Post by jksivan on Aug 27, 2013 8:12:52 GMT 5.5
19. "'THE OFFENCE''
Dear Children
When you start reading the Panduranga stories, you will come across many great devotees of Vittal. You will also wonder how Vittal helped them in dire situations. Such incidents and the narrations keep coming in tandem, though they are varying in nature because the incidents are not similar. What is common in all these stories is the sincere most devotion to Vital, and the unadulterated Faith of the bakthas who were subjected to difficulties. Remember that GOD expects nothing from us except pure devotion and sincerity.
In Maharashtra, there is a village named Mangalveda which is a small town far away from Pandarpur A pious man named Damaji lived there. He worked as a Tax collector for the Sultan of Bidar. He was very sincere in his work, dutiful and respected by the Sultan because he was truthful and honest. He was also a very staunch devotee of Vittal.
Like every Vittala devotee, he used to do the naama sankeerthan daily on Vittala, in which many bakthas joined him, and he fed them . He will take his food only after the guest is satisfied. The Sultan was very much impressed with the sincerity of Damaji. He made him in-charge of the Treasury of the Sultan Therefore Damaji was made responsible for all collection of taxes, income and revenues and the Granaries, where the food grains and cereals were stored for rainy days and emergency situations. It is a very responsible position and Damaji was considered the fit person to hold the post of Treasury and Granary in charge.
At one time, there was a famine in the region, due to failure of seasonal rains, a severe draught affected everyon. All the cattle such as goats, cows and chickens were dying fast, due to starvation without food. The green fields turned dry parched land, without water. The famine was spreading fast killing people slowly and steadily. Many vacated to far off places seeking food grains for survival.
In some villages the situation was worse than in other places,.
One day, a hungry brahmin came to Mangalved and visited Damaji's house. Damaji invited him into the house and fed him. The man started crying. Damaji enquired why he was crying. The man said "I am eating good food here. But my wife and children in Pandaripur are dying slowly starving without food. I came here only for collecting some grains for us, and the mere thought of them brought tears to my eyes.".
Immediately Damaji loaded some rice and grain bags in a cart and sent the cart load, with the brahmin. Even before reaching the outskirts of Pandaripur many starving people saw Damaji with a cart load of food grains. They surrounded the cart and took all the food stuff. In a situation where might is right and struggle for existence persisted, this is expectable and cannot be questioned.
Someone while grabbing a few bags of food grains, casually enquired the brahmin "Tell us where you got all these?". He told them about the generosity of Damaji. Immediagely some of them went to Mangalaved to meet Damaji. They told him about the draught situation in Pandaripuram. Damaji did not have a second thought. He cleared all the foodgrains stocked in the granary and sent the food grains in bags to Pandaripur for equal distribution to all. People were very happy.
The Sultan had a local officer in Pandarpur, who was known as Majumdar. He found fault with Damaji for depleting the stock and wasting it in distribtuion to people in Pandarpur. He was very much angered by Damaji's actions and wrote a complaint report to the Sultan about Damaji. The Sultan could not believe it. He had so much trust in Damaji. So he sent a messenger with instructions to go to Damaji ordering that Damaji should either return the food grain bags to the granary or deposit the cash equivalent in value , immediately. If Damaji failed to strictly comply with the order of the sultan, he instructed the messenger to arrest Damaji and bring him.
The messenger and soldiers came to Damaji and conveyed the Sultan's order. Damaji said "I do not have the food grain bags taken out of the granary to be returned back to Sultan's granary, I helped poor people dying without food . According to Sultan's order you may arrest me as the guilty and punish me. The sultan's soldiers arrested him and began proceeding to Bidar.
The Sultan was angry and shocked when the report of Majumdar reached him because according to that report, Damaji caused a heavy loss to the administration. He could not believe that Damaji had betrayed him. So he decided to award capital punishment to Damaji.
The soldiers took Damaji by walk all the way to Bidar. When they passed through Pandaripur Damaji thought about seeing Vittal once before dying at Sultan's palace at Bidar. When Vittal temple was visible from the road, he stood for a moment and begged the soldiers "Can I please visit Pandurangan for a minute". They know how pious was Damaji and pitied him . The soldiers allowed Damaji to enter the temple and quickly return back. It was the last wish of Damaji condemned to death.
