Little Shambhu was playing by himself in front of his house. He continued playing even as his grandma was calling him to come in as it might rain any time.
While he was engrossed in play he was surprised and a bit alarmed when he discovered that the whole world had abruptly become dark. He was instantly relieved as he heard his grandma’s voice. As he ran to her following the direction of her voice, he asked her, `Grandma, what happened? Where has the Sun gone? Will He come back again?’
Grandma said, `Oh yes, don’t worry, Sun would be back soon’.
`But what happened? Why has the Sun gone suddenly?’ asked little Shambhu.
`Oh, it must be a temporary shutdown in Lord Shambhu’s System. Some little boy or girl would be sure to say a good prayer and it would be all right again’ said Grandma.
`Would it work if I say a good prayer?’ asked Shambhu.
`Oh Yes, I suppose it should’ replied grandma.
`Ok. I will start right away’ said Shambhu and started reciting a hymn. The hymn got over, but the world remained dark.
`What is the matter? Was my prayer not good enough?’ asked Shambhu.
`It is good but you should try a better prayer’ said grandma. ‘Tell me how’ asked Shambhu. `You should narrate some good deed done by somebody around you and pray for his or her welfare. That will be a good prayer’ said Grandma.
Shambhu thought deeply and then closed his eyes and prayed. He opened his eyes to see the whole earth flooded with light.
`It worked, it worked’ shouted Shambhu in delight.
His grandma smiled and asked, `for whom were you praying?’
`I was praying for Parvati’ he said.
`But is she not your current enemy?’ asked grandma with amusement.
`Yes, she was, before I prayed for her, but now I am going to makeup with her. I remembered her helping Nandi with his mathematics. I told that to Shiva and prayed for both’ replied Shambhu.
`But Nandi also is your current enemy, is he not?’ asked grandma.
`Yes, he was and he was not in good terms with Parvati too. But he asked Parvati for help and Parvati helped him’, Shambhu’s face lit up in a flash as he continued: ‘I got it. I think the best prayer is when you pray for your enemy, right?’ he asked.
`Yes’ his grandma agreed, `but most important thing is you should find something good done by him to somebody, maybe to you, maybe to your friend or even to your current enemy. Remembering an unselfish work done by him and then praying for him would work best’ she informed.
`Yes, but how did all this happen?’ asked Shambhu.
`Once Shiva was so angry at the misdeeds of humans that he wanted to plunge the world in darkness. At Mother Parvati’s intervention he agreed to withhold darkness on condition that He daily gets to hear in the prayers of a little boy or girl, of at least one good deed being done by a human being ‘
`Don’t worry Grandma; I will always say good prayers’ assured Shambhu.
As he ran out again, grandma smiled to herself, and muttered `has surely worked, this, my instant little story’.
Swami Sampurnananda
Old Math
`Nilambar Mukherjee Garden House’
8.57 a.m. 28 May 2011
While he was engrossed in play he was surprised and a bit alarmed when he discovered that the whole world had abruptly become dark. He was instantly relieved as he heard his grandma’s voice. As he ran to her following the direction of her voice, he asked her, `Grandma, what happened? Where has the Sun gone? Will He come back again?’
Grandma said, `Oh yes, don’t worry, Sun would be back soon’.
`But what happened? Why has the Sun gone suddenly?’ asked little Shambhu.
`Oh, it must be a temporary shutdown in Lord Shambhu’s System. Some little boy or girl would be sure to say a good prayer and it would be all right again’ said Grandma.
`Would it work if I say a good prayer?’ asked Shambhu.
`Oh Yes, I suppose it should’ replied grandma.
`Ok. I will start right away’ said Shambhu and started reciting a hymn. The hymn got over, but the world remained dark.
`What is the matter? Was my prayer not good enough?’ asked Shambhu.
`It is good but you should try a better prayer’ said grandma. ‘Tell me how’ asked Shambhu. `You should narrate some good deed done by somebody around you and pray for his or her welfare. That will be a good prayer’ said Grandma.
Shambhu thought deeply and then closed his eyes and prayed. He opened his eyes to see the whole earth flooded with light.
`It worked, it worked’ shouted Shambhu in delight.
His grandma smiled and asked, `for whom were you praying?’
`I was praying for Parvati’ he said.
`But is she not your current enemy?’ asked grandma with amusement.
`Yes, she was, before I prayed for her, but now I am going to makeup with her. I remembered her helping Nandi with his mathematics. I told that to Shiva and prayed for both’ replied Shambhu.
`But Nandi also is your current enemy, is he not?’ asked grandma.
`Yes, he was and he was not in good terms with Parvati too. But he asked Parvati for help and Parvati helped him’, Shambhu’s face lit up in a flash as he continued: ‘I got it. I think the best prayer is when you pray for your enemy, right?’ he asked.
`Yes’ his grandma agreed, `but most important thing is you should find something good done by him to somebody, maybe to you, maybe to your friend or even to your current enemy. Remembering an unselfish work done by him and then praying for him would work best’ she informed.
`Yes, but how did all this happen?’ asked Shambhu.
`Once Shiva was so angry at the misdeeds of humans that he wanted to plunge the world in darkness. At Mother Parvati’s intervention he agreed to withhold darkness on condition that He daily gets to hear in the prayers of a little boy or girl, of at least one good deed being done by a human being ‘
`Don’t worry Grandma; I will always say good prayers’ assured Shambhu.
As he ran out again, grandma smiled to herself, and muttered `has surely worked, this, my instant little story’.
Swami Sampurnananda
Old Math
`Nilambar Mukherjee Garden House’
8.57 a.m. 28 May 2011
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