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Naraharisonar
Naraharisonar, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva,
lived in Pandaripuram. Though living in Pandaripuram
he had never once visited Pandarinathan's temple. He
held the principle of not to look at any god but Lord
Shiva. However, the chant of Lord Hari's names always
echoed throughout Pandaripuram. Naraharisonar had tied
two bells to his ears to avoid the chant falling in his
ears. The moment he learnt of anyone chanting "Hari" he
would ring the two bells tied to his ears and thus ensured
that the name of Lord Hari did not fall in his ears.
In this Pandaripuram there was a dilapidated Shiva temple.
Daily he would go there and conduct abishekha, pooja and
offer naivedya. He felt saddened that none in this Pandaripuram
bothered about his
Lord Shiva. Seeing the dilapidated state of the temple he
used to weep out of grief.
Naraharisonar was a very smart goldsmith. Once a very
rich man who was childless vowed to offer a gold kavacha to
Lord Panduranga
if he were to be blessed with a child. As his prayer was
answered, to fulfil the vow he had taken, he looked out
for a goldsmith who could make the best kavacha. As
everyone recommended Naraharisonar he approached him for this purpose.
But, Naraharisonar bluntly refused to make the jewel for
Lord Panduranga who was none other than Lord Vishnu. The
rich man, however, pleaded with Naraharisonar,"You need not
enter the temple. I shall bring the measurement for the jewel.
You can make it accordingly. If you would make this jewel I
shall renovate the Shiva temple and conduct its kumbabishekha."
Just on this condition
Naraharisonar agreed to make the jewel. He made the jewel
to the exact measurement provided, but when it was offered to
Lord Panduranga it turned out to be very small. The measurement
was taken once again and the jewel remade and offered. And this
time it turned out to be too big. The temple priests then declared
that the goldsmith himself should come and take the measurement for the jewel.
Naraharisonar stubbornly refused to enter the temple
premises. But then he was somehow pacified by the others.
He said,"whatever happens my feet should not touch the temple
ground. Never will I look at Panduranga with these eyes".
Blindfolding him,two persons carried him upto Panduranga
in a dholi (palanquin). It was then decided that he should
take the measurement for the jewel by feeling Panduranga
with his hands. When at first he touched Panduranga's head
he felt the matted hair, the flow of the Ganga and the
crescent moon. "Aha", he said,"isn't this Lord Shiva whom
I worship?" He quickly untied the cloth. But the great
Magician Panduranga stood there with his two hands held
at the waist and and an enchanting smile playing on his
lips. Naraharisonar quickly tied up the cloth to his eyes
and touched the chest only to feel the rudraksha and the
garland of skeletons. He once again untied the cloth only
to see Panduranga.
As this occurred over and over again the knowledge dawned on
Naraharisonar that it was only Lord Hari Himself who was present in everything.
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