"PRANAM BABA "
You would have noted something special while reading the stories in this Vitoba the Nectar series . You will be taken to different places to eye witness the miracles performed by Vittal in the lives of His devotees and enjoy it, while seated at home.
You are now once again joining me in visiting the small town Pradhistanapur presently known s Paithaan. In the olden days, it was a beautiful village. There were rows of houses in the few streets of the village occupied by brahmins. Most of them were scholars and Everywhere, Vedic chanting could be heard. Homams (havans) were performed every day as routine. Ananadhanam was a regular affair in that town. Many brahmins lived there. In fact it was a religious kshetram where no body starved for want of food.
An old person was walking on the street. He was a sanyasi. He resided in the village for long and many regarded him with due respect. He never talked to anyone or begged. Whatever biksha given to him, he would receive and was satisfied with it. He had no home or people and did not want anything. At night, he would retire to the temple mandapam, where he kept a bundle of his bowl, torn clothes and beads for prayer. He had a peculiar habit. He would do sashtanga namaskaram (pranam) to anyone he came across on the road, whether the person he encountered was young or old, educated or uneducated.
Sashtanga pranam means doing pranam with eight parts (head, both hands, chest, stomach, both legs and feet) of the body touching the ground. He was a hermit and he considered everyone as GOD. Hence he had this peculiar habit of respecting every one and praying to them. People of the town called him "Pranam Hermit".
One day, while walking on the road, as usual, he saw some children and he did pranams to them as was his practice. They laughed at him but he was not bothered. There was a carcass of a donkey. Children are naughty aren't they? "Grandpa! Can you see a donkey lying on the ground there. Go and do pranam to that donkey also" shouted the children. Remember! the hermit saw GOD in everyone. He took the children's word as an order coming from Vittal. He immediately went near the carcass of the donkey. He circumambulated the donkey thrice and did the pranam. What a surprise? The donkey which was dead raised it head and brayed. It ran away from that place. The children were surprised and at the same time were scared also. They ran back to their houses and informed the parents.
This news reached Eknath's ashram also. When he heard the news from one of his disciples, he was puzzled and thought about it for a while. He went out and tracked down the Pranam hermit after a while. Eknath did pranam to the hermit. The hermit as usual fell at Eknath's feet.
"Swami! I heard that you gave life to a dead donkey. What is the significance?" asked Eknath.
"Did I give life back to a dead donkey?"
"Yes Swami! You did it this morning".
"I am not sure. I would have done the pranam. But I am not responsible for bringing the donkey back to life".
"Swami! As soon as I heard this news, I got worried. People who heard the news would come to you with the bodies of their dead relatives, requesting you to revive them back to life. What would you do then? I am concerned about that."
"I do not understand anything. Please tell me what to do and I shall follow accordingly. I have seen you and know that you are a Gnaani immersed in Vittal dhyanam" replied the hermit.
Eknath prayed to Vittal "Vittala! Panduranga! Pandarinatha" and closed his eyes meditating upon Him. He was waiting for Vittal's advice.
After a while Eknath opened his eyes
"Swami! Hermits are those who are not attached to anything in the world. You are not an ordinary person. You see Vittal in everything. You are beyond the worldly cycle of birth and death. The time has come for you to attain moksham and reach Pandurangan. You will attain Mahasamadhi soon. You can choose the place and time".
Pranam hermit was not an ordinary person. He was a very learned and enlightened person. Oflate, he himself was thinking about attaining samadhi. He thought therefore that saint Eknath had turned out to be there at the right time to help him. As he deided to end his worldly life then and there itself, in presence of the saint Eknath, in whom he had faith that all that was required after his demise would be taken care of bythe saint. So the hermit sat under a tree and closed his eyes Slowly he was controlling his breathing and ebbed out his worldly life. He became still with no trace of life, attaining Mahasamadhi.
Eknath prayed to him and started making the arrangements for the funeral rites that are generally done for a person who attained Mahasamadhi.
The story does not end here. There were some brahmins who were jealous of Eknath. The news of Eknath talking to the Pranam hermit and the hermit attaining samadhi subsequently spread like wild fire. The brahmins took advantage of this situation and spread the false news alleging that Eknath was responsible for the death of the old weak yogi, the Pranam Baba.
They compained to the village head and they sumoned Eknath be brought and questioned for the Pranam Baba's death and be duly punished for the crime he committed.
It was announced by the village chieftain that the case of Eknath killing the pranam baba will be heard in the people's court the next day at the dais under the peepal tree facing the local Siva Temple.
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