Anju Bobby George is India first and only World Champion in the IAAF World Athletics Final. Anju Bobby George made history when she won the bronze medal in long jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris. With this achievement, she became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics.
Lakshmi
This is a story about the Gods.
It deals with the greed of men.
It was a fine day in heaven; Sriman Narayana and Lakshmi were talking away the hours, when Narada entered and attracted their attention.
Narayana asked Narada whether the denizens of earth were happy.
Narada replied that since they worshipped him and won his grace, men everywhere were quite happy and prosperous.
At this, Lakshmi was afflicted with jealousy and anger for, her share in conferring happiness on man was not acknowledged.
She challenged Narada to prove that Narayana was more adored than herself down on earth.
Narayana accepted the challenge.
Donning ochre robes, he transformed himself into a monk and went down amongst the villages and towns, preaching the path.
Thousands flocked at these meetings and listened to the enchanting oratory.
They followed him from place to place and adored him with effusive enthusiasm.
He was being carried along on a huge wave of devotion and adulation.
Lakshmi saw this and could not contain herself.
She was overwhelmed by envy.
So, she too donned the sanyasi (ascetic person) robe and came down to the very region which Narayana had conquered for himself.
The people were drawn towards her by the effulgence of her presence, many came away from the meetings addressed by Narayana to bask in her presence.
A few invited her to their homes for dinner.
She agreed but, declared that it was a vow she had undertaken, not to eat out of plates other than her own.
She said, she would bring her own plate, cup, drinking vessel etc.
The host was only too glad to comply with her request, for, that helped him to overcome one bother among many!
Lakshmi took with her when she went to the houses of her hosts, a plate of gold, a cup and a water-vessel, all three of gold!
The host admired and adored her the more for this display of pomp and wealth.
But, he was astounded and delighted, when, after dinner, Lakshmi said that she was leaving the plate etc., at the host’s home, since that too was part of her vow!
When the news spread that it was highly profitable to invite Lakshmi to dinner and to adore her, there was a huge clamour for her grace and millions deserted Narayana’s discourses and hovered around the giver of gold.
People prayed to Narayana to go back to whence he came, for, they had no time to receive’ him or listern to him.
Lakshmi was monopolising their attention!
So, Lakshmi came back to heaven, to meet Narayana who was already there.
She asked Narada, “Who is being worshiped more, Narayana or Lakshmi?”
Narada replied with another question, “Whom are You worshiping, please?”
Lakshmi answered, “Why? I worship Narayana.”
Then, said Narada, “Know that it is Narayana’s grace that is helping you to bestow those gifts of gold, which make men worship you.”
Lakshmi’s pride was humbled; but, man’s foolishness continues.
Lake water
One day, Buddha was walking from one town to another with a few of his followers.
While they were traveling, they happened to pass by a lake.
They stopped to rest there and Buddha asked one of his disciples to get him some water from the lake.
A disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed some people were washing clothes in the water and, right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake.
As a result, the water became very muddy.
The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!”
So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in the lake is very muddy. I don’t think it is suitable to drink.”
After a while, Buddha again asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water.
The disciple obediently went back to the lake.
This time he found that the mud had settled down and the water was clean so he collected some in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water then looked up at the disciple and said, “See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be and the mud settled down on its own. It is also the same with your mind. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time and it will settle down on its own.”
Arjun and Hanuman
Once after mahabharat war arjun had ego that there is no archer in this universe like him.
Bhagwan krishn can't let his devotee to fall in trap of egoism.
So he decided to teach him a lesson with help of hanuman ji.
One day arjun, filled with ego, was travelling through jungle.
He found hanumanji holding three arrows and relaxing beneath the tree.
Arjun asked rudely, "Who are you?"
Hanumanji replied, "I am hanuman. Who are you?"
Arjun replied, "Don't you know me? I am ARJUN who fought bravely during entire mahabharat war and tought lesson to all impious people."
Hanumanji said, "That's great!!"
Arjun asked again, "But for whom you are waiting here with these arrows?"
Hanumanji replied, "I am waiting here for three people to whom i need to teach lesson. These three arrows are meant for them."
Arjun curiously asked, "Which three people?"
Hanumanji said, "First is PRAHLAD who forced my bhaghwan to appear out of stone pillar and caused him so much pain and agony. Second is BHARAT who took away my lord RAM footwear and forced him to travel in jungle bare-footed. AND THIRD one is ARJUN who allowed my prabhu krishn to be his charioteer and ordered him like anything during the entire mahabhart war."
Now Arjun was terribly frightened and lost his ego immediatly.
He fell and bow down to the legs of hanumanji requesting him for mercy.
Hanumanji and shri krishn both were smiling as the lesson was over.
Sage Narada
As we all know sage Narada is an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu.
He keeps chanting "Narayana! Narayana!" all through the day.
During all times the name Narayana will be on his tongue.
He believed that he is the greatest devotee of Lord Vishnu and there is no one else who keeps thinking Narayana as he does.
He wanted to get that confirmed from none other than Lord Vishnu himself.
So he started his journey towards Vaikund, the abode of Lord Vishnu with the words Narayana on his tongue.
On reaching Vaikund he bowed before lord Vishnu and received his blessings.
Then when Lord Vishnu asked the purpose of his visit, Narada replied that he needed some clarification.
Vishnu asked, "About what Narada?"
Narada replied, "I need to know as to who is your ardent devotee?"
Needless to say, Narada was expecting his name from Lord Vishnu.
Now, Vishnu asked Narada to go to a hamlet and meet Thirumalai, the farmer residing in that village.
Also He told, "I consider Thirumala as my ardent devotee."
Narada was surprised at this and was eager to see this devotee.
And he reached the Hamlet mentioned by Vishnu and went and knocked at the farmers' hut.
It was almost night, when Narada reached the farmer's hut.
Out came the farmer and welcomed sage Narada.
The farmer offered Narada food to eat and asked him to sleep on the best bed which he could offer.
Narda was keenly observing the farmer as to how many times the farmer is mentioning Narayana.
The farmer before going to sleep, uttered "Narayana!,Narayana" and went to sleep.
Next day the farmer got up early in the morning, brushed his teeth, took bath, then he looked at the photo of Vishnu and uttered. "Narayana".
Then he started his daily work.
Narada was watching him the whole day to take note of the number of times the farmer utters Narayana.
The whole day during his work time, he never bothered to pray or utter Narayana.
Again later in the night before going to sleep he again prayed.
Taking note of all this Narada returned to Vaikund and asked Vishnu, "The farmer prayed only twice in a day and still he is considered as an ardent devotee by you. I don't understand this."
For this Vishnu gave Narada a cup filled with oil to brim and asked Narada to go around Vaikund, without spilling even a drop of oil.
Narada readily took the cup of oil and with great care he walked around the abode of Vishnu.
He focussed only on the cup of oil.
Without uttering a word he finished the given job and gave back the cup of oil to the Lord.
Now Vishnu asked Narada, "How many times did you utter my name when you werefocussing on the cup of oil?"
Narad said, "How is it that you expect me to utter your name, when I have to focus on the cup of oil?"
For this Vishnu answered, "When you have to focus on the simple cup of oil, you never prayed. But the farmer with all his worries, duties and the hardwork, he never forgot to pray and utter my name twice a day. Is there any devotee greater than him?"
Sage Narada was dumbfounded.
He realised that Duty is God.
He also understood that devotees, amidst all work are also sincere in their devotion to God.
