Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the President of India from 1950 - 1962. During his presidency, he had an attendant called Govind. Govind was honest and efficient, and looked after the needs of the President very well. One day, as Govind was tidying Rajendra Prasad's desk, a pen fell out of a file. When he picked the pen up, he noticed that its tip was broken. Just at that moment, Rajendra Prasad entered the room and saw what had happened. He got very upset, because it was an expensive pen and was a gift from a close friend. He was so angry with Govind that he immediately dismissed him from his job. Govind was devastated and begged for forgiveness. But Rajendra Prasad was firm and ordered Govind to leave at once. That night, when Rajendra Prasad went to bed he suddenly remembered the unhappy event. He then started thinking about it. "What was Govind's mistake?" he asked himself. "The pen was damaged because I left it in the file without its cap on. Surely, Govind is innocent. Moreover, he is obedient, sincere, honest and loving. Oh! I was harsh and unjust to him this morning." These thoughts of regret and repentance disturbed Rajendra Prasad so much that he could not sleep all night. As soon as he woke up the next morning, he sent for Govind. He took Govind's hands into his own and said, "Govind, you should forgive me, I was very harsh to you yesterday. Please resume working here, I cannot afford to lose you." Govind was moved by these words and thanked Rajendra Prasad, as he resumed working for his beloved employer. Thereafter, Rajendra Prasad would often narrate this incident to others and caution them to think twice before losing their temper. "Anger is like a dangerous dog", he would say. "You must keep it properly chained. Otherwise, it will bark at everyone and may even bite an innocent man!" Moral:How often do we come across situations like these, where we are quick to get angry at others or others get angry at us, only to realise later that it was not totally the other person's fault! How nice it would be if, even in such situations, we could think calmly and take action without getting angry. Anger is a deep rooted impression in one's mind, and the only way to overcome it is by developing a stronger impression of love and purity in us, so that it is this pure impression, instead of that of anger that guides us. A pure impression in our mind can be developed by repeating (chanting) the Name of God, who is the purest and most loving of all.
