Sage Markandeya told Yudhishthira the importance of duty, through the story of an ascetic, Kaushika. Kaushika got angry easily. A crane’s droppings fell on him while he was meditating under a tree. He looked up angrily and the bird died. Kaushika felt very bad at his own anger. He went to beg alms from a house one day, but the lady took time to care for her husband first. By the time she came to give alms to the ascetic, he was angry. Asking him to control his anger, she said she wasn’t a crane to be affected by it, because she was doing her duties for her husband. “Learn to live dutifully from Dharmavyadha of Mithila,” she advised. Kaushika was surprised to find that Dharmavyadha was a butcher! After he had finished working at the shop, Dharmavyadha took Kaushika home, where he saw him caring for his parents and family and how happy they were.
Markandeya’s Stories
