Time and again, it is shown that absolute devotion to the
Lord is the highest merit for the soul and that all else such as
birth, learning, wealth, rituals, etc, alone are in vain, pointed
out Kalyanapuram Sri Aravamudhachariar in a discourse.
The episode where the wives of the rishis offer
Krishna and His friends the sacrificial food that is prepared
as offering for the yagna that their learned husbands are
performing illustrates this truth. It so happens that once
when Krishna and the cowherds are grazing the cows, the
boys feel hungry. So Krishna tells them to go to a nearby hermitage where a yagna is in progress and ask for food telling the rishis that Krishna and Balarama are nearby and hungry.
But the rishis engaged in the sacrifice are keen to follow all
the rules to the letter and do not heed the boys. So Krishna
asks the boys to ask the yagna patnis instead. These wives,
who are always steeped in love for Krishna, come running to
offer the food to Krishna, the very Yagna Bokta. Krishna partakes of the food and says the yagna is complete. Meanwhile, the rishis realise their folly in having denied the food to the Lord directly when He had made a request and accept that their unlearned wives are more enlightened .
Rama spends most of His forest life in the hermitages of
the rishis. Valmiki describes Sabhari’s worship of Rama as
something pure and full of love and devotion. While Sage
Matanga and others leave for their heavenly abode, Sabhari,
who has been devoutly serving them, wishes to stay back to
see Rama who she knows would visit the hermitage. She offers Rama excellent fruits handpicked for their quality. The
Lord, aware of the purity of Sabhari’s penance and hospitality, graces her in a unique manner. Sabhari proceeds to Heaven in His presence.
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