One day, Rama was holding court and discussing the state of the kingdom with his ministers, when the arrival of Vishwamitra was announced. Rama paid his obeisance to the sage and took him to a seat. As soon as he sat down, the sage said, “Rama, the king of Kasi, Yayati is arrogant. He has insulted me. You must kill him. You may take this as my command!”

Rama was aware that Yayati was a righteous king and he would not be unfair or unjust to anyone. But, the orders have come from none else than his Guru. He could not possibly refuse to obey his revered teacher. At the same time, he would lose an ally in Yayati, a king who did everything for the welfare of his people. How could he go and kill such a person? Rama was in a dilemma.

Vishwamitra was angry with Yayati because the king has failed to pay his due respect. It so happened that his subjects had gone to the king to complain about a herd of elephants that was destroying the crops and terrifying both the cattle and the villagers. As a king, it was his duty to ensure the welfare of his subjects, so Yayati decided to hunt down the elephants. He was driving them away into the forest when Vishwamitra came that way. Yayati did not notice the presence of the sage, who took it as an insult. Hence his command to Rama to take revenge on Yayati.

The king came to know that Rama was getting ready for a war with him. He was shocked. Queen Yashodhara and their children, Prince Chandrangad and Princess Chandramukhi were all devotees of Rama; they could not believe their ears when they heard the threat of a war from Rama himself.

Yayati wondered what crime he had committed to provoke Rama’s anger. “Rama does not forsake anyone if he were to seek refuge in him” said Yayati. “I shall go and fall at his feet and ask him to pardon me!” He was getting ready for his journey to Ayodhya, with his family when sage Narada reached there. Yayati told him what had happened.

“Are you out of your senses, O King?” remarked Narada. “Don’t you know that Rama will keep a promise once he gives it? If you go to him now, he’ll surely kill you, as he is angry with you. So, it would be better if you approach Anjana Devi and appeal to her. Her son, Hanuman, is with her now. So, go to them straight away.”

Yayati thought that the sage had given him the right advice. So, he started for the ashram of Anjana Devi, where he found her in deep meditation. “Devi!” he wailed before her. “I have sought refuge here, please save me!”

The king’s wailing disturbed Anjana Devi. She suddenly woke up from her meditation and stood up. When she saw Yayati in front of her, she comforted him, “Son, don’t be afraid, I assure you, that, on the strength and power of my son, that no harm will come to you!”

Hanuman reached there in search of his mother. Yayati bowed before him. “I’m Yayati, the king of Kasi. I’m a devotee of Rama. You alone will be able to save me from danger I’m facing now. I entirely depend on you.”

“Don’t worry on any count!” Hanuman assured the king. “My mother has already given her promise. I’m her son, and its my duty to carry out her promise. Don’t have any doubt. I shall save you from whatever danger you’re facing.”

“Now that Hanuman has also given his assurance,” said Anjana Devi, “please tell us what kind of danger is threatening you.”

“How can I describe it!” said Yayati with a sigh. “Rama, whom I worship, wants to kill me! I’ve no idea what crime I’ve committed to earn his displeasure and wrath. I haven’t done anything deliberate.”

“Is it true that Rama himself wants to kill you?” said Anjana Devi unbelievingly. “I wonder whether I’ve been too hasty in giving you a promise. How can my son fight Rama on your behalf? What shall I do now?” She wrung her hands in despair.

Hanuman saw his mother facing a dilemma. “Mother! You should not go back on your word. It’s our duty to protect whoever seeks our refuge. I shall not allow any harm come to king Yayati. We must face whoever happens to be his enemy.”

Soon word spread that Hanuman would fight on behalf of Yayati. The news reached Ayodhya as well, and both Rama and Sita heard it. She fell into a long silence. Yayati’s wife Yashodhara, along with her two children, came to meet Sita. “Devi, please save my husband. Please ensure that I am not widowed.”

“Yashodhara! Please do not worry.” Sita consoled her. “Its certain that Hanuman will protect your husband. He is right now with Hanuman and so he is safe, till he comes back, you may stay in Ayodhya with your children.” She then made arrangements for their stay in the palace.

In the meantime, Rama went in search of Yayati, taking his bows and arrows with him. His three brothers, ministers and an army accompanied him. Hanuman accosted them. He fell at the feet of Rama, “My lord! Please be kind to Yayati. Don’t kill him. He is innocent. Let him go free.”

