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saidevo
14 August 2007, 08:16 AM
There is way too much heavy discussion on varied topics going on all around in HDF. They are very useful and enlightening of course, but a neophyte like me who wishes to partake most discussions often resort to rack my brains and roam the Internet kicking at the sides of my poor mouse with my fingers, as if it were a horse!

So I needed to take some time off, often, and indulge in some leisure and passtime, in the Hindu way. Since there is not much by way of spiritual entertainment in the Indian secular media, I opted to ride my mouse again through the information highway, and found some collections of witty Hindu stories, old and new, that make us laugh, and then think. Here we go with some of them. Members may also post such light, spiritually useful stories and add to our collection here.

The compiler-author of these stories has not his slightest intention to slight any path or ways of Hinduism, only to highlight some truth, picking it up with the forceps of humour.

This is from the author's Introduction

"MAN must laugh or else he will grow prematurely old, and not all the doctors of rejuvenation can really make him young. To lose the faculty to laugh is as great a calamity as to lose the faculty to weep. Smiles and tears are Nature's great restoratives. In India there is too little healthy laughter. Tears are with us seen much oftener than smiles. This partly accounts for the fact that most Indians grow old before they are young. My primary object in writing this book is to provide some healthy laughter and at the same, time to shake some of our deep-rooted prejudices by exhibiting them in their comic aspect. Many a great truth is more easily taught with a laugh than in a grave and serious discourse."

Note: Most tales in this thread have been moved to the thread 'Hindu Wisdom Tales' here, since they can be told to children:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

This thread will be used to collect tales and stories that are not suitable for children.

saidevo
15 August 2007, 09:00 AM
1. The 'Sanyasi' and the Prostitute

A Sanyasi sat outside a prostitute's house and began his meditations. Soon his attention was diverted by the stream of people going daily to the prostitute's house. His indignation knew no bounds. He said, 'What a horrible sinner this shameless woman is!' and began to put a stone for each man entering the house of ill-fame. The poor sanyasis lips uttered the holy words, 'Ram! Ram!' but his whole mind was engaged in recording the iniquities of the prostitute close by.

The dancing girl, on the other hand, always said to herself, 'What a horrible wretch am I that prostitute my body so shamelessly while a holy man is engaged in deep meditation at my very doors!' Her mind was constantly thinking of God even though her body was engaged in most shameless immorality. In the course of time, both the sanyasi and the prostitute died. Contrary to his expectations, the sanyasi found himself in Hell and the prostitute in Heaven.

He straightaway demanded of God the reason for this. 'Your body was engaged in worshipping Me,' said God, 'but your mind was solely engaged in counting the lovers of the prostitute, whereas though the dancing girl's body was given up to vice, her mind was engaged in holy contemplation. Hence this treatment to you and to her.'

XL Mahavira and his Truest Disciple

Moved to http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

XII. Mahabali and Yudhistira

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

saidevo
16 August 2007, 09:32 AM
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8. Gargi and the Brahmagnani
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Moved to http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

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9. Buddha and the Young Mother
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10. The Little Elder Brother
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Moved to http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

saidevo
18 August 2007, 11:00 PM
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12. Sankaracharya and Maya
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Moved to http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

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13. Arjuna's Boast
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14. Bhima and Heaven
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15. The Seven Heavens and The Wheel
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16. The Elephant-Remover and a Measure of Rice
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Moved to http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

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2. Dushyanta and the Unborn Child
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KING DUSHYANTA was one day holding court when his minister announced that a very rich merchant had died in his dominions leaving only a pregnant wife behind and that therefore the whole property of the dead man would vest in the king.

'Why, what about the unborn child?' asked Dushyanta.

'Sire, it cannot inherit anything since it will have no father alive when it is born,' replied the minister.

'Let them proclaim all over the land that the king is the father of all unborn children,' said Dushyanta. 'Thus shall every posthumous child have a father living when it is born.'

saidevo
22 August 2007, 08:25 AM
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18. The Serpent and 'Sanyasa'
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Moved to http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

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19. The Mother-in-law, the Daughter-in-law and the Beggar
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Moved to http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923

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20. The King and the Sculptor
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Moved to http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1923