The washer man and the saint

This is an interesting story which was told by a close friend of my father. He is almost a family member to us and many times the valuable suggestions of him are life saver.

This is a story of a washer man and a saint. Once upon a time there was a huge river passing through a town. On the bank of the river there were identified places for bath and washing the clothes. The passage for the bathing area was close to the washing area – means everyone who is going to bath or coming after bath need to pass very close to cloth washing area.  

 

In a fine morning the washer man was washing the clothes, he was hitting the soapy clothes hard on the stone exactly in front to him to clean the dirt of the clothes. The droplets of the dirty water were scattering around and also on the passage to the bathing area. Just then a saint passed from there and the dirt mixed water fell upon the saint. The saint was going to worship in the temple as per his daily schedule. The saint got angry and asked the washer man to stop hitting the dirty soapy clothes for few moments and let him passes from there so that the saint could not get dirty as he had to for worship.

The washer man ignored the saint and continued hitting those soapy dirty clothes to the stone. The dirty saint goes for bath again and the same behavior is repeated by the washer man again when he was leaving the place. The same happed thrice as well. Lord Shiva was watching the same each time and got angry with the washer man and decided to help the son saint.

 Lord Shiva was on the way to help his saint son, when this time again the saint was coming forth time after a bath – the washer man stopped and commented in irritating tone to the saint, go away you don’t have any other work but I have lots of work you nonsense.

This time the saint got angry and went to the washer man and slapped him hard. The washer man reacted and started beating the saint.

Lord Shiva watched all this and thought why the saint did so while I was coming to help him already, could not he had waited and hold his nerves for some time. Could not the saint got patient for some time however I was coming to help.

Lord Shiva thought he has nothing to do now however the saint had already found his way to deal with the washer man. Lord Shiva turned back and moved to his place leaving the saint on his own condition.