STORY OF BRAHMIN GAADHI
In the country of Kosala
lived a Brahmin named Gaadhi.
He had lost his parents when
he was very young. He had no relatives to speak of either. Most of them lived
far from where he stayed.
Growing amidst some kind
noble Brahmins who sheltered him, he had mastered all the scriptures and had
become the mine of virtues. His mind was given to dispassion even when very
young.
He was of a simple nature and
was satisfied with his life. Being an ardent devote of Naaraayana he took life
as it was. He had nothing to complain about. Of course he was slightly proud
that he was a Brahmin by birth. He
pitied those who were not Brahmins as they would never be able to
perform the worship of the fire etc and reach the higher worlds. Especially he
loathed the Chaandaalas and would avoid even the sight of them. He even bathed
uttering sacred chants if he ever met one accidentally. Chaandaalas were the
worst class of beings according to him. Thank heavens he was a Brahmin he
thought.
About kings he had not much
opinion except that they spent their whole life in enjoying the pleasures.
Though a slight envy was there in him about the royal clan who got every
pleasure on earth for free, he never glanced at a woman ever. Women were
pathways to hell he believed. Their sight itself would entrap a man and drown
him in sufferings untold, he thought. He had remained a celibate all this time
and had decided to spend his life in doing the regular duties of a Brahmin as
ordained by the scriptures.
The life was the same every
day. Nothing much happened. Yet he felt a slight dissatisfaction about
everything. He had never tried to bother about
the knowledge portion of the Vedas and believed that his regular duties
(Karma) would lead him to the final beatitude whatever it was.
He had of course heard some
words regularly uttered by Sages about Maayaa, liberation etc, and he always
wondered what those terms meant.
He was a Brahmin and he was
doing his duties regularly. He never was entrapped by a woman’s glance and he
was not in any delusion at all.
So what was this Maayaa that
the Sages talked about, he wondered.
Whom else to question but the
originator of this Maayaa, Lord Vishnu!
He decided to get his doubts
cleared from God Vishnu himself who enveloped the entire creation with his
‘Maayaa’ (Deluding Power).
He bid farewell to all his
friends and well-wishers and went to the forest to do penance. He found a
beautiful lake filled with lotuses in the midst of the jungle. After purifying
himself, he entered the lake; stood in the water reaching up to his neck;
remained contemplating on the Great God Naaraayana, having made a firm decision
to stand like that till the Lord appeared before him. His head appeared like a
new lotus species surrounded by all the lotuses of the lake.
Eight months passed!
Lord Vishnu appeared before
him and asked him what boon he wanted.
Though Gaadhi could have
asked even for a life in heaven, he spoke to the Supreme Being, without
wavering in his mind-
“Lord! I want to understand
the deluding power of yours which is appearing as this expansive universe. Let
me have a glimpse of it.”
Lord Vishnu was pleased by
his dispassionate attitude. He said-
“Of course you will see it
and be freed of it too.”
Next instant he vanished.
{What could Vishnu say?
If a person who is sunk in
deep waters asks where the water is, what can he say?
The very identity of Gaadhi
was a delusion. The very ideas that ruled his mind, that ‘he was a Brahmin, he
was of a superior caste, he was a devotee of Vishnu’ – all these thoughts were
also a part of Maayaa.
And Gaadhi’s’ mind was not
yet ready understand the Supreme truth, as it was filled with so many likes and
dislikes. His Vaasanaas would block his mind from understanding the truth.
So Vishnu quickly said ‘Yes’
to the simple request of Gaadhi and vanished before Gaadhi could say anything
more.
But Gaadhi’s journey towards
the Supreme had started with the first step in the ‘Vichaara’ method, with the
question ‘What is Maayaa?’
So he will surely be free of
it too, even without a boon from God.
{As Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
says-
The fish which understand
that they are caught in a net alone will have the chance to escape and struggle
for it; not those fish who do not even know that they are caught in the net of
Maayaa, and are happy in their ignorant states.}
Gaadhi slowly came out of the
lake. He was happy that he had seen the Lord in person. He did not know what
the words of his deity meant. He decided to wait and see what would happen. He
built a small hut in that forest and remained there regularly performing his
routine duties. Every day he went to the same lake to take bath and recite the
sacred hymns of Naaraayana submerged inside the waters of the lake.
One day he entered the water
pondering about what his Lord had said the other day.
‘Why nothing had happened
yet? Was it all a dream?
Would he really see the
Maayaa of his Lord?
What events would prove the
words of the Lord?’
