news of the Brahmin killing the cow spread every nook and corner. When people attributed the animal's death to his cruel beating, the Brahmin who was a Vedantin explained that it was not he who had indulged in the crime but his hand. Since the presiding deity of the hand is Lord Indra, the Brahmin passed over the blame to him to be questioned of the issue.

Lord Indra, who was aware of the issue, assumed himself to be an old Brahmin and made a visit to the owner of the garden. On meeting the Brahmin, Lord Indra exclaimed the beauty of the garden with admiration and appreciated the skillful gardener who was behind the beautiful work. The Brahmin was quick to take the praise by saying that it was his interest and hard work that had gone into the making of such a beautiful garden.

Lord Indra, on hearing the Brahmin's claim for his involvement in laying out the beautiful garden said with folded hands, that when the gardener takes the credit for the beauty of the garden, how was it that he transferred the blame of killing the cow to poor Indra? The Brahmin was visibly stupified.

When one does not take the responsibility of his wrong actions, he is ought not to claim the credit for his right actions as well. Until one is established in the self, one is responsible for his actions. When self realisation dawns, actions are then not attributed to the doer.