Sant Gnaneshwar Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sant Gnaneshwar Maharaj!

Chapter - 4

In the middle of the night Gnaneshwar got out of sleep abruptly, he found his parent's attic was empty; the children were shocked to know that their parents are not at home.  The little girl Mukthabai was alarmed, soon her brothers took hold of her and calmed.  Somehow they have patiently waited for the daybreak.  As soon as the sun raise they ran out in search of parents in different directions.  The villagers were not at all considerate; they did not provide any help for these children who were running out in search of their parents.  They got back home wearied with extreme agony and grief.  Gnanadev’s childhood mate Radha who was the daughter of a wealthy man in the village arrived, Gnandev sadly told her “ Radha, our parents are missing, we have been conducting thorough search all through the village, but did not find any trace of them.”  Radha said “ Gnandev, you will not able to locate them, Yesterday they went to meet the Bhramin Sabha of the village to get an auspicious date to perform sacred thread ceremony of three of you.  The Brahmins of the Sabha asked him to perform the atonement for the sin, after that they will consider whether to give the date for the performance of sacred thread ceremony or not.  They asked your father to give away life as atonement for the sin committed.” The children were shocked and inconsolable to hear death punishment to their parents.  Radha said, “ I think your parents accepted the death punishment.”  The children were miserable, they wept bitterly. 

They had nothing at home left to eat, they go out begging for alms, but the villagers were refused to give anything as alms and abused the children.  They returned home tired of hunger and thirst, suddenly Sopan Dev fallen unconscious, the children were worried, Gnandev rushed out of the home to fetch water from the pond.  He filled water in a mud vessel, soon the wealthy man and a group of Bhramins arrived and blamed Gnandev spoiled the sanctity of the water which was meant for the ablution of Brahmins.  Gnandev said “ Sopandev’s life is in danger without a drop of water at home.  Therefore, kindly allow me to take some water to save his life,  water cannot be impure with the touch of a person of low caste,” The arrogant wealthy man ordered to thrash the mud pot Gnandev was carrying on his head.  He returned home humiliated and all wet, he squeezed out water from his wet clothes on Sopan Dev, soon he regained consciousness.  Muktha took a torn cloth which was used by his mother to pack the flour, she removed the remains of the dust of flour from it, with her tears she made of dough and spread it as Rotis, but there was no fire left at home, Gnandev asked her to keep the Roti on his upper back to get it cooked with the heat of his body out of anger and frustration.  That night the children were happily filled their stomach with the pieces of a single Roti.