101. A POUND OF FLOUR :

WHEN Yudhishthira was crowned and
installed as king after the Kurukshetra
battle, he performed an aswamedha yajna.
As was the custom on occasions of this
great horse sacrifice, all the princes of the
land gathered on invitation and the yajna
was completed in great splendor. The
brahmanas and the poor and the destitute
people, who had come in great numbers
from all parts of the country, received
bounteous gifts. Everything was done in
magnificent style and in conformity With
the injunctions relating to the sacrifice.



From somewhere unseen, a weasel
suddenly appeared right in the middle of
the assembled guests and priests in the
great pavilion and, after rolling on the
ground laughed a loud human laugh as if
in derision. The priests were alarmed at
this strange and unnatural occurrence and
wondered whether it was some evil spirit
that had come to pollute and disturb the
sacred rites.



The weasel's body was on one side all
shining gold. This remarkable creature
turned round and took a good view of the
assembly of princes and learned
brahmanas that had come from various
countries and gathered in that great
pavilion and began to speak:



"Princes assembled and priests, listen to
me. You no doubt believe that you have
completed your yajna in splendid style.
Once upon a time, a poor brahmana who
lived in Kurukshetra made a gift of a
pound of maize flour. Your great horse
sacrifice and all the gifts made in that
connection are less than that small gift of
the Kurukshetra brahmana. You seem to
think too much of your yajna. Pray, be not
so vain about it."



The gathering was amazed at this strange
and impertinent speech of the golden
weasel. The brahmana priests, who had
performed the sacrificial rites, went up to
the weasel and spoke to it:



"Wherefrom and why have you come to
this yajna, performed by good and worthy
men? Who are you? Why do you utter
words of scorn about our sacrifice? This
aswamedha has been duly completed in
every detail in accordance with sastraic
injunctions. It is not proper that you
should speak derisively of our great
sacrifice. Everyone that has come to this
yajna has been duly attended to and has
been accorded suitable honors and gifts.



Everyone is pleased with the gifts and
returns happy and contented. The mantras
have been chanted perfectly and the
oblations duly offered. The four castes are
pleased. Why do you speak as you do? Do
explain yourself."



The weasel laughed again and said: "O
brahmanas, what I said is true. I do not
grudge the good fortune of king
Yudhishthira or the good fortune of any of
you. It is not envy that makes me say this.



The yajna, which you have just completed
so showily, is not in truth as great an act
as that gift of the poor brahmana, which I
have seen. And in reward for his gift, he
and his wife, son and daughter-in-law
were immediately taken to swarga. Listen
to my story which is a true narrative of
what I saw myself. Long before you
waged your battle there, a brahmana, lived
in Kurukshetra, who obtained his daily
food by gleaning in the fields. He and his
wife, son and daughter-in-law, all four
lived in this manner. Everyday in the
afternoon they would sit down and have
their only meal for the day. On days when
they failed to find enough grain, they
would fast until the next afternoon. They
would not keep over any thing for the next
day if they got more than they required for
the day. This was the strict unchhavritti
discipline they had pledged themselves to
observe. They passed their days thus for
many years, when a great drought came
and there was famine all over the land. All
cultivation ceased and there was neither
sowing nor harvesting nor any grain
scattered in the fields to be gleaned. For
many days the brahmana and his family
starved. One day, after wandering in
hunger and heat, with great difficulty they
came home with a small quantity of
maize, which they had gathered. They
ground it and after saying their prayers
they divided the flour into four equal parts
and, offering thanks to God, sat down
eagerly to eat. Just then, a brahmana
entered and he was exceedingly hungry.



Seeing an unexpected guest arrive, they
got up and made due obeisance and asked
him to join them. The pure-souled
brahmana and his wife and son and
daughter-in-law were exceedingly
delighted to have the good fortune of
receiving guest at that juncture. 'Oh best
of brahmanas, I am a poor man. This flour
of maize was obtained in accordance with
dharma. Pray accept this. May blessings
attend on you,' said the brahmana of
Kurukshetra and gave his share of the
flour to the guest. The guest ate it with
avidity but he was still hungry when he
had finished. 


Seeing his hungry and unsatisfied look, 
the brahmana was
grieved and did not know what to do,
when his wife said: 'Lord, give my share
also to him. I shall be glad if the guest's
hunger he satisfied.' Saying this, she
handed her share of the flour to her
husband to be given to the guest. 'Faithful
one,' said the brahmana, 'the beasts and
the birds and all the animals tend the
females of their species with care. 


