A DISCIPLE AND HER POT OF CURDS

ONCE there was an annaprasana19 ceremony in a
Guru's house. His disciples volunteered, according
to their powers, to supply the different articles of
food. He had one disciple, a very poor widow, who
owned a cow. She milked it and brought the Guru
a jar of milk. He had thought she would take
charge of all the milk and curd for the festival.
Angry at her poor offering, he threw the milk away
and said to her, "Go and drown yourself.', The
widow accepted this as his command and went to
the river to drown herself. But God was pleased
with her guileless faith and, appearing before her,
said: "Take this pot of curd. You will never be able
to empty it. The more curd you pour out, the more
will come from the pot. This will satisfy your
teacher." The Guru was speechless with
amazement when the pot was given to him. After
hearing from the widow the story of the pot, he
went to the river, saying to her, "I shall drown

myeslf if you cannot show God to me." God
appeared then and there, but the Guru could not
see Him. Addressing God, the widow said, "If my
teacher gives up his body because Thou doth not
reveal Thyself to Him, then I too shall die." So
God appeared to the Guru—but only once.