15. Freeing a She-deer from a Hunter

Long ago the area of present LEHARTARA in Benaras was a jungle. Deers and other species of animals inhabited it. Guru Ravidass Ji also used to visit this forest and mediate there in lonely place. Once a hunter laid net to catch a deer. A she-deer was entrapped; it was caught by the hunter and was to kill it. The she-deer implored the hunter that its small children are hungry and are waiting for her for feed. It will come back after feeding them. The hunter would not let it go. However, he agreed to free it against a surety. Guru Ravidass Ji incidentally listened all this. He offered to stand surely for the she-deer. In case it did not come back Guru Ji was willing to pay the price. The she-deer was allowed to go to see its children. It fed its children and told them the tale of having been caught by the hunter and freed for a short-while on the surety of Guru Ravidass Ji. The children said, “We do not want to survive without you. We also accompany you to be killed with you.” Within the agreed time the she-deer and its children came back to Guru Ji where the hunter was also waiting.The hunter was astonished to see the truthfulness of she-deer and thought that Guru Ji knew all the episode before hand. The hunter repented for past killings and took a vow not to kill animals in future. The she-deer and its children were freed. The hunter fell on the feet of Guru Ji and became his follower. The she-deer and its children bowed at the sacred feet of Guru Ji and expressed their gracefulness. Thereafter, the she-deer and its children would bow to Guru Ji whenever he visited the forest.