Panduranga - 3

Monday, September 17, 2012

      Radhekrishna! We saw that the king realised the greatness of the Guru. He now approached the Lord and fell at His feet.The king held on to the feet of the deity and cried. He was moved by the Lord's mercy and beauty. He was reluctant to be separated from Him. He pleaded with Panduranga to come with him. Panduranga was moved by his devotion and agreed to go with him to Vidyaranyanagaram. The king took the Lord with him back to his country. 
      Now this was something the people of Pandarpur never expected. They were shocked at the The whole town of Pandarpur cried. We have become orphans now. What mistake have we done to dessert us like this, they cried. Many devotees went to Vidyaranyanagaram trying to bring back Panduranga. But the king firmly held the Lord with his devotion. So they had to settle down there for His sake. At last a great mahan happened to come to Pandarpur. To his surprise there was no presence of the Lord in the temple. He enquired and the people told him everything. Pandarpur with out Panduranga looked deserted and empty. All of them were living with a hope that He will be back here some day. Seeing their plight the mahan started for Vidyaranyanagaram.

         He saw that the King had kept the Lord in his palace itself. He was doing all services to the deity with great love. The mahan understood that it would be very difficult to move Panduranga from this place. He began to chant continuously in his heart. With great fervor he began to chant Panduranga. At night he reached in front of the temple. He found that the doors were kept open. He walked straight inside and stood in front of Panduranga. Panduranga smiled at him as if to say ‘ah have you come at last?’ The mahan burst out to the Lord. ‘You are not fair in asking that question having left your place. What have you done to the poor devotees who were so much attached to you?  Don’t you know they have nobody else but you? How much faith they had in you? Is it fair on your part o have deserted them like this? Even a grass blade there is feeling your absence very much. Now You start immediately to Pandarpur.’ He was firm in his demand.  Panduranga replied that the king’s devotion has tied Him up here. The Brahmin retorted that he knew Bhagavan’s tricks. “You only give devotion, You only make somebody do something and finally You put the blame on poor devotees. Enough of your pranks! Now behave yourselves and come back!’
    The Lord revealed His helplessness. He had promised the king that He would leave the country if the king did any sin. Until then He would remain there only. The king was very careful and never did any mistake at all! The Lord gave the Brahmin a diamond necklace He was wearing and asked him to go back. The mahan started non stop chanting of the nama and went away to a dark corner in the town. Dawn came. The king walked in, removed the nirmalya flowers from the deity. Suddenly he noticed that a diamond necklace was missing from the Lord’s chest. He was very much upset and immediately started enquiry. Someone informed him that a Brahmin had come here very late the previous night. The king immediately ordered for a search around to bring the Brahmin in. The Brahmin was found out and brought before the king. The king saw the Brahmin was wearing the diamond necklace on his chest. Enraged the king immediately ordered him to be killed. There was no enquiry on the matter.
       The culprit would be made to sit on a sharp wooden sword. The weight of the body would pull down the sword inch by inch, until the body is cut into two. The most terrible way to die was sentenced for the Brahmin. The Brahmin was locked up in the jail. Before he was hanged the sentry asked him if he had some last wishes. The Brahmin said he wanted to meet the one who was behind pushing him into the jail. Surprised by his answer the man asked who that person was. The Brahmin replied that it was only Panduranga in the King’s palace who was responsible for pushing him into jail. According to his last wish he was taken into the temple. He stood in front of Panduranga and said “Panduranga! I cant understand this leela of yours. Whatever be it I pray only that Your form should be in my eyes till I close them. I shouldn’t forget this divine form at the time of terrible pain. I don’t feel sorry that I am being punished for wearing Your diamond necklace. I am only happy to be a part of your divine leela”
        So saying he prostrated before the deity.  Pandurangan could feel tears welling up in His eyes. The Brahmin was brought to the gallows and made to sit on the sharp wooden sword. He kept on chanting the nama. To the utter surprise of everybody the wooden sword started growing leaves and branches holding the body of the Brahmin up. Bewildered the guards ran to the king and informed him. He rushed to the spot and released the Brahmin from his ties. He enquired who he was. The Brahmin replied the same Panduranga who had come with him had brought him to this place. He only gifted his necklace to him. Otherwise the Brahmin had no need for a diamond necklace in his life. Seeing the brahmin’s face the king realised he had made some mistake. He took the Brahmin to Panduranga. The Lord smiled at them and told the king that He was now leaving. Bewildered the king asked why He wanted to leave him. The Lord replied that the king had promised to Him that if he made some mistake the Lord can go back. The king understood His trick and pleaded why He enacted the whole drama. The Lord replied that though the King’s devotion tied Him down here, the people of Pandarpur were very much upset over His long absence. Moreover Rukmini devi too was praying repeatedly to come back. Unless the king made some mistake He couldn’t leave this country as promised. So He planned this divine leela. He blessed the king to spend the rest of his life in His divine memories.Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!

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