An inexhaustible vessel

AKSHAY PATRA (अक्षय पात्र) 

The term "Akshay Patra" (अक्षय पात्र) comes from Sanskrit:

Akshay (अक्षय) = Never-ending, inexhaustible, or eternal

Patra (पात्र) = Vessel, pot, or container

So, "Akshay Patra" means "an inexhaustible vessel"—a container that never runs out of food or sustenance. In the Mahabharata, it symbolised divine abundance and eternal provision, ensuring that the Pandavas never went hungry during their exile. Today, the term is often used metaphorically to represent limitless resources, generosity, or divine blessings.

The Story of Akshay Patra

During their exile in the forest, the Pandavas and Draupadi often faced difficulties in obtaining food. To help them, Surya Deva (the Sun God) gifted Yudhishthira a divine vessel called the Akshay Patra. This vessel had a magical property—it would provide an unlimited amount of food until Draupadi herself had eaten for the day.

With the help of this vessel, the Pandavas could feed themselves and any guests who came to visit them during their exile.

The Incident with Durvasa Muni

Once, the sage Durvasa and his disciples arrived at the Pandavas’ hermitage after Draupadi had already eaten for the day. Since the Akshay Patra would not produce any more food until the next day, Draupadi was worried, as Durvasa was known for his short temper and could curse them if not served properly.

Feeling helpless, Draupadi prayed to Lord Krishna for help. Krishna arrived and asked Draupadi to bring the Akshay Patra. When she showed it to him, he found a single grain of rice stuck to it. He ate that grain, and miraculously, it satisfied the hunger of Durvasa and all his disciples.

When Durvasa and his followers felt full, they left without returning to the hermitage, thus saving the Pandavas from their wrath.

Symbolism of Akshaya Patra

The Akshay Patra represents abundance, divine grace, and sustenance. It is a reminder that faith in God and righteousness will always bring solutions to even the most difficult problems.

A folktale from West Bengal

FISH IN THE FIRE 

One day, in a certain village, a Wife felt a very strong urge to eat fresh fish. When she expressed her wish to her Husband, he went to the market and bought three fish. The Wife happily cleaned and cooked them.

When they sat down to eat, the Husband said, "Considering that I am the Lord and Master of the house, I will have two fish."

The Wife retorted, saying, "No, you shall not. I am not a servant that I will be content with one fish."

The Husband lost his temper and said, "I bought the fish from the bazaar. So, I should get two fish for all the trouble I took."

Not to be outdone, the Wife said, "Don't I deserve two fish for all the trouble I went through to cook them?"

The quarrel went on until the Husband suggested, "Let us keep a bet. Whoever speaks first will have to eat one fish."

They went to bed silently without touching the meal. The whole day passed, but neither of them moved or uttered a single word. The neighbours, wondering if something was the matter, knocked at the door again and again, but in vain.

Finally, they broke open the door and entered the house only to find the couple lying down. They shook them, but as neither of them uttered a sound, the neighbours thought that they were dead and carried them off to the crematorium.

The pyre was set up and the Husband was laid first, followed by his wife. Just as someone was about to light the pyre, the Husband jumped up yelling, "You win! I will eat one fish!!" 

His wife promptly sat up and said, matter-of-factly, "And I will eat the other two."

😄😁😂

Story of devotion and sacrifice

LEGEND OF DHARMAPADA

The Sun Temple of Konark has several fascinating legends associated with its construction and origin. One of the most popular stories is tied to the devotion and sacrifice of a young boy named Dharmapada.

According to the legend, King Narasimhadeva I commissioned the construction of the Sun Temple, and 1,200 artisans worked on it for 12 years. Despite their dedicated efforts, they struggled to install the crowning stone (kalasha) on the top of the temple, which was crucial for its completion.

The king had declared that if the temple was not completed within the stipulated time, all the artisans would be executed. As the deadline approached, the artisans became increasingly anxious. At that time, a 12-year-old boy named Dharmapada, the son of the chief architect Bishu Maharana, arrived at the site.

Though Bishu Maharana had left his home when his wife was pregnant, Dharmapada had grown up hearing about his father's work on the magnificent temple. When he learned of the artisans' plight, he examined the construction and ingeniously suggested a solution. Following his guidance, the crowning stone was finally placed, completing the temple.

However, the artisans feared that if the king learned a mere boy had succeeded where they had failed, they would still face punishment. To protect his father's reputation and save the artisans, Dharmapada made the ultimate sacrifice—he leapt into the waters of the Chandrabhaga River from the top of the temple.

