Vritti Dharma - Professionalism

This is a not-so-popular story from the epic Mahabharatha

   There was a great sage called Kapila, he was  meditating for many years in search of eternal truth.  By doing so,  he had acquired very great power.  One day while he was sitting below a tree,  a bird drops.  He becomes angry and stares at the bird.  Bird gets burnt completely.  He releases his power and starts feeling arrogant.  During those days, for sages like Kapila it was normal practice to  beg for food

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    The same day,  he goes to a nearby village and starts begging.  The lady in the house comes out says to wait since she is busy.  She goes back to her daily chores and serving her husband.  Sage keeps waiting, normally these sages are supposed to wait for a duration equal to time taken for milking a cow, but he continues to wait for a long time.  After finishing all her work the lady returns apologizing.   Sage becomes angry and starts staring at her.  Lady says, I am not a bird to be burnt.  Sage is surprised that  how this lady knows what happened in Jungle.  He releases his mistakes and starts asking the lady about what she knows about Dharma.  She says, she is not very learned and she only knows Pathivratha Dharma, where she has to serve her family with at most care and devotion.  She also suggests him to go to  a nearby town, Mithila, where there is a Butcher who can teach Dharma and also can show the path to eternal truth.  

   Now this sage is completely amused and immediately starts to Mithila.  Receiving him in his small shop, the Butcher, asks whether he was sent by that Pathivrata lady, and he says he needs time to respond to his queries, as he has to finish his work.  Sage waits.  After finishing his professional duty , Butcher turns to the Sage.  He says, he is also not a great learned man and only  practices which he calls as Vritthi dharma.  He says he kills animals for selling to make his living.  He earns only what is needed to run his family.  He also says he treats all his customers same whether someone praises him or not. The  sage shows interest to see the Almighty.  This Butcher takes him to his home and shows his parents and says, they are his God.   Kapila realizes the truth.  He had quit his parents and family in search of Eternal Truth. 

He releases  Vritti Dharma - Professionalism is what each defines and there is nothing universal.  Any who excels his own defined profession is near to God

Source: Preaching during annual SMSS meet, Thiruchendur