'Mein Hoon Na'

Jagannath Mishra, an ancient philosopher, was accomplished in all our scriptures. He was contemplating once on the central verse of the Geeta in which the Lord assures that He will take complete care of the surrendered devotee by getting him what he needs, and also by protecting what the devotee has [Chapter 9, Verse 22]. Being soaked in relentless poverty for most part of his life, Mishraji angrily struck off this verse as he and his family were starving on that particular day. He left the house soon after to sit by the river in the village on an empty stomach.

Sometime later in the day, a young boy came to their house with loads of groceries saying that Mishraji had just placed this order at the neighbouring shop. Mishraji’s wife was surprised, since she knew that her husband did not have a penny. A fatigued Mishraji returned home in the evening knowing well that he and his wife would starve that night too. He was greeted by the fragrance of a sumptuous dinner kept ready for him. His wife asked, “From where did you get the money to order so much today?” Perplexed he asked for details. She described the boy who came from the Banya shop with groceries for several months. Mishraji just did not understand this whole thing. While serving him dinner, the wife exclaimed, “He was such a radiant and sweet child with the most beautiful smile. His tongue was unfortunately bleeding from a fresh wound and I gave him some ghee to apply on it.”
Mishraji could not gulp down the morsel of food in his mouth and he choked. Tears rolled down his eyes – tears of regret, guilt, shame, love, gratitude. He had stroked hard the words (tongue) of the Lord that morning forgetting that the Lord had said in that verse that the devotee must have total and unwavering surrender, which was so much lacking in him that morning and yet the Lord kept His word to restore his lost faith. He rushed to the shop that night itself to be told that the owner had not employed any young boy recently.
- Anjan Dangarwala