Lord Rama and the Squirrel: a Thanksgiving Story

NOTE: THE HINDUS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS BLOG IS A SPACE FOR A HEALTHY EXPLORATION OF IDEAS PERTINENT TO OUR MISSION. THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POLICY OR POSITION OF HINDUS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.

by Sunita Viswanath, cofounder, HfHR

Lord Rama needed to build a bridge across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita. Lord Rama being Maryada Purushottam (the most noble man), and revered by one and all, and Sita being the daughter of Bhumi Devi, all creatures wanted to help in this huge task. Lord Hanuman and all the others in Rama's vanara (monkey) army carried the largest boulders and rocks. All the smaller creatures helped too, even squirrels.

One squirrel was carrying pebbles when a monkey asked what he was doing there, and shouted at him to get out of the way. The squirrel said he was carrying pebbles to build Lord Rama's bridge. The monkey laughed at the squirrel as if to say, "What can you do, you tiny squirrel?" But it was the pebbles that filled in the gaps between the boulders that made the bridge strong. Lord Rama lifted up the little squirrel, thanked him for all his hard work, and blessed him by stroking his back.

And even today squirrels in South India have dark stripes on their backs.

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita,

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.”

This Thanksgiving, we are grateful for the large and small acts of kindness that grace our days, our lives and our world, and we remember that no effort of ours is too small to be recognized and blessed by God.

Om shanti shanti shanti.