Brahmacharini and the String of Beads

Parvati, the daughter of the mountain, had a very big wish. She wished to marry Shiva, the great yogi who lived alone on the highest peak. "It will not be easy," people said. Parvati only smiled.

So she put away her silk saris and fine jewels. She wore a simple white sari, and took a string of wooden beads and a little water pot. Barefoot, she walked into the forest. Now people called her Brahmacharini, the one who walks the path of practice.

Every day, she sat under a tall tree and prayed. With each prayer, she moved one bead along her string. Click. Just one. Then the next day, click, one more. One bead does not look like much. But beads add up.

Some days, the rain poured down. Some days, the wind was cold. Parvati did not give up. She shared her shelter with a little wet bird, and kept going, one bead, and one more.

The animals grew to love her. Deer lay down beside her. Peacocks danced nearby. The whole forest grew quiet and calm around her. Her heart was growing strong, bead by bead.

On the second day of Navaratri, we remember Brahmacharini. Is there something hard you are learning, like reading, or riding a bike? Try a little every day, like moving one bead. One day, you will look back and see how far you have come.