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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Bhagavan Ramakrishna's short stories - Businessman shisya


Bhagavan Ramakrishna's short stories - Businessman shisya

BHAGAVAN RAMAKRISHNA'S SHORT STORIES



Miserly Cloth merchant and benevolent wife

A poor Brahman had a wealthy cloth merchant as Shisya.  The cloth merchant was a miser and does not part with his wealth and even does not spend for his own household, for the basic needs easily.  Only after a lot of coaxing by the wife, he would spend for the household requirements.
Once, the Brahman wanted to put a cover to one of the Bhagavatha books he had and requested the cloth merchant to spare a small piece of cloth for the same.     The merchant replied that he felt sad that he was not able to help now and the Guru could have told earlier to him to enable him to preserve a small piece of cloth.  Presently he did not have a small piece of cloth but he would keep in mind the request and spare the cloth in due course.  The merchant also wanted the Guru to remind him of the same now and then.    The Guru was disappointed with the reply of the merchant.     The conversation between the Guru and the merchant was half heard by the cloth merchant's wife.    She sent a servant to the Brahman and asked the Brahman to come to the rear of the house.     On arrival of the Brahman, she asked him, what actually was the conversation between her husband and Guru.   The brahman told the lady what had happend.    The lady asked the Brahman to go to his house without any worry informing the cloth would be at his house  the next morning.

That night, when the merchant returned home the wife asked whether the shop had been closed.   The merchant asked her why she was asking?    The wife asked the merchant to go and open the shop and bring two costlier piece of cloth.   The merchant asked her the reason for the urgency and said that he would bring the cloth asked for the next morning.   But the wife insisted she wanted immediately and hence the merchant had no other go than to go to the shop again, open  and bring the pieces of cloth.   The merchant could not tell  his wife, what he told the Guru of providing the cloth pieces later.   The brahman was only a Religious  Guru whereas the wife is the master of the house with the "thalaiyanai mantra".    If he refuses her, he would loose the peace of the house and hence did not mind going to the shop in the late part of the night.
The next morning the good lady sent the new pieces to the Brahman through a servant and also informed the Brahman to tell her of his requirements in future.
Whose real Shisya is the cloth merchant?     

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