I am no Crane
A holy man named Kaushika had acquired great spiritual powers. One day, he sat under a tree meditating. A crane at the top of the tree soiled his head with its droppings. Kaushika looked up at it angrily, and his angry look killed the bird instantly. The holy man was pained when he saw the dead bird lying on the ground. Some time later, he went as usual to beg for food and stood before the door of a house.
The housewife was busy serving her husband with food and seemed to forget the holy man waiting outside. After her husband had been fed, she came out with food, saying, “I am sorry to have kept you waiting long. Forgive me.” But Kaushika, burning with anger, said: “Lady, you have made me wait for a long time. This is not fair.” “Kindly forgive me,” said the woman. “I was serving my sick husband and hence the delay.” “It is good to attend the husband,” replied Kaushika, “but you seem to be an arrogant woman.” “I kept you waiting only because I was dutifully serving my sick husband,” she replied. “Please do not be angry with me.
I am no crane to be killed by your angry thought. Your anger cannot harm a woman who devotes herself to service of her husband and family.” Kaushika was surprised. He wondered how she knew of the crane incident. She continued: “O great one, you do not know the secret of duty, or that anger is the greatest enemy that dwells in human beings. Go to the village Rampur in Mithilā and learn the secrets of doing one’s duty with devotion from Vyādha Rāj” Kaushika went to the village and met the man named Vyādha Rāj.
He was surprised to learn he was selling meat at a butcher’s shop. The butcher got up from his seat and asked: “Honored sir, are you well? Did that pure lady send you to me? I know why you have come. Let us go home.” The butcher took Kaushika to his house where Kaushika saw a happy family and was greatly amazed at the love and respect with which the butcher served his parents Kaushika took his lesson from the butcher on doing one’s duty. Vyādha Rāj did not kill the animals; he never ate meat.
He just carried on his family business after his father retired. Afterwards, Kaushika returned to his house and began to serve his parents, a duty which he had neglected before. The moral of this story is that you can reach spiritual perfection by honestly doing whatever duty is yours in life. This is a true worship of God (Gita 18.46). Lord Krishna lives within all of us and guides us to work out our own Karma (Gita 18.61). Put forth your best effort, and gladly accept the results as His will.
This is called surrendering to God or giving up of the ego (Gita 18.66). The gift of spiritual knowledge is the best gift because the absence of spiritual knowledge is the cause of all evil in the world. Spreading spiritual knowledge is the highest devotional service to Lord Krishna (Gita 18.68-69). Everlasting peace and wealth are possible only when you do your duty well and also have the spiritual knowledge given in the Holy Gita by Lord Krishna (Gita 18.78).