Swami Namadev

Om Namasivaya!!! Om Sri Sairam!!!

Swami Namadev was a great Sage of Maharashtra. It was said that Lord Vishnu in the form of Vittala used to come in person to eat food with him daily. So he thought himself as someone great and hence different. One day an assembly of great Saints of Maharashtra took place. Tukharam, Gnaneshwara and many others were there and so was Gora Kumbhar, (the potter saint). When every one was seated, Gnanadeva’s sister Mukthabhai said “Gora, why don’t you use your stick to test all of us to see if we are well done. “She was referring to the stick which a potter uses to determine whether or not all the pots are fully fired. Gora Kumbhar smiled and began to test. He pronounced every one passed except Namadev, about whom he said “This one will have to go back to the oven for some time more”.

Naturally Namdev was angry because he thought of himself as the greatest of God’s Devotee. He went to Vittala and complained. But Vittala said to him” Namadev, Gora was correct and if you don’t believe him. I will test you as well. I will come to you before sunset today, and you must recognize me: otherwise you fail.” Namadev agreed.

In the evening Namdev went out for a walk. On the way Namdev saw a Chandala (Scavenger) and his wife – (who were really Vittala and his wife Rukmini in disguise) cooking their evening meal. Namdev was tired of walking, sat on a rock nearby and rest from where he could see what was going on. The Chandala told his wife “The pot is not full: cut the chickens and put them in the pot“. There were 25 chickens representing twenty five thathuvas, essential principle of universe. Namdev though hearing and looking this could not realize the fact but thought that the Chandala was very violent. But what to do its God’s will.

After some time the Chandala again told his wife “The pot is still not full cut the dogs and put in the pot. There were four dogs – the four Vedas. Namdev still did not realize and was just looking. He thought, “The Chandala and his wife will have to endure the burden of their karmas” All Lord Vishnu was trying to teach Namdev was that after all Thathuvas and Vedas are butchered, cooked only the absolute and undifferentiated reality would remain. He achieved success in worshipping Vittala. But such worship was limited to duality. He should have to go beyond that.

Suddenly the Chandala said to his wife “The pot is still not full. Now let us cut the man sitting there and put in. “Hearing that Namdev forgot everything including God and jumped and started running helter skelter. Vittala wanted to induce him into undifferentiated reality by killing butchering and cooking. Namdev ran as fast as he could and stopped only after reaching a nearby village, saw a Shiva Temple and went in for rest. When he was in he saw an old man with his feet resting on top of the Shiva Linga. Namdev scornfully told the old man “Do you know my good man that you are defiling the sanctity of this temple?” In reply the old man said that as he was very old and weak, he was unable to move his legs and requested Namdev to help him so that he could avoid angering Shiva. But Namdev did not want to dirt his hands by holding the dirty legs of that old man. With much hesitation he picked up the offending foot of the old man and laid them a little distance away. Now the old man called “Nam I still feel something under my foot. Can you please look it. “Here the old man called only Nam and not Namdev because Namdev literally means ‘Name of God’ and he did not reach that stage. Namdev unwillingly lifted the old man’s foot and saw another Shiva Linga there. When he placed down again there sprang another Shiva Linga there and so on. At last the old man asked him to tell him where there was no Shiva so that he can rest his foot there. Namdev realized there was something more to the old man and embraced his feet and took his as his Guru. After learning his last lesson Namdev again went to the assembly of great saints and now Gora Kumbhar tested him with his stick and said “Now this is okay too.”

Thus it is understood that the Guru will never let his disciples loose until and unless the disciple become thorough with what the Guru wanted him to learn.

How Mihirar turned Varahamihirar..

Om Sri Sairam !!! Om Namasivaya!!!


Varahamihirar the arithmetic exponent, an Indian astronomy expert and a contemporary of Vikramadhithya was originally called as Mihirar only. Later on he came to be known as Varahamihirar.