Inside the temple Damaji said to Vittalan "Hey Vittala! This is my last darshan of you in this birth. I know i did the wrong thing. I used the Sultan's food grains without his permission or approval and distributed to the dying people without a second thought. At that time, my mind was only thinking of your Grace in having given me an opportunity to serve people with the food grains under my control. Under law I am wrong. I am sure the Sultan is going to hang me to death for stealing and misuse of the official granary. If it is thy will, let me die for my misdeed and give me the blessing to see you in my next birth". Thus praying, he left the temple.
When he returned back from the temple, with peace in his heart and mind, Damaji thanked the soldiers for their kindness in affording him the opportunity for worshipping Vittal. They again chained him and walked towards Bidar.
In the meantime, a person by the name Vittonayak with a couple of his assistants came to visit the Sultan at Bidar. He told the palace guards to inform the Sultan that he had been sent by Damaji urgently to meet the Sultan personally. The palace guards went in and informed the Sultan who admitted the visitor to see him.
Vittonayak introduced himself to the Sultan that he had been sent by Damaji as a special messenger and handed a letter to the Sultan along with a bag filled with gold coins. The bag had the Sultan's official stamp.
The bag was sent from Mangalaveda. The letter read "This bag contains the sale proceeds of the food grains taken out of the granary and sold at a higher price resulting in profit for Sultan to enable buy more and restore in the Granary for future emergency. There was an account for the exact food grains taken out of the granary, the cost of procuring same, and the increased cost of sales, and the resultant profit etc., There was also the details for the remaining stock of food grain which were fresh and can be used for future also. Please acknowledge this". The letter was signed by with all respects to the Sultan by Damaji with this official stamp as the Revenue collector.
The Sultan was confused but when he saw evidence of full details of the food grains, the sale value and the gold coins in he bags matching the figures shown in the accounts, he felt both happy for the work done by Damaji and sorry for having misunderstood Damaji. He was furious that the Majumdar had in fact lied and misguided him about Damaji. He sent another set of soldiers now to Pandarpur to arrest the Majumdar for giving false information and bring him to Bidar for punishment. Then the Sultan gave acknowledgement receipt to Vittonayak for the gold coins received from Damaji. Vittonayak left.
The Sultan now had peace of mind and was very happy that his trust worthy Damaji was a reliable and dependable official and did not betray him. He thought about his instruction to arrest Damaji. He could not cancel the order now because soldiers had already gone to fetch him and should be on their way and so waited for Damaji's arrival.
By the next day the soldiers brought Damaji to the Sultan's court. The Sultan was shocked to see the shattered, tired and exhausted Damaji brought to him chained by his soldiers with blood and sweat oozhing from his body due to injuries on the rugged roads all the way to Bidar. The moment he saw Damaji he ordered to free Damaji and embraced him. He was shedding tears said "Please forgive me Damaji. I insulted you and punished you wrongly believing the wicked Majumdar. I know you are innocent, sincere and truthful. I made the mistake. Please forgive me. I have given the acknowledgement receipt to your messenger Vittonayak for the gold coins you sent with the proper accounts.''
Damaji could not believe his ears. what was happening? He was totally surpised and confused. He said "Nawab! It is true that I took the foodgrains from the official granary under my control without referring to you or obtaining your approval, and distributed it to poor people starving for food at Pandaripur and did not collect any money from them. I do not have any money and I did not send anything. I do not know anyone by the name Vittonayak and did not write any accounts or details you are talking about''.
The Sultan interrupted saying "Damaji, what happened to you? Are you mad, and forgetful of what you sent and wrote to me? He went in and brought the letter. Look at this letter. You have also sealed with my stamp from Mangalved ". Upon seeing the letter, Damaji understood it should be the work of Vittal and none else. He fell at the feet of the Sultan, holding his feet "Nawab, you are the most blessed to be visited by Lord Vittal and talk to him. I could never see him for so many years in spite of my prayers till now.".
The Sultan too was intelligent to realise what had happened. He embraced once again Damaji, " Forgive me Damaji, you are a true devotee of Paandurangaji, and that is the reason he came to save you from death, and because of your devotion and true faith, I was able to be visited by your god and had the rare privilege of talking to him as a normal human being, whom I respect ". I appreciate your honesty and telling always the truth."
Then guess what Damaji did? Yes. You are right. Damaji deserted his job very soon and moved to Pandaripur to stay there for ever to heartily sing his Namasankeerthan in praise of vittal for the rest of his life.
