Krishnam Vande Jagadguru

One golden afternoon, as the sun began its descent behind the distant hills, Krishna and Arjuna strolled leisurely through the vibrant forest. The air was alive with the songs of birds and the rustle of leaves. As they walked, a figure hunched in the distance caught their attention. It was an old man, bent and frail, sitting by the side of the road, his hands trembling as he begged for alms.

Moved by compassion, Arjuna approached the man. With a gentle smile, he offered the old man a bag filled with shimmering gold coins, each coin gleaming in the soft light. The old man’s eyes sparkled with disbelief and joy. He clutched the bag to his chest, murmuring his gratitude, and hurried home, hopeful that his life had finally changed.

But fate had other plans. As the man made his way through the dense forest, a thief lurked in the shadows, eyes fixed greedily on the bag of gold. With swift hands, the thief stole the bag and vanished into the trees. The old man, devastated, cursed the cruel twists of his fate. He returned to his begging, heart heavy with sorrow.

The next day, Krishna and Arjuna spotted him again, sitting by the roadside, his face drawn with despair. "What has happened, my friend?" asked Arjuna, concern lining his voice.

The man, broken-hearted, recounted his tale. Once again, Arjuna’s heart was moved, and he took pity on the old soul. This time, he handed the man a dazzling diamond, its brilliance outshining the sun. "Take this," Arjuna said, "and may it bring you lasting happiness."

The man’s heart soared as he walked home, the diamond clutched tightly in his hands. Desperate to keep it safe, he hid it in an old, forgotten pot, one that had gathered dust in the corner of his humble home. Exhausted from the journey, he soon drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, as dawn broke, his wife set off to fetch water from the river. She carefully balanced her pot on her head, but a misstep on the rocky path caused her to slip. The pot shattered against the stones. Determined to not return empty-handed, she recalled the unused pot at home. She hurried back, found it, and filled it with water.

As she dipped the pot into the river, something shiny caught her eye. The old pot was not just filled with water—it was now home to a dazzling diamond! Panicked, she grasped the diamond, but the current swept it away before she could react. By the time she returned home, the old man was frantically searching for his treasure. When he saw the pot in her hands, he knew what had happened.

Grief-stricken, he left his home again to beg. This time, however, even his heart seemed empty of hope.

And once again, Arjuna and Krishna appeared. Seeing the man, Arjuna’s brow furrowed in concern. "What more can we do for this man? First, gold coins, then a diamond—and still, misfortune follows him." Krishna, however, smiled softly and handed the man two simple pennies.

Arjuna was puzzled. "My Lord, if gold and diamonds could not change his fortune, what can these two pennies do?"

Krishna smiled knowingly. "Let us wait and see."

The old man, bewildered, took the two pennies and shuffled back home. As he walked, he grumbled to himself about his ill fortune. Along the way, he saw a fisherman struggling with a fish caught in his net. The poor creature was gasping for breath, its life slipping away with every passing second.

A thought crossed the old man’s mind: "These two pennies can't feed me, but at least I can save this fish." With a sigh, he purchased the fish and, with great care, tossed it back into the river. As the fish swam away, a surprising sight stopped him in his tracks. The fish had something lodged in its mouth. The man carefully removed the obstruction, and to his astonishment, there lay the very diamond he had lost!

Overjoyed, the man shouted in triumph, "Look what I have found! Look what I have found!" The sound of his voice carried through the air, and as luck would have it, the thief who had robbed him in the forest happened to be nearby.

The thief, recognizing the old man, panicked. He feared the old man would remember his face and expose him as the thief. In a rush of guilt, the thief ran up to the man, fell at his feet, and begged for forgiveness. Trembling, he returned not only the stolen gold but all the riches he had taken from others.

The old man, overwhelmed with gratitude, thanked the thief and walked away, his heart light with joy. He hurried straight to Arjuna and Krishna to tell them of his fortune’s reversal, and to thank them for their kindness.

Arjuna, still perplexed, turned to Krishna. "My Lord, I don't understand. Why did the gold and diamonds fail to change his fate, but the two pennies worked miracles?"

Krishna’s eyes sparkled with wisdom as he replied, "When the man had gold and diamonds, his thoughts were focused only on his own desires. But when he had the two pennies, he thought of another creature’s life, choosing to act with kindness. In that moment, his heart aligned with the divine, and I took care of his needs."

Arjuna nodded slowly, understanding now. "When we put others' needs before our own," Krishna continued, "we do the work of God, and in turn, God takes care of us."

And with that, the two friends continued on their walk, the lesson of selflessness echoing in their hearts.