My lord!
You have already witnessed Garud's integrity.
Shesh is his brother.
I request you
to bestow all of them with your blessings.
I have already fulfilled one wish of yours.
All of us have heard Garud patiently.
But our personal opinions
cannot create obstacles in the path of justice.
I shall adhere to my duty
In my courtroom
I shall decide their fate too in the same manner
as I always do.
The due process shall be followed.
Why do I not see anything?
Why do I not see my sons?
Why are you silent?
What did you see?
I did not see anything else.
But I certainly had an inkling
that our sons might be put through a difficult test.
If they are able to pass the test
they will return to us safe and sound.
What if they fail?
Oh, Lord!
May my sons return to me
safe
and unscathed.
Garud!
You are right.
Circumstances I faced in life have made me harsh.
But even so
I shall not forgive you
simply because you narrated
your mother's tales from memory.
I shall delve into the depths of the hearts
minds and souls of all of you.
Only then will I decide
whether you deserve forgiveness or punishment.
And for that
I shall put all of you through a series of tests.
But remember
if any of you
fail in any of the tests
then all of you must bear
the wrath of Shani.
'I will take all of you safely out of here.'
'Adversity brings out the best in us, Garud.'
'It does not matter how great a challenge you face'
'you must always stay true to your principles.'
'If you succeed in doing so'
'you will certainly gain a venerable reputation.'
Oh Lord.
My mother says
you must never be afraid of being put to test
because if you know the right answers
it gives you confidence
and if you do not
you earn experience.
No matter what test you wish to take today
I am not only ready
but eager as well.
Oh Lord Shani! Our salutations to thee.
As the first test
I shall ask you some questions, Garud.
And before this piece of camphor
burns out completely
you must answer them.
As you wish, Lord Shani.
The first question.
Water dissolves everything.
What is that
in which water itself is dissolved?
The atmosphere.
And what is the atmosphere dissolved in?
Heaven.
And heaven? - Heaven and all other realms
are dissolved into Vaikunth, Lord. - Vaikunth!
What is Vaikunth dissolved in?
'There was a time when nothing existed, Garud.'
'No life, not living beings'
'Nothing at all.'
'Not even the Earth.'
'or the universe.'
'What existed even before God'
'was the sound of 'Om'.'
'The eternal and all pervasive.'
'That is what the whole universe was born of.'
When nothing else existed
there was the sound of 'Om'.
And when nothing else remains
'Om' shall continue to exist.
The sound of 'Om' is eternal and all pervasive.
You have passed your first test, Garud.
I hope Lord Shani answers our prayers
and we are spared of the ill-effects of his wrath.
What is this but an ill-effect?
Our mother, the queen
has to perform veneration alongside a maid.
'Oh Lord Shani! Our salutations to thee.'
Your mother and step-mother seem to have foreseen
that you are in trouble.
The echoes of their prayers
are reaching me.
'Oh Lord Shani! Our salutations to thee.'
Nothing ever escapes mother's notice.
I wonder how
always knows, even without being told.
The next test is more difficult, Garud.
'Why is he being so harsh on this boy?'
Whose life is greater? And ascetic or a family man?
Even I am eager to know the answer to this question.
Which life do you think is better, Garud?
In my opinion
the family man is greater, Lord Shani.
Why so?
Is it not said that in order to find God
one must first find himself?
And in order to find himself
one must lead an ascetic life.
As you said
the ultimate goal of an ascetic
is the pursuit of God or the ultimate truth.
But these goals can be
pursued by a family man too. - How is that, Garud?
A family man is bound to his household duties.
He is preoccupied
with concern for his family.
The truth can only be pursued by the one
who is free.
Concern is not bondage.
It is love, my lord.
Love is binding too, Garud.
I beg your pardon, Lord.
If love is selfless
It is not binding.
You are entitled to your opinion, Garud.
But can you quote and example to support your claim?
Look at the love of your father, Lord Surya.
Be it flowers or thorns.
He equally casts sunshine
spreading vitality everywhere.
So that life on Earth may be sustained.
Lord Pawan sends winds to everyone without discrimination.
