Hunter And The Sage
Once upon a time the great saint Narada went to Prayaga to bathe at the holy confluence. On the way he saw that a deer was lying in the forest and that it was pierced by an arrow. It had broken legs and was twisting due to much pain. Farther ahead, Narada Muni saw a boar pierced by an arrow. Its legs were also broken, and it was twisting in pain. When he went farther, he saw a rabbit suffering similarly. Narada Muni was greatly pained at heart to see living entities suffer so. When Narada Muni advanced farther, he saw a hunter behind a tree. This hunter was holding arrows, and he was ready to kill more animals. The hunter’s body was blackish. He had reddish eyes, and he appeared fierce. It was as if the superintendent of death, Yamaraja, was standing there with bows and arrows in his hands. When Narada Muni left the forest path and went to the hunter, all the animals immediately saw him and fled. When all the animals fled, the hunter wanted to chastise Narada with abusive language, but due to Narada’s presence, he could not utter anything abusive.
The hunter addressed Narada Muni: ‘O gosvami! O great saintly person! Why have you left the general path through the forest to come to me? Simply by seeing you, all the animals I was aiming at have now fled.’ Narada Muni replied, ‘Leaving the path, I have come to you to settle a doubt that is in my mind. I was wondering whether all the boars and other animals that are half-killed belong to you.’ The hunter replied in affirmative. Narada Muni then inquired, ‘Why did you not kill the animals completely? Why did you half-kill them by piercing their bodies with arrows?’
The hunter replied, ‘My dear saintly person, my name is Mrgari, enemy of animals. My father taught me to kill them in that way. ‘When I see half-killed animals suffer, I feel great pleasure.’
Narada Muni then told the hunter, ‘I have one thing to beg of you.’ The hunter replied, ‘You may take whatever animals or anything else you would like. I have many skins if you would like them. I shall give you either a deerskin or a tiger skin.’
Narada Muni said, ‘I do not want any of the skins. I am only asking one thing from you in charity. ‘I beg you that from this day on you will kill animals completely and not leave them half-dead.’
The hunter replied, ‘My dear sir, what are you asking of me? What is wrong with the animals’ lying there half-killed? Will you please explain this to me?’ Narada Muni replied, ‘If you leave the animals half-dead, you are purposefully giving them pain. Therefore you will have to suffer in retaliation. My dear hunter, your business is killing animals. That is a slight offense on your part, but when you consciously give them unnecessary pain by leaving them half-dead, you incur very great sins. All the animals that you have killed and given unnecessary pain will kill you one after the other in your next life and in life after life.’
In this way, through the association of the great sage Narada Muni, the hunter was a little convinced of his sinful activity. He therefore became somewhat afraid due to his offenses. The hunter then admitted that he was convinced of his sinful activity, and he said, ‘I have been taught this business from my very childhood. Now I am wondering how I can become freed from these unlimited volumes of sinful activity. My dear sir, please tell me how I can be relieved from the reactions of my sinful life. Now I fully surrender unto you and fall down at your lotus feet. Please deliver me from sinful reactions.’
Narada Muni assured the hunter, ‘If you listen to my instructions, I shall find the way you can be liberated.’ The hunter then said, ‘My dear sir, whatever you say I shall do.’ Narada immediately ordered him, ‘First of all, break your bow. Then I shall tell you what is to be done.’ The hunter replied, ‘If I break my bow, how shall I maintain myself?’ Narada Muni replied, ‘Do not worry. I shall supply all your food every day.’
Being thus assured by the great sage Narada Muni, the hunter broke his bow, immediately fell down at the saint’s lotus feet and fully surrendered. After this, Narada Muni raised him with his hand and gave him instructions for spiritual advancement.
Narada Muni then advised the hunter, ‘Return home and distribute whatever riches you have to the pure brahmanas who know the Absolute Truth. After thus distributing all your riches, both you and your wife should leave home, taking only one cloth to wear. Leave your home and go to the river. There you should construct a small cottage, and in front of the cottage you should grow a tulasi plant on a raised platform. After planting the tulasi tree before your house, you should daily circumambulate that tulasi plant, serve her by giving her water and other things, and continuously chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. I shall send sufficient food to you both every day. You can take as much food as you want.’
The three animals that were half-killed were then brought to their consciousness by the sage Narada. Indeed, the animals got up and swiftly fled. When the hunter saw the half-killed animals flee, he was certainly struck with wonder. He then offered his respectful obeisances to the sage Narada and returned home.
After all this, Narada Muni went to his destination. The news that the hunter had become a Vaisnava spread all over the village. Indeed, all the villagers brought alms and presented them to the Vaisnava who was formerly a hunter. In one day enough food was brought for ten or twenty people, but the hunter and his wife would accept only as much as they could eat.
One day, while speaking to his friend Parvata Muni, Narada Muni requested him to go with him to see his disciple the hunter. When the saintly sages came to the hunter’s place, the hunter could see them coming from a distance. With great alacrity the hunter began to run toward his spiritual master, but he could not fall down and offer obeisances because ants were running hither and thither around his feet. Seeing the ants, the hunter whisked them away with a piece of cloth. After thus clearing the ants from the ground, he fell down flat to offer his obeisances.
