One day a female eagle was flying over a place where some hens and chickens were living. At that time the eagle was pregnant and because of some shock, her 2 eggs fell down from her stomach. One hen went and sat on top of first egg and started incubating and thus slowly developing motherly affection for that eagle’s egg. In course of time, the baby eagle came out of the egg, but was looking very ugly. The hen on seeing the ugly baby thought of killing the baby, but one wise hen advised her to wait and see how it grows. The baby eagle slowly grew wings and became very strong and outgrew the other chickens. Now all the chicken and the hens felt complete protection as no other preying animal approached the chickens.
One day the eagle told the hen that it had a deep craving to fly in the air. But the hen discouraged the vulture by saying that if it tries to fly, it will fall down and that it is an unnatural thought. Hence the eagle continued to live amongst the chickens, completely forgetting its natural identity. Finally this eagle die his misfortunete life.
Another egg was having similar destiny but much more fortunate situation. He also grow up with chickens at another place.
One day, a brahmana came to this second place and saw that the eagle which was supposed to be the King of the birds was living in a very incompatible environment feeding on chicken stool.
The brahmana, out of great compassion for the bird, took the bird to the top of the building and threw the eagle, hoping that it would open its wings. But the eagle had so much forgotten its original identity that it fell down with a bang.
The brahmana who was greatly grieved looking at the sad plight of the eagle, was very much determined to remind the eagle of all its power.
He forced the eagle to look at the Sun and slowly the eagle started making the sound of real eagle. Although it was very painful in the beginning, the eagle slowly started gaining strength and started to soar to great heights in the sky. Eagle never wanted to return to his old life with chickens.
Moral of the story:
The above story is an analogy, which points to the position of the living entities. We have forgotten our Atma-jnana, the knowledge of the soul, and we are living a life under the clutches of the material energy just like the eagle, which lived in the world of the chickens.
Many of us are ignoring call for freedom from our own hearth and end there life’s very miserable as eagle with chickens.
But some by unknown good fortune, come in contact with saints who gives us the awakening call , “O living entity! How long will you sleep in this condition on the lap of the illusory energy?” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, out of great compassion for the suffering living entity calls out,
“enechi aushadhi maaya naasibara lagi
hari naam maha mantra lao tumi maagi”
“I have brought the medicine to awaken every living entity from perpetual sleep. Please receive the Holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krishna Maha mantra and awaken.”
In Katha Upanishad 1.3.14 it is said, “Uttista, jagrata, praapya varan nibodhata”- “O living entity! You are sleeping in this material world. Please get up and take advantage of your human form of life.”
In this way when we hear the clarion call, to look up to the Krishna Surya – Krishna Sun, then the memory of our original identity comes forth and a sweet feeling of yearning to be with the Lord arises within our heart on seeing the deities, hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, chanting the Holy names of the Lord and engaging in other devotional services.
We, being the marginal energy of the Lord, have a valuable jewel with us and that is the Svatantra ratna – The jewel of freedom to chose to be with the internal energy of the Lord or be lost in the external energy. Every day morning we have this freedom of choice with us. ‘Will I chant Krishna’s names with love and attention or will I cause my soul to be entrapped in miserable awkward conditions of life?”
Let us not misuse this greatest jewel of independence and free will. Let us pray to the Lord,
Agne naya supathaa raaye asmaan visvaani deva vayunaani vidvaan
Yuyodhy asmaj juhuraanam eno bhuyisthaam te nama-uktim vidhema
– Sri Ishopanisad Mantra 18
“O my Lord, as powerful as fire, O omnipotent one, now I offer You all obeisances, falling on the ground at Your feet. O my Lord, please lead me on the right path to reach You, and since You know all that I have done in the past, please free me from the reactions to my past sins so that there will be no hindrance to my
progress.”