The story of three skulls. : Once a Raksasa appeared in the Darbar of Raja Vikramaditya with three skulls and told him that he would kill all the Pandits in his court if they were not able to select the best skull amongst the three within a week.
Vikramaditya agreed to the proposal, and at once called all his Pandits and gave them the message of the Raksasa. All the Pandits trembled with fright when they heard the message of the Raksasa. But, fortunately, there was one intelligent Pandit, Rajarama Sastri by name. He gave solid encouragement to all Pandits and told the Raja that he would select the best skull for the Raksasa without any difficulty and quickly.
After seven days, the Raksasa again appeared to the Raja’s palace. Pandit Rajarama Sastri entered the platform and said: “The skull in which this iron rod could enter from one ear to the other is the worst one. It is not worth even a farthing. That skull in which the iron rod would pass from one ear towards the mouth is the middling one. And that skull in which this rod wold pass from one ear to the heart directly is the best of all.” He then handed over the best skull to the Raksasa. the Raksasa bowed and hung his head in shame and left the Darbar. The Pandit was, of course, honoured by the Raja with rich presents of gold, shaws and cows.
MORAL OF THE STORY is that those who hear religious instructions through one ear and and allow them to pass through another ear without further thinking and practice of those valuable instructions are worthless people, like the worst skull. Those who hear the instructions through one ear and talk on these subjects at least occasionally are the middling class, like the middling skull. But, those who hear the instructions through one ear and and allow them to pass deeply into their very hears and practise them in right earnest are the best class of people, like the best skull. — Swami Sivananda
Coming again to my point, mere reading, and talking on the subject of success in life and God-realisation will not do. We will have to put into practice immediately whatever we have learnt from these stories and become an exalted Yogi or a Jnani.