Santh Jnaneshwar : The haughty brahmins of Paithan!
Om Jai Sai Ram! This brahmanda (universe) and everything in it is a beautiful mystery. It is poorna (Infinite)! And to describe it is but impossible. But there is one word that can describe it, and that word is the Sadguru! I know nothing of this world or it's surroundings! It is only by the grace of the Sadguru that I am able to sing his glory. I fall at the lotus feet of my Sadguru and beseech him to help me in singing his glory!
In the previous post I described the initiation of Sant Nivritthi and Sant Jnanadeva maharaj into the Natha cult when they were 7 and 5 years respectively. The father of Santh Jnanadev, Vitthalpant decided it was time to go to Paithan and request the letter of purification from the scholarly brahmins present there.
Now the brahmins of Paithan were renowned for their knowledge of the vedas and shastras. But their learning had come with one side effect. Arrogance and a huge ego. Now though the vedas and the shastras stress on giving up the ego for spiritual advance, these brahmins were progressing in just the opposite direction. Yet there were some amongst them who had the piety and good nature in them. May that be. Now please listen to what happened when Vitthalpant came with his family, for it was indeed a fabulous leela (divine play) of Panduranga.
Vitthalpant came to the brahmins of Paithan and told them his tale of woe. Some of the hypocritical brahmins were alarmed to hear the story. They decided to have some fun at the expense of Vitthalpant. Vitthalpant began to explain "My son nivritthi is interested in the vedas and is adept in yoga, though he is only a seven year old. My son Jnanadeva here..." and he was rudely inturrupted by one of the most ignorant of the lot of "scholars" . "What did you say? What is this I just heard? Your son is Jnanadeva (God of learning)?" Of what use then is the thread ceremony for him? Why all this? He should already know all for why else would you call him Jnanadeva?" At this all the brahmins started laughing. Then they saw the village washerman trying to move his buffalo, which was more stubborn than usual and had stopped in front of the assembly of brahmins. The washerman was shouting at his buffalo, which he had affectionately called Jnana "Come on Jnana! Move! We have work to do". Looking at this, the brahmin continued to speak sarcastically to vitthalpant "What is the difference between your son Jnanadeva and that buffalo Jnana?". There was a huge applause and laughter at this remark from the egotistical scholars. Seeing that the people were laughing, the washerman thought he should not stay there, and he started lashing at his buffalo Jnana with a whip. This made the brahmins laugh even more. But amidst all this laugh came a soft yet powerful voice which said "There is no difference!". The lips that uttered these words were those of Lord Jnanadeva! And then a fabulous thing happened! Please listen to his! There appeared on the back of the boy Jnaneshwar lashmarks miraculously. Then Vitthalpant and Rukmini cried out "Oh Jnanadeva where did these lashmarks come from". The washerman was dumbfounded and stopped lashing. The brahmins were dumbfounded. They were rubbing there eyes and pincing themselves to see if this was not some dream. Then Jnanadev spoke thus "The same infinite aspect of the Lord, is present in all beings. So what difference can there be?". All the brahmins were shocked by this revelation. They had a practical lesson on whatever scriptures they used to blindly read.
Some of them fell at the feet of Lord Jnanadeva and Vitthalpant. There however was one sceptical brahmin who said "Wait a minute Jnanadeva! I do not understand what you say! If essentially the buffalo and I are one, can that buffalo chant the vedas? Let it do that, and then I will accept what you just suggested". There was a crowd assembled already as they heard a lot of commotion when the lashmarks appeared on the back of Lord Jnaneshwar. They started speaking to themselves "This is impossible! How can a dumb animal like a buffalo chant the vedaas which only the most learned of men know of?". But Lord Jnaneshwar was not alarmed by this. Being the incarnation of Panduranga himself, he had come to uplift the masses and lead the ignorant to the path of knowledge. He went to the buffalo Jnana and then bowed before it and addressed Jnana thus "Oh lord, please chant the vedas before these scholars". And no sooner had Lord Jnaneshwar said this, the buffalo Jnana started chanting the vedas in a clear and melodious voice. The brahmins were shocked. There hair stood on its end and their tears started rolling down their cheeks. The brahmin who asked the question felt his knees going weak. They all fell at the feet of the family of Vitthalpant and they all bowed in reverance to Lord Jnaneshwar. Then, the leader of the scholars spoke thus "Oh Lord, we ourselves who are so impure and hypocritical are not fit to give you a letter of purification! It is only the dust of your feet that can purify us. Please forgive us ignorant fools. Please allow us to write a letter to describe your greatness in our limited knowledge.
