The Predicament
Once upon a time, a man was wandering through a forest when he suddenly heard the sound of a tiger. Terrified, he began to run, but he soon fell into a blind well that was covered with bushes and creepers. As he fell, he managed to grab hold of the roots of a tree growing on the wall of the well. He thought, “At least the tiger cannot reach me here.”
However, as he looked down, he saw the bottom of the well was dry and filled with snakes, their hoods raised and hissing, ready to bite him. Now he was in a dire situation, hanging from the roots, with a ferocious tiger above and poisonous snakes below.
The Rats and the Honeycomb
While he was contemplating his predicament, he saw two rats—one black and one white—gnawing away at the root he was holding onto. He realized it was only a matter of time before the root would be completely chewed through. He thought about his options: climbing up to face the tiger or falling down to the snakes. Either way, his fate seemed sealed.
Amidst this hopeless situation, he noticed a honeycomb on the branch of the tree. Because the tree was shaking, some honey was dropping close to his face. He stuck out his tongue to catch a drop of honey. As he tasted it, he thought, “How sweet! How sweet!” and momentarily forgot his predicament.
The Friend’s Intervention
At that moment, his friend came by and saw him hanging in the well. The friend threw down a rope and shouted, “Hold on to the rope and come out.” But the man, fixated on the honey, replied, “No, no, I don’t want the rope. I want more honey. Push the branch so that I can get more honey from the hive.”
Symbolism and Moral
- Man – Represents the spirit soul embedded in a material body.
- Tiger – Symbolizes fate chasing him towards death.
- Snakes – Represent fearful death waiting with poisonous fangs.
- Honey – Signifies sense gratification in material life with family, friends, and relatives.
- Rats – Symbolize the waxing and waning of the sun daily—time (kala).
- Beehive – Represents the sources of temporary pleasures and distractions.
- Root – Symbolizes life and the fragile support we cling to in the material world.
- Blind Well – Represents samsara, the cycle of birth and death, filled with ignorance and danger.
- Friend – Symbolizes the guru who comes to save us from material entanglement.
Lesson from the Story
This story illustrates the plight of conditioned souls in this world. We are in a precarious situation, caught between the inevitable fate of death and the temptations of material enjoyment. Time is relentless and does not wait for anyone.
Despite the knowledge and opportunities for spiritual advancement, we often remain attached to temporary pleasures, ignoring the lifeline offered by spiritual wisdom and guidance.
In Srimad Bhagavatam (4.24.66), Lord Shiva prays to Krishna, highlighting the uncontrollable greed and desires that bind us to material existence:
“Due to my unlimited sins I have fallen into the dark well of the material world, blinded by illusion and burning with material hankerings. I raise my hands unto You. Please save me, my dear Lord Vishnu, who is also known as Govinda, Damodara, and Madhava.”
Bilvamangala Thakur also prays:
“samsaara kupe pathitothyaghaadhe mohaanda purne vishayaabhi tapte karaavalambam mama dehi vishno govinda damodara madhaveti”
“The moment we have a desire to get out of the well and raise our hands and call out the Lord’s names, He mercifully extends His loving hands and takes us back home, back to Godhead.”
Pingala says in Srimad Bhagavatam (11.8.41):
“The intelligence of the living entity is stolen away by activities of sense gratification, and thus he falls into the dark well of material existence. Within that well, he is then seized by the deadly serpent of time. Who else but the Supreme Personality of Godhead could save the poor living entity from such a hopeless condition?”
Conclusion
We must realize the importance of taking shelter in spiritual practices and the guidance of a guru. Only then can we be rescued from the precarious situation of material existence and attain eternal bliss in the association of the Supreme Lord.
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 so that everyone can be benefitted by hearing about Krishna and His dear devotees.