But Rama was not willing to forgive Yayati. “I must kill him. That’s a promise I gave to my guru, and I must carry out that promise.” He then pushed Hanuman with his foot to make way for himself.

Hanuman got up and stood before Rama with folded hands. “Ah! I’ve now been blessed by the touch of your feet. Just as Ahalya Devi got redemption when you kicked the stone she was cursed into. I’m blessed by new strength and vigour!”

“Stop flattering me, Hanuman!” Rama pulled him up. “You’d better turn over Yayati to me! My guru has commanded me to kill him.”

“ I can understand your devotion and loyalty to your guru,” said Hanuman. “But your guru’s orders are unfair. Yayati is innocent. And my mother has given him a promise that she’ll protect him. I’m duty bound to keep that promise. So, if you wish to kill Yayati, then you must first kill me! As long as I am left with a breath of life, I shall not allow Yayati to be killed.” He then enlarged his figure and stood before Rama like a mountain.

“Are you terrifying me with your prowess?” asked Rama.

“No, my lord!” replied Hanuman calmly. “Its all your blessing!”

Rama sent a shower of arrows at Hanuman. He warded them off with his tail. Rama sent more arrows at him. Hanuman evaded all of them, Hanuman did not have to offer any fight, and the encounter lasted a long time. Just then Vishwamitra came there. Before Rama could see him, Hanuman had noticed the sage. “My lord! Your guru has arrived.”

“I’m not bothered!” Rama countered. “Beware! I’m going to use the Rama-ban arrow.”

“Rama! Hold on!” shouted Vishwamitra. “Stop your fight! It was all due to my false pride. Yayati is innocent. You let him go free!”

“That’s impossible, O guru!” said Rama. “I’ve already strung the arrow. Now, I must use it. I must carry out your orders. Please don’t put obstacles!” He saw Yayati taking cover behind Hanuman. “Hanuman! This arrow will pierce your heart! Before that, you would be well advised to hand over Yayati.”

“The name of Rama is always on my lips!” said Hanuman, coolly. “So, I’m not afraid of anything or anyone. It’s my duty to protect whoever comes to me seeking refuge. So, I’ve decided to protect and save Yayati by even sacrificing my life. If you’re keen on sending the arrow, I shall not prevent you from doing so.”

He then bared his chest, ready to receive the arrow. The arrow pierced his chest and went deep inside and disappeared. But nothing happened to Hanuman.

Everybody was able to see the brilliant image of Rama on Hanuman’s chest. They were all wonderstruck. Rama let go his bow from his hand. “Hanuman! You’ve won the fight. You’ve overcome me with your devotion.”

“My lord! This fight had no winner, nor any loser,” said Hanuman. “Your arrow had pierced my chest, but it has not remained there. It has gone back to you. That is your greatness. I don’t take any credit for that.”

“In protecting those who seek refuge,” remarked Vishwamitra, you and Rama are equal. You both will not disappoint them. You, Hanuman, have proved your ability and shown your strength. It’s not an easy thing to fight Rama. You’ve proved that you’re not mere Hanuman but Veer Hanuman! Your name and fame will remain till the world exists.” The sage then blessed Hanuman and expressed his repentance that he was the cause of a misunderstanding between Rama and Hanuman.

Hanuman took leave of Rama and all others and returned to Gandhamadana for his tapas.

The great scientist Sir Isaac Newton worked several hours every day for twenty years and wrote down the results of his brilliant research. One day he went out for a walk leaving the papers on the table. His pet dog ‘diamond’ was lying in the room. A few minutes later, it jumped on to the table playfully. Due to this, the burning candle fell on the bundle of manuscript and it caught fire. Twenty years of hard research was reduced to ashes within minutes. When Newton came back he was shocked. His precious papers were now a handful of ashes. Any one else would have beaten the dog to death. But Newton simply stroked the dog’s head and said looking at it with pity ‘Diamond, you know not what you have done.’

He started writing again. It took him several years to complete the task. How great was his compassion for the dumb animal. Newton’s heart was as great as his head.

It is difficult to forgive a wrong done to you – yet, with a stronger will it is possible. To forget the whole episode requires super human effort and nobility of heart. If you develop the habit of forgiving and forgetting, you will not have any enemy in this wide world. You will be friendly with all.

