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"One Little
Story"
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ck2-12 | 1. Guru Dakshina Balarâma and
Krishna hastened to the sea. Standing on the shore they said aloud in a
compelling voice: "Ocean! Give us back the son of our guru Sândîpani
immediately, or suffer the punishment we intend meeting out to you."
The ocean shook in fear, as soon as he heard these words. He appeared
before the brothers in his royal form. He touched their feet and said:
"Pardon, me, oh revered ones! It is no fault of mine! When the boy was
bathing destiny drew him and took him to the depths. Meanwhile the
ogre, Pañcajana living in the caverns swallowed him.
This is the truth. I leave the decision to you." Krishna thanked the
ocean for giving this information and then plunging into the deep sea,
reached the cavern of the ogre. He tore open the stomach of the ogre
but could not find the remains of the boy because he had handed over
the boy to the God of Death [Yamarâja]. He found a conch
in the stomach of the ogre and went to the abode of the God of Death.
Krishna blew the conch at the entrance. Yamarâja, the
Lord of Death appeared before the brothers. He saw the brothers, Balarâma
and Krishna and queried politely: "May I know what brings You
to my abode?". The brothers commanded him to bring the son of their
guru Sândîpani and place him in their custody." Yamarâja
replied: "I will certainly do as it pleases You. My
minions will bring the lad and hand him over to You". Within seconds
the consecrated son was placed in the hands of Krishna. Balarâma
and Krishna hurried to the hermitage with the boy. They handed over to the
guru his son and said: "This is our Guru Dakshina; Please
accept this act of ours as such." The joy of the parents was beyond
words. They blessed both the brothers. Sândîpani
shed tears of joy realizing his great fortune in having such divine
incarnations as his pupils. Even Avatârs recognised the
greatness of the preceptor and obeyed the upanishadic injunction, "âcârya
devobhava" so as to set an example to the world. There was a
great sage called Gautama in ancient India. He had a number of
disciples studying under him. One day he called all his disciples and
said: "My dear children! You know that we have been experiencing severe
drought in this region and there are no signs of its abatement too. I
am very much worried about the cattle of our hermitage. They have
already become very lean and weak. I am unable to bear the sight of
suffering of these dumb creatures. I think these cows have to be driven
to a distant place where there is ample pasture and plenty of water. I
will be very happy if one of you could volunteer to undertake this
task. You can bring them back when the calamity has rolled over." Many pupils just hung
their heads lest their true feelings should be found out by their
master. Some tried to hide behind others in order to avoid the direct
stare of the guru. The guru was happy that
at least one among the many pupils volunteered to undertake the job as
service to the guru. He blessed Sathyakama and said: "You are
taking with you 400 cows; you can return when the herd multiplies into
a total strength of one thousand." Sathyakama drove
the cattle to a charming valley. Every day, he used to wake up early in
the morning, finish his ablutions and bath. Then he would offer
prostration to the Sun God and recite prayers. While tending the cattle
and while walking or sitting he would constantly chant the name of God.
He affectionately looked after the cattle. He regarded 'go-seva'
(service to cows) as guru seva (service to the Master). He
never felt any anxiety or worry over his life in solitude. He never
bothered to count the cows too. One morning after the
morning rites, he was seated under a tree. Indra the chief of
gods appeared before him and said: "My dear son! Have you not observed
that the herd has multiplied itself to the total number of 1000? You
can now return to your master's hermitage. I will be travelling with
you. Come on let us go." Sathyakama
prostrated to Indra and thanked him for reminding him of the
fact that it was time for returning. Sathyakama and Indra
had to spend four nights in four different places. Every morning Sathyakama
was taught the essence of one Veda. Thus by the time he reached
his guru's hermitage he was the master of the four Vedas. His
face shone with a strange splendor as a result of the vedic
illumination that he had been blessed with by the Lord of Heaven.
