The Lazy Donkey Story

The Lazy Donkey Story

Once, there was a donkey that used to live in a village.

The owner of the donkey was a salt farmer.

Do you know how salt farming is done?

Seawater is captured in very shallow ponds on the seashore.

Water evaporates in the heat of the Sun, leaving behind salt.

This salt is then harvested.

It involves a lot of hard work.

And once the salt is harvested, the farmer used to load it on the back of the donkey take it to the market and sell it there.

This is how the farmer used to make his living and he used to take care of the donkey also very well.

As days passed, the donkey started becoming lazy.

It did not want to carry any load.

The donkey thought: I have already worked enough and earned for the farmer, now he should feed me for the rest of my life.

One day, as usual, the farmer started loading salt on the back of the donkey and they started walking towards the market.

The donkey did not want to carry the load.

There was a small shallow stream on the way to the market which they had to cross.

As they were crossing, the donkey suddenly pretended to be falling down unconscious.

The farmer got very worried and tried in every way to get it back on its legs.

After the donkey realized that most of the salt had dissolved in the water and his load has become light, he got up and started walking.

The next day also the donkey did the same thing, by then the farmer understood that the donkey was trying to fool him.

He decided to teach the donkey a lesson.

The next day, the farmer loaded a bag full of cotton on the donkey’s back and started walking it towards the market.

When it was time to cross the stream, the donkey played the same trick.

It fell down as if it fainted and waited for the salt to dissolve away in the water.

But as time went, the cotton started absorbing more and more water and became heavier and heavier.

When after some time, the donkey tried to get up, as usual, it just couldn’t.

The load had become four or five times heavier.

Finally, after getting a sound thrashing from the owner for being lazy and trying to fool him, the donkey limped back home with the heavy load.

Our wise elders say: aalasyam hi manushyanam shareerastho mahan ripuh; laziness is your greatest enemy.

Laziness invariably leads to failure in life.

We should all understand that each and every one of us is responsible for our own bread and butter.

We should not expect others to support us for our livelihood.

Only hard working people are respected.

Lazy people are always ridiculed by everyone.

You, as children, should study well, become well qualified and do your parents and the nation proud by becoming productive citizens.

Knowledge Bank

Adhik Maas 2023

Shravan Adhik Maas - 18, July to 16 August, 2023.

Are there any restrictions and rules for chanting Bhagavan's names?

चक्रायुधस्य नामानि सदा सर्वत्र कीर्तयेत्। नाशौचं कीर्तने तस्य पवित्रं भगवान् हरिः। - The Holy Names of Lord Vishnu can be sung at all times and places. There is no question of impurity for this kirtana (chanting) of the Lord who is always holy. There is no restriction on time, place, or purity for worshipping the Lord, as He is always pure. This highlights that one can always recite the names of Krishna, Govinda, and Hari, regardless of the situation or one's state of purity. Rrishis affirm that the Lord is not tainted by the worshipper’s purity or impurity. Instead, the Lord purifies the worshipper and accepts them, showcasing His supreme sanctity.