Saint Ramajujacharya once got a Sankalpa to undertake pilgrimage. He had innumerable disciples and naturally, His entourage was very big. The tour arrangements had to be elaborate and precise. It included arranging for daily Pooja and food arrangements for the entire group. Swami Ramanujacharya asked two of His disciples to inform a certain rich devotee that the entourage would halt at his place for one night.
When the two disciples reached the rich man’s town, they realized how busy the rich man was. They had to wait for hours before they could get to see him. When the rich man came to know that Swami Ramanujacharya would be halting for a night in his place, he was overcome with joy. He summoned his secretaries and gave them instructions to ensure that all necessary arrangements be done well in advance. He told them that they should decorate the entire town, as it was a rare opportunity. For the next couple of hours, he was busy giving instructions about the arrangements to be made.

The disciples returned and narrated to their Guru as to how great the rich man’s devotion was. However, Saint Ramanujacharya was not listening to what the disciples were telling. He asked, “Did the rich man offer you food?”

The disciples said that the rich man was so overwhelmed by the news that he pushed everything aside and started giving orders to his workers about the arrangements to be made. The disciples also told that if the rich man had forgotten to offer food, it was because he was totally immersed in making arrangements and that nothing more should be read into it. They even said that they were happy to see such a great devotee. Somehow, none of this seemed to impress Swami Ramanujacharya.

The tour began. The rich man’s town was nearing. The other disciples, who had heard about the elaborate arrangements that awaited them, could not hide their excitement. They were anxious to reach that town. When they were passing through a hamlet, Swami Ramanuja asked one of the disciples – “is this not where my dear devotee Govinda resides?”

Govinda was a very good devotee. He observed all the austerities with implicit devotion. He was young. But he was very poor. He used to earn his livelihood by begging in the nearby villages.
It seems he was not aware that his Guru was passing through the hamlet. There was no way he could know about it either. No one bothered to talk to him. No one told him that Swami Ramanuja would pass through this hamlet.

The disciples were somewhat irked by the fact that Swami Ramanuja remembered his disciple, whereas it should have been the other way round. It was Govinda’s duty to know about his Guru’s itinerary, they thought. They grew jealous. Swami Ramanuja, ignoring their jealousy, walked through the small lanes and alleys and finally stopped in front of a hut and called “Govinda! Govinda!!”

The hut didn’t even have a door. A broken thatch was kept in the front. It served as the door. Even this door did not open. Govinda did not come out. But the sound of a faint cry of a woman who was weeping could be heard.

The sound of weeping melted Ramanuja’s heart. Immediately Swami Ramanuja removed the long ochre robe covering his chest and threw it inside the hut. After a couple of minutes, a woman wearing that cloth came out and prostrated before Swami Ramanuja, and requested Him to be seated, showing a mud platform in front of the hut. It seemed as if Swami Ramanuja forgot about the journey ahead. He sat down on the muddy platform as happily as one would sit on a golden throne.

The housewife prostrated before Swami Ramanuja once again and said, “Swamiji, my husband has gone to beg for food to a nearby village. He will be back very soon. I beg that you and your entourage should accept our hospitality today”. Even before she could complete her words, she began weeping and sobbing. However, Swami Ramanuja remained calm and said, ‘Alright. We will stay here today and accept your hospitality. There is no hurry. Take your time’.

The disciples became horrified at the idea of having to eat in the hut. They also became angry on the housewife. ‘She says her husband has gone to the neighbouring village to beg, and she wants all of us to accept the hospitality here! Is this devotion or ego?’

Saint Ramanuja instructed His disciples to arrange the Pooja altar right in front of the hut. Arrangements began on a war footing. The housewife had disappeared and was nowhere to be seen! The disciples started to become wary.

The housewife, having prostrated once again to Swami Ramanujacharya from a distance, wiped her tears and briskly walked to a nearby village. She went straight to the rich shopkeeper of the village.

Donning ochre robes, she was looking like a moon amidst raging fires. The shopkeeper was shaken when he saw the housewife. She ignored his looks and, with folded hands, said, “This cloth was blessed by Swami Ramanujacharya, who has graciously accepted to have lunch in our house today. The full entourage is also with Him. I beg you to provide the grocery that is sufficient to feed them today. You may also come and have your food with them. After they leave, you may take me to the hell-like world that you have secretly hidden in your heart since many years. But for now, please send the grocery to my house”.

So saying, she didn’t even wait for a reply and returned to her hamlet. The cart carrying the grocery followed. After sometime, the rich shopkeeper also reached the hamlet. But, for a change, he did not peep into the hut. He fell at the feet of Swami Ramanujacharya and started crying loudly like a small child. Swami Ramanuja did not ask as to why he was crying. He allowed him to cry. Finally, Swami Ramanuja said, “if a child commits a mistake, the mother will not kill him. Come on, take the Teertham and Prasadam and purify your thoughts. Lead a life of purity”. With this, the rich shopkeeper stopped sobbing.