Having enlightened Sathyakama, Lord Indra disappeared
after showering his grace on the young boy. Sathyakama
walked into his guru's hermitage with 1000 cows. He was given a rousing
welcome by his guru and the inmates. Sathyakama fell at the
feet of his master. Gautama embraced him saying: "I know that
you are now a great scholar of the four Vedas. You deserve it,
my son." Sathyakama could please Indra, the Lord of
Heaven, only because of his love and loyalty to his guru. 3. Purity - Patience - Perseverance A
certain spiritual aspirant went to a sage and asked him to give him a mantra.
The
sage
said that he would impart the message only if the disciple
agreed to serve him for twelve years, carrying out all his injunctions.
The disciple agreed and carried out his services to the preceptor with
devotion for twelve years. At the end of the period, when the sage felt
that his own end was approaching, he asked the disciple to bring a
palmyra leaf on which he would inscribe the mantra before his
death. The disciple went in search of a palmyra leaf, but before he
could return, the preceptor died. On enquiry from a boy who was there,
he learnt that before dying, the sage had written something on a bed of
sand, which a woman had copied and then wiped off the inscription. The
disciple went in search of the woman, who was having some donkeys. He
learnt from her that she had inscribed on the palmleaf roll that she
wore in her ear-lobe what she found on the sand. When she learnt from
the young man that the writing on the sand was a mantra
intended for him and for which he had served the sage faithfully for
twelve years, the woman said that she would give him the palm leaf only
if he served her dutifully for twelve years. The disciple who was
determined to get the mantra at any cost, agreed to serve her. The
young man looked after the donkeys and served the woman for many years,
living upon the food given by her. One day, he could not get the food
from her and went about in search of food. At that time, he learnt that
the king of the region had been feeding the poor for a long time and
that he might be able to get food if he went to the feeding place. On
going there he learnt that the king had stopped the feeding from that
day because it did not yield the result he was expecting from it. The
king had started poor feeding on the advice of his preceptor who had
told him that he would have a son if a truly godly man ate the food
that he would serve to the poor. A bell was kept in the palace and when
it rang by itself, that would be the sign that a godly man had partaken
of the king's food. As the feeding had gone on for long without the
bell ringing, the king decided to stop the feeding. That
was the very day when the young disciple went to the feeding place. On
learning that all the vessels used for cooking the food had been sent
to the river for cleaning, the young man hastened to the river bank to
find out whether some food scraped from the vessels would be available
for him. He found some crumbs at the spot and started eating them. At
that very moment the bell in the palace started ringing. The
king was startled to hear the bell and immediately sent out messengers
to find out who was the person who had eaten the food that day which
made the bell ring. After enquiries, the messengers traced the young
man at the river and brought him to the king. The king was overjoyed on
seeing the young man because he felt that he would soon have a son. He
offered the young man half his kingdom and invited him to stay with
him. The young man told the king his whole story and said that he was
not interested in the kingdom or anything else, but only in the mantra
from his guru, which was now in the keeping of the woman with the
donkeys. The young man insisted that the palmleaf ear-ring worn by the
woman should be obtained without any compulsions. The
king sent out men to trace the woman, who was brought before him.
Learning that she was an acrobat, who could perform feats on a rope,
the king asked her to demonstrate her skill before the queen who was
now enceinte. As she was dancing on the rope, he asked her whether she
could catch two diamond ear-rings he would throw at her and wear them
while dancing on the rope. She readily agreed. Catching them in her
hands, she took out the palmleaf rings from her ear-lobes, cast them
down and wore the diamond ear-rings in their place. As the
palmleaf rings dropped down, the young man rushed towards them and
eagerly read the message inscribed there in. Immediately after reading
the mantra the young man secured instant illumination and
liberation thereafter. A
spiritual aspirant should have such determination and preparedness for
any kind of sacrifice to achieve his goal. In
a
place
called Baadar in the Aurangabad District of Maharashtra,
a
son
was born to a couple highly devoted to God. He was named Nârâyana.
