GOD GIVES – Once upon a time, there was a king who used to go to a temple in a Village. After doing worship and prayers, he used to sit on the temple’s stairs to relax for some time before returning home.
Every day, he saw two beggars sitting on both his sides. The beggar sitting on the right side used to beg from God, “O Lord! You have given a lot to the king.
Please give something to me too.” However, the beggar sitting on the left side of the king used to beg from the king, “O king! God has given a lot to you. Please give something to me too.”
In this way, the beggar sitting on the right side always begged from the Lord, and the one sitting on the left side always begged from the king.
This happened every day. The king ignored this for a few days, but one day he thought to do something for the beggars.
Reaching his palace, he called his minister and asked him what he should do. The minister replied, “The beggar sitting on your right-hand side is begging from God, so God will help him.
However, the one sitting on The minister replied, “The beggar sitting on your right-hand side is begging from God, so God will help him.
However, the one sitting on your left-hand side is begging from you, so you should help him.”
The king said, “Ok! Cook some delicious rice pudding, pour it in a big, beautiful bowl, and give it to the beggar sitting on the left side. Also, add some gold coins in the bowl; it will make his life better.” The minister said, “Ok! I will do it.”
It was a full moon evening. The minister reached the temple, sat between the beggars just as the king did, and gave the bowl to the beggar sitting on his left-hand side.
He said, “The king has sent this for you on this full moon evening.” The beggar became so happy, and he started mocking the beggar sitting on the other side.
He said to him, “You always say that God will help you, but see! I begged from the king, and he helped me.”
It was a big bowl of rice pudding. The left side beggar ate some of the pudding and when his hunger was satiated, he thought, “What will I do with the rest of the pudding and the bowl? Let me give this remaining pudding to the other beggar.” In this way, he helped the other beggar, taunting, “Your God did not come to help you. Take this pudding
from me and enjoy it.” Saying this, he went back home. The other beggar started eating the pudding; he did not know that there were gold coins at the bottom of the bowl.
The next morning, the king came to the temple, and he saw that the beggar who used to beg from God was not there, but only the one for whom he sent the bowl was sitting there.
The king went close to him and asked, “Did you not get the rice pudding I sent for you?” The beggar replied, “I got the pudding and ate it. What a tasty pudding it was!
However, some pudding was left, and gave it to the other beggar because he always used to say that God would help him.” The king said, “Indeed, God has helped him. Do you know that there were gold coins at the bottom of the bowl? God has really helped him, and he is no longer a beggar; he has become a rich man.”
This story teaches us that whatever we beg from God with a pure heart, God gives that to us. He may take some time to give it to us, but he listens to what we say.
The world can help someone up to a certain limit; however, the Divine Master, who is the embodiment of God in the world, helps one limitlessly if one has a firm faith in Him. That is why it has been stated in Shri Guru Mahima:
II Chaupai II
गुरु की ओट सदा उर धारी । रक्षा करते बन महतारी ।।
Meaning: The one who keeps a firm faith in the Holy Master in one’s heart is always
looked after by Him in the same way as a mother takes care of her child.
Divine One Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji Maharaj enlightens us:
II Bani II
जगतु भिखारी फिरतु है सभ को दाता रामु ।। कहु नानक मन सिमरु तिह पूरन होवहि काम ।।
(Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji)
Meaning: The world wanders around begging, but the Lord is the giver of all. O mind! Meditate on the Lord by whose grace, all your tasks will be accomplished.
However, the devotees and disciples of the True Master do not beg worldly things from their Lord because they know that:
II Bani II
विणु तुधु होरु जि मंगणा सिरि दुखा कै दुख ।।
देहि नामु संतोखीआ उतरै मन की भुख ।।
(Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji)
This means, O Lord! Praying to you for anything other than You is just like praying for
a load of miseries. O Lord! Bless me with Your Sacred Name, chanting which I get connected and which may satiate my mind’s hunger.
We read daily in the morning and evening prayers:
II Doha II
हाथ जोड़ विनती करूँ सतगुरु कृपानिधान । सेवा अपनी दीजिये, और भक्ति का दान |
(Pooja Ke Phool, Shri Aarti Stotra)
Meaning: Joining my hands, I pray to the True Master to bless me with the selfless service of His Holiness and bestow over me the gift of devotion.