The legend portrays Dharmapada as a symbol of wisdom, sacrifice, and dedication. Even today, his story resonates with the people of Odisha, adding a mystical aura to the majestic Sun Temple.

Story from Greek mythology

PANDORA AND THE BOX

Once upon a time in ancient Greece, there lived a woman named Pandora. She was crafted by the gods themselves—a woman of extraordinary beauty, grace and curiosity. Pandora’s existence was a divine gift, though she had no idea that her fate was intertwined with a mysterious box that would change the world forever.

One day, Zeus, the king of the Gods, decided to teach Prometheus, a Titan, a lesson. Prometheus had defied the Gods by stealing fire and giving it to humanity, an act that enraged Zeus. To punish both Prometheus and humankind, Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the God of craftsmanship, to create Pandora, the first mortal woman. Hephaestus shaped her with exceptional care, and each of the Gods bestowed upon her a unique gift.

Pandora was breathtakingly beautiful, but she was also given an insatiable sense of curiosity—a trait the Gods intended to use for their own purpose. As part of their plan, they presented her with a stunning box decorated with intricate patterns and divine symbols. However, this was no ordinary gift. Within the box were sealed all the troubles, sorrows and hardships of the world. The Gods warned Pandora never to open it.

For a long time, Pandora obeyed the God’s command and lived a joyful life alongside her husband, Epimetheus. But with each passing day, her curiosity grew stronger until it became unbearable. The box seemed to whisper to her, calling her to unlock its secrets.

One fateful day, Pandora could resist her temptation no longer. Trembling with anticipation, she lifted the lid—just a crack. In an instant, a dark, swirling mass of shadowy creatures erupted from the box, spreading like smoke throughout the room. They brought chaos, pain and despair, filling the world with sorrow. Pandora, horrified by what she had done, tried to close the box, but it was too late. All the troubles had escaped.

However, as she wept over the destruction she had unleashed, Pandora noticed a faint glow emanating from the bottom of the box. She peered inside and saw a small, glimmering light—hope. It flickered gently, like a fragile flame, but its warmth was undeniable. Though filled with guilt, Pandora held onto that light, realizing that hope was humanity’s greatest gift.

From that day forward, humans faced hardships and suffering, but they also carried the flame of hope within their hearts. No matter how dark the days became, hope reminded them that brighter days could lie ahead.

The tale of Pandora and her box serves as a timeless reminder that curiosity, though powerful, can bring both blessings and burdens. Yet, even in the midst of despair, there is always a spark of hope to guide us through life’s trials.

56 types of food items

CHHAPPAN BHOG 

It is a common practice in Hinduism to offer food to idols of God. This is called bhog. While bhog is offered to all deities, the one offered to Sri Krishna is unique because it contains 56 types of food items. This is popularly called ‘chhappan bhog’, where chhappan means fifty-six. While different sources give a different list of what the individual dishes should be, they are all unanimous on the number 56. There is a story behind this.

When Sri Krishna was a young cowherd in Vrindavana, the residents used to celebrate a festival towards the end of the rainy season to honour Indra. He was the God of the clouds and of the waters. He sent clouds laden with moisture from which rain fell on the earth, helping grains and grasses grow, on which humans and cows survived. The cowherds used to hold this festival to thank Indra for the rains.

Krishna argued that they were cowherds, not cultivators of land or merchants. Their only wealth was cows, which grazed on the Govardhana Mountain. Thus, a proper divinity to be worshipped by cowherds would be Govardhana. What did cowherds have to do with Indra? The people of Vrindavana agreed wholeheartedly and offered worship to Govardhana and circumambulated it. Indra became extremely angry at the lack of worship for him. He sent down large clouds and a fearsome storm to Vrindavana. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and an incessant rain poured. The cows and cowherds of Vrindavana became greatly oppressed by the rain. Soon, there was flooding everywhere, and if nothing was done quickly, the people and cows would drown. Krishna lifted the Govardhana Mountain in one hand and asked all the cowherds to enter beneath it, with their cows, for shelter from the rain. For seven days and nights, the rain poured, but the cowherds happily sang songs in the shade of the mountain. On the eighth day, Indra accepted defeat and ceased the rain.

In those days, time of the day used to be measured in praharas, with one prahara being equal to three hours. There used to be eight praharas in a day. Mother Yashoda used to feed Krishna every prahara, so he used to have eight meals a day. Krishna had stood lifting the mountain for seven days, making a total of 56 praharas. During this time, he did not eat or drink anything. To compensate for that, Indra offered 56 types of food for Krishna to placate him. Some stories say that Mother Yashoda fed 56 types of food to Krishna after he put the mountain down. Since then, Sri Krishna has always been offered a chhappan bhog.

