Based on The Faith Book by Kadamba Kanana Swami
Two Seekers, One Question
In a holy land adorned with sacred rivers and temple domes, there lived two men who longed to understand the Supreme Lord. One was a scholarly king, draped in silk and pride. The other was a simple cobbler, seated under a tree, mending shoes with calloused hands and a heart full of song.
Both, by divine arrangement, approached Nārada Muni and asked the same question: “What is the Lord doing right now?”
The Answer from the Heavens
With a soft smile, Nārada closed his eyes. “I just came from Vaikuṇṭha,” he said. “The Lord is threading an elephant through the eye of a needle.” His words were calm, but laced with a playful challenge.
The king blinked. “Impossible! Such nonsense! I asked a serious question.” He stormed off, his mind tangled in logic, his heart closed by doubt.
But when Nārada reached the cobbler and gave the same reply, the cobbler folded his palms, eyes wide in wonder. “Ah!” he cried. “Such is the power of my Lord! He can do anything.”
Faith That Sees the Impossible
Nārada was curious. “Do you truly believe this?” The cobbler nodded with innocent certainty. “Why not? Each day I see Him perform miracles. Look at this banyan tree.” He pointed to a seed. “From a tiny seed comes a mighty tree with hundreds of branches and thousands of leaves. If He can place a tree in a seed, why not an elephant through a needle?”
The Lord’s Heart Revealed
Nārada returned to Vaikuṇṭha and reported what he had seen. The Lord smiled and said, “Of the two, the cobbler will come to Me first. Though unlearned, his faith is deep. He sees Me in all things. The king has knowledge, but no trust.”
The Simplicity of Bhakti
This story teaches that it is not erudition but devotion that pleases the Lord. Faith is not always dressed in robes of reason. Sometimes, it walks barefoot under trees, stitching sandals and singing names.
The cobbler’s greatness was not in knowing scripture, but in knowing Kṛṣṇa—and believing in His limitless power with a child’s heart.
A Verse to Remember
śraddhāvān labhate jñānaṁ
tat-paraḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ
jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śāntim
acireṇa adhigacchati“One who is full of faith, who is dedicated and has mastered the senses, gains knowledge. And by that knowledge, quickly attains spiritual peace.”
— Bhagavad-gītā 4.39
