Oh My God! Episode 17

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

OH MY GOD!

A Series By Varalotti Rengasamy

Episode 17

“And so Yams, you want to hear some dinner-time stories for the girls?”

“No, Arvind. I have enough of them. I am relaying all those KG’s stories you posted on the website. But right now I am tired and exhausted. I did love the story of Ramanuja, his cantankerous Guru and the Brahma Rakshas.

"I want to hear something soft. Some kind of a love story. I know you are a past master in telling love stories. And your very first published work was a love story.”

Arvind smiled. They were seated on the swing in the terrace. It was Full Moon day. A gentle breeze was blowing. The ambience contributed a lot to Yamini’s mood to listen to a love story.

“You are right. Love story has been my forte. But now I am not keen on that love which is propelled by the hormones in the body. I am more interested in the love which has got nothing to do with our body, mind or intellect. I mean God’s love for us and our love for Him. I read a very soft love story from KG’s scrap book yesterday.”

“Please Arvind, please tell that story. I am all ears.”

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

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Part 2

She was born as the only daughter of a great hunter who lived in a dense forest in <st1lace w:st="on">Northern India</st1lace>. At a very young age she became an orphan. There were no relatives to take care of her. When she was hardly 18 she was left to fend for herself.

She was out and out a hunter’s girl. Hunting was her second nature. She led a care-free life. Whenever she felt hungry she would lay trap for an animal – a sheep, a rabbit or at times even a bison.

She was well-versed in the art of killing the animal with rudimentary weapons used by her father, the Hunter king. She would then single-handedly skin the animal and eat the meat. If she was in the right mood she would cook properly and eat her food. Many times she would eat raw meat and sleep on tree tops.

Our Lord’s love is beyond human comprehension. Yes, He was sure to come to the rescue of those who are devoted to him. Yes, He was sure to punish those who ventured to hurt His devotees.

But at times He would eye on a totally unsuspecting person, someone who did not even faintly suspect His existence let alone worship Him, and then win her over to His side with nothing but sheer love.

That is one great difference between human love and God’s love. Human love is always based on some reason – I love you because you are beautiful; you love me because I am so smart; she loves him because he happens to be her son, brother, husband or having some other relationship.

God’s love is not based on an attribute, a quality, an ability, a relationship or for that matter on any reason. He loves us. Period.

The Lord decided to take on the hunter girl who was living a life which was only slightly better than a life of a wild animal.

When He sets His mind on something or somebody, who in the world can stop Him?

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

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Part 3

One day this girl was terribly hungry but unfortunately could not get any animal to hunt. She had been walking all day and yet could not even find a small rabbit to eat. She had wandered to the other end of the forest.

Frustrated, exhausted and deprived of all physical and mental strength she fell asleep on the branch of a large tree that was near a forest stream.

Around half past three in the morning she was woken up by the sound of human voice. She could hear young boys talking and giggling.

She slowly came down from the tree. There was a group of Brahman boys who had come to take water from the forest stream. The boys were the disciples of a great sage by name Madhanga Mahamunivaar which the girl did not know at that time.

The boys bathed in the stream and then took water in the pots and started walking back to the Ashram chanting portions from Vedas.

Thacham yo ravrineemahe gaathum yagnaayaa gaathum yagna pathaye
Daiveen swasthirasthunaha Swasthir maanushebyaha
Oortdhvam jihaadu beshajam shanno asthu dvipathe shan chathushpathe
<st1lace w:st="on">Om</st1lace> shanthi shanthi shanthihi

We seek those actions which will bring peace and happiness in the present as well as in the future. May our yagna, our sacrifice grow day by day. May the doer of yagna be always blessed. May the God keep us happy and well. May the medicinal trees grow taller and taller. May the bipeds and the quadrupeds be happy always. May peace be there every where.

The hunter girl of course did not know the meaning of this ancient Vedic Mantra which is found in almost all the Vedas. But something in the mantra, something in the words, something in the blemishless rendering of the mantra by the young Brahmacharis drew her towards them. She started following the group of boys.

As soon as she saw them entering a well appointed ashram she beat a hasty retreat to the tree where she spent the night.

She had not eaten anything. But now the tone of her hunger was different. She did not want to kill anything. She went in search of some fruits and roots and sat under the tree all day thinking about so many things.

The Lord had sent His first arrow aimed at the girl’s little heart. And as it always happened the arrow hit the bulls eye.

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

Part 4

The girl could not sleep for the whole night. She saw the sky, the position of the moon and estimated the time. Oh, the boys would be here in another one hour! I should do some thing for them.

She got down from the tree and went to the place where the boys used to take water. She cleared the bushes in that place.

She then cleaned the place with water. Then she hid behind the tree and waited for the Brahmacharis.

The boys were surprised to see the place spic and span. They were very happy. The girl went behind them till they reached the Ashram and then came back to the tree. Then a simple dinner of fruits and roots. And then the cleaning work.

This went on for more than a week. The boys told their Acharya about the place being made clean by somebody. Madhanga Maharishi was a great saint. His heart was full of love all the time. He could easily find out about the identity of their hidden benefactress.