A popular folktale from Goa

THE LEGEND OF THE COCONUT TREE 

A long time ago, in a small Goan village near the sea, there lived a young boy named Prakash. He was an orphan and lived with his kind-hearted grandmother. They were poor, surviving on the little food they could gather.

One day, while walking along the shore, Prakash saw a beautiful fish struggling in a fisherman’s net. It had golden scales that shimmered under the sun. Feeling pity, Prakash begged the fisherman to let it go. The fisherman laughed and said, “Why waste a good catch?” But when the fish spoke in a human voice, saying, “Please set me free, and I will reward you,” the fisherman got scared and ran away, leaving the fish with Prakash.

Prakash gently released the fish into the water. Before disappearing into the waves, the fish said, “Thank you, kind boy. In return, I grant you a wish.”

Prakash thought for a moment and wished for a tree that would provide food for his grandmother and the whole village. The fish smiled and said, “Go home and plant this seed.” A small golden seed floated toward Prakash.

He rushed home and planted it near his hut. Within days, the seed sprouted into a tall, majestic tree— the first coconut tree. It had sweet water inside, strong wood, and nutritious fruit. The villagers rejoiced, calling it a miracle tree. They learned to use every part of it— the leaves for shelter, the husk for fire, and the fruit for food.

Since then, the coconut tree has been known as the “Tree of Life” in Goa, a gift from the sea, always reminding people of Prakash’s kindness.

Lessons we learn from Panchatantra

BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

 

Once, a group of blind men heard that an elephant had been brought to their town. Curious, they decided to learn what an elephant was like by feeling it. Each man approached the animal from a different side. 

The first man touched the elephant’s leg and said, “An elephant is like a pillar, solid and sturdy.”

The second man felt the trunk and declared, “No, an elephant is like a thick, twisting snake.”

The third man, feeling the ear, said, “You are both wrong. An elephant is like a large fan, soft and fluttering.” 

The fourth man, touching the tusk, insisted, “An elephant is sharp and pointy, like a spear.” 

Each man argued, convinced that their perception was the truth. But they couldn’t understand how the elephant could be all these things at once. 

A wise passerby overheard and said, “Each of you is partly right, but none of you is fully correct. The elephant is not just one of these things; it is all of them combined.”

Moral: Our perceptions are limited by our experiences. True understanding requires seeing the whole picture, not just a part of it. To succeed, it’s crucial to acknowledge diverse viewpoints.

An African folktale

THE MAN WHO NEVER LIED

Once upon a time, there lived a wise man named Mamad, known far and wide for never telling a lie. People from even distant lands spoke of him. When the king heard of Mamad, he summoned him to the palace. 

The king asked, "Mamad, is it true that you've never lied?"

"Yes, it's true, " Mamad replied. 

"And you never will lie?" the king asked. 

"I'm certain of that," Mamad answered. 

Several days later, the king called Mamad again. A large crowd gathered as the king prepared to go hunting. Holding his horse by its mane, with his left foot in the stirrup, the king gave Mamad an order. 

"Go to my summer palace, tell the queen I'll join her for lunch, and ask her to prepare a grand feast. We will have lunch together."

Mamad bowed and went to the queen. Meanwhile, the king chuckled, thinking, "We won't go hunting now, and Mamad will lie to the queen. Tomorrow, we'll have a laugh."

But Mamad went to the palace and said, "Perhaps you should prepare a grand feast for lunch tomorrow, or maybe you shouldn't. Perhaps the king will come by the noon, or perhaps he won't."

"Will he come or not?" asked the queen. 

"I don't know." said Mamad, "I know if he puts his right foot in the stirrup or his left foot on the ground."

Everyone waited for the king, who came the next day and told the queen, "The wise Mamad, who never lies, lied to you yesterday."

The queen explained what Mamad had said. Hearing this, the queen realised that a truly wise man never lies.

A teacher knows the true student

 ASHTAVAKRA 

Ashtavakra a great sage. He was given this name because his body was bent in eight places, which is what his name literally means. When he was still a baby in his mother’s belly, his father would read aloud sacred verses to him, every night. 

Even before his birth, Ashtavakra was so intelligent that he once corrected his father when he mispronounced a verse. His father was short-tempered and tired. He cursed the unborn baby to be born deformed. The curse took hold, and Ashtavakra was born with eight crooks in his body.