He
grew
up as a naughty boy, neglecting his studies and quarrelling
with other children. At the age of eight years, he lost his father. His
mother, Ramâ Devî, found it hard to control her
mischievous and delinquent son. Her relatives and neighbors advised her
to get him married so that he might realise his responsibilities and
change for the better. Although the boy was only 13 years old and too
young for marriage, his mother yielded to the persuasions of others and
arranged for his marriage. At the time of the wedding, a screen of
thick cloth was held in between the bride and bridegroom, according to
the prevailing custom, and the purohits removed the curtain to hand
over the Mangala Soothram (the sacred and auspicious thread of wedlock)
to the bridegroom for him to tie it round the bride's neck. Lo and
behold! The bridegroom had disappeared from behind the curtain, without
anybody's notice. A thorough search was made to trace him out, but in
vain. So, the marriage could not be performed. After
12 years of intense penance at Panchavati, Nârâyana
gained the three-fold realisation of S'rî Râma, as
did Hanumân, namely, 1 - when he had body consciousness,
he was the servant and Râma the master, 2 - when he was
conscious of his being a jîva (individual soul) he was a
part of Râma (Visishthha-advaita) and 3 - when he
was aware of his being the âtma, he and Râma
were one (advaita). After this realisation, he returned to Nasik
from Panchavati. There, he came to know that the country was in
the grip of a severe famine. Then he began to reflect that to spend his
time thinking of only his own liberation, when all his countrymen were
suffering due to famine, amounted to extreme selfishness. So, he coined
the slogan: "dil mae Raam, haath mae kaam" (i.e. Râma
in the heart, and work in the hand), and entered the arena of
social service with all his energy and zeal, giving to himself and his
band of dedicated workers mottos such as: "mânava seva (service
to
man) is Mâdhava seva (service to God)" and "grama
seva (service to the villages) is Râma seva (service
to
Râma)". He filled the tank of his heart with the holy
water of Râmanam (Râma's name) which flowed
through the tap of his hands to quench the thirst of the multitudes of
his countrymen. Proceeding thus from village to village, doing social
work, coupled with chanting of Râmanam, Nârâyana
finally reached Rameswaram at the southern tip of the Indian
peninsula. From there he went to the pilgrim centres of Tirupati
(where he had the darshan of Lord Venkateswara (Lord
Vishnu)) and Hampi (where he worshipped Lord Virupâksha
(Lord S'iva)). Ultimately he returned to Nasik. On the way to Nasik,
he
saw
saint Tukaram, who was singing the glories of Râma
so melodiously that a large number of people including S'ivaji,
the ruler of Maharashtra, were attracted to him. S'ivaji
listened to Tukaram, and told him about his decision to give up
his kingdom and to devote himself fully and whole-heartedly to the
pursuit of the spiritual path. Tukaram admonished S'ivaji for
his narrow-minded view of spirituality and exhorted him to consider
duty as God, and work as worship. Thereupon S'ivaji prayed to Tukaram
to give him initiation. Tukaram declined saying: "Râmadas
is your guru, not I, so you have to receive initiation only from him".
Rather disappointed, S'ivaji returned to his capital. When S'ivaji
came to know that Nârâyana alias Râmadas
was in Nasik, he sent his Ministers and other high dignitaries
to invite Râmadas to the royal court with a band of music
and other traditional honors befitting a highly distinguished
personage. When Râmadas arrived, the king received him
with due honors and reverence, arranged for his stay in the palace
itself, and after washing his feet, he sprinkled the holy washings on
his own head and submitted to him in all humility: "O revered Master!
From this moment this kingdom belongs to you; and I too am yours".
Thereupon Râmadas replied: "My son, I am an ascetic
who has renounced everything. I have neither the right nor the desire
for your limited kingdom. God's kingdom is unlimited. The goal of my
life is to help every one to reach that unlimited kingdom of God. So I
don't want this kingdom of yours. I am now coronating you as the ruler
of this kingdom which you have offered to me. From now onwards, you
will be a king with a difference. You should consider that the kingdom
really belongs to God and that you are only His instrument or trustee
administering the kingdom on His behalf". Since Râmadas
had the extraordinary capacity to do many great things, he came to be
known as Samartha Râmadas, the appellation Samartha
meaning a man of versatile skills. There is an episode in his life
which describes the context in which the title of "Samartha" was
conferred on him. He used to dress himself and move about like Kodandapani
(Râma armed with his bow and arrows). Once when he was walking
along the banks of the Godavari in this dress, some brahmins
who were taking bath there questioned him whether he belonged to the
community of Koyas (hunters belonging to a hill tribe were
called Koyas). Râmadas told them that he was Râmadas
(a servant of Râma) and not a Koya. Thereupon,
they questioned him why he was dressed and equipped with bow and arrows
like Râma if he was only a servant of Râma.
