Gacchan pipilako yaati yojanaanam satairapi,
agacchan vainate yopi padamekam na gacchati
(By making serious effort, even a tiny ant can reach a hundred yojanas; whereas an eagle as mighty as mythical Garutmanta, if remains unmoved, cannot progress even one foot)
The path of salvation is not a cake walk for any seeker. For, the aspiration for liberation should come through by the Almighty's blessings. Very few have the opportunity of a chance occurrence of being initiated by a benevolent sadguru. Then the grit and determination for achieving liberation
involves many sacrifices of worldly things by the seeker. As the bound remain entangled in samsara bandhas (worldly bondages) going through the vicious circle of births and deaths, the aspirant of liberation will strive relentlessly, foregoing all the earthly comforts even though available at hand (being detached from them willingly), till the actual attainment of salvation. If a small bird, in the story to follow, is able to attain freedom even through starvation, what about the mortals, placed on the top most rung of the ladder of Lord's creation? Hope that this tiny bird might become our upaguru (any one who teaches us something) for spiritual motivation, just as Lord Dattatreya had - not one or two but -as many as twenty four such upagurus!....
A fowler (bird catcher) went into the nearby forest and laid his net for catching birds and returned home. Next day he went into the forest and found to his fulfilment four beautiful birds of rare variety. He thought of retaining them with him at home in a separate cage with special feeding for a few weeks and after their becoming more fatty, dispose them off for a fabulous price. Accordingly, he put the four birds in a separate cage started on special care for them. Out of the four birds only three were regularly taking the food but the fourth one was abstaining from the feed, hanging to the wall of the cage, it was always gazing at the blue sky. After a few days the three birds curiously asked the fourth one, "My friend! why are you starving yourself and constantly gazing at the sky?
You are becoming very lean and skinny. Whereas, we are becoming fatty by eating your share of food also." But the fourth one remained silent and didn't respond. However it continued to go without food and gaze at the sky. After a few days, the fowler thinking that all the four birds might have become fatty enough to fetch him a good price, went near the cage. Noticing the fourth one he wondered about how it became so lean and skinny. To take the bird into his hands and check it personally, he opened the door. Waiting for that very moment of opportunity, instantly the lean bird
pushed out of the cage and started to fly towards the blue sky. The three birds that remained in the cage yelled out towards the freed one, "Can we do this too? But we are fatty!" The liberated one replied with all humility in her voice, "You ate the man's food and you will be captive until you die.
I refused his food and I am free!".........
The spirit of such soul - tiny lean skinny but committed to the core till fruition of its relentless effort - shall be one's motivational force. Yes, our humbleness lies in accepting this noble bird as our upaguru!
Om Shanti!
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