People laughed at his appearance in derision as a child wherever he went. Undeterred, he became a learned sage. At a very young age, he had learnt to look not at people’s appearance or status but at their inner qualities. He composed the Ashtavakra Gita. This is in the form of a dialogue between Ashtavakra and King Janaka, the king of Mithila and the father of Devi Sita. 

Though a very knowledgeable sage, Ashtavakra was reluctant to take disciples, so he had very few. When King Janaka heard the sage, he was very impressed by his knowledge and wisdom. Janaka humbly requested Ashtavakra to accept him as a disciple. Ashtavakra immediately agreed. This caused some heartburn among his other disciples.

They said, "Our guru too plays favourites. Otherwise, why did he accept the king as a disciple without any of the trials that he had us face?" 

The talk reached Ashtavakra’s ears too. One day, King Janaka was late in attending Ashtavakra’s discourse. All the other disciples were already gathered and waiting. 

The moment the king dismounted his horse, Ashtavakra said, ‘Today, I had a terrible vision. The capital of Mithila will be destroyed by earthquake and fire. All the people in the city will die. Those of you who have loved ones or valuables in the city must hurry there now to save whatever you can."

There was unrest among the monks, and all of them quickly left for the capital. Only King Janaka and Ashtavakra were left sitting. Ashtavakra said, "O King! Would you not save anything?"

King Janaka said, "O Guru! You are my only treasure." 

Ashtavakra nodded and said, "If that is the case, mount your horse now, and go and gather my students back to me. Tell them that I have been mistaken, and the capital is in no danger." 

When the other disciples came back, they grumbled about being sent on foolish errands here and there. Slowly, however, they understood that Ashtavakra had not accepted Janaka as a disciple because he was a king but because he had recognised that Janaka was a true student.

Story

CHANGING OUR VISION 

There was once a very wealthy man who was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted many physicians and was being treated by several of them. But the ache persisted with more vigour than before. 

Finally, a monk who was supposed to be an expert in treating such patients was called for by the suffering man. The monk understood his problem, and said that for some time he should concentrate only on green colour, and not to let his eyes fall on any other colours. It was a strange prescription, but the wealthy man was desperate and decided to try it out. 

The millionaire got together a group of painters, purchased barrels of green paint and directed that every object his eye was likely to fall on, be painted green; precisely as the monk had directed. When the monk came to visit him after few days, the millionaire's servants ran with buckets of green paint and poured them on him since he was in red attire, lest their master see any other colour, and his eye ache come back. 

Hearing this, the monk laughed and said, "If only you had purchased a pair of green spectacles worth just a few dollars, you could have saved these walls, trees, pots, all other articles, and also you could have saved a large share of his fortune. You just cannot paint the whole world green."

Let us first change our vision and perception; and the world will appear accordingly. It is foolish to shape the world; we need to shape ourselves first. 

From Greek Mythology

 THE TALE OF ATALANTA AND HIPPOMENES

 

In ancient Greece, there was a swift and fearless young woman named Atalanta. She was raised in the wild by a bear and became an outstanding hunter, known for her amazing speed. Her fame spread widely, and many people came to challenge her in a footrace.

Confident in her skills, Atalanta made a daring declaration: “I will marry anyone who can outrun me in a race. But those who lose will face a penalty.” Her rules were strict, but many were eager to try, drawn by her beauty and the excitement of the challenge.

One day, a young man named Hippomenes watched Atalanta while she raced. He was amazed by her speed and grace. “How can anyone be so fast?” he wondered aloud.

Hearing this, Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, appeared before him. “You admire Atalanta, don’t you?” she asked. Hippomenes nodded, and Aphrodite handed him three golden apples. 

“Use these in the race. They are no ordinary apples; they are gifts from the Gods.”

Hippomenes accepted the challenge. As the race began, Atalanta took off with incredible speed. But Hippomenes had a plan. He threw one of the golden apples off the track.

Atalanta, drawn to the golden glow of the apple, veered off course to pick it up, giving Hippomenes a chance to get ahead. But she quickly caught up. Again, Hippomenes threw a second apple, and again, Atalanta was briefly distracted.

As they neared the finish line, Hippomenes threw the final apple. Atalanta hesitated, caught between the race and the beautiful apple. This brief pause allowed Hippomenes to cross the finish line first.

Breathless, Atalanta walked up to him. “You have won the race and my heart,” she said, smiling. “But how did you beat me?”

Hippomenes showed her the last piece of the golden apple. “It was Aphrodite’s divine gift that helped me. But it wasn’t just about winning. I admire your strength and spirit.”

The two, brought together by the race and respect for each other, eventually married and began new adventures together.