“My dear children, tomorrow, when you bring water to the Ashram, you keep the pots down on the way and run towards the stream. You should be very fast. You will find a person. A lady. Bring her to the Ashram. I will take care of the rest.”

The hunter girl did her daily duties and was following the boys absorbed in their Vedic chanting.
When the girl was enjoying the words the boys suddenly placed their pots on the ground and started running towards her. She had no way to escape.

“Who are you, lady?”

“I am just a hunter girl.”

“What’s your name?”

“I don’t have a name.”

“Oh My God!”

“And who are you?

“We are the disciples of Mathanga Maharshi, one of the greatest saints the world has ever known.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“ “

“Will you please come with us to the Ashram?”

“Me, a hunter girl who has been killing animals for food, to that holy place? Never.”

“Please, Lady. You know our teacher is very kind.”

“He may be kind. But I should not take advantage of it, Boys. I don’t want to sully your holy place with my visit. Please go away.”

“But then can you disobey the Great Rishi? The Maharshi has asked us to bring you to his place. If you don’t come with us, you will be committing the greater sin of disobeying a saint. Please come with us.”

“But then..”

“Please lady.. please have mercy on us.. please…’

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

Part 5

The boys virtually dragged the lady to their Ashram.

She had no choice other than to go along with them. She stopped at the gate of the Ashram.

“It’s all right for me to come this far. But my entering the Ashram.. I could see holiness all around. I will only pollute the place with my presence.”

“But our Maharshi has asked you to come…”

“Even then I can’t come. I don’t have the heart to dirty this sacred place.”

Hearing the ruckus the Maharshi came out of the Ashram himself.

“Why don’t you come in my dear child?”

A loud sob escaped from the mouth of the girl. Ever since her parents died she had not had any human contact. And nobody had invited her anywhere. Nobody had called her ‘my dear child’ after the death of her parents.

The lonely girl looked at the loving Rishi through a screen of tears. She hesitantly walked into the Ashram and stood in his presence.

“What’s your name, little girl?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s really strange. Ok, tell me what caste were you born in?”

In those days the caste system was a kind of given. Maharshi was too kind to use her caste as a means of looking down on her. He wanted some handle, some way of identification.

“I don’t know, Great One. But my father once said that we belonged to the Sabara clan.”

“Then my dear child, you’ll be known as Sabari from now on.”

Sabari. The name sounded like music to her. Sabari. Sabari.

“And Sabari, you will be my disciple. You will learn all about Vedas, scriptures, religion, rituals and God along with these boys.”

“Oh My God!” exclaimed Sabari.

“My learning Vedas with these high-caste boys? And that too sitting before you? No way, Most Revered Acharya. I can’t do that.”

“Then..”

Maharshi was puzzled.

“Let me go my own way. Please permit me to come once in a while to worship you from a distance.”

“No you can’t, Sabari. You are staying with us. But if you don’t want to be my student, well, I can understand. But just stay here. And you should eat with us at the Ashram.”

Sabari thought for a while.

“I will, Acharya, but on one condition.” Sabari’s voice was firm. After all she knew her place.

“I will do all the chores in the Ashram. Like cleaning and washing the place, bringing water for you, picking firewood, washing the clothes, doing the dishes and doing all the odd jobs around here.”

“I will agree to your condition provided you agree to mine.” The Maharshi was as clever as he was loving.

“We have the classes for three hours every morning. During that time you should be present in the class room in such a way that you can hear my words. Of course you can do whatever work you want to do at that time. But your ears should be hearing what I am teaching to these boys.”

Sabari fell at the feet of the great loving Rishi.

Now the Lord had not stolen Sabari’s heart and had made that His own. He is one guy who cannot have enough of his devotee’s love. He was now carefully moving the coins from His side so that Sabari’s heart was filled with pure and selfless love.

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

Part 6

With Sabari becoming part of the Ashram the children were spared from the chore of bringing water from the forest stream. Sabari would be the first to get up. She would go to the stream have a bath and bring water to the Ashram. She would have to walk many number of times for water. She never did mind.

Then she would clean the ashram in the manner prescribed in the Sasthras. She would first sweep the place clean and then sprinkle water throughout the place. Then she would clean the place with water mixed with purified cow dung.

By that time the boys would have taken their bath, would have done their morning prayers and would be ready for the classes.

The classes would start a little before sun rise. Sabari would be in the same room mending the clothes or doing the dishes. Of course her mind would be on the words coming out of Maharshi’s mouth.

Years rolled by. The hunter girl had now become well versed in all the Vedas and shastras. Sabari had a photographic memory. Either because of that or because her master cared for her as his own daughter or because the Lord bestowed special attention on winning over her completely to his side, Sabari soon became an acclaimed expert.

Whenever the disciples had a debate among themselves on the intricate meanings of vedic phrases they would bring the case invariably to Sabari for her judgment. Sabari would hear both the sides and then would explain the truth which many times would be on neither side or on both the sides.

Mathanga Maharshi would be looking at Sabari from a distance with justifiable paternal pride. The other students would be sitting before her with reverence listening to every word coming out of the hunter girl’s mouth.

