WRITTEN by London Swaminathan 

Date: 21 May 2018

Time uploaded in London – 15-18  (British Summer Time)

Post No. 5033

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First part of the article “Walking on the Water: Indian Miracles” was posted here on 19^th May, 2018. Following is the second part.

‘Milinda panhaa’, the Buddhist book, has an interesting story. The sage Nagasena tells king Milinda : “ Your Majesty! In the land of China there is a king who once every four months, desiring to make offerings to the great ocean, performs an Act of Truth, and then proceeds in his chariot of state a league’s distance into the great ocean. Before the chariot of the state the mighty mass of water rolls back, and, as he returns, it pours back again. 4-1-46”

Tamil Miracle

Tamils also has such miracles in their literature. There was a Pandya King who shot his arrow or spear and the sea rolled back. Parasurama, one of the Ten incarnations of Vishnu, reclaimed land from the sea. Rama was very angry when the sea refused to give him way. Then he threatened Varuna with severe punishment. And then Varuna came and subdued the sea.

Kollambudur Miracle from sakaravijayam,blogspot.com

When Tamil saint Thirugnanasambandar visited the place (Kollambudur) with his followers, the river Vettar was in floods. Nobody dared to operate the boats to cross the river. Divine Grace blessed Sambandar to perform a miracle at that time. He sang a Thevaram Padigam in praise of the Lord of Kollambudur and stood inside the boat with his followers. The boat crossed the waters automatically and brought them to the other bank of the river.

Act of Truth is the ‘Truth command’. If it is true let it…………………..happen- is the vow one makes

King and Queen Miracle

Buddhagosa’s commentary on Angutta Nikaya has another miracle. King Kappina is on his way to enter the religious life under Buddha. This is what happened—

“Now the king with his 1000 ministers, reached the banks of the River Ganges. But at this time the Ganges was full. When the king saw this he said,  The Ganges here is full and swarms with savage fish. Moreover, we have with us no slaves or men to make boats for us. But of this Teacher virtues extend from the Avici Hell beneath to the Peak of Existence above. If this Teacher be the Supremely Enlightened Buddha, may not the tips of the hoofs of these horses be wetted.

They caused the horses to spring forward on the surface of the water. Not a single horse’s tip of the hoof wetted.  On a king’s high way proceeding, they went to the far shore. Farther on they reached another river. There was needed no ‘Act of Truth’. By the same act of truth, the river also, did they cross over. Then they reached the third river, the mighty River Chandrabhaga. That river also, by the same ‘Act of Truth’, did they cross over.

In short, Pandya king Nilam Tharu Thiruvil Pandya, Kadal Suvara Vel vitta Pandya and Buddhist King Kappina – did water miracles.

They made the water to roll back!

Later Queen Anoja of King Kappina , surrounded by 1000 chariot,s also crossed the Ganges by th Act of Truth.

All these stories recall the legend of Rig Veda (3-33) (See my previous post).

Jain Miracle- Walking on the Water

There is a Jain story with paradoxical riddles. A Jain king’s brother by name Soma became an ascetic. When the king came to know that Soma was camping outside the city he went there to pay his respects. Queen also vowed to see that holy man and decided not to take food till she pays respects to him that evening. #

When she rode in her chariot, the river in the middle of the city was in spate. She came back and asked her husband what to do. He told her to go back and say, “O Goddess River! if my husband has practised chastity since he paid his brother in law respects (in the past), then promptly give me passage”. She did say it and the river parted in to two and gave her passage.

She got confused because she became pregnant through her husband after he started paying respects to his brother (several years ago). When she met Sage Soma she asked the sage to clarify. He told her that her husband was chaste in his mind. Then the queen asked how can she return if the river is still in floods. Sage Soma told her,

“You must say to River Goddess, If the sage since taking the vow, has steadily lived in fast (for several years), then give me passage”. She recited words and easily crossed the river.

She asked her husband to clarify Soma’s statement. He told her “Lofty minded sages are indifferent to eating and non- eating. Mind is the root, speech the crown, deed the branch expansion of the tree of religion: from the firm root of that tree everything springs forth”. Then the queen understood.

—–to be continued

–Subham–