| |
Sree Guru Charitra
Index
Chapter 23
Namadharaka asked Siddha: “Holy one, you have vividly described to
me the greatness of these holy places. It was as though I could
see them all clearly with my own eyes. Wherever the Lord manifests
himself, there abide all the gods and holy places. Therefore, as
you have said, this Sangama is as holy as the confluence of Ganga
and the five holy rivers. In this place, even the birds and
beasts, which take a dip in the river and drink this water, are
sure to obtain liberation. Even by listening to the holiness of
this place, our hearts are purified. For, those who live in this
place, the final state of liberation is at their command. Those
who yearn for liberation resort to the path of Bhakti.
Earlier, I too longed for liberation. By listening to your
accounts, devotion to the Lord without any other motive has
banished even the desire for mukti. The only thing that
pleases me now is singing the glory of my Lord. Sweeter still is
drinking the nectarine accounts of the divine acts of the Lord.
The whole of your being is filled with such accounts. Therefore,
be pleased to recount the same to me. Who was the Muslim king you
spoke of? How could such a fallen one earn the grace of the Lord?”
Siddha commenced his account: “Namadharaka, it is by the grace of
the Lord that such a noble longing has captured your heart. You
are indeed blessed. I too enjoy immensely the pleasure of
recounting the stories of the Lord.
When Lord Sreepada Swami lived in flesh and blood at Kurupura, a
washer man used to take his darshan, bow to Him and serve Him with
all his heart. One day the Lord, pleased with his devotion, said,
‘Fellow, one day you will be a king!’ the man was immensely happy
to hear the word. One day, he happened to see the ruler of the
land, sporting in the waters of the river, in the company of
beautiful maidens and thought: ‘great must be the guru of this
king! Else, how could he have come by such royal pomp and luxury?
He is truly blessed. How can I ever dream of such a good fortune?’
at once, Lord Sreepada (who too came there for his dip) knew his
innermost thoughts and said to him: ‘my dear, you are now quite
old; you will not be able to enjoy such pleasures even if you get
them now. I assure you that in your next life, you will be a king
and enjoy such pomp and power. Do not feel anxious.’ The washer
man said, ‘Lord, the blessing you have given agrees with my
heart’s desire. It will be possible only for a youth to enjoy such
pleasures in full. But pray, grant me that I shall be blessed with
firm faith in you, in spite of my royalty, in my next life.’
Sreepada blessed him saying, ‘May it be so!’
After sometime, the washer man died and was reborn in a royal
Muslim family in the city of Vaidhurya. In course of time, he
became a king. Yet, owing to the force of the subtle tendencies of
his former birth, he was endowed with a high sense of justice, a
sense of loving equality to all creatures and loving regard for
the Hindu gods and pious Brahmins. Some of his fanatical ministers
were not pleased with his spirit of tolerance. They often
counseled him saying, ‘Oh mighty king! It is proper for you to
stick to the tenets of your own religion. Your present ways are
unworthy of even being conceived of in your mind. When all human
beings are equally endowed with similar organs, flesh and blood,
how can you, for instance, approve of the Hindu institutions of
caste-system? How can the Supreme Lord abide in such inert and
material objects like idols, and trees like the peepul, which
Hindus worship?’
The king replied: ‘it is the dullness of your intellects that
makes you think so. By creating different individuals with
different aptitudes and abilities in thought and action, the Lord
Himself has created the various castes. The Supreme Lord is all
pervading. Just as children are taught alphabets and simple words
and are thus, in gradual stages, led to higher levels of
understanding, it is proper that the simple hearted folk should
first learn to practice steadiness of heart and mind in meditation
with the help of idols and forms. Such steadiness in meditation
leads to higher states of understanding and wisdom. Then they will
be able to comprehend the Supreme, all pervading formless God.
Even a mirror, when it is covered with dust, cannot reflect the
object properly. When the dust is wiped off, a clear image is
obtained. So too, as long as the mind is impure, it cannot grasp a
clear conception of the Lord. But when it is purified through such
devotional practice as meditation, it can understand the glory of
the Formless. It is therefore proper that I respect pious Brahmins
too who are the knower of the perennial wisdom of the Vedas, which
is its own authority. For, their practice accords with their
understanding. You too will do well to imbibe my attitude to them.
Such Brahmins are deemed divine even by the gods. Indeed, all
those who live in accordance with the holy laws enunciated by the
Vedas and the smritis are worthy of reverence. Therefore,
you should outgrow your fanatical and communal prejudices.’ The
counselors were not pleased with his logic, but they could do
nothing else than keeping their own counsel.
