The Golden Lamp #06
The Golden Lamp
On the day of Shivratri, early in the morning, when the priest opened the temple doors, he saw a golden lamp near the Shivalinga. When he was about to pick it up, he heard a divine voice from the sky, "Only he who is righteous will be able to lift this lamp and then, all the five wicks will be lit up. After the aarti (prayer), the lamp will belong to that righteous person."
The priest, at once, announced the divine message to the villagers. Many greedy people came forward to lift the lamp but did not succeed. In the evening, when it was time for the Lord's aarti, several people gathered there in the temple. Many of them had come to see the lamp. Among them was a farmer.
He worked had in his field every day. He would milk his cows and give the milk to the priest. That day, on his way to the temple, he saw a man shivering with cold. The man was very hungry, too. The farmer gave the poor man some milk to drink and covered him with his own shawl.
When the farmer reached the temple, the priest asked him to try to lift the golden lamp. "If you can lift this lamp, the wicks will be lit up, and after you perform the Lord's aarti, you can take the lamp home. It will be yours."
The farmer was a simple man. He lifted the golden lamp and all the five wicks lit up brightly. The whole temple was radiant with the divine light. The farmer began to perform the aarti. All the devotees sang in praise of the Lord. As soon as the aarti was over, the priest chanted, "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar."
The farmer was a simple man. He lifted the golden lamp and all the five wicks lit up brightly. The whole temple was radiant with the divine light. The farmer began to perform the aarti. All the devotees sang in praise of the Lord. As soon as the aarti was over, the priest chanted, "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar."
The priest said to the farmer, "You're a very righteous person. According to the divine message, this lamp is yours now."
The farmer replied, "Oh priest, this golden lamp rightly belongs to the Lord. I am giving it back to the temple. Saying this, the farmer folded his hands, took the prasad (offering) and went home.
The farmer replied, "Oh priest, this golden lamp rightly belongs to the Lord. I am giving it back to the temple. Saying this, the farmer folded his hands, took the prasad (offering) and went home.
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