The Vyadha Gita is found in the epic Mahabharata and it contains the valuable teachings given by a Vyadha (Butcher) to a learned Brahmin saint, and this detail was told by Rishi Markandeya to Yudhishthira. As per the story, the learned saint had clarified his spiritual doubts with a Vyadha (butcher), and he learnt the path of Dharma.
According to this wonderful story, a person can attain goodness in his life, by carrying out his duties in a proper manner. This story denotes that apart from worshipping the god, one must take care of his parents, and also his near and dears.As per the story, once a young saint had left his home, went to the forest and meditates for a long period of time. Once while he was sitting under a tree, a crane had passed urine on his head. Due to that, the saint had got angry with the crane and he looked at it angrily. Due to his spiritual powers, the crane was burnt and fell down from the tree.
On seeing the incident, the sage felt worried for his act. But somehow he managed to leave from the forest, and he went to a nearby village in search for food. He stood before a house, and asked for food. But the door was opened only after a few minutes time, and a young woman had approached the saint and asked him to apologise her for the delay. The saint had become very angry, and when he was about to curse her, the young woman had laughed at him, and said, “I am not the poor crane which was burnt alive into ashes due to your anger. I am a chaste and a noble woman, and I have not willfully delayed. Since I am serving food to my husband, and my in-laws, it got delayed, and I am acting as a dutiful wife to my husband, and I am taking care of my in-laws, similar to their daughter”.
On hearing the words, the saint was shocked, and asked her to pardon for his mistake, and also asked her to tell the ways to get enlightened in his life. The lady had asked him to visit a Vyadha (Butcher) in the city of Mithila, in order to clarify his doubts with him.
The learned saint met the butcher at his shop, where he was busily doing his work, by the way of cutting the animals, and selling the meat to his customers. When the saint had asked the butcher about the wrongful act of killing the animals for filling up his belly, the butcher replied, “according to me, I never consider my occupation as a bad one. I never used to kill the animals for selling it to my customers, and also I am selling the meat of only the dead animals”. After saying this, the butcher had again started doing his work busily.
The saint patiently waited for some time, and after the butcher has finished his work, he took him to his home, and there he saw the aged parents of the butcher. The butcher sincerely served his parents, provided food to them, and also gently pressed their legs, and got blessings from them.
The saint was very much surprised by the act of butcher, since he has left his home without taking care of his parents. Then he had heard the wonderful teachings from the Vyadha (Butcher).
The teachings are as follows:
No duty must be considered as bad, if it is done in a righteousness manner.
Duty is first. Then only you have to concentrate your attention on god.
Take care of your parents at your level best, and never leave them alone. Provide them proper food, and make them to live peacefully and happily. Providing service to your parents is similar to providing service to the god itself.
Act gently with others, and don’t insult others either by the way of physical assault or through your words.
Before doing our work, we have to pray to the god, thank him, and must dedicate all of our belongings to him.
Be sincere and straightforward in your life.
Always follow the path of dharma, and try to become a pure and pious person.
Consider the two things, hard work, and bhakti as your two eyes, and never become lazy.
Just by simply meditating the god, you cannot get his divine grace, do your duty, finish all of your work, and then you can become a saint.
After hearing the nice teachings of the Vyadha, the saint praised him, went to his home, and took care of parents in a proper manner.
“OM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR