True story of the butcher : This man was a Great Bhakt of Shri Hari He knew that he was not in a good profession but in those days Professions were based on varnas, so he had no choice but to sell meat, but he had made it a principle Not to kill or cut animals himself. He had a shining stone (Shaligram) on which he used to weigh the meat and sell. He never knew about the power of the Shaligram.
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One day a Sadhu was passing by his shop and noticed the Shaligram. He got shocked at how it as made use of and asked for it from the Kasaai. The Kasaai/butcher ( His name is Sadan) most lovingly presented it to him. That night the Sadhu had a dream. The Lord appeared before him and told him that “Why did you bring me here. I was most happy with sadan. At the end of the day when he used to wash and clean me I felt so good at his tender love and touch. He is a great Bhakta of mines”. The Sadhu realized his blunder and went back to immediately return the Stone to Sadan. He also told him of the Glory of the Lord, the Stone and the dream. Sadan felt ashamed of himself and decided to leave his dirty profession and go to Jagannath Puri to serve the Lord.
On the way when it was late he decided to stay in a village in a house where only two people lived –Husband and wife. The Wife was not a good lady and wanted to have the body of Sadan for fulfilling her lust. She at night came to him and tried to entice him. Be he did not resign and did not relent. Finally she thought that maybe because of my husband he is fearing to have physical union with me. So he took a knife and cut her husbands head and told him that now you need not fear coz I have killed him. This was too much for Sadan. He began crying and told her strictly that he was not interested in having any relations with her.
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That lady then opened the doors of her house, tore her clothes, begun shouting, crying and screaming loudly. When people gathered around she told them that he has killed her husband and tried to rape her. The people abused him, hit him and took him to the King and the King got his hands cut off as punishment for the crime he had not done. All the while Sadan kept quiet and did not even try to defend himself. He thought that its God wish that he is to be blamed and my hands need to be cut , So be it. He did not get angry at God but instead chose to take His name more fervently.
Now with his cut hands he continued his journey to Puri. That night the Poojari(priest) of the Mandir (temple) had a dream and Lord Hari appeared before him and said – A Great Bhakta of mine is coming to the temple. You must send a Palanquin to receive him. His hands are cut and you will recognize him. Bring him most respectfully to my Door. The poojari got up, made arrangements and brought Sadan with full glory to the Temple. As soon as Sadan did Darshan of the Lord, and lifted his cut arms to pay obesciance to the Lord, miraculously he got his arms and hands back. That was the Gift of God to His great Bhakta.
That night God appeared before Sadan. Sadan asked God. If you were to give my hands back, then why did you allow them to be cut My Prabhu ?
God replied – In a previous Birth a Calf was running away from a Kasaai and you ran behind it and caught it and handed it back to the Kasaai who then cut his neck and killed it. In this Birth the Woman whom you met and who brought you to blame, was that Calf. Her husband was the Kasaai. And of course you were the person who had brought the Calf to that Kasaai in your previous Birth…
(This is a translated this story from memory having read it in Hindi, and just wanted to share How Karma works. If we are suffering in this Birth in any area then we really are not aware of what we have done in our previous Births. So be it. Let us live like Sadan who accepted happily what was served to him, never forgetting to take the name of the Lord in any circumstances).