The washerman too, who was present there and was a mute spectator until now, spoke thus, "My lord, I feel like a cowheard at Gokul for I have had the vision of the child Lord Krishna in you. You are the lord himself and of that I have no doubt. You have showed me the presence of divinity everywhere. Please take my Jnana with you, for I think Jnana refuses to leave your presence. "
Lord Jnaneshwar spoke thus "Oh washerman, you speak wisely indeed. But of what need is to praise me? It is all by the grace of my guru" So saying he bowed before Nivritthinath. Everyone assembled there bowed before Nivritthinath.
Then Sage Ramananda came there. He blessed the family of Vitthalpant and spoke thus to Vitthalpant, "Oh Vitthalpant, your work here is done. You may go now to Kashi.The Lord will continue his work from here on". Then adressing the brother and sister saints he said "Oh Nivritthi, Jnaneshwar, Mukta and Sopan, it is now your task to spread the bhagwatha dharma (the message of universal brotherhood)". Thus blessing them Ramanand left for Kashi. Vitthalpant and Rukmini went to the Prayag near Kashi and bid a sad farewell to their children. But they were happy that their task was done. They now saw the meaning to the vision that Siddhopant and Vitthalpant had seen, the vision of Panduranga, and they realized that Panduranga himself had blessed them by taking birth in their family.
Now what to say of Panduranga? In the form of Nivritthi,Jnanadeva, Mukthabai and Sopana they left on a piligrimage with Jnana the buffalo following them.
I bow with reverence to Shree Vitthalpant and Rukmini bai and to the Lord who manifested in sagun form as Nivritthinath,Jnanadeva,Sopana and Muktha Bai.
Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari!
Shree Anantha Koti Brahmanda Nayaka Raja dhi Raja Yogiraja Parabrahma Shree Sat Chit Aananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki Jai!
Bow to Shree Sai! Peace be to all!
In the previous post I described the initiation of Sant Nivritthi and Sant Jnanadeva maharaj into the Natha cult when they were 7 and 5 years respectively. The father of Santh Jnanadev, Vitthalpant decided it was time to go to Paithan and request the letter of purification from the scholarly brahmins present there.
Now the brahmins of Paithan were renowned for their knowledge of the vedas and shastras. But their learning had come with one side effect. Arrogance and a huge ego. Now though the vedas and the shastras stress on giving up the ego for spiritual advance, these brahmins were progressing in just the opposite direction. Yet there were some amongst them who had the piety and good nature in them. May that be. Now please listen to what happened when Vitthalpant came with his family, for it was indeed a fabulous leela (divine play) of Panduranga.
Vitthalpant came to the brahmins of Paithan and told them his tale of woe. Some of the hypocritical brahmins were alarmed to hear the story. They decided to have some fun at the expense of Vitthalpant. Vitthalpant began to explain "My son nivritthi is interested in the vedas and is adept in yoga, though he is only a seven year old. My son Jnanadeva here..." and he was rudely inturrupted by one of the most ignorant of the lot of "scholars" . "What did you say? What is this I just heard? Your son is Jnanadeva (God of learning)?" Of what use then is the thread ceremony for him? Why all this? He should already know all for why else would you call him Jnanadeva?" At this all the brahmins started laughing. Then they saw the village washerman trying to move his buffalo, which was more stubborn than usual and had stopped in front of the assembly of brahmins. The washerman was shouting at his buffalo, which he had affectionately called Jnana "Come on Jnana! Move! We have work to do". Looking at this, the brahmin continued to speak sarcastically to vitthalpant "What is the difference between your son Jnanadeva and that buffalo Jnana?". There was a huge applause and laughter at this remark from the egotistical scholars. Seeing that the people were laughing, the washerman thought he should not stay there, and he started lashing at his buffalo Jnana with a whip. This made the brahmins laugh even more. But amidst all this laugh came a soft yet powerful voice which said "There is no difference!". The lips that uttered these words were those of Lord Jnanadeva! And then a fabulous thing happened! Please listen to his! There appeared on the back of the boy Jnaneshwar lashmarks miraculously. Then Vitthalpant and Rukmini cried out "Oh Jnanadeva where did these lashmarks come from". The washerman was dumbfounded and stopped lashing. The brahmins were dumbfounded. They were rubbing there eyes and pincing themselves to see if this was not some dream. Then Jnanadev spoke thus "The same infinite aspect of the Lord, is present in all beings. So what difference can there be?". All the brahmins were shocked by this revelation. They had a practical lesson on whatever scriptures they used to blindly read.
