The Temple of the Lord
In a certain town, there was a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Daily, pious brāhmaṇas came to offer worship with love and reverence. They presented food offerings, fragrant flowers, incense, and lit ghee lamps before the beautiful deity of the Lord. The temple echoed with the sweet sounds of mantras and the sincere prayers of devotees.
The Hungry Mouse’s Arrival
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the brāhmaṇas completed their worship, a tiny mouse emerged from a hole in the temple wall. The temple had fallen silent, and the mouse, driven by hunger, began to wander about in search of food.
The Accidental Offering
Climbing onto the altar, the mouse caught the aroma of pure ghee from a lamp that was still burning before the deity. As it tried to drink the ghee, its little feet brushed against the lamp. The lamp shifted slightly, and its flame leapt higher, casting a brighter glow upon the face of Lord Viṣṇu.
Though the mouse was simply seeking food, the act of unintentionally brightening the lamp was accepted by the Lord as an offering of devotion. For the Lord is bhāva-grāhī, He who accepts the intention—the inner mood—rather than the outer act alone.
The Lord’s Merciful Vision
Seeing this act, the merciful Lord Viṣṇu smiled. Though the mouse was ignorant of its deed, the Lord, who is seated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, accepted it as a sincere gesture of love.
A Divine Reward
That very night, the mouse left its body. Because of that single, unknowing act of devotional service, the Lord rewarded the soul with a human birth—this time as a prince in a noble and pious royal family. The boy was born with extraordinary virtues. He was kind, truthful, and deeply drawn toward spiritual topics from a young age.
Awakening of Past Life Memory
As the prince grew, divine remembrance awakened in his heart. He began to experience vivid memories of having once been a mouse in a temple of Lord Viṣṇu. Through the Lord’s mercy, he understood the cause of his present fortune: a small but heartfelt act of service to the Lord’s lamp.
Renunciation and Devotion
Overwhelmed with gratitude and spiritual longing, the prince renounced his royal life and entered the forest. There, he lived simply, absorbed in nāma-saṅkīrtana and smaraṇa—chanting the Lord’s holy names and remembering His pastimes. He fasted, meditated, and engaged in deep devotion, eager to serve the Lord eternally.
The Supreme Benediction
Pleased with the prince’s pure heart and unwavering devotion, Lord Viṣṇu appeared before him in a brilliant divine form. The Lord granted him mokṣa, liberation from material bondage, and took him to Vaikuṇṭha, His eternal spiritual abode. There, that soul, once a humble mouse, attained the eternal service of the Lord in blissful association.
Lesson to Be Learned
Even the smallest act of service offered to the Lord—done with humility, devotion, or even unknowingly—can yield unimaginable spiritual rewards. The Lord sees not just the action, but the intention. Let us therefore never underestimate the power of sincere service, however insignificant it may seem. As Śrīla Prabhupāda often said, “Even a little devotional service can save one from the greatest danger.”
Origin of the Story
This story is found in the Padma Purāṇa and retold in various devotional commentaries to illustrate the Lord’s mercy and the potency of even the smallest service rendered unto Him.
