Vulture and Sparrow

Krishna story: Vulture and sparrow on the way to sun!

An Vulture and a sparrow were somehow friends and, in a spirited competition, decided to fly to the sun to see Surya Narayan, the sun god. 

Soon, however,the sparrow began to fatigue and his wings fluttered. 

Finally, in exhaustion, he fell from the sky. 

As he was falling he watched as the Vulture soared and disappeared from sight.

When the sparrow came to earth he gathered all the other animals and told of the glorious vulture, the great bird that soared off to meet Surya Narayan.

 All the animals became excited and prepared a grand reception for the divinely inspired vulture. 

Thousands assembled and brought numerous flowers and fruits.

TheVulture, although far ahead of the sparrow, enough to be out of sight, was still nowhere near the Sun.

He also began to totter and flap his wings desperately to keep equilibrium. 

It was too late, however, and he began to fall rapidly until he crash! 

He landed right in the middle the assembled forest animals. 

The animals cheered wildly"Jaya Vulture! Jaya Vulture! Vulture Vulture! Jaya Jaya!"

They garlanded the hapless creature thinking that he had attained saksad-dasrhan, direct vision of the glorious sun-god, Sri Surya Narayan.

The vulture looked around in surprise and disgust. "What's going on? Why are you glorifying me? I have done nothing of merit," he said. 

But the animals replied, "That's not true, you are the glorious bird who visited the sun god!"

"I did not!"

The sparrow spoke up, "But you soared so far that you were out of sight!"

"I may have been ahead of you," he quickly retorted, "but I was also far, far away from reaching sun. Therefore I think I am really still no better than you or anyone else!"

Moral: 

You may be ahead others, but rather than seeing them in relation to yourself it is better to see yourself and others in relation to the final goal, which most likely will be of little variance. 

Better to judge things from an absolute, rather than relative perspective.

However, a Vaishnava is encouraged to make certain practical distinction among for the purpose of relating properly, avoiding offense, and giving and accepting instruction.