May man do worse? I cannot accept your
suggestion. What shall I gain in this or in
the other world if I leave you to starve and
suffer hunger, you who help me and serve
me to do the sacred duties of a
householder's life? Beloved one, you are
now skin and bone and famished and
exceedingly hungry. How can I leave you
to suffer in that condition and hope to
attain any good by feeding the guest? No,
I cannot accept your offer.' 'You are
versed in the sastras, best of brahmanas',
replied the wife. 'Is it not true that dharma,
artha and all the objects of human activity
are to the common and equal benefit of
both of us who have been joined together?



Do look on me with compassion and take
my share of the flour and satisfy the
requirements of this our guest. You are
hungry as I am and you should not make
any distinction between us. I entreat you
not to deny my request.' The brahmana
yielded and took the wife's share and gave
it to the guest who took it greedily and ate
it. But he was still hungry! Great was the
distress of the poor brahmana of
Kurukshetra. His son, who saw this, came
forward. 'Father, here is my share,' said
he. 'Give it to this guest who seems to be
still hungry. I shall be indeed happy if we
shall thus be able to fulfil our duty.' The
father's distress increased. 'Child!' he
exclaimed, 'old men can stand starvation.



Youth's hunger is severe. I am not able to
find it in my heart to accept what you say.'
The son insisted: 'it is the duty of the son
to look after his father in his declining
years. The son is not different from the
father. Is it not said that the father is born
afresh in his son? My share of the flour is
yours in truth. I beg of you to accept what
I give and feed this hungry guest.' 'Dear
boy, your nobility and your mastery over
the senses fill me with pride. Blessing on
you. I shall accept your share!' said the
father, and he took the son's flour and
gave it to the guest to eat. The guest ate
the third part of the flour also but he was
still hungry! The brahmana, who lived on
scattered grain, was confused. While he
was in distress, not knowing that to do, his
daughter-in-law addressed him thus:
'Lord, I shall give my share too and gladly
complete our efforts to feed this guest. I
beg of you to accept it and bless me, your
child, for, by that, I shall have eternal
good as my reward.' The father-in-law
was sad beyond measure.

'O girl  of  spotless character, pale 
emaciated as you are from starvation, 
you propose to
give your part of the food also to me, so
that I may earn merit by giving it to this
guest. If I accept your offer, I shall indeed
be guilty of cruelty. How could I possibly
look on when you wither in hunger?' The
girl would not listen. 'Father, you are lord
of my lord and master, preceptor of my
preceptor, god of my god. I implore you
to accept my flour. Is not this body of
mine dedicated wholly to serve my lord?
You should help me to attain the good. Do
take this flour, I entreat you.' 


Thus implored by his daughter-in-law, the
brahmana accepted her share of the flour
and blessed her saying: 'Loyal girl, may
every good be yours!' The guest received
this last portion avidly and ate it and was
satisfied. 'Blessed is your hospitality,
given with the purest intent and to the
uttermost of your capacity. Your gift has
leased me. Lo there, the gods are
showering flowers in admiration of your
extraordinary sacrifice. See the gods and
the Gandharvas have come down in their
bright chariots with their attendants to
take you with your family to the happy
regions above. 


Your gift has achieved
swarga for you, as well as for your
ancestors. Hunger destroys the
understanding of men. It makes them go
aside from the path of rectitude. It leads
them to evil thoughts. The pious, when
suffering the pangs of hunger, lose their
steadfastness. But you have, even when
hungry, bravely set aside your attachment
to wife and son and placed dharma above
all else. Rajasuya sacrifices and horse
sacrifices completed in splendor, would
pale into insignificance before the great
sacrifice you have done through this
single act of hospitality. The chariot is
waiting for you. Enter and go to swarga,
you and your family.' Saying this the
mysterious guest disappeared."
Having related this story of the
Kurukshetra brahmana who lived by
gleaning scattered ears of corn in the field,
the weasel continued:



"I was nearby and caught the fragrance
wafted from that flour of the brahmana. It
made my head all gold. I then went and
rolled in joy on the ground where some of
the flour had been scattered. It made one
side of me into bright gold. I turned on the
other side but there was no more flour left
and that part of me is still as it was.
Desirous of getting my body made all
gold, I have been trying every place where
men perform great yajnas and penances. I
heard that Yudhishthira of world fame
was performing a yajna and came here,
believing that this sacrifice might come up
to the standard. But I found it did not. So,
I said that your great aswamedha was not
so great as the loft of flour which that
brahmana made to his guest." The weasel
then disappeared.



Next : 102. YUDHISHTHIRA RULES



Continues....