AMMA SAYS - STORIES & JOKES

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OM AMRITESWARYAI NAMAH

 

AMMA SAYS - STORY

 

Samika and Parikshit

 

"In the great epic, the Srimad Bhagavatam, there is a story about

Saint Samika. King Parikshit, Arjuna's grandson, once went out on a

hunting expedition. It was a long and tiring hunt, and the King was

eventually overcome by thirst. He went off by himself to find a

place where he could get some water. He finally came across the

hermitage of Saint Samika. The thirsty and exhausted King entered

the hermitage calling out loudly for water. But the Saint was in

deep samadhi, oblivious of his surroundings. When Samika didn't

respond to the King's repeated request for water, the King became

furious. He felt deeply insulted, and losing his discrimination, he

picked up a dead snake with the end of his bow and wrapped it around

Samika's neck. The King then left the place. But a few young friends

of Samika's eight-year-old son, Sringi, witnessed the King's act.

They reported the matter to Sringi, who was playing in a nearby

field. When the boy was told what had happened, he flew into a rage

and he uttered a curse: 'Whoever the person may be who dared to do

such a vicious thing to my pure and saintly father, will be bitten

by the terrible snake, Takshaka, seven days from now, and will

thereby meet his death'."

 

"Remember that this boy was only eight years old when he uttered the

curse. This shows the tremendous willpower that the children, who

were brought up in the ancient gurukulas, had in those days. That

power was the power of dharma."

 

"The Sage came out of his samadhi. He was stunned to learn about the

curse that had been uttered against the King. When he came to know

how the King had wrapped the dead snake around his neck, the Sage

said to his son, 'You cursed the King without knowing the truth. The

King was thirsty and exhausted. In his desperation, all he could

think about was water; and when he couldn't get any, he lost his

temper and put the snake around my neck. But, above all, he is the

Monarch. Though we live out here in this remote forest, we, too, are

his subjects. He protects us; it is thanks to him that we live here

safely and undisturbed. Also, the King is a great devotee of the

Lord. By cursing him, you will lose the Lord's Grace'."

 

He immediately fell to his knees and prayed, 'O Lord! My little son,

in his ignorance, has committed the unpardonable mistake of cursing

a great and just monarch. Please make the curse ineffective and save

the King from death.' He summoned his son and sent him to the King's

palace to inform him about the curse and to request that the King

take the necessary precautions to prevent the curse from being

fulfilled.

 

"The curse, however, could not be reversed. But King Parikshit only

benefited from the curse, because it allowed him to meet the great

sage, Suka, who told him the stories of the Bhagavatam, and thus

King Parikshit attained Moksha in seven days."

 

"The story shows how selfless and forgiving Samika was. He was not

at all bothered about the King's lack of discrimination; he didn't

feel insulted or abused in any way. Such a beautiful and spontaneous

expression of forgiveness can only come from the heart of a selfless

soul. Once you are established in the Self, you are egoless, and

your selflessness will be spontaneous."

 

"Children, Selflessness is a state of utter spontaneity, which

arises once you are established in the Self."

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AMMA SHARANAM