After some time, the king was laid up with severe boils on his
thigh. Several physicians had failed in their efforts to cure him
and the king could not bear the suffering. He could not even take
the food. One day, he sent for a pious Brahmin and humbly
requested him to suggest a way of getting rid of the disease. The
Brahmin said, ‘Sir, you are a Muslim king and I am an orthodox
Brahmin. If you do what I say, your people will not spare you. So
I shall offer my suggestion only in strict privacy.’ The king
agreed and accompanied the Brahmin to a far away place, a
Teertha. There, the Brahmin said to him: “Disease is always a
consequence of the sins of our former lives. It can be cured by
giving away religious gifts (daana), or by administering medicine,
or by worship of deities. But the most efficacious means is to
take darshan of great mahatmas, which indeed cleans us, all of our
sins. I shall recount a story to illustrate my point:
Once upon a time, there lived a fallen Brahmin in the city of
Ujjain. He left off the principles of right conduct enjoined by
the Sastras to the winds and lived the life of a libertine.
Besides, he was infatuated with a courtesan named Pingala.
However, by virtue of the religious merit of a former life, sage
Rishabha once came to their house. The Brahmin and his concubine
received him with due reverence and worshipped him. They partook
of the washings of his feet, fed him sumptuously and put him to
sleep on cozy cushions. As he slept peacefully, they stood by in
attention, with folded hands, ready to answer his calls. The next
morning, the sage woke up and went away. By the virtue of such a
meritorious act, both the Brahmin and his woman were born in their
next life in a pious Kshatriya family. The Brahmin was born as the
son of king Vajrabahu of the land of Dasaarna. One of the other
wives of the king was jealous of her good fortune and poisoned the
royal queen when she was pregnant. However, by the grace of the
God, the queen did not die, but gave birth to a handsome son. The
bad effect of the poison, however, showed itself by causing ugly
blebs and boils to appear on the bodies of the mother and the
child. No physician could cure them. As they could not take any
food, they were emaciated and very ill. The king was persuaded by
his other wives to desert them in a wild forest. Henceforth, he
lived happily with his second wife. The unfortunate queen suffered
much on account of the boils on the body, dangers from the wild
beasts in the forests and stones and thorns all along the path.
Often, she prayed to gods in this manner:
‘Oh Lord, I cannot bear this suffering any longer. It would be
better for us to be devoured be a lion or a tiger. Only such an
event seems to be capable of relieving us from this plight.’ In
the course of her wanderings, one day, she saw a herd of cows.
Approaching the herdsmen, she cried out to them that she was about
to die of thirst. They showed her the way to the nearest lake. She
went there, quenched her thirst and rested herself for a while.
Meanwhile, a group of women came there to take home drinking water
in pitchers. She then addressed them and enquired who the blessed
king of the land was, that they should all look so happy and
contented. They told her that their king was of a wealthy merchant
caste and his name was Padmaakara. Even as they were telling her
of the noble disposition of the king, the royal attendants came
there. The unfortunate queen followed the guards to the royal
palace and poured her tale of woe to the king Padmaakara.
The king was moved by her account and accorded her his protection.
In course of time, the condition of her son deteriorated and he
succumbed to the boils. The unfortunate mother lamented: ‘oh my
son, you have deserted me in this ocean of misery! Do you not care
for all the hardships I had to face for your sake? I was separated
from my husband and parents only on account of you. I loved you as
my very life. I cannot live without you!’
By a strange coincidence, sage Rishabha came there, heard her
lamentation and said, ‘Mother, why do you wail in vain? This world
is illusory and transcient. The merely material, mortal body does
not deserve to be invested with the illusory fondness and feeling
for a son. Just as the worm dwells in its improvised nest of
thorns and acts in proper manner as long as life exists in it, the
soul inhabits the body, which is built in accordance with one’s
previous actions and undergoes the various karmic effects.
The soul, which seems to have sprung from the workings of karma,
the modes of nature and time, is indeed an aspect of the
all-pervading consciousness. Indeed, he is originally beyond all
relationships and difference of sex. The phenomenal body, which
has both births and deaths, is based on ignorance. Still, as this
nescience is beginning less, the jeeva or the individual
soul is said to be endowed with bodies from times without
beginning. Knowing this, you should keep up your mental poise and
face your praarabdha with courage. Devote the rest of your
life to the service of the Lord!’
The unfortunate mother replied: ‘Lord, the wisdom, which you have
so compassionately expounded to me, cannot take root in the heart
of me who am in the grip of ignorance. May you do to me that which
would console my heart. When I am in such dire distress, you have
come to me as the embodiment of the Lord’s grace’. The
compassionate sage knew by his yogic power, that her dead son was
his devotee in his previous life, and sprinkled a little sacred
ash on the corpse. At once, the boy came to life and sat up like
one who woke up from deep slumber! The sage, by his mysterious
power, blessed the boy with a sword, a divine Armour and the
strength of 12000 elephants and told the mother, ‘your son is
blessed with long life and royal authority. He will be invincible’
and the sage went away. In course of time, the blessings of the
sage fully bore fruit. Thus the power of holy sages cannot be
adequately described. Therefore seek the protection of such a
one”, said the learned Brahmin.
