After a performance in the court, King Akbar told Tansen that he was the best singer. Tansen thanked the king but corrected him humbly by saying that there was someone who could sing better than him, his Guru. On hearing this Akbar was delighted to hear Guru sing. But Tansen made it clear that his Guru would not come to the court & he does not sing for earthly rewards.
King Akbar & Tansen started off to Guru’s residence, a case on the hills. At dawn, Guru went to the river, bathed & started singing in his melodious voice. The whole surrounding was immersed in his voice. While returning Akbar asked Tansen, “There was some magic in his voice that’s incomplete in yours. What makes his voice so different? Tansen replied, “Huzoor, I sing for thee, but he sings for divine.”
Tansen sang with an intention to satisfy the king & win earthly reward whereas Guru sang for his own satisfaction, with full involvement & found more happiness in it.
Once a sage was passing through a village. He saw men working in the scratching sun, seemed like Mother nature was being cruel to them. They were carrying heavy stones. He approached one of the worker & asked, ”What are you doing ?“ He replied angrily, ”Can’t you see what am I doing?”. He asked another person “What is being constructed?” He answered,“ I don’t know I have nothing to do with it. I get my pay at the end of the day then why bother.”
The sage continued. On enquiring with another worker he knew a temple was being build. Further he“Why are you so happy?” asked the sage. “I heard a temple in being constructed here. I wanted to help. It is a rare opportunity one gets in ones life. No other work can make me happier.” did not find a man who was working happily in the hot sun
In this story we come across four people who thought differently. The first one is working due to compulsion & is not at all happy to work, second, with an aim of earring, third was partly involved in his work, fourth working happily.
If we do something on our own without any compulsion we do it better. It’s something we do for our satisfaction & not to satisfy others. Even if it is a small thing we did, we will be able to find greater happiness & beauty in it.