A Father’s Blessing

This story was published in a newspaper in Hindi. It is a true story.

A dying man said to his son Dhanpal, “I do not have any property or wealth to give you as inheritance. I have worked, all my life, with honesty, devotion and accountability. The only thing I have is my blessings. I bless that you may always be successful and happy. May even the dust you touch, turn into gold!”

The son touched his father’s feet, while the father put his hand on his head and blessed him profusely. The father passed away peacefully.

Dhanpal started a small wayside business on a street cart. The business did well and the man rented a shop and then a bigger shop. In a short span of time he became very well affluent. He was always very vocal about this that it was because of his father’s blessing that he was doing so well. He said that his father led a hard life but never lost his faith and honesty. There was an innate strength in his words; there was great power in his blessing and that was secret of his success.

One day a friend asked him, “If your father was such a powerful man, then why was he not successful and rich? Why did he not have a flourishing business?” The man replied, “It is not that my father was a powerful man; it is his blessing that is powerful.”

People started calling him, “Baap ka Aashirwad”. (Father’s blessing) And he would always say that he hoped to be able to prove worthy of his father’s blessing.

Many years hence, Dhanpal started doing trading with other countries. Wherever he did business, he made huge profits. On all fronts, the going was good.

One day a strange thought came to his mind, ‘I have always made profits; just for once, I would like to know the taste of loss!’ So he asked a friend to suggest him a business, wherein he would incur losses. The friend thought that the fellow had become very arrogant, and needed to be taught a lesson. He told him to buy a huge amount of cloves and take them to Zanzibar in Tanzania to sell them.

Dhanpal came to know that Zanibar is an island of spices. Cloves, Cinnamon etc. grow there, so they are available very cheap. Cloves from Zanzibar are sold in India at 10-12 times what they cost there. Who would buy Indian cloves there? Selling Indian cloves there would surely incur a loss. It also crossed his mind that he would go there personally to see if his father’s blessings held good there too or not!

So he bought a huge amount of cloves and personally took the consignment to Zanibar by ship.

The ship docked near the coast of the island of Zanzibar. Dhanpal finally set foot on the vast expanse of sandy shore on the island. He set off to look for the traders of Zanzibar. While walking he bumped into the Sultan of Zanzibar. The Sultan asked him who he was and what brought him to the island of Zanzibar. The man said, “I am a trader from Khambhat in Gujrat. I have come here for business.” He man noticed that all the security guards that surrounded the Sultan were carrying sieves instead of weapons! He was quite astonished. He asked the sultan why his guards carried sieves instead of guns.

The Sultan tried to force a smile and said, “Today morning, I went to the sea side. Somehow my ring slipped off my finger. I came back to the seashore with my people and have asked them to sieve all the sand here, so that I can find my lost ring.”

Dhanpal said, “Oh! I see! It must be a very expensive ring!” The sultan said, “Well! I have many other rings that are much more expensive than the one I have lost. But that ring is very valuable because it was given to me by a Fakir. I believe firmly that it is because of the blessings of the Fakir that I and my people are prosperous and healthy. The value of that ring is more than the value of my entire kingdom! Anyways, tell me what business brings you here?”

Dhanpal said, “I have brought cloves from India. I am looking for an appropriate buyer.” The sultan was much surprised and he said, “Oh! My friend, this is a land of cloves! Who advised you to come here to sell cloves? Surely he must be your enemy. One can buy a handful of cloves in one paisa here. Who will buy your cloves? What profit can you possible make here?”

Dhanpal said, “That is what I too want to see. With the blessings of my father, I have never incurred loss in business. I want to see if his blessing will work here too.”

The sultan asked amusedly, “Your father’s blessings? What does that mean?”

He replied, “All his life, my father led a life of honesty and frugality, but he never earned much money. But before he died, he blessed me and put his hand on my head saying, ‘May dust too turn into gold, when you touch it.’”

So saying Dhanpal bent to the ground and picked up a fistful of sand and let it run through his fingers. Lo and behold! There was a diamond studded ring in his hand! The Sultan’s lost ring!

The Sultan exclaimed, “Oh Khuda! You are great! You even make a father’s blessing come true!”

Dhanpal Said, “The One and only God, makes the blessing of a Fakir as well as a father come true!”

The Sultan was ecstatic. He said, “My friend, ask for whatever you want … And I shall give it to you!”

Dhanpal in all his humility and serenity said, “May you live for a 100 years and serve your people. May your people be happy! I don’t want anything else!”

The sultan was so happy that he said, “Seth Dhanpal! I will buy your entire consignment of cloves at a price shall be determined by you!”

And so it was …

Truly the blessings of a father or a mother have huge power! A mother is the best judge to understand what goes on in her child’s heart. A father is the one who can best foresee what the best is for his child. If you have the blessings of your parents, no one can harm you. The parents protect their child just as the eyelids protect the eyes. If you have their blessings you don’t have to ask anything from anyone.