Brahma Rishi

There was man in whose praise meeting was arranged. People after people started showering him with praises. He enjoyed everybody's praise but for one. He started walking rather painfully after the meeting.

His friend asked him, "Why do you look sad and dull? People did praise you."

"It's O.K. others praising me but that one person praising me, I do not like it, do you know who he is?"

"Who is he?"

"He has been released from Jail only last week, he had been jailed for robbery, theft and murder, and I do NOT like such a person talking praising me."

There are people who never praise others and there are people who for favours praise others to get work done.

It is a great thing to get praises showered from a person who rarely praises others.

There was this Brahma Rishi in forest. His name is Vasista Brahma Rishi. Not all sages were called as Brahma Rishi. He was given the title `Brahma Rishi'. It was a great thing to get blessings and praises from him.

There was a sage named Vishwamitra. He too wanted to become and called as `Brahma Rishi'. He did not want to be an ordinary Rishi.

The only way to be one like Vasista Brahma Rishi is to do penance. So Vishwamitra started doing penance in the forest. He did a persistence deep unshaken penance. At last after being satisfied with his penance he wanted to know whether he could now be called as a `Brahma Rishi'.

In those days if a saint salutes with both of his palms in front of his chest to the other sage or saint and if the other sage salutes back with his folded palms in front of his chest it is to be construed that both the sages are equal in their knowledge and penance. But if the other sage or saint just raised his one hand and blesses him then he is a higher learned Sage commanding respect from one and all.

So Vishwamitra thought of a plan to know whether he is a `Brahma Rishi' now. He thought, `if I salute Vasista Brahma Rishi and if Vasista Brahma Rishi salutes me back with folded hands, then I am a Brahma Rishi too.

Having these thoughts in mind he went to the Ashrama of Vasista Brahma Rishi. Vishwamitra with his folded hands saluted Vasista Maharishi. But the Brahma Maharishi blessed Vishwamitra lifting his hand and did not salute him back with folded hands.




Vishwamitra got infuriated and went back to do more penance. His penance was rewarded, his ista devatha (God) came before him and asked him his needs. Vishwamitra complained with his God that Vasista Mahamuni is not saluting him back. So his God said to him, "If next time when you salute Vasista Maharishi and if he does not salute back, you curse him, telling that his head should break into thousand pieces".

Having this power within him Vishwamitra once again went to Vasista Brahmarishi and saluted him. Once again Vasista Brahmarishi blessed him with his one hand. Vishwamitra became angry and was about to curse him so that his head breaks into 1000 pieces. A thought started flowing in Vishwamitra's mind. Should I use my power to teach a lesson to this saint, Vishwamitra started scratching his head and was leaving the Ashrama. Suddenly he heard Vasista Maharishi calling him.

"Vishwamitra should I not salute you back, accept my salutations Vishwamitra. It is your anger and jealousy that has been your stumble block to attain the grade of Brahma Rishi; now that you overcame that you are now a Brahma Rishi.

Thus anger and jealousy is the stumble block that is destroying many a person's personal lives. Competitiveness is different from jealousy. Commanding is different from anger.