Life of Sant Gyaneshwar !! Part VI !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

                             

 

There was a Maha Yogi – Changyadev lived in the village of Paithan. Changhyadev lived for more that 1400 years and underwent severe austerities praying to Lord Shiva.  Lord Shiva blessed him with extra-ordinary Siddhis (magical powers).  Changyadev was well known for his siddhis (magical powers) like walking on the fire and water, fly in the sky, giving life to dead etc..   People of Paithan were spell bound at the yogic acts of Changyadev.    Villagers flooded to have dharshan of Yogi Changyadev.  They rationatlised the divine mission of Gyandev and made the Yogi Changyadev to believe that his magical powers are superior.  They sharply criticized Gyandev and his Bakthi.  Some of the villagers were true followers of Gyandev, it created a high sense of self in Changyadev and he does not like people admire Gyandev and rush to seek knowledge from him.  He decided to test the devotion and intelligence of Gyandev.  He sent a blnak paper as a message to him.  Seeing the messenger with a blank paper made Gyandev, Sopandev and Muktha Bai perplexed.  Nivritdev described the supreme knowledge and wisdom of Changyadev gained all through these years.  Gyandev returned the messanger with a note.   It doubled the irritation of Changyadev towards Gyaneshwar.  

Muktha was already decided in her mind to teach Mahayogi Changyadev a good lesson for his arrogance. Once she appeared before the hermitage of Changyadev and found the deadbodies piled up infront of his hermitage. The people gathered over there were deeply mourning at the death of their beloved ones.  The villagers saw Muktha walking all the way through the bodies fearlessly; they demanded her to leave the spot as she has nothing to do with this.  Muktha moved close to deadbodies and whispered ‘Vittal, Vittal’ on its ears and vanished from the sight.   Alas! The deceased got their lives and jumped up from floor chanting ‘Vittal, Vittal’.  Hearing the huge outcry infront of his hermitage, Changyadev rushed out and shocked to see people shedding tears of joy and chanting the divine name of Lord, praising Muktha for her good deed.  Changyadev studied the situation from the people gathered and decided to meet Gayndev.

Changyadev wanted to teach a lesson to Gyandev and meet him in person.  He seated on a Lion and with a group of followers arrived at the place of Gyandev.  Interestingly, Gyandev was engaged in liesurily talks with his sibilings sitting on a dilapidated wall.   They could hear the loud voices of people’s ‘Jaijaikar’ (praising) chanting glories of Changyadev.  Nivritdev was surprised to know that Changhyadev like Mahayogi is visiting them.  He was pleased at the progress of the event; he revealed his desire to welcome the Mahayogi Changyadev.  Gyandev – Knower of All – Lord Vishnu, respectfully agreed to his brother’s advice.  Gyandev ordered the dilapidated wall to ‘Move on’, slowly the dilapidated wall started to move high in the sky like his celestial vehicle.  Changhyadev was shocked to see Gyandev and his sibiling seated on a moving wall, he was furious and tried all his magical powers to degrade them.  Finally, with the wisdom and knowledge he had gained all through the years made Changhyadev to visualize Gyandev as Lord Vishnu.  He rushed to Gyandev addressing him ‘Gyaneshwar’ and fell on his feet for forgiveness.   The most compassionate Lord - Gyneshwar pleased at the Mahayogi Changyadev and blessed him.  Once again the glory of Gyaneshwar mesmerized the entire villagers with true divine spirit.

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Jai Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Life of Sant Gyaneshwar !! Part V !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!


Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Nivriti Dev, Gyaneshwar, Sopan Dev and Muktha Bai continued their journey to Paithan through the rough path ways.  On their way they met a fellow with his farm cart, he felt sorry for the children and carried them affectionately in his cart and continued the remaining journey.  The children safely reached at Pratishthana (Paithan) and met the Vedic scholars.   They solemnly requested the Senior Vedic scholar about their desire to perform sacred ceremony.  For a while, the Vedic scholars engaged in a serious discussion with the group of scholars and arrived in a conclusion that the children are eligible to accept Brahmacharya. 

The children returned to their village with a great joy.   They passed the message to the head priest.  Unfortunately, the egoistic Brahmin priests assembled were not ready to accept the children as Brahmin; moreover they ill treated the children.   The ridiculous Brahmin priests’ were insulted the children, cursed and threatened them which made Gynadev totally desperate.  Gynadev without losing his patience, humbly tried to convince the crowd about the meaning of a ‘Brahmin’   - Brahmin is a person who is having ‘Brahma Gyan’ – Who has the knowledge about ‘Brahmam’.  But all the trials were ended in vain.  The ludicrous Brahmin priests dragged the children and whacked them mercilessly.   This incident hammered Gyandev’s mental strength and agonizingly informed his brother Nivriti Dev about the idea of following his parents.  His sibilings – Nivriti Dev, Sopan Dev and Muktha Bai intelligently poured with amazing encouragements which made Gyandev to regain his mental strength twice over.  His elder brother Nivriti Dev was Gurudev (teacher) to him in all means.  At the divine instruction of his elder brother - Nivriti Dev, Gyandev composed ‘Gyaneshwari’ – A transilitration of Gita in a Simple language of Marathi.

