His name was Narayana,
the dearest son of a Bramhin mother. She loved him as her own outer soul, and
with great care and festivity she celebrated all the ceremonies. In due time,
this loving mother performed all the samskaras to be done. Now he was young and
she was eager to see her son's Vivaha Samskara performed.
As
regular parents in Indian villages, she too had projected all her ambition on
seeing a nicely performed wedding ceremony of her son. But Narayana's
consciousness was highly elevated, so a wedding, producing and fondling
rest-less children, were too elementary for him. It was a waste of his valuable
time. Narayana was tormenting to get rid of all attachments and to devote his
time entirely in love of God, absorbed in deep meditation.
His
mother with other family members and neighbors were eagerly dream-ing for his
marriage, and Narayana was dreaming when he will be in some wilderness all by
himself absorbed in the transcendental love of God. Now there was a clash
between two dreams.
Narayana had to agree
with his mother, as Indian boys are by blood very respectful and obedient to
their elders. A beautiful girl was selected for the hand-some Narayana, and the
auspicious date was filed.
All performances and
rituals were nicely done. Everybody was happy, and the joy of Narayana's mother
was boundless. The bride and groom, all adorned, were sitting while tributes
were offered. Musicians were playing wedding music, while ladies were singing
the wedding songs. Suddenly, as a part of a new ritual, the sacred man who was
performing this samskara, shouted loudly -
shivamangala savadhan
As
if Narayana was hit on his head, "Careful? Why are you asking me to be
careful?" He asked the priests, because the last part of their shout
means. Be efficiently careful.
The priest smiled and
replied,
"Because from now
on, you will be a prisoner. Fetters of household duties and attachments are
going to be tied with your feet. Therefore, we are warning you for the last
time."
shivamangala savadhan
Narayana's brain started
working rapidly. He thought,
"My
word which I gave to my mother is fulfilled. Marriage was my promise and
nothing else after that. So why, should I not proceed to fulfill my urgent and
supremely blessed duty? The priest has already declared, from now on my legs
will be tied by the invisible fetters of attachment followed by the vicious
circle of worries, tensions, and problems.
"At
the most, the possibility can be like innumerable others who have either
forgotten their real duty, or keep postponing it throughout life. I cannot
afford to stay just to pass a conditioned life of a household prison. I want
freedom --Eternal Freedom." Narayana suddenly decided firmly his next
step.
He sternly looked to his
left and right, back and front, far and wide. All were sitting and very happy
--the kinsmen, relatives, neighbors, and very important persons of the town. In
the distance, his mother, filled with the greatest joy was welcoming all
guests, including every newcomer, as if she was offering all the possible love
of her heart.
At his left side, his
fifteen year old bride was sitting. Her beautiful glowing face covered with
curtains of flowers hanging from the beautiful bridal crown on her head.
Perhaps her eyes were closed in seeing the golden dreams of the future.
Narayana
threw a last glance on all of them as he suddenly stood up. All at once he
threw away his marriage crown, garlands, and upper garments, and he ran very
fast, faster, and fastest.
It
took a little time for all the assembled kinsmen to be aware of the situation.
They then chased Narayana, but it was as if Narayana had grown some wings.
Nobody was able to catch him. Their body's were covered with long,
uncomfort-able ceremonial dresses, therefore, they were unable to run very
fast.
Of course about fifty
people ran fast, and a few of them rushed to a stable for horses. But it was
too late. Narayana was too smart, and he was young, only twenty years old, a
well-built body. Very soon he disappeared in the bushes, never to be found
again as the same young, smart and handsome Narayana. But of course he came
back into the world, but as the Great Enlightened soul of that time --in the
name of Samartha Sri Swami Ramdas.
He lived in a quiet,
cool, blossoming forest and constantly put his whole effort to be in the state
of Lovetrance. He lived in the state of Lovetrance constantly for about twelve
years. And thus such a great energy was produced and stored in him that he
became Samartha, which means approximately almighty and approximately
omniscient.
Long
before sunrise, Ramdas used to take a bath in the river Godavari. Standing motionless
in the navel-deep water, he would chant the Holy Name of Lord Ram. As soon as
he started to chant in melodious tones, Hanumanji would relish it and come to
sit on a nearby banyan tree.
For
about twelve years Hanumanji did this without fail. One day, He descended from
the tree and stood in front of him. Naturally Ramdas was filled with great joy,
but Hanumanji without any delay, assuming a very subtle form, entered his body
and awakened his Kundalini.
Not
only this, but He also energized and enforced it to pierce through all the
chakras and reach the Sahasrar. Ramdas instantaneously became an Enlightened
soul equipped with all the siddhis. When Hanumanji was working inside Ramdas
with his astral and causal bodies, Ramdas' eyes were closed. When he opened
them, Hanumanji was standing in front of him in His famous Ramayana Age form.
