One day Narada Muni was going to the spiritual world to Sri Krishna himself to give a report on the devotional service he had done, when he suddenly met a venerable brahmana on the way. Having learned where Narada Muni was going, the brahmana asked to ask Krishna how long he should toil in this material world and when Krishna would take him to him. He was also very interested in what the Lord does in his free time? Soon Narada met a poor shoemaker, who, having expressed his respect to him, asked him to find out the same thing as the brahmana.
When Narada achieved his goal, he offered numerous obeisances accompanied by countless prayers and reported to the Lord. But at the end, he spoke about the request of the brahmana and the shoemaker and asked the Lord what to answer them. The Lord thought for a moment and said:
“I can’t count, there are so many lives a brahmana has to live.”
- Why, my Lord, he is seriously studying the Vedas?
“You’ll see, just tell him that you have two lives left to live, and you’ll understand.” And tell the shoemaker that I will take him away after as many lives as there are leaves on the tree under which he sits. And tell them that what I am doing is threading an elephant through the eye of a needle, back and forth.
“Is this really how you spend your time?” “Narada, who had never seen such an activity of the Lord, was surprised.
- Just tell them this and you will understand a lot.
The puzzled Narada hastened to carry out the Lord's order, and when he arrived at the brahmana, he told everything he had heard.
- How two lives?! I still have two lives to live in this world! And this despite the fact that I don’t eat or sleep, perform austerities, and keep reading these books? Where is the justice? Where is the Lord looking? Here I am somehow living out this one life. Why am I being punished like this?
“He also asked me to tell you what he does,” said Narada, beginning to understand everything and smiling. — In his free time, he threads an elephant through the eye of a needle.
- This can’t be! It's all a lie! What, He has nothing else to do? No matter how many scriptures I have read, this is not mentioned anywhere. And there is no practical benefit. Oh, poor elephant!
He continued to say something for a long time, but Narada, smiling at the Lord’s plan, moved on. When he told the shoemaker what his Lord was doing, he was amazed:
- Well, you have to! How great is the Lord! It’s so difficult, but he’s still able to do it,” he exulted.
- Do you really believe this? - Narada asked carefully, because he himself had never seen Krishna thread an elephant through the eye of a needle.
“Yes,” said the shoemaker, “no one is able to repeat the Lord’s plan.” Only He has unlimited power and strength. Is it possible to put a huge banyan tree into a small seed? No! But the Lord makes it very easy, look. - And he pointed to the huge tree under which he was sitting.
“But He also asked me to tell you that you have as many more lives to live in this world as there are leaves on this tree,” said Narada.
- What luck! - the shoemaker shouted in delight, jumping up and raising his hands. “I am not worthy of liberation from this world at all, and you brought me this amazing news that I will return to my Lord in just so many lives!” This is such mercy!
And as soon as he said this, all the leaves immediately fell off from this tree, and not a single one remained, not even the smallest one. This was his last life.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru