Absolute Determination Triumphs

Sriom Vaidehi Puran –Part 35

(As narrated by Sriom Jagadhadri Devi through Sriom Adisakthiyendra Swamiji to Sriom Adisakthi Ashram disciples)

Volume 2 Chapter 11

(Continued from the last issue…)

Mother, mother”, he shook her and woke her up.

Vaidehi came to her senses and cried, “Your Big Brother is missing.”

Without understanding, he asked, “Is it Govindhan?”

“No. It is the Big Brother inside who is missing”, she cried again.

“Oh. that one? You only said that Kanna is everything.  Everybody in the village put Vinayaga idol on the third day in the river.  So I also took Kanna and put Him in the river.”

“What have you done?” she started beating Kutti Kanna.

Madhavan prevented her. “Don’t beat him.  He is just a child and has done it in ignorance.  The fault is ours.  We need to find Kanna now.”

He asked Kutti Kanna, “Show us where you dropped in the river”

The three of them went.

Kutti Kanna showed the place where Narayanan and Madhavan had their bath.

“I threw in the water that runs from here to there.”

Madhavan began to cry.

“Vaidehi, we cannot go there and take.  Water pressure is very high.  Kanna has to come on his own.  I will not move from this place until He comes. You take Kutti Kanna and go home. Don’t stay here.” he shouted.

Vaidehi also said in a loud voice.

“That day I lost my child.  I was confident that You will bring him back.  Today You Yourself have gone.  How can I go home?  Until You come back in search of Your mother, I will not eat or even drink.  If this is the punishment for those who are devoted to You, then let it be so. If it is true that we live for You, then You should come back.  I will wait for You until I die.  This is a promise.”

She returned home with Kutti Kanna.

“Mother, don’t cry.  Big Brother will definitely come back.  I put him in the river without knowing. He will come at least for my sake. Seeing you both like this, I am afraid,” Kutti Kanna cried, hugging his mother.

She also cried. ”Let your words come true. You realised the mistake you did in ignorance.  He will certainly come.  He will not let us down.”

The whole day Madhavan was lying on the banks of the river.  Cold or wind, nothing bothered him. All his concern was that Kanna was missing.  He cried rolling and wallowing on the river banks without knowing what to do.

“Where are You, Kanna?  Come Back.  Why are you testing us like this?  Don’t You have sympathy for me? Come back soon. I cannot think of myself without You.”

Next day morning around 5 am, somebody woke up Madhavan.  It was a boy who looked like a fisherman.  He was very dark but looked very beautiful.

“Sir, why are you lying down here?”

“Who are you, son?”

“My name is Machahan.  I am a fisherman.”

“Ok. Why did you wake me up?”

“You seem to be quite depressed.  I thought of asking you why and so woke you up”.

“Nothing.  How can you understand my distress?”

“I will help you if I can.  Tell me. It is not good to be lying down on the river banks unnecessarily”.

“It’s alright. I will remain like this.  Kanna Himself has no sympathy.”

“Who is Kanna?  Have you come out of the house getting angry with your son?”

“Why are you talking all this?  Please understand the tragedy I am in.”

“If you don’t tell me anything, how and what I can understand?”

“You won’t understand even if I tell you.”

“Why all these unnecessary talk? Tell me.  I will certainly help you.”

“Ok.  I will tell.  Listen.  My Kanna’s idol has fallen into this water.  It has fallen into the middle of the river there.”

“You are telling that it is an idol.  How big is that, Sir? “

“It is a small idol”, Madhavan showed the size, with his hands.

“Oh.  Is that all? Are you shrieking for the small idol?  If it is missing, buy another one.”

“Don’t talk without understanding.  That is an idol of Kanna.  It is not a toy as you think.”

“Alright! Who is that Kanna you are telling?”

“It is Lord Kanna, whom I worship from my childhood. His glory cannot be told.  He took ten incarnations that people know of and there are many more incarnations. He resides in pure souls. He respects pure devotion.  He protects those who believe in Him.  He is there with us all the time.  I can keep on saying a lot.  It is difficult to make you understand.”

“You say that He is everywhere and has taken ten incarnations. Is He only in that idol?  You are telling that He is within your mind.  Then why do you search for the lost idol. As you say, if He comes when you call, why don’t you call now?  Let him come out from the river”.  Machahan kept on talking.

