«««Назад | Оглавление | Каталог библиотеки | Далее»»»

Прочитано: 93%

Story 46: Cutting Ones' Own Nose
to Spoil Another's Journey

     In a village lived two persons name Susanta and Krtanta who had for a long time been mischievious towards one another. Once they had been good friends, but somehow or other that friendship turned to rivalry. Now their relationship centered on one making trouble for the other, back and forth, tit for tat.

     Susanta, at last tired of this endless bickering with Krtanta, decided to take a pilgrimage on an auspcious day to Jagannatha Puri. Hearing this, Krtanta grew morose. ""If Susanta leaves here," he thought, "how will I be happy, unable to torment him? And how will I be happy knowing that he is enjoing peace and quite on his pilgrimage? Better I devise a means by which he won't leave here. Then I can continue to give him trouble every day."

     Knowing that Susanta was a believer in omens, Krtanta decided that he would cut off his own nose and sit in front of Susanta's house on the morning he was to leave. Susanta, seeing the inauspicious sign of a noseless person on the first step of his journey would turn around and go back in his house, cancelling his journey for at least some time, if not for good.

     Similarly, atheists plot conspiracies against Vaisnavas without regard even to their own appearance in human society. Even if it is obvious to everyone that such a person who hates Vaisnavas is simply a madman, he'll not desist in reinforcing that impression by continually criticizing devotees no matter what.

Story 47: Hellish Pandemonium

     A pious brahmana once told a drunkard, "Look, if you continue to drink wine, you are going to go to hell when you depart from this body. This is the statement of the Vedas."

     The drunkard replied, "But Suren Babu also takes wine."

     The brahmana said, "Well, then he will aslo go to hell."

     Drunkard: "Barun Babu also drinks wine."

     Brahmana: "Yes, then he'll go to hell too."

     Drunkard: "Arun Babu also drinks wine."

     Brahmana: "And he too will go to hell. Anybody who drinks wine goes to hell."

     Drunkard: "Are there other activities that put one into hell?"

     Brahmana: "Certainly. These are lying, stealing, cheating others, having lllicit sex--all are hellish activities."

     Drunkard: "So what happens to Bhamini, the famous prostitute?"

     Brahmana: "Oh, she will go to hell, no doubt."

     Drunkard: "And what about any and all other prostitutes in the world?"

     Brahmana: "They all go to hell."

     Drunkard: "And those men who look for prostitutes on the streetcorner?"

     Brahmana: "They will go to hell with the prostitutes."

     Drunkard: "Well, then who wouldn't want to go to hell? Drunkards, loose women and women-hunters--these people are such fun to be with! I can't wait to go to hell myself!"

     This story is a good statement about the condition of modern society. It is indeed hellish, but because "everybody is doing it," nobody minds too much if they will be punished by sinful reaction.

«««Назад | Оглавление | Каталог библиотеки | Далее»»»