Lord Varun sends rain
and Lord Chandra, his calmness.
Nature, in every form, sends us the message
through various examples
that love ought to be selfless.
Just like theirs.
All of them fulfil their duties
without any expectations.
They expect nothing in return from anyone whatsoever.
Hence, they are not bound.
They are completely free.
Similarly, when the family man cares for his family
selflessly, without expecting anything in return
and carries out his duties towards them sincerely
he is no more bound.
Such a family man
with his perseverance
earns true knowledge, that is
oneness with God.
But Garud
an ascetic can also achieve the same through penance.
What is so great about the family man then?
When an ascetic sets off on his journey to find God
he is alone.
But when a family man
follows the path of devotion to God
he leads his entire family to enlightenment.
The wisdom of an ascetic
is limited to him.
But when a family man earns earned wisdom
he shares it with his family
his neighbours
as well as his extended family.
His wisdom is handed down woven in tradition
to his many future generations.
Hence, in my opinion
that a saint
is respectable.
But the family man
is far greater.
But before we move on
I would like to tell you this.
I am impressed by your wit and wisdom.
You have carefully held on to every word
of your mother's advice in your memory.
Whenever life throws a challenge in your way
your wisdom
will be your greatest aide.
And now, it is time for my final question.
Your mother always does good deeds.
She has never harmed anyone.
And yet
she and her son were fated
to be servants.
Tell me, Garud.
What matters more? Actions or destiny?
'I..'
'Vinata, wife of the great Sage Kashyap'
'hereby accept'
'subservience to my sister, Kadru'
'and swear to serve her forever.'
'I, Garud, son of Sage Kashyap and Mother Vinata'
'accept subservience'
'to my step-mother Kadru and her 1000 sons'
'and swear to serve them forever.'
The veneration went quite smoothly, Sister.
Let us begin the donation.
Black gram, black sesame seeds and a sapphire.
Please bless me so that
my sons may return safely from the planet
of Lord Shani.
As you wish, my child.
So it shall be.
May Lord Shani show mercy to your sons
and let them leave his planet safely.
Oh, sage.
In God's name
kindly accept this humble offering from me.
Will you not make a special wish, my child?
Whatever you deem right.
Bless me as you would bless your daughter.
How wonderful!
Simply amazing!
One who asks
is only given
what they wished for.
But one who does not ask
God gives everything
that they deserve.
Rest assured.
Lord Shani will certainly answer your prayers.
Your son will never be touched by any harm.
'What does Vinata seek to prove by talking like that?'
'That her motherly love is more selfless than mine?'
Sage
please be seated. Allow me to offer you a meal.
It is an animal after all.
Do you see, Brother?
I have been trying to feed this dog
but it refuses to eat.
Hey, you! Eat!
Do not force it, let me try.
'The food is right here.'
'Why does the dog show no interest in the food?'
'What if it refuses the food?'
'Would that mean Lord Shani is not please with my prayers?'
'If that's the case, then my sons..'
Do actions matter more or destiny?
This argument has been going on since eternity.
The truth is that
this is a question I have asked
myself and my mother several times.
Why is our life the way it is?
And my mother always says
God gives to us
what we deserve.
Very often, when some of us
sit back to look at ourselves
we wonder
why our life is so difficult.
But in the long run
it is these difficulties of the
honest and diligent man's life
that become his greatest treasure.
The greatest example of this
my brother, Arun.
he was destined to be born with undeveloped limbs.
But because of his perseverance
he is now
Lord Surya's Charioteer.
This proves that
destiny is not important.
What matters is our perspective towards destiny.
My mother was destined to be a maid servant
But her wisdom and foresight
turned her into a saint.
Perspective is not my subject, Garud.
Answer my question.
Do actions matter more or destiny?
We cannot evade our destiny, Lord.
But our actions are the weapons
which help us navigate through destiny.
Are you absolutely sure
that destiny can be changed?
If our actions are good
we might be able
to alter destiny.
Garud!
You must support every word of yours
with a suitable example.
Otherwise
your answer will not be accepted.
And you shall fail in this test.