Grace That Arrives Unannounced
Bhakta Purandaradasa, the “Karnataka Sangeeta Pitaamaha” (crest of the music –world of Karnataka), lived in the 17th century. The story of how he became a devotee of the Supreme Lord (bhakta) is very unusual and inspiring.
Srinivas Nayak was very opulent yet a great miser. He was a great devotee in his previous life but his ancestral affluence made him so money minded that he became an eminent miser having no indication of his intrinsic devotion. His wife Saraswati was a great devotee of Shri Krishna and generous as well. She used to give alms secretly without revealing it to her husband, since he was fed up of her generosity.
Eventually due to devotion of Srinivas in his previous lives, and amiable nature of his wife, he was very dear to Lord Krishna, Hence Shri Krishna, the embodiment of mercy, thought of delivering him from material attachment and awakened dormant devotion of his heart.
So, Shri Krishna took the form of a poor Brahmin and approached Srinivasa Nayak for money in order to perform the thread ceremony of his son. Even though days rolled by, Nayaka did not give anything, but the Brahmin too did not relent. He visited Srinivasa Nayaka's shop again and again. Finally, after six months Nayaka decided that he had to do something to get rid of the Brahmin. He had a collection of worn-out coins that were more or less worthless. He poured this in front of the Brahmin and asked him to take one and never come back. The Brahmin went away, seemingly crestfallen.
Saraswathi, Nayaka's wife, was a kind hearted soul who in her own way, tried to make amends for her husband's miserliness. The Brahmin, who knew this, went directly from Nayaka's shop to his residence. He narrated his story and how her husband had sent him away with nothing.
Saraswati was appalled by her husband's behavior. She wanted to help the poor Brahmin, but felt helpless since she could not give anything without her husband's permission. When she explained her helplessness, the Brahmin asked if she had something given by her parents (which, presumably, she could give without asking for her husband's permission). She agreed and gave him the diamond nose-stud that her parents had given her.
The Brahmin took the ornament straight to Srinivasa Nayaka's shop. When Nayaka became angry with the Brahmin for coming back, despite his instructions to the contrary, the Brahmin clarified that he was there not to beg, but to pledge an ornament and take a loan. Nayaka was skeptical and asked the Brahmin to show him the ornament. When he saw the ornament, he was perplexed because he immediately recognized it as the one belonging to his wife. When questioned about the ornament's antecedents, the Brahmin told him that it was a gift from a benefactor.
Asking the Brahmin to come back the next day, Nayaka safely locked away the ornament in a box and went home. When he saw his wife without her ornament he questioned her about it. She tried to stall him with non-committal answers, but he insisted on seeing it immediately. He was angry because he thought she had given away a valuable ornament to a beggarly Brahmin.
Saraswati felt the ground giving way under her feet. She knew that her husband would punish her if she told him the truth. Unable to think of an alternative, first she prayed Shri Krishna to save her, then after having no answer from Him, she decided to commit suicide. She poured poison into a cup and lifted it to her lips. Just as she was about to drink the poison, she heard a metallic sound. Lo behold, wonder of wonders, the ornament was right there in the cup. She could not believe her eyes. Her heart filled with gratitude, she prostrated before the idol of Krishna and took the ornament to her husband. Nayaka was astounded as it was the very same ornament that he had safely locked away in his shop. He quickly excused himself and ran back to the shop to check. The box in which he had safely locked away the ornament was empty! He was now completely and totally dumbfounded.
He went back to his house, and pressed his wife to tell him the truth. She told him everything that had transpired. This put his mind into turmoil.
After deep thought and God’s inspiration, he came to the conclusion that the Brahmin was none other than God Himself. He recalled all the incidents that had transpired in the previous six months. He was disgusted with himself, and his miserliness. He felt that his wife had conducted herself far more decently and generously than himself. Since it was his love of money that had made him ill-treat the Lord, he gave away all of his wealth with the Lord's name on his lips, and became a Haridasa, a devotee and Lord Hari and started singing the glories of Lord Hari. He wrote and composed music for over 400,000 spiritual songs and became famous as “Karnataka Sangeeta Pitaamaha Bhakt Purandardas.”
Moral
1. Bhakti is immortal [1]. Even a small part of devotion performed in any previous life, transforms into good fortune.
2. God is such a good friend of His devotees that he may make any effort to rectify the life of His devotees, despite of his negligence.
3. He is also a friend of humble and pure hearted ones.
4. Greed ruins the life.
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