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

Part 7

Mathanga Maharshi became very old and was in his death bed. He knew that his end was very near. The man loved his students as his own children. He wanted to dedicate all the benefits of years of his penance to his disciples.

He called them one by one to his side and gave them whatever they wanted. One student wanted to be a great scholar. So mote it be, blessed the Rishi. Another wanted a seat in heaven. Thathaasthu (‘let it be so’) blessed the Rishi.

Another wanted to be a King and the Acharya’s prowess made him one in no time.

Finally the Maharshi called the hunter girl to his bedside. There was nobody else in the room.

“What do you want, my little girl?”

Sabari herself had grown pretty old. And yet she was still the Maharshi’s little girl.

“What can I want, Acharya? You have given me all that matters. What else is there to want?.”

“But everybody has asked for something and have got it.”

“Acharya, before seeing you I was living like an animal. You made me realize that I was a human being. With your great love you filled my heart with love. Love for you, for these boys, for the Lord, for all the human beings, for all the animals, for everybody and everything. What more can I ask from you except for a prayer that your love and blessings should be for me for all time to come?”

There is a rule in the Shastras which says that a sanyasi should never cry. Pure love knows no such rules. Mathanga Maharshi was crying in love. He has never seen such a pure love except in the presence of Lord.

“My dear Sabari, I knew about your future even when the boys talked about you to me several years go. I was just an instrument…”

Sabari cut him short.

“Most Loving Acharya, if you know my future, then give me whatever you think will be good for me. I don’t know about my future, Acharya. But I know one thing for sure. I am not interested in wealth, in ruling a kingdom, not even in mastering Vedas or a seat in heaven.”

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

Part 8

The Maharshi closed his eyes for a minute. He could see as if in a Television Screen what was going to happen to this hunter girl.

“Ok, bring your ears close to my mouth, little girl. I will preach you the Taraka Mantram, the mantram for which there is no known equal, the Mantram before which this entire Universe is but a speck of dust, the shortest of mantras and the sweetest of names.”

When Sabari lowered her ears the Great Rishi whispered in her ears the word “Rama”. The name of the Lord born as Dasaratha’s son, the Lord whom even his brothers worshipped as if he were a God, the Lord who married the most beautiful woman on earth, Sita and the Lord, who to uphold his father’s word renounced the kingdom offered to him and opted to go out in the forest.

One who makes us happy is Rama. Ramyatheethi Rama is the rule.

Sabari shivered in uncontainable happiness. The deepest part of her being knew what was in store for her and what great blessings the two letter name was going to bring to her. It could not contain that kind of happiness which then spread to her heart.

Her heart soon became full and the happiness overflowed into her mind. Her mind became full in no time and the happiness now overflowed into her frail, old body. The body could not simply stand such kind of ecstasy and it was shivering uncontrollably.

“But Maharshi…”

“Yes, my child. The Lord who bears that sweet name, whom all the Devas and Rishis are searching for from the very beginning of time, is going to come here searching for you.

The Great Lord to whom the Universe and all the beings belong is going to ask you in the sweetest of voices, “Sabari, how are you doing?” Start chanting the taraka mantra from now on and be ready to receive that Dark Lord anytime. So long.”

The Maharshi breathed his last in a state of ecstatic love.

Sabari was chanting the Rama Nama non-stop from then on. She forgot the Vedas, the scriptures, the Upanishads, the rituals, the meanings and interpretations. The only thing she remembered was the short, sweet name of the handsome, dark-skinned Lord, Ram. “

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

Part 9

“Yamini, I could think of a parallel here. Thomas Acquinas was a Christian Scholar who wrote volumes and volumes about God and His love. He was writing one book or the other all the time. But God’s love to him was only at the level of information. It was something which was felt only by his mighty intellect.

Then one fine morning a month before his death God took mercy on him and made him experience His love. It was late in the morning and Acquinas was working furiously on another book. And then it happened.

It started as a shiver in the body and within a matter of seconds it led him to ultimate bliss. Yes, Acquinas had actually experienced God’s love. The Divinity Scholar metamorphosised into a mystic.

He threw away whatever he was writing. In fact he stopped writing altogether. Later in the evening he told his friend “All that I have written seems to me like straw compared with what has been revealed to me." Sabari had a similar feeling. Now back to the story.”

varalotti · Jul 27, 2009

Part 10

The Maharshi had told Sabari that the Lord would come one day looking for her. He forgot to mention when would the Lord come. It could be the very next day or a hundred years later.

Sabari did not want to take any chances. Every morning she would get up early finish her chores and then go in search of the choicest fruits available in the forest. Then she would set up a table with a tree trunk and a stone and place the fruits on the table.

Then she would ask the younger students to find out if anybody new was coming to the Ashram.

The students would report every now and then that nobody came.

Sabari would wait till darkness set in. Then she would eat a few fruits, distribute the remaning to the other disciples and go to sleep with a heavy heart.

The same ritual would be repeated the next day with equal fervour.

Sabari never grew tired of the ritual. She was becoming older by the day. And the love in her heart was growing in stature and intensity every day. Her confidence in the Lord, in the words of her Acharya was absolute and unshaken.

History says that the ritual was repeated without break for a period of 12 years.