Once upon a time, in a quaint village, lived two neighbors, Madhav and Keshav, who harbored a deep-seated jealousy for each other’s affluence. Though their outward demeanor displayed the facade of amiable companionship, in their hearts, envy festered like a hidden ember. One day, seeking solace and divine intervention, they embarked on a pilgrimage to the heart of the ancient forest.
Within the depths of the sacred woods, they engaged in ardent prayers, impervious to the whims of nature. Their devotion and commitment moved the heavens, and the benevolent deity decided to grace them with His presence.
Approaching Madhav first, the celestial figure bestowed upon him the privilege to make a single wish. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Keshav inquired if the deity had visited his friend. With a smile, the divine entity informed him that he had yet to meet Madhav. Driven by a covetous impulse, Keshav then implored,
“Whatever you intend to grant Madhav, bestow upon me twice as much.”
The celestial being, with profound concern, questioned Keshav’s desire. However, Keshav, resolute in his ambition, reaffirmed his plea without hesitation. Thus, with a nod from the deity, the wish was granted, and the celestial presence vanished.
Following this ethereal encounter, the deity sought out Madhav, extending the opportunity to have one heartfelt wish fulfilled. Remaining true to his jealous nature, Madhav first inquired if the divine entity had already met with Keshav. Upon receiving a confirmation, Madhav pondered for a moment before humbly requesting,
“Dearest God, grant me this – take one of my eyes.”
With a benevolent nod, the celestial presence granted Madhav’s wish and faded into the ethereal realm.
The aftermath of this divine encounter brought an unexpected twist, revealing the consequences of their desires.
This age-old parable elucidates the timeless lesson of human nature – it talks a lot about what we can do to satisfy our desire, like in the story, Keshav, driven by malevolent, found himself deprived of one of his precious eyes. Meanwhile, Madhav, driven by avarice, was inexplicably struck with the loss of both eyes.
In the process of feeding to our desire of doing better than others, we forget what we really want and make the decisions that will cause us to loose of eyes. Instead of enabling ourselves to do better things, we focus on disabling others even though it costs an eye.
Most of the times the desire of doing better causes intense pressure or urgency. When faced with critical situations or time constraints, we will make decisions without the luxury of extended contemplation or careful analysis. It will ability to think rationally and consider all potential consequences. It can lead to impulsive actions or choices that may not be the most optimal or well-thought-out solutions.