Once there lived an old woman in a remote village. She lost her son when
a snake bit him. She was of advanced age and had only son to live
with. The lady was making her living by collecting firewood and after
exchanging for grains. Her son was helping her in household work. She cried for
sometime and cursed her fate.
A hunter on his way saw the old lady
sitting with the body of her son. He came to know that the boy died due to
snakebite. He asked the lady where the snake is. He brought it by tying it to a
rope, and asked her, ‘ oh lady, this is the killer worm, shall I hit him to death
by my arrow’? the kind lady asked him not to do so, since it is a sin to kill a
creature. She added that death has come in this form to her son. Those who are
born are destined to die by one or another reason. Killing the snake is just an
incident destined to happen.
The hunter replied: I know this. But
the innocent boy is killed by this snake, what is wrong in killing him? It has
bit this boy for no reason or provocation. He deserves death. The lady said: I
am not angry with the creature, I don’t even cry much at this, let it go. By
killing snake, do you think my son comes back to life?
The hunter said: killing a poisonous
creature is not bad, better to kill such dangerous ones. She replied: You have
captured him, forgive and let the snake go. Hunter was not convinced. He said:
by killing snake are you not saving lives of many others?
The lady insisted: any way by killing
him, my son will never be back to life, why commit another sin of killing
snake? By then, the snake replied: It is not my fault, the god of death
inspired me to kill him. The hunter replied: that might be the reason, but you
are the sinner since you have bitten the boy’.
Soon, the lord of death appeared and said:
I was ordered by Kaala, the lord of Time to kill him, what can I do? All have
to follow the discipline of time, Sun raises on time, it rains during certain
days, even rivers and Ocean follow time in one way or another. This being the
case, who has to be blamed for death?
Then the Kala, lord of time appeared.
He spoke to the hunter and the mother: no one is the cause of death of this
boy. It is his only his Karma, deeds he does. Karmas inspire us to do what we
do, we are ruled by our Karmas, past or present’. Karma, the action and Karta,
the doer are always connected. Hence, all said and done, this boy is the reason
for his death,” so said Kala. The old lady then told the hunter: ‘Now you leave
this poor snake, let him go’. The people who had come there disbursed.
This story gives us a message that
Death is natural to all those who are born. The reasons might differ, depending
on time and circumstances.\
(Story from Mahabharatam)
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