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Compiled  by London swaminathan

Date: 26 November 2015

Post No: 2364

Time uploaded in London :–  15-24

(Thanks  for the pictures) 

Purandharadas was a rich jeweller, but very miserly. God in the form of Haridas came to him daily for six months begging for some help for the Upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony) of his son. The rich man refused to give him any help. He abused him and sent him away every day. This continued for six months.

At last, he threw a bad coin to him. Haridas then went to merchant’s wife and narrated that he had been going to merchant daily for six months and finally got a bad coin from him – a bad man. The wife knew whom he was referring to and did not like her to be called a bad man. She tried to send Haridas away by saying, “What do you want? I can give you some grain only.”

Haridas: No I want money

Woman: I have not got any money.

Hari: If you have a mind to give, you have enough to give. You have your diamond nose ring. That will quite serve my purpose. (She hesitated).If you do not like to give, I shall go somewhere else.

Wom: No, No. you are God himself. How can I allow you to go away without giving you what you want?

She then removed the nose ring and was about to give it to him.

Hari: What will your husband do when you hears about it?

Wom: what does it matter? I am prepared even to give my life for you.

Har: Then say and “Krishnarpanam” (dedicate it to Lord Krishna) and give.

The woman said ‘Krishnarpanam’ and gave the nose ring to Haridas. He then straight went to the merchant (her husband) under the pretext of selling it. Seeing Haridas coming, the merchant in a contemptuous tone, asked, “Shameless fellow, have you come again?”

Hari: I have come here to do business, not to beg. Take this give me its price.

The merchant took the ornament from Haridas. He could recognise that it was his wife’s nose ring. He asked Haridas from where he got the jewel to which he replied a generous woman gave it to him as a present.

Merchant: You thief, is it true that you got it as a present?

Hari: Thief! Krishna also was a thief.

Mer: If Krishna was a thief, must you also be one? Come here tomorrow. I shall deal with you then.

Haridas left, and the merchant, in a fit of rage, came straight to his house and knocked at the door. Hearing the knocks, the wife thought that it was another devotee who had come for alms and asked, “Is it Gopaladasayya?”

Mer:Ha, Gopaladasayya, I shall show you Gopaladasayya by a slap on your cheek. Open the door.

The door was opened. The merchant asked his wife, “What did you give to that beggar?

Wife: I gave him alms.

Merc: What alms?

Wife: I gave him some maize.

Mer: You gave him your nose ornament with as big a diamond as maize. Where is your nose ornament, tell me?

Wife: I have kept it in the Puja room.

Mer: Bring it here immediately.

Wife: I shall do Tulsipuja and then go to the Puja room to get it.

Mer: Now you have no other go but to take refuge in Tulsi (Holy Basil plant).

She was greatly agitated. She performed her usual puja to Tulsi, with folded hands, and prayed: “O, Mother, save me from this situation. If you are not going to help me now, I must commit suicide.”

With her eyes closed, she was standing still. There was a sudden ‘tuk’ noise. She opened her eyes. Lo! Her nose ornament had dropped down from somewhere near the Tulsi! She took it to her husband.

Mer: Ha, how could this come here? I had locked it in my box in the shop. He ran up to his shop and found it was not found in the box where he had kept it.

Now came the great transformation. Haridas whom he hated and despised for six months daily, had gone away. The merchant was thirsting for a look at him. He started wailing, “Oh, Haridas, I must see you again. Without having a look at you, I cannot live for another minute. Come to me.”

Then came a voice from the Heaven: “Why do you want to see Haridas form. I shall come in my own form.” Suddenly there was a flash of light and there stood Lord Krishna, giving darshan (appearance) to the miserly merchant. He distributed all his wealth to the poor and with his wife left for Vijayanagar to serve in the temple of Vijaya Vithoba. There he came to be known as Purandhardas.

Purandharadasa is considered the Father of Carnatic Music. He composed lot of songs on Krishna (Vitobha).

Story narrated by Swami Ramdas of Anandashram in North Kerala.

–Subham–