Yudhisthira says the story of a sage helping a dog
After Yudhisthira was crowned as King of Hastinapur, Lord Krishna freed superb Bhishma from all of his sufferings prior to his demise and requested him to alleviate Yudhisthira from mourning over the lifeless Kshatriyas thru the manner of advising him on Dharma. Yudhishthira asked him whether or not the low caste humans help the King or even at the time while he does not have helpers born in the good clan? Bhishma gave him an example of an ancient history, which was earlier advised to Lord Parashurama by extraordinary sages. allow us to understand it in brief.
Once an incredible religious sage lived in a wonderful deserted forest. He conquered his senses, consumed the fruits simplest, took perfect Vrat, and did Self-study of Vedas and Shastras every day with grace. His conscience was purified by means of fasting and he was usually situated in the manner of sattva. Seeing that sensible sages sitting in one region with concord, all of the wild animals like lions and tigers, huge Elephants, Leopards, Rhinos, Bears, and more used to come near him. Despite the fact that they had been all carnivorous predatory animals, even as bowing down their heads like his disciples, asked him approximately his happiness and health out of love continuously. After knowing approximately sage’s wellbeing, all those animals went back from where they got here; but there was a rural dog who did not go anywhere. He was devoted and attached to that extraordinary sage; because of fasting, he has become weak. He additionally consumed fruits and water, subdued his thoughts, and lived a life like a monk-guys. He became very affectionate to the sage.
One day a wild cheetah to catch that dog got here there like Yamraj. He frequently licked each of his jaws and the tail, he was getting thirsty and he widened his mouth. His starvation increased his anxiety so he needed to get that dog meat. Seeing that ferocious cheetah coming, in order to save his life the dog said to the sage, “God! this cheetah is the enemy of dogs and wants to kill me. You do something so that, by means of your grace I won't be afraid of this cheetah. You are omniscient, there is no question about it. So after listening to my prayer, you should fulfil it.” That sage was endowed with the ability who could apprehend the speech of all beings. After understanding the motive for that dog's worry, he instructed him that, “Son! You ought to in no manner be terrified of this cheetah who emerges in the shape of death. Right now you depart the form of a dog and emerge as a cheetah.” After that Muni made the dog a cheetah. Now he lived fearlessly within the wooded area. Whilst noticing an animal much like him, then the antipathy of the forest Cheetah went away in a moment.
Then one day a fiercely hungry tiger attacked the Cheetah with the
desire to drink the blood of that cheetah. Seeing the wild tiger rushing toward
him, so as to protect his life once more Cheetah came beneath the safe haven of
the sage. Then sage out of affection, turned the cheetah right into a tiger.
Now he turned out to be stronger than his enemies. After that, the other
tiger seeing the Cheetah in his shape could not kill it. Then again that
dog became a potent tiger and started out eating meat. Like the manner the
other forest tiger wanted to eat meat, the tiger too at that point became
a meat-eater.
The tiger constantly after killing deers, ate their meat and
satisfyingly, slept close to the hut of the Maharishi. Simply then a huge
black Madonmat elephant arrived there. His forehead was very big on wherein a
lotus symbol was made. His teeth were stunning. That gigantic elephant roared
loudly like a cloud. Considering the fact that boisterous Gajraj was coming, the
worried tiger once more went to the refuge of the sage. Then the sage made
that tiger an elephant. Seeing the cloud-like elephant that wild forest
elephant became scared and ran away. Then the elephant gladly began to wander
within the bushes of lotus and sala. Every so often that elephant used to roam
in front of the sage. Many nights passed out like this. Thereafter a Kesari
lion got here to that place, who due to the saffron appeared somehow red
colour. The horrible lion who was born inside the mountain cave was known to
be the reason for the Gajarajs’ death. Considering that lion coming, that
elephant was scared and stressed. He started out to tremble and took shelter
from the sage. Then Muni made that Gajraj a lion. Now that The wild lion has not anything
to do with the identical type. The jungle lion himself got scared. The dog who
was made lion then started out dwelling inside the same ashram. Due to him, the
other animals of the wooded area got afraid and by no means appeared near there
to be able to save their own lives.
After that, at some point, a violent Sharabha of the
creatures arrived there, which had eight legs and the eyes were at the top.
That blood drinker was creating fear in the minds of all sorts of forest
animals. It came to the ashram to kill that lion. Seeing Sharabha coming, the lion
was extremely fearful. With trembling hands, he got here to the refuge of sage
once more. Then the sage made him an incredibly powerful Sharabha. Wild
Sharabha after seeing the mighty Sharabha ran away from that forest out of
fear. The sage commemorated the Sharabha within the region of the dog. The
Sharabha lived peacefully each day close to him. All the animals of the wooded
area had been terrified of that Sharabha. Fearing for their very own lives, they ran away
in all directions. Pleased Sharabha always prepared to kill the living beings.
That carnivorous creature never desired to devour fruits.
sooner or later he was affected by a strong thirst for
blood. Sharabha, who came to be ungrateful for being born of the dog race,
started wishing to kill the sage too. That earlier dog and Sharabha of the
present time thought that “due to the impact of the Maharishi, thru his mere
speech I attained the rarest frame of Sharabha, which is terrible for the
animals. Many other deers and birds who typically took refuge from the sage have always been frightened of elephants and other terrifying animals. It is possible that
they may be even given the body of Sharabha too, in which the world's supreme
force is put above all beings. The sage can give the energy of amazing Garuda
to the birds too. So be subject to mercy until satisfied with some other living
being on be happy, he does not give him the same energy, till then I'm able to
kill these Brahmarishi quickly. There's no question that I can be capable of
stay right here with no hesitation.”
That sage thru his eyes of expertise and by his austerity
could realize the intention of Sharabha. The wise sage stated to that dog, “You
have been a dog first, then became a cheetah, then from a cheetah, you entered
to the clan of the tiger, from him you turn out to be the elephant, from
elephant you came to be the lion and after being a strong lion, you acquired the
shape of Sharabha. Although you have been born in a low caste, still I did not
abandon you out of love. Sinner! for you there has been in no way any sins in
my heart, even then you wish to kill me. So you again go back to your former
yoni and be the dog.” As soon as Maharishi cursed the dog, that traitor low-born and foolish Sharabha once again changed right into a dog.
Ref: Mahabharata book Shanti Parva
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