Stories of Bhaktas 16 - Joga Paramanand

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Joga Paramanand

 

The stories of true bhaktas are very interesting. They are

lovable souls. They live in their own sweet world. They don't

accuse anybody. They are not attached to the mundane world. They

don't show miracles to gain name and fame. Even if any miracle

happens through them, they think they are only an instrument of

God. They don't find fault with any one, but if they commit any

mistake, they punish themselves ruthlessly. That is their devotion

to God.

There is a village called Barsi in Sholapur. There was a

bhakta called Joga. Right from his childhood, he longed for the

darshan of God. Unlike other children, he always prayed to God. In

fact he gathered other children, not to play, but to chant the name

of God. Whenever he heard of a saint's visit to his village, he was

the first one to have his darsan.

As he grew older, the piety in him, which was deep rooted,

flourished into a full grown tree. His sole aim was to see God. His

eyes always watered since his heart was brimming with the love of

God. He used to lament, `Oh God! I cannot bear this sorrow! I am

mad after you. I cannot bear this separation from you anymore. I

have spent my tears but still you are not kind enough to me. Of

course I know I shouldn't blame you, since I have no right to seek a

blessing from you. When I haven't done any good deed in my life,

how can I hope to have your darshan ?

Joga was by birth a low caste man. He was an oil merchant,

but the way he entered the temple was really wonderful. He got up

before dawn, had his bath in the holy river and walked to the temple

from there. He knew the slokas of Bhagavad Geetha by heart. So he

chanted one sloka and fell prostrate on the ground. Thus he chanted

all the 700 slokas and prostrated 700 times! He carried on this

ritual for quite a few days.

One day he entered the temple. It was Krishnastami. He

stood before Panduranga in tears. His quest for God reached its

Zenith that day. He prayed to God with trembling lips. `Oh God! I

cannot bear it anymore. I want liberation I am chained to this

mundane world. Why don't you liberate me? I am not allured to the

earthly pleasures. All I seek is a union with you. Oh God! I had a

misgiving that only I am suffering in the whole world. Only later

it dawned to me that the world itself is troublesome. This knowledge

has wounded my heart. Will you please relieve my troubled soul?

Will you please fill my heart with your love?

God was touched by his genuine prayer. He sent rays of his

love into the heart of Joga. How lucky he was! On Krishnastami day,

Lord Krishna was born in his heart. He could feel the waves of love

sent to him. His body tingled. His heart melted. The tears of

sorrow were turned into tears of joy. All his life long misery

disappeared leaving him in a state of calmness. He was filled with

gratitude. He continued to stand before God.

He was then blessed with the darshan of God. Joga's joy was

beyond expression at the dazzling beauty of God. God spoke to

him `Joga from this moment you are relieved of your misery. Your

bhakti has reached its perfection. Today, a Guru is coming here. He

will bring about a turning point in you. You are a blessed soul.'

All his sorrow disappeared to God knows where! He was

jumping with joy at the darshan of God. He went home singing in the

name of God and dancing to it.

As God proclaimed, a saint landed in their village from

North. Joga knew at once this was the guru that God spoke about.

He rushed at once at him.

The saint was seated in the temple with a smiling face. He

was named Paramananda Swami. People gathered to see him and Joga

joined them. The saint was on his pilgrimage to south. Any Sadhaka

requires faith and vairagya. The sight of the swami increased the

vairagya in Joga and doubled his faith in God.

Swami started his Satsang. He was singing melodiously the

Leelas of Sri Krishna. His song was describing how Sri Krishna was

playing his flute melodiously. Joga could visualize that scene.

When the Swami was narrating how Krishna killed the demons, Joga

felt that the feelings of Kama, Krodha etc in him were being killed

by God.

The Swami described how the Gopikas being lured by Krishna

started chanting Madhava, Damodara, Govinda instead of calling out

the names of the items they had to sell. Joga had a sudden feeling

that he too should stop selling oil and should live by begging alms.

Yes! The turning point in his life had come! He was moved to

tears as he touched the feet of the Swamji. Swamiji could see

through Joga. He realized the Vairagya in Joga. He lifted him up

and asked what his worry was about.

Joga explained, `Swamiji, I am not a man of letters. I am

not a Jnani. All that I do is chant the name of God. My heart

tells me you are my Guru. Please accept me as your discipline and

enlighten me.'

Paramananda Swami, with a smiling, friendly face said, `Oh

Joga, you are a blessed soul. You have the love of God and so you

will attain moksha. You continue your practice of chanting the name

of God. You realize the truth `Eko Vishnu.' God is present in

everything and everyone around you. So don't hate anyone. Remember

the world which allures you to material comforts brings about your

downfall. We know behind every rose there is a thorn, but we pluck

the rose carefully. Our behaviour should be thus. Give up

falsehood. Finally this is a must for every Sadhaka. You may bear

dangerous poison within you, but should never nourish ego. The

words I or my are the worst enemies.'

The guru's words are like verdict to a true disciple. There

is no going against the verdict. There is no scope for any further

doubt. He started leading a peaceful life. Seeing his spiritual

life in accordance with his guru people called him Joga Paramanand.

As he desired, he gave up his oil business and lived by

begging alms. One day it was raining cats and dogs. The roads were

filled with muddy water. Remember his practice of prostrating on

the ground 700 times before reaching the temple. He continued his

practice that day too, being unmindful of the dirty atmosphere. A

merchant happened to see this scene. He was impressed by the piety

simplicity and selflessness of the devotee. So he bought him a new

silk dhoti and requested him to accept it.

Initially Joga refused to take it. He said that he was

interested only in God and not in dressing up, but the merchant

insisted. He added a convincing statement `Why don't you treat this

gesture as ordained by God?' Joga had no answer to it.

The next day as usual Joga had a bath in the holy river, but

wore the new silk dhoti. How vainglorious are these clothes we don!

He hesitated to prostrate because his new dhoti may get stained. He

tied it up to his waist and instead of falling flat on his stomach;

he just bent on his knees for a short distance. But that was not

convenient and he was not ready to soil his new dhoti. So that day

he did not bend down. He was folding his hands in standing posture

itself.

But lo! When he had the darshan of God in the temple, God

was not in his usual smiling manners. Joga wondered why! It did not

take him long to guess the reason. He did not do his regular pranams

to God. He was more interested in his new clothes rather than God

Himself! What does that convey? He was still in love with his

body. He wanted to get over this desire. He wanted to do atonement

for his sin.

He happened to see a farmer with his oxen on his way to his

farm. Joga struck a bargain with him. Oh dear! I will give you my

costly clothes. In return you lend me your oxen for four hours. He

tied one end of the rope to his legs and the other to the cows. He

makes them run. They run madly, dragging Jogi all along. He was

dragged across thorns, over rocks, along heaps of stones. You can

imagine Joga's plight. His skin was peeled off, blood was

overflowing like a river the nerves and muscles were torn out,

leaving only a skeletal structure of him. In a few minutes he would

breathe his last breath. Joga was not worried; he was chanting the

name of panduranga throughout the ordeal.

Why will God bring the tragic death of his disciple? He

appeared before him and childed him who looked like a pound of

flesh. `Joga what's wrong with you? You haven't committed any

crime. You are punishing yourself unnecessarily. How will I leave

you to your fate? "

He embraced Joga. The divine touch of the Lord was the

healing touch for him. Joga lost all the physical pain and

experienced. Waves passing over to him from God. God disappeared.

Joga continued his spiritual life till his eightieth year

till he breathed his last.

Joga Paramanand's Kirthanas were penned down by Visobha

Knechar. One of his devotional songs found its place in the

religious book of the sikhs.