Moral of the Story: The story of Atalanta and the footrace teaches us that sometimes wit and cleverness can overcome sheer strength.

A short moral story

 THE FOOLISH OLD FROG

Once upon a time, there was an old frog which was called the Foolish Old Frog. His most prominent character trait was his extremely low intelligence. He had difficulty with just about everything. He always acted in a silly manner that made everyone laugh at him. They considered him a moron and a worthless creature.

Despite his low intelligence, the frog was very kind-hearted, as he often went out of his way to help others, even if he was sometimes oblivious to their problems. He was generous and compassionate.

One day, the king decided to hold a quiz competition among the top five smartest animals. He called all the animals in the kingdom and asked them to select five contestants known for their intelligence.

The Wise Dolphin was the first contestant selected for the competition. The second was the Smart Chimpanzee. The third was the Intelligent Wolf. The fourth was the Brilliant Squirrel.

Now, some animals wanted to mock and ridicule the old frog, so they chose him as the fifth contestant. They all laughed at him heartlessly and began to mumur,

"He is such a fool! He is an old fool! He will never be able to answer the question correctly! He will be humiliated! Hahaha!"

When the five contestants were ready, the king came up and promised that whichever animal won the quiz would be given a huge sum of money as a prize. An amount that could change their life forever.

At that moment, he asked the question,

"Which mammal is known to have the most powerful bite in the world?"

All the contestants became terribly confused. For several minutes, none was able to get the correct answer. They tried and tried, but all to no avail. Just then, the old frog screamed,

"Hippopotamus!"

The king smiled broadly and exclaimed,

"Wow... correct! You won the quiz!"

The animals were surprised and could not believe it. They suddenly felt ashamed of looking down on the old frog. They felt so guilty that they asked for his forgiveness.

Later on, an animal approached the old frog and asked,

"Tell me, how did you know the correct answer to the quiz question?"

He answered,

"I didn't know the answer. It was just luck. I noticed the hippopotamus was eating my cake, so I screamed his name for him to stop."

MORAL LESSON:

Don't mock or look down on anyone for whatever they are. You may think you've seen it all, but luck and chance are capable of changing a person's life forever!

HUMOROUS SHORT STORY

All for a loincloth

A hermit lived in a little hut on the bank of a river. His only possession was a loincloth.

Every day after his morning dip in the river he would hang his loincloth out to dry.

One afternoon he found that a rat had made a hole in the loincloth.

The next day the rat made another hole in it. The hermit went to the village and brought a cat. The rat fled. 

But now the hermit had to feed the cat and so whenever he went to the village to beg for food he would beg for milk too.

The people gave willingly but the hermit knew they could not really afford to give him milk every day. He decided to get a cow.

A rich man gave him one. Now the hermit did not have to beg for milk but he needed fodder for the cow. So he began to beg for fodder.

One day he thought, "Why not till the land around the hut? Then I won’t have to beg for fodder." So he began to till the land.

The yield was so great he had to hire labourers to help him. Then he thought, "I spend all my time supervising the labour. If I had a wife she could help me in this task." So he married. And had children. In course of time he became a wealthy landowner. 

One day a man asked him why he had given up his simple life to become a landowner and a householder.

He said, "It was the only way I could keep my  loincloth," said the former hermit sadly.

STORY

The elephant that was captured twice 

There was a huge elephant who lived in the Vindhya Hills. He had enormous tusks that looked like the thunderbolts of heaven.

One day, the elephant was caught in an iron trap laid by an elephant catcher. The animal tried to break out of the trap for three days but failed. The elephant catcher watched him from a distance. In great suffering, the elephant opened his mouth wide and uttered a roar like thunder. Then, he exerted the force of his tusks and managed to break out of the trap. 

The hunter who was watching this from far away, climbed a tall palm tree. When the elephant passed under the tree, the hunter jumped down, aiming to land on its head. Unfortunately, he missed and landed on the ground near the elephant's feet. The elephant could have easily trodden over the hunter, but it thought that was not bravery to trample over a fallen enemy. It kindly spared the life of the hunter and made his way back into the forest. 

After the elephant had gone away, the hunter slowly got up from the ground. He was relieved to see himself alive and surprised to note that despite the fall from the palm tree, he was unhurt. He felt sorry that his attempt to capture the elephant had failed. He felt like a treasure seeker who had seen the treasure only to see it slip away from him. He decided to try again. He roamed the jungle and finally found the elephant resting under a shady tree. The hunter dug a circular ditch near that place. He covered it with green branches and leaves. 

