This story is an ingenious version of the traditional story about a father-and-son with their donkey turned into a story about Shiva, Parvati, and Nandi! You can read more about Shiva Mahadeva and his consort Parvati at Wikipedia, and also about his bull Nandi.
The story type is ATU 1215.
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One day Mahadeva and Parvati were travelling through the world together and Parvati asked her spouse, "How can a man so rule his life as to escape the blame of others?"
"No man," he answered, "can pass his life free of blame. If he does good or if he does evil he is blamed."
Parvati asked Mahadeva to illustrate this. So he said, "I will mount my ox Nandi and you can follow on foot."
Soon they met a party of men on the road who said, "What a knave this old man must be. He rides himself and lets his wife follow on foot."
Then Mahadeva dismounted and made Parvati ride the ox. Soon they met another company who said, "What a fool this old man must be. He lets his wife ride and trudges along on foot himself."
Then Mahadeva mounted the ox and took Parvati behind him. By and by some men said, "What a brute this old man is to ride with his wife on this unfortunate ox."
Then Mahadeva led the ox by the halter and both he and Parvati went on foot. Soon some people said, "What a stupid old man this is. He pampers his rascally ox and he and his wife march afoot."
Then Mahadeva said to Parvati, "You see now what an evil place this world is. Whatever you do you cannot escape the tongue of censure."
So they left this world and went to their abode in the Himalayas and were so disgusted that they never visited this world since.
Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.
HOW TO PLEASE EVERYBODY
One day Mahadeva and Parvati were travelling through the world together and Parvati asked her spouse, "How can a man so rule his life as to escape the blame of others?"
"No man," he answered, "can pass his life free of blame. If he does good or if he does evil he is blamed."
Parvati asked Mahadeva to illustrate this. So he said, "I will mount my ox Nandi and you can follow on foot."
Soon they met a party of men on the road who said, "What a knave this old man must be. He rides himself and lets his wife follow on foot."
Then Mahadeva dismounted and made Parvati ride the ox. Soon they met another company who said, "What a fool this old man must be. He lets his wife ride and trudges along on foot himself."
Then Mahadeva mounted the ox and took Parvati behind him. By and by some men said, "What a brute this old man is to ride with his wife on this unfortunate ox."
Then Mahadeva led the ox by the halter and both he and Parvati went on foot. Soon some people said, "What a stupid old man this is. He pampers his rascally ox and he and his wife march afoot."
Then Mahadeva said to Parvati, "You see now what an evil place this world is. Whatever you do you cannot escape the tongue of censure."
So they left this world and went to their abode in the Himalayas and were so disgusted that they never visited this world since.
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