To understand what happens next, listen to the story of Ratnakar:
Ratnakar was a robber, supporting his family by theft and murder.
One day, Ratnakar had robbed a man and was about to kill him. That man was the rishi Narada.
"Stop!" Narada said. "Would your wife and children approve?"
Ratnakar was surprised by this question and went to ask his family.
"I earn my living by robbery and murder," he told them. "Do you approve?"
"The crime is yours alone, not mine," said his wife.
His children said the same.
Enlightened, Ratnakar returned, freed Narada, and renounced crime forever.
Inspired by: "Ratnakar, the Robber-Chief" by Shoshona Devi, in her book Indian Fables and Folklore.
Notes: OpIndia has an interesting piece on this legend: Repeating this popular story about Maharishi Valmiki can land you in jail. In some versions Ratnakar is converted by Narada, in other versions by different holy men.
No comments:
Post a Comment