Hi,
Each of us has an occupation to pursue and the duties associated with it to perform. The question is about how happy we are with what we do. We may have got into it by our own choice or the circumstances may have forced us to take it up as our profession... But having accepted it as our life's work, how sincere and faithful are we in delivering it? This story from the Mahabharata reveals a great secret about it. Let us see what it is.
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Duty done with sincerity equals worship of God
This is the story described in the aranya parva of the Mahabharata. There lived a young hermit by name Kausika who took to the learning of vedas and reciting them. One day, when he was seriously reciting the vedas sitting under a tree, a crane on the tree excreted and accidentally the droppings fell on Kausika's head. He became very angry and his angry look at the bird instantly killed it.
Later, on one of his visits in the village for alms, he stood in front of a house and requested for food. The housewife saw him, but could not pay immediate attention to him. Firstly, she was busy with her domestic work. Then, her husband came home. So, she attended to him and served him food before she came out to give the alms to Kausika. But he was very angry that she kept him waiting for so long. So, he told her that it was not proper on her part to ignore him like that. The lady replied to him, "Please don't be angry. I kept you waiting only because I was doing the duty of serving my husband. Do not think that I am a bird. Your anger can not do any harm to me. You do not know the secret of duty. That is why you are talking like this. Go to Mithila and meet Dharmavyadha, if you want to learn about the secret of a good life."
Kausika was astonished by what the lady said to him. But he also became curious to go to Mithila and meet Dharmavyadha there. So immediately he went there. And, he was shocked to see Dharmavyadha there in a butcher's shop in which he was selling meat. Seeing Kausika standing in front of his shop, he came out and asked him politely, "Did that chaste brahmana lady send you here? Sir, I know why you came here. Let us go home."
He took Kausika to his house where Kausika saw a very happy family. The butcher took good care of his parents. Seeing the astonishment on the face of Kausika, Dharmavyadha told him, "I am a butcher by profession. It is my duty to sell meat to the people who need it. If I do not do that properly, my king will be unhappy with me and he will punish me. So, I am just doing my duty. Back at my home, I have a family to take care of and I attend to them as well."
After that, Kausika returned to his home and started attending to his parents, a duty which he had neglected before.
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Whatever may the occupation we are engaged in, it has its own importance. Be it that of a Prime Minister or a Principal, Scientist or a Scavenger, Barber or a Butcher, Priest or a Pupil, Farmer or a Factory Owner, housewife or a househusband!! Every one has a duty to perform and when it is done with sincerity it is good for the society. You gotta perform your duty with honesty and sincerity. Having got into it, you can not make excuses. You ought to live it and enjoy doing it passionately. Then, there is nothing too difficult in the execution of a duty - for a man of character.
After all, work is worship.
To your success,
With love,
Siva
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