The Power of Association with Saints
In a sacred forest region where many saintly sages lived in hermitages, there was constant chanting of Hari-nāma, study of the Vedas, and glorification of Lord Nārāyaṇa. The area, though remote, was visited by seekers and brāhmaṇas desiring to lead a life of purity and renunciation.
Among the sages was one elderly saint who lived alone, absorbed in meditation on Lord Kṛṣṇa. He offered fruits and flowers to the Lord daily and lived simply, wearing only tree bark and surviving on alms.
The Dog Who Found Shelter
One day, a stray dog, thin and weak, entered the forest and wandered near the saint’s hut. It had been chased away from the village, bitten by other dogs, and nearly starved. But near the saint, it found no hostility. The dog began staying nearby, sometimes sleeping at the edge of the hermitage and eating the leftovers of the saint’s offerings.
The saint, though absorbed in his own spiritual practice, never disturbed or harmed the dog. Occasionally, he would speak softly near it or allow it to rest under the shade of the tree while he chanted the holy names of Lord Viṣṇu.
Over time, the dog grew peaceful and simply lay silently near the saint. For several weeks, it heard the sound of mantras, kīrtana, and the Lord’s glories, though it could not understand them.
A Glorious End
One morning, the dog didn’t get up. It had passed away in the night, quietly, lying beneath the tulasī plant that grew near the sage’s hut.
As the sage performed his morning duties, he sensed something unusual. Suddenly, he witnessed a vision: the Viṣṇudūtas had appeared in radiant splendor and were lifting the soul of the dog into the sky. The celestial messengers turned to the sage and said:
“Because this dog resided in the association of a pure devotee, regularly heard the chanting of the Lord’s names, and died near a tulasī plant, it has been cleansed of all sins. Now, by the mercy of the Lord and His devotee, this soul is going to Vaikuṇṭha.”
The saint was overwhelmed with joy, his eyes filled with tears. He offered his obeisances to the Lord, marveling at His mercy.
Lessons to Be Learned:
- Association with a saintly devotee purifies even the most fallen soul—without the need for formal practice or ritual.
- The power of the holy name and the presence of a tulasī plant can uplift any jīva beyond material entanglement.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa’s compassion knows no limits. He accepts even a dog, if it has taken shelter near His devotee.
- As Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī writes: “sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga sarva-śāstre kaya / lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya”
“Association with devotees, even for a moment, grants all perfection.” (CC Madhya 22.54)
Origin of the Story: Padma Purāṇa – Stories section illustrating the power of living near a saint and hearing Hari-nāma, even in an animal body.
