Whatever kind of a person one is, if he spends some time in Satsangam, will change. This is why our elders say “Saadhu janasangam is sakalaartha saadhanam”.
In one village a thief used to live. Nobody was able to catch him. He once planned to rob the King’s antahpuram itself. He somehow sneaked into the antahpuram. He saw that the King and the Queen didnt sleep yet and were discussing something important. He started to overhear their conversation.
The King had a beautiful daughter and the person who marries her will be the next King. The King said “ok. Tomorrow morning I will go to Gangaa-teeram. We will give our daughter to one of the Saadhu’s who live there. Such people will not have Dhana-vyaamoham and hence will be able to rule the kingdom well.”
The thief thought “why should I try so much and do this chauryam. If tomorrow I just sit in a Saadhu-vesham, I may get married to the princess and become the King”. Thinking like this he joined the Saadhus near Gangaa-teeram and waited for the King to arrive.
To his surprise he saw that even if the King fell at every Saadhu’s feet and begged them to marry the princess and rule the kingdom, none of them accepted. The thief realized that surely these Saadhu’s are greater than the King. Just because these people were in Saadhu-vesham, the King himself was falling at their feet. He realized that the way of life of a Saadhu is great. He thought “just by seeing such people I got so much change in my thinking, imagine how much good can happen if I really lead a life of a Saadhu”.
When the King came and asked the theif, he too rejected the marraige and later lived the life of a Saadhu all through his life.
Morals in the story:
1. The importance of Satsangatyam is well shown in the story.
2. The greatness of the Saadhus, who dont wish to any Bhogas in Iham and always spend their time in Bhagavat-dhyaanam, is well shown in the story.
