The Half Baked Pot

Anecdotes

oi-Staff

By Staff

Monday, December 1, 2008, 15:10

Namdev was both a great devotee and a great poet saint. His devotion for Lord Vitobha matured into enlightenment which was actually thrust upon him by Lord Vitobha Himself. An interesting story goes behind the process of his enlightenment.

Lord Vitobha, on the finding Namadev still not enlightened wanted to bestow him with His choicest blessing of realising his true self. Gora Kumbhar, a potter, once invited a host of saints to feast in his house. Jnaneswar and Namdev were also among the invitees.

Jnaneswar in collusion with Gora, loudly announced "Gora, you being a potter test if these pots (the saints assembled) are the pots of Brahma" As Gora tapped the saints on their heads one by one, they submitted humbly except for Namdev who had failed to grasp the wisdom blanketed under the superficial words of Jnaneswar.

Namdev reacted with resistance sharply when Gora's stick contacted his head. Gora in turn reported to Jnaneswar saying "This pot is half baked". The whole house resounded with the laughter of the gathered guests. At the peak of humiliation, Namdev ran up to Vitobha, his one and only solace with whom he ate, slept and spent most of his time to complain.

To the surprise of Namdev, Vitobha said :" Why did you not submit when all others had?.

Namdev, now totally shattered said "Am I not your friend, Your child?"

Vitobha replied " You don't understand the truth and will not if I tell you. Seek the help of the saint who lives in a ruined temple in the forest"

Namdev promptly did as he was told. On reaching the temple, his searching eyes did not come upon any saint except an unassuming man who had his legs rested on the Shivalingam. He doubted if this was the man to whom Vitobha sent him to be enlightened. He had no other choice but to approach this man as there was none other his eyes could meet. Namdev walked up to him and clapped his hands to alert the person.

The man sat up with a start and said " Oh you are Namdev whom Vitobha has sent".

The dumbfounded Namdev thought the old man to be great. However he could not come to terms with idea of resting the feet on the deity. Hence he slowly asked "You seem to be a great person, but is it not wrong to put your feet on the Shivalingam?"

The old man exclaimed " Oh! Is my feet on the Shivalingam? Please remove it and place it else where, where there is no Shivalingam"

Namdev relieved of the Lord being spared of the insult removed the legs and placed on the ground, only to find a Shivalingam there. He hence tried placing the feet in different places, but where ever he placed there sprouted a Shivalingam.

The aghast Namdev then placed the feet on his lap and lo ! he too became a Shivalingam !

The old man then said " You have learnt the lesson. Now you can go back".

Namdev on his return from the forest after meeting the old saint did not go to the temple to meet Vitobha with whom he spent most of his time. Vitobha, the all knower hence went to Namdev's house and enquired as to why he had not visited him.

Namdev then said " You can't fool me any further. Where is the place where you are not? Should I go to the temple to be with you? Do I exist apart from you?.

Vitobha replied with a naughty smile " So now you have understood the truth. It is for this reason you were sent to the forest to learn the final lesson".

Namdev thus learnt the lesson of surrendering to Guru which made him realise the eternal truth of non duality. His impeccable devotion for Vitobha guided him to his Guru who helped him realise the truth.