One day, the elephant was roaming in the jungle when he came to the ditch. Due to the branches and leaves, he could not see it. As soon as he stepped on them, he fell headlong. The pit was deep, and the elephant was trapped. It remained trapped there till it died. 

The elephant died because it did not kill the cruel hunter the first time. If the elephant had put an end to him, it would not have fallen into the deep pit. However, at that time, the animal was happy just at the thought of getting back its freedom. It did not think about the root cause of the problem, the hunter, and did not do anything about him. 

The lesson for us is that when we make a mistake, we must learn from it and make sure the root cause is removed so that we don’t commit it again, as the proverb says, 'to stumble twice against the same stone is a disgrace'.

THE FOLKTALE FROM MYANMAR

The Magic Powder

 

Once upon a time, in a little village on the banks of the Irrawaddy river, there lived a young woman called Thuza. She was very happily married to handsome young Theingi.

But there was one problem that nagged Thuza – her husband believed he was an alchemist and would spend all his time dreaming about ways to turn dirt into gold.

All day, and for days on end, Theingi spent his time in experiments, searching for a breakthrough. Soon, all their money was over, and young Thuza had to struggle to buy food for the two of them. She became very worried. 

“You should find a job soon,” she pleaded with her husband. “We cannot continue like this!”

But Theingi wouldn’t listen. 

“I’m on the verge of a breakthrough! Why do I have to work when we will be rich beyond our wildest dreams? We will soon be able to turn all the dirt we find into gold!”

Disheartened, Thuza approached her father, wise old Thet, for a solution. Thet was surprised when he heard that his son-in-law was an alchemist. He thought for a while and asked to see Theingi. Thuza returned home happily that day, for she knew her wise father would have a solution.

The next day, Theingi arrived at his father-in-law’s house, fully prepared for a scolding. He was taken by surprise when Thet took him aside and whispered, “When I was young like you, I was an alchemist too!”

The two of them spent the whole afternoon discussing Theingi’s work. Finally, the old man stood up and said, “Why Theingi, you’ve done everything exactly like I did when I was your age! You are definitely on the verge of a breakthrough! Congratulations! But you seem to be lacking one very important ingredient in your experiments. You will need this when you finally turn dirt to gold. Only recently did I discover this. But I am too old for this task. It requires enormous effort…”

“Then let me do it for you, Father!” cried Theingi. He was really excited. All his efforts would pay off at last. “Tell me what the ingredient is!”

“Good, you are excited!” said Thet. 

He leaned closer and whispered, “Son, the secret ingredient is a silver powder that is found only on banana leaves. You will have to plant the bananas yourself and cast certain spells on them. Then, as the plants grow, the powder on the leaves will gain magical powers.”

“How much of this powder will we need, Father?” asked Theingi excitedly.

“A kilo,” replied Thet.

“A kilo!” cried Theingi. “That would require hundreds of banana plants!”

“I’m afraid so, Son,” said the old man. “That is why I can’t complete the task myself…”

“Don’t lose heart, Father!” said Theingi. “I shall!”

Later that evening, the old man taught his son-in-law the magic spells and loaned him the money to start the work.

The very next day, Theingi bought a small field near his home and cleared it. Just as he had been instructed, he dug the ground himself and planted the saplings after carefully chanting the magic spells. Every day he went to the field and examined the saplings. He kept the weeds and pests away diligently. When the plants grew and bore fruit, he carefully collected the silver powder from the leaves and kept it safely in a box.

There was hardly any powder on each leaf, so Theingi had to buy more land and grow more bananas. But he was determined to do what was needed. It took him several years, but at the end of it all, he had managed to collect enough of the magic powder. He rushed to his father-in-law, excited as never before. He would soon be able to make gold from mere dirt!

“Father, finally… here is the kilo of magic powder!” he cried. The old man was filled with joy. “Wonderful!’’ he said. “Wonderful! You’ve done well, Theingi. I’m proud of you. Now I will show you how to turn dirt into gold. But first, let’s get Thuza. We need her help.” Theingi was a little puzzled, but without losing any time, he ran to his wife and was soon back with her.

“Thuza,” asked the old man, “what did you do with the bananas when your husband was collecting the powder?”

“Why, I sold them, Father,” replied Thuza. “That’s how we earned a living.”

“Then you must have been able to save some money too. Theingi grew more than enough bananas…” the old man continued.

“Yes, I did,” replied Thuza.

“Can we see it?” asked Thet.

“Of course, I have kept it safely at home,” beamed Thuza.

