THE HUNTER AND A RISHI
There lived one hunter in a forest. He used to sell the animals which he hunted and bring food grains to home. His lively hood was going on with his earning. His family was big with parents and wife. The needs of the family were not met with properly by his job of hunting. He decided to become as a robber. He earned money by attacking the people and brought the valuables and the jewels of the people. Sometimes he brought so much of clothing’s and in other times many jewels. Like this manner what he got was spent on behalf of the family. It was total ignorance of him and he did not even understand the act of unjust. Doing harm and taking the other man’s belongings were actually sins.
One day when he was on his way for robbery he saw a Rishi(saint) who was encountering him on the way. He was having ‘Thampoora’ on his hand. He used to sing the fames of god. “Narayana” “Narayana” were the sacred words he often uttered.
The hunter blocked him on the way and asked the where about of Rishi. I m reply Rishi told that he was the traveler to the three Logas (lands) Swargas (Heaven) Naraga (Hell) and Boologa (Earth) and his duty was to convey the messages to one land to another and also he was the devotee of Lord Mahavishnu (the god who feeds for all the living beings). These informations were not understood and the hunter was in a view to rob the ‘Thampoora’ from him. That was the instrument which would produce rhythm and musical tunes to his songs.
The hunter told to the Rishi “I know you are a person with out money but the ‘Thampoora’ you can handover to me and go”.
Rishi told him the necessity of the instrument and with out which he could not create the songs.
“I don’t want to hear your compromising words- I should feed my family-I will take this instrument and do, no harm to you-you can go”
Rishi in his reply “Is it not a sin to take away the other one’s property?”
“what you term as sin-I know nothing-I have my family and I should look after my men” hunter responded.
Dear hunter, I understand your duty consciousness and I appreciate that but the earnings of a man, should coincide with the service to the man kind. Your deed is totally against justice. When you take care of so much, of your family people, why should not they share the sin which you are committing heartlessly every day?
These words of Rishi were entering in the ears of hunter. He thought for a moment and struck to the circumstance of observation. He felt with a deep thinking of his doings. He had a doubt in his mind which created a inquisitive reference and led him to refer to this matter with his family members.
“Rishi you are saying something new to me. I should go to home and refer this with my members of family. Till then you have to wait for me and should not move out from this place.” This was the order of the hunter.
“Rishi accepted for this command
When the hunter came to his home, his wife was wearing the gold jewels and diamond ring. She was engaged happily in cocking. The hunter saw his wife and commenced his arguments. “You are beautiful with the gold ornaments. I am caring you and the parents to the best of my reach. You are enjoying with the beauty of ornaments what I saved for you. Are you not wealthy with satisfaction?”
Wife replied him “ As a husband even a wood cutter would go into forest and bring the cut woods and sell to the villagers. He could maintain his family with his earnings. You are my beloved husband and it is my duty to take care of you. Tell me husband! What is the query with you now?”
“All the materials and things I bring to home by way of robbery- one Rishi is saying this way of earning is sin-I have a doubt whether the sin would affect only or will it affect you also?” The hunter clearly opened the topic then.
“How could I be responsible? The actions are actually done, only by you and my duty ends in rendering service to you and I am not at all connected to your sins”. It was a terrible shock to hunter when he heard her opinion.
He went to his parents and asked them about the deal of his robbery and the sin to the family.
The father said him frankly that they were old and when the son was looking after them, there was no chance for them to do sin to anybody, moreover they did not interfere in the matters of son and his earnings.
The hunter told in a clear cut way that his earnings of money were brought through robbery which would it bring sin? And if so whether the sin would affect only him or the entire members of family?
“One who does the sin in the proper person to be responded and in no way the members of family or he himself could be counted”. This was a piercing arrow shot of speech from his father.
He ran straight away to Rishi who was standing there all the time; he could have gone else where in the interval of time. But for the arrival of hunter, he was waiting there. The hunter felt proud upon him and spoke to Rishi.
Dear saint all these years all my members of family enjoyed all my earnings. They were spending the times nicely. When I asked them about the accumulated sins of my deals nobody prepared to have a share. I killed lot of birds and animals; I robbed several valuable things from many innocent people. They were ruined and lost their belongings and would have cried and cursed me. Now my feelings are focused to the reality and humanity. I by pardon for my behavior with you. I request you dear saint, please show me the path to relieve from the clutches of sins. Hunter fell at the feet of Rishi and begged.
Rishi told him to sit at a place and started to teach him the manthra “Sri Ram”. This was not in a state to understand by him. He could not utter “Sri Rama” finding his position of ignorance, the Rishi asked him the name of the tree under which he was sitting. Being a hunter he was aware of all the names of the trees. Hunter told the Rishi. It is “Mara” the name.
Rishi encouraged him and asked him to tell repeatedly the name of “Mara”.
Mara-Mara-Mara-Mara after 108 times turned as ‘Rama’ ‘Rama’ yes it was the time for his possession of enlightenment. Rishi then left the place. The hunter continued his way for achievement of wisdom.
The days passed years passed rein and sun, the night and day the manthra was chanted continuously. ‘Rama Rama Rama’ the sound that echoed all over the forest.
One day the old saint came again there. It was a big heap of soil, fully covered over the body of the hunter. In a hole of that soil pit he saw the hunter in his non-stoppable approach in uttering the manthra “Rama” “Rama”.
That was the destination for enlightment and wisdom. Lord Maha Vishnu appeared before hunter. He blessed the hunter. The “Rama” is the sacred manthra the Rishi had taught to him. The Rishi was “Naradha” himself. He paved the “Shrawana Upadesha” to the hunter. That means his teaching through the ears of hunter. The hunter by the virtue of the penance, secured the honour to write the “Ramayana”. God Shri Maha Vishnu’s avathar as “Sri Rama” was presented to this world by a hunter who was named as “Valmiki Maha Rishi” by the devines and human. Great epic “Ramayana” is now written in several languages for the welfare of world.
Om Maha Rishi Valmiki Charanam
