Continued
From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2013/06/srimadh-bagawatham-jata-bharatar_4996.html
Many years went by. Nidhakar performed Bagawath
Thiruvaradhanam every day and would wait outside his gate to see if any
passerby would like to break bread with him that day. According to shastras a
person must wait outside to look for a passerby and invite them for lunch. A
person must wait outside as long as it takes to milk one cow.
Soon Nidhakar saw an old man come by. He was happy to see
the old man look effulgent.
‘Please bless my home by doing antaryami nivedhanam at my
humble abode,’ asked Nidhakar.
‘I will come,’ said the old man. ‘What is the menu for
today’s meal?’
‘We have rice, lentil soup, spinach and snake gourd.’
‘That’s not enough for me. I need a variety of mixed
rice. I need tamarind rice, lemon rice, coconut rice, curd rice, kheer, dahi
vada, morkuzhambu.’
‘Please wait here,’ said Nidhakar as he directed the old
man to take a seat in his living room. He then went inside to find his wife.
‘Shalini, you are the best wife a man could have. You
have helped me stay on the path of dharma by helping me perform athithi pooja.
Our previous guests never demanded any special food but today an old man agreed
to break bread with us but he wants special meals. It is very rare to find a
guest who demands special menu. We are truly blessed and I know that you will
definitely stay by my side today!’
‘Ask the guest to wait for a while. I will try to prepare
the food items as fast as possible.’
Soon Nidhakar and his wife served the food items to the
old man. After lunch, Nidhakar asked the old man to rest for a while.
‘Swami, has your hunger been quenched? Are you
satisfied?’ asked Nidhakar as he fanned the old man.
‘Who felt hungry? I feel neither hunger nor tiredness!
When did I eat?’
Nidhakar felt surprised. He had personally served all the
food items to the old man and had watched him eat.
‘Did I eat? Was I feeling hungry?’ asked the old man
emphasizing on the word “I”.
‘I’ refers to the atma. How can an atma feel hungry or
even consume food? Does an atma grow stronger after eating? Atma does not
require any nutrients. The Lord exists inside our body in the form of
Jadaragni. As the Agni burns, hunger and thirst arise. This is the law of the
body. Is it right to assign the law of the body to the atma? Just because the
atma is inside the body does not mean that the atma is eating. Air passing
through a flute comes out as different tune according to the hole it comes out
of. Similarly all atmas look alike but according to their past karmas obtain
different types of bodies. The atma appears as the controller of this body
because it resides in the body but the atma along with the body is the body of
the Lord. Thus the Lord is the inner controller. This is the concept of chit,
achit and Iswaran. Chit is the atma which has intelligence. This body is achit
as it is nothing but nonliving matter. Both the atma and the body are supported
by the Lord.’
Nidhakar immediately recogonised his guru Ribu. He fell
at his feet.
‘I have understood your teachings now. You don’t have to
test me again. I won’t make a mistake again and consider the body to be the
atma by mistake!’’
Jata Bharatar ended his narrative. King Rahugunan
prostrated before Jata Bharatar.
‘I feel blessed that I have met you! I was in search of
an Acharyan. I was on my way to see Sri Kapila Vasudevan as I wanted to become
his disciple but by good fate I have met you along the way and have received
instructions from you!’ said the king. The king prostrated before Jata Bharatar
and paid his respects to Jata Bharatar.
Thus Jata Bharathar instructed the king about the science
of the atma.
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