The Right and The Right

Jai Sri Hari everyone 🙂

Hope you all are doing great and enjoying the bliss of the Sadhana App and Black Lotus App.

Today, while thinking a lot(quite a lot) about something, I remembered a story about worshipping Lord Shiva. Inspired by that, I have come up with a short story (fiction) to share my thoughts.

In a village, there were two families who were ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. Both the families have immense love and respect for each other. Once, they decided to meet a saint, an accomplished one, about whom they heard from many people. Both the families approached the saint with only one question, how to please our Ishta, Lord Shiva.  The saint told them to pray to Lord Shiva for 40 days. The families enquired, how they will know if the Bhagwan is pleased, and the saint responded that they will get to know.

Both the families happily came back and started worshipping Lord Shiva with discipline, love and devotion. After some days passed, the two families decided to enquire about each other, curious to know if they have felt any divine experience. They shared each other’s practise of worshipping Lord Shiva, one family bragged about every morning visiting Lord Shiva temple and offering milk while the other family responded in a similar way mentioning praying to Lord Shiva and offering water. Both the families tried proving to the other that their approach was the best to please Bhagwan. Both returned and continued their practice, but this time, while praying, they felt that their approach was best.

On the last day, after finishing prayers, with no divine experience, decided to visit the saint again. Both enquired about why Bhagwan is not pleased. The saint in his deep meditation opened his eyes and told them that both of them did not worship the Bhagwan for 40 days. The families were shocked to hear this, they explained the start date and started counting days to prove to the saint that they indeed completed the 40 days.

The saint responded to both the families, you both have worshipped Lord Shiva with pure intent for 20 days, however, 21st day onwards, you only remembered the other family during your prayers, not Bhagwan, all you repeated is that you are doing the best while the other’s not the best, so the last 20 days, in front of your Ishta, you only worshipped each other, not Bhagwan. Hence, no divine experience.

Both the families realized that for a moment they had forgotten the real and prime essence, the Love and Devotion for their Ishta which they were following before and somehow deviated in between to prove themselves right. If everyone’s core principle is immense love and devotion for Him, why spending time in proving our point is the only right, both can be right, after all, we all are one family, His family. If in any case, one is not right, He will definitely show the path. 

Thank you for reading. Immense Gratitude and Respect to all.