Dear children, are you not impressed with Damaji's golden heart and Vittal's mercy on his devotee?
Dear Children
When you start reading the Panduranga stories, you will come across many great devotees of Vittal. You will also wonder how Vittal helped them in dire situations. Such incidents and the narrations keep coming in tandem, though they are varying in nature because the incidents are not similar. What is common in all these stories is the sincere most devotion to Vital, and the unadulterated Faith of the bakthas who were subjected to difficulties. Remember that GOD expects nothing from us except pure devotion and sincerity.
In Maharashtra, there is a village named Mangalveda which is a small town far away from Pandarpur A pious man named Damaji lived there. He worked as a Tax collector for the Sultan of Bidar. He was very sincere in his work, dutiful and respected by the Sultan because he was truthful and honest. He was also a very staunch devotee of Vittal.
Like every Vittala devotee, he used to do the naama sankeerthan daily on Vittala, in which many bakthas joined him, and he fed them . He will take his food only after the guest is satisfied. The Sultan was very much impressed with the sincerity of Damaji. He made him in-charge of the Treasury of the Sultan Therefore Damaji was made responsible for all collection of taxes, income and revenues and the Granaries, where the food grains and cereals were stored for rainy days and emergency situations. It is a very responsible position and Damaji was considered the fit person to hold the post of Treasury and Granary in charge.
At one time, there was a famine in the region, due to failure of seasonal rains, a severe draught affected everyon. All the cattle such as goats, cows and chickens were dying fast, due to starvation without food. The green fields turned dry parched land, without water. The famine was spreading fast killing people slowly and steadily. Many vacated to far off places seeking food grains for survival.
In some villages the situation was worse than in other places,.
One day, a hungry brahmin came to Mangalved and visited Damaji's house. Damaji invited him into the house and fed him. The man started crying. Damaji enquired why he was crying. The man said "I am eating good food here. But my wife and children in Pandaripur are dying slowly starving without food. I came here only for collecting some grains for us, and the mere thought of them brought tears to my eyes.".
Immediately Damaji loaded some rice and grain bags in a cart and sent the cart load, with the brahmin. Even before reaching the outskirts of Pandaripur many starving people saw Damaji with a cart load of food grains. They surrounded the cart and took all the food stuff. In a situation where might is right and struggle for existence persisted, this is expectable and cannot be questioned.
Someone while grabbing a few bags of food grains, casually enquired the brahmin "Tell us where you got all these?". He told them about the generosity of Damaji. Immediagely some of them went to Mangalaved to meet Damaji. They told him about the draught situation in Pandaripuram. Damaji did not have a second thought. He cleared all the foodgrains stocked in the granary and sent the food grains in bags to Pandaripur for equal distribution to all. People were very happy.
The Sultan had a local officer in Pandarpur, who was known as Majumdar. He found fault with Damaji for depleting the stock and wasting it in distribtuion to people in Pandarpur. He was very much angered by Damaji's actions and wrote a complaint report to the Sultan about Damaji. The Sultan could not believe it. He had so much trust in Damaji. So he sent a messenger with instructions to go to Damaji ordering that Damaji should either return the food grain bags to the granary or deposit the cash equivalent in value , immediately. If Damaji failed to strictly comply with the order of the sultan, he instructed the messenger to arrest Damaji and bring him.
The messenger and soldiers came to Damaji and conveyed the Sultan's order. Damaji said "I do not have the food grain bags taken out of the granary to be returned back to Sultan's granary, I helped poor people dying without food . According to Sultan's order you may arrest me as the guilty and punish me. The sultan's soldiers arrested him and began proceeding to Bidar.
The Sultan was angry and shocked when the report of Majumdar reached him because according to that report, Damaji caused a heavy loss to the administration. He could not believe that Damaji had betrayed him. So he decided to award capital punishment to Damaji.
The soldiers took Damaji by walk all the way to Bidar. When they passed through Pandaripur Damaji thought about seeing Vittal once before dying at Sultan's palace at Bidar. When Vittal temple was visible from the road, he stood for a moment and begged the soldiers "Can I please visit Pandurangan for a minute". They know how pious was Damaji and pitied him . The soldiers allowed Damaji to enter the temple and quickly return back. It was the last wish of Damaji condemned to death.
