Datta maata 55: Never forget the help received from others

We must never forget the help received. Those who forget the help received are said to be ungrateful. Good befalls a person who is grateful whereas misfortune befall the person who is ungrateful.

In the kingdom of the king of Kasi, there lived a hunter. One day, while he was on hunting, he saw an antelope. Immediately, he left an arrow that was smeared with poison. But, that arrow did not strike the antelope. It instead hit a healthy mango tree. Because of the poison contained with the arrow, the tree was empoisoned and all the leaves and fruits of the tree withered and fell down. The tree shriveled and became unappealing. As a result, the birds that took shelter in the tree left the it. But, a parrot that stayed in a hole of the tree since a long time, did not feel like going away from it because the tree gave it shelter for its survival. It continued to live in the dried hole of the tree. The time for the tree to perish also has approached. Even then the parrot did not leave it.

Indra wanted to test the parrot for its gratitude towards its master – the tree. He visited the parrot in the guise of a man. He said that the tree can no longer give shelter to it and asked why is it that it stayed in that tree itself when there are thousands of other trees around. He asked why the parrot continued to stay there even after the tree is about to perish. The parrot immediately identified that it was Indra who came in disguise. It replied that staying in a tree when it is hale with fruits and leaving it when it is in its hard times is termed as ingratitude. The parrot told that it is a sin to forget the help received. Indra was very happy for the merit of the parrot because it had identified his guise and hence he appeared in front of the parrot in his real form. He wanted the parrot to ask for a wish. The parrot prayed for the good health of the tree. Indra happily made the tree blossom again and blessed the parrot with salvation in its future births.

Hence, we must never forget the help received from any one. They would have helped us some time in the past. Now, when they are suffering with utter poverty, we must not neglect them. We must try to talk to them, respect them and offer any possible help to them because they have helped us in our difficult times. Their help might have been very small in quantity. But today, they have nothing. We must respect and show our reverence. Instead, we must not leave the place just because they will ask us for money. We must try to help our bit. The parrot did not do so. It was blessed with sainthood in its future births.

Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!