They heckled him saying: "What is the use of merely trying to imitate Kodandapani
in appearance only? Are you capable of wielding the bow and arrows as Râma
did?" Just then a bird was flying fast at a great height across the sky
above their heads. The brahmins pointed the bird to Râmadas and
asked
him
whether he could shoot the bird. With Râma's
name on his lips, Râmadas immediately aimed an arrow at
the flying bird and brought it down right in front of the brahmins.
Seeing the dead bird, the brahmins accused Râmadas
saying: "There is no harmony of thought, word and deed in you and
therefore you are a durâthama (a wicked person); you
chant Râma's name and at the same time you have committed
the sin of killing an innocent bird, to show off your skill". When Râmadas
replied that he shot the bird at their instance only, they
remonstrated, saying: "If we ask you to eat grass, will you do so?
Don't you have your own independent thinking or discrimination?" Then Râmadas
gently replied: "Sirs, past is past. Kindly tell me what I should do
now?" They asked him to repent for his sin. Râmadas promptly
closed his eyes and prayed to God wholeheartedly, repenting for his sin
and asking for His forgiveness. Then he opened his eyes and pointed out
to the brahmins that the dead bird had not regained life, in spite of
his repentance. The brahmins said reprovingly: "What a madcap you are!
Repentance cannot undo what you have done; but its purpose is to enable
you to make up your mind not to repeat such misdeeds in future". "That
is no repentance in my humble view" countered Râmadas; "God and
His name are so powerful that if we pray sincerely, His grace will
bring the bird back to life". So saying he picked up the dead bird,
hugged it to his bosom, and with tears flowing down his cheeks, he
wholeheartedly prayed: "O Râma! If I have been chanting Your name
with all my mind, heart and soul and if it is a fact that I have killed
this bird out of ignorance and not with an intent to kill, may Your
grace either revive this dead bird, or take away my life also along
with that of the bird". As he concluded his prayer, the bird fluttered
in his hands. Then he opened his eyes, thanked the Almighty and
released the bird into the sky. Astonished at this miracle, the
brahmins exclaimed in one voice: "Revered Sir, forgive us for not
recognising your greatness. Since you have the capacity to kill a
flying bird with a single arrow, and also the capacity to revive the
dead bird, you will hereafter be known by the worthy name of "Samartha
Ramadas!" Râmadas
duly performed the obsequies of his mother. Shortly thereafter, he
heard about S'ivaji's death in A.D. 1680 (just six years after
he was coronated by Râmadas in A.D. 1674). He went to the
King's capital, installed S'ivaji's son as the king and blessed
him so that he might rule the kingdom, following the footsteps of his
noble father. She
came with her grandson exactly after a month. Both of them paid their
salutations to the master. Ramakrishna made the boy sit beside him and
said: "My dear boy! Remember, one's real wealth is health. Unless you
take proper care of your health, you will not be able to grow into a
strong and healthy young man. You will not be able to do anything great
in life if you are weak. When something that we eat does not suit our
constitution, we should give up eating that item. From tomorrow you
should not eat sweets. After some time you may eat moderately. You are
a nice boy and will listen to me, will you not?" The boy nodded his
head and promised that he would not eat sweets. The old woman sent the
boy on some errand just to have confidential talk with the master.
"Master! May I ask you a question" said the old woman. "Certainly
mother", replied Ramakrishna. "Master! This advice which you have given
today to my grandson, you could have given last month itself. Why did
you ask me to come again after a month? I don't understand".
Ramakrishna replied with an understanding smile: "Mother! I myself eat
lot of sweets. How can I advise the boy to do something that I am not
doing myself? One has no right to preach anything to others before
practising it himself. So I asked for some time. This one month I did
not eat sweets. So I have earned the right to advise your grandson."
