Once upon a time there lived a sage who wandered through the forests and accomplished many feats. One day he was sitting under a tree, and take a crow and drop it on his head. The sage became enraged, cast an angry glance at the crow, and the worthless bird immediately turned to ashes. The sage became proud of the power of his gaze, the power of his asceticism. He went to the city for alms to some brahman, entered his palace and asked the mistress to bring him alms.
“Wait, sir, while I help the owner,” answered the hostess.
When he, angry, looked at her with an angry gaze, she laughed:
- You were wrong, sage. After all, I am not a crow!
The sage heard this and was dumbfounded with surprise: “How does she know this?” She helped her husband complete Agni’s sacrifice, took alms and went to the sage. He accepted the alms, folded his hands gratefully and asked:
- How did you find out what happened to the crow? Tell me otherwise I won’t accept the alms.
She answered him:
“I have no other law and no other faith than devotion to my husband.” Therefore, such is the power of my insight. You should go to the butcher Dharmavyadha - he lives by selling meat - look at him and learn modesty. — (Butchers belong to one of the lowest castes in India).
Having received such advice from the all-knowing woman, the sage accepted the alms, bowed, and wandered off.
The next day the sage found a butcher in the market and approached him, and Dharmavyadha noticed him and asked:
- What, brahman, did your faithful wife send you to me?
The sage heard this, was very surprised and asked Dharmavyadha:
“Where did you, butcher, get such knowledge?”
The butcher responded:
- I love and honor my father and mother. They are my only refuge. First I will wash them, then I will wash myself. First they will eat, then I will eat. First I put them to bed, then I go to bed myself. That's why I know a lot. I sell the meat and offal of gazelles and other animals, and that’s how I live. This trade is my service to people, not greed for money. Neither I nor that wife, faithful to her husband, will ever be arrogant, because arrogance is the enemy of knowledge. That is why we are endowed with unlimited knowledge. Yes, you too, sage, need to free yourself from arrogance, and then, fulfilling your duty, you will achieve success and be a beacon among the sages.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru