Post by jksivan on Oct 29, 2013 11:19:34 GMT 5.5
Dear Children
29. WHERE IS THE CHILD
We read a lot of stories about people, and we do not give much importance to the place and time relating to the persons lived there and then, but what is distinct in our memories is only about the persons involved in such stories, because the character of the person is strongly registered and makes impressions in our mind. That is why when we refer to the stories we just name the person around him the story revolves as the mark of identify. Is n't it? Our Krishna stories refers to many places and persons with whom Krishna interacted and visited, but we recognise only Krishna when we read these stories and just identify them as Krishna stories. If the character of the person is exemplary, something special and not usual, or common with the others we usually observe, he is naturally different and is remembered.
Likewise, any character of true devotion, faith and simplicity, whose close relationship with Vittal was well known is the key person of today's story. Now let us know about the great soul who lived by the name Gora Kumbar.
We do not know much about Gora Kumbar's parents or his birth place. However, we know that he was a potter. He used to knead the mud and make pots. Though this was his job, he always thought of Pandurangan and one could hear Vittalan's name being chanted by him while working and making pots, all the time.
In front of his house he had dug a big pit to collect all the clay mud. He would add water and mix it and stamp with his feet to prepare the clay to make the pots.
His wife's name was Shanthi. Shanthi gave birth to a baby boy. Even after the birth of their child , there was no change in Gora's way of life. He lived a life of a saint with the same devotion.
But Shanthi was very happy because of the child. She took very good care of the child but had to go out for shopping leaving the child whie he was sleeping or with Gora Kumbar inher absence. The child grew and was nearing one year old and she planned to celebrate his first birth anniversay shortly.
One day Shanthi had to go somewhere urgently. The baby boy was sleeping and so she decided to finisher her errands quickly before he wakes up. However she requested Gora to keep an eye on the sleeping child and attend to him when he wakes up until her return. Gora nodded as usual but nothing registerd in his mind as he was thinking of Vittal only.
As was customary for him and Gora Kumbar commenced his work by filling the pit with clay and mud and adequate water to prepare the clay suitable for pot making. He entered the pit and began pounding the mix by his feet stamping on it like dancing. His mind was fixed on Vittal and he closed his eyes and was singing abhangs and hymns on Pandurangan and was stamping the clay mix applying his full weight with force to make the clay soft.
Meanwhile, the child woke up and searched for the mother. Finding his mother no where near him, the child began searching for her. Being a child who can crawl on his fours, he got up from his bed and slowly came out of the room to the front yard. He saw his father in the pit dancing and wanted to join him.
When he was near the pit, he slipped and fell into the pit. The pit was full of pasty clay mixed with water and was more than enough to drown the child into the mixf. Unfortunately Gora Kumbar never noticed all this and was completely engrossed in his Vittal Nam bhajan stamping the mix forcefully. Amidst the lump of clay, the child was also crushed by his feet. The child already suffocated died under his feet. He never knew the difference as his mind was not there. For a long time he had been in the pit stamping and crushing the clay lumps and the body of the baby also got trampled .
When Shanthi came back he did not notice her and was continuing his job. She searched for the child. As the baby was no where to be found, she got panicky and shouted at Gora "Where is our child?"
Gora replied innocently "I do not know. I did not see him. May be he is sleeping inside".
Suddenly Shanthi saw the pit. She saw the mud mixed with blood and the child's blue colour dress. She understood what had happened. She went near the pit and traced the body of the child. The child was dead long ago. How could anyone console Shanthi?
She screamed at Gora Kumbar and he too cried loudly realising what he had done. ''I have murdered my own precious child. Vittal, please forgive me'' Both were crying for long helplessly.
At one stage, Shanthi, deprived of her precious child, became frustrated and questioned '' Vittal, is it proper on you? Always thinking of you, this Gora did not see the child and killed by stomping on the child. Is it not your duty to save the child then, Dont you have eyes?'' .
