LIFE OF SAINT EKNATH MAHARAJ - 3

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LIFE OF SAINT EKNATH MAHARAJ – 3

(March 12 is sacred as Saint Eknath Jayanthi)

One day there was a shraddha ceremony at the house of Ekanath. Four low-caste

men arrived at the house and because of the delicious smells they immediately

desired to taste the sweetmeats. Ekanath, appreciating their wish, gave them

all the rich food cooked for the brahmins. Not only that, he also called all

the outcasts in the town for the feast. Girija Bai joyfully cooked and served

them all with good food, then she cleaned up the house and made the meal ready

again for all the brahmins. However, the brahmins were unwilling to eat in a

house where outcasts had eaten. They refused to listen to the pleas of Ekanath

and said angrily, ‘If you want, you go and get all your forefathers and feed

them this shraddha meal’. Then, in the house of Ekanath, they clearly saw not

just the forefathers of Ekanath but also all their own forefathers also taking

the meal. At last, the brahmins felt repentant, so they finished all the

ceremonies and left only after taking the shraddha meal.

On another occasion a low cast man by the name of Ranwa invited Ekanath for a

meal at his house. Ranwa and his wife both belonged to the warkary (wandering

minstrels) tradition. Ekanath agreed to go for the meal and all the brahmins,

when they found out, lamented that his ‘Brahminism’ was going up in flames and

went in annoyance to Ekanath’s house with the intention of banishing him from

their caste. The scene there astounded them. Ekanath, who was taking his meal

at the house of Ranwa, was also there at the same time giving a discourse on

the puranas. They became wonder-struck and felt repentance for not recognising

the greatness of Ekanath.

One day Ekanath went to the banks of the Godavari river to do the sandhya

vandanam (evening ritual). The sun was very hot, and an outcaste boy came

running by and fell down unconscious in the road. Ekanath nursed the boy, who

had had sunstroke, and when he had recovered took him personally to the

township of the outcastes and returned him to his parents.

The kindness of Ekanath was not just towards humans but towards all creatures,

as is illustrated by the following incident. Hari Pundit, the son of Ekanath,

was returning with pots of sacred Ganga water from Kashi. Ekanath went along

with the other villagers to welcome him home. It was a very hot day, and at the

time of Hari Pundit’s arrival a donkey was painfully struggling with the heat

and thirst. Ekanath immediately took one of the pots of Ganga water and gave it

to the donkey to drink, which enraged everyone, including Hari Pundit. Seeing

this Ekanath said, "Should it die of thirst for being born a donkey? Once you

remove the veil of the body what is it that remains other than God?"

(Written by Sri T. Subramanyam)

 

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[pvwakhare]

Although people have done PHD on the lifehistory of Saint Eknath Maharaj. Yoh have presented it very nicely in short and sweetly. I think you should write the book on same.

Thanka a lot!