A message to billionaire like BallGates - first purify yourself before acting like a philanthropist - the Golden Mongoose story of Mahabharata

The message from the #nemo of the society to fake philanthropists like BallGates - first get yourself purified and then claim the "philanthropist" title.

For the children of Baharat, Ball Gates can't be termed a philanthropist - because he is a mere opportunist.

So, know this philancapitalist well...

Here we go...

The Real Ball Gates...

All of us grew up listening to the following story of Mahabharata. 

Tata sir was chosen as the greatest philanthropist for a specific reason. Ballgates probably bought the second spot.

Come clean - Ballgates sir

Everybody now knows who you really are

The Golden Mongoose

On completion of the Kurukshetra war in the Mahabharata, Yudhisthira was crowned the King of Hastinapur. He wished to perform a yagna for the well-being of his subjects. The yagna was conducted in a grand manner with expensive and precious gifts given away to all the subjects. Everyone in the Kingdom felt that it was one of the grandest yagnas ever witnessed. As people were praising the yagna and their King Yudhisthira they saw a small mongoose that had a strange body. One side of it looked normal like any other mongoose but the other side of it gleamed like pure gold. They saw it rolling on the floor and repeatedly looking at its body as if it expected some change to occur but nothing happened. Everyone was stunned when the mongoose spoke and then looked at Yudhisthira and the people and said that there was nothing impressive about this yagna and it was merely a show and nothing else. Hearing the mongoose’s words Yudhisthira was pained and wondered why it should be so when he had so painstakingly followed the rules of the yagna and given away charity to the poor and needy. The mongoose then addressed everyone and said that it would relate a story and they could decide for themselves.

The Story

Once upon a time long ago in a small village lived a poor man with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. Though they were extremely poor and lived a hand-to-mouth existence they were pious in nature and bore all vicissitudes of life with patience and equanimity. Once, a great famine struck the village. Being already poor the family suffered greatly. The man went out and managed to procure a little rice with great difficulty. His wife and daughter-in-law cooked the food and divided it into four portions one for each of them. As they sat down to eat they heard a knock at their door. Opening it they found a weary traveler half dead with fatigue and hunger. Immediately welcoming the man inside and allowing him to wash and rest the man without any hesitation offered the traveler his share of food. But after eating, his hunger seemed unappeased. His wife then came forward and offered her share of the meal. Her husband was reluctant but she said that she could not eat while her husband was starving. When the traveler still remained hungry his son said that it was his duty of the son to fulfill the wishes of his parents and gladly gave away his portion. Finally, the daughter in law too gave away her portion of food saying that she too wanted to take part in this great sacrifice that all her family members were participating in. While the mongoose was relating the story a great hush fell over the assembly hall of King Yudhisthira. The mongoose continued the story and said that suddenly there was a brilliant light and the Gods who had come in the guise of the traveler appeared before the poor family and blessed all of them granting them liberation saying that they had performed the greatest Yagna of all. The mongoose which had been passing by the house looking for food accidentally fell on some scrap of food that had remained on the floor after being offered to the traveler.  It was amazing to find that side of the body turned to gold. Since there was no more food left the mongoose said that it has been wandering to all yagnas in the hope that there would be another such great yagna where the other side of the body too could be transformed into gold. It even tried the same thing in King Yudhisthira’s yagna but was disappointed with the results. Thus it concluded that Yudhisthira’s yagna could not have been as great as that of the poor man and his family. Saying this, the mongoose vanished from the scene. The mongoose was actually Lord Dharma who had been cursed in an earlier birth and could regain his original form only if he humbled a person who was an embodiment of Dharma.

Yudhisthira’s realization

Yudhisthira realized that not all the riches and wealth given away in sacrifice could compensate for purity of heart and selflessness. Though an embodiment of Dharma himself, he realized that one has to always be vigilant against the passions of pride, power, etc which could cause the downfall of even the most virtuous of men.

Conclusion

The story of the mongoose is a beautiful story in Indian mythology and folklore which emphasizes that it is the quality of feeling that is important and not the quantity that is of great importance in life. The moral lessons of life can be learned even from humble birds and beasts and not always only from realized saints and sages. One only needs a discerning eye and a humble disposition to attain this supreme knowledge.

