The Clever Brahmin

Once upon a time,two Brahmin families lived in a small village. One was Prabhu Gor’s (priest) family and the other was Kanu Gor’s family. Prabhu Gor’s was an ordinary,middle-class family . But he was a true devotee of God . On the other hand,though Kanu was not well-educate,he had inherited a lot of wealth from his forefathers.

Kanu was very proud of his good financial position. He often spoke rudely to Prabhu and insulted him. But Prabhu was a God-fearing man. He never felt bad and always forgave Kanu.

One day, Prabhu said to himself,”I sincerely worship God ,yet I cannot provide a square meal for my family. Is God angry with me? Is he not happy with my devotion ? For the sake of my family, I must do penance to appease Lord Shiva”.

So one fine morning, Prabhu left his village and set out for the forest. As he was passing through the forest,he came across a small Shiva temple near a lake. There were many lotuses in the lake. After having a bath in the lake, Prabhu performed the Pooja of Lord shiva and offered him lotuses. He then sat in deep meditation in front of the idol of Lord Shiva. He gave up food and water and only chanted “Om Namah Shivaya”. A month passed. Prabhu’s health worsened because of his harsh penance. He became pale and weak.

At last, Prabhu’s prayers were heard. Pleased by his penance, a golden glow ,Lord Shiva appeared before him. Prabhu paid his respects to the Lord by falling at his feet. Lord Shiva said “I will grant you whatever you want. But you will have to ask for the boon in just one sentence”.

After thinking for a while, Prabhu folded his hands and said,”Oh lord, I wish my wife and I see our grandson swinging in a golden cradle in our huge mansion with a roof having golden tiles.

Lord Shiva smiled and said,”Prabhu, you are a very clever man . You have asked for so much in a single sentence! May your wish be fulfilled. Saying this, Lord Shiva disappeared.

Prabhu returned to his village. And what did he see? He saw a huge mansion with a roof made of gold tiles! As soon as he entered the house, his wife warmly welcomed him and said “What a lucky day this is! Our daughter-in-law has given birth to a baby boy ! How fortunate we are !