Once, there was a village struck by a severe drought. For the past 3-4 years, there had been no rain, and the villagers, who relied solely on agriculture, were nearly starving to death. In desperation, they decided to perform a yajna (a sacrificial ritual) to invoke rain.
The Decision to Perform a Yajna
The villagers agreed on a venue and time for the yajna and made it compulsory for everyone to attend. They hoped that this collective act of devotion would please the gods and bring the much-needed rain.
The Villager with the Umbrella
As the scheduled time approached, villagers began gathering at the venue. Among them was one villager who brought an umbrella. Seeing this, the other villagers burst into laughter, thinking he had gone mad. Why would anyone carry an umbrella when there hadn’t been rain for years?
The Miracle of Rain
The yajna was performed with great fervor and devotion. After taking prasadam (sacred food), the villagers began to leave. To their astonishment, the sky darkened, and soon there was a heavy downpour. The villagers, amazed and drenched, ran to the man with the umbrella.
The Man’s Simple Answer
When they asked him why he had brought an umbrella, he simply replied, “Faith.” He explained that they were performing a puja (worship) to Krishna for rain, and he had firm faith in the Lord’s mercy and assurance that their prayers would be answered.
Moral of the Story
The crux of this story is that if we have faith in the Lord and surrender to Him, He will take care of everything. The Supreme Personality of Godhead promises in the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita that His devotee never perishes. As the Lord says in the eighteenth chapter:
“sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva papebhyo mokshayishyami ma shucah”
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”(Bhagavad Gita 18.66)
With such a guarantee from the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, we should take to the process of surrender immediately, with full faith and without any delay.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
PS: I humbly request all the devotees to please forward and share this moral/instructive story they hear so that everyone can be benefited by hearing about Krishna and His dear devotees.
