The sun slowly rised, defeating the darkness that embraced the village till now. Cool breeze travelled across the place, carrying the chirping of the birds. The birds flew around the temple, which is located in the inner part of the village.

As usual, the local priest finished his morning rituals and entered the temple premises to unlock the door.

As soon as he opened the sannidhi (sanctum sanctorum) he was astonished to see a small piece of cow dung placed in the corner of the ear of the diety of Lord Krishna.

The same thing which is happening for many months.

To whom he can confess this!

There is no one who can enter the locked temple.

Who is entering the temple and doing like this?

He thought to himself and began doing abhishekam.

"Kanha! Is there any fault in my puja? Or is there any fault in my Bhakti?" He asked the Lord with tears forming in his eyes.

To see his Lord with some cow dung every morning hurted him. For he considered it as some stain in his Lord's Diety.

"There is not even another key for the temple. There is only one and I keep it under my pillow every night. Then how come it happens?" he thought to himself, while performing the rituals.

The day passed on. Darkness took over the village. So the priest decided to lock the temple.

While locking the temple he noticed the old lady, who visits the temple daily. The priest knows her very well. She sat down in front of the temple with teary eyes.

The preiest greeted the old lady and asked with utmost kindness, "Mata! What did you pray for today?"

"Yesterday, my Kanha ate more butter. I am just wishing that it digest to him soon." The old lady said with a warm smile.

The Priest laughed.

"I am not asking that Mata. Have you wished and prayed to him for yourself?" The preist asked calmly.

"I don't have any wish. My end is very near. If my Kanha is fine, I am fine. Everyone is asking many things for themselves. Kanha also grants them everything by raising his hand. Doesn't his hand feel pain by doing that continuously? If I ask him stop everything and take some rest, he doesn't even listens to me. I am not going to ask anything. If he grants me some wish by rasing his hands, the pain will increase. I don't want him to experience more pain because of me." The old lady said with utmost care.

The Preist listened to every word carefully.

He was astonished to see her faith and love for Lord Krishna. How completely she is trusting him!

"What a true devotion! Let the man who applies the cow dung on Krishna's diety learn something from her." He thought and left that place. 

That night -

The Priest rolled in his bed not getting sleep, as he was unable to find the person behind the act. His mind was filled with numerous thought. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.

Suddenly with loud laugh Kanha appeared on his dream. "Priest! There is no fault in your devotion. The cowdung that is applied in my ears is more purer than your sandalwood paste. For you to understand this, I am taking you in your soul form to that old lady's house." Saying so Krishna took him to the old lady's house.

The priest entered the house through the window and watched the happenings.

The old lady was cleaning her kitchen with the cow dung, reciting some shlokas.

Even after cleaning, she had some cow dung remaining.

"Sarvam Krishnaarpanam", saying so she threw the remaining via window.

What a surprise!

The remaining cow dung entered the temple and sticked in Krishna's ear.

The priest was surprised to see that.

He left that place.

In the Morning:

The old lad woke up slowly.

"Kanha! Have you slept well? Yesterday the temperature was so cool. Have you covered yourself with blanket?" She asked.

Then, she washed her face and freshened herself.

"The water is so cool today. You would get cold. So please use warm water for yourself. I am going to put a big, colourful dot-rangoli for you." Saying so she went outside and began her work.

"Krishna! Mugundha! Murare!" She recited, while drawing rangoli.

She recited shlokas while joining the dots.

After finishing that, she left to cook something.

The Priest woke up from the dream. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Was it a dream or reality?" he asked himself. He decided to go to the temple earlier to check if the dream was true.

When he entered the temple, he was surprised to see the cowdung again on Lord Krishna's ears. He slowly took the cowdung and folded it with a small piece of banana leaf and kept with himself, considering it as the Lord Krishna's own Prasad.

He waited for the old lady to come. But there is no trace of her.

It became night. Still she hadn't come. He locked the temple and left for his home.

That night also Lord Krishna appeared in the Priest dream.

"Keep that piece of cowdung with you safely. Hereafter you won't get it." Lord Krishna said in a calm tone.

"But why?" the Priest asked confused.

"Tomorrow, she is going to leave this earth and going come with me to my abode. Today she is ill. That's why she hasn't came to the temple. Visit the old lady's house tomorrow before coming to temple. You will see some things which nobody else can see. She showed me motherly care and loved me like her own son. You will understand the true bhakti of her tomorrow." Saying so the Lord disappeared.

The Priest woke up with a sudden jerk.

He couldn't even sleep now.

That morning the Priest hurriedly went to the old lady's house. He moved the crowd aside and went insideml. He was shocked to see that, the old lady was no more. She just breathed her last breathe. He gasped.

To take her soul to the heavenly abode, a Pushpak Viman came from the sky. The scene was only visible to him.

"Why this special arrangements for this poor old lady? I doesn't deserve this all. If I can see my beloved Kanha all the day, that's more than enough for me. Because how can a mother get parted from her son?" the old lady said.

Lied Krishna appeared before the soul of the old lady.

"My beloved mother! You always wanted me to listen to you, right? Now I will listen to you forever." Saying so Lord Krishna made the souls into two earrings and weared it, so that he can listen to her all the time.

Priest saw all this and went to his home hurriedly and bathed.

He got ready and went to the temple.

The ears which will be always seen with pieces of cowdung before is now seen with beautiful earrings.

He folded his hands with tears in his eyes.

The selfless love of the old lady was acknowledged by the Lord. How pure the bhatki is!

Thinking this the Priest slowly wiped his tears.

SARVAM KRISHNAARPANAM!
SARVAM KRISHNAARPANAM!
SARVAM KRISHNAARPANAM!