Cleanliness is next to Godliness
Shuchi and Shubhrata were given utmost importance in our Indian
culture, since ever. Right from small things like brushing teeth etc.
fixed rules and regulations have been placed, such that utmost
cleanliness prevails in the society. The following story portrays the
obsession of Indian culture for cleanliness.
Long ago there used to live an obedient shishya of the great Paila
maharshi. His name was Udanka. Udanka, due to his obedience, learnt
quickly his lessons. After completing his Vidyaabhyaasam, before leaving
the Guru-aashramam, Udanka requested his Guru to take Guru-dakshina.
Paila maharshi replied “you being a shishya of me is itself enough. It
is difficult to get good shishyas like you. Please go on”. Upon many
times being requested by Udanka, finally Paila maharshi said “do the
work that your Guru-patni tells you and then leave”.
He approached Guru-patni, did Yathaa-vidhi namaskaaram, with Vinayam,
asked her to give him some work. She asked him to get the kundalas of
the country’s Mahaaraani for a Vratam. Udanka immediately set out for
it. On the way he sees a radiant brightly glowing God coming on a huge
Vrushabham. He does the required namaskars to him and the God gives him
goomayam. He eats the goomayam, takes leave from the God and continues
his journey to meet Poushya, the king of the country. Poushya was a very
great king, ruled his subjects as his own kids and made dharma walk on
its four legs.
Poushya welcomed Udanka and offered him a warm welcome when he
arrived at his courtyard. Udanka tells the reason for his arrival and
immediately the kings granted him permission to collect the kundalas. He
asked udanka to go to the queen’s palace and collect them from her
personally. Udanka went into the palace and searched for the queen
everywhere. Failing to find her returns to poushya informing that he
could not find the queen. Poushya hesitantly says “O great Brahmana! How
can I say that you are not clean? My queen is a Pativrata and hence
only people who are clean can see her”. Udanka recalls why he was not in
a clean state and realizes that in the hurry to finish gurupatni’s
task, he forgot to wash his hands, feet and mouth and do aachamanam,
after eating the gomayam. He immediately washes and does aachamanam and
goes back to see the queen and sees her in her palace.
Story will be continued later in some other contexts. So will Udanka
be able to complete his gurupatni’s task? who was the God? Keep reading
for answers ….
Morals in the Story:
- It is very basic and important to always be clean.
- The mahima of pativratas is immense. It seems even the trimurtis do not have power to go against the will of a pativrata.
Message:
Neglecting the Indian aacharams and culture seems to be the main
cause for today’s “modern” Indian’s un-cleanliness and other related
ill-effects. So let us strive to uphold our culture reforms ourselves
and think twice to act in this mad run for “technological advancement”.
Also now-a-days we miss our olden education system. Peviously Guru
used to give Vidyaa, housing, food everything, expecting nothing in
return. Shishya also used to learn with great Vinayam and try his best
to give Guru-dakshina. This Unnata-aadarsham of
Bhaarateey-Vidyaabhyaasam is well shown in the story through the
conversation of Udanka and Paila maharshi. Contrast it with present day
education — it has reached a level where educational institutes, in
their hunger for money, do advertisements!!
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