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The sage and the scorpion
Along the banks of a sacred river, a sage sat peacefully beneath a tree, absorbed in the chanting of the Lord's holy names. His eyes were soft with compassion, his heart steady in service, and his mind calm like a still lake.
As he bathed in the river one morning, he noticed a scorpion struggling in the current. It flailed helplessly, caught in the swirling eddies, moments from drowning.
Without hesitation, the sage reached out with both hands and scooped the creature from the water, placing it gently on the shore.
But no sooner had he done so than the scorpion struck—its stinger piercing the sage's finger. Pain shot through his arm, and the wound throbbed with fire. Still, the sage said nothing.
Moments later, the scorpion crawled back toward the river—and again, it fell in.
The sage once more rescued it. And again, it stung him.
This happened several times, and each time the sage responded with the same calm and mercy.
A young man observing this from the riverbank cried out, "Swamiji! Why do you keep saving that scorpion? Can't you see? It is ungrateful. It stings you every time. Let it drown!"
The sage turned and smiled. "Dear child, the scorpion is acting according to its nature. It stings. But should I give up my nature, which is to show compassion?"
This story reveals the heart of a true devotee. A devotee does not act based on others' behavior. He acts based on his own nature, which has been shaped by divine love. Even when hurt, misunderstood, or rejected, the devotee continues to serve. For his actions are not reactions—they are offerings to Lord.
When we serve others, especially those caught in the cycles of their own pain and ignorance, we may be stung. But we must ask: "Will I allow their nature to define mine?"
The devotee's mercy is greater than the world's bitterness. The more we become like the Lord—who forgives, uplifts, and gives again and again—the more we taste true peace.
"The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful, friendly to all living beings, without enemies, and peaceful." ( Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.21)
Courtesy: https://www.bhagavatam-katha.com/the-sannyasi-and-the-scorpion/