The three of them went to Theingi’s house where Thuza produced several bags from the loft where she had kept them safely. Thet opened one of the bags, peered inside, and smiled. He then emptied one of the bags on the table. Gold coins tinkled as they fell in a huge, shiny heap. Then he went to the field and came back with a handful of dirt, which he placed next to the heap of gold. 

“You see, Theingi,” he said, turning to his son-in-law, “you have changed dirt into gold!”

Never after that day did Theingi collect any more magic powder from the leaves. But he continued to grow bananas. His “alchemist” father-in-law had taught him the best way to turn dirt into gold, after all. He didn’t need the magic powder any more.

STORY TIME

The wise farmer and the magic pot

Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a poor but wise farmer. One day, while working in the field, he found a strange pot buried in the ground. To his surprise, the pot had magical powers. Whatever he placed inside it would double! The farmer used the pot wisely, placing seeds, grains and even money inside and soon he became prosperous. 

However, the farmer never let greed take over. He continued to help his neighbours and shared his newfound wealth with the village. Hearing about the pot, a greedy man from the village tried to steal it, but when he placed his hand inside, his greed caused the pot to trap him. The wise farmer, seeing this, warned everyone that greed leads to downfall. 

Moral: Use your blessings wisely and never let greed take over, for it can lead to your ruin. 

A NATIVE AMERICAN FOLK TALE

 Why do owls stare?

An owl and a pigeon were friends. One day, the owl began boastfully, “I think there are more owls than pigeons.” 

The pigeon laughed, “You must be joking! We pigeons can easily outnumber you.”

The owl frowned haughtily and said, “I challenge you to a count!” 

“Done!” cooed the pigeon. 

“But, first, let’s decide where the count will be held. After all, we’ll need plenty of perching space.”

The owl thought for a while and said, “How about the Big Woods? It has lots of trees.”

“Fine,” agreed the pigeon. “Go and inform all the owls and I’ll gather my flock. You have a week’s time. On the seventh day, an hour after sunrise, all owls and pigeons have to be there. Latecomers will not be counted.”

“Agreed,” hooted the owl and flew off to spread the news of the challenge.

A week passed and on the seventh day, the owls arrived at sunrise. They swooped down on Big Woods and occupied several trees.

“Toowit, toowit! Looks like the pigeons forgot to wake up,” they hooted joyfully.

Suddenly, the sky darkened as huge clouds rumbled over the woods from all four directions. The owls stared in shock as they realised that the clouds were actually pigeons. Thousands of pigeons swooped down, blocking the sunlight. They perched on the trees, pushing the owls together. Branches snapped, unable to take the weight of so many pigeons at once. The owls forgot to blink and started moving their heads from side to side in surprise. Their eyes grew wider and wider as the pigeons just kept coming in hordes.

Nervous about being squashed by the pigeons, the owls finally flew up into the sky. 

Since then, owls travel only at night when pigeons are fast asleep. And they stare at everything around them, watching out for pigeons. 

FROM THE PAGES OF SACRED TEXTS

Friendship in Indian mythology

Today is that day of the year when bonds between two friends are celebrated with pomp and show. A friend in need is a friend indeed is a proverb that says a true friend is someone who supports you through difficult times, guards you from harm, and acts as your compass when you’re feeling down to show the proper path. There are plenty of examples in the modern world of people going above and beyond to support their friends. However, what about Indian mythology and sacred texts?

 

Krishna and Arjuna were cousins. The latter’s mother was Kunti, Krishna’s aunt. However, their bond went beyond just kinship. Their friendship had been intimate. One’s gestures made the other person easier to understand. The Mahabharata claims that Krishna and Arjun are the human and divine forms that, when united, are capable of defeating evil. The highlight of their friendship story is when Krishna reads Arjun the Bhagavad Geeta. Even though Arjun was a strong warrior, he was moved to tears when he saw his family at the battlefield. He objected to the triumph being achieved at the expense of millions of lives. Arjun wanted to leave the battlefield. Krishna, however, encouraged him and also shared the divine knowledge. 

Lord Rama received assistance from the monkey king in his search for Devi Sita. Following Sita’s abduction by the demon king Ravana, Rama was forced to search the woods for his spouse. Then, in the course of this search, he came across Sugreev. Given that Sugreev was half human and half monkey, it is unlikely that anyone could have guessed that Rama would make friends with a monkey. And because of their peculiar affinity, he first kept Sugreeva safe from Bali, and the latter later demonstrated his loyalty by standing shoulder to shoulder with Rama to bring his wife back.

