| This idea of complete self - sacrifice is illustrated in | | | | each member of the family. They prepared it for |
| the following story: After the battle of | | | | their meal, and just as they were about to eat, |
| Kurukshetra the five Pandava brothers performed | | | | there was a knock at the door. The father |
| a great sacrifice and made very large gifts to the | | | | opened it, and there stood a guest. Now in India a |
| poor. All people expressed amazement at the | | | | guest is a sacred person; he is as a god for the |
| greatness and richness of the sacrifice, and said | | | | time being, and must be treated as such. |
| that such a sacrifice the world had never seen | | | | So the poor Brahmin said, "Come in, sir; you are |
| before. But, after the ceremony, there came a | | | | welcome." He set before the guest his own |
| little mongoose, half of whose body was golden, | | | | portion of the food, which the guest quickly ate |
| and the other half brown; and he began to roll on | | | | and said, "Oh, sir, you have killed me; I have been |
| the floor of the sacrificial hall. He said to those | | | | starving for ten days, and this little bit has but |
| around, "You are all liars; this is no sacrifice." | | | | increased my hunger." Then the wife said to her |
| "What!" they exclaimed, "you say this is no | | | | husband, "Give him my share," but the husband |
| sacrifice; do you not know how money and | | | | said, "Not so." The wife however insisted, saying, |
| jewels were poured out to the poor and every | | | | "Here is a poor man, and it is our duty as |
| one became rich and happy? This was the most | | | | householders to see that he is fed, and it is my |
| wonderful sacrifice any man every performed." | | | | duty as a wife to give him my portion, seeing |
| But the mongoose said, "There was once a little | | | | that you have no more to offer him." Then she |
| village, and in it there dwelt a poor Brahmin with | | | | gave her share to the guest, which he ate, and |
| his wife, his son, and his son's wife. They were | | | | said he was still burning with hunger. So the son |
| very poor and lived on small gifts made to them | | | | said, "Take my portion also; it is the duty of a |
| for preaching and teaching. There came in that | | | | son to help his father to fulfil his obligation." The |
| land a three years' famine, and the poor Brahmin | | | | guest ate that, but remained still unsatisfied; so |
| suffered more than ever. | | | | the son's wife gave him her portion also. That |
| At last when the family had starved for days,the | | | | was sufficient, and the guest departed, blessing |
| father brought home one morning a little barley | | | | them. That night those four people died of |
| flour, which he had been fortunate enough to | | | | starvation. |
| obtain, and he divided it into four parts, one for | | | | |