Bhagavan Ramakrishna's short stories - Destroying Naradha's agankara

Bhagavan Ramakrishna's short stories - Destroying Naradha's agankara

BHAGAVAN RAMAKRISHNA'S SHORT STORIES.

Destroying Naradha's agankara

Once Deva Rishi Naradha thought that there was no one to equal him in the Bakthi of the Lord and had agankara of this fact.    The Lord knew of that and decided to correct Naradha, and bring him out of agankara.     The Lord told Naradha, one of his steadfast devotee was living in a village and Naradha could befriend him.      As told by the Lord, Naradha went to the village and met the peasant.   Naradha saw that the peasant uttering the words "Sri Hari" once while getting up in the morning.    Then he would take his yoke and go to the field for plowing.   He would return to the house only late evening and just before going to bed in the night will again utter the words "Sri Hari" once and retire to bed.   Naradha was watching for the whole day what the peasant was doing.      Then he thought how the villager could be a great devotee.   There were no signs to show that he spent his time towards Bakthi and was only doing worldly works throughout.   This assessment was told by Naradha to the Lord, on return from the village.  

The Lord after hearing that told naradha  to come round the city with a fully filled oil cup and asked him to return without spilling even a drop of oil.  On return of Naradha, the Lord asked him while going round with oil cup how many times did he think of the Lord?  Naradha replied -"Lord, how can I think of you, when my mind was concentrating to take the oil cup without spilling?    Then I could not think of anything".    God then told Naradha "see that peasant with all the family problems on his head, never failed to call me out twice in a day.   That was the devotion he had towards me".

Naradha understood why that request to go and see the devotee and with all the worldly activities thinking of God is as equivalent to one who is always singing in praise of the Lord without worldly duties.