Karna, although born a Kshyatria, was raised by a charioteer and his wife, so he was considered a Shudra’s child. The Pandavas humiliated this warrior as he attempted to participate with Arjun. Despite being presented as bad for the most part, Duryodhan here stood for justice. He eventually loses in his attempt to have Karna compete, but as a token of his goodwill, he grants Karna the throne in the Anga province of his empire. Karna always treated Duryodhan as a true friend, despite the possibility that he intended to use Karna to accomplish his evil scheme against the Pandavas. He helped Duryodhan in whatever he did, even going so far as to continuously protect the life of his one and only friend. No wonder, when Kunti asked him to switch sides, Karna argued that he could never leave Duryodhan because he only had one true friend.

The pure and lovely friendship between Lord Krishna and Draupadi broke the notion that a male and female cannot be friends. There is no comparison to the way Draupadi would refer to Lord Krishna as ‘Sakha’ or how dependent she was on him. In order to tend to Lord Krishna’s cut finger, Draupadi sliced a piece of her clothing, demonstrating her concern for Krishna. Later, during the game of dice, the Pandavas lost their kingdom to the Kauravas, their cousins. As a result of their defeat, Draupadi was dragged into the assembly hall, and Dushasan, one of the Kaurava brothers, attempted to disrobe her in front of the entire court. However, Draupadi called out to Lord Krishna for help. Krishna, who was her dear friend and devotee, heard her prayers and came to her aid. It is believed that as Dushasan tried to disrobe Draupadi, her saree garment seemed to have no end, and Krishna miraculously protected her modesty by ensuring that the saree never ran out.

Krishna and Sudama were childhood buddies. Sudama once ate the butter on his own because he was the tall friend who was responsible for stealing it from the pot and would end up getting a less share. Another story says that they became good friends when they were studying in gurukul. One day Sudama ate all the food (beaten rice) alone given by his Guru's wife leaving Krishna hungry when they had gone to the forest to get firewood. He eventually got poorer. So much so that at one point of time he had little to eat. On being repeatedly asked by his wife, Sudama finally arrived at Krishna’s kingdom, Dwarka to get some assistance. However, the palace guards forbade him from entering, but Krishna saw him as a childhood friend and invited him inside. After seeing his condition, Krishna assisted his buddy in constructing a mansion for himself. With his approval, Sudama amassed wealth and led a contented life. In the face of any relationship, their friendship teaches us the value of unconditional love.

STORY

The Judgement of Maharaja

Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab set out on a journey. He was accompanied by his bodyguards, courtiers, and a retinue of soldiers.

Suddenly a stone came through the air and hit his head. He began to bleed. Injuring an emperor was one of the most heinous crimes and invited punishment up to the death penalty. 

Now the question arose—who might have flung the stone? The commander of the army looked around for the culprit. All others too were pressed into action. Very soon they discovered an old lady standing under a tree. 

They brought her to Maharaja and said, "Your highness, this is the culprit who might have thrown that stone at your head. There is no one else present in the vicinity." 

The old woman was trembling with terror. The situation was tense. 

Maharaja asked her, "Did you throw the stone?"

She replied in a meek and fumbling voice, "Yes, Your Highness, I did throw." 

"Why did you do so?" Maharaja asked. 

She pleaded, "I am extremely poor. I have nothing to eat at home, and for the past two days I have been forced to starve. My boy is hungry too. I wanted to get something, at least for the boy. I saw a tree laden with some fruits. I threw some stones to get a few fruits. To my dismay, I suddenly realised that the stone had taken the wrong direction and hurt you in the head. This is the truth. Now, your highness may be pleased to decide the quantum of my punishment."

The Maharaja immediately asked his cashier to give her sufficient food, along with a thousand rupees, and release her with due respect. 

All the people present there were flabbergasted by this judgement. They were wondering—is it a punishment or a reward? In fact, she deserved no less than the death penalty. They couldn’t understand how someone who had injured the Maharaja could merit such a reward. Was this not an irony of fate?! But they had no choice but to keep quiet. 

Maharaja understood their predicament and said, "You all know that if a stone is thrown at a tree it gives sweet fruits in return. If a lifeless tree behaves so, how can I punish her with bitter fruits? It cannot be so. Therefore, bestow her with proper rewards and release her with due respect."

From this, one can easily infer how a wise judge or jury should pronounce a judgement according to time, clime, situation, and the person involved.

AFRICAN STORY

"This is good"

An old story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" to which the king replied, "No, this is not good!" and ordered him to be sent to jail. 

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should never have entered. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to it. As they were about to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way. 

As he returned home, the king was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. 

"You are right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. 

"And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad of me to do this."

"No," his friend replied, "This is good! If I had not been in jail, I would have been with you."