Based on The Faith Book by Kadamba Kanana Swami
The Forest of Solitude and Prayer
Deep in a silent forest, far from the clamor of city bells and market calls, lived a lone devotee in a small hut of leaves and bamboo. He spent his days in japa and his nights in śāstra. His only companions were the stars above, the wind in the trees, and the holy names that echoed in his heart.
He had come seeking not escape, but union—union with the Lord in a place where nothing else remained.
The Roar in the Night
One night, as the moon climbed high, a fierce roar shook the forest. A tiger, wild and hungry, had caught the scent of man. It crept through the bushes, eyes glowing, body low and tense. It had not eaten in days, and now its prey was before it—the humble sage, lost in his chanting.
The devotee opened his eyes. There stood the tiger, muscles coiled, breath steaming. But he did not panic. He did not run. Instead, he folded his palms and whispered, “If it is Your desire, my Lord, then let this body be Your offering. I am Yours.”
Faith Stronger Than Fear
The tiger stepped closer, teeth bared. The devotee’s heart beat only with the name of Rāma. No other sound. No other thought. Just surrender. Just faith.
But then—a miracle.
The tiger stopped. Its breath slowed. It looked into the devotee’s eyes—and in those eyes, it saw no fear. Only peace. The beast let out a low growl and turned away, vanishing into the shadows of the jungle, as if tamed by something it could not name.
The Protection of Pure Devotion
Word spread. “A man tamed a tiger with faith.” But the devotee simply said, “I did nothing. I was ready to die. But the Lord is kind. He sends tests, and if we hold on to His name, even a tiger becomes a messenger of His mercy.”
The Lesson in the Growl
This story reveals that in the moment of greatest fear, we discover the strength of our surrender. Death may come in any form—disease, accident, or tiger. But when we are fully fixed in the Lord’s name, nothing can touch our true self. Even wild nature bows before true bhakti.
A Verse to Remember
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati“O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.”
— Bhagavad-gītā 9.31
