Ashtavakra and King Janaka.

[Guest guest]

Ekoham Bahusyam" was the original desire of the ONE. Accordingly, the ONE became many. We plant a small seed in the ground, water it and await its sprout in few days. The seed do sprout and slowly protrude from the ground, and it needs protection. Very soon, there is a marked growth, and we tend it, water it and fence around it. We put manure also. Within a few years, the small seed becomes a huge tree. It flowers and afterwards the flowers become raw fruit and then it become a complete fruit. Some of the flowers do become ripe fruits. You pluck the fruit and cut it. In each fruit, there is an identical seed, like the one you planted first. This is biological evolution. Hence the ONE became Many but at the same time, each one of the manifested contained the identical ONE. God pervades the cosmos and transcends invisibly. He can not be cognised with our sense organs. He can be felt intuitively through the intellect. When we see a leper begger, we move away lest he may cause germs to spread. Shirdi Baba had a devout follower "Bagoji" who used to accompany Baba, holding the umbrella over his head. Though he was unfortunate to become a leper, he was quite fortunate to have the company of Baba. His skin had many wounds and the wounds were smelling bad. But Baba wanted him to tend him. He had the physical closeness to the Avatar Baba. No doubt, all his past sins would have got erased due to the constant service done to Baba. We look at the outer form of individual and gets prejudiced. I remember a story narrated by Swami in one of his discourses. It seems, King Janaka called the wise for a verbal competition. Many scholars and vidwans assembled in the assembly hall. Lastly, a boy named "Ashtavakra" (he had eight twists in his body due to some reason from his birth) also tried to enter the hall. The Pundits and philosophers, all burst into laughter on seeing the queer form of "Ashtavakra". The boy too reciprocated with a burst of laughter but in a loud way. Everybody got enraged. King Janaka asked the boy "Why you are laughing young man?.To this "Ashta vakra" said, "Oh King! i thought you called Vidwans and Pundits to assemble here but i find only "cobblers" in your assembly. Every one got enraged at the audacity of the boy. They roared, "How dare you call us 'cobblers". Then the boy calmly replied, "You all laughed at the twisted form of my body which is akin to leather. Only those who work with leather is conversant and they evaluate leather. Hence, there is nothing wrong in my calling you all as 'cobblers". Janaka saw reason in the arguement of the boy. Everybody who assembled there hung their head in shame. Hence we should never criticise any based on their outer form. Sairam.