Swami Vivekananda uttered : "Know that talking ill of others in private is a sin. You must wholly avoid it. Many things may occur to the mind, but it gradually makes a mountain of a molehill if you try to exprerss them. Everything is ended if you forgive and forget."

There was a place called Nagpura. It had no rain for many years and consequently there was poverty and famine.

There lived a widow by name Kamala with her daughter Kannamma. They had no means of livelihood.

One day the mother said to her daughter, ‘Kannamma, see how unfortunate I am. I am not in a position to feed you even a mouthful of rice. You look so weak and famished.’

Her daughter replied, ‘Mother, I am worried about you. It is so many days since you ate a morsel of food. I will try to get some food from somewhere.’ Saying so, Kannamma went out.

After begging at several houses fruitlessly, she stood under a tree totally exhausted. At a distance, she saw an old woman baking bread under a tree. She went near and said, ‘Mother, I am dying of hunger. Please give me a piece of bread.’

The old lady looked at Kannamma. She pitied her and said, ‘I can offer you only one piece of bread, Take it.’

Kannamma accepted it gratefully and said again ‘Mother! My mother has not had anything to eat for the past one week. If I can get her also a piece of bread we will be grateful.’ The old lady was kind. She offered her one more piece of bread.

Kannamma was returning happily. On the way, she saw a dog looking for food. She thought ‘what a pity! The dog, unlike me, does not know how to beg from people. It only looks at people for food’.

Thinking thus, she lovingly offered to it one piece of bread out of compassion. The dog ate it and went away. She returned home and told her mother everything. Her mother was happy. She said, ‘You did the right thing. We can beg at several places. But what can dumb animals do? Let us share the remaining piece of bread.’

They were about to eat when they heard a voice at the door, ‘Mother, I am dying of hunger. Please give me something.’ They looked at each other.

Mother said, ‘My dear daughter, this man seems very hungry. Give away my share.’ Kannamma felt that the hunger could not be appeased with just half a piece of bread and so, she gave away her share as well. The beggar went away satisfied.

Their hunger was unbearable. After sometime both of them swooned.

Mother had a dream in which the Lord appeared and said ‘Kamala! Even though you and your daughter were in dire straits due to hunger, both of you gladly gave away whatever you had to the hungry dog and destitute beggar. It was I who appeared in these forms to test you. I am pleased with your concern for others. May you get enough wealth and live happily.’

When Kamala opened her eyes, she beheld a miracle. By the grace of God, her hut had turned into a mansion filled with heaps of grain and garments. They fed the whole village sumptuously. Their meritorious act brought rain to the village. The famine disappeared and there was abundance everywhere.

In this regard, we may recall Swami Vivekananda's utterings:

"This life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive."

"In this world always take the position of the giver. Give everything and look for no return. Give love, give help, give service, give any little thing you can, but keep out barter."

Arjuna once got a very big gnawing doubt. If Rama was really a good archer, why did not build a bridge of arrows? Why did he have to struggle so long with a monkey army for the bridge? He very much wanted to meet Hanuman and get the answer to this question. While he was on a pilgrimage in South India he prayed a lot to meet Hanuman and once he finally did meet him in an old temple where RamNam was being sung.

Hanuman was sitting in a corner quietly meditating on Ram.He asked him, “If Rama was truly a great archer as he claimed why did he not think of building a bridge with arrows?

Hanuman laughed and said, “How could he? How can a bridge of arrows hold the weight of us monkeys?” Arjuna said, “It should be possible. I can build such a bridge now if you want”

Hanuman and Arjuna entered into a bet. Arjuna will build a bridge of arrows and if Hanuman is able to walk on it, Hanuman will enter fire else Arjuna will.

Accordingly, Arjuna got ready to build the bridge. Hanuman sat in a corner repeating RamNam. When the bridge was built, Hanuman still uttering Ram’s name, kept his tail on it. The bridge broke into pieces.

Seeing this, Arjuna became despondent. As per the bet, he had to enter fire. He was not worried about dying. He felt terrible that his entire archery knowledge was a waste.

Hanuman tried to dissuade Arjuna from carrying out the bet. But Arjuna was adamant. He lit a fire and was about to jump into it when an old brahmin came along. Seeing a man ready to jump into fire he asked what the matter was.

