Lila Vinodha! (Conjurer of Divine Plays)
Part I

Part I    Part II    Part III

The work of many an artiste that we come across in today’s world is influenced by some other artiste. A musician sings like another musician. A writer’s work bears semblance to the work of another writer. Even a ‘upanyãsaka’ (one who performs discourse) discourses just like another. In such cases it is not only the style of presentation that is copied but also the subject matters. This is only as a result of want of imagination! All these days I had thought that it was only humans who were like this (due to lack of imagination copied from others). But, even Bhagavãn is like this! It is the nature of Bhagavãn to conduct innumerable divine plays (Lila) in the case of His devotees. Such a Bhagãvan does not appear to perform new Lilas in the matter of His Bhaktãs!

In the village of Tiruvisanallur in South India lived Sridharayyãvãl, a Mahatma. He followed Bhãgavata Dharma and was a great Siva Bhakta. He performed incessant japa of Siva Nãma (Name of Lord Siva). A native of Mysore he later he moved to Tiruvisanallur and lived there. He was an adept in all the Shastrãs. Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra, Sri Bhagavan Nãma Bodendra, Sridharayyavãl were all contemporaries. Sridharayãvãl was deeply compassionate.

Once, a householder came searching for Sridharayãvãl to learn about the expiation ceremony to be performed for a sin that he had committed. But, Ayyãvãl (Sridharayãvãl) sent him away to find somebody else for this. The householder asked him the reason for sending him away thus. Sridharayãvãl explained, “Everything in the world appears to be ‘Sivaswaroopa’ (very form of Siva). Only if I deem you to be a sinner can I offer any expiation rites for it!” and sent him away.

Once, Ayyãvãl had to perform ‘shrãrdha’ (annual death rites for the parents). It was Karthika (Tamizh month) Amãvãsya (New Moon) day. Food was being prepared in connection with this day. Just then Ayyãvãl found a worn out poor woman with her baby at his doorstep. She was tired due to hunger. As per the Shastrãs no outsider should be offered food on this day. Ayyãvãl had no desire to disobey the Shastrãs. But, at the same time he was unable to bear the plight of the woman and her baby.

He offered them the variety of food and dishes that had been prepared for the ‘shrãrdha’. The angered Brahmins of the ‘agrahãra’ (the street occupied by Brahmins in a village/Town that has Lord Siva temple at one end and Lord Vishnu temple at the other) refused to conduct the ‘shrãrdha’ ceremony for him. However, the Trinity (Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva) conducted the ‘pitru karma’ without any impediment. Everyone in the ‘agrahãra’ was wonderstruck.

Sridharayyãval enquired of the Brahmins, “What is the atonement for this (offering food to outsider on ‘shrãrdha’ day)? The Brahmins said, “Bathing in the Ganga is the only atonement for this.” Sridharayyãvãl prayed to Bhagirata and composed ‘Gangãshtaka’ (eight verses on the Holy Ganges). At once, Ganga began to swell up in the well of his home and the village was about to be drowned in floods! He prayed again and Ganga subsided in the same well!

There was a popular village by name Pratishtãnapura in Maharãshtra. A Mahatma by name Ekanãtha lived there. Taking shelter under a Guru by name Janãrdhana swami, he offered himself at the service of this Guru for 12 long years. He was well learned in the Shãstrãs. He was a wealthy man. He has written many ‘grantãs’ (Holy Texts) in Marathi language. He was the first to formulate the tradition Hari Katha rendering. One of the ‘Ãtma gunãs’ (meritorious quality) that he possessed was that he never lost his temper under any circumstance.

The most prominent happening in his life was that Bhagavãn Dwãrakãpathi (Lord of Dwãraka - Krishna) Himself served him (Ekanãth) for 12 years just as he (Ekanãth) had very devotedly serviced his Guru for 12 long years.

Once, Ekanãth also offered food for the poor on ‘shrãrdha’ day, which goes against the Shãstrãs. The enraged Brahmins of Pratishtãnapura refused to conduct the ‘shrãrdha’ for him. The Trinity themselves took human form and conducted the ‘pitru kãrya’ for him. Ekanãth prayed to the Brahmins to conduct the atonement ceremony for going against the Shãstrãs and all arrangements in this context were made.

Just at that time a man afflicted with the dreaded leprosy arrived there. This man narrated his story, “I belong to a wealthy family. My family has thrown me out of home because of this disease that I have contracted. Saddened (at the turn of events) I went Triyambaka Kshetra and meditated upon Lord Siva there. The Lord appeared to me and said, “If you drink the water that had been used to wash the feet of Ekanãtha swami living in Pratishtãnapura this disease will disappear.” The man who had contracted leprosy did the same (drank the water that washed the feet of Ekanãth). Surprisingly the disease disappeared and he turned young. All the natives of the village learnt the glory of Ekanãth.

It appears that Bhagavãn also, bereft of knowledge of new Lilas, performs the same Lilas repeatedly in the case of His Bhaktãs!

To be continued...

Part I    Part II    Part III

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