A Divine Tale of True Giving and Detachment
Once, Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati decided to travel around the world in the form of saints to see how people lived and how they treated others.
At one royal person’s house, both Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati stood at the entrance in the attire of simple saints, calling out humbly,
"Bhiksham Dehi" — "Please give us some alms."
Hearing their repeated request, the royal man came out, looked at them with anger, and shouted harshly,
"Get away from my premises! No food or donation will be given here. Go away!"
Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati quietly absorbed the insult. The pride and ego of the man were clear. Before leaving, Lord Shiva looked up and prayed,
"Oh Lord, bless this man with abundant wealth. May he receive all the riches he has earned through his past karmas in this birth itself."
As they walked a little further, Maa Parvati, puzzled, said to Shiva,
"Oh Lord, that man insulted us so arrogantly, and yet you blessed him with more wealth?"
Lord Shiva simply smiled and continued walking.
After some time, they reached a small, half-constructed house. A poor child was taking care of his sick mother. When he saw the saintly couple near his home, he quickly welcomed them with folded hands and said,
"Maharaj, please come inside. We don’t have much, just this old bed where my mother rests and a small stool—please sit on it."
He added humbly,
"We have only one cow. Let me get you some milk."
The boy offered them the milk with love and respect. Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati gratefully drank it and smiled. They then stepped outside.
But as they were leaving, Lord Shiva softly prayed,
"Oh God, take away his cow and his mother."
Maa Parvati was stunned. Folding her hands, she said,
"O Mahadev! I don’t understand. That arrogant man insulted us, yet you blessed him with wealth. And this poor, kind-hearted boy welcomed us with pure love, and you pray for him to lose the only two things he has—his mother and his cow?"
Lord Shiva gently replied,
"Parvati, that royal man has a few good karmas left. I granted him all the material pleasures he deserves in this life. Once those are over, he will fall back into the cycle of 84 lakh births."
"But this poor child, his heart is pure and he is devoted to me. He was attached to his mother and the cow, which were unknowingly holding him back. I asked for them to be taken away so he can walk the path of detachment and become a true saint. In this very life, he will merge into me and be free from all rebirths."
Maa Parvati folded her hands and bowed to the deep wisdom of Lord Shiva.