Saturday, March 29, 2008

Reminiscences of Sri Brahmachaithanya Maharaj

Love of Senses May Lurk Under Even a Good Intent.

Once four disciples of the well-known Saint Gulabrao visited Sri Maharaj to pay their respects. Accompanying them was a man who had no sight. One of them said to Sri Maharaj. “ You are said to have brought a dead body to life on the Manikarnika ghat”(one of the ghats on the ganga). This gentleman with us is totally blind. His sole wish, if he were to regain his sight, is to read the sacred Jnaneshwari. We request you to bless him with the sense of sight.” Thereupon Sri Maharaj replied,” It is incorrect to say that I brought a dead body to life on the Manikarnika ghat. If I had that power, none from my village, Gondavale, need to die. Yet people do die there as a matter of course. When that particular body came back to life, it was ordained that it be so: besides, it was the rare event of Kapilashasti ( a day marked by combination of six astronomical specialities). Sri Rama wished to bestow life on it. He only made me an instrument, and the dead body came to life. I cannot in the least be credited with doer ship of the deed. You now wish me to bestow sight on this blind man. Assuming I were to do so, can you guarantee that he will not look at any other object whatever?. Obviously you cannot do so. Please do not think that I have given a lawyer’s reply only to silence you. Your guru was blind from birth. Yet he used to place his hand on the Jnyaneshwari and was able to read it. Let this blind person develop a similar yearning by ardently worshipping his guru. If he does so, I guarantee that he will be able to read the Jnyaneshwari merely by placing his hand on it, like your guru.”

(From the book Reminiscences of Sri Sadguru Brahmachaithanya Maharaj,by Shri L.G. Marathe, and translated by Dr.A.G.Damle and Shri M.D.Sawai.

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