The old woman marvelled at the righteous conduct of Ramakrishna. She
fell at his feet and took leave of him. We
should never advise anyone about anything which we ourselves have not
put into practice. 6. The Master and the Disciples Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa had several disciples in his âs'ram. The
disciples used to go to Calcutta every day to purchase several articles
of food, flowers, clothing and other requirements. They had to cross a
river in a ferry. One day
it was the turn of Brahmananda to go to Calcutta. He got into the ferry
and stood silently in a corner. There were several people in the ferry.
One individual who had nothing but contempt for sannyâsîs
said: "Look at that fellow, how strong and sturdy he is, but of what
avail? He does not do any work, just eat and sleep; There are quite a
lot like him in that âs'ram. It is the fault of that guru
who is corrupting the youth". Many people exclaimed: "True! True! They
too will be good for nothing people". It pained and hurt Brahmananda.
"What do they know about our master" he thought. He silently bore the
insult. He was shy by nature and could never retort, nor retaliate. In the
evening he returned to the âs'ram with the purchases.
Ramakrishna would every day question them in detail about their
experiences, only to know how they conduct themselves in the world
outside. He asked Brahmananda: "Well, what happened today?" Brahmananda
frankly described the entire event. Ramakrishna was angry. He shouted:
"What! You kept quiet when your guru was being scandalized! You should
have replied to them in the proper way. There is no place for people
like you in the âs'ram". Vivekananda
was listening all the while to the narration of Brahmananda and also
the warning of the Master. The next day it was Vivekananda's turn to go
to Calcutta, got into the ferry and was carefully scanning the faces of
people there. The same gentleman who spoke insultingly about
Ramakrishna the previous day said, pointing out Vivekananda. "Here is
yet another fellow, a parasite. They all worship that illiterate
brahmin priest. What fools these young men are!" Vivekananda approached
that individual and raising right hand high said: "If you say just
another word against our master, I shall throw you into the river, take
care!" The ferry man got scared. He advised the man not to prolong his
talk. He also whispered into his ear: "That fellow would certainly do
what he says. It will be trouble for all of us". Vivekananda
was
called
to his master's presence that night. Ramakrishna asked:
"Well what is the news?" Vivekananda narrated the incident with great
excitement. "What!" cried out Ramakrishna. You wear the robe of a sannyâsî
but do not conduct yourself as one. How dare you lose your temper like
that? There is no place for people like you in the âs'ram!"
Vivekananda
fell
at the feet of his master and said, "O Master! Did you
not chide Brahmananda for not having retorted yesterday? Why are you
angry, when I have done my duty as a devout disciple? Please enlighten
me". Ramakrishna patted him on his back and said: "My dear son, that
advice was meant for people like Brahmananda, very timid and shy. He
ought to be more spirited. And as for you, you have too much of it in
you. You have to be tamed and calmed. It is the duty of every guru to
give advice to his disciples according to their nature and temperament.
I am not at all angry either with you or with Brahmananda." There
was
a
guru who advised one seeker, "Go to the forest, how can you have
peace in the market square?" To
another seeker he said, "Stay where you are." The two
seekers met and talked about the guru's advice. One seeker said, "How
is it that he gave us such contradictious advice? Perhaps we did not
understand his words properly. Let us both go to him to clarify our
doubt." Both of
them went to the guru and expressed their doubt. The guru replied, "The
advice differs because it is based on the spiritual progress of the
seeker." 8. Every Action will have a Reaction [Munshi]
Premachand* is a writer of great repute in Hindi
literature and
language. His two sons were studying in Allahabad, while he and his
wife lived in a small town towards the northern side of Allahabad. One
day Premachand and his wife had to go by train southward on a visit to
another town and they had to pass through Allahabad. He wrote to his
sons to come and meet them at the station on that particular date. The
train halted at the station and the parents stood at the door of the
carriage. They saw their sons hurrying towards them. The elder one
touched the feet of both the parents before talking to them, while the
younger son just talked. The parents enquired about their health and
studies. Both of them said that everything was fine. As the train was
about to start, once again the elder one bent and touched the feet of
his parents while the younger one just waved his hand. Premachand's
wife
was
talking about their sons and was very happy over the meeting.
