Rishi & Wine
Long ago, in a city called Avantika, there lived a Rishi. He was held in high esteem not only by the common people but also by the king of the land. Whenever the king felt disturbed in mind, he would approach the Rishi. The Rishi’s wisdom-enriched advice would restore peace …
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A Rishi, a Dimwit and the Distortion of the Vedic Teachings
This ancient Vedic Sanskrit tale, translated and retold by U Mahesh Prabhu, explains how downright materialistic and heathen practices wrongly came to be known as "Vedic."
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The king who relinquished his throne to teach a deserving student
An aging Brahmin was overwhelmed by his poverty. Without any wealth, he was respected neither by his relatives, nor his children nor his wife. All that he wanted was to find a way to earn enough wealth to win back his dignity and respect in the society and family. He …
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The Story of Rishi Ashtavakra
“O King, Knowledge is that which instils humility. In the absence of humility, knowledge destructs and wisdom become elusive. The collapse of great empires and destruction of finest people has happened not due to external factors but owing to internal circumstances – all emanating from departure from humility. Varuna is still a great scholar and I’ll be happy to learn from him. It is his lack of humility and my ability to hold on to my humility which caused his defeat and my victory.” Rishi Ashtavakra
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Trivial Actions. Severe Consequences.
A Rishi wandered from village to village, and from town to town, followed by a lone disciple. The disciple, a restless young man, was in the habit of talking rashly and doing things which were not necessary. “My child, you must try to exercise some control over your speech and your actions,” the Rishi often reminded the disciple.
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The King who became a Rishi
As wise Rishis have justly declared, ‘To die is a passing pain but to be poor is an eternal anguish.’ Besides, I am also in agreement with the Rishis’ declaration, ‘It is better to die loved in youth and not hated in old age.’ If you would be generous to offer me a sizeable material reward for my family to live comfortably – that would be more desirous to me than the youth and romantic escapades the fruit can offer.”
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Rishi Tales 2: Foreword by Dr David Frawley
Mahesh Prabhu presents these wisdom stories in their core essence, relaying and focusing their deeper meaning, not interfering with it or reducing it to alien and superficial concepts. His stories are short, poignant, and diverse, with multiple levels of meaning, like parables, conundrums, paradoxes and axioms (sutras). He has drawn these stories from many traditional sources in Sanskrit literature and reworked them in a concise and invocative manner. They feature the names and stories of famous sages, kings, places and the peoples of old India. Such exalted figures as King Bhartrihari or the Vedantic sage Ashtavakra visit these pages and come to life again through them.
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Dr David Frawley’s Foreword to RISHI TALES 1
The Vedic Rishis occupy the highest level of respect in Vedic thought. The Rishis were the great seers of the cryptic Vedic mantras, who created the foundation for the profound systems of Yoga, Vedanta, Ayurveda and the many different Vedic sciences. Yet the Rishis also provided practical wisdom about how we live, extending from our personal lives to governing a nation. Later the term Rishi became generic for a sage or person of profound insight and the many flowerings of the Rishi heritage.
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A Giant’s Dilemma
A long time ago, in the dense forest of Vindhyas, there lived giant who was gifted with a special power to assume any form at his will. As fancy as it may sound, the giant was apparently disgusted with his life. He desired to put an end to it. However, there was a problem.
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Revealing the Virtue
This story is a part of RISHI TALES (Volume 1) by U. Mahesh Prabhu with Foreword by Dr David Frawley. The book is available on Amazon.com for $9.99 and Amazon.in for INR 200.00 The old king, on his deathbed, told his son, “My boy, be good and do good, and …
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