The Squirrel's Devotion

As Lord Rama and his vanara army prepared to cross the ocean to Lanka to rescue Sita, they began constructing a massive stone bridge known as the Ram Setu. The mighty monkeys carried enormous boulders and heavy rocks, throwing them into the sea with great strength. Amidst this grand labor, a tiny squirrel watched with deep devotion. Wanting to help, the squirrel began rolling in the sand, then running to the bridge to shake the grains off between the heavy stones. A monkey, seeing the small creature, laughed and told it to stay out of the way, mockingly asking what its tiny grains of sand could possibly achieve. Overhearing this, Lord Rama gently picked up the squirrel in his hand. He explained to the army that while the monkeys brought boulders, the squirrel’s sand filled the gaps, making the bridge stronger. Rama praised the squirrel’s sincere heart and stroked its back with his fingers. It is said that the three dark stripes found on squirrels today are the marks left by Lord Rama’s touch, a permanent blessing for its humble service.