Thursday, July 15, 2010

God protects His devotees!

A little boy named Prahlad was born into the household of a demon king-Hiranyakashipu. While Prahlad was still in his mother Kayadu's womb, he had listened to the discourses from sage Narad. Needless to say, Prahlad was born a lover of the Lord.
However, his father was apprehensive of Prahlad's devotion. He applied various means to deter him, and then to intimidate and at last to kill him. Initially he threatened, then he beat him up and finally when he saw nothing could stop Prahlad from taking Name of Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashipu ordered his demons to throw Prahlad from the top of a mountain. Prahlad came back unhurt. He was saved by none other than Lord Vishnu himself.
Hiranyakashipu's sister Holika had once received a boon from Bramha. She was immune to fire. So, she tried to kill Prahlad by putting him on her lap and dousing herself in fire. But, the fire deity couldn't even touch the devotee of Lord Vishnu. Instead, Holika was burnt to ashes.
Hiranyakashipu was so enraged that he started strangulating Prahlad. "What Vishnu Vishnu you are chanting, where is your Vishnu?" shouted Hiranyakashipu. "If he is so mighty, why doesn't he come in front, why is he hiding?"
Prahlad calmly answered that Lord Vishnu is everywhere in this world. He is the omnipresent Lord and he resides within all.

Do not lie, otherwise one day you will be trapped in your own lies.

Kaalu, a shepherd boy loved playing pranks on others. One day, while taking his sheep for grazing in the forest, one trick stuck his mind, “I’m getting bored. Let me play some prank and have fun.” He stood on a pile of rocks and started to shout, “help, somebody please help! a tiger has attacked my herd. It’ll kill me also.” Nearby villagers ran up to his rescue. But when they reached the venue they saw only Kaalu laughing away to glory. They scolded Kaalu for the prank and returned. Next day, Kaalu again applied the same trick. Villagers were again furious. But, Kaalu was too selfish to see other’s plight.
One day a real tiger entered his herd and started slaughtering his sheep. Kaalu was scared. Quickly he climbed the rock and shouted for help. “Help, help! a tiger is killing my sheep.”
“Forget it”, thought the villagers. “He again is fooling us, let’s not waste our time on it,” consulted the villagers and no one went for Kaalu’s rescue. Poor Kaalu became victim of his own lies.

To be greedy is bad, greed leads us to misery!

Once there was a dog. One day he found a big bone while passing by a butcher’s shop. He thought, “Hmm! I’m lucky, but let me be smart. I’ll hide it somewhere, so that I can enjoy over it again and again.”
Carrying the bone in between his jaws, he started to cross a bridge over a stream. There he saw his own reflection. “Who is this?” thought the dog. “Even he has the bone, let me beat him up and snatch the bone. That ways, I’ll have two bones.” Quick at thoughts and quicker at action, he opened his mouth to bark and scare the dog away. Opps! As soon as he opened his mouth, we know what happened- the bone in his own mouth fell down on water. There was no dog down there; it was just a reflection of the dog up the bridge. Greed led the dog loose what he had.