SRI GOPAL AND THE POT OF MILK

A Story About Simplicity and Faith

In a small village far on the other side of the jungle, one boy and his mother were there. She only had one son, a five year, six year old son. They were very poor. The son had attained his sixth year crossing the fifth year. Chanaka Pandit says, "Up until five years you maintain and take care of your child, son, but when he attains the sixth year, then you will have to send him to the school for education. The rod is required, spare the rod and spoil the child."

That period had come, so mother thought, "Oh, I must send my son to the school now, he is six years old." The school is far, far away and some jungle is on the way. So she went and admitted her son to the school and then said, "Oh my boy, every day you go to school and get an education."

Following the path to school the boy went into the jungle. Tigers were there, lions were there, ferocious animals were there, all were roaring! This very young boy, six year old boy became afraid, terrified! He became terrified and afraid. Then coming back he said, "Mother in the jungle I was very much afraid, terrified! The lions were roaring, tigers were roaring, ferocious animals were there. Oh, how can I go to school?"

His Mother was completely Krishna conscious. She said, "Hey don't you know your friend Gopal is there?" Mother said, "Don't you know your friend Gopal. Why don't you call your friend Gopal? He will come and help you. Yes, He will come and help you. When you become afraid, you loudly call out, “Gopal! Gopal! Gopal! Please come! I am afraid!” Just call your friend and He will come."

So he immediately put faith in what mother had said, "Oh where is my friend Gopal?" His mother said, "You just call out to Him." He did just like that.

The next day when he went to school in the midst of the jungle he called out, "Oh Gopal! Gopal! Gopal! I am afraid, where are you? Please come to my side." Immediately Gopal appeared. "Yes my friend, what are you saying?" "Oh I am afraid!" Gopal said, "Why? Why? Why... the tigers? I am here, don't be afraid." So He went with the boy and helped him cross the jungle so he could go to school.

One day there was a festival planned at the school. They offer worship to Sri Ganesh and Sri Saraswati, Ganesh-puja, Saraswati-puja. In Indian schools they have special worship to the demigods, Ganesh-puja, Saraswati-puja because they will give you vidya, education and mudane knowledge. So that occassion was now coming for the children to worship Sri Ganeshji and Mother Saraswati.

The teachers there were levying some taxes on the students because a festival would be performed. The students were asked to bring from their parents some contribution but he was a poor boy. The teacher said, "Alright, you must give five rupees for the festival."

So he came back from school and asked his mother, "Mother, there is puja for Ganeshji and Sarasvati. The teacher said, I have to give five rupees. Please give me." They are poor, they have no money. She said, "There is no money, you ask your friend Gopal instead. Whatever you need, you ask your friend Gopal, He is ready to help you. You understand? You just ask Gopal. " So in the jungle he called out to his friend Gopal, "Oh Gopal! Gopal! Gopal!" Gopal came immediately.

"Yes my friend? What do you say?" The boy said, "Oh our teacher has said that on Ganesh-puja day we are levied five rupees. My mother said we are poor, we have no money, so please help." Gopal said, "On the festival day they are preparing and making a great feast, isn't it? Rice, dhal, sabji, khir - a grand feast! So ask your teacher, whatever milk is required for khir, I will give. If the teacher says, 'yes' then I will give to you, I will send it."

Back at school, the teacher said, "Have you brought money?" The boy replied, "No, my mother said we are very poor. We have no money, but I have my friend Gopal. He has told me to give the milk required for khir."

"Oh, you'll give such amount of milk? A very grand festival is being arranged, big, big handa (pots), at least five big pots of khir will be prepared. So much milk will be required, at least seventy five litres of milk will be required." The boy said, "Yes, my friend Gopal has said He will bring all the milk." The teacher said, "Alright, very good. Bring the milk on the puja.

So the puja day came and while he was going through the forest he called out, "Gopal! Gopal! Today is puja day, You are to give milk today. My teacher said, 'Bring all the milk for khir." So Gopal gave one small pot of milk. "Take this milk and give it to the teacher."

He was a simple boy, so he just took it and gave it to his teacher. His teacher said, "Hey, this is a small pot of milk you have brought. We require seventy five litres of milk, what is this? It is such a small pot!" The boy replied, "My friend Gopal has given the milk required, it will meet your requirement."

"O, achha! It will meet our requirement!?"
"Yes, this will meet your requirement."
"Seventy five litres is required, there is not even one litre in this pot, it is very small pot! Alright you pour it." The boy poured the milk from the pot. It is pouring, pouring and the pot is never becoming empty! It is pouring, pouring, pouring, and never becoming empty!

The teacher was amazed, "Oh amazing! This is so wonderful! Oh, you have such a friend! Hey, can I see your friend? Can I see your friend? Such a friend you have! And such a small pot of milk! Never becoming empty! Oh I want to see your friend." The boy said, "Alright teacher, I will ask my friend, 'My teacher wants to see You.' If He says, 'yes,' then I will take you to my friend."

So on returning home he called his friend Gopal. "Gopal, my teacher became amazed and she wants to see You." Gopal replied, "No, no, no, no! Your teacher cannot see me, she has no faith in Me."

Do you understand? This is a question of faith. This small boy immediately put faith, immediately put faith and he got, he got Gopal. Do you follow?