Govinda, who had gone to the neighbouring village for begging, returned. He could not believe his eyes. He wondered if he was in Vaikuntha. He walked straight into his house and saw his wife, dressed in ochre robes, busy cooking food. He mentally prostrated to the ochre robes that covered her body. He consoled his wife, who was fighting to hold back her tears. He also joined her in cooking.

After some time, the Pooja was over. Bhiksa was served to Swami Ramanujacharya. The disciples too had their food. But Swami Ramanujacharya was in no hurry to leave! People from surrounding villages started coming in groups to have the Darshan of Swami Ramanujacharya.

The news reached the millionaire devotee. ‘I have spent huge amounts of money for the arrangements. Still, Swami has decided to hold the Satsang in the house of Govinda, the beggar! Swami and the entire entourage have had their food also there! Have I done anything wrong?’ – these thoughts were haunting his mind. He did not know what to do. He did not feel like going to that hamlet because he thought that it would be an insult to him. Finally, he thought that he should not worry about insult and decided go and have the Darshan of Swami Ramanujacharya. He came to Govinda’s house and fell at the feet of Swami Ramanujacharya. Upon enquiry, he came to know that Swamiji had changed the route and that He would not be visiting his town. The millionaire felt shattered.

‘Have I done something wrong? If I have not done anything wrong, why then did my Guru, having come so near my town, decide to change the itinerary and the route? Even if I have committed a mistake, he could have corrected me instead of going to that poor beggar’s house along with such a big group of disciples.’ The more the millionaire thought about it, the more agitated he became. Finally, he said, “Gurudev, I seem to have committed some mistake. Because of my mistake, you had to sit on this muddy platform today.”

Swami Ramanujacharya, who was hitherto smiling benignly, cast a piercing look at the millionaire. “To call this a muddy platform is another mistake” He said.

“O! Gurudev! Please tell me what my first mistake was”. This time, the millionaire had softened to a great degree.

Swami Ramanujacharya smiled benignly and said, “O! Millionaire! You were overwhelmed with joy when you learnt that I would visit you. To show off your richness, you spent hundreds of thousands of rupees. You have such great devotion for me! Alright. You remember the two disciples who conveyed to you the message about my visit? Did you ever enquire whether they had taken food or not?

The millionaire seemed to be hurt with this question. Soon he recovered and said, “Gurudev! Everyday hundreds of devotees take food in my house. I have made such arrangements that Anna Dana goes on automatically everyday in my house.

“Oh! Yes? Hundreds of devotees eat in your house everyday? Do you also have food along with them? No. No, because, you are a philanthropist. They are beggars. Even if I come there, I should sit with them and eat. Isn’t it?” –although Swami Ramanujacharya was smiling, the millionaire felt as though he was being stabbed.

Millionaire: Gurudev! Pardon me, pardon me. After all, I am like a dust particle sticking to your feet.

Swami: Yes, of course! I am a pontiff. A Guru. So you say I am great and you are a tiny dust particle. All others are like insignificant flies.

Millionaire: Pardon me Gurudev! But I don’t have such feelings.

Swami: It is not that you don’t have. You simply don’t know that you have. This is because such a feeling is deeply embedded in your mentality.

Millionaire: I don’t deny what you are saying.

Swami: You are not denying because you are afraid that I may curse you. Otherwise, you would have denied it. Be that as it may. Now, can you tell why you are not able to deny it?

Millionaire: Gurudev! If when you are insisting so much, it would be wrong if I don’t say why it is so. I think it is the way we have been raised. We have been used behave like upper class, and to look down upon others as insignificant beings.

Swami: Why am I not looking insignificant to you?

Millionaire: Oh! Lord!! Have mercy!!! You are verily Lord Narayana himself!

Swami: What about these people?

Millionaire: They are ordinary beings.

Swami: Do you mean to say that Narayana is limited to me? Is your Narayana not omni-present?? Is the Vedic dictum – “purusha evedam sarvam” untrue???

Millionaire: How can it be untrue? But, it is something that only great beings like you can comprehend. How can ordinary mortals like us comprehend it?

Swami: O.K., agreed, you cannot comprehend. But should you not at least remember it?

Millionaire: I remember it everyday when I meditate.

Swami: It means, these beings are of the form of Narayana only when you are meditating. At other times, they are insignificant creatures. Is this what you want to say?

Millionaire: It is not like that! But in our mundane life, I feel certain paradoxes are inevitable!!

Swami: It may be so! We, the poor, may not be able to understand the problems of rich people like you. Let us keep it aside. You are so proficient in worldly matters. You could have made arrangements that are enough just for me. Why did you invite so many people for lunch?

