Once upon a time, there lived a poor beggar. He had no one—no family, no friends. Alone, he used to walk miles and reach new villages he could. He seldom stayed there for a week. He collected alms to survive. He disliked begging, but he had no choice. He was malnourished and was a misfit for any kind of physical work. To collect alms without any job was a thing he hated to his core. Thus, he decided to sing and get alms. Whenever he sang, pedestrians seldom stopped and laughed at him. After a week, he embarked on another village. This was the way his life was going on.
Once, he reached a temple on the outskirts of the village. He hadn’t managed to get decent food for a week. He drank water from the nearby river and sat on the temple premises.
He looked outside at sunset and realized the temple was located in a lovely spot. He shut his eyes and started taking the Lord’s name. He began singing hymns very passionately, engrossed.
Apsara Urvashi regularly visited this temple. The beggar was so engrossed in his singing that he didn’t notice Apsara’s arrival. Apsara offered prayers in the shrine. Beggar’s singing was so enchanting that it created a rush of spirituality and divinity within her. Finding solace in his singing, she visited the main premises to see the singer. She spotted the beggar and stood beside him.
After the beggar’s hymns were over, he opened his eyes. Surprised to see an Apsara standing in front of him. He couldn’t speak a word. He was so fascinated by her beauty.
Apsara offered him a gold coin, but he refused, ‘All day I beg for food, but I don’t want to be a beggar in a sacred place like this temple.’
Impressed by his humility, she asked him to sing for her. They walked to the riverside. The beggar started singing, and she danced. She gave the beggar a gold coin as a token of appreciation. The beggar accepted it and bought a small house in the village. Every full moon night, the beggar came to visit Apsara, sing for her and receive a gold coin.
Soon, the beggar could afford a good life. The beggar gave himself a name—Bhima. He made friends in the village. He married a merchant’s daughter. He started enjoying life and continued meeting Apsara. No one knew his source of income. All the villagers could see that he was becoming more affluent and prosperous. Bhima’s wife never asked him about his source of income. She trusted him completely. Soon, he was blessed with a son. He named him Surya.
After 20 years of living a good life, Bhima was lying on the deathbed. Fearing how to maintain the family’s lavish lifestyle, he confided in his son. Bhima told Surya about Apsara. He asked Surya to meet Apsara Urvashi on a full moon night. Bhima had been unwell for six months and hadn’t met Apsara since then. After offering payers, Apsara used to wait for him in the riverside and leave disappointed. Surya reached the riverside and was so enthralled seeing Apsara that he could not speak. Numbed by her presence, he could only regain his senses when she was gone. After reaching home, he told his father about the incident. Bhima asked him to go early the next full moon night. Next full moon night, Surya got on time. Apsara arrived, and she asked, ‘Who are you?’
‘I am Bhima’s son. Father is not well. I am here...’
Even before he could finish, Apsara interrupted him.
‘Oh, so you are here to collect gold coins from me,’ said Apsara.
‘No, I am here to present you something,’ said Surya, giving her a big piece of cloth.
She opened it and saw a beautiful painting of herself in a dance pose.
‘I was here last full moon night, I saw you, but I couldn’t meet you,’ said Surya sheepishly.
‘It is so beautiful,’ said Apsara, giving him a gold coin.
She asked him to get her painting every full moon night. Surya accepted the deal.
Surya, too, started enjoying his life and continued meeting Apsara. No one knew his source of income, but all the villagers could see that he was becoming richer and richer like his father.
Moral: Believe in your talents and nurture them well. God has a mysterious way to reward you.
Happy Reading!
Check out Nisha B Thakur's highly appreciated novel, The Unexpected Trail.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your feedback is valuable to us. Thanks for writing!