Compiled by London swaminathan

Post No.2246

Date: 15 October 2015

Time uploaded in London: 18-40

Thanks for the pictures.

Don’t use pictures. Don’t reblog for at least a week.

Eknath was a great saint of Maharashtra. He lived in Paithan. He was married and had a wife and a son. He had gained fame for his extremely patient and forgiving nature. He was kindness, mercy and peace personified.

Once it happened a poor Brahmin who wanted to give his daughter in marriage was wandering from place to place for getting monetary help from wealthy people. He came to Paithan and went to a rich man of the place. The rich man had no respect for saints. He had heard that saint Eknath never got angry. He was on the lookout for an occasion to make him angry and falsify the report about his patient and forgiving nature.

He told the poor Brahmin, “Go to Saint Eknath and provoke him to anger. If you do so I will gladly give you Rs 200 for the marriage expenses|. The avaricious Brahmin undertook to fulfil the wish of the rich man and directly proceeded to the saint’s house. When he approached the saints house he found the saint seated on the veranda chanting god’s name. The Brahmin, as he ascended the steps of the house, started abusing the Saint. The Saint was unperturbed. He led the Brahmin guest inside the house and giving him a proper seat, asked him what he wanted.

The Brahmin without giving him any reply continued to hurl abusive epithets at the Saint. The time was nearing for the midday meal. So the Saint requested the Brahmin to have his bath and partake of the humble meal which was being prepared for him. Eknath’s wife was his ideal partner. She was also very devout and good natured. Eknath took the guest to the bathroom and gave him a clean wash and brought him to the dining room for taking food.

The Brahmin had tried his best to provoke the Saint to anger but so far he had failed completely. When he and the Saint sat for meals, a new thought struck the Brahmin. He got up from the seat and, as the saint’s wife was bending to serve food, sat on her back as on horse-back. Now, he fully expected the Saint would fly into temper. On the contrary, calmly looking on the scene, he warned his wife not to stand erect lest the honoured guest should topple down. Then his wife replied

Certainly I shall see to it that the Brahmin does not fall down. I know how I balanced our son when he used to climb on my back.

When the Brahmin heard the conversation between the Saint and his wife, he was stung with remorse. He got down from her back and, falling prostrate before both of them, sobbing with grief, prayed for their forgiveness.

Saints are so kind and gracious that they do not recognise any harm or insult from anybody. The Saint assured the Brahmin that he had done nothing wrong. They somehow persuaded him to take his food.

After the meals, when they sat together, saint asked the Brahmin why he had been so highly disturbed. Now the Brahmin told the entire story how a rich man had promised him to give him a sum of Rs 200 provided he provoked Eknath to anger. But fool as he was trying to make the Saint angry by use of a buses against him once more he fell at the feet of the Saint and sought pardon for his bad behaviour.

Then the Saint with great love and compassion, said, “O, If you had only told me earlier, I would have got angry so that you might get the generous gift from the rich man”.

Swami Ramdas of Anandhashram in Kerala told this story.