The Divine Stone

Satya was a little girl who lived with her working parents . She played the whole day here and there, even in their neighbors house. Both the houses were connected with each other through a open common area which was used for drying clothes .In her  neighborhood , Mr Gupta lived with his family and his old parents.Mr Gupta’s family loved Satya a lot , so without any hesitation she played and wandered anywhere in their house.

It was Monday and everyone in Mr Gupta’s house was busy in  geting ready for their school or office. Mr Gupta’s mother whom Satya called Dadi (grandmother) was ringing bell, and the bell’s ring astonished her who was playing in the common area. She ran inside Mr Gupta’s puja room where Dadi was performing her puja ( prayer) which was just in front of the common area gate. Dadi instructed to sit down by pointing with her hand.

Satya observed that Dadi was touching an ovel black stone kept in a small silver box and folded her arms with bended head. She was chanting something , sprinkling some water ,pouring milk and yellow flowers on that ovel stone. She then showed a diya (small oil lamp , made from brass) in round motion around it . Satya was noticing every moment of Dadi’s puja. She was getting fascinated about all these. After the puja was over Dadi gave prasad (food i.e a religious offering in Hinduism consumed after worshipping God as it is considered to be blessed by him). She thought “Oh Dadi plays with such wonderful things . It’s beautiful too”. Dadi left and went to kitchen. A thought popped  out in her mind“Let me take it. I will take care of the stone. Dadi left it just like that”. She took the stone and went to her house.

She placed the stone over a box and started performing same as grandmother was doing, but she didn’t knew those were rituals not game!!. After playing she went to the common area and started playing kitchen set. All of a sudden she heard Dadi voice who was shouting for the lost stone. ‘ where is the sacred stone Shaligram (is the most sacred stone which is worshiped as an iconic symbol of the god Vishnu). Who has taken it? How did it disappeared, few minutes ago I was worshiping it, please search for it ‘ Gupta aunty started searching it in the whole  house but her efforts went in vain.

After this Dadi started crying and said ‘ lord Vishnu is not happy with me so he left me’. She was getting impatient and subconsciously repeated the same line again and again. Satya after listening this from the common area became scared and realized that she had committed a major mistake.

She was all worried and didn’t know what to do.She went inside and brought the stone which was hidden in her pocket.In a while when all Gupta’s were busy peasing Grandmother, Satya went inside puja room and placed the stone in the silver box and went back to her house tiptoedly. It was like a night mare which the poor little girl experienced. It was the first thing and the last thing in her life which she stole unknowingly.

She didn’t confessed for her Sin and is living with the guilt still now. After this incident she was not able to talk to Dadi freely  and slowly became shy and a timid person……… Acknowledging faults and sins without any omission makes a person strong and confident. Infact mistakes are the first step towards perfection.