Once upon a time, a noble king devoted to Lord Shiva sought divine blessings. He came up with an idea—he ordered everyone in his kingdom to fill the jaladhari, a perforated vessel hanging over the Shiva Linga, with milk. The king believed that if the jaladhari overflowed, Lord Shiva would bless the entire land.
However, the kingdom suffered under scorching summer heat. Despite this, the king decreed that every Monday of Sravana, a holy month, his people must pour milk into the jaladhari until it overflowed. No milk was to be used elsewhere—not even for children or the elderly.
On the first Monday, hundreds of people offered milk, yet the jaladhari never overflowed. Morning turned into afternoon, and still, the milk level remained unchanged.
Then, an old woman arrived with a small bowl of milk. Unlike others, she had not stopped feeding children or helping the needy, despite the king’s orders. After ensuring everyone in her home had eaten, she reached the temple.
She humbly offered flowers, Bel leaves, and sacred rice, then poured her milk into the jaladhari. The moment she stepped away, the vessel began to overflow.
The same miracle happened on the second and third Mondays—the jaladhari overflowed only after the old woman’s offering.
Curious, the king visited the temple on the fourth Monday to witness this mystery himself. As usual, after everyone poured their milk, the old woman arrived with her humble offering. The moment she walked away, the jaladhari overflowed once again.
Shocked, the king took her hand and asked, “Why does this only happen after your offering?”
With a kind smile, she replied, “Your command left the poor and orphans starving. Lord Shiva does not accept offerings made through suffering. That is why the jaladhari never overflowed.”
Realizing his mistake, the king changed his ways. On the last Monday, he first shared milk with the needy before making his temple offering. This time, the jaladhari overflowed immediately. The king bowed before the old woman, thanking her for teaching him the true meaning of kindness and devotion.
This Gujarati folk tale about kindness teaches us that true devotion isn’t about rituals—it’s about compassion. No offering is meaningful if it comes at the cost of someone else’s suffering.
Kalai is passionate about reading and reinterpreting folk tales from all over the country. Write to her at kalai.muse@gmail.com to know more about her.
Folk tale adopted and abridged from Internet Archive.