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Monday Morning Blues? Try This Love Story

Discussion in 'Varalotti Rengasamy's Short & Serial Stories' started by varalotti, Mar 28, 2011.

  1. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    He was born in the Fifth Caste. He was not even allowed to walk in the streets let alone enter the temple.

    He lived in a slum near Thirukkurungudi, a small village in South Tamilnadu. He heard of the presiding deity of the temple, Sundara Paripoorna Perumal or Azhakia Nambi and fell in love with the Lord.

    He was thinking about his beloved all the time. He had a rare gift. His voice could melt a mountain. And he was fond of a raga called Kaisiki.

    In fact people did not even care to call him by his name. They just called him Kaisikan, the one who sang in the raga Kaisiki.

    Kaisikan was so overwhelmed with love for the Lord that he decided to do something. For the next eleven months he vowed not to sleep at all.

    At the onset of Brahma Muhurtham, approximately around 2:30 AM, he would stand in the street before the temple and sang on his Lord.

    Not that he chose the tiime for its auspiciousness; that was the only time he was allowed to walk in the street.

    Kaisikan could not see the Lord from where he stood. The temple’s flag-post, the dvajasthamba, blocked his vision. The great Lord just half-winked at the pole. It moved to the side to let the lover see His beloved. (Even today you can see that the flagpole is not directly in line with the deity in Thirukkurungudi)

    The culmination of Kaisikan’s Jagratha Vratha (as it was called) happened on an Ekadasi day. Somehow he felt quite uncomfortable on that day.

    The street looked lonelier than usual and the atmosphere a little eerie. Kaisikan strongly felt a supernatural presence in his vicinity.

    Nevertheless he started to sing as usual.

    Within minutes a brahma rakshas pounced on him.

    Brahma Rakskhasas are ghosts which were priests in their previous births. Because they failed in their priestly duties they were cursed to remain as ghosts.

    They would ask a question on Vedas and if the person did not give them a proper answer they would simply gobble him up.

    This brahma rakshas asked Kaisikan to recite a portion of the Vedas. Kaisikan did not know anything else except His Lord and His Love.

    He was silent whereupon the ghost got ready for its nocturnal feast.

    Kaisikan pleaded with the Rakshas:

    “I have been doing this for the past 11 months. Today is the day of culmination. Please let me finish my song. I will then go near the temple, have a dharshan of my Lord and come back to you. You can do whatever you want with me.”

    The rakshas’ laughter was really devilish:

    “Do I look like a sucker to you, you low-born? You will escape through the other way.”

    “I promise you, Oh Ghost, that I will come.”

    “Your promise is not serious enough.”

    Legend has it that Kaisikan gave 17 promises to the ghost.

    “If I don’t return to you then I shall be deemed to have committed the sin of preventing the sacred cow from having its food.”

    “Not strong enough.”

    “I shall be deemed to have committed the sin of discriminating amongst my guests.”

    “Not good enough.”

    Fifteen more promises on the same lines and the Rakshas was still not convinced.
    Kaisikan now became really anxious. He was not concerned about his life.

    For there was nobody for him. His death was not going to make any difference to anybody.

    But he did not want to die before singing for one final time before his beloved.

    With tears welling up in his eyes he hardened himself to take the most terrible oath of his lifetime, his 18th promise.

    “I, known as Kaisikan, do hereby promise that if I do not return to this Rakshas as promised, shall be deemed to have committed the most heinous sin of considering .. …something else as….. something else….as…. a.s.. su…perior to my Lord. And I shall be deemed the worst of sinners who seek from God….. who… s…ee…k… from…. G…o..d anything else other than His love.”

    The clouds thundered. Kaisikan was sobbing. For he could not even bring himself to utter those dreadful words.

    The Rakshas now knew that it was standing before the purest of devotees and let him go.
    My Lord has a beautiful policy towards his devotees.

    If only you walk a milli-metre towards Him He would run a thousand miles towards you. Here was a man who had run a thousand miles; so what would Lord do?

    Kaisikan knew that what he was singing on that day would be the last song of his life.

    And all his love for the beautiful Lord poured out in the song.

    Then he went near the temple to have a look at His beloved. His love was so pure that even when his life was at risk he did not want to be saved.

    The Lord took the form of an old Brahmin and came near his devotee.

    “I heard your song, my son. What a rendering! Come near me. Let me bless you.”

    The Great Lord lifted his right hand above Kaisikan’s head.

    Kaisikan moved away in shock.

    “Oh Swami, what are you doing? Don’t you know that I belong to the Fifth caste? You should not even see me. How can you touch me? Please don’t make me a sinner, Oh Revered Brahman!”

    “I want to touch you, my son. Let my hand feel your head. Let me feel your love, my son. Please come near. I am beyond all these castes and classifications.”

    Kaisikan hesitantly went near the old Brahman. As soon as the old man’s hand touched Kaisikan’s disheveled hair his body shivered in unbearable ecstasy.

    It appeared as though time had come to a perfect stop.