The Muslim ruler was pleased. He said, “You have well delineated
the divine competence of saints. But where can we now find such a
one? Be pleased to tell me, if you happen to know of such a one.
Do not hesitate to do so for fear that I am an alien, being a
Muslim.” The Brahmin said: “I heard that there is, at the
celebrated confluence of Bheema and Amaraja rivers, the greatest
of renunciate sages, a sannyasi who is omnipotent as the Lord
Himself. Seek his protection and you will realize your object!”
The ruler at once returned to his capital and set out with all his
royal retinue, to pay homage to the sage. He first arrived at
Gangapur and enquired of the people there, “Where is the holy sage
of this place? Please direct me to him!” the innocent folk were
scared at the sight of the ruler and of an alien faith and would
not speak. The ruler assured them, “Sirs, I have come only to pay
homage to the holy one. Please do not entertain suspicions
regarding my intent. Please tell me where I can find him!” only
then did they tell him that the Guru was at the Sangama.
The prince alighted from his royal palanquin and humble proceeded
to the hallowed spot on foot. On seeing him, the Guru addressed
him with loving familiarity, “Oh my dear washer man, why didn’t
you see for so long?” at once, the memory of his previous life was
awakened in the prince and all his former devotion was stirred in
his heart. With a quivering voice, he recalled: “Lord, you were
the holy one, Sreepada, and I was the washer man and your humble
slave. Now I am a prince only through the power of your former
blessing. Thou, of omnipotent will, pardon my delay!” He said,
“Immersed in the royal pleasures and pomp with which you have
blessed me, I lost sight of Thee, the bestower of it all! Have
mercy on me, I your humble servant and a fallen one. This, my
stubborn illness, has proved instrumental in securing me for this
blessed meeting with thy holy self. Thereby was my forgetfulness
dispelled and the former facts vividly recalled!” The loving
Master smiled and demanded;
“Show me thy diseased parts!” the prince looked up and said,
finding no such in any part of his body was amazed. He burst out
in a flood of praise: “Lord this illness, I feel was but thy
servant. It has dragged me, an unrighteous one and a sinner to thy
blessed presence. Having accomplished its allotted task, it has
vanished. Pray, uplift me, who am lost in this ocean of miserable
existence which is but a shadow without any substance, through thy
teaching!” The Master, in a voice full of authority asked, “Have
you fully enjoyed the royal pleasures, or have you any more
desires left unfulfilled? Consider well and say!”
The prince submitted, “By your grace, all my longings have been
fulfilled. But I wish that your holiness should see the regal
splendor you have blessed me with.” The Master replied, “Oh
prince, how can I ever step in your realm where holy cows are
slaughtered? If I do so, the people of the four castes (i.e.,
native Hindus) will blame me, and so will your fellow Muslims
blame you for according me such a royal welcome.” The latter
pleaded: “I am not a prince in fact! I am but a washer man and
your humble servant when you were Lord Sreepada! I shall prohibit
the slaughter of cows in my principality. Pray, grace it with your
visit!” The lord yielded saying, “It is not in my nature to turn
down or ignore the wishes of my devout ones. I will go with you!”
The prince was overwhelmed with joy and bore the Master’s
Padukas (sandals) on his head. He seated Sree Guru and his
disciples in royal palanquins and followed them on foot. The
Master noticed it and said, “Son, we have a long way to go. It
does not behoove a prince to proceed in this fashion.” The prince
protested, “Pray, do not address me as such, for I am no prince. I
am but your slave and a washer man! I shall at once transfer my
royal authority to another and I shall devote my life to implicit
obedience to thy dictates.” The lord said, “Son, ruler ship is
always a manifestation of the divine guardians of the cardinal
directions. Being blessed with such, it does not behoove you to
treat yourself that way. You may deem it as my command and come
along on horse back!” The prince obeyed. As they proceeded, the
Master again said: “We that are adherents of religious law and
renunciate, should not travel with a princely personage like you
and of an alien faith, lest it cause confusion and misapprehension
in the minds of the people. So I shall go ahead and you come after
and join me there”. So saying, the Master reached the holy place
of Papanasa Teertha, 44 Kos away, miraculously, in
just half a minute. The disciples who were there were pleasantly
surprised to find Him in his devotions. Naganatha then took him
home and offered him worship and bhiksha. After lunch, the
Master said that a Muslim price was coming to meet him at the holy
spot and went there again.
