Hari bhajana vina kaal:Part 7

 

Hari bhajanaa vina kaal :

Part 7:

अनुभवावीण मान हालवू नको रे ॥४॥

It doesn’t stop with listening, reflecting and assimilating. 

I must point out also that spiritual knowledge is not exclusive and disconnected from practical knowledge. It is very much pertinent to be employed in day to day activities. In fact unless it is employed for daily living it is completely meaningless and useless. Only when applied you realize it’s worth and the change it brings about in every aspect of your life.

Without personal experience it is simply information, not knowledge. We must strive to put into practice what we learn . Not pretend to know everything. No knowledge is complete until it comes from experience and transforms into action. In a previous post I had discussed what Samarth Ramdas referred to as padhat moorkha …. The well read fool ! Educated fool ! Many times people nod their heads in agreement pretending that they know firsthand what is talked about. This habit is discouraged by Sohiroba. Unless there is humility to accept and acknowledge what you don’t know, you cannot make progress in your understanding of things. Nod your head only when you have first hand experience of anything. True knowledge will inevitably bring humility. Information will bring arrogance. We must know the difference between the two. 

There is an interesting story about the first meeting between saint Namdev and Saint Dnyaaneshwar and the latter’s siblings. Namdev was visiting Alandi. People in Alandi had heard about his devotion and service to lord Vitthala in Pandharpur. They received him in Alandi with utmost joy and respect. Nivrittinath, Dnyaaneshwar, Sopandev and Muktabai arrived to greet Namdev. Nivrittinath and Dnyaaneshwar offered their respects by bowing down to him. Namdev thought to himself I am senior to them. It is just right for them to bow to me. I deserve it. He did not reciprocate the gesture to acknowledge the spiritual authority of Dnyaaneshwar and his siblings. 

This did not sit well with young Muktabai. She called out Namdev’s arrogance and entitled attitude. Nivrittinath chided her and asked her to bow down to Namdev because he deserved to be respected. Muktabai remained firm and simply refused. She went one step further and demanded a test to be conducted to determine Namdev’s spiritual status. 

There was a saint in town by the name of Gora who was a potter by trade. Therefore known as Gora Kumbhar. He dedicated his work to Vitthala. He was senior amongst all the saints in Alandi at the time and much respected. It was agreed to let Gora determine the spiritual maturity of every saint present in town that day. 

Gora would use a stick to tap on each pot he made. His ear was trained to recognize from the sound of the tap whether a pot was baked completely or not. He used the same stick on the heads of these saints one by one and certified them. Nivrittinath who was the eldest of the siblings passed the test with flying colors. Next in line Dnyaaneshwar too was certified as exceptional. His two younger siblings too passed the test. When it came to Namdev, Gora’s verdict was that the pot was unbaked! 

Simply serving Vitthala, performing rituals in his temple at Pandharpur did not qualify him for spiritual graduation. It was a moment of great grief, embarrassment and humiliation for Namdev. He realized his folly and was led to finding a guru who would lead to fulfillment of his spiritual journey. Visoba Khechar became his guru. Incidentally Dnyaaneshwar was Visoba’s guru! 

The entire episode of his humiliation and the later culmination of his spiritual awakening is documented and described in detail by none other than Namdev himself! Imagine what degree of humility it must have required for a person to document this ? Also note how arrogant he was initially and what a radical transformation occurred when he found the right guidance.

Later in life Namdev and Dnyaaneshwar spent time together for a pilgrimage to North India and greatly influenced each other in enhancing their individual spiritual development. They left behind the unpleasantness of their initial meeting and did not let it come in the way of their friendship. Namdev has documented in detail the events surrounding Dnyaaneshwar’s samadhi at a tender age. 

I shared the story of Namdev’s failed test to highlight the importance of experience and maturity. Thinking one knows a subject and actually knowing it well are two different things. Don’t rush to certify yourself prematurely. You may be in for a rude awakening. Stay humble, stay curious and seek improvement. Room for learning and growth remains forever. 

Saree is a cotton paithani in a dusky rose shade of pink.