--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In India they tell a fable about this…" description: "\"“In India they tell a fable about this: There was once a great devotee of Vishnu who prayed night and day to see his God. One night his wish was grante..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/deepak-chopra-63_attention_in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-th_2026992.jpg" --- # In India they tell a fable about this: There was once a… ![“In India they tell a fable about this: There was once a great devotee of Vishnu who prayed night and day to see his God. One night his wish was granted and Vishnu appeared to him. Falling on his knees, the devotee cried out, "I will do anything for you, my Lord, just ask." "How about a drink of…” quote by Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/deepak-chopra-63_attention_in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-th_2026992.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/deepak-chopra-63_attention_in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-th_2026992.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/deepak-chopra-63_attention_in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-th_2026992.jpg) > ““In India they tell a fable about this: There was once a great devotee of Vishnu who prayed night and day to see his God. One night his wish was granted and Vishnu appeared to him. Falling on his knees, the devotee cried out, "I will do anything for you, my Lord, just ask." "How about a drink of water?" Vishnu replied. Although surprised by the request, the devotee immediately ran to the river as fast as his legs could carry him. When he got there and knelt to dip up some water, he saw a beautiful woman standing on an island in the middle of the river. The devotee fell madly in love on the spot. He grabbed a boat and rowed over to her. She responded to him, and the two were married. They had children in a house on the island; the devotee grew rich and old plying his trade as a merchant. Many years later, a typhoon came along and devastated the island. The merchant was swept away in the storm. He nearly drowned but regained consciousness on the very spot where he had once begged to see God. His whole life, including his house, wife, and children, seemed never to have happened. Suddenly he looked over his shoulder, only to see Vishnu standing there in all his radiance. "Well," Vishnu said, "did you find me a glass of water?”” [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A devotee seeks a simple request from God, leading to unexpected love, wealth, loss, and a reminder that divine encounters may be ordinary. **In simple terms:** Divine moments can appear as mundane requests. Key Takeaway Seek meaning in everyday experiences. Themes faith destiny humility Mood contemplative inspirational mysterious Type mythic philosophical allegorical When to use this quote - life decisions - relationship choices - personal loss Key Concepts divine testing material attachment spiritual awakening Questions to Reflect On - What does the water request symbolize? - How do we recognize divine presence? A Different Perspective The story simplifies complex theology. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Beautiful woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-woman/) [Devotee Vishnu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devotee-vishnu-3702233/) [Forgetting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetting/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Madly in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madly-in-love/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Rememberance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rememberance/) [Vishnu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vishnu/) [Vishnu Appeared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vishnu-appeared-3702234/) [Vishnu Prayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vishnu-prayed-3702230/) [Vishnu Replied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vishnu-replied-3702231/) [Vishnu Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vishnu-said-3702232/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) ## Related quotes > [“Keep your cherished photos of your destiny at the fore-front of your mind. 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Your life depends on which one you choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/there-are-only-2-responses-to-the-world-fear-or-love-your-life/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [If you take the the insults of your fellow human beings personally, you will be offended for the rest of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-you-take-the-the-insults-of-your-fellow-human-beings-personally/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [A person desperately searching for love," Merlin said, "reminds me of a fish desperately searching for water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/a-person-desperately-searching-for-love-merlin-said-reminds-me-of-a/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Fighting your ego is a melodrama of the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/fighting-your-ego-is-a-melodrama-of-the-ego/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [The same faint song is heard in everything: "Behold yourself".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-same-faint-song-is-heard-in-everything-behold-yourself/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“All creativity is based on quantum leaps and uncertainty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/all-creativity-is-based-on-quantum-leaps-and-uncertainty/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [The soul knows everything. Be who you are and your life will transform forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-soul-knows-everything-be-who-you-are-and-your-life-will-transform/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [The willingness to reach inside every part of yourself opens the door to total understanding. 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One night his wish was granted and Vishnu appeared to him. Falling on his knees, the devotee cried out, \"I will do anything for you, my Lord, just ask.\" \"How about a drink of water?\" Vishnu replied. Although surprised by the request, the devotee immediately ran to the river as fast as his legs could carry him. When he got there and knelt to dip up some water, he saw a beautiful woman standing on an island in the middle of the river. The devotee fell madly in love on the spot. He grabbed a boat and rowed over to her. She responded to him, and the two were married. They had children in a house on the island; the devotee grew rich and old plying his trade as a merchant. Many years later, a typhoon came along and devastated the island. The merchant was swept away in the storm. He nearly drowned but regained consciousness on the very spot where he had once begged to see God. His whole life, including his house, wife, and children, seemed never to have happened. Suddenly he looked over his shoulder, only to see Vishnu standing there in all his radiance. \"Well,\" Vishnu said, \"did you find me a glass of water?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Deepak Chopra" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-there-was-once-a-great-devotee/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-there-was-once-a-great-devotee/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/deepak-chopra-63_attention_in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-th_2026992.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/deepak-chopra-63_attention_in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-th_2026992.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d71/deepak-chopra-63_attention_in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-th_2026992.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In India they tell a fable about this: There was once a great devotee of Vishnu who prayed night and day to…” — Deepak Chopra", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Deepak Chopra", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In India they tell a fable...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-there-was-once-a-great-devotee/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/in-india-they-tell-a-fable-about-this-there-was-once-a-great-devotee/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```