Narada Muni said, ‘My dear hunter, such behavior is not at all astonishing. A man in devotional service is automatically nonviolent. He is the best of gentlemen. O hunter, good qualities like nonviolence, which you have developed, are not very astonishing, for those engaged in the Lord’s devotional service are never inclined to give pain to others because of envy.’
The hunter addressed Narada Muni: ‘O gosvami! O great saintly person! Why have you left the general path through the forest to come to me? Simply by seeing you, all the animals I was aiming at have now fled.’ Narada Muni replied, ‘Leaving the path, I have come to you to settle a doubt that is in my mind. I was wondering whether all the boars and other animals that are half-killed belong to you.’ The hunter replied in affirmative. Narada Muni then inquired, ‘Why did you not kill the animals completely? Why did you half-kill them by piercing their bodies with arrows?’
The hunter replied, ‘My dear saintly person, my name is Mrgari, enemy of animals. My father taught me to kill them in that way. ‘When I see half-killed animals suffer, I feel great pleasure.’
Narada Muni then told the hunter, ‘I have one thing to beg of you.’ The hunter replied, ‘You may take whatever animals or anything else you would like. I have many skins if you would like them. I shall give you either a deerskin or a tiger skin.’
Narada Muni said, ‘I do not want any of the skins. I am only asking one thing from you in charity. ‘I beg you that from this day on you will kill animals completely and not leave them half-dead.’
The hunter replied, ‘My dear sir, what are you asking of me? What is wrong with the animals’ lying there half-killed? Will you please explain this to me?’ Narada Muni replied, ‘If you leave the animals half-dead, you are purposefully giving them pain. Therefore you will have to suffer in retaliation. My dear hunter, your business is killing animals. That is a slight offense on your part, but when you consciously give them unnecessary pain by leaving them half-dead, you incur very great sins. All the animals that you have killed and given unnecessary pain will kill you one after the other in your next life and in life after life.’
In this way, through the association of the great sage Narada Muni, the hunter was a little convinced of his sinful activity. He therefore became somewhat afraid due to his offenses. The hunter then admitted that he was convinced of his sinful activity, and he said, ‘I have been taught this business from my very childhood. Now I am wondering how I can become freed from these unlimited volumes of sinful activity. My dear sir, please tell me how I can be relieved from the reactions of my sinful life. Now I fully surrender unto you and fall down at your lotus feet. Please deliver me from sinful reactions.’
Narada Muni assured the hunter, ‘If you listen to my instructions, I shall find the way you can be liberated.’ The hunter then said, ‘My dear sir, whatever you say I shall do.’ Narada immediately ordered him, ‘First of all, break your bow. Then I shall tell you what is to be done.’ The hunter replied, ‘If I break my bow, how shall I maintain myself?’ Narada Muni replied, ‘Do not worry. I shall supply all your food every day.’
Being thus assured by the great sage Narada Muni, the hunter broke his bow, immediately fell down at the saint’s lotus feet and fully surrendered. After this, Narada Muni raised him with his hand and gave him instructions for spiritual advancement.
Narada Muni then advised the hunter, ‘Return home and distribute whatever riches you have to the pure brahmanas who know the Absolute Truth. After thus distributing all your riches, both you and your wife should leave home, taking only one cloth to wear. Leave your home and go to the river. There you should construct a small cottage, and in front of the cottage you should grow a tulasi plant on a raised platform. After planting the tulasi tree before your house, you should daily circumambulate that tulasi plant, serve her by giving her water and other things, and continuously chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. I shall send sufficient food to you both every day. You can take as much food as you want.’
The three animals that were half-killed were then brought to their consciousness by the sage Narada. Indeed, the animals got up and swiftly fled. When the hunter saw the half-killed animals flee, he was certainly struck with wonder. He then offered his respectful obeisances to the sage Narada and returned home.
After all this, Narada Muni went to his destination. The news that the hunter had become a Vaisnava spread all over the village. Indeed, all the villagers brought alms and presented them to the Vaisnava who was formerly a hunter. In one day enough food was brought for ten or twenty people, but the hunter and his wife would accept only as much as they could eat.
One day, while speaking to his friend Parvata Muni, Narada Muni requested him to go with him to see his disciple the hunter. When the saintly sages came to the hunter’s place, the hunter could see them coming from a distance. With great alacrity the hunter began to run toward his spiritual master, but he could not fall down and offer obeisances because ants were running hither and thither around his feet. Seeing the ants, the hunter whisked them away with a piece of cloth. After thus clearing the ants from the ground, he fell down flat to offer his obeisances.
Narada Muni said, ‘My dear hunter, such behavior is not at all astonishing. A man in devotional service is automatically nonviolent. He is the best of gentlemen. O hunter, good qualities like nonviolence, which you have developed, are not very astonishing, for those engaged in the Lord’s devotional service are never inclined to give pain to others because of envy.’