Mere Devdoot Stories

Paying Obeisance

Each particle of this sacred and revered earth is filled with divinity. We all respect the fragrance and purity of its soil. Even the animal kingdom has profound faith in this pious earth.

Once, I was sitting on a rock on the foothills of Vaibharagiri. On the opposite side an elephant arrived. It was climbing up the hill. I was astonished to see what the elephant did next. He lifted the soil and put it on his head as if he was paying respect to the soil itself. Then slowly he moved forward. After him, another elephant came, who did the very same thing – picking up the soil and respecting it by putting on his head. I was watching all this with admiration. Then a third, and fourth came too and in this way many arrived. Small and big, all the elephants revered the soil in the same way. In the group was a young elephant. He too, like the others, lifted the earth, put it on his head and then walked forward. I was in awe of the elephants’ homage.

The strong conviction in the sanctity of Vaibharagiri is also felt in the animal kingdom. Those animals, too, know that if one wants to climb the hill, one first has to bow down to it. The positive vibrations of each and every particle of its soil and its sacredness makes such places as Vaibharagiri hill an epicentre of faith.