The same message is there in the poem called 

শ্রেষ্ঠ ভিক্ষা (shreshtho bhikkha)

শ্রেষ্ঠ ভিক্ষা (shreshtho bhikkha)

অবদানশতক

 

অনাথপিণ্ডদ বুদ্ধের একজন প্রধান শিষ্য ছিলেন

 

"প্রভু বুদ্ধ লাগি আমি ভিক্ষা মাগি,

ওগো পুরবাসী, কে রয়েছে জাগি,

অনাথপিণ্ডদ কহিলা অম্বুদ-

                   নিনাদে।

সদ্য মেলিতেছে তরুণ তপন

আলস্যে অরুণ সহাস্য লোচন

শ্রাবস্তীপুরীর গগনলগন

                   প্রাসাদে।

বৈতালিকদল সুপ্তিতে শয়ান

এখনো ধরে নি মাঙ্গলিক গান,

দ্বিধাভরে পিক মৃদু কুহুতান

                   কুহরে।

ভিক্ষু কহে ডাকি, "হে নিদ্রিত পুর,

দেহো ভিক্ষা মোরে, করো নিদ্রা দূর'--

সুপ্ত পৌরজন শুনি সেই সুর

                   শিহরে।

সাধু কহে, "শুন, মেঘ বরিষার

নিজেরে নাশিয়া দেয় বৃষ্টিধার,

সর্ব ধর্মমাঝে ত্যাগধর্ম সার

                   ভুবনে।'

কৈলাসশিখর হতে দূরাগত

ভৈরবের মহাসংগীতের মতো

সে বাণী মন্দ্রিল সুখতন্দ্রারত

                   ভবনে।

রাজা জাগি ভাবে বৃথা রাজ্য ধন,

গৃহী ভাবে মিছা তুচ্ছ আয়োজন,

অশ্রু অকারণে করে বিসর্জন

                   বালিকা।

যে ললিত সুখে হৃদয় অধীর

মনে হল তাহা গত যামিনীর

স্খলিত দলিত শুষ্ক কামিনীর

                   মালিকা।

বাতায়ন খুলে যায় ঘরে ঘরে,

ঘুমভাঙা আঁখি ফুটে থরে থরে

অন্ধকার পথ কৌতূহলভরে

                   নেহারি।

"জাগো, ভিক্ষা দাও' সবে ডাকি ডাকি

সুপ্ত সৌধে তুলি নিদ্রাহীন আঁখি

শূন্য রাজবাটে চলেছে একাকী

                   ভিখারি।

ফেলি দিল পথে বণিকধনিকা

মুঠি মুঠি তুলি রতনকণিকা--

কেহ কণ্ঠহার, মাথার মণিকা

                   কেহ গো।

ধনী স্বর্ণ আনে থালি পূরে পূরে,

সাধু নাহি চাহে, পড়ে থাকে দূরে--

ভিক্ষু কহে, "ভিক্ষা আমার প্রভুরে

                   দেহো গো।'

বসনে ভূষণে ঢাকি গেল ধূলি,

কনকে রতনে খেলিল বিজুলি,

সন্ন্যাসী ফুকারে লয়ে শূন্য ঝুলি

                   সঘনে--

"ওগো পৌরজন, করো অবধান,

ভিক্ষুশ্রেষ্ঠ তিনি বুদ্ধ ভগবান,

দেহো তারে নিজ সর্বশ্রেষ্ঠ দান

                   যতনে।'

ফিরে যায় রাজা, ফিরে যায় শেঠ,

মিলে না প্রভুর যোগ্য কোনো ভেট,

বিশাল নগরী লাজে রহে হেঁট-

                   আননে।

রৌদ্র উঠে ফুটে, জেগে উঠে দেশ,

মহানগরীর পথ হল শেষ,

পুরপ্রান্তে সাধু করিলা প্রবেশ

                   কাননে।

দীন নারী এক ভূতলশয়ন

না ছিল তাহার অশন ভূষণ,

সে আসি নমিল সাধুর চরণ-

                   কমলে।

অরণ্য-আড়ালে রহি কোনোমতে

একমাত্র বাস নিল গাত্র হতে,

বাহুটি বাড়ায়ে ফেলি দিল পথে

                   ভূতলে।

ভিক্ষু ঊর্ধ্বভুজে করে জয়নাদ--

কহে, "ধন্য মাতঃ, করি আশীর্বাদ,

মহাভিক্ষুকের পুরাইলে সাধ

                   পলকে।'

চলিলা সন্ন্যাসী ত্যজিয়া নগর

ছিন্ন চীরখানি লয়ে শিরোপর

সঁপিতে বুদ্ধের চরণনখর-

                    আলোকে।