MAHATMYAM OF CHAPTER 1 - DONATION OF MERITS

Susharma was born in the family of Brahmins noted for their piety and learning. But forgetting his esteemed position in the society, he engaged himself in all kinds of lowly actions, and spent his entire life in the company of drunkards, in brothels and in rotten eating-houses. Thus he devolved himself into the level of an animal. Once while travelling through a forest he was bitten by a snake, and he died. After death he was punished in hell in various ways for all his misdeeds and in the end of it all, he was born as an ox in the cowshed of a lame person.
The master (lame person) tortured the ox from the very beginning. Gradually, as the ox grew up, it became sick and invalid due to the constant torture by its master. it was, therefore, confined to the cowshed itself. The sickness worsened, its eyes bulged out and its mouth became frothy. But the animal did not die. It lived a living death for months. Disgusted by the sickness of the ox, the lame man tied ropes on its legs and with the help of his relatives dragged it out of the shed and abandoned it on the public road.
It was a pitiable sight. The ox threw up its legs and rolled its head with the agony of death. And yet it wouldn't die. The people who passed thatway sympathised with the condition of the animal. A crowd started gathering around it. "Poor thing", said one.
"Why poor? Must be a terrible sinner, said another.
"Whatever it be, it is indeed a pitiable sight", said a third one.
"Oh, can't look at it even", said a fourth person.
A good Samaritan who passed that way took pity on the condition of the animal and said: "Lord, if I have earned any merit by my good actions, I bequeath it to this animal. May it be relieved of its agony."
Those who heard the good Samaritan also declared donation of their merits to the suffering animal.
"Lord!" came a female voice at that time. "I have done nothing to deserve merit. Yet, if there be any in my account, I am giving it away to this ox."

That was a notorious prostitute of that place young and haughty, and an adept in grabbing the wealth of unwary men.

"Merit for a prostitute?" People who had gathered around murmured.

"Wicked witch! Hearing her name is itself sufficient to bring all sins down upon one."

"She too has come forward to donate her merits!" jeered the crowd.

With a face downcast with shame she walked away.

Wonder of wonders! The ox uttered a loud groan, and the next moment it lay dead. At the gates of Hell, Chitragupta, the Celestial Accountant with a super computer brain, rolled out the full account of merits and demerits acquired by the erstwhile ox and also gave his considered judgement.

"Apart from the small stock of merits acquired by this fellow through charities from various persons, he has received a rare and valuable donation of merit which a prostitute has given him. On account of this, he should be allowed to be born in a family of brahmins and be given opportunities to perform meritorious actions. In addition, he should also be endowed with the memory of his past births."
Lord Yama, the Ruler of the destiny of all beings, pondered over his Accountant's recommendation and okayed it.

The soul of the ox took birth in a pious family of brahmins of that very same place. When he became young, the brahmin youth regained memory of his old births. He went to the house of the prostitute, saluted her and said: "Some years ago you donated your merit to an old dying ox, on account of which it has taken birth iii a noble family of brahmins. And it is me."
"Welcome, young man!" said the aging woman.
"I have come to you, anxious to know about that noble deed performed by you, by donating the merits of which to me, I have acquired this birth and status. Pray, tell me what is it?" the young brahmin said.
"Honestly, my boy", she replied. "I too do not know. All I can think about is this, that my parrot recites for a long time every morning some mantras, which I just stand listening to. That is all the merit that I can think of. Come, let us ask the parrot itself.

They went to the parrot. It greeted them with a broad smile. "Young man!" said the parrot "My only assets are remembrance of my past life and the first chapter of the Bhagawad Geeta which I have memorised."
"In my past life, I was a learned pundit. I was proud of my learning and I used to take pleasure in defeating and humiliating learned persons by my crooked logic in august assemblies. Blinded by my arrogance, I used to challenge even pious people and humiliate them. Due to the sins which I acquired thus, I have been born in the species of the parrots in this birth. When I was a fledgling and too young to take to the wings, an eagle pounced on me and my brother, and it flew away with us dangling at its feet. Somehow I happened to fall away from the claws of the eagle. I fell in the neighbourhood of an Ashram. The boys of the Ashram tenderly lifted me up and took me to their cottages and nursed and fed me. I grew up under their care and played about on the branches of the trees. Every morning the boys used to chant the Bhagawad Geeta and I listened to their chantings. Gradually I memorised the first chapter of the Geeta and used to chant it from my memory."
"When I was thus living in the Ashram joyously, I was one day caught by a hunter's son. He took me to the market for sale, where my present mistress purchased me and kept me in her house. Even today, I chant the first chapter of the Geeta every morning and my mistress stands by, listening to me."
The parrot tarried a while, and continued:
"O young brahmin, if you don't wish to devolve any more, please start the practice of chanting the first chapter of Bhagawad Geeta. That itself will pave your way to greater freedom."
The youth saluted the parrot and the woman, took leave of them, and directed his steps towards his home contemplating on the essence of the first chapter of the Geeta.