Datta Maata 190: God knows what is best for a person

Each and every man will have some or the other desire. He relentlessly tries to fulfill them. There is no man who is free from desires. He is in search for something or the other for the sake of desires. In that process, he torments other beings and humans. However, for our desires to get fulfilled, we need not give pain to others. If we pray to God out of selflessness, he will bless us with what we need. This story teaches about the same.

Everyone knows about Ikshvāku, who is like the foundation of Sri Rama's dynasty. In his dynasty itself, there was one more king with the name Ikshvāku. It is quite common since those days to keep the names of the ancestors and the great people of one's dynasty. The grandson of the second Ikshvāku was Kaninētra. He was also known as Kanitra. One very strange incident occurred in his life. He did not have children for quite a long time. Few priests advised that he would beget children if he did yagna with the flesh of deer and offered it to the gods. He left for hunting to bring the flesh himself since they said that it would be much better. But, on that day, he could not find any deer. He thought that it is wrong to harm any other creature without any reason and hence he did not hunt any other animal since he wanted a deer alone. After waiting for a long time, a deer came all by itself and said, "O king! Kill me! I do not have children. I cannot bear that grief. Kill me and help me in this manner." The king was surprised since he felt that the deer was mocking at him since he too did not have children. While the king was still thinking, another deer came running from another direction and pleaded, "O king! Please kill me and acquire the merit. I have too many children. I am worried all the time about my children because I never know which tiger will come from which direction and eat which of my young ones. I am scared every minute and lack peace completely. I am suffering a lot unable to gather food for them. I do not want this grief. So kill me and acquire merit." Immediately, some thought ignited in the king's mind and realization dawned upon him. Those animals appeared to be his Gurus. He understood that there is one sort of grief if one has children and there is another sort of grief if there are no children. Hence, Kaninētra realized that instead of killing a being and satisfying the Gods, it is better to remain without desires and violence and instead worship God with penance. Thus he did penance. He later begot a son named Karandhama.

From the story, we understand that if we pray to God without selfishness, God gives what we need since God knows what to give, what not to give and when to give. This is what we learn from the story. At one place, there is a grief due to lack of children and at some other, there is a grief due to excess of children. Instead of killing someone else and begetting children, it is better not to have children at all. Hence, we must realise that it is good only if we worship God without any selfishness and violence instead of doing all other austerities which involve violence. God knows what is best for a person. What if there are no children at all? Even if there are no children at all, it is meant for something good.

Jaya Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!