49. An Important Lesson

We have all heard of Kamadhenu, the celestial cow of boundless blessings. When the Devas and Asuras churned the cosmic ocean in their quest for Amruta (the nectar), many extraordinary treasures emerged. Among them was the divine cow Kamadhenu, a being of unimaginable power. She had the ability to grant any wish to those who stood before her in prayer.

Indra, the king of the Devas, bestowed Kamadhenu upon Sage Vasishta, who brought her to his ashram on Earth. One day, King Vishwamitra arrived at the ashram, accompanied by his vast army– thousands of soldiers, horses, and elephants, all weary and hungry from their journey. Seeing their plight, Vasishta prayed to Kamadhenu, and in an instant, a grand feast appeared, nourishing every single person present.

Amazed by the cow’s miraculous powers, Vishwamitra pleaded with Vasishta to give Kamadhenu to him. He wished to take her to his kingdom to solve the problems of hunger and disease among his people. However, Vasishta firmly refused, knowing that Kamadhenu was not meant to be owned or used for personal ambitions.

Enraged, Vishwamitra attempted to seize Kamadhenu by force. But the celestial cow, in an astonishing display of power, summoned thousands of fierce warriors from her body, who swiftly repelled Vishwamitra and his army. The mighty king, humiliated and defeated, was left in awe of her divine strength.

Now, imagine that this same Kamadhenu is gifted to a humble farmer as a reward for his devotion. But, unaware of her true power, he simply harnesses her for ploughing his fields, treating her as nothing more than an ordinary cow. Can there be a greater fool in all the three worlds?

The purpose of this story is to awaken us to a far more precious gift that has been granted to us– a gift earned through the immense punya (merits) of past lifetimes. That gift is this human birth. Among all forms of life, only a human being has a greater chance to seek Moksha (liberation) and break free from the endless cycle of samsara (birth and death). But if one wastes this rare opportunity by chasing only material pleasures, is he not just like the ignorant farmer who uses Kamadhenu to plough his fields?

True wisdom lies in recognizing the divine potential of human life and using it for its highest purpose– to seek the path of liberation and divine grace. ❊❊❊❊