Maharaj Narsih Mehta!

Pranams at the lotus feet of Maharaj Narsih Mehta!

Chapter – 5

There are several miraculous incidents happened in the life of Narsi Mehta.  It was the day of performance of ancestral rite,  Narsi Mehta found there was no Ghee in the house.  He went to the market to get Ghee, none was willing to give him ghee without money.  One merchant asked him to sing praising the glory of Lord Krishna, then he would consider giving Ghee.  Narsi Mehta beautifully sang praising his favorite Lord, did not notice the track of time.  It was in the afternoon he realized that it was already late to perform the homage to ancestors.  He returned home waveringly, his wife has received him with great respect.  It was Lord Krishna who performed the ancestral rite on behalf of Narsi Mehta and served thousands of Bhramins with a sumptuous meal.  Manekbai did not recognize Lord Krishna who was disguised in the form of Narsi Mehta and performed the rite, when they came to know that it was Lord Krishna who performed the rite, husband and wife shed tears of gratitude.

It is an undeniable fact that even the Saints and holy men have to bear their own Prabdhakarma, a grave incident happened in the life of Narsi Mehta.  It was his wife Manekbai and son Shyamal Das's death has transformed him completely.  Sarangdhar was not believed in the devotion of  Narsi Mehta, he felt that it was the luck that favors Narsih in all his life. Sarangdhar tried several times to disgrace Narsih was gone in vain and in return, he had to face humiliation.  Narsihji was kind and considerate, he saved the life of Sarangdhar several times, but nothing melted the wicked heart of him.  Sarangdhar filed a complaint against Narasih to the King, that Narsi is not a real Saint, he is pretending himself as the messenger of Lord, he has not learned scriptures, he is fooling the people of the village and he is morally wrong.   Sarangdhar also produced a few of the Brahmins as the witness against Narsihji.  Eventually, an order was released to produce Narsih before the King and questioned about his devotion and faith on Lord Krishna, listening to the speech of Narsi Mehta the King was awe-struck, he was highly impressed with the devotion and wisdom of Narsi Mehta.  The King wanted to prove Narsi Mehta is a staunch devotee of Lord Krishna, he is not an ordinary person.  King ordered for a  garland and asked Narsi Mehta to adore the idol of Lord Krishna and keep the sanctum locked and returned the key.  The king’s orders were followed, if Narsi Mehta is a saintly person the garland would be present on his neck by the next day, otherwise Narsih should undergo punishment.  Sarangdhar was extremely happy at the decision of the King, thinking that Narsih would undergo death punishment.  It was in the early hours of dawn, Narsi Mehta passionately sung before his beloved Lord.  As everyone was watching, the heavy lock in the shrine was broken, the doors wide opened, radiant light from the sanctum surged towards Narsi Mehta and the garland fell on his neck.  That radiant light was the form of Lord Krishna who saved his staunch devotee from the trouble.  The people assembled were stunned and cheered,  a divine voice was followed “ Vathsa, in your previous birth you were Emperor Muchukundha, who was the son of Mandhatha,  I have given Dharshan in the hills of Girinar, at that moment you have asked for Bhakti instead of Mukthi.  Therefore you had to take birth again and go through all the miseries and grief of an ordinary man.  You have another five years to be on the Earth to spread the self-less devotion.”