Gora Kumbar realised what he did. He was already very sad cursing his fate and dejected. However when Shanthi abused Vittal, Gora could not take it. He shouted ''Shanthi, stop it, dont talk ill of my Vittal'' and rushed to beat her. That time Shanthi screamed "I am ordering you by the name of Vittal! Do not touch me".
One may wonder how was it possible for a person not to notice the child. Sure the child would have screamed. How is it that he did not notice the difference between a child and a lump of clay?. These questions may arise in everyone's mind. But here these are not important. When a person goes deep into devotion, the person forgets everyone and everything around. Gora Kumbar trampled on the small child caught in the mud clay mix, like a machine which crushes everything, also crushing the operator's hand if he is careless.
Time passed as busily as ever. Both Gora Kumbar and wife lived a sad life because of the loss of child. Gora was always thinking of Vittal. Once Gora hurt his leg. When his wife Shanthi came to apply some medicine to his injured leg, Gora remembered her pledge in the name of Vittal ''dont touch me'' So he did not allow her near him. All these days since she declared it ''by the name of Vittal'' he ensured he did not touch her under any circumstance. They were leading such a mechanical life.
Shanthi was very much upset by such a meaningless life. She felt that they would never have a child again under such circumstances. So she went to her parents and cried. After discussion, both Shanthi and her father decided that Shanthi's younger sister Kami should be married to Gora Kumbar so that their life will change. When this was announced to Gora he did not react except saying whatever Vittal wished it will happen so. So he agreed for the marriage.
After Gora's marriage with Kami, Shanthi's father said to Gora "Now both my daughters are your wives. You should treat them equally". Gora promised he would treat them equally. So Gora treated Kami also in the same way as he treated Shanthi which meant that he would not allow either of them to touch him.!! Now see how fate is playing? Shanthi thought that Gora would be happy with her sister Kami as his wife and their life pattern would change. But things took a different turn.
Did Gora change his attitude towards his wives?
Did they have children?
Sure we will find answers to all these questions in the next story of Gora Kumbar.
29. WHERE IS THE CHILD
We read a lot of stories about people, and we do not give much importance to the place and time relating to the persons lived there and then, but what is distinct in our memories is only about the persons involved in such stories, because the character of the person is strongly registered and makes impressions in our mind. That is why when we refer to the stories we just name the person around him the story revolves as the mark of identify. Is n't it? Our Krishna stories refers to many places and persons with whom Krishna interacted and visited, but we recognise only Krishna when we read these stories and just identify them as Krishna stories. If the character of the person is exemplary, something special and not usual, or common with the others we usually observe, he is naturally different and is remembered.
Likewise, any character of true devotion, faith and simplicity, whose close relationship with Vittal was well known is the key person of today's story. Now let us know about the great soul who lived by the name Gora Kumbar.
We do not know much about Gora Kumbar's parents or his birth place. However, we know that he was a potter. He used to knead the mud and make pots. Though this was his job, he always thought of Pandurangan and one could hear Vittalan's name being chanted by him while working and making pots, all the time.
In front of his house he had dug a big pit to collect all the clay mud. He would add water and mix it and stamp with his feet to prepare the clay to make the pots.
His wife's name was Shanthi. Shanthi gave birth to a baby boy. Even after the birth of their child , there was no change in Gora's way of life. He lived a life of a saint with the same devotion.
But Shanthi was very happy because of the child. She took very good care of the child but had to go out for shopping leaving the child whie he was sleeping or with Gora Kumbar inher absence. The child grew and was nearing one year old and she planned to celebrate his first birth anniversay shortly.
One day Shanthi had to go somewhere urgently. The baby boy was sleeping and so she decided to finisher her errands quickly before he wakes up. However she requested Gora to keep an eye on the sleeping child and attend to him when he wakes up until her return. Gora nodded as usual but nothing registerd in his mind as he was thinking of Vittal only.