Years passed by, the children were grown up into attractive adults.  They continued their mission, visiting close by villages spreading the glories of Lord.  Once, while moving through the village they met with a crowd of people mourning at the death of a young man.  Gyandev touched the forehead of the deceseased with a passion and a divine command to wake up from the deep sleep, the young man woke up as if from his deep sleep.   Intensely moved at this incident, the people gathered and the young couple passionately followed the footsteps of Gyandev in his mission of spreading the glories of Lord.  Later, the youngman who got his back life with the grace of Gyandev came to known as Baba Sachdev, who devoted his entire life in spreading the glories of ‘Gyaneshwari’.

Time passed by Radha grown into a beautiful young woman with all the virtues.  She spent her life in fervent devotion to Lord Krishna and worshipping Him. The villagers admired her devotion to Lord.  In the meantime, Gyandev visited his village with his sibilings once again.  The villagers were forgotten their extreme dislike towards the little children of Vittal Panth by now.  They received Gyandev and his sibilings with utmost respect.  They received him with Mangal Harathi, washed His feet and showering flowers on them.

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Life of Sant Gyaneshwar !! Part IV !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!


Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Gyandev  got up from sleep abruptly with strange and painful feeling.  He called out for his mother, searched for his parents in the whole house.  Slowly other children also started to twirl from their bed and followed Gyandev in his search.  The four children flabbergasted to see the disappearance of their parents at the mid of the night.  They spent the remaining hours in tears, they holded each others and stayed calm.  In the morning, the four children were started their search for their parents in the streets.  The villagers did not co-operate with them, obviously children were tired of hunger and sorrow.  They returned home mourning for their parents.  Gyandev met childhood friend and neighbor ‘Radha’ in front of their hut and she enquired the reason for their misery.  Gyandev informed her about the missing of their parents.  Gyandev got to know from Radha about what had happened to his father after meeting with the Vedic scholars and heart breaking verdict of Vedic scholars. 

Nivriti Dev, Gyaneshwar, Sopan Dev and Mukthabai had a tough life without parents.  They had to face severe critiscism and insults from the villagers; they refused to provide any assistance to the small kids.  The four kids had gone through many hardships, they starved for many days.  They start their day with singing through the street ‘Hari Hari Bol Bai, Ram Ram Bol, and Hare Krishna Bol Bai Hare Krishna Bol’ requesting people for alms.  Villagers made cheap comments on them, some of them offered a handful of sand instead of alms, some where simply laughed out at them, and some people shut their doors at the children’s face.  These entire unpleasant acts were made no difference to the children.  They continued to follow the true dharma of a Sadhu, chanting the holy names of Lord. They wandered through the village singing melodiously.  Unfortunately no one was ready to offer anything for the children.  Radha rushed to them affectionately with a bowl of wheatflour and stacked in the dirty cloth of Gyandev which he was used for receiving alms.   Soon her father appeared from nowhere; he angrily shoved the bundle on the floor and stamped on it.    They returned home desperately with tears streamed on their eyes.  Sopan Dev collapsed with severe thirst and hunger, it made Gyandev rush to fetch water for him from the village pond.  There he found the Brahmin priests gathered screamed at Gyandev for impuring the water by touching it.  Gyanadev begged and described the plight of the situation, they were making mockery of the situation and broken the earthen pot carried by Gyandev.  Gyandev fell on the muddy water and got hurt.  With a heavy heart he returned home.  Found Sopandev fighting for his life, struggling to have a drop of water.  Gyandev sequeezed his drenched cloth on his mouth, thus Sopandev was saved from the mouth of death.   He was in wretched state of hunger and cried for food.  Muktha Bai with utmost patience filtered remainings of wheat flour from the dirty cloth of Gyaneshwar and made small dough out of it.  She looked around painfully for the oven to cook it.  Gyaneshwar with so much of distress instructed Muktha Bai to place the flattened dough on his upper back use as a substitute for oven.  He gone down on his knees and Muktha Bai cooked the flattened roti on his upper back.  At last, children had a piece of roti to eradicate their hunger for the moment.