After a little while, the Muslim ruler arrived at Papanasa Teertha
and, seating Sree Guru in the royal palanquin and taking all
disciples with him, proceeded to the city of Vaidhurya. The whole
city was well beautified with floral arches. Sree Guru was taken
in a royal procession with song, dance, music and a rich pageant.
Cries of “Glory to Sree Guru!” went up in the air. Then the Master
was led, walking on a silken carpet, spread all along the way and
was finally seated on the royal throne. Music and dance were
ordered in honor of the august visitor. Thus the prince showed the
Master to all his people. The bigoted ones among the Muslim
population were displeased at the honor accorded to a Hindu saint.
But the devout ones praised him. Then Sree Guru said to the
prince, “Now that I have seen your people, are you satisfied?”
“Not completely, noble sir. Accord me the blessed opportunity of
serving you and uplift me spiritually too. I surrender all that is
mine to your holiness!” said the ruler. “son, right worthily have
you acted and I am pleased with your gesture. I shall grant your
wish” said Sree Guru and crowned the ruler’s eldest son as king
and successor. Then he said to the former ruler, “son, renounce
all desires and proceed to Sreesailam. I shall give the necessary
instruction to my disciples (at Gangapur) and then proceed
thither. There you will again be blessed with my darshan.”
Then he bathed in the river Godavari and went to the confluence of
Bheema and Amaraja. The devotees there were delighted to see him
and threw a dinner for all to celebrate the occasion. Then the
Guru said to them: “Our fame has spread everywhere. Even those who
are devoid of true devotion will flock to this place, out of
selfishness and greed. Hence I shall leave this place and proceed
to Sreesailam. “
When the Master got ready for departure, the natives of the
village rushed to him and begged him not to deprive them of his
divine presence, but to stay on. The Lord said, “Do not feel sad
that way. How can I bear to be away from my devotees? I only seem
to leave for Sreesailam only to the grosser vision of the
physical, but I will ever abide here in my real state as the
Spirit or the real Self. I will seek my noon bhiksha in
this village and accept your loving devotional services in this
muth. My living presence will be experienced by anyone who
bathes in the Sangama, worships the holy peepul tree and takes
darshan of my padukas here”.
Then the natives of Gandharvapura and the disciples accompanied
Sree Guru and his four companion-disciples up to the limits of the
village and accorded them a moving send off. When they all
returned to the muth, they verily found the Master seated
in it! Then they realized that whatever he said was literally
true. Some of the disciples, Krishna Saraswathi, Bala Saraswathi
and Upendra Saraswathi were already away on their and wanderings
to holy places. Saayamdeva, the two disciple-poets and I
accompanied the Master to Sreesailam.
When we all reached the Paatala Ganga, as per the Master’s wish,
we prepared a beautiful float with the leaves of banana and
flowers. And singing the glories of the Lord, we placed it on the
waters of the river. Sree Guru stepped in and sat on it. Only then
could we divine his intent (That it was our final parting) and we
shed tears. The Lord smiled and consoled us saying, ‘I am always
with you. You need not grieve. As a token of that, when I reach my
real abode, four flowers will come to you, floating in the river.
That will be my ultimate prasad to you’.
That was a Friday, in the dark-half of the month of Magh,
in the year of Bahudhanya. The Lord, seated on that floral
float, drifted along the flowing river. Soon after, as per the
Master’s promise, flour flowers came to us, drifting on the river,
against the current! We four of us picked them up.” So saying,
Siddha showed the holy flower, which he lovingly treasured as the
Guru’s final gift, to Namadharaka and added:
“The Master can be seen even today by the virtuous and the devout.
Only the unrighteous cannot experience his living presence. Taking
his daily dip at the holy Sangama, he ever abides there. In fact,
he has been blessing devotees with his divine acts on countless
occasions. Whoever can fully plumb the profundity of his divine
power? The aspirations of those who worship him there with true
love will be fulfilled. Indeed, the Lord is ever present with
those who incessantly adore him. The miraculous experiences of
such will ever remain hidden in their own hearts. Hence, worship
him with the simplicity of your heart’s love and remember, he is
the granter of prayers!”
Namadharaka was immersed in the ecstatic joy of having listened to
the stories of the Lord’s play and bowed to Siddha in profound
gratitude.
Thus ends Sree Vasudevananda Saraswathi’s Samhitaayana Guru
Dwisahasri (being a Sanskrit paraphrase of the original
Marathi work Sree Guru Charitra of Gangadhara Saraswathi) made by
him at the specific command of Lord Dattatreya.
Om Sree Dattatreyaaya Namah!
|
