(15) Story of Gaadhi Brahmin - 3

One day, a Brahmin arrived there asking for shelter. He looked very thin and emaciated as if he had gone without food for long. He was tired and hungry. The ever-compassionate Gaadhi welcomed him heartily; offered him food and water.

At night, when they were resting after the day’s duties, Gaadhi asked the guest-Brahmin as to why he was so tired and emaciated in structure?

The guest told him a strange story.

He had in course of wanderings had gone to the country of Keeras; had enjoyed their hospitality for more than a month; but was shocked to hear that   their country was ruled by a Chaandaala king for eight years and that all the Brahmins and others had entered the fire because of that, and the king also had entered the fire and killed himself.

The guest told him that shocked by such news, he had enquired many more citizens and verified the facts and found it to be true.

Feeling that he was polluted by enjoying the hospitality of that Chaandaala-ruled country, he had performed the Chaandraayana Vrata thrice and purified himself. That is why he was tired and emaciated.

{Chaandraayana Vrata- a religious observance – fifteen mouthfuls at the full moon; diminishing one mouthful everyday during the dark fortnight; zero mouthfuls on the new moon; increased again in the next fortnight}

Gaadhi was shocked by this report. He repeatedly questioned the guest wondering whether he had heard the report rightly. The guest untiringly spoke of where that country was, who that king was, again and again.

In the morning the guest went away after thanking him profusely for his hospitality.

However Gaadhi was feeling restless. The Brahmin’s words had again brought back all the memories of the Chaandaala life and he felt disgusted with himself.

Was the guest lying? Gaadhi did not think that man as capable of lying!

Had the guest imagined everything as he had done?

Gaadhi decided to find out the truth for himself.

He packed his personal things and started on the journey to visit the places seen in his dream-delusion experience.

Gaadhi crossed many a mountain and river and arrived at the country named BhootaMandala. On the outskirts he found the huge forest he had lived as a Chaandaala. He remembered all the areas of that forest and guided by his memory arrived at a broken down ruins of a hut lived by him in the delusory life.

The hut was not looking like a hut now. All the walls were broken. Grass shoots grew from each and every corner. Tattered remains of the clothes were thrown all over by the winds. The hollow skulls used by him for eating were now filled with rain water and stinking. 

Gaadhi could remember everything that had happened in his life inside that little hut. Unable to believe what he saw, he spent a long time wandering all over that forest recognizing and remembering every moment of his Chaandaala life.

Then to gather further proof of everything, he went to the village that was situated at the end of the forest.

He enquired everyone there about the Chaandaala group living in the forest area. All of them repeated the same story; that an old man named Katanja lived there with his family; that his family members all had died by some misfortune; that he had left that place and gone away unable to bear the grief  of their loss.

As he repeatedly went on asking all the villagers the same question, they started wondering what relation had this Brahmin to the old Chaandaala.

Gaadhi hid his embarrassment of being that very Chaandaala; quickly thanked them all for their kindness, and moved away.

He was quite shocked by all the reports he had heard about the Chaandaala. He returned to the forest area where he had lived the whole life minute by minute as a Chaandaala in the other life. He wandered for a long time in those areas trying to confirm that it was the very same place he had seen in his delusion state under the waters of the lake.

Then he left that place trying to find the kingdom of Keeras.

After crossing many cities and hills, he reached the Keera country. There also the people told him the same story that he had experienced as a Chaandaala king. They told him that twelve years back the country was ruled by a Chaandaala for eight years as he was chosen as the ruler by the royal elephant; that when the people found out about his lowly origin, all of them had entered the fire and the king also had did the same.

Gaadhi could not believe his ears.

As he walked in the royal road dazed and confused, he saw the temple of Lord Vishnu. At that moment a procession came out of that temple with the king seated on the elephant. Lord Vishnu himself was seated there as the king.

Immediately all the scenes of the royal life rose up flooding the mind of Gaadhi. He remembered the city, the roads, the people, the palace, the garden, the pleasure grounds, the pretty maidens, the ministers, everything and anything of that king’s experience of eight years.

The vision of Vishnu as the king made him understand the cause of all the events. As he had requested, Lord Vishnu had shown him the power of delusion as a direct experience. He was a fool not to understand all this as the act of the Lord. His mind filled with so many Vaasanaas had created the experiences and he had gone through them like a helpless bird caught in a net. He was ignorant for sure.

The knowledge of why and what for this Maayaa exists must be sought for. Who can be a better person than Naaraayana when aspiring for knowledge? He was the greatest teacher!

Gaadhi decided to clear his doubts from the Lord himself. He found a solitary cave in some hill; lived only on a handful of water and performed penance on Naaraayana.

One and a half years passed.

Lord Vishnu stood before him and asked him what he wanted now.