Outside a village, long ago,
Lived a hermit relinquishing all ego;
He lived on alms with nothing else from the village,
So, had hardly anything to lead to pillage.
His only property was two pieces of cloth,
One to wear, one to wash; so, no sloth;
All his endeavours comprised only meditation,
Notwithstanding all societal dictation.
One day, a rat spoilt the other
And he was just left to bother;
He was at a loss altogether,
Searching for solution hither and thither!
A villager advised him to bring a cat,
To ensure that it threatens the entry of the rat;
But, the cat needed milk to survive,
So, another villager offered to get a cow to thrive.
While the cow served the purpose,
It required a caretaker in his house;
Hence, he was asked to marry and get his bride,
To look after his cow in complete pride!
Note: This is an effort to bring out the essence of the story behind an old Sanskrit saying.
This poem was published in Sanchika on 1st September 2025. Please follow the link. https://sanchika.com/hermits-marriage-tssm-poem/
TSS Murty (తిప్పాభొట్ల సత్య శ్రీనివాస మూర్తి) 