Giver of Destiny

The Encounter with Brahma

A certain devotee of Brahma was one day worshipping the great lord. Just then, the Lord was returning to heaven after writing the destinies of all the children who were born that day on earth. When the Lord saw his devotee, He made Himself visible and said, “I am pleased with you!”

The devotee was overjoyed and replied gratefully, “Lord! I consider myself the luckiest man on earth for having a glimpse of you!”

The Boon Offered

“My child, that is all well and good. But ask me for a boon,” said Brahma.

The devotee, taken aback by the unexpected divine presence, found himself at a loss for words. He had never anticipated seeing his Lord so soon and was almost in a daze. Brahma asked again, “What, don’t you have any need?”

After a moment of contemplation, the devotee finally said, “When I have a son, please allow me to write his destiny on his forehead!”

The Unforeseen Challenge

Nobody had ever asked Brahma for such a boon. Though He wanted to urge His devotee to reconsider, Brahma decided it would be unfair to intervene. He remained silent as the devotee awaited His response. After a while, Brahma consented, “All right. Let it be so.”

The devotee returned home, satisfied and filled with anticipation. Days passed, and soon a son was born to him. Excited, he seized the opportunity to realize the boon he had received. He meditated on Brahma and prayed, “O God, now let me write the destiny of my child!”

The Weight of Destiny

Brahma appeared before him and said, “Let it be so,” before placing His crown on the devotee’s head.

With the crown adorning his head, the devotee prepared to inscribe his child’s destiny according to his own wishes. However, as he began, innumerable children suddenly flashed before his eyes—all those born across the earth that day. He found himself unable to recognize his own child amidst the thousands.

The Realization

Hesitating for a long moment, the devotee cried out, “O Lord! Which one is my child?”

Brahma, standing by his side, explained, “You desired to take upon yourself one of my functions. Once I transferred my power to you, a part of my consciousness passed on to you as well. With that divine consciousness, how can you differentiate between the children?”

The Consequence

With that, Brahma took back His crown and disappeared.

After the crown was removed, the devotee had no difficulty recognizing his own child. But it was too late; he no longer had the power to write the child’s destiny himself. The weight of his wish had imparted a heavy lesson on the nature of destiny and the limits of human understanding.