Biggest donation

After the battle of Kurukshetra was over King yudhisthir performed Ashwasmedhika yagya. He gave very rich donations to the priests and to the poor. Everyone was greatly astonished at the grandeur of this magnanimous sacrifice. They all agreed that this is the biggest donation anyone has ever made. They all exclaimed with joy “Glory to King Yudhisthira! Glory to Arjuna! Glory to the Pandavas and Draupadi!”

A small mongoose appeared on the scene. Half of his body was golden and the other half was brown. He started rolling on the ground where the Yajna was performed. Everone standing around was amused by his action. He then exclaimed with sorrow: “This is not the highest sacrifice at all. Why do you praise this yagna in such glowing terms?”

The people replied: ” You silly mongoose! Have you not realized the glory of this Maha Yajna? Thousands people have been sumptuously fed. Jewels and clothes have been distributed in abundance. Elephants and horses are given away in thousands. The world has never witnessed such a huge sacrifice. Oh foolish mongoose ,are you blind that you can’t see the large heartedness of the pandavas .”

The mongoose replied: “My dear sirs, do not be annoyed with me unnecessarily. Just hear my words with patience.”

There was a poor Brahmin in a small village. He lived in a small hut with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. Once there was a great famine in the village. The whole family suffered for months. They were starving for days together. One day, the poor man brought some barley from the field. His wife cooked the barley and distributed it equally among the family members .When they were ready to take their meals, they heard a voice at their door. The Brahmin opened the door and found a guest.

He said: ‘O venerable guest, come inside. Take your seat and your food.’ He gave his portion of the food to the guest.

After eating the guest said: ‘Sir, my hunger is not satisfied. I am starving’

The wife said to her husband: ‘My lord, here is my share. Kindly give him my portion of food. We should fullfill our duty towards our guest and uphold our dharma of helping others in need.’

The guest ate this portion also, but still his hunger was not appeased.

The son said: ‘Dear father, I must do my duty to you. I must please you in the fulfillment of your holy wish. Give him my share also.’

The guest ate this and yet he remained unsatisfied.

The wife of the son said: ‘O venerable father-in-law, you have all performed the greatest self-sacrifice. I must also join in this Yajna. Kindly give him my portion too.’

The guest ate this portion and was fully satisfied. He then blessed the poor Brahmin and his family and departed in great joy.

These four persons died of starvation the same day.  A few grains of rice were found on the ground. I rolled myself on those particles. Half of my body became golden. Since then I have been travelling all over the world to find out another Yajna like that. Nowhere have I found one. Nowhere have I been able to convert the other half of my body into gold.

This sacrifice of Yudhisthira has not turned the other half of the body into gold. This is the reason why I say that this is no sacrifice at all.”

The priests and others who enjoyed the Yajna of Raja Yudhisthira were put to shame. They realized now what true sacrifice was.

The donation should always be measured with the capacity of the doner.It is not the quantity of sacrifice that matters but rather the quality of love and care in that sacrifice,given one’s circumstances.