She saw to her surprise that her husband was rather unusually silent
and moody. She asked him: "My dear, what is the matter? Why are you so
serious and silent all of a sudden instead of being happy?" Premachand
replied, "You don't seem to have observed properly. Are you satisfied
with the behavior of our second son?" "Oh! What is the matter? I don't
find anything wrong with him, he is just young, full of fun and
frolic." "No, no," said Premachand. "The elder one paid his respects to
us reverentially by touching our feet twice while the other didn't care
at all to do likewise!" "Why do you take this seriously?" said his
wife. "After all, he is young, he must have felt shy to touch our feet
in front of so many people. He must have paid his respects mentally. He
will learn and improve in course of time." The
father's words proved to be true. In course of time the elder son, by
virtue of his diligence and good habits, passed the B.A. degree
examination, went to London and obtained the barrister.at.law degree.
On returning to India, he practised as a barrister for only two or
three years and became the Judge of Allahabad Court. He was very much
respected for his manners and sense of courtesy. The younger son, by
sheer carelessness could not fare well and had to discontinue his
studies. He became a clerk in the Court of Allahabad. While the elder
one received salutations from everyone, the younger son had to salute
every one. What is the moral of the story? Character is destiny.
Every action of ours of the present, will have a reaction on ourselves
in the future. *Premchand (1880-1936) was a pioneering figure in
modern Hindi literature. He was one of the initiators of realism in
Indian fiction and introduced the genre of the short story in Hindi.
With special themes and character studies, he set the standard for
writers who followed. You
may
have
heard about the great and noble englishman Philip Sydney [1554-1586]. While he was at
school his father wrote to him a letter giving some words of advice. He
wrote: "My dear son! Every day offer your heartfelt prayers to God.
Strive always to turn your mind towards God. Behave with respect and
humility towards your teachers and fellow students. Do not give room
for anger, greed or discontentment. Don't take to heart any criticism
levelled at you. Don't get elated by the praise of others. Don't
indulge in criticism of others". Towards the end of the letter the
father inscribed an important warning. He said: "If you have to make a
promise to anyone, make it only to God and to none else. Speech is a
gift of God. Hence the plighted word must be offered only to God. You
have no right to give a pledge to anyone else. You will be guilty of
misusing your word. Your wisdom will grow. You will stand forth as an
ideal student. Always control your tongue. Never allow it to run
amuck". Philip Sydney followed his father's advice and achieved great
eminence. A
rich merchant had only one son. He lost his wife when his son was just
five years old. He became both the father and mother to the son and
brought him up with loving care. He gave him good education and got him
married to a beautiful girl. The
daughter-in-law was rather annoyed at the presence of the
father-in-law. She considered him a nuisance and a bar to their
freedom. She persuaded her husband to somehow manage to get into his
custody the entire property. The husband said: "Don't bother, I am the
only son, and I am the sole owner of the property". But she would not
keep quiet. Day in and day out she would press him on that score. One
day the son told his father: "Father, you are growing old. It must be
difficult for you to manage the property and see to the balancing of
the budget. Why don't you hand over the management to me?" The father
knowing fully well the ways of the world, consented, and gave him all
the papers related to the property and keys of the iron safe too. After a
couple of months, the daughter-in-law felt, that the old man always
coughing and sneezing, should not occupy the front room on the
verandah. She told one day to her husband: "My dear, soon I am going to
give birth to a child. We may require the front room. You better erect
a thatched shed for your father in the backyard". The man loved his
wife so much and considered her so wise that he carried out her wishes.
The daughter-in-law used to serve the lunch for the old man, very late
in the afternoon in an earthen plate. On an
auspicious day a son was born to them. He grew up to be a smart, lively
and loving child. He always used to be with his grandfather. It was fun
and joy for him to listen to his stories and jokes. He was rather
displeased at the attitude of his mother towards his dear grandpa. Yet
he knew her adamant nature and his father's dependence on her. One day
the father and mother were searching for some thing for more than an
hour in the afternoon after their lunch. The child got up from his
grandpa's lap and ran in. He saw his parents searching for something.
