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Saints Of India - Their Contribution To Hinduism-Part VII

By Staff

Indian Saints, Gnaneshwar
The great Saints of India, each one of them, have left a record of their lives, a record of their teachings. a record of their songs. That is how these lives have come down to us.

There was a great man called Gnaneshwar of whose name you must have heard. Gnaneshwar, as the name suggests was a person of great Gnana. The first one to write a commentary on the Gita in the vernacular, because he felt that people would not know Sanskrit. All of them would not be qualified to know Sanskrit. He wrote Gnaneswari in order to make religion accessible to the ordinary man and do you know the life of Gnaneshwar? Gnaneshwar was born to a Sanyasin who had been told by the Lord to go back from Sanyasa and marry. Unfortunately, society would not accept the father. The father and mother had to live in despair. Four children were orphaned and three brothers and one sister called Muktha Bai, four of them went round the little village not knowing how to make both ends meet.

The little sister called Muktha Bai was also a great 'Gnani'. She asked her elder brother, we are hungry, we want food. And the brother said: Do you have wheat flour? She said yes, "but we don't have an oven". He says, "the oven is within me". "I have yogic agni". And the little child bends down on all fours and said, "My dear sister, cook your roti on my back". That was the power of the young Gnaneshwar, so much of heat within the body, the yogic power that could cook wheat. Just to tell you how much scientifically this child must have developed his mantric energy. He could make a little wall fly, today you have people making other gadgets fly, but here was the little child through yogic power. There is nothing of a cock and bull story. There is nothing called fantasy here - sheer Mantric energy.

What we are doing about solar energy today was done by Lord Rama on the battle field when he recited Aadithya Hridhaya Stotra, asking for solar energy, that is done through mantra the subtle way and today we are doing it the gross way; we need machines here, we needed mantras there. The effect is the same. Perhaps the subtle one works faster and does not have breakdowns as the modern machines have.

Today our Master of ceremonies was talking of the sponsor of this programme not reaching this place. I will give you a very small example of this. One day I wanted to reach Guruvayoor. I am not a saint; just an ordinary person like most of you. But my faith had to be extraordinary that moment. Waiting at the Bombay airport I said I must reach Cochin. I must see Lord Guruvayoorappa today. Then my ticket said 108 in the waiting list. Something nice in the number. It was 108. I said what could it mean, except total hopelessness. I said no my Lord. I must see you.

When I stood waiting, there came an officer with the name Narayan written on him. I said now that means I must chant Narayan. Before I chanted three times, there came another officer and said: "Give me your ticket" and he gave me the boarding pass and said "get into the plane". "why" I didn't ask. How I got in, I don't ask, because there are ways and ways of reaching the place. I don't think even machines can fail when the Lord supplies to you the mantra - the name of the Lord.

To be continued


About the author

Prema Pandurang

She is the founder President of Samskriti (Home of Culture) and Kshetropasna Charitable Trust and the Founder Trustee of Shree Chakra Foundation. Kshetropasna Trust was founded by Pujya Prof.Prema Pandurang and Dr.P.R.Krishnakumar with the noble purpose of establishing a unique organization to revive the values and ideals of our Indian culture in India & Abroad. This Trust encompasses several activities. She wields a powerful pen and has a God-given gift of magnificent eloquence. She has to her credit a number of articles in various popular journals. Her writing always stimulate thought and inner peace. She speaks on God with fervor and conviction.

Story first published: Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 15:40 [IST]