Namasthe- Harmless, protective intoxicant

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Dear all,

 

What is an intoxicant? An intoxicant is a drug that can produce a state of intoxication. What is a harmless, protective intoxicant? An intoxicant that is not only incapable of causing any harm, but protects the user. Now let us remember this definition and go to a story told by Shree Ramakrishna Paramahamsar.

 

There was a lady near His ashram who was a great devotee of Shree Ramakrishan Paramahamsar. She was very sad due to the drinking habit of her husband. Once she came to Paramahamsar and told him to advise her husband to quit drinking. Then Paramahamsar told her that he could help him only if he came to the ashram to see him. This lady tried several times to drag him to the ashram, but she did not succeed. With tears, she again begged Paramahamsar to help her.

 

Then paramahamsar thought for a moment and gave her a manthram and asked her to repeat it as many times as possible for 12 days. She did it with utmost devotion and after a few days, one of her husband's friends took him to the ashramam. When they came to see Guru, Guru was in a mood of deep bhakthi or devotion and was extremely happy. He was experiencing the bliss of the nearness of Kali Matha and was repeating " matha Kali " " matha Kali " . When this person saw Paramahamsar like this he thought that Paramahamsar was  drunk and was heavily intoxicated. He thought: " My Goodness, I wish I could get intoxicated like this! Even with several drinks, nowadays I am not able to get intoxicated like this " .

 

After some time his friend just went outside and Paramahamsar and this lady's husband were the only two people left in the room. So he asked Paramahamsar:  " Teacher, what did you drink to get intoxicated like this? Please tell me whether it is Indian made or foreign made liquor. I am not able to get this effect with anything I drink " .

 

Parmahamsar burst into laughter and said: " Gentleman, this intoxication is the result of repeatedly administering the Naama Rasaayanam or tonic of divine name  I did not drink any liquor other than the Bhakthi rasaayanam " or tonic of devotion..

 

This man would not leave Him and asked Parmahamsar to prescribe a naamaam or divine name to get intoxicated. But Parmahamsar was very reluctant to advise him becasue he felt he did not deserve it. He wants to get drunk in the material sense and not in the spiritual sense and giving advise to " apaathram " or those who do not deserve is sin or paapam. So Paramahamsar did not give him the manthram and he left the ashram.

 

After a few days, Paramahamsar had to go somewhere and for that he had to cross a river. This same man was there with a boat and he offered to take him to the other bank. Paramahamsar agreed and when they reached the middle of the deep river, he requested Paramahamsar to advise him the Manthramor divine name to get intoxicated.  He threatened Parmahamsar saying that if Teacher did not give the manthram, he would commit suicide by jumping into the river. So Paramahamsar prayed and wrote a naamam on his tongue by the power of which he would be able to chant the manthram effortlessly and continuously. Paramahamsar's siddhi or power of prayer slowly started acting on him. From that moment he started chanting the naama Guru wrote on his tongue.

 

This person went home and kept chanting the naamam continuously and did not even stop to drink his liquor or eat his food. After three days of continuous chanting, he came to the ashram and fell at the feet of Paramahamsar and told Guru that he was experiencing the same intoxication Guru experienced with out even a drop of his old liquor. He said he only consumed Naama Rasaayanam or tonic of God's name.  

 

He became a great devotee of both Bhagavaan and Parmamhamsar and with his pious wife went around distributing this harmless intoxicant: Bhagavad Naamam.

 

May be stories like these inspired Bhaktha kavi Vaazhakkunnam to sing:

 

à´•à´²àµà´²àµâ€ŒÂ Â à´µàµ‡à´£àµ‹ നീലനിറം കോലàµà´‚ നലàµà´² à´•à´²àµà´²àµâ€Œ വേണോ?

മലàµà´²à´µàµˆà´°à´¿à´ªàµà´ªàµ†à´°àµ‹à´²àµà´¨àµà´¨ à´•à´²àµà´²àµâ€Œ വേണമോ?   

à´à´µà´‚ പരരകàµà´·à´•àµà´•à´¾à´¯à´¿Â à´•à´²àµà´²àµà´µà´¿à´²àµâ€à´•àµà´•àµà´‚ ജോലികàµà´•àµ†à´¨àµà´¨àµ†Â 

ഭവസൂനോ! ദേശം തോറàµà´‚ ചàµà´±àµà´±à´¿à´ªàµà´ªà´¿à´•àµà´•àµà´®àµ‹Â Â ?   

 

Regards an dprayers

 

Savitri