Post by jksivan on Aug 14, 2013 20:19:24 GMT 5.5
VITOBA THE NECTAR
9. BOATMAN
Dear Children
After reading the previous stories, I am sure, by now you would have realised a similarity in all these stories. What is it? The appearance of Vittal! You may wonder how is it possible for GOD to appear as human. The answer is firm faith in HIM. HE always answers his sincere devotee's prayers. This is yet another story to prove this point.
There was a very old lady with no family. She earned her living by selling idly. Her name was Koma Bai. While preparing idly, she would sing bhajans on Pandurangan. She lived under a tree. She had only one goal in her life and guess what it is? Yes. Visit Pandaripuram temple and have a darshan of Vittal.
Wishing to see Vittalan on a Ekadasi day, she started on her journey to Pandaripuram. Slowly she walked up to Chandrabagha river. She had heard from people that the temple was on the other side of the river. So she had to cross the river. How to cross the river when it was heavily flooded? Definitely she cannot wait for the floods to subside if she wanted to have the Ekadasi Darshan.
She was standing on the river bank for a long time. She saw a boat at a distance. She waited for it to come near her and asked the young boatman "can you please take me to the other side?". The boatman asked "give me one rupee and I will take you." Poor old lady replied "I do not have money. What shall I do?". The boatman refused to take her for free and went back. Behind the river bank was a big forest with wild animals. She was scared of the wild animals which would come to the river for drinking water. In the meantime, she saw many people crossing the river in boats and begged for help. But no one bothered.
It was getting dark.
She begged the boatman again "please take me to the other side at least on your last trip. It is very dark and I am so scared".
The boatman answered "let me see at that time. Now you go". Poor old lady. What could she do? She heard all kinds of noises from the forest and thought that some wild animal would kill her.
She was murmuring to herself "How nice it would be if I can go to Pandaripuram and die?
The boatman did not come from the other side of the bank.
May be he stayed there itself. Hey Vittal! I am very unlucky". As she completed her sentence, she saw the boatman coming towards herself singing songs.
As soon as he saw her, he called "come grandmother! come very fast. I am going to leave soon. This is the last trip for the day."
She got into the boat and said "you are a nice person. You are taking an old lady with no money to Pandaripuram temple. Tomorrow, somehow, I will give you the money at least by begging" and thanked him whole heartedly. Komabai went to the temple and had wonderful darshan of Vittal and was very satisfied.
After the darshan, she sat outside the temple singing bhajans. Many people gave her money. With that she came to the bank and saw the boatman. She went near him and gave him the money. The boatman was surprised to see her and asked her "how did you come here?"
She replied "you are the one who brought me here last night in your last trip. Have you forgotten that?"
The boatman was astonished "did I? No I did not bring you".
Something struck the old lady and she rushed back to the temple with tears in her eyes. Yes. You guessed it right. It was Vittal who came as the boatman to help his devotee.
Now children! Are you convinced that GOD always answers his devotee's sincere prayers?
9. BOATMAN
Dear Children
After reading the previous stories, I am sure, by now you would have realised a similarity in all these stories. What is it? The appearance of Vittal! You may wonder how is it possible for GOD to appear as human. The answer is firm faith in HIM. HE always answers his sincere devotee's prayers. This is yet another story to prove this point.
There was a very old lady with no family. She earned her living by selling idly. Her name was Koma Bai. While preparing idly, she would sing bhajans on Pandurangan. She lived under a tree. She had only one goal in her life and guess what it is? Yes. Visit Pandaripuram temple and have a darshan of Vittal.
Wishing to see Vittalan on a Ekadasi day, she started on her journey to Pandaripuram. Slowly she walked up to Chandrabagha river. She had heard from people that the temple was on the other side of the river. So she had to cross the river. How to cross the river when it was heavily flooded? Definitely she cannot wait for the floods to subside if she wanted to have the Ekadasi Darshan.
She was standing on the river bank for a long time. She saw a boat at a distance. She waited for it to come near her and asked the young boatman "can you please take me to the other side?". The boatman asked "give me one rupee and I will take you." Poor old lady replied "I do not have money. What shall I do?". The boatman refused to take her for free and went back. Behind the river bank was a big forest with wild animals. She was scared of the wild animals which would come to the river for drinking water. In the meantime, she saw many people crossing the river in boats and begged for help. But no one bothered.
It was getting dark.
She begged the boatman again "please take me to the other side at least on your last trip. It is very dark and I am so scared".
The boatman answered "let me see at that time. Now you go". Poor old lady. What could she do? She heard all kinds of noises from the forest and thought that some wild animal would kill her.
She was murmuring to herself "How nice it would be if I can go to Pandaripuram and die?
The boatman did not come from the other side of the bank.
May be he stayed there itself. Hey Vittal! I am very unlucky". As she completed her sentence, she saw the boatman coming towards herself singing songs.
As soon as he saw her, he called "come grandmother! come very fast. I am going to leave soon. This is the last trip for the day."
She got into the boat and said "you are a nice person. You are taking an old lady with no money to Pandaripuram temple. Tomorrow, somehow, I will give you the money at least by begging" and thanked him whole heartedly. Komabai went to the temple and had wonderful darshan of Vittal and was very satisfied.
After the darshan, she sat outside the temple singing bhajans. Many people gave her money. With that she came to the bank and saw the boatman. She went near him and gave him the money. The boatman was surprised to see her and asked her "how did you come here?"
She replied "you are the one who brought me here last night in your last trip. Have you forgotten that?"
The boatman was astonished "did I? No I did not bring you".
Something struck the old lady and she rushed back to the temple with tears in her eyes. Yes. You guessed it right. It was Vittal who came as the boatman to help his devotee.
Now children! Are you convinced that GOD always answers his devotee's sincere prayers?