The Adventures of a Visiting Brahmana # 9

9

The days in Nadia, vibrant with spiritual emotions — a blend of anxiety and bliss — flow to the rhythm of the seasons and the whims of the Ganges. The city exudes an intoxicating atmosphere for the Vaishnavas who come to see the young Nimaï. Everyone praises the brilliant intelligence he displays at school, and his teacher is delighted.

Not only does Nimaï enhance the reputation of the institution, but thanks to him, the intellectual level of the students is remarkably high. What more could a teacher dream of? He can even consult Nimaï for advice on didactic questions. Yet, in general, it is nearly impossible to grasp the personality of this child, whose antics and achievements defy the most rational minds.

Jagannath Mishra and his wife often invite brahmanas, sannyasis, or even simple beggars seeking alms into their home. Following the custom that sages proclaim the Absolute Truth while knocking on doors under the pretext of seeking sustenance, Nimai's parents seize every opportunity to host such guests.

One evening, as they are about to sit down for supper, a brahmana visiting various pilgrimage sites arrives at their home, hoping to find shelter. They welcome him warmly. Jagannath Mishra, with his discerning eye, notices from the guest's demeanor and speech that he is a saintly person — a true brahmana devoted to Krishna. He inquires about the location of the household Deities, and the guest is led to the family altar.

In Vaishnava families, there is always a room, or in the case of the less affluent, a specific corner of the home, where an altar is set up to worship the forms of Radha and Krishna. These forms can be carved from wood, clay, or marble and often depict Krishna as He appeared on earth five thousand years ago, with Radha being the name of His consort. The forms of these Deities are also described in the Scriptures.

According to the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Upanishads, God, who is present in every corner of His creation, is naturally also within these "statues." During their installation, priests perform various ceremonies to invoke God's direct manifestation in these objects of piety, which then become spiritual. These practices date back to ancient times and are still observed today.

According to the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Upanishads, God, who is present in every nook of His creation, is evidently also within these "statues." During their installation, priests engage in various ceremonies to invoke God's direct manifestation in these objects of devotion, which then become spiritual. These practices hark back to ancient times and remain in effect to this day.When the brahmana is in the presence of the Deities, he is awestruck by their beauty and the light that radiates from them. For a long time, he remains absorbed, his hands joined in reverence, sometimes reciting prayers, sometimes feasting his eyes, anointed with the balm of love, upon these transcendental forms.

A little later, he interrupts his meditation to ask permission to prepare dishes he would like to offer to Their Lordships. Eagerly, they supply him with what he needs, happy to please the Deities. As is often the case with this class of people, he is an expert, quickly cooking up his offerings, and there he is already presenting his preparations before the altar. Bowing in prostration, eyes closed, he murmurs prayers while ringing a bell with his left hand.

It is at this moment that Nimaï enters the room. He is naked and covered with the dust of his play, but radiant like a sun that no mist can hinder. As no one stops him, he heads straight to the altar and grabs the plate containing the brahmana's offering. Without hesitation — as if it were the most natural thing in the world — he dips his finger into it and brings it to his lips, quivering with delight.

The host, who finishes his prayer at the same moment, can hardly believe his eyes! He rushes into the adjacent room to report the abomination. Jagannath Mishra and his wife are at a loss for words. They beg for his mercy and plead with him to forgive this ridiculous act given the child's young age. They are on the verge of punishing him when the brahmana firmly intervenes. Jagannath is at his wit's end; he hasn't the courage to look the brahmana in the face. He sits down, head in hands, speechless.

Seeing his dismay, the priest says, "Do not worry; the Lord is aware of what just happened, it's the intention that matters. Come now! For tonight, I will be content with fruits and water.”

We will never recover from this blunder if we leave it at that," Jagannath replies. "Please, show us your mercy by agreeing to cook again. We will clean the room accordingly."

Though bewildered, the brahmana, at the insistence of the master of the house, agrees to redo his offering.

There, everything is ready once more, and for the second time, he dedicates his offering to Krishna with love and devotion. But as he is deep in meditation, eyes closed, Nimaï comes again to contaminate the preparation. This time, the brahmana can take no more! He wants to burst with anger and pull the ears of this rascal. But he restrains himself. Such behavior is unbecoming of a man of his stature, especially since the intruder is just a child at an age where reason is yet to dawn. Guided by wisdom, he rises and goes to find the child's parents. With a grave and disillusioned tone, he announces, "Your son has once again ruined the sanctification…”

He wasn't allowed to finish his sentence. The parents are distraught. Sachidevi keeps repeating that this has never happened before and that their home is the very model of a family temple, decent and pious. Though it is late in the evening, they implore him to make another attempt, this time promising to be extremely vigilant. They assure him that no one will disturb him again because they will lock the child doubly in his room for the night, and they themselves will go to bed.

Convinced, the brahmana busies himself once again around the wood fire where he cooks his rice. Then, with no more doubts about the outcome of his third attempt, he starts to ring the bell again, muffling its sound with his fingers to keep the noise down since the entire household has just gone to sleep. During the offering, however, he can't help but think about that curious boy who had to be confined to his room. As he stands up, he nearly falls backward in shock!

Before him, with a smiling face, happy to be there, Nimai sits on the floor, the bowl on his knees, delighting in the delicious dish he has just prepared.

The brahmana has to sit down to recover, his legs trembling. "How is this possible?" He knows well that strange things happen in everyday life, but for Vishnu to refuse his preparation, he must be under a simple, pure curse. Disturbed by dark thoughts, he laments over the circumstances that have led him to this unfortunate experience.

The soft voice of Nimai brings him out of his stupor: "My dear servant, you might not remember, but many centuries ago, when I was the son of Yashoda, known by the Name of Krishna, you were also a guest in the house and I disturbed you in the same way. It is because you offer this food with such devotion and because I am not different from Krishna that I come personally to eat your offering."

As he says this, the golden hue of his skin transforms into a dark shade, like a rain cloud at the onset of the monsoon. With a peacock feather in his curly hair, he indeed resembles Krishna in His childhood form.

The brahmana is left speechless. He feels as if a shower of electrifying and delightful droplets is pouring over him. A sweet felicity envelops him. He mumbles to himself a few incomprehensible words that betray his emotions. Returning to his original form, Nimaï instructs him not to reveal to anyone what he has just witnessed. Having bestowed his blessings, he takes leave of him like an ordinary child.

Thus, with his presence, the city of Nadia becomes a place where joy and the pleasure of living are evident on every face. People speak only of the exploits of Jagannath Mishra and Sachidevi's son. Each day brings euphoric happiness to the relatives of this blessed couple, and anyone who comes into contact with this family is somehow touched by such ecstasy. It is hard for the residents to explain the nature of this phenomenon, and people strive to convince Jagannath Mishra that all this influence is generated by his son.

But for the father, it is different: "You can say whatever you want, even the demigods themselves cannot change my behavior towards my son. He may be a superhuman endowed with mystic powers, he may be Vishnu Himself, but I will not take that into account; above all, he is my son, and as such, it is my duty to protect him, feed him, put him to bed, clothe him, play with him, or punish him if he behaves badly. You can see him as you wish, but for my wife and me, Nimaï is simply our child — our cherished child."

Seeing the profound nature of their love, the townspeople chuckle at the illusion that blinds these two individuals. In every household, there is talk only of Jagannath Mishra's offspring, and people come from very far away just to see him. He is the trophy of Nadia.

Preceding chapter # 8: Nimaï mange de la terre