SERVICE TO OTHERS
Satyam Saves Ganga the Cow (Love and Kindness to Animals)
When Swamiji was a child he was known as Satyam.
Satyam would often go to Mekedatu with his mother Jayalakshmi. At Mekedatu he would stay at his grandfather Linganna’s place which was surrounded by hills.
Linganna had many cows but Satyam was particularly fond of the cow named Ganga. Ganga also surged with joy on seeing Satyam and took Satyam as her own calf.
One day Satyam saw Ganga left behind and tethered while the other cows had gone for grazing. He was too young to know that Ganga was to soon have a calf and it was dangerous for her to go grazing in the wet season. He untied Ganga and holding the rope took her to graze along the banks of the river.
Ganga was grazing near the banks of the river when the earth under her feet sank and the current in the water was taking her away. Satyam held on to the rope and prayed to the river Goddess Ganga, “Gangamma (mother goddess of the river) please save Ganga, she is as dear as life to my grandfather. If I go home without her, he will kill me. As a matter of fact he will also die. Oh, my God! If I can’t have my Ganga how horrible it is to die! So please give me my Ganga.”
There was no response to his prayer. The cow Ganga was now making painful sounds as the rope around her neck chafed painfully due to the rapid flow of the water.
Satyam losing all patience had a flash of an idea, “If I go home without Ganga my grandfather will kill me. If I go away with Ganga then, who can kill me?” He jumped into the river and hugged Ganga around her neck. The river was carrying away the cow Ganga and the cow Ganga was taking away Satyam.
Satyam did not know the river would flow into a deep valley and they would fall into it! After going some distance, the cow Ganga found some hard ground and got up to the bank. “I thought you did not listen to my prayers Gangamma. You have saved both of us.” Satyam said to himself.
When the River Ganga saved Satyam and brought him ashore the great Sage Agastya gave darshan (blessings) to Satyam. He gifted him the art of curing diseases with herbs and plants.
Moral :
Whenever you broadmindedly protectanimals and people who are always serving God, you will get the blessings of great souls without any effort.