Millionaire: Even if they had taken birth one hundred times, they could not have even dreamt of having your Darshan. So I thought that they too should be blessed with your Darshan.

Swami: What about all this decoration? Were they really needed?

Millionaire: Gurudev! You are greater than even the emperors. We make grand preparations even if a small king visits our town. Actually, what I have done for you is nothing.

Swami: You arranged lunch to gratify the poor. You have made this grand decoration because I am greater than emperors. But I don’t understand why you had to invite rich people of the neighbouring villages and make special arrangements for them.

Millionaire: Swamiji, let them also benefit.

Swami: Who am I to prevent you from doing these things! But, are they not rich? Couldn’t they have made their own arrangements if they really wanted to have my Darshan? Why should you make arrangements for them?

Millionaire: They are my co-businessmen. It is basic courtesy to invite them.

Swami: So you are using me to show-off your greatness to your co-businessmen. You are using me to prove that you are a great devotee. You are using me to prove how rich you are!

Millionaire: I had never thought on those lines. Now that you are saying, I feel it may be true to a certain extent.

Swami: But tell me something. Those rich businessmen – your so-called co-businessmen – are you sure that they are not of the nature of Lord Narayana?

Millionaire: Swamiji, after all, they are all like me. They are ordinary householders. They too commit several mistakes. Even they are groping in the dark.

Swami: O.K. What you mean to say is, when you are meditating, these poor people are of the nature of Lord Narayana. These rich guys are not even that. You believe that only I am of the nature of Lord Narayana. Still, you are using me as a pawn in your worldly games. Is it devotion?

Millionaire: Gurudev! I am utterly confused now. I don’t know what to say.

Swami: I am not angry. I am only discussing. I have another question. You said that because of you, I had to sit on this muddy platform. It means, your actions are capable of making Lord Narayana fall on this muddy platform. Isn’t it?

Millionaire: Gurudev! I am not able to grasp your intent. Please explain.

Swami: It is very simple. Lord Narayana is omni-potent and totally independent. You say I am of the nature of Lord Narayana. It means that even I am independent and omni-potent. If so, how is that I was made to sit on this muddy platform because of some action of yours? Does it mean that I am not independent? – this is my doubt.

Millionaire: Please forgive me Swamiji. I don’t claim that I made you sit on this muddy platform. I don’t feel that way.

Swami: I don’t think so either. So, I must have sat on this out of sheer anger on you, isn’t it?

Millionaire: No! No!! Saints like you are above anger and desires.

Swami: Well then, I did not sit here because you made me sit. I did not sit because I was angry. If so, I should have found something here that I did not find with you. What could that be? Think with a cool head.

Millionaire: Gurudev! I agree that the devotion of this poor couple is greater than my devotion.

Swami: Don’t think I am angry. You committed the second mistake when you said ‘muddy platform’. Now, you are committing the third mistake by calling this couple as poor.

Millionaire: I agree Swamiji, when it comes to devotion, they are millionaires.

Swami: It seems that you cannot measure anything without using the word ‘million’. But remember! There is no measure for devotion. If you call this couple as poor, it means even Atri-Anasuya were poor. Arundhati-Vasishtha were poor. Vamana is also poor as per your definition of poor.
You must have read about sages who, standing amidst raging fires, performed penance. Look at this couple, who are doing Sadhana amidst raging fires of the society. They have only one piece of cloth for both of them. This hamlet doesn’t even have hundred houses where Govinda can beg for his food! He is constantly subjected to humiliation and dishonor of the villagers. Look at this wealthy trader. He is the most intensely raging flame of all! Govinda and his wife are standing amidst these wretched and raging flames and are continuously chanting the name of the Lord. They are always remembering their Guru. They do not have any other thought! Therefore, although in our tradition there is no practice of giving initiation to women, I gave her the ochre robe. In fact, this couple does not belong to any caste, creed or religion. They have transcended such limitations long ago. Oh! Yes! How do you think this couple achieved such great heights in Sadhana? What in them do you think, has pleased Lord Srihari? What in them do you think, attracted me towards them?
This is a true incident that we come across in the biography of Saint Ramanuja. To make it easily understandable, it has been modified as a lively conversation between the Guru and the rich disciple. At the end of the narration, Swami Ramanuja posed three questions to the millionaire. It is understandable that the millionaire had no answers for them. Let us ask ourselves – do we have the answers? The following Sookti gives a clue to those who are striving for those answers:

Ahantaa dhana kshetra vidyaadi jaataa
Pradeyaa gurou naiva tuchcham dhanaadi
Lataantaavaleebhirhi poojaam vidhatte
Na shakhaadinaa bhoori roopena bhaktah

Ego arising out of wealth, property and knowledge should be surrendered to the Guru; not the paltry objects. One performs Pooja with the flowers (which grow at the end of the branches of a plant) and not with the branches themselves, isn’t it?

