Spiritual gifts-Proving his innocence
>> Friday, July 2, 2010
This tale is from a small village in Rajasthan. According to the local legend, this incident happened about a hundred and fifty years back. We may say recent times comparatively.
There was a sage (sadhu), who resided in a small hut on the outskirt of a small village. The sage was highly respected in and around the village. He never asked for anything, had no belongings in his hut except for a few clothes and a vessel (kamandal). He never accepted anything even if offered, survived on fruits from nearby jungle and that too once in a day. He was particularly kind to children and it was said that he cured children by merely touching their forehead. Resultant, he was known as Bachebaba. Naturally, women devotees flocked around his hut most of the time.
One day, Baba saved a young woman who was about to jump in a well. Upon asking, she broke down and said that she was unmarried and pregnant. Baba understood, didn’t ask further questions and offered her shelter in his hut. The woman’s pregnancy was visibly apparent and worried what to reply if people asked about the child’s father. Baba calmly told her to name him as the child’s father.
Initially, people accepted and even praised the sage for helping out the woman in distress. But slowly tongues started to wag with the help of vested interests and Baba’s integrity was suspected. In true fashion of a sage, Baba was immune (sthitapragna), never tried to explain anything to anybody. After a while, the child was born and the villagers had had enough if it. One day, the entire village gathered and confronted the sage. Villagers asked Baba either to vacate the village or prove his innocence. Baba remained calm as usual. He just asked the villagers how they wanted him to prove his innocence, more so, of the young lady.
There was a dead puppy lying around. One villager, particularly jealous of the sage, asked him to revive the dead puppy. Baba closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment and then explained that that would amount to going against the wishes of God and to think again. The villagers were adamant thinking that Baba was trying to avoid the issue.
Bachebaba finally said: “If I do what you bid, do you, the entire village, promise to take good care of the young lady and her child, and that too, with respect?”
The villagers promise but asked the reason. The baba said that after that day he intended to leave the village. So the woman and the child would have to be taken care of. One young follower of the baba promised to marry the woman if the baba changed his mind about leaving the village.
The baba set in meditation. The puppy was lying near baba’s feet. Seconds passed, minutes passed, and then hours. The villagers saw that the baba was now in Samadhi (deep in dhyana), absolutely motionless, and at the same time they noticed that the puppy was slowly trying to breath and had a little movement. The sky was filled with pleasant shouts of “Bache baba ki jai, Bache baba ki jai”.
Once again they fell on the Baba’s feet and asked for his forgiveness. But, the baba was no more. The villagers now realized their mistake and started to cry. It was too late. The baba had willed his life into the dead puppy. The villagers now understood why the baba had askead them to take care of the mother and the child. Instead of the kind, helpful and heavenly baba, all they were left with was the puppy. They acted in haste and repented.
To this day there is a little memorial (khambhi) in that village and Bache baba’s name is faintly visible.
There was a sage (sadhu), who resided in a small hut on the outskirt of a small village. The sage was highly respected in and around the village. He never asked for anything, had no belongings in his hut except for a few clothes and a vessel (kamandal). He never accepted anything even if offered, survived on fruits from nearby jungle and that too once in a day. He was particularly kind to children and it was said that he cured children by merely touching their forehead. Resultant, he was known as Bachebaba. Naturally, women devotees flocked around his hut most of the time.
One day, Baba saved a young woman who was about to jump in a well. Upon asking, she broke down and said that she was unmarried and pregnant. Baba understood, didn’t ask further questions and offered her shelter in his hut. The woman’s pregnancy was visibly apparent and worried what to reply if people asked about the child’s father. Baba calmly told her to name him as the child’s father.
Initially, people accepted and even praised the sage for helping out the woman in distress. But slowly tongues started to wag with the help of vested interests and Baba’s integrity was suspected. In true fashion of a sage, Baba was immune (sthitapragna), never tried to explain anything to anybody. After a while, the child was born and the villagers had had enough if it. One day, the entire village gathered and confronted the sage. Villagers asked Baba either to vacate the village or prove his innocence. Baba remained calm as usual. He just asked the villagers how they wanted him to prove his innocence, more so, of the young lady.
There was a dead puppy lying around. One villager, particularly jealous of the sage, asked him to revive the dead puppy. Baba closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment and then explained that that would amount to going against the wishes of God and to think again. The villagers were adamant thinking that Baba was trying to avoid the issue.
Bachebaba finally said: “If I do what you bid, do you, the entire village, promise to take good care of the young lady and her child, and that too, with respect?”
The villagers promise but asked the reason. The baba said that after that day he intended to leave the village. So the woman and the child would have to be taken care of. One young follower of the baba promised to marry the woman if the baba changed his mind about leaving the village.
The baba set in meditation. The puppy was lying near baba’s feet. Seconds passed, minutes passed, and then hours. The villagers saw that the baba was now in Samadhi (deep in dhyana), absolutely motionless, and at the same time they noticed that the puppy was slowly trying to breath and had a little movement. The sky was filled with pleasant shouts of “Bache baba ki jai, Bache baba ki jai”.
Once again they fell on the Baba’s feet and asked for his forgiveness. But, the baba was no more. The villagers now realized their mistake and started to cry. It was too late. The baba had willed his life into the dead puppy. The villagers now understood why the baba had askead them to take care of the mother and the child. Instead of the kind, helpful and heavenly baba, all they were left with was the puppy. They acted in haste and repented.
To this day there is a little memorial (khambhi) in that village and Bache baba’s name is faintly visible.
0 comments:
Post a Comment