In a sacred land where Lord Viṣṇu’s temple stood on a hill, thousands of pilgrims would come daily to offer worship, chant His names, and circumambulate the temple with love and reverence.
Near the foot of the hill lived a herdsman, who owned many cows. Every day, he would take his herd to graze near the base of the hill and sometimes let them wander close to the temple path.
Among them was an old cow, gentle and quiet, who had served her master faithfully by giving milk for many years. Now past her prime, she was slow, weak, and often left behind by the rest of the herd.
One day, as the temple festival was taking place, a great crowd of devotees came to the hill. They chanted the names of Lord Viṣṇu, sang kīrtana, and performed a sacred parikramā, walking around the temple barefoot, their feet coated in the sacred dust of the Lord’s abode.
The old cow, curious and peaceful, wandered into the path of the devotees. As they walked, the dust from their feet fell upon her back. The sound of the holy names reached her ears. Some of the devotees even lovingly patted her as they passed by.
That evening, the cow quietly lay down near the path and left her body.
What followed was astonishing.
Viṣṇudūtas appeared in the sky—radiant beings holding lotus flowers and conch shells. They descended before the cow’s soul and said:
“This cow has become purified. The dust of the feet of the Lord’s devotees touched her body. She heard the holy name. These two acts alone are enough to release her from all karma. She now belongs to the Lord.”
They lifted her soul, which took on a brilliant, spiritual form, and carried her to Vaikuṇṭha, the eternal realm, where she would dwell forever in blissful service.
The herdsman, unaware of the full event, noticed that one of his cows was missing. When he later heard the tale from witnesses, he became filled with wonder and began to worship the Lord and His devotees with devotion and humility.
Lessons from This Story:
- The dust from the feet of devotees is spiritually purifying—even for animals.
- The presence of the holy name, even heard once or by accident, sanctifies the soul.
- The association of devotees, even indirect, has the power to uplift and liberate.
- As the Bhāgavatam says (10.84.11): “mahā-pādā-rajo-’bhiṣekam”
“The dust from the lotus feet of great souls is so powerful that even a sprinkling of it destroys sinful reactions.”