Let us analyse the second part of the Sookti first. It says, the devotee should worship God with flowers that grow at the end of the branches and not with the branches themselves. It is indeed a very good simile. But what is the message that it wants to convey through this simile? The answer is in the first part of the Sookti.
Everyone in this world aspires for wealth, knowledge and power. Why? Because, by having them, one can lead a comfortable life. If wealth, knowledge and power are branches, happiness should be the flower that grows at their ends. But the above Sookti states in no uncertain words that the flower that grows at the tip of the branches is not happiness, but is in fact ego. Is it not contradictory to common experience? If we think deeply, we sometimes feel ‘yes’ and sometimes we feel ‘no’. If we think even more deeply, we will feel that it is better to accept that wealth etc., causes happiness at certain times and at other times, causes ego.

However, this Sookti does not permit such compromise. Therefore, it has considered wealth etc., as ‘Tuchcha’. In ordinary sense, the word ‘Tuchcha’ means paltry. However, in technical sense, ‘Tuchcha’ means that which is non-existent, but appears as though it exists. For example, horns of a rabbit. A question now arises. Are wealth etc., tuchcha in this sense?

If they are not tuchcha, they should be real. If they are real, their fruits – namely ego etc., should also be real. If happiness, ego etc., are real, they should be equal to all. That is, just as a hill in front of us appears as a hill for you as well as for me, an object that causes happiness to me should cause happiness to you also.

But, in this world, an object that brings happiness to one person need not necessarily bring happiness to another person. You like potatoes. I feel like vomiting even if you utter the word ‘potato’. No one can deny this.
This problem arose because of the assumption that wealth etc., are real. Power, wealth, degrees etc., are aspects that have imaginary existence; they are not real.

Let us take a common example. Hunger is real. A fruit is also real. But the ‘value’ or ‘price’ fixed to the fruit byman is unreal. Similarly, when a person helps another person, superiority or inferiority between them is unreal. Similarly, when it comes to study of nature, the degrees or grades held by a person are unreal. Thus, wealth, authority, degree etc., are ‘tuchcha’ because they are unreal (and possess only imaginary existence). Flowers in a non-existent branch of a plant are also non-existent. Although non-existent, they appear as though they exist! Therefore, they are also ‘tuchcha’. Among such ‘tuchcha’ objects, that which serves as the basis for other ‘tuchcha’ aspects is Ahankara (ego). If there is no ego, there is no ownership of wealth! There is no supremacy of power! And there will be no intellectual dominance!

The above Sookti says that what grows at the tip of branches such as wealth, power and knowledge are nothing but flowers of ego, and urges us to surrender these flowers.

What does surrendering mean? It is not offering some and keeping back some. One should offer without expecting anything in return. This is called ‘Samarpana’ or total offering. The word ‘pradeya’ in the above Sookti echoes the same meaning.

In the story narrated at the beginning, the millionaire too had some devotion. He too had charitable attitude. He too had curbed his ego to a certain extent. But Swami Ramanujacharya was not satisfied because he had not surrendered his ego totally. In fact, a major portion of his ego was still in him.

In contrast, the noble couple did not even a small bit of ego that they could surrender! The flower of desire had not blossomed in the branch called devotion (their devotion for the Almighty was devoid of desires). The flower of jealousy had not grown in the branch called poverty (though they were poor, they were not jealous of others who were better off). The flower called hatred had not grown in the branch called hardship (though they were facing great hardship, they did not hate anyone or blame anyone). All this was possible because they had no ego! It is exactly for this reason that the muddy platform in front of the hut was like a golden throne for Saint Ramanujacharya.

“What do you think made me come to this couple?” Saint Ramanuja had asked the millionaire. He had not asked “why did I not come to you?”

Now you know as to what would be a correct answer. They did not have ego. That is why Narayana visited them.

If one has ego, what should he do? One should surrender that ego completely. “Is it not exactly the reason that I am engaged in acts of charity?” one may ask. If so, as one goes on giving away charity, one’s ego should go on decreasing. If on the other hand, if one’s ego increases, the charitable acts that one does would be a mere waste.

Who is to decide if your ego has decreased? You are your own judge. Therefore, you should examine yourself. You should introspect. You should analyze yourself. Even if your intentions behind the acts of charity are good, you may still not succeed if you allow yourself to succumb to egoistic attitude. At such times, the Sadguru will caution you. This is exactly what Saint Ramanujacharya did in the above story.

This Sookti urges you to analyze for yourself whether you are getting rid of ego as you go on doing charitable acts. May Lord Dattatreya bless you all so that you respond to the call of this Sookti. May your analysis be flawless. May the seed of ego in you be destroyed.

Jaya Guru Datta.

Sri Swamiji