In this chapter, Siddhamuni describes to Namdharak the Audambar Sthan Mahim, which remained undiminished and ever full, even after Guru Nath's departure from there to Gangapur. Guru Nath continues to reside there, but in his invisible form, and continues to shower his Grace on whoever offers worship to the Guru Padukas at the foot of the Audumber Tree on the banks of the Pancha Ganga confluence at Amarpur.
In a village Shrirolgrem, there lived a Brahmin couple. The woman gave birth to five sons, but unfortunately none survived. The woman was plunged in grief at the loss of all her sons and at the misfortune that not even a single child had survived. She started praying to Guru Nath that he should expiate her from her previous life's sins and save her.
One night Guru Nath appeared in her dream, in the guise of a Brahmin. He comforted and consoled her. He said that none can escape destiny, the consequences of deeds whether done knowingly or unknowingly. He told her further "In your previous life, there was one Brahmin of Saunaka Gotra. You borrowed one hundred rupees (sovereigns) from him which you did not repay. He was greatly upset about your non-payment and, in desperation, committed suicide. He became a ghost after his death and has been haunting you with vengeance in your present life, and he was the cause of the death of all your sons".
The woman prayed to the Brahmin who was talking to her in the dream to tell her how she could atone for it and get freed from the haunting by the ghost. The Brahmin told her. "when the brahmin died, he had none to perform his funeral rites. It is now past sixteen years since his death. You now arrange for the performance of atonement funeral rites for him and give in charity in the dead man's name the one hundred rupees you owed him, to any Brahmin belonging to his gotra (ie., the same Saunaka Gotra). After doing this, you will have to do a penance for a month as follows. You take your bath at the confluence of Panchaganga and Krishna rivers and do seven Pradakshinas around the Audumber Tree there, observing fast; you do the same again after Abhisheka to the Guru Padukas and offer your worship will all sincerity and devotion. If you do accordingly, all the sins of your past lives will be washed off and you will bear a noble and good son and your desire will be fulfilled".
To this, the woman replied "Oh Mahatma! I can do all the fasts and worship, but how can I repay the 1oo rupees. I am too poor to do that". After saying thus, she began sobbing. The Brahmin then replied, "Have faith in the Audumber, it is none else but the celestial KalpaVriksha. Through your worship to it, all good will accure you".
The next morning after the dream, she started on her month penance. She was fasting, and after taking bath in the holy confluence and other Teertha, PapaVinasini and Kamya Teertha, she was making Pradakshinas (circumbulations) around the Holy Audumber Tree and was doing Abhisheka and worship to the Guru Padukas. The third night after she started her penance, the Brahmin ghost reappeared in her dream and demanded from her immediate payment of the one hundred rupees. He was threatening he would throttle her neck if she did not pay him. In mortal fright, she started running towards the Audumber Tree. She found Guru Nath standing there. The ghost who was chasing her stopped suddenly seeing Guru Nath. The woman fell at Guru Nath' s Feet praying to be saved. Guru Nath looked at the ghost and said "Do not trouble her any longer. She took refuge at my feet and no harm would ever come to her thereafter. IF you give up your ill will against her, I will rescue you also. I will tell her to do atonement rites to you with whatever money she could manage, and relieve you from your present state. I bless you to attain to better state of life. The ghost was reconciled. Guru Nath told the woman "You start the atonement rites from tomorrow itself. You will be freed from the sin causing the Brahmin's death. After that, every day for a week, make seven Pradakshinas around the Audumber Tree. You will have a son who will live long". At this the woman suddenly woke up from her sleep felt greatly relieved.
She observed the instructions of Guru Nath meticulously and was freed from the persecution by the ghost forever.
Thereafter, one night, the woman had a dream in which Guru Nath gave her two coconuts and said "My child! you take these two coconuts.... You will have offspring and will have all happiness."
After the woman finished her worship as told by Guru Nath, she returned to her village. In course of the year, she gave birth to two sons. The woman and her husband were very happy.
The children grew up. As they attained the Upanayanam age, the parents were planning the celebration with great enthusiasm. But alas, the elder boy, just in his eight year, suddenly died after a very brief illness. The woman broke down in grief wailing. Her relatives tried to console here and were preparing to take the body for cremation as it was nearing sunset. But the woman did not allow them to remove the body. She was blaming Guru Nath that although he gave her two sons, he snatched away one of them without showing any mercy. She said "is this the repayment you do to me, after all my vigils, fasts and worship? It is nothing but madness on my part. I will end my life and join my dead son". At this juncture, brahmachari came over there; he was trying to comfort and console her, talking to her about the immortality of the spirit, and the evanescence of the body. Can you guess who was this visitor, the Brahmachari? He was none else but Sri Guru Nath himself! He came in the guise of the Brahmachari.
Thus ends the Twentieth chapter of Sri Guru Charitra describing "the Brahma Samandh Parihar'.
Glory to the All merciful, the Omnipresent and the ever responsive Guru Nath!
(Reading should not be broken after this chapter. The next chapter, ie chapter 21 also should be read together with this chapter. Actually from Chapters 10 to 21st are to be completed in one session, ie, in one day's sitting or duration) |
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