The realized saints and gurus all over the world are a class apart from general mankind. The Light of Divinity shines through them very clearly and its brilliance lights up their lives and the lives of people around them. The actions performed by such saints has immense added value due to their altered state of being and the vibrating love of God within them. Offerings made to them also have similar increased value. This is an incident from the life of Eknath – a Saint from Maharashtra, which illustrates this truth:
Eknath was born in Paithan, which was the centre of brahmanical learning and orthodoxy of those days. His great grandfather was a well known saint – Sant Bhanudas and his Guru was the famous Janardana Swami. He studied classical texts under his Guru and later on wrote many books and abhangas which are studied and sung even today. Janardana Swami encouraged his disciple to write in Marathi – which was the common language of the masses of Maharashtra, so that more people could have access to spiritual knowledge and wisdom.
As per the instructions of his Guru, Eknath married and had a very spiritual and supportive wife. He was a householder and yet lived a life of detachment. He achieved complete renunciation in the midst of worldly activities. He gave discourses in Marathi and sang abhangas which were very popular and well attended by the people. This attracted the attention and anger of the orthodox society of those days. His most important work was Eknathi Bhagvat which is the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Uddhava. He started this work in Paithan and it was completed in Varanasi in unusual circumstances. One of the disciples of Eknath took the finished verses and recited them on the banks of Ganges in Varanasi. The pundits of Varanasi took objection to the words of the Lord being spoken in lowly language and called it polluted work. Eknath was summoned to Varanasi. He was asked to recite his work before the most learned pundits in Varanasi and judgement was to be pronounced on his work. The pundits put up a cloth in between them and Eknath so that they would not be polluted by his words or presence. Eknath recited his work and the words were so spiritual and the mystical imagery so moving that the chief pundit tore the cloth down and when Eknath finished reciting, all of them gave him a standing ovation. The chief pundit asked Eknath to complete his work in Varanasi. After completion of his work, it was placed on the back of a decked elephant and paraded in the streets of Varanasi to honour it.
Eknath faced conflict with his own son Hari Pundit. Hari Pundit resented his father preaching in Marathi and eating food in low caste homes. He left home and went away to Varanasi and did not return. Eknath followed him and brought him back home on the condition that he would not give discourses in Marathi and also give up his unorthodox ways. Hari Pundit started his discourses in Sanskrit and no one attended them while his father received daily requests for discourses and sankirtans (singing the name of the Lord).
One day, an old widow came to visit Eknath. She wished to feed a thousand brahmins but had no money to do so. She believed that feeding Eknath was equal to feeding a thousand. So she begged him to accept her request. Her condition was so pitiable that even Hari Pundit was moved by her state. He agreed to allow his father on two conditions: that he cooked the food and he would be present when the meal was served. Eknath agreed and on the date fixed, both father and son were present at the old widow’s home. Hari Pundit cooked the meal and served. Eknath sat down to eat and the old woman quietly slipped in a dish which she had prepared. Hari Pundit was angry but kept quiet. After the meal, Eknath requested his son to pick up the leaf plate on which the food was served so as to save the old woman the effort of doing so. Hari Pundit did so and beneath the first plate he found another. He thought that by mistake he had served food on two plates. When he picked up the second plate, he found another plate underneath and more. Hari Pundit picked up a thousand plates totally. He was thunderstruck and fell at his father’s feet and sought forgiveness. His father was worth a thousand brahmins and more.
Mere knowledge of Sanskrit and scriptures are not enough. We must have bhakti and humility. Eknath forgave his son and resumed his discourses and sankirtans. Eknath lived an ideal life and is benchmark for those who strive to live an exemplary life. Let us follow the practices of SitaRam Mantra, meditation and the teachings of the Guru and develop deep bhakti and humility.
