Rishyashringa Brings Rain

Dadi: "Guddu, have you ever wished for rain during summer vacation when it gets too hot?"

Guddu: "Yes! Sometimes I pray for rain to come!"

Dadi: "Well, tonight I'll tell you about a sage whose footsteps brought rain wherever he walked. His name was Rishyashringa."

Guddu: "His footsteps made rain? That's like a superpower!"

Dadi: "In a way, it was. But let me start at the beginning. Rishyashringa was a very unusual boy - he had tiny horns on his head, like a deer!"

Guddu: "Horns? Was he part animal?"

Dadi: "His mother was Urvashi, a celestial dancer from heaven. After he was born, she returned to heaven, and his father, Sage Vibhandak, raised him alone in the forest. Now, here's the unusual part - his father was so angry at women that he never told Rishyashringa they existed!"

Guddu: "He didn't know women existed?!"

Dadi: "Not at all! He had never seen anyone except his father his entire life. He grew up in complete isolation, studying the scriptures and practicing such pure devotion that his spiritual power became extraordinary."

Guddu: "What kind of power?"

Dadi: "The power of perfect purity. You see, far away in the kingdom of Anga, a terrible drought had struck. No rain fell for years. The crops died. People were starving. King Romapada desperately asked his advisors what to do."

Guddu: "What did they say?"

Dadi: "The ministers told him about Rishyashringa: "If such a pure sage were to set foot in this kingdom, his very presence would restore the land. Rain would fall where his feet touched the ground.""

Guddu: "So they just had to bring him to the kingdom!"

Dadi: "Easier said than done, beta! His father Vibhandak was known for his terrible temper. No one dared approach him. So the king sent some young women from the court to lure Rishyashringa away while his father was gone."

Guddu: "But Rishyashringa didn't know what women were!"

Dadi: "Exactly! When the women arrived at the hermitage, he was amazed. He had never seen such creatures! They were soft where he was rough, sweet-smelling, with long hair and ornaments. He thought they were some kind of special hermits!"

Guddu: "What did the women do?"

Dadi: "They brought him delicious sweets and fruits. Poor Rishyashringa thought these were some special forest fruits he had never tasted! They treated him so kindly that he became quite fond of these strange "hermits.""

Guddu: "Did he go with them?"

Dadi: "The next day, when they returned, they invited him to visit their "hermitage." Rishyashringa, completely innocent, agreed to go. They took him on a boat across the river to the kingdom of Anga."

Guddu: "And then the rain came?"

Dadi: "The moment Rishyashringa stepped off the boat onto the land, clouds gathered! As he walked toward the palace, rain began to fall! The parched earth drank the water greedily. People ran out dancing, showering rice on the sage, touching his feet in gratitude."

Guddu: "Just from him walking there?"

Dadi: "Yes! His perfect purity had such power that nature itself responded. The drought ended the moment he arrived."

Guddu: "What happened to him after that?"

Dadi: "King Romapada was so grateful that he gave his daughter Shanta in marriage to Rishyashringa. And later, when King Dasharatha - the father of Lord Rama - had no children, it was Rishyashringa who performed the special yagna that resulted in the birth of Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna!"

Guddu: "So without him, there would be no Rama?!"

Dadi: "That's right! Rishyashringa's purity played a role in bringing Lord Rama into the world."

Guddu: "Dadi, is that why being pure and good is important?"

Dadi: "It's one reason. Purity isn't just about following rules - it's about having a heart that's clear of bad intentions, a mind focused on good things. When someone is truly pure, they radiate positive energy. Good things happen around them."

Guddu: "Like rain falling when the sage walked!"

Dadi: "Exactly. We may not bring rain with our footsteps, but when we keep our hearts pure and our intentions good, we bring a different kind of blessing to everyone around us. Our presence makes things better, not worse."

Guddu: "I want to be like that, Dadi."

Dadi: "Then cultivate purity in small ways every day. Speak truth. Think kind thoughts. Don't hold grudges. These simple things, practiced consistently, build the kind of spiritual power that can change the world - one step at a time, just like Rishyashringa walking into a drought-stricken land and bringing life back with every footstep."