(36) The Devotion to Guru!

 Long ago, in a village called Silbaripuram, there was an ashram. The five disciples living there were all very obedient to their Guru.

However, the fifth disciple, Shanku, was extremely simple-minded and naive. While the other four were quite capable and smart, Shanku couldn't do a single thing without seeking his Guru’s advice or opinion. Because of this, the others mocked him and considered him a fool.

As the years passed, the Guru grew too old to manage the ashram. He announced, "I am closing this ashram. All five of you should return to your homes."

Shanku was the most devastated. He asked, "Guru, once I am home, how will I clear my doubts about everything?"

The other four burst out laughing. But the Guru told Shanku, "There is a solution. Here is a clay statue of me made by a former disciple. Take it home and keep it on your veranda. Ask it questions just as you used to ask me, and then take your decisions. By your devotion to the Guru, you will prosper before this statue breaks!"

Hearing about this strange arrangement, the others told Shanku, "You fool, the Guru has just tricked you."

Ignoring them, Shanku took the statue home. Soon, he got married and had two children. One day, the family prepared to visit an ancient temple in the neighbouring kingdom of Kosalapuram.

Shanku told his wife, "What if I need to consult the Guru on the way? I will carry the statue on my shoulder."

His wife and children argued, "It’s a long journey; how can you carry this all the way there and back?"

Though Shanku was worried, he prayed to the statue and decided to take it along.

After traveling for many days, they visited the temple and started their return journey, by which time their food supplies had run out. Shanku said, "If we take the main road to the tea shop, it will be night and the shop will be closed. It’s better to take the forest shortcut to get there faster."

They started walking along a narrow trail but soon lost their way. Even as dusk fell, they couldn't find a settlement. The children were starving. Suddenly, they spotted a bunch of bananas with four ripe fruits and picked them.

The children said, "Let's sit on that rock and eat. Even if the tea shop is closed, it doesn't matter; we can't walk another step without resting."

At that very moment, inside a cave beneath that rock, four thieves were dividing bags of stolen jewellery. They had chosen that spot because people never ventured there, fearing forest ghosts and spirits. Moreover, the thick trees made it pitch dark.

Hearing a noise above, the thieves listened intently. One of the children was throwing a tantrum, demanding two bananas for himself. Shanku scolded him loudly, "There are four of us, and we will each eat one!"

When the thieves heard this, one of them began to tremble, saying, "There are so many ghosts up there! They are talking about eating the four of us!"

Just then, as the child struggled for the fruit, he accidentally knocked the clay statue. It tumbled off the rock and crashed right into the mouth of the cave!

Terrified by the sudden "apparition" falling on them, the four thieves fled into the forest, leaving everything behind. Shanku and his family went down and found the bags of jewellery. The Guru’s words had come true: Shanku attained prosperity at the very moment the statue broke.

Moral of the Story

Devotion to the Guru is a noble virtue. In today’s world, it is essential for both the Guru who imparts wisdom and the disciple who receives it to be equally sincere and mindful.