Once, Radha was playing with her puppies, the head priest arrived on the spot seeing her affection towards the animal he praised Radha.  He also joined with Radha in nurturing the puppies.  Instantly, Radha shot a question at him ‘ Kaka (Uncle), you have enlighten us with the knowledge of presence of Paramathma in each and every soul including Birds and Animals…’ she continued in a childish way ‘Why don’t you treat the children of Vittal Pant with the same devotion ?’.  Radha’s childish remarks made the head priest to realize his mistake and called out for the children of Vittal Panth.  He wrote a letter to the Vedic scholars – Maha Sastris available in the city of Paithan (Pratishthana – a city in Aurangabad District - Maharashtra) requesting them to explain whether the children are eligible for the sacred thread ceremony or not and handed the message in  written  to Gyandev.  Gyandev with his sibilings decided to leave the village at the earliest and move to Paithan to meet the Maha Sastris - Senior Vedic Scholar. 

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Life of Sant Gyaneshwar !! Part III !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!


Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Rukmini gave birth to four children.  The four virtous children were Nivriti Dev – An incarnation of Lord Shiva, Gyaneshwar – An incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Sopandev – An incarnation of Lord Brahma and Muktha Bai – An incarnation of Goddess Sakthi respectively.  At this age of Kali,   as true to the aphorism

‘यदा यदा हि धर्मस्या, ग्लानिर्भवति भारत । अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्या, तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ।।

The Supreme Lord (Paramathma) incarnated on the Earth, inorder to save  ‘Jeevathma’ from the clutches of material bondages.  Later, the righteous children of Sant Vittobha spreaded the glories of Nama Bhakthi is the only means of salvation to the world at large.

Although Vittobha returned to his family life with the holy instruction of his Guru, his mind was not free from the thought that he had committed a sin by depriving Sanyasasrama.  He continued chanting and spreading the glories of Lord and receiving alms as way of life.  The people of the village had very little respect towards Vittobha; Some times he had to return home empty handed.   Rukmini had to face the hungry and desperate faces of the children.  The children were amazingly amicable and handled the situation of poverty at home very well.  They make her believe that they are fine with the situations and in turn calm their mother.  The boy children – Nivriti Dev, Gyaneshwar and Sopan Dev were 6, 5 and 4 years respectively.  Vittal Panth realized the need to perform ‘Upanayanam’ (Sacred thread ceremony) for their children and approached the Vedic scholars in his village.  The scholars were looked at Vittal Panth in a sarcastic way and ignored his request.  They criticized and humiliated him for the kind of life he had lived all these years.  Vittal panth requested the Vedic scholars not to punish his children for his mistake and his children are already thorough with the Veda, Sastras, Puranas and Upanishads.  He was ready to do any kind of sacrifice to accept his children as Brahmin by the society.  The Vedic scholars poured harsh words on him saying that he always would be treated as ‘Shudra’ (outcasted one) for the offense he had committed.  Vittal Panth’s first mistake was leaving his young and beautiful wife behind and accepted Sanyasasrama.  The second one was discarded the same and led a life of Grahastha.  Vittal Panth with tears on his eyes prayed the Vedic scholars not to punish his children for his mistake.  He whole heartedly revealed his willingness to undergo any punishments as prescribed in the scriptures.   Vedic scholars thoroughly analaysed the situation and the final verdict was declared.  Vittal Panth should sacrifice his life at the holy river.  That was the one and only consensus for the sin he had committed in his life. 

Vittal Panth was ready to follow the final verdict of the Vedic scholars and informed Rukmini about the awful news.  Rukmini was shaken, with tears rolling down she requested Vittobha for the permission to follow him.  She convinced Vittobha that she was also equally responsible for the sin, she also deserved to be punished and the children are hers too.  Though Vittobha was worried about leaving the small children behind and their living without parents etc.. But Rukmini’s nectar like speech about the Supreme Lord – the knower of All, her sermonize about the ‘Paramathma’ – ‘Brahmam’ – her true knowledge about the living beings are just an instrument in the hands of the Creator and her solid faith in Supreme Lord were made Vittal Panth composed.  On that night Rukmini put her children to sleep heavy heartedly. With the tears brimming over her cheeks and the excruciating pain of separation made her vulnerable once again. Vittobha placed the sacred scriptures which he was used to carry everywhere near the bed side of the children.   That night they abandoned their four small children at the mercy of Lord Panduranga and left home.  Vittal Panth walked out with holding hands of Rukmini, they arrived at the banks of Holy River and gave up their lives.

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Life of Sant Gyaneshwar !! Part II !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Vittobha/ Vittal Panth arrived at Varanasi and met Sant Ramananda, Guru of Sant Kabir Dasa.  Vittobha accepted Sanyasasrama once again in a conventional method from Sant Ramananda and stayed with his guru at Varanasi.  In the meantime, Rukmini continued her search for her husband.  The villagers comforted her with bunch of suggestions for the safe return of her husband.  She sincerely followed the idea of circumambulating the peepal tree.  Years passed, she continued her prayers with the same fervor for the safe return of her husband.

