On the outskirts of the village lived a poor, very beautiful girl. Many approached her, but she refused everyone. One day, when she was watering flowers in the garden, the son of a brahmana passed by. He was known as a very kind and noble devotee of the Lord. The young man saw the girl and fell in love with her. He entered the garden and said:
“Oh, beautiful, I don’t know the names of you and your parents, but my heart beat so hard that it almost jumped out of my chest.” Be my wife. I will give you everything I can. But most importantly, I will give you love.
But the girl did not agree. The distressed young man mounted his horse and rode off.
Then a gray-haired old man entered the garden. His eyes shone with some unearthly light. He turned to the young maiden:
- Excuse me, I unwittingly witnessed your conversation. I'm curious, why did you turn him down? After all, he promised what every woman dreams of - he promised love.
The girl replied:
“I don’t understand women looking for love and not finding it.” Love is everywhere. She is in flowers, in groves, in the wind, in the clouds. I don't need to be given love. You don’t even need to take it, because it’s in my heart too. I myself am a particle of love for God. This love inspires me, and I don't need anything else. And let the beautiful young man bestow his love on the one who is waiting for it.
- You say that everything is love. Do you think that I am also love? But I’m old, and it’s time for me to think about death.
- Yes, you are also love, because even death is love.
After these words, the girl felt dizzy and, as if through a fog, she saw that instead of the old man there was a beautiful woman standing. The woman said:
- Yes, I am Love. You brought love out of everything your hands touched and your eyes saw. And you have not yet experienced the greatest test of love - death. Want?
The girl said:
- Yes.
The woman took her hand and led her up to God. Somewhere below she saw her garden and her body. But she no longer needed it. Her soul followed its mistress - Love.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru