The Sage’s Quest: Where Do Sins Go?
Once, a wise sage sat in deep meditation, pondering a profound question: “When people bathe in the Ganges to wash away their sins, where do those sins go? Does the holy river bear the burden of their misdeeds?”
Driven by curiosity, he performed intense penance. The deities, pleased with his devotion, appeared before him. The sage asked, “Where do the sins washed in the Ganga flow?”
The divine voice replied, “Let us ask Ganga herself.”
Ganga’s Truth: The Cycle of Karma
They approached the sacred river, and the sage questioned, “O Ganga! People cleanse their sins in your waters—does that make you impure?”
Ganga smiled and said, “No, for I carry their sins to the ocean, where they dissolve.”
Next, they went to the vast ocean. “O Ocean! You receive sins from Ganga—does that corrupt you?”
The ocean rumbled, “I transform them into clouds through evaporation.”
Then, they turned to the drifting clouds. “O Clouds! You hold the ocean’s sins—are you tainted?”
The clouds thundered, “We rain them back to Earth, where they nourish crops. The food grown from this soil shapes human minds.”
The Divine Revelation:
“The thoughts of those who eat this food depend on two things:
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How the food was earned—through honesty or deceit.
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The mindset while eating—peaceful or disturbed.
Thus, always eat in a calm, grateful state, and ensure your earnings are pure.”
Bhishma’s Awakening: The Food-Mind Connection
Years later, this wisdom echoed in the words of Bhishma Pitamah on his bed of arrows. As Yudhishthira sought his teachings, Draupadi hesitated to join. Krishna urged, “A family is incomplete without its women.”
When Draupadi finally came, she listened silently—then suddenly laughed.
Bhishma understood. “You wonder why I failed to protect you during your humiliation.”
With a heavy heart, he confessed:
“I dined with Duryodhana, consuming food tainted by greed. It clouded my judgment. Only when Arjuna’s arrows drained that corrupted blood did my true wisdom return.”
The Eternal Lesson:
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Dishonest earnings poison the mind.
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Temporary gains lead to lasting suffering.
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True prosperity comes from righteous living.
Moral of the Story
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Food Shapes Consciousness – Eat mindfully, ensuring purity in both earning and eating.
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Karma is a Cycle – Every action returns, purified or polluted.
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Wisdom Follows Integrity – Only a clean heart makes righteous choices.
Final Thought:
“If you see someone thriving through deceit, know this—their past merits are being exhausted. When virtue fades, suffering begins.”
ॐ श्री रामचंद्राय नमः (Glory to Lord Rama, the embodiment of dharma!)