Thread by @gowkinkara

KATHA SRAVANTHI (BEDTIME STORY 4/2/22):
Once There was a very scholarly veda pandit, who maintained a veda pathashala with a group of students, and there was always Bhagawat nama smaranam going on in the school. Opposite to this Ashram, was living a prostitute, who was extremely,

Beautiful. Everyday, while chanting vedas and doing Pooja, the Veda pandit would see the prostitute and would always curse her and her life. While the prostitute would always see the ashram with vedic chants and all spiritual activity, and think how blessed was the veda pandit

That his life is always filled with bhakti towards god, while her janma is so cursed. This continues for many years, and Incidentally, both of them die on the same day. Yamadhootas come to take the veda pandit, while Vishnu dhootas came to take the prostitute. Angered with this

The Vedic scholar asks they might have got confused and the yamadhootas should be for the characterless woman. The yamadhootas then reply in a very staunch voice , we did not get confused, everyday, while you did pooja physically , your mind was always seeing and thinking about

The Nefarious activities that were going on in the opposite house. Though you were angry all day long your mind was fixed upon those activities. While the woman though ordained by her karma got a janma of a prostitute, her mind was always delving in the pooja you were doing, and

The chants that were going on in your ashram, she was in NITHYA MANASA POOJA, which pleases god the most than the rituals that are without fixation of mind and with wandering heart. Hence she attained Moksha. This story is a great example to prove that rituals are important too

But till that period where mind attains concentration and focus. Without these both, how ever detailed the rituals are , they wont reach Bhagawan. Rituals teach us discipline and make us concentration ready. But without that bhakti, they have no meaning in the eyes of Bhagawan

This is a story told by Sri Ramakrishna paramahamsa🙏