14 Comments
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Story Carrier's avatar

Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing this enchanting story.

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Jayshree Gururaj's avatar

I'm glad you liked it. Thank you so much for the feedback!

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Malay Raunsil's avatar

Ah. This is a beautiful story. Heard of it for the first time. The Mahabharata always has something new to offer. Good read Jayshree.

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Jayshree Gururaj's avatar

Thank you, Malay! Appreciate it.

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Michael Edward's avatar

A wonderful story, just beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

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Jayshree Gururaj's avatar

Thank you.

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Jack Everly's avatar

Wonderful work, as usual, Jayshree. Intriguing story! What interests me is the reason for the aunt's refusal of Krishna's first offer. Our world seems intent–see the wonderful "souls bent on destruction" quote–to accept moral inequities as "the price you gotta pay." I'm also wondering if this was the Age of Krishna? The opportunities for moral failings would seem to indicate it takes place in the Age of Kali...

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Jayshree Gururaj's avatar

Thanks Jack, appreciate the feedback.

I think the mother didn't really believe her son was bad - so this was her attempt to protect her son from harm as she was aware of Krishna's power. This is a story from the Mahabharata - the end of the 'Age of Krishna' and his incarnation is when Kaliyuga sets in. (I interpreted the story and retold it for our modern world, so not a literal translation.)

I should have written - 'evil' soul - an apter saying may be another ancient saying, 'when it is time for a person's destruction, the first thing that is destroyed is a person's mind.' (i.e. he will not listen to any reason and takes the path to his own destruction - a variation that Neil Gaiman probably adapted in his 'evil sows seeds of its own destruction' quote.)

The son was a demon in his previous life - H1 - sworn to hate God - from this story -> https://open.substack.com/pub/jayshreegururaj/p/the-depth-of-fearlessness?r=1si0oc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Thanks for the good discussion!

Jayshree

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Jack Everly's avatar

Thanks much for this and for your time Jayshree. Very insightful, especially this ancient saying above mentioning the first thing to be destroyed. Funny that most, if not all our problems in this Kali Age sprout hideously from our own minds.

Alas...conversing here reminds me I still have to read through your brothers tale! Wish the day had more hours...

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Jayshree Gururaj's avatar

You are welcome. True, but your actions have to be evil first for this to apply - think more of evil warlords in our modern age ;-)

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Jack Everly's avatar

Oh I get that, Jayshree, completely. Unfortunately, whenever I try to show people how I understand exactly that, I come across as angry, a finger-pointer. Our way of life simply supports intolerable behavior, and I'm convinced our actions are the result of previous mental poisoning–which is why we need stories like yours to remind us what we should and shouldn't be doing.

I'd also like to comment on your Eating Out post in a way that others can't see. I'm technologically challenged–is there a way to do that on Substack?

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Jayshree Gururaj's avatar

They are introducing DMs soon! :-( Pinged you on LI.

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Jack Everly's avatar

Thanks much Jayshree. Will get back to you.

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Jayshree Gururaj's avatar

I am working on a post 'The Awareness Continuum,' which may be part of the issue in our interactions with others, each is at a different point of awareness.

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