Post by jksivan on Aug 14, 2013 20:20:59 GMT 5.5
VITOBA THE NECTAR
10. Boy Who was lost
He was a very good boy and since chidhood he had a great bhakthi for Vittal. His name was Banudasan. He came from a very orthodox family. His father was an ardent devotee of Pandurangan. As per the tradition, the father performed Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony) for Banudasan. Just like every father, he also had a lot of expectations from his son. He wanted his son to learn all the veda shastras and become a famous scholar. According to his family tradition, he sent his son to a Patashala. Those days, Patashala was the teaching school where children learnt the veda shastras from scholars called Guru. It is not the school like what you attend now a days. It is the house of the teacher. The students will be brought to the house of the teacher and he will accept them as part of his family.The students will stay, eat, do all the chores for the teacher's family, serve the teacher and his family members and learn what they want from the teacher. It was also known as Gurukula vasam. It may take some years for the student to complete the learning until the teacher is satisfied that there is nothing more to learn, when the student will return back to the family.
But Banudasan did not have any interest in studies. When the father came to know of this, he got very angry. Fearing his father's wrath, Banudasan ran away from the house.
He walked a long distance and at night went into a forest. It was so dark and he was very scared. He looked around and luckily found a temple which was half buried in the earth.
It looked like an underground temple. He went in slowly and saw a beautiful statue of Mahavishnu. Remember his father was a devotee of Pandurangan and Pandurangan is none other than a manifestation of Mahavishnu?. He also liked Mahavishnu and prostrated. He chanted whatever prayers he knew very sincerely. Mahavishnu was very much impressed by the boy's devotion and appeared in front of him as an old brahmin.
The old man asked the boy "child! why did you come to this forest?" The boy did not answer. Instead, he was crying.
Again the old man asked "did you eat anything?" The boy replied "No. I have not eaten. I am very hungry". Taking pity on the boy, the old man said "come. Take this pot. There is milk in this pot and there are some fruits in this bag. Eat and drink. Then sleep. Do not be afraid. I am here to take care of you". Thus saying, the old man went.
At the boy's home, his father searched for him everywhere. The father promised to the mother "let him come home. I will not scold him. I will not ask him to go to patashala.". Worrying for their son, both parents have been praying to Pandurangan and did not eat well.
Seven days have gone. The boy in the forest was very happy with the food given by the old man and stayed in the temple. He learnt more prayers and was chanting them to pass the time. One day, he came out of the temple and went into the forest. One person coming from the boy's town saw the boy though the boy did not notice him. That man went to the boy's father and told him about his son found to be roaming in the forest.
Next moment, the father ran to the forest with people from the town. They all searched for him. Finally they went into the underground temple and saw the boy sleeping. He was sleeping, with his head on the holy feet of Mahavishnu.
The father woke the boy up and asked "why did you leave us? How did you manage to live in this forest? Where did you get food?". The boy replied "Father! an old man used to come every day with food and that is how I have been surviving in this forest". Immediately the father realised who else could come as old man other than his favourite God Pandurangan.
Banudasan returned home with his father and his forest life has changed him completely. Pandurangan played an important role in shaping his life also. Now what could it be? Well. Let us wait for the next story to unfold.
10. Boy Who was lost
He was a very good boy and since chidhood he had a great bhakthi for Vittal. His name was Banudasan. He came from a very orthodox family. His father was an ardent devotee of Pandurangan. As per the tradition, the father performed Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony) for Banudasan. Just like every father, he also had a lot of expectations from his son. He wanted his son to learn all the veda shastras and become a famous scholar. According to his family tradition, he sent his son to a Patashala. Those days, Patashala was the teaching school where children learnt the veda shastras from scholars called Guru. It is not the school like what you attend now a days. It is the house of the teacher. The students will be brought to the house of the teacher and he will accept them as part of his family.The students will stay, eat, do all the chores for the teacher's family, serve the teacher and his family members and learn what they want from the teacher. It was also known as Gurukula vasam. It may take some years for the student to complete the learning until the teacher is satisfied that there is nothing more to learn, when the student will return back to the family.
But Banudasan did not have any interest in studies. When the father came to know of this, he got very angry. Fearing his father's wrath, Banudasan ran away from the house.
He walked a long distance and at night went into a forest. It was so dark and he was very scared. He looked around and luckily found a temple which was half buried in the earth.
It looked like an underground temple. He went in slowly and saw a beautiful statue of Mahavishnu. Remember his father was a devotee of Pandurangan and Pandurangan is none other than a manifestation of Mahavishnu?. He also liked Mahavishnu and prostrated. He chanted whatever prayers he knew very sincerely. Mahavishnu was very much impressed by the boy's devotion and appeared in front of him as an old brahmin.
The old man asked the boy "child! why did you come to this forest?" The boy did not answer. Instead, he was crying.
Again the old man asked "did you eat anything?" The boy replied "No. I have not eaten. I am very hungry". Taking pity on the boy, the old man said "come. Take this pot. There is milk in this pot and there are some fruits in this bag. Eat and drink. Then sleep. Do not be afraid. I am here to take care of you". Thus saying, the old man went.
At the boy's home, his father searched for him everywhere. The father promised to the mother "let him come home. I will not scold him. I will not ask him to go to patashala.". Worrying for their son, both parents have been praying to Pandurangan and did not eat well.
Seven days have gone. The boy in the forest was very happy with the food given by the old man and stayed in the temple. He learnt more prayers and was chanting them to pass the time. One day, he came out of the temple and went into the forest. One person coming from the boy's town saw the boy though the boy did not notice him. That man went to the boy's father and told him about his son found to be roaming in the forest.
Next moment, the father ran to the forest with people from the town. They all searched for him. Finally they went into the underground temple and saw the boy sleeping. He was sleeping, with his head on the holy feet of Mahavishnu.
The father woke the boy up and asked "why did you leave us? How did you manage to live in this forest? Where did you get food?". The boy replied "Father! an old man used to come every day with food and that is how I have been surviving in this forest". Immediately the father realised who else could come as old man other than his favourite God Pandurangan.
Banudasan returned home with his father and his forest life has changed him completely. Pandurangan played an important role in shaping his life also. Now what could it be? Well. Let us wait for the next story to unfold.