Siddhamuni tells Namdharak how Sri Narasimha Saraswati lovingly counseled the pundits to desist from discussion and arguing (doing Vada) about the sacred truths of the Vedas in public, for gaining personals aggrandizement, and specially Sanyasis (renunciates) like him are not the people who would enter into debate with any, on the sacred lore. Their duty is to contemplate on the Vedic & Upanishadic truths in seclusion and solitude. He warned and told them that if they still persisted in their challenge and insisted on a debate, it was tantamount to courting their own ruin like the patang (glow-worms) hovering around the lamp and playing with fire, meet their self-destruction. As pundits were still unheeding, Sri Narasimha Saraswati decided to humble their pride and punish them.
Sri Narasimha Saraswati beckoned to one of His disciples, asked him to go out into the street, and call the man who was just passing by. The man was brought in. The man bowed to Guru Nath in all humility and showing great respect and veneration. He was however feeling perplexed; he belonged to a low caste and was at a loss to understand why he was called into the august presence of Guru Nath.
Sri Narasimha Saraswati asked him what caste he belonged to. The man told him he was a Matang (Harijan). Sri Narasimha Saraswati glanced at him with his look of Grace and pouring out nectarine love. That was enough to metamorphose instantly the Matang completely. Sri Narasimha Saraswati gave his danda, yogic staff, to one of his disciples standing by. He asked him to draw seven lines, one after the other on the ground in front of Matanga. After that, he asked the Matanga to step forward and cross the first line. When the Matanga did so, Guru Nath asked him to what caste he belonged. The man replied he belonged to Kirat Vamsa (the hunter caste) and his name was Van Rakha. He then asked him to cross line after line. After second line was crossed, he asked him the same question as before. The man replied he was then Ganga Putra (.i.e, belonging to the fishermen community). After the next line, he said he belonged to the Sudra caste. After the fifth line, he said he belonged to the Vaisya caste (.ie, to the merchant community). After the sixth line, he said he belonged to the Kshatriya caste (ie., to the warrior community). After crossing the seventh line, he said he belonged to the Brahmin caste and devoted and dedicated to the Vedic Adhyayan.
Sri Narasimha Saraswati then grace sacred ash (after charging it with Mantra) to besmeared all over the body of the Matanga - now turned into Brahmin of high Vedic learning, by mere look of grace from Guru Nath. And as the debate started, the Brahmin turned Matanga was arguing and reciting Vedic Mantras as Brihaspati or Brahmadeva himself. The foolish pundit's tongues were parched, they were perspiring profusely and their limbs were shaking. The fell at Guru Nat's feet and begged to be forgiven for their pride and arrogance in not heeding to his advice, in their ignorance and foolishness.
Sri Narasimha Saraswati said with compassion, "I cannot help you much now. By your greedy desire to trade in the Vedas, you have drawn the Veda Mata's curse upon yourself. For a period of 12 years you will be turned into Brahma Rakshas but I bless you that you will be released from the curse then as you will happen to hear the recital of Narayana Sookta from a pious Brahmin, and then you will turn into Brahmins again. He asked to go to Sangam and take their bath. The Pundits fell down dead the same day.
Thus ends the Twenty Seventh chapter of Sri Guru Charitra describing the "the humbling of the pride of the pundits"
Glory to the All merciful, the Omnipresent and the ever responsive Guru Nath!
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