LIFE OF SAINT EKNATH MAHARAJ - 4

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LIFE OF SAINT EKNATH MAHARAJ – 4

(March 12 is sacred as Saint Eknath Jayanthi)

Even though Hari Pundit was a well-educated man, like his father, he did not

inherit his virtues and disapproved that his father was not following the rules

of untouchability, caste and class. Moreover, although Ekanath was a brahmin, he

had translated the Sanskrit scriptures, the holy writings, into the local

language for the villagers and even conducted discourses in it. All these

things found no reciprocation with Hari Pundit, who felt angry with his father

and went to Kashi. Ekanath followed, out of love for his son, and pleaded with

him to return home, but Hari was adamant that his father must desist from doing

acts which he and other brahmins despised. Only then he would return home.

Ekanath agreed to this and father and son returned to Paithan. Thereafter, they

stopped the regular discourses in Marathi from being conducted in their house,

and started discourses in Sanskrit. As sanskrit was not understood by most of

the people who came for

the discourses the attendance became less day-by-day. Ekanath started praying

for a change in his son, who was responsible for that state of affairs.

One day, an old widow who regularly attended the discourses at their house came

to Ekanath and said, "Sir, I have had this wish for a long time… I want to feed

one thousand brahmins but I am a poor widow and can’t afford to arrange a

thousand meals. Even if I can’t offer meals to one thousand brahmins, if I feed

a virtuous brahmin like you, my wish will have been fulfilled. So take mercy on

this poor lady and come for a meal at my house." Ekanath was about to give his

consent when it occurred to him that his son might not approve, and he

remembered that he had promised not to do anything against his wish, so he told

the lady about his promise. However she did not lose heart but went to Hari

Pundit and disclosed her wish to him. Hari, who happened to be in a good mood,

agreed to it but told her that he himself would prepare the meal which would be

served to his father. The lady readily agreed, happy that it would be enough

that the father and son

would just come to her house. Next day, Hari Pundit went with his father and

prepared the meals. Then both father and son sat side by side and finished the

food.

After finishing eating Ekanath told his son to remove the leaf plates himself.

Hari casually tried to remove his father’s plate along with his own, but he

found another below it. As he removed it, he found yet another plate.

Surprised, he kept removing the leaves one after the other, but they kept on

coming until he had removed exactly one thousand leaves. That meant that the

food which was served to Ekanath was equivalent to serving food to a thousand

brahmins. Hari, having seen the miracle with his own eyes, instantly recognised

the greatness of his father and fell at his feet. Ekanath was happy that at last

his son had realised his faults and gave him jnana bodha. "Dear son! You read

the scriptures but have yet not recognised the greatness of God. The knowledge

you acquired with your intellect is not real wisdom. Real wisdom is the

single-pointed love of God." With this incident Hari Pundit’s ego, his slight

towards the simple layman’s language, and his

discrimination of the untouchables all vanished.

(Written by Sri T. Subramanyam)

 

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It is indeed a blessing to even read or hear about such divine souls that have trodden this earth.

 

Jaya Devi Durge