Two Friends #11
Two Friends
One day, the two friends decided to go to a forest and do penance to please Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva could be pleased very easily, they felt. And, if they succeeded in pleasing Him, He would give them whatever they asked for.
The friends went to the forest. There was a Shiva temple near a tree.
Both the friends decided to do penance there. They sat in deep meditation for seven days and seven nights. They did not eat or drink anything during their penance. At last, Lord Shiva was pleased. He appeared before them and said, "I am pleased with your penance. I will give you whatever you ask for. But only one of you can ask for a boon. The other will get the double of what is granted to the first."
The two friends were in a fix. Who should ask for a boon?
The greedy man thought, "I will not ask for a boon. If I do so, my friend will get the double of what is granted to me. I will not allow that to happen. Actually, I deserve to get the double of what he gets." Thinking thus, the greedy man refused to ask for a boon.
The jealous man thought, "If I also refuse to ask for a boon, we will lose this opportunity. But I should ask for a boon that will teach this greedy man a good lesson. He will never forget it all his life!"
After thinking for a while, the jealous man asked for his boon: "O Lord! Please take away one of my eyes."
Lord Shiva looked for a while at the jealous man and said, "How can you ask for such a boon? Your request reflects your feelings of jealousy. Ask for a boon which will do good to your friend also."
The jealous friend realized his mistake and said, "O Lord, give me good thoughts and good faith."
The jealous man thought, "If I also refuse to ask for a boon, we will lose this opportunity. But I should ask for a boon that will teach this greedy man a good lesson. He will never forget it all his life!"
After thinking for a while, the jealous man asked for his boon: "O Lord! Please take away one of my eyes."
Lord Shiva looked for a while at the jealous man and said, "How can you ask for such a boon? Your request reflects your feelings of jealousy. Ask for a boon which will do good to your friend also."
The jealous friend realized his mistake and said, "O Lord, give me good thoughts and good faith."
"May your wish be granted," said Lord Shiva and disappeared.
What did you learn from this story? Let's say it in the comment box below. And yes, if you like this story, don't forget to share. So let's meet again with a new story.
Comments