One day, King Vikramadhithya was very happy on the birth of his son. King Vikramadhithya wanted to write the horoscope for his new born son. When he ordered his Austhana purohit Mihirar to write one, looking at the time of birth of the prince he hesitated to prepare the horoscope. He realized that the prince will not live longer and will die in his boyhood. But the king wanted to know the fate and future of the prince and his successor insisted the purohit to work out the astrology and develop the horoscope immediately. Mihirar understood that the king was very eager to know the future of his prince but worried to reveal him the fact that the child will not live longer. Mihirar feared that the king may even kill him if he said the truth. On seeing the Purohit hesitating, the king grew more anxious and suspected something was wrong and hence wanted to know the future of the child. He compelled Mihirar to tell him of the truth without any fear immediately. As there was not much choice left, Mihirar told the king that the new born prince would be killed by a wild bore while he is in his boyhood. The king could not believe this and advised Mihirar to verify his calculation and see the possibility to change the fate of his son. Though Mihirar was very confident about his calculation, agreed to do so just to satisfy the king; recalculated the horoscope, however noting changed and he told the king of it. Now, the King grew in anger warned that he (Mihirar) would be beheaded, if he was found incorrect.

On the other hand, the King was doing all he can and making all arrangements to save his son from the wild bore. From the time the child started walking, the king never allowed the child to be taken out of the palace. The king built a seven storey building and accommodated the child at the seventh floor. Only the king, the queen and one or two faithful servants could access the floor where the child was accommodated. One day the child was playing in the open space of the seventh floor. However, fate had its better hand. One day, there was a sudden flow of a wild wind and the emblem of the King uprooted and fell on the child and killed the baby instantly while he was playing.

Here it is worth to note that the emblem of he king was wild bore. Thus what Mihirar foretold turned out to be true. Ever since that day, Mihirar was called Varaha Mihirar. Varaha means bore in Tamil. It was in praise of this that the emblem and flag of the kingdom was fixed at prominent places in the king ruled territory.

It’s really amazing that Varaha Mihirar was so accurate in his predictions at a time roughly two thousand years back when no modern scientific instruments were available.

The story of Dhruva the Star

Om Namasivaya!!! Om Sri Sairam !!!


Suysmbuva Manu, the son of The Lord Brahma had a son called Uthanapada. King Uthanapada had two wives, Sunithi the first and Srusi the second wife. King Uthanapada had two sons, Dhruva, the elder from Sunithi and Uthaman, the younger from he second wife Srusi. King Uthanapada was affectionate to his second wife Srusi and younger son Uthaman.

One day in a leisure mood the king was playing with Uthaman. Uthaman was sitting on his fathers lap playing. At that moment Dhruva, the elder son, who was also very young came there and wanted to sit on his fathers lap too. On seeing this, Srusi came and started to scold Dhruva. Being a child, Dhruva started crying and ran towards his mother and complained. His mother, the neglected wife of the King Uthanapada also started crying thinking of her own and her son’s pitiable condition. Though the King was watching all this, he never bothered to console Dhruva or Sunithi nor did he scold Srusi.

Sunithi, the helpless mother tried to console her son Dhruva. Even after all the soothing words from his mother, Dhruva was still crying. At last Sunithi as a last resort to stop her son crying told him that to get whatever he wanted he should go to forest and make penance and pray Sriman Narayana as he is the last resort for all the living being. Though she did say this only to console Dhruva, he took the words for real and very serious and started towards the forest immediately without being aware of the hardships he may have to face in the forest.

Sri Naradha Maharishi thought Dhruva was too young to stay in the forest and do penance and hence decided to persuade him from going to the forest. But Dhruva was very stubborn in his decision and requested the Maharishi not to distract him from his decision but to teach him the procedures and Mantras to chant while doing the penance. Narada Maharishi understood the boy and taught him whatever he wanted and left to meet king Uthanapada to reveal him what his son was doing. Young Dhruva reached a forest called Madhuvanam on the bank of river Yamuna and Started doing penances instructed and taught by Narada Maharishi. After many years of vigorous penance Sriman Narayana pleased with the Thapas, appeared before him to give whatever he wanted. Sriman Narayana promised Dhruva that he will be non-eternal being, will be present in the Universe as long as the Sun and the Moon will be there and disappeared. Then Dhruva, a born Gnani happily returned to his father’s kingdom. There the king Uthanapada and Srusi changed their mind and repented for their injustice to Dhruva welcomed him gave the throne to Dhruva and went to forest to spend their final years. Dhruva ruled his kingdom very nicely thereafter. Treating his subjects as his own children.