“Stop it.  Why do you talk so negatively?”

“I am not talking anything wrong, Sir.  I just told what you said.  Should we not understand and feel that Kanna who is everywhere?”

“I am a distressed man.  I can’t live without that Kanna.”

“So, for you, the idol is important?”

‘Yes, the idol is important to me.  Can you bring that out?”

“You said that it has fallen in that place.  You pray to Kanna.  Most probably it would be stuck between some stones.  I will bring it.”

Machahan jumped into the river. Half an hour went by.  He did not come back.  Madhavan was a bit afraid.

“Kanna, the person who went in search of You is also gone.  Has he stolen You? He talked a lot, but now he is not to be seen.  Kanna, nothing should happen to him. If something happens, his parents will blame me.  Kanna, please come back.” Madhavan kept thinking.

Suddenly, he could see Machahan standing up from a distance.  He was showing his hands.  Madhavan could not understand his gesture. After some time, he came closer.

“I took out this idol with great difficulty, Sir. You had panicked for such a small idol. You can make this idol from anyone.  To be on the safer side, make some more like this and keep for future.”

With great joy of getting back Kanna, Madhavan did not say anything to Machahan.

“Sir, why do you have such passion towards this idol like a small child?  You seem to be a learned man who knows a lot but still you have such a great desire.”  He laughed.

“How will you know the greatness of this idol?”

“Ok. If you know the greatness, why did you not jump in the river and take out the idol, with the confidence that the great idol will save you?”

“You forgive me for that. I don’t know swimming and I am also afraid of jumping into the water and that’s why I asked you to bring it.”

“If we have started and keen to do something, we should be brave enough to do anything for that cause.  How will you understand that? Ok. I need to do some fishing.  I came looking for fish here.  Looks like I won’t get it here.  I will come another time and catch fish.” Machahan was ready to leave.

“What would you like to have?  You have done a great help for me.  You can come home and have food.  I can also give you a lot of money.”

“Sir, you have not understood me.  I did not do this for the sake of money.  You looked very sad and that’s why I helped you.  I also did not get what I came for.  What else to do other than leaving?  Let me tell you one thing.  Don’t have this much attachment to this idol and regret it later.”  Machahan left.

Madhavan thought that the boy was a mad one who did not know anything about the Kanna’s idol.  He was happy to have got back Kanna and returned home. Vaidehi was instructing Kutti Kanna and Govindhan about the things to be done in the morning.

She saw Madhavan coming hurriedly and felt happy that he would have got Kanna.

“Kutti Kanna, Govindha, we have got back Kanna.  See father is coming”, she called both of them.

“We found Kanna”, said Madhavan.

“How, how?” Vaidehi asked with huge surprise.

“I will tell everything later.  First, you arrange for the morning Pooja.  Also, this afternoon call plenty of Kanna devotees and provide them food”, Madhavan kept on telling.

“Ok. I will organise everything.  You go and have shower.”

“Today, we should do special Pooja to Kanna.  Govindha, don’t go to the shop today. We should do bhajans.”  Madhavan told.

Seeing Madhavan with great joy Vaidehi prayed.

“Thanks a lot, Kanna.  He doesn’t exist without you.  You are Madhavan and he is Kanna.  You both are playing a drama for the sake of the world.  Whenever he is in distress, You have helped him. At the same time, You have come back listening to this mother also.  However many births I take, I should be the wife of this pure devotee.  I should live for doing service to You, in all my births. If not, I should attain Your feet. I think of so many things but there are no words to express.  You are our Lord, please don’t leave us. Especially, don’t leave him. If at all I have to part with you, I should reach Your feet the same moment. We can’t undergo this torment of hell we had today, at any time. Please lead us in the right path with Your grace.”

Hearing and seeing what was happening, Kutti Kanna realised, “This idol of Kanna in our house, is very important.  I should not throw this away hereafter.  Good that He has come back”.  Kutti Kanna also became affectionate to Big Kanna.

“Kanna will always respond to true devotion.  If our request is good and justified, He will help us.  Kanna, I will also do lots of service to You with complete devotion.  I have fully understood that there is nothing other than doing service to You throughout my entire life.”  Govindhan also prayed to Kanna.

(To be continued)  Sriom.