He asked casually: "What are you looking for, father?" "Oh! It is the
earthen plate of your grandpa. It is already late, should we not serve
him lunch? Have you seen the plate?" The child of five replied with a
sly smile: "Sure, it is with me. I have kept it carefully in my trunk."
"What? You have kept that earthen plate in your trunk! What for, come
on get it", said the father. The child replied: "No father! I want it,
I would like to preserve it for the future. Should I not have that
plate to serve your lunch when you become old like my grandpa. I may
not get one then". Both the young parents stood speechless. They could
understand the child's heart. They were ashamed of their conduct. From
that day onwards, they began to look after the old man with respect and
affection. If
you respect your parents, your children too will respect you. "Just
think for yourself the situation and compare it with that of Queen Kuntî. Kuntî from the moment
of her husband's death, brought up her sons with great care and
affection. She was with them both in the palace and in the house of wax
[S.B.
10.57] as
well. The Pândavas would never do anything without the blessings
of their mother. They could earn My grace not because of their
individual talents but because of Kuntî's constant prayer to Me:
'Oh Krishna! You alone should protect them.' Those who are not
fortunate enough to enjoy the loving glance of their mother cannot earn
the divine vision, nor can they win the love of God." Thus
Lord Krishna enlightened Queen Gândhârî on the role
of the mother. [Painting
by
Nandalal
Bose, India] In
those days, the mothers used to watch the behavior of their children
and strove to keep them on the right path. The boy
completed his education and took up a small job. One day, in that
village, there was a folk festival ('jatra''). The womenfolk of
the village donned their best clothes and jewellery to attend the
festival. The mother also went in tattered clothes. The son could not
bear to see that sight. He said: "Mother, you have no good clothes or
any jewellery. I am distressed to see you like this. Please let me know
what ornaments you wish to have, Mother!" The mother replied: "This is
not the right time. I shall let you know at the proper time". Thanks
to the good behavior and diligence of the lad, he rose to higher
positions in service. Once again, he returned to his mother and asked
what ornament she desired. "I shall get them as I far as I can" he
said. The mother told him that she wished three ornaments, but she
would disclose what they were later on. The son
in the course of years reached a very high position. Once again he
entreated: "Mother, I have now some money. Please let me know what
jewels you would like. I shall get them for you." The mother said:
"Dear son! I am now not in a state where I can wear jewels. However,
there are some ornaments in which I am interested and I shall tell you
what they are." Drawing the son nearer to her, she said: "In our small
village, I am grieved to find that the children have to go to distant
places for education. My first ornament I desire is that you should set
up a primary school in the village. Secondly, our people have no
facilities for medical relief even for small ailments. I spend
sleepless nights thinking about their plight. If you set up a small
hospital for the village folk, that will be your second ornament for
me. The third ornament is something which you have to do by yourself.
In the days to come, your reputation may grow. If anybody asks: 'Who is
your mother, you may mention my name. Your conduct must be such that
you will uphold your mother's name. You must share with others the
benefits of the education you have received. Do not go after wealth.
The worshipper of Mammon will not yearn for God. The seeker of God will
not seek wealth. Observance of this is the third ornament I desire from
you". [See also: SSS - Easwaramma in: Love on the March] Gândhârî:
the loyal wife of king Dhritarâshthra and the mother of a hundred
sons. Blindfolded herself out of compassion with her blind husband (see
S.B. 1.13 and B.V. 7 & B.V. 8) . |
Those
were
the
days when Krishna ['dark', because of His dark
blue-grey colored skin] and Balarâma ['strength of joy'],
were studying under the great sage Sândîpani [see
also 
"Children, after many
years of tapas, I was blessed with a son. I brought him up
lovingly and with great care. One day he went to Prabhâsa-kshetra
[see 
A pupil by name Sathyakama,
got
up
and, paying his salutations to his master, said: "Master, I
shall take them, don't worry." Many students tried to dissuade him from
undertaking such a hazardous task. They warned him: "Oh! You have to be
all alone in the wilds away from the comforts of the hermitage. You may
not even find good food. Sathyakama replied: "My dear friends,
I am quite confident that the goodwishes of our guru will provide me
enough safety and sustenance. I shall not be alone for I will have
these cows to keep company."
