Pt. Ishwar Madho Maharaj
Tulsi Manas Mandir and Longdenville Hindu Mandir; Principal, SWAHA Hindu College
A long time ago, there was a terrible drought in a little village in India. There was no rain for about two years and the food reserves were severely depleted; the villagers were starving. Many had become very feeble, their bodies emaciated.
After some time, the villagers got together and sought the help of a great pundit from a neighbouring village who was renowned for his immense knowledge. The villagers went to him because they had heard that he was versed in the performance of a special type of yagya, worship, that could bring rain. The holy man agreed to help them and an appropriate time was chosen for the ritual. All the villagers were asked to fast and prepare themselves to join in the devotions.
When the auspicious day arrived, they all proceeded with great expectations to the beautiful mandir. Just as the pundit started his opening prayers, they noticed one villager arriving. This man was carrying a huge umbrella. Seeing the man holding the umbrella, a strange sight in a place without rainfall for years, a few villagers burst out in laughter. Some mocked him for his foolish display, and others thought that he had simply gone mad. The pundit reproached them and insisted that they focus instead on their worship and forget everything else.
The yagya ended and, as the villagers received their prasadam and began leaving the temple, to their disbelief they saw that the sky was covered in dark cloud and a light drizzle could be felt. The pundit emerged, and pointing to the simple man with the umbrella, declared that the entire yagya would have failed were it not for this one noble individual, this one true devotee. He was the only one with real faith, the only one that had genuine belief in their worship. Hearing this, some loudly congratulated him, praising the man with the umbrella for his great insight and, of course, there were a few who rushed to shelter under his umbrella.
The short story reminds us all of the need to cultivate faith, in whichever form of the Lord we worship, whether it is Bhagwan Ram, Bhagwan Shankar or Devi Maa, we should approach the Divine with a restrained mind, with complete confidence that our prayers will be heard. There is a saying, faith can help you move mountains, but your doubt can create them. We all have the power to bring about positive changes in our lives, but it starts with firm faith and unwavering belief in ourselves and our own abilities. Without these, success may always seem unattainable. Let your faith be bigger than your fear.
