The Closed Old Age Home

Savitri, a woman, came to see a sage who narrated stories about karma. She sat in the front row, mentally rehearsing the questions she wanted to ask. When the sage arrived, he called out her name, which surprised her. He then asked, “Has the service you’re doing satisfied everyone?” Immediately, she stood up and replied, “The elderly in the home I serve are not peaceful or satisfied, and I came here to ask you about it.” The sage then told her to share all the concerns on her mind. Savitri began narrating her life story.

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“My parents tried everything to get me married, but I made it clear that I would only agree if I could continue caring for them and helping them in whatever way I could. I set this condition, but no proposals materialized. When I turned 32, a marriage proposal came, and I thought I could take some time before agreeing. But when my parents fell ill, all my money was spent on their care. At that time, the man who had agreed to marry me realized I was spending on my parents, and he said he did not want to proceed with the marriage.”

“Afterward, I gave up the idea of marriage and dedicated my life to caring for my parents. After they passed away, I felt that just as I had brought my parents to peace, I should do the same for helpless elderly people. I started an old age home after I retired, running it in my own house. But even though they live here, they constantly think of their homes. They curse their children, saying they raised them well, yet they abandoned them here. They scream and cry at night without sleep. This makes me wonder if what I’m doing is wrong. Did the opportunity we provided lead their children to leave them here?” Savitri asked.

The sage then instructed her, “Bring all the elderly from your home here, and also bring the children who left them behind. Take some time and bring them all.” With that, he sent her off, and she bowed and left.

Savitri returns with the elderly to meet the sage

On the scheduled Sunday, Savitri brought the elderly people along with those who had abandoned them. The sage seated the elderly on one side and their children on the other. He began questioning each elder about their grievances, and they started sharing their stories one by one.

The sage asked, “Did you all take good care of your in-laws? Shall I tell you how you cared for them, or will you tell me yourselves?” An elderly woman responded, “I didn’t have the resources, so I left my in-laws in the care of my husband’s elder brother.” The sage replied, “Is it only with wealth that one can care for their parents? Shouldn’t they have been given a share of whatever you had? Did you or your children ever go hungry?” The woman hung her head in shame.

Next, the sage asked another couple. The wife said, “I don’t know anything; I just follow what my husband says.” The sage turned to the husband and said, “You abandoned your parents because of your attachment to your wife. You even partitioned your house and left your parents on one side while you enjoyed life with your wife.” The man stood in silence, his head bowed.

Each of the elderly shared their complaints, and after hearing them all, the sage turned to the children who had left them in the old age home and asked them to share their side of the story.

The children started explaining. One said, “They keep causing problems at home, and it’s impossible for me to live in peace. There’s always some conflict between my wife and my mother, so I brought her here.” Another said, “My sister, a widow, lives with us, and both she and my mother continuously cause trouble with my wife. To restore peace, I had to separate them, so I brought my parents here.” Another child added, “Now that my sister is living alone without my mother, there is no more trouble in the house.”

At that moment, a woman stood up and said, “I am the only daughter of my parents. After my marriage, I couldn’t care for them properly because I had no job and no income. I had to rely on my husband to support them, but he didn’t help. So I started making pickles and other small products to earn money, and with that income, I helped my parents. However, when my mother-in-law found out, it caused problems, and even that stopped. Now I can only afford food for my parents but no rent, so I brought them here. They have been here for two months now.”

The sage then looked at her parents and said, “I know you took good care of your in-laws. Do not worry; your time of relief will come soon.”

The sage then said, “Not all parents end up in old age homes. Only those whose children neglected their in-laws end up here because they are affected by their own karma. Some parents, who cared well for their in-laws, now have children who are doing well but live abroad and can’t care for them personally. Those children arrange for their parents to live in comfort, even providing them with a royal life. Still, some suffer here with mental pain and sorrow, and this too is due to karma.”

The Sage’s Guidance to the Youth

A woman shared her complaint, and the sage asked her husband to stand up. Then, the sage asked, “This is your wife, right? How is she taking care of your parents?” The man replied, “She is taking good care of them.” The sage then asked, “Are you taking care of her parents? Isn’t that your responsibility?” The man remained silent. The sage continued, “How many children do you have?” The man replied, “I have two daughters.” He then asked, “After your daughters get married, will they leave you in an old age home as well?” The man stood speechless. The sage then advised, “It is your responsibility to take care of your wife’s parents too.”

Furthermore, the sage said, “Just as your wife is taking good care of your in-laws, you must also take care of your in-laws.” Then, the sage asked another question, “If you hadn’t married, wouldn’t you have had to hire someone to take care of your parents? How much would that cost?” The man responded, “It would cost around 20,000 rupees for one person.” The sage replied, “So, your wife is taking care of both your parents, right? In that case, you should be giving her 40,000 rupees, and your entire salary would go to her. Wouldn’t that be acceptable?”

The Advice from the Sage

The sage continued, “When elderly parents become like children, you must treat them as your eldest children. Only then can you truly care for your own children. Their behavior may become as stubborn as a child’s, and it’s your responsibility to handle them with patience and care. This is your duty.”

The sage then turned to the young men and asked, “How many of you have pets, like dogs?” A few people raised their hands. The sage asked, “How much time do you spend with your dog each day?” One replied, “About 10 to 15 minutes.” Another said, “I spend more time in the evenings because I need some relaxation.” The sage then asked, “How much time do you spend with your parents each day?” One of the young men responded, “I don’t have time for that.” The sage pointed out, “I’m not saying it’s wrong to have pets, but if you can find time for a dog, why can’t you find time for your parents?”

He emphasized that even just spending five minutes with their parents each day, giving them medicine, massaging their backs, or simply sitting with them would make them feel happy. “Your parents’ anger at you stems from the fact that they feel neglected,” he pointed out.

Sending the Elderly Back Home

Finally, the sage ordered, “Take all these elderly people back to their homes. That is my command.” The children of the elderly people did as instructed, taking their parents home. Some individuals who were childless and had come to the old age home for security stayed back. The sage allowed them to remain in the home, as well as those who were unmarried.

The Sage’s Final Advice to Savitri

The sage called Savitri and said, “The old age home is now closed. From now on, it will be called a home for those who prefer solitude. Only accept unmarried people or those without children. If relatives benefit from the work of these people, they must take responsibility for their care.”

He also advised Savitri to establish an organization to ensure that the final rites of these elderly people and those who are unmarried are carried out with respect. Volunteers should be appointed to ensure this duty is fulfilled, and the organization should continue even after Savitri’s time. The sage blessed her and the others, explaining that neglecting one’s parents brings great karmic consequences.

They are respectively Sun Karma, Moon Karma, Mars Karma, Mercury Karma, Jupiter Karma, Venus Karma, Saturn Karma, and Rahu Karma. When these karmas affect your future generations, those children will struggle to get a good education, a good job, a life partner, a home, or any comforts. Therefore, just as the good you sow today will benefit your children, any wrongdoing you commit will also affect them. The sage blessed everyone and said this, and all of them bowed to him and returned home. May prosperity prevail.

Are you curious to know more about Karma – Know karma in very simple terms here

Or simply read our short stories on karma. Or hear the tamil audio stories