A Riverbank Encounter
Along the banks of a sacred river, a sannyāsī—a renounced monk—sat peacefully beneath a tree, absorbed in the chanting of the Lord’s holy names. His eyes were soft with compassion, his heart steady in service, and his mind calm like a still lake.
As he bathed in the river one morning, he noticed a scorpion struggling in the current. It flailed helplessly, caught in the swirling eddies, moments from drowning.
Without hesitation, the sannyāsī reached out with both hands and scooped the creature from the water, placing it gently on the shore.
A Painful Response
But no sooner had he done so than the scorpion struck—its stinger piercing the sannyāsī’s finger. Pain shot through his arm, and the wound throbbed with fire.
Still, the monk said nothing.
Moments later, the scorpion crawled back toward the river—and again, it fell in.
The sannyāsī once more rescued it. And again, it stung him.
This happened several times, and each time the sannyāsī responded with the same calm and mercy.
A Witness’s Doubt
A young man observing this from the riverbank cried out, “Swāmījī! Why do you keep saving that scorpion? Can’t you see? It is ungrateful. It stings you every time. Let it drown!”
The sannyāsī turned and smiled. “Dear child, the scorpion is acting according to its nature. It stings. But should I give up my nature, which is to show compassion?”
The Strength of a Bhakta’s Heart
This story reveals the heart of a true devotee. A bhakta does not act based on others’ behavior. He acts based on his own nature, which has been shaped by divine love.
Even when hurt, misunderstood, or rejected, the devotee continues to serve. For his actions are not reactions—they are offerings to Kṛṣṇa.
A Lesson in Mercy
When we serve others, especially those caught in the cycles of their own pain and ignorance, we may be stung. But we must ask: “Will I allow their nature to define mine?”
The bhakta’s mercy is greater than the world’s bitterness. The more we become like the Lord—who forgives, uplifts, and gives again and again—the more we taste true peace.
A Verse to Remember
titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ
suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ
sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ“The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful, friendly to all living beings, without enemies, and peaceful.”
— Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.21
A sting may wound the body, but mercy purifies the soul. The sannyāsī’s lesson is eternal: never abandon your dharma of compassion.