Inside the temple Damaji said to Vittalan "Hey Vittala! This is my last darshan of you in this birth. I know i did the wrong thing. I used the Sultan's food grains without his permission or approval and distributed to the dying people without a second thought. At that time, my mind was only thinking of your Grace in having given me an opportunity to serve people with the food grains under my control. Under law I am wrong. I am sure the Sultan is going to hang me to death for stealing and misuse of the official granary. If it is thy will, let me die for my misdeed and give me the blessing to see you in my next birth". Thus praying, he left the temple.
When he returned back from the temple, with peace in his heart and mind, Damaji thanked the soldiers for their kindness in affording him the opportunity for worshipping Vittal. They again chained him and walked towards Bidar.
In the meantime, a person by the name Vittonayak with a couple of his assistants came to visit the Sultan at Bidar. He told the palace guards to inform the Sultan that he had been sent by Damaji urgently to meet the Sultan personally. The palace guards went in and informed the Sultan who admitted the visitor to see him.
Vittonayak introduced himself to the Sultan that he had been sent by Damaji as a special messenger and handed a letter to the Sultan along with a bag filled with gold coins. The bag had the Sultan's official stamp.
The bag was sent from Mangalaveda. The letter read "This bag contains the sale proceeds of the food grains taken out of the granary and sold at a higher price resulting in profit for Sultan to enable buy more and restore in the Granary for future emergency. There was an account for the exact food grains taken out of the granary, the cost of procuring same, and the increased cost of sales, and the resultant profit etc., There was also the details for the remaining stock of food grain which were fresh and can be used for future also. Please acknowledge this". The letter was signed by with all respects to the Sultan by Damaji with this official stamp as the Revenue collector.
The Sultan was confused but when he saw evidence of full details of the food grains, the sale value and the gold coins in he bags matching the figures shown in the accounts, he felt both happy for the work done by Damaji and sorry for having misunderstood Damaji. He was furious that the Majumdar had in fact lied and misguided him about Damaji. He sent another set of soldiers now to Pandarpur to arrest the Majumdar for giving false information and bring him to Bidar for punishment. Then the Sultan gave acknowledgement receipt to Vittonayak for the gold coins received from Damaji. Vittonayak left.
The Sultan now had peace of mind and was very happy that his trust worthy Damaji was a reliable and dependable official and did not betray him. He thought about his instruction to arrest Damaji. He could not cancel the order now because soldiers had already gone to fetch him and should be on their way and so waited for Damaji's arrival.
By the next day the soldiers brought Damaji to the Sultan's court. The Sultan was shocked to see the shattered, tired and exhausted Damaji brought to him chained by his soldiers with blood and sweat oozhing from his body due to injuries on the rugged roads all the way to Bidar. The moment he saw Damaji he ordered to free Damaji and embraced him. He was shedding tears said "Please forgive me Damaji. I insulted you and punished you wrongly believing the wicked Majumdar. I know you are innocent, sincere and truthful. I made the mistake. Please forgive me. I have given the acknowledgement receipt to your messenger Vittonayak for the gold coins you sent with the proper accounts.''
Damaji could not believe his ears. what was happening? He was totally surpised and confused. He said "Nawab! It is true that I took the foodgrains from the official granary under my control without referring to you or obtaining your approval, and distributed it to poor people starving for food at Pandaripur and did not collect any money from them. I do not have any money and I did not send anything. I do not know anyone by the name Vittonayak and did not write any accounts or details you are talking about''.
The Sultan interrupted saying "Damaji, what happened to you? Are you mad, and forgetful of what you sent and wrote to me? He went in and brought the letter. Look at this letter. You have also sealed with my stamp from Mangalved ". Upon seeing the letter, Damaji understood it should be the work of Vittal and none else. He fell at the feet of the Sultan, holding his feet "Nawab, you are the most blessed to be visited by Lord Vittal and talk to him. I could never see him for so many years in spite of my prayers till now.".
The Sultan too was intelligent to realise what had happened. He embraced once again Damaji, " Forgive me Damaji, you are a true devotee of Paandurangaji, and that is the reason he came to save you from death, and because of your devotion and true faith, I was able to be visited by your god and had the rare privilege of talking to him as a normal human being, whom I respect ". I appreciate your honesty and telling always the truth."
Then guess what Damaji did? Yes. You are right. Damaji deserted his job very soon and moved to Pandaripur to stay there for ever to heartily sing his Namasankeerthan in praise of vittal for the rest of his life.
Dear children, are you not impressed with Damaji's golden heart and Vittal's mercy on his devotee?