Folklore: A Tale of a Great Saint
Compilation: Kishor Subba (Limbu)
Source: Giri Ba, Talkharka, Khotang, Nepal
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| Random Pic of Sadhu (Baba) at Dolakha Bhimeshowr Mahadev Fieldwork 2019 |
A long time ago, an orphaned child whose mother died in his early childhood and father married a woman as a stepmother The stepmother behaving like a beast.She used to scold and bite him all the time. Even the father would not love him and stop her. Because of his stepmother's bad behavior, the boy had grown bored.
One day a group of yogis (saints) came to the village. The Yogis begged alms a whole day and stayed in the village at night. That boy has gone to live with the Yogis. The master of the Yogis read the boy's face and said that "the boy's mother had died in his childhood." His father has brought another woman. "The stepmother of the boy is very despised." The Yogis also provided the boy with dinner.The boy got to sleep with the Yogis. The next morning, when the Yogis were on their way, the boy followed them. The master of the Yogi (Guru) asked the boy, "Do you want to go with us?" "If you are walking as a Yogi, you must beg alms for food and should spend the night wherever you arrive."
One day a group of yogis (saints) came to the village. The Yogis begged alms a whole day and stayed in the village at night. That boy has gone to live with the Yogis. The master of the Yogis read the boy's face and said that "the boy's mother had died in his childhood." His father has brought another woman. "The stepmother of the boy is very despised." The Yogis also provided the boy with dinner.The boy got to sleep with the Yogis. The next morning, when the Yogis were on their way, the boy followed them. The master of the Yogi (Guru) asked the boy, "Do you want to go with us?" "If you are walking as a Yogi, you must beg alms for food and should spend the night wherever you arrive."
The boy agreed with the master, and he followed Yogie. When they reach Koshi (the holy river), the Guru makes him shave his head, makes him wear a yogi's dress, gives him a vow, and makes him promise that he will not eat meat and will obey the Guru's (Master's) command to live the life of a yogi. Then he will become a disciple of the Guru. The Yogis went around the village and returned to Vanaras according to their destiny. Yogis have to study in Banaras. That boy became a disciple of great talent, reading all the Vedas and Puranas. He became the right hand of the Guru.
After finishing his studies, he became a Yogi and went begging for alms from village to village. He arrived in his hometown one day.His father was already dead. His stepmother and his children have already migrated from the village, and the house is also in ruins. He was travelling from village to village, begging alms. In a village, an old woman recognised him, even though he had long hair, a beard, a moustache, and ashes on his forehead. The old woman said, "You are the son of so-and-so, and you are the son of my brother. Look, man! Your father is already dead, and there is no one in my parental family line, so you have to marry a woman and make a household. There are numerous characteristics of your forefathers...The Yogi explained to her that he could not marry because he was in his vow of celibacy, but the aunt did not listen to him anymore and said, "You are the only descendant of my parental family line; I'll not hear you anymore." You should marry and start a household. If you listen to me, then I'll kill myself in front of you. If your truth and vow lead you in this direction,"The yogi got into trouble. What do you do? And what not to do? At last, the Yogi cut his hair, beard, and moustache and changed the Yogi's dress into that of a normal man for his aunt's sake. He married a woman and had a child too.
After some time, the Guru called the disciples and said that the disciple was in some trouble, and he sent two other disciples to look for him. While the Yogis were begging from village to village, they found that the Yogi had started his household. The Yogis said, "You have to go with us." Guru sent us to bring you back. Then the Yogi, who was in household life, said, "No, my friend, I have broken the celibate oath of the Yogi and got stuck in household life; now I can't return to the life of the Yogi." Instead, I leave my household and meditate in the Himalayas. "I'll keep aside from worldly desires and household life." Then he left the house and went to the jungle of the Rupakot. He began to meditate and do penance in a rock shelter.
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| Random pic of Sadhu (Baba) Source: Birkha B. Pun's Social Media |
After some time, a shepherd went to mow the grass and saw the Baba meditating in the rock shelter. He used to burn a big fire and rub the ashes, sometimes in the incarnation of a lion, sometimes in the incarnation of a human being. The shepherd prayed to the Baba, "You are great; you are the Avatar of the Lord Mahadev." "What it should do for you and how it should do it."Then the Baba said, "I don't need anything else if you can offer me a glass of milk." The shepherd's wife was a little despised. And one day, while putting the milk in the jar, he murmured, "Why did he used to offer milk every day to the bloodthirsty Baba? There is already not enough milk in his cowshed." When the shepherd reached Baba's shelter with a milk container, Baba was nowhere to be found. "Oh Baba!" prayed the shepherd.Oh, God! Where are you? "I was wondering what was wrong with me."The shepherd hears the sound of Baba saying, "I can't take your milk today; take this milk container without opening it and give it to your wife." And the shepherd, like Baba, did not open it and instead gave it to his wife.When the wife opens the milk jug and sees that the milk has all changed into blood, The shepherd's wife then regaled him with her morning activities, and the next morning she took an early morning bath and apologised to the Baba.
One day the herdsmen were going to mow the grass in the jungle. The Baba said to them, "Today there is a violent cannibal bear that has entered the forest." "You people better not go to the forest." However, the boys went to the forest without informing Baba.Shortly after reaching the forest, the bear caught one of them, and the others escaped and reached home. The boys are not conscious. They suffer from a strong fever. They used to say in their heads, "Come on... come on... oh sh*t, he got the catch..." and other such things.One of the boys did not return home, even at night. When the villagers went to Baba the next morning and begged for help, Baba told them, "The boy is still alive; go and search in this direction." When the villagers searched for the boy in the jungle, they found the khukuri (knife) lying on the ground on the side of the grass. Villagers looking around found the boy stuck in the bushes of Nigalo (bamboo). If the boy falls down from there, there is a big rock cliff, and it is impossible to find even his body. Checking the boy's pulse, there was a pulse somewhere in the body as a sign of life, and then the villagers brought him home. The boy recovered normally after serving the Baba and being treated according to the Baba's instructions.
After some time, one day, Baba said that he would change his life. The Baba never did after that.
Been seen.
A Flower Necklace for the Storyteller!
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