Swami Vivekananda as a Narrator
Swami Vivekananda has written many important things related to Hinduism, which are well-known by many people.
In addition to these, he also simplified and shared stories from Hindu religious texts, making them accessible to children. These stories aimed to introduce young minds to Hinduism and the values of Sanatan Dharma.
I would like to mention two of these meaningful stories here:
The Two Birds: A Reflection of Inner Peace and Playfulness”
(I)
Two birds sat on a tree, both with golden wings. One was perched on the top branch, calm and majestic, deeply engrossed in itself.
The other sat on the lower branch, playful and energetic, eating both bitter and sweet fruits. When it ate bitter fruits, the bird became calm, and when it ate sweet ones, it became joyful and playful again.
For a while, the bird on the lower branch ate only bitter fruits, which made it more serene, and it glanced up at the bird on the top branch, admiring its stillness. But soon, it forgot about the calm bird and went back to eating sweet and bitter fruits.
As time passed, the playful bird hopped higher up the tree, and eventually, it reached the branch where the calm bird had once been. To its surprise, there was no bird there.
Confused at first, the bird realized after a moment of reflection that the calm bird had simply been a reflection of its inner peace. It understood that the calmness it admired was within itself, waiting to be discovered.
The lesson:
“Talk to yourself at least once a day, otherwise, you may miss meeting the excellent person within you.”
(II)
MAYA
Once, Narada Muni asked Lord Krishna, “What is Maya? Please explain it to me.”
Lord Krishna asked Narada Muni to follow him, and after walking for a long time, they reached a hot desert. Lord Krishna, feeling very thirsty and exhausted, told Narada Muni that he couldn’t walk anymore. So, Narada Muni decided to go to a nearby village to bring some water for him.
When Narada Muni knocked on a house’s door and asked for water, he waited for the owner to bring it. While waiting, he saw a beautiful girl, the house owner’s daughter. He became so engrossed in talking to her that he completely forgot why he had come there. As the day passed, Narada Muni ended up marrying the girl, with her father’s permission.
Time passed, and Narada Muni had three sons. He felt he was living a happy life. One day, a flood hit the village, and Narada Muni decided to leave with his family. He held his wife’s hand with one hand, two sons with the other, and carried the third son on his shoulders. But the strong flood current swept away his wife and children.
Narada Muni struggled in the flood and was carried far away. When the water calmed, he found himself on the bank of a quiet river. Realizing that his family was gone, he began to cry. Just then, he heard a voice whisper in his ear, “It’s been half an hour, Narada, you didn’t bring the water.”
Narada Muni was stunned. What had seemed like twelve years to him had been just half an hour!
Lord Krishna explained that this experience was Maya—what seems real and lasting can be an illusion, and time can be distorted by it.