The Sage and the Hunter

a retelling

Naughty Krishna holding a piece of candy

Note: This piece is a retelling of an event recounted in the Vedic scriptures. I have added some details  and left out some others, but I have not changed the basic story or message.

I have retold the event in the form of a modern short story— for myself as an exercise in meditation, for those who read the scriptures as a memory refresher, and for those who do not read them as an opportunity to learn of the event.

I have also written it as an homage to Srila Vyasadeva, the author of most of the Vedic scriptures. I am studying his writings although five thousand years have passed since he wrote them. I do not imagine many people will be reading my own writings in the year  7025.

“Muni” means wise man or sage. Sri Narada Muni is a great devotee whose works are  mentioned many times in the scriptures.

The Sage and the Hunter

O hunter, good qualities [and behavior] like nonviolence, which you have developed, are not very astonishing. Those who are engaged in the Lord’s devotional service are never inclined to give pain to others because of envy. (Skanda Purana)

The great Narada Muni strolled along a forest path, playing his veena as he sang the glories of Lord Krishna. The fragrance of wildflowers wafted on the breeze. The buzzing of bees and the chirping of crickets mingled with the faint voices of boatmen on the nearby Ganges.

A green lizard climbed onto a rock, sprawled itself out on top of it, and  began basking in the warm sunshine. An insect flew near. The lizard raised its head, caught the insect in its mouth, and ate it.

Suddenly Narada stopped. A stag lay beside the path, panting and gasping as blood oozed from wounds all over its body. Narada bent over the animal. “Oh poor creature, who has done this to you?”

Narada took a deep breath. “Hare Krishna!” he half shouted. The stag raised its head a few inches, moved its ears, and dropped its head back to the ground.

Narada started strolling again, plucking the strings of his veena and singing the glories of Krishna. But after a few steps he stopped again.

There, by the side of the path lay a boar, wounded and bleeding like the stag.

Narada bent over the boar. “You too, O boar? Who has done this?”

The boar grunted.

“Hare Krishna!” Narada half shouted. The boar moved its ears.

“I will find out,” whispered Narada. “I will find out who has done this.”

He contined along the path, strumming and singing. till he saw a hunter standing behind a tree, bow in hand. He walked up to the hunter.  “Hare Krishna, my dear sir,” he said.

The hunter bowed slightly. “O great Muni why have you left the footpath? You have scared away the animals.”

“Are you the one who has wounded these poor creatures?”

“Yes. My name is Mrigari, the enemy of the animals.”

“But you are committing terrible sins. If you must kill animals, why not kill them outright? Why do you half-kill them and leave them squirming in pain? Killing animals is already sinful, but making them suffer is worse.”

“My father taught me to do this. And when I see the animals suffer, it makes me feel good.”

“My dear sir, please grant me one request.”

“Yes, O Muni, whatever you like.”

“From now on, kill the animals outright. Do not make them suffer.”

“What difference does it make?”

“You are deliberately causing them pain. After you die, all these animals will give you back the pain you have given them. It is God’s law. If you give pain to others, the pain will come back to you. These animals will torture you and kill you, one at a time,  life after life.”

“Oh…  Didn’t think of that. Now You’ve got me scared. Must be true if a Muni like you says so. I can almost see it.”

Mrigari fell down on his knees and clasped his hands together, fingers interlaced. “O Muni! O Muni! Please save me from this  fate!”

Narada pointed to Mrigari’s bow. “Give up this cruel profession.”

“But hunting is my living. What will I eat?”

“I will make arrangements for your food. Now break your bow. Build a hut on the bank of the Ganges and sow a sacred tulasi plant. Then you and your wife can sit and chant the Hare Krishna Mantra in front of the tulasi.”

Narada went back to the wounded animals and healed them as Mrgari looked on. Then Narada left, and Mrigari went to the bank of the Ganges. Soon his wife joined him.

Then  a villager and his wife  came carrying pots of food. “Narada Muni told us all to bring food to a great devotee sitting by the Ganges. Is it really you, Mrigari?”

Thus Mrigari and his wife sat by the Ganges for many days chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra. And they lacked nothing. The villagers brought them more food than they could eat.

Then one day Narada Muni came back with a friend, another Muni named Parvat. Mrigari got up and started walking over to greet them. His wife walked behind.

But ants were crawling on the ground. Mrigari started jumping over them here and there. Then he used an end of the cloth he was wearing to brush them away.

Narada laughed and turned to Parvat. “Just look at that. He used to torture and kill animals. Now he won’t even step on an ant.”

Parvat Muni nodded. “You have taken a lump of iron and turned it into gold. My dear Narada, you are really glorious. How pleased Krishna must be with you! By following your instructions, even the lowest person—a hunter of animals—can quickly come to the path of devotion to the Blessed Lord.”

This was the very man who a short time before had been tormenting all kinds of animals, yet now he was not prepared to kill even an ant. That is the nature of a Vaishnava [devotee of God].” (Srila Prabhupada)

⁓Umapati Swami, April 6, 2025

L

ove it? Hate it? Got a question? Write to me: hoswami@yahoo.com

© Umapati Swami 2025

Srila Prabhupada

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the teacher who brought Krishna Consciousness from India to the West and then to the rest of the world. He is the founder of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement as well as the author and compiler of many works of Vedic knowledge. He left this world in 1977.

Umapati Swami

One of the first American devotees of the Hare Krishna Movement, he became Srila Prabhupada’s disciple in 1966. Since then, he has preached Krishna Consciousness in many countries and is the author of “My Days with Prabhupada,” available from Amazon. Now 88 years old, he maintains this blog to share what he has learned.