Lost in such thoughts, he
dipped fully inside the water and started reciting the chants which will ward
of evil, as ordained by the scriptures.
Suddenly he felt a jerk; his
head started reeling; and he forgot everything- the waters, the Mantra
recitation and his own identity as Gaadhi, the celibate Brahmin who was trying
to understand Maayaa.
Gaadhi had an amazing
experience of another life inside the waters within a few minutes. When he came
out of the water, he thought that he had understood what ‘Maayaa’ was!
There was only the blank mind
of Gaadhi suddenly experiencing amazing events of another life. Within the few
minutes inside the water, he saw…
that-
his body was lying dead in
his house;
relatives sitting next to the
body and crying;
his wife sitting at his feet
and shedding tears;
his mother lamenting loudly,
holding the face of her young son…;
that-
his inauspicious lifeless
body getting carried to the cremation ground filled with blood thirsty ravens
and foxes;
his body getting burnt to
ashes by a blazing fire…;
that-
the Jeeva from the dead body
entering the womb of a Chaandaala woman;
getting born as black hued
baby; being the darling of his low caste parents;
then becoming twelve years
old; then turning sixteen with a muscular and strong body; then wandering from
forest to forest with his dogs; then getting attracted to a young girl of his
own caste; marrying her; getting children from her; then gradually becoming
old; then returning to his own birth place near the country called
BhootaMandala; constructing a small hut out of
leaves; living there with his dearest sons and wife; his family growing
huge and getting filled with many members; himself leading a cruel life;
himself rude and violent towards all; all his people dying suddenly by some
calamity…;
that-
himself wandering alone in
the forest weeping and crying for the dead; leaving his birth-place and
wandering away to other countries walking aimlessly, his heart heavy with
grief; reaching the prosperous country
ruled by Keeras in course of his wanderings; wondering at the beauty of the
city walking on the main road…;
Gaadhi saw within the few
minutes inside the waters…
The city wore a festive look
on that day. Even the trees on the road were decorated with expensive
cloth-garlands studded with diamonds and gems.
Roads were covered by
flowers. Crowds of men and women filled the side-walks. Everyone acted highly
excited.
As the old Chaandaala walked
on the road, he was wonderstruck at the beauty of it all. As he treaded slowly
he suddenly froze in surprise by the sudden appearance of a huge elephant in
front of him.
The elephant was not
ordinary. It was covered with golden ornaments. Diamonds and Gem-studded
clothes covered its body. It had auspicious paints painted on its face.
Since the king had died in
that city, the royal elephant was left loose to choose the next ruler as per
the custom of the country.
The old Chaandaala stared
with amazement at the huge elephant decorated with precious stones and shiny
garments. Before he understood what was happening, the huge trunk of the
elephant had lifted him and he found himself sitting on its back.
Flowers showered on him from
all directions. Drums sounded deafening one and all. ‘Victory to the king’
‘Victory to the king’ – the shouts of the citizens filled the quarters.
Soon he was led to the
palace. Beautiful girls surrounded him immediately. He was bathed in fragrant
waters. Red paste was applied all over his limbs. Silken garments woven with
gold strings covered his dark body. Ornaments studded with precious gems
adorned his chest. Fragrant flower garlands decorated his dark bosom.
He was carried to the court.
He was seated on the royal throne. Holy waters dampened his hair. Auspicious
chants filled the air. A crown adorned his head. He was officially the king of
the Keeras now.
Because of his dark hue, he
was named as Gavala (wild buffalo).
The Chaandaala of the
BhootaMandala country now was the adored king of Keeras. Nobody bothered about
his true origin. The elephant’s selection was God’s verdict. Nobody raised
their voice against such a miraculous happening.
Gavala, the Chaandaala now
was the supreme ruler of the Keeras!
Gaadhi saw within the few
minutes inside the waters…
Soon the King was in full
command. He took control of the whole country. He made his own rules. He
enjoyed the royal pleasures like a hungry crow coming upon a fat dead deer.
His words were obeyed without
question.
Beautiful girls served him
like slaves.
Ministers helped him in all
the matters of the country with utmost respect.
He soon learnt the ways of
the king and imitated the civilized behavior of the royal personages.
He had forgotten his own
Chaandaala identity completely.
He had forgotten also his
dead family.
He grieved for them no more.
Happy at the good fortune that befell him, he enjoyed all the pleasures his
royal status had access to.
He hid from all, his real
caste and birth origin, for fear of losing the royal status. He was careful
never to expose his natural behavior in the presence of others.
Eight years passed like this.
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