Out of great devotion he
sang a song in His glory, and Hanumanji was very much satisfied and transmitted
His special blessings to him. Because of Hanumanji's blessings he was able to
lay the foundation stones of India's history of Independence, which was later
fructified through the instrumentality of Mahatma Gandhi.
Swami Ramdas started a
new system of Hanuman worship called --Syenamaruti worship festivity, which is
still popular in the Bombay locality, Maharastra.
When
King Shivaji approached Saint Tukaram in quest of God and requested him to
accept him as his disciple, Tukaram told him that he was not his pre-destined
guru. Tukaram and Ramdas were contemporaries, so he suggested, "Your guru
is there. Go to Sri Samartha Guru Ramdas."
Ramdas initiated King
Shivaji and infused in him a great charm, great revo-lution, and great love for
the nation and Vedic way of life, as well as for the lotus feet of the Mother
Divine. There are numberless inspiring stories of Swami Ramdas and Shivaji
which instantaneously enlivens and raises the level of con-sciousness of the
hearers and readers.
Those days, most parts
of India were persecuted by foreign invaders. Being a renunciant, Swami Ramdas
never took part in politics, but by his blessing, Chhatrapati Shivaji was able
to establish a huge empire just in a single generation to give shelter to
afflicted, persecuted, and homeless ones. By the blessing of Samartha Guru
Ramdas, Shivaji became the greatest power of the time. A great place was
reserved for him in the hearts of the people. A great dignified place belongs
to him in the history of his country, India.
Another
prominent personality among those who attained quick Realization in the last
five hundred years, was Goswami Tulasidas.
Goswami
Tulasidas renounced his family life in quest of God and began to live in
Varanasi. A long tradition of spiritual seekers habitually prefers to live a
natural life in which any kind of barrier in freedom, or depending on others,
is not allowed.
So Goswami Tulasidas,
away from human residences, made a small hut of dry leaves and ordinary woods in
the bank of the Ganga river, and early in the morning he used to go for his
morning walk in the jungle. Everyday after returning from his toilet, he used
to pour the remaining water at the root of a particular mango tree. Goswami
Tulasidas constantly meditated for twelve years.
There was a certain
spirit, a good one of course, who had been living in that tree for several
years. He was obliged with the act of Tulasidas. One day he ma-terialized
himself and said,
"I am very much
satisfied. Please ask for something."
"May I make your
acquaintance?" Tulasidas asked.
"I
am a spirit of the astral world. There are many classes in our species. As far
as I am concerned, I am forbidden by nature itself to drink crystal clear, pure
water. Remaining under the catharsis of my previous karmas, I have no right to
use the best and even good things of creation. I was thirsty, and the impure
water poured on my abode by your Holiness quenched my thirst. So you can ask
for any-thing you like to achieve," the ghost insisted.
"If
you can do something for me, please make Sri Sita Ram available to me,"
Tulasidasji said with great excitement. Tulasidas wanted only God. He didn't
find anything else worth seeking in the world.
"Well sir, ask me
for something which I can do. We are conditioned by our Physical structure and
we cannot chant God's Name because that is the most Holy thing. I cannot help
you attain that, for it is beyond my capacity and reach. But if you want to
surprise the world by materializing things in a moment, or if you want to bring
anything from thousands of miles within moments, if you want to foresee
incidents which are going to happen in somebody's life and thus gain great
respect in the world, or become a big billionaire, or any other similar magic,
I can do it for you immediately. For these magic-feats I am at your
disposal."
"Thank
you sir, I don't need anything else than an encounter with Sri Sita Ram. Excuse
me for the trouble. God bless you," said Tulasidas and walked on.
"Listen,
please," the spirit requested. He was amazed with such absolute-ly
detached, one-pointed peculiar devotee.
"I
was very thirsty and you have given me life. I certainly want to help
you." The ghost paused and said, "I can unfold a secret to you,"
and he indicated a certain place in Varanasi.
"In
this Holy place, every twilight, the pastimes of Sri Sita Ram are being sung,
and when the discourse starts, Sri Hanumanji Himself comes. He sits behind the
audience in a corner, and He comes in such a makeup, a sick man wrapped in a dirty
blanket, that no one likes even to look at Him. He is the first one to arrive
and last one to leave. You just go and hold His feet fast. As long as He has
not promised to fulfill your desire, so long don't release His feet,"
suggested the spirit.
Tulasidas was surprised
and became very happy to have at least a key which might help him to fulfill
his lifelong craving. Long before the beginning of the dis-course, Tulasidas
arrived at the spot and established himself in such a place where he could observe
everyone in the hall. Just before the discourse began, Hanumanji entered in
that unattractive, repulsive form with signs of wounds and pus oozing from His
body, covered with a dusty old blanket.
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