Another aspect that the Katha emphasizes is that if a person does not take the Prasad, they suffer terrible consequences. Is there something deeper — some Symbolism or Hidden Truth — that we might be missing?
The story of Satyanarayan Swami occurs in the later Puranas, Skanda and Bhavisya Purana, with a specific intent to counter the degrading effects of Kaliyuga. In the story, Lord Vishnu manifests as Truth and comes to teach honesty and integrity to human beings who are experiencing deterioration of moral nature. The stories are so designed so as to teach us the value of leading an honest life and keep our promises to oneself, to others and to the Divine. The story also tells us that nothing is hidden from the All-witnessing eye of God. We may hide things from everyone, but the Divine knows our hidden intention and what we receive in life is the result of this intention. The story of the merchant whose goods turn to straws is clearly symbolic that even if you have riches at your disposal, they will be worthless and bring only suffering and misery if we indulge in lying and dishonesty. The stories also indicate that we don’t have to be dishonest to achieve success. We have to be good and benevolent, do our bit truthfully (Satya) and keep remembering the Divine (Narayana). Then, eventually, success will come because God looks after his devotees. However, if we misuse His gifts and use them for selfish purposes, then we end up harming ourselves. All these profound lessons emphasising the need for truthfulness, honesty, integrity, etc, in the form of sweet, simple stories.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
