On the bank of the river Ganges, there was a beautiful hermitage. The water from the river gushed down on rocks, making a tremendous noise, which frightened the fishes. It whirled round and round and the water was a mass of foam. Now in this hermitage lived hermits, who were always absorbed in meditation. Their bodies had grown lean with fasting, penance and rigorous self-discipline. They ate roots and fruits and drank the holy water from the Ganges. They wore clothes made of bark. The Guru of this hermitage was one Yadnyavalkya.

One day, while he was bathing in the holy water of the Ganges and offering his prayers, a mouse, dropped by a hawk, fell into his hands. He plucked a leaf from a nearby Banyan tree and put the mouse on it. Afterwards he took a second bath, to purify himself because he had been contaminated by touching the mouse. By the power of meditation, he transformed the female mouse into a little girl.

Then he took her to the hermitage and said to his wife, ‘My dear wife, we have no child of our own, so please accept this little girl and bring her up carefully, as our own daughter’. And so, the child was brought up with great care until she attained the age of twelve.

When the Guru’s wife noticed that the girl has reached the marriageable age, she said to her husband, ‘My dear husband, the time for our daughter’s marriage is slipping by. Please give it a serious thought.’

‘You are right he replied’. I shall give her to someone who really deserves her. And so, if the girl agrees, I shall summon the Sun God and give her to him.’ ‘Yes’, replied his wife, ‘please do that.’

By the power of invocation, the Guru summoned the Sun God to him. In a moment he appeared before him and said, Guruji ‘Why have you called me?’ ‘If this daughter of mine is willing to marry you, please accept her hand’
Then he asked his daughter, ‘Do you accept the Sun God, who lights up the world as your husband ?’
‘Father’, she replied, ‘he is too fiery-tempered. I don’t want to marry him. Find me someone better!’
So, the Guru said to the Sun God, ‘My Lord, is there anyone better than you?’
‘Yes’, replied the Sun God. ‘The King of the Clouds is superior to me, for when he covers me, I am no longer visible.’

And so the Guru invited the King of the Clouds and asked his daughter, ‘My child, may I offer you hand to the King of Clouds?’
‘Father’, she replied, ‘he is dark and too cold. I don’t want to marry him. Find me someone better!’
So, the Guru said to the king of the Clouds,’Oh King of the Clouds! Is there anyone better than you?’
‘Yes’, replied the King of the Clouds, ‘ Yes ! The Lord of the Wind is superior to me, for he makes me drift’.

And so, the Guru invited the Lord of the Wind and said to his daughter, ‘What do you say to him? ‘Father’, she replied ‘he is very changeable. I don’t want to marry him. Find me someone better’.
So, the Guru said to Lord of the Wind, ‘My Lord, is there anyone better than you?’
‘Yes’, replied the Lord of the Wind. ‘The the Lord of the Mountains is superior to me, for although I am strong, he prevents me from blowing where I want to.’

And so Guru invited the the Lord of Mountains and said to his daughter, ‘Now I am offering you to him.’
‘Father’, she replied, he is hard and immovable. I don’t want to marry him. Find me someone better.
So the Guru said to the Lord of the Mountains ,’ Is there anyone better than you?
‘Yes’, replied the Mountain, ‘The mice are superior to me, for they bore holes in my body.’

And so the Guru invited the King of Mice and said to his daughter, ‘Now my little daughter, I’m going to offer you the King of Mice. Do you like him?’ When the girl looked at the King of Mice, her whole body began to quiver with delight and she said to her father, ‘Oh father, he is the best of all! Please transform me into a mouse, so that after my marriage to the King of Mice , I shall be able to perform the household duties of my new clan’.
By the power of his meditation, the Guru turned her back into a mouse and gave her in marriage to the king of mice.

❖ What is inborn can never change.