Some of them fell at the feet of Lord Jnanadeva and Vitthalpant. There however was one sceptical brahmin who said "Wait a minute Jnanadeva! I do not understand what you say! If essentially the buffalo and I are one, can that buffalo chant the vedas? Let it do that, and then I will accept what you just suggested". There was a crowd assembled already as they heard a lot of commotion when the lashmarks appeared on the back of Lord Jnaneshwar. They started speaking to themselves "This is impossible! How can a dumb animal like a buffalo chant the vedaas which only the most learned of men know of?". But Lord Jnaneshwar was not alarmed by this. Being the incarnation of Panduranga himself, he had come to uplift the masses and lead the ignorant to the path of knowledge. He went to the buffalo Jnana and then bowed before it and addressed Jnana thus "Oh lord, please chant the vedas before these scholars". And no sooner had Lord Jnaneshwar said this, the buffalo Jnana started chanting the vedas in a clear and melodious voice. The brahmins were shocked. There hair stood on its end and their tears started rolling down their cheeks. The brahmin who asked the question felt his knees going weak. They all fell at the feet of the family of Vitthalpant and they all bowed in reverance to Lord Jnaneshwar. Then, the leader of the scholars spoke thus "Oh Lord, we ourselves who are so impure and hypocritical are not fit to give you a letter of purification! It is only the dust of your feet that can purify us. Please forgive us ignorant fools. Please allow us to write a letter to describe your greatness in our limited knowledge.
The washerman too, who was present there and was a mute spectator until now, spoke thus, "My lord, I feel like a cowheard at Gokul for I have had the vision of the child Lord Krishna in you. You are the lord himself and of that I have no doubt. You have showed me the presence of divinity everywhere. Please take my Jnana with you, for I think Jnana refuses to leave your presence. "
Lord Jnaneshwar spoke thus "Oh washerman, you speak wisely indeed. But of what need is to praise me? It is all by the grace of my guru" So saying he bowed before Nivritthinath. Everyone assembled there bowed before Nivritthinath.
Then Sage Ramananda came there. He blessed the family of Vitthalpant and spoke thus to Vitthalpant, "Oh Vitthalpant, your work here is done. You may go now to Kashi.The Lord will continue his work from here on". Then adressing the brother and sister saints he said "Oh Nivritthi, Jnaneshwar, Mukta and Sopan, it is now your task to spread the bhagwatha dharma (the message of universal brotherhood)". Thus blessing them Ramanand left for Kashi. Vitthalpant and Rukmini went to the Prayag near Kashi and bid a sad farewell to their children. But they were happy that their task was done. They now saw the meaning to the vision that Siddhopant and Vitthalpant had seen, the vision of Panduranga, and they realized that Panduranga himself had blessed them by taking birth in their family.
Now what to say of Panduranga? In the form of Nivritthi,Jnanadeva, Mukthabai and Sopana they left on a piligrimage with Jnana the buffalo following them.
I bow with reverence to Shree Vitthalpant and Rukmini bai and to the Lord who manifested in sagun form as Nivritthinath,Jnanadeva,Sopana and Muktha Bai.
Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari!
Shree Anantha Koti Brahmanda Nayaka Raja dhi Raja Yogiraja Parabrahma Shree Sat Chit Aananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj ki Jai!
Bow to Shree Sai! Peace be to all!
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