In a small village, a great Yagna (sacred ritual) was taking place. An extremely rare 'Swarna Pushpam' (Golden Flower) was required for this ritual. The village elder called four children—Aryan, Pragna, Kutil, and Maya—and assigned them a task. He said, "The trees bearing these flowers are near the village pond. A fair (Jatara) is happening on the way to the pond, and it will be crowded. You must bring the flower back within an hour. Any delay will disrupt the Yagna."
Aryan and Pragna kept the Guru's words in mind. No matter how noisy and colorful the fair was, they kept their focus solely on the flower. Pragna completely ignored the dancers, and Aryan ignored the smell of sweets. Whenever their minds wandered, they immediately refocused on the goal. They returned with the flower on time.
Maya's mind was very restless. As she walked towards the pond, she first saw a new, colorful bangle shop and stopped. Thinking, 'There is still time to get the flower,' she moved on, but then saw a group of children playing and her mind was diverted again. Because her mind kept jumping from one thing to another, she eventually completely forgot about the flower and the time.
Kutil's mind was also out of control. He became impatient with the crowd at the fair. When he saw two people fighting, he got involved unnecessarily and started arguing. He wasted his energy and time on these trivial matters and returned alone, defeated and disappointed.
Aryan and Pragna honorably arrived at the Yagna site with the flower. A little later, Kutil and Maya arrived empty-handed, disappointed and exhausted. The village elder smiled and said to Kutil, "Kutil, why did your mind get involved in that fight? Wasn't your goal the flower?" Turning to Maya, he asked, "Maya, why couldn't your mind stay focused in one place?" He then explained that this is why Lord Sri Krishna repeatedly stresses controlling the mind in the Bhagavad Gita, and shared a verse from the 6th Chapter, 26th Sloka.
Sloka:
यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चंचलमस्थिरम् । ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ।।
Explanation:
In this verse, Sri Krishna says that wherever the restless and unsteady mind wanders, one must bring it back from that path and constantly fix it on the Self (or the Supreme Soul). He added, "Children, the chaos of this fair is like your fickle mind. Your mind strayed from your destination. If our mind is under our control, we can achieve victory not only in this small task but in any matter in life. Ultimately, we can even attain the Supreme Soul. Therefore, control over the mind is the true key to victory."
Kutil and Maya realized their mistake and promised to keep their minds under control. Aryan and Pragna were honored with the great privilege of participating in the Yagna.
Teacher Tasks
Discussion after the story:
●    How did Aryan and Pragna achieve success through focus and concentration?
●    How was the restless mind of Kutil and Maya responsible for them getting distracted?
●    Discuss, with examples, where your mind wanders while studying and how you can control it.
Practical Activities:
●    Every day, complete one task (like eating food or performing Puja) by focusing solely on that activity without letting your mind wander.
●    Every time your mind loses control, immediately recall the slogan: 'Bring the mind back!'
Character Analysis:
●    Aryan and Pragna: How did they keep their minds under control in the story? What are the key qualities you should learn from them?
●    Kutil and Maya: How did their minds show fickleness? What kind of loss did that restlessness cause them?
Sloka Repetition:
●    Have the children repeat the Bhagavad Gita sloka mentioned in the story.
●    Ask the children to explain the meaning of the sloka in their own words.
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