Bitter Gourd

While reading a Kerala folk tale, the following story made me think. The story goes like this. Once up on a time there was a Brahmin who attempted to live a good and saintly life. The Brahmin was rich and married. He had servants and maids to serve at his home. Once he was attracted to a maid helping his wife and desires came in to his mind. Later he realized that it is sin and wanted to wash them away. For Hindus, Ganga is a holy river and if bathed in it, the sins will be forgiven. So, the Brahmin with one of his servants went to be bathed in river Ganga. The servant took a 'Bitter Gourd' with him for the travel. Bitter Gourd is a very bitter tasted vegetable. The Brahmin went and bathed in the river Ganga. The servant bathed the Bitter Gourd, but did not bathe himself. They came back to their home after the activities.

The following day, the Brahmin's wife cooked ‘sambar’, and gave to the Brahmin. But the sambar was very bitter in taste which made the Brahmin very angry. He went to his wife and asked why it is having the bitter taste. She answered that all vegetables included in the sambar was prepared by the Brahmin’s servant. Then the Brahmin went to the servant and asked the reason for the bitterness of the dish, and he answered “I had the bitter gourd washed in River Ganga in the sambar. Is it still bitter?”

The servant was smart and was telling the Brahmin indirectly that washing in any river will not cleanse the sins. Sins will be cleansed only when a decision is taken in our own hearts to avoid it. Aren’t we all guilty at least once in a while in depending on bodily actions to cleanse the sins that we have committed? Are actions that we take for our sins to be forgiven just materialistic? Or are they from a broken and contrite heart?