Ghanshyam Charitra
Lesson 16
Ghanshyam made the fish alive
One day Ghanshyam went to his friends' huses and call for them.
They all gathered at one place. Ghanshyam want to go to Meen-Lake
for bath because it was sultry weather of summer. No sooner did
he suggest the plan did they began to clap. They (Veni, Madhav,
etc.) agreed to his suggestion. They loved to bath. They reached
Meen Lake and as they began to take off their shirts, Ghanshyam
forbid them.
Ghanshyam saw a fiserman. He was catching fish. He spread his net
in the water. He was dark, tall and of stout body, like a giant.
He entrapped thousands of fish, got them out and put them in the
baskets. Ghanshyam's heart melted at the sight of this pitable event.
He decided to give them new life and punish the fisher. Immediately
all fish recovered life by Ghanshyam's meaningful sight. Within
a second all the fish jumped back into the water. Veni and Madhav
joyously clapped and further jested to rease the fisherman.
Seeing his baskets empty, he became furious in rage. He came out
of the water and ran after Ghanshyam. But Ghanshyam made him stop
where he was. Hence he became unable to move. Ghanshyam asked him,
"Why do you catch and kill innocent creatures? Do they harm
you? Do you know a man who afflicted another one for the sake of
his own selfishness will have to fall into hell."
"O child, don't deceive me by your fabricated speech. tell
me, why have you thrown the fish in the lake?" replied the
fiserman angrily. Ghanshyam thought that one who kills living beings
and disregards the scriptural realities must be punished. So he
showd the form Yamraj (God of Death) to the fisherman. Yamraj looked
like a terrible black mountain. He had sharp protruding big teeth.
His half tongue was hanging out of the mouth, adn his eyes were
very red like the burning coal. He held many weapons such as a sword,
spear, etc., in his thousand hands. He was surounded by his merciless
servants who had also different weapons. They were too fearsome
to see, even for a moment.
The fiserman was extremly frightened by their stange and terrible
appearance. His body began to shake and tuble and drained with perspiration.
Yamraj got him thrased by his servants. They beat him violently.
He cried out loud, "Please save mee. Don't beat me, my bones
are broken." they then disappeared.
And Ghanshyam appeared in front of him. He realized his sin. Still
his bones were suffering. He fell down on his feet and requested
for compassion. He said, "O! Prabhu! My bones are shattered.
I shiver when I think about sufferings of hell. Please forgive me.
I will never catch fish again." Ghanshyam uttered, "Hereafter
don't kill any living being. You have to maintain your family by
other means. ANd listen, you will have to suffer such trashing in
hell again if you continue such violence.
Thus Ghanshyam turned him as good gentle man. He went and they
all readily played in the water and took a bath and returned home.
Exercise 1:
Answer the following questions.
- What did Ghanshyam propose to his friends?
- Where did they go for bath?
- What did Ghanshyam see there?
- Why did Ghanshyam's friends clap?
- What did Ghanshyam say to the fisherman?
- What did the fisherman angrily reply?
- Which form did Ghanshyam show to the fiserman?
- How fearful was Yamraj?
- How and when did the fisherman understand
his sin?
- What did he pray to Ghanshyam?
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