Both Hanuman and Arjuna repeated the entire story. The brahmin said, “For any bet you need a witness. Now who is your witness? Both Hanuman and Arjuna said that there was none. The brahmin said, “This is not a valid bet as you do not have any witnesses. Can you repeat your bet? I will be the witness this time. Whoever fails will jump into fire”.

Now, Hanuman was fully aware that he could bring down the bridge. Arjuna knew that doing it the second time was not going to change the results. Still feeling very despondent, he prayed constantly to Krishna and built his bridge.

Hanuman knew that he could bring down any bridge and he had just done so. As soon as Arjuna completed the bridge Hanuman hit his tail, supremely confident that the bridge would crumble to pieces.

Lo! Nothing happened. He put one foot, again the bridge stood. He started walking on it. The bridge continued to stand.

Hanuman now got angry, He started pacing up and down furiously still the bridge was very much in tact.

He came down to accept defeat. But he felt that something was wrong. He came up to the brahmin and asked, “Who are you?”

Now Krishna revealed his form. He said, first time Arjuna had the feeling that he was building the bridge whereas Hanuman thought all the time of Rama. So Rama’s power cannot fail and he won.

Second time, humbled by his defeat, Arjuna uttered Krishna’s name for every arrow and so Krishna’s name cannot fail. Meanwhile Hanuman was sure that he would win the next time and so he thought he was bringing down the bridge which why the bridge stood the test.

Neither of you failed. The Lord’s power won that is all said Krishna and reconciled them both.

Kausika was the king of Kanyakubja. Once while returning with his army after a hunt he visited the hermitage of Sage Vasistha. Sage Vasistha invited him to partake food and rest. King felt hesitant as he wondered how the sage could feed and put up his large army.

Vasistha assured that it would not be a problem.

Vasistha had a cow by name Nandini. It had the power to give whatever one asked of it. Indra, the king of Gods had gifted it to Sage Vasishtha, recognising his spiritual greatness. That day, Vasishtha and his wife entertained the King and his retinue to a sumptuous feast with the help of the wish fulfilling powers of Nandini.

The King was astonished to see the abilities of the cow. He immediately desired to possess this cow. Accordingly he requested Vasishtha that the cow would be more useful to kings rather than to the sage.

Sage Vasishtha replied, “King, this cow has been presented to me by Indra. This cow helps me to feed hundreds of students studying here and also the innumerable guests who visit this ashram.”

The King offered crores of cows in return for Nandini but the sage refused.

King Kaushika got angry. He told the sage that he would take the cow by force. Accordingly he told his soldiers to capture the cow.

Seeing the soldiers coming to catch her, the cow Nandini ran to Vasishta to know the

The sage replied, “ I will never wish to give you up. The king is trying to take you by force.

When Nandini heard this, she gave a huge roar. At once, fierce warriors emerged from her body and they chased the King’s soldiers. The soldiers ran away in fear.

The King felt very insulted. He felt bad that inspite of his strength and army he was not able to capture Nandini. He thought that this must be due to the greater spiritual power of the sage. Pondering thus, he decided that he should also acquire that power. Accordingly he gave up his kingdom and retired to forests to do severe tapas. Lord Shiva granted him divine weapons. Armed with this he again attacked Sage Vasishtha’s hermitage. Unable to withstand this attack all the inmates ad the animals began to flee in terror.

Sage Vasishta saw this and took up his brahmadanda and he came out of his Ashrama, while Kaushika continued to rain his weapons on Vashishtha. But all his weapons were powerless before Sage Vasishta’s brahmadanda. Even the king’s Agni Astra became powerless before brahmadanda. Kaushika got enraged and shot any other divine weapons at the Brahmadanda but they all met the same fate.

Now Kaushika understood the spiritual greatness of sage Vasishta. He took recourse to spiritual practices to become a brahmarishi.

He engaged himself in most severe penance. He pursued his spiritual practices until he overcame lust and anger. By long meditation he acquired sattvic qualities. His nature became serene, as he did not bear enmity towards others.

He became a great sage. He then came to be known as Vishwamitra the friend of the whole world. Vasishtha was happy to see this great transformation.

He hailed him as a Brahmarishi.