When 'I' Die - A Moral Story

When 'I' Die - A Moral Story

Shri Shankar Maharaj's wisdom about ego, attachment, and divine timing, and how a devotee learned the importance of leaving things to God.

Introduction

Once, a man approached Shri Shankar Maharaj with a request. He was concerned about his daughter's marriage, which was not progressing despite his best efforts. The man asked the Maharaj for help and guidance. Instead of giving him a direct answer, Shri Shankar Maharaj asked him, "Do you think I am an astrologer?" The man responded negatively, but he was still eager for a solution.

The Request and the Response

Shri Shankar Maharaj then asked one of his disciples to bring the gatha of Sant Tukaram. The Maharaj flipped through the gatha and stopped at a devotional song (abhanga) that was relevant to the man's situation. The devotee was not satisfied and insisted that the Maharaj bless him, so that his daughter's marriage could be fixed. Eventually, Shri Shankar Maharaj replied, "Your daughter's marriage will be fixed when I will die."

The Realization

The man was stunned by the response. "How can you say such a thing?" he exclaimed. "How can my daughter's marriage depend on your death?" At this moment, one of the disciples explained that what the Maharaj meant was that the man's ego, represented by the "I" that he was constantly speaking of, needed to die before the marriage could happen. It was his attachment to his own efforts and pride that was standing in the way of the marriage being fixed.

Pearls of Wisdom

1. What did Shri Shankar Maharaj mean by his statement?

Shri Shankar Maharaj was pointing out that the man's attachment to his own ego ("I am doing this," "I am fixing the marriage") was the real obstacle. The man's ego had to die before the marriage could happen. It is not our actions alone that determine the outcomes; everything is governed by divine will.

2. What is the moral of this story?

The moral is that we often think that it is "I" who makes things happen, leading to arrogance when we achieve success. Instead of saying "I have done this," we must leave everything to God, understanding that we are merely the medium through which divine will operates. True success comes when we relinquish our ego and trust in divine timing.

🌟 Moral: Let go of your ego and trust in the divine will. We are only instruments of God's actions. 🌟

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