Once upon a time, there was a great and pious king named Ambarisha Maharaj. He had a brother who was extremely sinful and indulged in all sorts of immoral activities. Despite Ambarisha Maharaj’s earnest efforts to preach and reform his brother, he remained unresponsive and continued on his sinful path.
In desperation, Ambarisha Maharaj approached the sage Narada Muni, requesting him to preach to his brother. Initially reluctant, Narada Muni eventually agreed to help.
When Narada Muni visited the sinful king, he was greeted with respect, but as soon as he started preaching, the king became furious. He screamed and threw bottles of wine at Narada Muni, forcing him to flee. As Narada Muni was escaping, he shouted back to the sinful king: “When you find yourself in front of Yamaraja, the lord of death, ask him just one question – What is the result of having sadhu sanga for a lava-matra (a moment’s association with a pure devotee of God)?”
As fate would have it, the sinful king eventually died and was taken to the court of Yamaraja. Upon reviewing the king’s long list of sins, Yamaraja was prepared to condemn him to hell for eternity. However, feeling a sense of compassion, Yamaraja offered to fulfill the king’s last request. The king then remembered Narada Muni’s advice and asked, “What is the result of having sadhu sanga for a lava-matra?”
Amazed by the question, Yamaraja admitted, “I deal with sinners, not sadhus, so I do not know the answer. But since I promised to fulfill your last desire, I will take you to Lord Brahma.”
Yamaraja and the sinful king flew to Lord Brahma’s abode. After hearing the question, Lord Brahma replied, “I am busy with the creation of the universe and do not deal with sadhus. We must ask Lord Shiva.”
When they approached Lord Shiva and presented the question, Lord Shiva said, “I am surrounded by followers engaged in ghastly activities and do not deal with sadhus. We need to go to Lord Narayana Himself.”
Finally, they arrived in Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Narayana. Upon hearing the question, Lord Narayana smiled and said, “The result of having sadhu sanga for even a lava-matra is that one is delivered to Vaikuntha by all means. Since you have already brought him here, he will stay. Thank you, my dear servants. Now, you may return to your duties.”
Thus, the sinful king was granted residence in Vaikuntha due to a moment’s association with the pure devotee Narada Muni.
Moral of the Story:
This story illustrates the immense power of even a moment’s association with a pure devotee of God. Such association can lead to ultimate liberation and deliverance from the cycle of birth and death. It highlights the importance of seeking the company of pure devotees and understanding the profound impact of sadhu sanga in one’s spiritual journey.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
PS: I humbly request all the devotees to please forward and share this moral/instructive story they hear so that everyone can be benefitted by hearing about Krishna and his dear devotees.
