What is real sacrifice? We wonder if there is really anything like real sacrifice or unreal sacrifice. Let us see.

Many people offer trivial helps and charities but then boast in front of others about their magnanimous attitude and greatness. They keep on reminding others about the donations and charities they have done in the past. ‘I have spent 1 lakh rupees on that guy’s treatment’ or ‘I have sacrified my entire life for that organization’ and so on. We accept their great deeds. We accept that they are offering immense help to others. We understand that many in the society are benefitted from them. But, remember that none of them can be categorized as charities or sacrifices.

You are just utilizing a part of yours for the well-being of others. That’s all. It is nothing but helping others (paropakaram). You are doing all this so as to ensure that others benefit from you or because you seek more fame and name. Hence, there is some selfishness behind these deeds of yours. This may be good but this cannot be termed as sacrifice.

The definition of sacrifice is something different. **Sacrifice is something that is done without expecting any result (nishkama). We already know about Nishkama karma. Those who do not bother even about their wealth, self-respect and lives in order to uphold dharma are the ones who have performed real sacrifice. **

Long ago, there lived a king. As soon as he became the king, he abolished the tradition of sacrificing animals. Indra, the Lord of heaven, got to know this. He told the king that by abolishing this tradition, he would have to undergo lot of hardships and that he would also have to lose the kingship. Indra was testing the king. But, the king was not deterred from his determination of abolishing the tradition. He instead told that when he is still alive, he will not agree for any being to be harmed in his kingdom.

In the years of yore, even human beings were offered as sacrificial animals. Even today, killing of animals in the name of sacrifice continues in certain places. We too kill mosquitoes, don’t we?

But, Indra also was persistently dissuading the king from abolishing this tradition. He told that the king that he wanted a human to be sacrificed from his kingdom, the next evening. When the person, who is selected as the sacrificial animal stands on the pedestal, a big mountain will fall on his head which would kill that person.

If the king failed to provide this sacrificial human, the people of the entire kingdom would be killed by that mountain instead of a single person. Indra said so and told the king to decide. Knowing this, all the elders of the village gathered and opposed the king. Finally, even without the interference of the king, they decided to sacrifice a person.

On the next evening, the elders brought that person for sacrifice. He was made to stand on the pedestal. The king also reached there along with others to watch the happenings. A mountain could be seen at a far distance in the sky. The man who was about to be sacrificed was stronger than the mountain. But yet, the king lost his cool. He was getting different emotions and thoughts in his mind. The mountain was dropping on the head of the person gradually. The people were shouting victory slogans. The mountain came very close to him. Meanwhile, the king got a thought like a flash. That very instant, the king jumped on the pedestal and pushed away the person who was to be sacrificed. The king’s head collided with the mountain. But lo! Immediately, the mountain broke into pieces. All the pieces of stones transformed into flowers and fell on the king.

Suddenly a celestial voice was heard: “You are the real king, you have performed the real sacrifice”. Indra blessed him with all kinds of treasure and wealth. What the king did was real sacrifice. He could have sent anybody for the sacrifice. But, he did not do so. He did not even care his kingdom or his life. He only wanted everybody to be happy. We must consider such kings as inspiration in adhering to dharma and sacrifice.

Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!