Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Brahmin and the Cobbler

 

Hare Krsna!!!
 
Dear Parents,
We are happy that many kids reciting the sloka with great interest and enthusiasm. We would like all the kids in our class to know the sloka and Parents, please help the kids learn their slokas. Also, during bedtime, you can ask them to recite the story that they have heard this week.
 
This week,
PRAYERS & BHAJANS: We started the class with prayers to Lord Krsna and we are still learning Jaya Radha Madhava bhajan.
jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī
gopī-jana-vallabhagiri-vara-dhārī
yaśodā-nandana braja-jana-rañjana
yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī
 
SLOKA: We revised the previously taught sloka BG(8:6)
tyajaty ante kalevaram
Audio Link: BGSloka8.6
Bhagavad-Gita Link:If you would like to know more about this verse and its purport, please visit http://vedabase.com/en/bg/8/6
[Note: Please refer to the old posts for the previous slokas and stories.]
 
STORY: Radhika Mataji narrated The Brahmin and the Cobbler story very nicely.
Narada Muni traveled all over the universe singing the glories of Lord Krishna. On one such journey to earth, he met a brahmin priest.
The
brahmin was a proud man. He had just finished his daily rituals when Narada Muni met him. He said to Narada Muni, "Namaste, Oh Naradaji". Narad Muni blessed him saying,"May your life be successful." "Oh Brahmin". The arrogant brahmin asked Narada Muni , "since you travel all over the universe, will you be visiting Vaikuntha soon? If so, will you please ask Lord Narayana when I will join Him there? I am sure it will be soon. But I just want to make sure".
Narada Muni agreed that he would ask Lord Narayana.
As Narada proceeded, he met a cobbler who was sitting under a tree mending shoes, and the cobbler bowed down to Narada Muni's feet and similarly asked , “Oh! Narada Ji! Are you going to see God? Will you please inquire from Him when I'll be able to see Him?”
Narada Muni said he would definitely ask the Lord when next he sees Him.
Then Narada Muni went to Vaikunta and met Lord Narayana and mentioned about the wishes of the Brahmin and the Cobbler. Lord Narayana then told Narada Muni that the Brahmin will return to Him only after one hundred lifetimes while the Cobbler will see Him at the end of this present life.
Narada Muni was surprised because the Brahmin is supposed to be elevated than the lowly cobbler who mends shoes from the skin of dead animals. Lord Narayana understood what was going on in Narada Muni's mind and addressed him, "When you meet them they will ask you, what was I (Lord Narayana) doing when you met me. Tell them I was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle".
When Narada Muni returned to earth and met the Brahmin, he told him that Lord Narayana said hw would have to wait a hundred lifetimes before he went to Vaikunta. It was unbelievable for the Brahamin that he had to wait hundred lifetimes before returning to Vaikunta. He said, " I don't believe this. I am a brahmana and know all the vedas and do my rituals everyday without fail and you say I have to wait hundred lifetimes." But, did you even meet him and What was He doing?” “ Narada Muni answered that Lord Narayana was passing an elephant through the eye of the needle,” . “What, How ridiculous! Is it possible to pass an elephant through the eye of the needle and this shows that you did not see him", the Brahmin replied. Narada then went to see the cobbler and told him that he would be returning to Vaikunta at the end of this life time. The cobbler was very happy and said that the Lord is so merciful that he will take me back at the end of this life. Then, he asked Narada Muni about the Lord and what was He doing?. Narada Muni replied that He was passing an elephant through the eye of the needle.
The cobbler began to weep. “Oh! My Lord is so wonderful, He can do anything.” Narada Muni was surprised to hear the cobbler's words and asked him, “Do you really believe that the Lord can pass an elephant through the eye of a needle?”. The cobbler said, “Of course I do.” “How is that?” Narada asked. The cobbler answered, “I am sitting under this banyan tree, and you can see that so many fruits are falling daily, each fruit have seeds in it and in each seed there is a banyan tree like this one. If the Lord can put a big tree like this within a small seed, then why it is difficult to accept that the Lord is passing an elephant through the eye of a needle?''
Now, seeing the difference between the proud faithless Brahmin and the humble cobbler with his complete faith, Narada Muni understood the judgement of Lord Narayana.
 
We concluded the class with the Narada, the Brahmin and the Cobbler coloring pictures.
Looking forward to seeing all of you in the next class.
 
Haribol!!!!
Gopala Class Teachers
Amutha Mataji
Radhika Mataji



 

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