The boy Nârâyana,
who
had
escaped from the marriage hall, ultimately reached a place
called Nashik near the source of the sacred river Godavari.
He
stayed
there for some time and then moved to a nearby mountain
called 'Chitrakoota' which is considered holy, because S'rî
Râma lived there for nearly 12 years [see 
After this, Râmadas
visited Pandaripuram where he was an eye-witness to the ideal
way in which a man by name Pundarika served his parents as
veritable gods, making Lord Panduranga (Vishnu,
Nârâyana, Krishna) Himself wait in front of his house
standing on a pair of bricks, till he completed his service to his
parents. Then he visited S'ivaji and gave him three things to
guide him in his royal duties: One, a coconut to remind him that just
as our intention in buying a coconut is to consume the white kernel
inside, so also the purpose of owning and administering the kingdom is
that the king himself should lead a satvic life and also to
ensure that the satvic quality prevails in his kingdom; second,
a handful of earth to remind the king and through him his subjects,
about the sanctity of Bharat, their motherland; third, a pair
of bricks to symbolise that just as bricks are used to construct houses
for the safety of the inmates, the king should use his powers to
protect the people and promote their welfare and progress. At this time
the memory of Pundarika's devoted service to his parents at Pandaripuram
was revived in Râmadas' mind and he hastened back home
with the idea of serving his aged mother. When he reached home, his old
mother could not recognise him, particularly because of his long beard
and strange dress. He told her that he was her son, Nârâyana,
who
was
popularly known as Samartha Râmadas. Thereupon,
his mother exclaimed ecstatically: "O my dear son, I have been hearing
so much about Râmadas and have been eager to see him for
a long time. But I never knew that it is the popular name of my son,
Nârâyana. I am proud of you and thank the Lord for making
me the mother of such a great one. My life is fulfilled". So saying she
breathed her last on her son's lap. 
But,
Premachand could not come to a compromise and said: "My dear, good
habits reveal one's true nature and bent of mind. Right from boyhood
days, children should cultivate good habits. Those gestures should be
spontaneous. I do not know what is in store for him in future." 
Lord Krishna
visited Queen 
Putali Bai,
Gandhi's
mother used to observe every day a vow-ritual known as "Kokila
Vrata". As soon as she completed the ritual, she would wait for the
call of the kokila (the Indian cuckoo) to have her breakfast. However,
one day, she waited for a long time for the call of the cuckoo without
taking food. Noticing this, the young Gandhi went out of the house,
imitated the cooing of the cuckoo and then told his mother: "Now that
the cuckoo has made its call, please, mother, take your food. Unable to
contain her grief, the mother slapped on the cheeks of Gandhi and
wailed: "What sin have I committed that such a liar should be born to
me! What a great sinner am I to have begotten such a wicked liar, as
son, Oh Lord!" She was shedding tears as she spoke. Deeply moved by his
mother's words, Gandhi made a promise to her: "In my life,
henceforth, I will not utter falsehood."
In the city of
Calcutta there lived a mother and a son. For the education of the son,
the mother made many a sacrifice. She, however, impressed on the son:
"Dear son, do not be concerned about worldly education. The foolish
ones acquire all kinds of scholarship, but have no understanding of
what they are. By study alone, a man does not get rid of his lowly
ways. Through scholarship, one learns only to engage himself in
controversy but does not acquire complete wisdom. Why pursue studies
which end up only in death? One should study that which frees him from
death. Only spiritual knowledge can lead to immortality. It is
enduring. Worldly knowledge is temporary. For earning one's livelihood,
worldly education is necessary. But this education should be acquired
only to lead an independent life, with limited desires. Therefore, dear
son, while pursuing your studies, embark also on the spiritual quest". 