Sant Ramananda started a holy trip to Dakshin Bharath.  Sant Vittobha refrained from the idea of following his Guru on his holy trip.  He sincerely wanted to avoid meeting with his family or villagers.  Sant Ramananda arrived at the village where Sant Vittobha used to live with his family once.  Sant Ramananda had dharshan of Lord Panduraga, while returning he met Rukimini.  She prostrated the sadhu.  Sant Ramananda blessed her, ‘May Lord bless you with virtous offsprings’.   On hearing this, due to the sudden rush of emotions Rukmini started to weep.  Sant Ramananda shocked to see her in such a painful state and enquired the reason for her sorrow.  She replied in a meek voice that her husband had abandoned her long time before and accepted Sanyasasrama, despite the fact that she is still waiting for his return to her life.  Soon after, with the new energy gained she consoled herself saying that the words of Sant and Sadgurus never go waste.  Sant Ramananda continued his queries about her husband. She replied that she came to know from people’s say that her husband accepted Sanyasasrama from Sant Ramananda at Kashi and living with his Guru.    Rukmini wrote her husband’s name on the ground with Kumkum (there was a practice prevailed in our Indian culture that married woman should not utter the name of her husband) and answered all the questions were asked.  Finally, Sant Ramananda commented about the blessings he had given to Rukmini and added that if that was the wish of Lord Panduranga, it would happen definitely.

Sant Ramananda rushed to Sant Vittobha and engaged in a serious conversation with his disciple.  At the end, Sant Ramananda concluded with the divine command that whether it is Dharmic or Adharmic principle Vittobha should deprive the Sanyasasrama at once and accept Rukmini as his wife once again. One should accept Sanyasasrama for Salvation at the end only after performing all three Ashrama Dharmas successfully.  Vittobha failed to perform his Grahasthashrama Dharma and made a young woman to suffer all her life.  Sant Ramananda was furious and declared that if he was not given the blessings to Rukmini, he would have cursed Vittobha for the sin he had committed, leaving a wife suffering all alone all these years. Rukmini fell on the feet of Sant Ramananda and begged for forgiveness.  In a stern voice Sant Ramananda continued that following the words of Sadguru is the supreme Dharmic duty of his disciple.  Therefore, Sant Vittobha renounced Sanyasasrama and continued to live a life of Grahastha.

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Sant Gyaneshwar Maharaj Punyatithi on 23rd November, 2011 !! Life of Sant Gyaneshwar !! Part I !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!

Jai Jai Vittal Jai Hari Vittal !!

Sant Vittobha a fervent devotee of Sri Panduranga lived in Maharashtra.  He lived a life of a true Brahmin, devoted his time chanting holy names of Lord and chose to depend only on alms as a way of life.    He arrived at Pandharpur, had meticulous darshan of Lord Panduranga and the remaining hours he occupied in meditation on the river banks of Chandrabhaga.  On that night he had a dream, in that Sri Panduranga gave a divine instruction that he should dissociate himself from the life of a Brahmachari.  He should get married to a virtuous woman and follow a life of Grahastha.   Lord Panduranga also advised that he would meet a Brahmin with his daughter – Rukmini on the river banks.  Vittobha should marry Rukmini and continue his remaining life with her that was the divine instructions of Sri Panduranga. 

Sant Vittobha got up early and spent the remaining hours restlessly.  He sincerely wanted to be a Brahmachari all through his life at the same time he does not want to deny the godly instructions also.  He performed morning oblations worriedly, thinking of why he had such a dream though he wanted to be a true Brahmachari in his whole life.  His mind was filled with different kind of thoughts and perplexed.  He was puzzled and anxious to meet the Brahmin with his daughter.  Sant Vittobha waited for the arrival of Brahmin with his daughter.  As predicted in the dream, the Brahmin arrived with his daughter – Rukmini.  They both conversed about their dream they had on the previous night.  At last, they agreed to the make wish of Lord Panduranga into true; Sant Vittobha gave up his Brahmacharin life and married to Rukmini.  The newly wedded couple moved to his village and Vittobha started his new life as a Grahastha (family man).

Vittobha was genuinely longing for the birth of a child, so that he could leave the custodian of his wife with the child and continued to be a Sanyasin.  Shortly, Vittobha realized that the desire for a child is meaningless and found that the family life was monotonous and completely lost interest in married life.  At last, he took a stern decision to leave the home and his wife forever.  One night he left his home and abandoned his wife and arrived at Varanasi.

Jai Jai Vittal Jai Hari Vittal !!

Jai Sriman Narayana !!