As was customary for him and Gora Kumbar commenced his work by filling the pit with clay and mud and adequate water to prepare the clay suitable for pot making. He entered the pit and began pounding the mix by his feet stamping on it like dancing. His mind was fixed on Vittal and he closed his eyes and was singing abhangs and hymns on Pandurangan and was stamping the clay mix applying his full weight with force to make the clay soft.
Meanwhile, the child woke up and searched for the mother. Finding his mother no where near him, the child began searching for her. Being a child who can crawl on his fours, he got up from his bed and slowly came out of the room to the front yard. He saw his father in the pit dancing and wanted to join him.
When he was near the pit, he slipped and fell into the pit. The pit was full of pasty clay mixed with water and was more than enough to drown the child into the mixf. Unfortunately Gora Kumbar never noticed all this and was completely engrossed in his Vittal Nam bhajan stamping the mix forcefully. Amidst the lump of clay, the child was also crushed by his feet. The child already suffocated died under his feet. He never knew the difference as his mind was not there. For a long time he had been in the pit stamping and crushing the clay lumps and the body of the baby also got trampled .
When Shanthi came back he did not notice her and was continuing his job. She searched for the child. As the baby was no where to be found, she got panicky and shouted at Gora "Where is our child?"
Gora replied innocently "I do not know. I did not see him. May be he is sleeping inside".
Suddenly Shanthi saw the pit. She saw the mud mixed with blood and the child's blue colour dress. She understood what had happened. She went near the pit and traced the body of the child. The child was dead long ago. How could anyone console Shanthi?
She screamed at Gora Kumbar and he too cried loudly realising what he had done. ''I have murdered my own precious child. Vittal, please forgive me'' Both were crying for long helplessly.
At one stage, Shanthi, deprived of her precious child, became frustrated and questioned '' Vittal, is it proper on you? Always thinking of you, this Gora did not see the child and killed by stomping on the child. Is it not your duty to save the child then, Dont you have eyes?'' .
Gora Kumbar realised what he did. He was already very sad cursing his fate and dejected. However when Shanthi abused Vittal, Gora could not take it. He shouted ''Shanthi, stop it, dont talk ill of my Vittal'' and rushed to beat her. That time Shanthi screamed "I am ordering you by the name of Vittal! Do not touch me".
One may wonder how was it possible for a person not to notice the child. Sure the child would have screamed. How is it that he did not notice the difference between a child and a lump of clay?. These questions may arise in everyone's mind. But here these are not important. When a person goes deep into devotion, the person forgets everyone and everything around. Gora Kumbar trampled on the small child caught in the mud clay mix, like a machine which crushes everything, also crushing the operator's hand if he is careless.
Time passed as busily as ever. Both Gora Kumbar and wife lived a sad life because of the loss of child. Gora was always thinking of Vittal. Once Gora hurt his leg. When his wife Shanthi came to apply some medicine to his injured leg, Gora remembered her pledge in the name of Vittal ''dont touch me'' So he did not allow her near him. All these days since she declared it ''by the name of Vittal'' he ensured he did not touch her under any circumstance. They were leading such a mechanical life.
Shanthi was very much upset by such a meaningless life. She felt that they would never have a child again under such circumstances. So she went to her parents and cried. After discussion, both Shanthi and her father decided that Shanthi's younger sister Kami should be married to Gora Kumbar so that their life will change. When this was announced to Gora he did not react except saying whatever Vittal wished it will happen so. So he agreed for the marriage.
After Gora's marriage with Kami, Shanthi's father said to Gora "Now both my daughters are your wives. You should treat them equally". Gora promised he would treat them equally. So Gora treated Kami also in the same way as he treated Shanthi which meant that he would not allow either of them to touch him.!! Now see how fate is playing? Shanthi thought that Gora would be happy with her sister Kami as his wife and their life pattern would change. But things took a different turn.
Did Gora change his attitude towards his wives?
Did they have children?
Sure we will find answers to all these questions in the next story of Gora Kumbar.