    “I have some yogic powers, my son.”

    See who’s talking what? The very source of all powers, yogic or otherwise, is blabbering in love. It’s like the Governor of Reserve Bank saying, ‘I know a little about banking.’

    “I can see the presence of the Brahma Rakshas in this direction. I suggest you take the oppposite route and run as fast as you can. I will stop the Rakshas from following you.”

    Kaisikan told him about the conversation he had had with the ghost earlier.

    “Son, I also know a little about sasthras. You can go back on your word when your life is at risk. That exception is specifically provided in the scriptures.”

    “That may be true, Swami. But do you know what kind of promise I made to the ghost. I have taken an oath that if I do not return then I shall be deemed to have committed the sin of thinking something as superior to my Lord.

    "And the even more heinous sin of seeking from my Lord something other than His love.”

    “So what?”

    “I will rather die at the hands of a Rakshas than committing these heinous crimes, Swami. A life lived after these sins are committed is a million times more dishonourable than a disfiguring death at the hands of a ghoul.”

    “So you are going to go back to him?”

    “Yes, Swami.”

    “I want to give you something. Name anything and it shall be given.”

    If only Kaisikan had asked for the world the Lord would have given it to him in less than a time it takes to blink. But Kaisikan was in love. Period.

    He did not even tarry a second.

    “Will you please be kind enough to place your hand on my head one more time? And bless me that my love for my Lord should double every minute.”

    The Lord complied sending Kaisikan to new heights of ecstasy.

    Kaisikan walked back to the Brahma Rakshas which had been observing the happenings from a vantage position.

    Kaisikan’s face now glowed in love with his heart in a permanent state of indescribable ecstasy.

    “I have changed my mind”, said the devil.

    “I am not going to eat you. Provided you give me the fruits of all your prayers..”

    Kaisikan had a hearty laugh.

    “I have heard that ghosts are always dumb-headed. And you have proved it. If you pray to the Lord having one eye on the fruits of prayer, then it is not prayer at all.

    "I came here for 11 months at this time to sing on my Lord. Do you think I did it for some ulterior motive? Singing before him, singing on him is the motive; it’s the greatest happiness.

    "When I pray the action and the fruits are one and the same. So you can have me for your dinner.”

    The Rakshas had been a scholarly priest by name Soma Sharma for one whole life time.

    And yet it had never understood this simple yet profound face of spirituality.

    But now it had to free itself from the shackles of ghosthood. And it required some benevolence. It had a flash.

    “Ok, then give me the Kaisika Raga. You will have to pour water, take a sacred obligation and gift the raga to me.”

    “It’s yours. Take it.”

    As soon as the giving ceremony was completed the ghost, a high-born priest fell at the feet of the low-born Kaisika, and it was that act, that humility, that understanding that gave the ghost the freedom it so badly wanted.

    This is a love story happening at various levels.

    No wonder we celebrate that momentous day as Kaisika Ekathasi (somewhere between Nov 15th to December 15th)

    Have a great week ahead!
     
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  2. mssunitha2001

    mssunitha2001 IL Hall of Fame

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  3. JGVR

    JGVR Gold IL'ite

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    very gracious love story
     
  4. raji2678

    raji2678 Gold IL'ite

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    Nice story, uncle. Ultimately what happened to Kaisikan?

    Raji
     
  5. AkilaMani

    AkilaMani Local Champion Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Sir,

    I loved this line "If you pray to the Lord having one eye on the fruits of prayer, then it is not prayer at all."

    But I have one query, what when i pray to HIM for blessing someone totally unrelated to me, a total stranger, I am still having an eye on the fruits of the prayer??

    akila
     
  6. gayuharini

    gayuharini Bronze IL'ite

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    Superb.Thanks for educating us on Kaisikan.
     
  7. vijaya1982

    vijaya1982 Bronze IL'ite

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    Dear sir,

    Thanks for giving a great spiritual story to begin a new week.

    best rgds,
    vijaya
     
  8. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

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    Nice to read this story again Sridhar. And a happy monday to you. -rgs
     
  9. Malar2301

    Malar2301 Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Sridhar Uncle,

    Everytime I read your blog I learn something new. And this one too. I'm not aware of Kaisigan before and also about Kaisiga Ekadesi. And tonight, I will narrate this story to my kid. Thanks for sharing!!!
     
  10. Lalitha Shivaguru

    Lalitha Shivaguru Platinum IL'ite

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    What should I say to this Sridhar...do you expect me to give an fb for this LOVE.....I am just overwhelmed.

    Yesterday I had been to my HM's temple and you won't believe generally I stand there for a long time but yesterday having a brief darshan itself I moved away but my Madam is placed in such a way in the temple that anybody wishing to have a glimpse also can do from the main door itself. I just stood near the dvajastamba and was looking at her and I don't know what happened there were tears streaming down my eyes....May be the love filled eyes of my HM just brought out the same....

    Just wanted to share this Sridhar maybe not relevant to the blog.
     

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