संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 17 — A Dull Brahmin Boy Becomes Learned
Literal. A dull Brahmin boy at Kavir, mocked by his peers, goes to Bhilavadi temple of Bhuvaneshwari, cuts his own tongue and offers it at the goddess's feet. Devi appears in his dream and directs him to Shri Guru under the Audumbar tree on the Krishna's bank. He goes; Shri Guru blesses him; the boy regains his tongue and acquires full Vedic knowledge.
Symbolic. Self-mortification as the cost of admission — the boy gives up the very faculty he is asking to be repaired. The pattern is consistent with the Sandeepak chapter (suffering as the price of liberation) and with the broader theme: capability is acquired only after a costly demonstration of seriousness.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥ श्रीसरस्वत्यै नमः ॥ श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः ॥
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || śrīsarasvatyai namaḥ || śrīgurubhyo namaḥ ||
Salutations to Śrī Gaṇeśa. Salutations to Śrī Sarasvatī. Salutations to the Śrī Guru.
The chapter opens, as every chapter does, by bowing first to Gaṇeśa (remover of obstacles), Sarasvatī (learning) and the Guru — no teaching is begun on one's own strength.
Begin any new undertaking by first acknowledging the help you did not create yourself.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामकरणी । गुरुभक्तशिखामणि । तुझी भक्ति गुरुचरणीं । लीन जाहली निर्धारीं ॥१॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmakaraṇī | gurubhaktaśikhāmaṇi | tujhī bhakti gurucaraṇīm | līna jāhalī nirdhārīm ||1||
Siddha says, addressing him by name: O crest-jewel among devoted disciples, your devotion has settled firmly at the Guru's feet.
The teacher names the quality that qualifies the listener to receive the story — bhakti (devotion) that has become unwavering, not occasional.
Let your commitment to what matters most be steady, not something you pick up and put down.
पर्जन्य येतां पुढारां । जैसा येतो सूचना वारा । तैसें तुझें दैन्य-हरा । ऐकसी गुरुचरित्र कथनभेद ॥२॥
parjanya yetām puḍhārām | jaisā yeto sūcanā vārā | taisem tujhem dainya-harā | aikasī gurucaritra kathanabheda ||2||
As the wind comes as a sign before the rain arrives, so does your grief-removing listening to the Guru's story come, dispelling sorrow.
Hearing the Gurucaritra (the Guru's life-story) is likened to the cooling wind before rain — a sign that relief from suffering is on its way.
Treat the small comfort you feel in good company as a sign that greater peace is coming — stay and listen.
ऐसें चरित्र कामधेनु । सांगेन तुज विस्तारोन । एकचित्त करुनि मन । ऐक शिष्या नामधारका ॥३॥
aisem caritra kāmadhenu | sāmgena tuja vistārona | ekacitta karuni mana | aika śiṣyā nāmadhārakā ||3||
Such a story, like the wish-granting cow, I shall tell you in full detail; make your mind one-pointed and listen, disciple Nāmadhāraka.
The story is compared to Kāmadhenu (the wish-fulfilling cow) — it gives the listener exactly what is needed, if received with undivided attention.
Give whatever you are learning your full, undivided attention rather than half-listening while distracted.
कृष्णावेणीतटाकेसी । भुवनेश्वरी-पश्चिमेसीं । औदुंबर वृक्षेसीं । राहिले श्रीगुरु परियेसा ॥४॥
kṛṣṇāveṇītaṭākesī | bhuvaneśvarī-paścimesīm | audumbara vṛkṣesīm | rāhile śrīguru pariyesā ||4||
By the bank of the Kṛṣṇā-Veṇī rivers, west of Bhuvaneśvarī, by the auduṃbara tree, Śrī Guru dwelt, hear this well.
The narrative resumes the concrete geography of the Guru's stay — the auduṃbara (sacred fig tree) marking a place made holy simply by his presence there.
Notice how an ordinary place becomes special once someone worthy of respect has spent time there — treat such places with care.
गौप्यरुप असती गुरु । ठाव असे अगोचरु । अनुष्ठान धुरंधरु । चातुर्मास येणेंपरी ॥५॥
gaupyarupa asatī guru | ṭhāva ase agocaru | anuṣṭhāna dhuramdharu | cāturmāsa yeṇemparī ||5||
The Guru remained in a hidden form, his whereabouts unknown, absorbed in disciplined practice through the four months of the monsoon retreat.
The cāturmāsa (four-month monsoon retreat) is a period of deliberate withdrawal and discipline — even a realized teacher observes structured practice rather than idle wandering.
Set aside a season for quiet, disciplined focus rather than constant outward activity.
सिद्धस्थान असे गहन । भुवनेश्वरीसंनिधान । विशेष श्रीगुरु राहिले म्हणोन । उत्कृष्ट जाहलें महिमान ॥६॥
siddhasthāna ase gahana | bhuvaneśvarīsamnidhāna | viśeṣa śrīguru rāhile mhaṇona | utkṛṣṭa jāhalem mahimāna ||6||
The Siddha's place was deep and secluded, close by Bhuvaneśvarī; because Śrī Guru especially dwelt there, its glory became supreme.
A place's sanctity is said to rise because a realized being chose to stay there — holiness is described as something that settles into a location through presence, not just ritual.
Where you choose to spend your time shapes what that place comes to mean — choose it thoughtfully.
ऐकोनि सिद्धाचें वचन । नामधारक करी नमन । परमात्मा श्रीगुरुराणा । कां रहावें गौप्यरुपें ॥७॥
aikoni siddhācem vacana | nāmadhāraka karī namana | paramātmā śrīgururāṇā | kām rahāvem gaupyarupem ||7||
Hearing the Siddha's words, Nāmadhāraka bows and asks: the Supreme Self, King of Gurus — why should he remain hidden?
The disciple's honest question — why would the Guru hide himself — models the kind of curiosity that keeps the teaching moving forward.
Do not suppress an honest question out of politeness; ask it, respectfully, when something puzzles you.
त्यासी काय असे तपस । भिक्षा मागणें काय हर्ष । संदेह माझ्या मानसास । निवारावा दातारा ॥८॥
tyāsī kāya ase tapasa | bhikṣā māgaṇem kāya harṣa | samdeha mājhyā mānasāsa | nivārāvā dātārā ||8||
What need has he of austerity, what joy is there in begging for alms? Remove this doubt from my mind, O giver.
The disciple wonders why a divine being would perform tapas (austerity) or beg — the tension between apparent human limitation and hidden divinity drives the coming teaching.
When someone's humble behavior confuses you, ask rather than assume you already understand them.
ऐक वत्सा नामधारका । भिक्षा मागतो पिनाका । आणिक सांगेन ऐका । दत्तात्रेय तैसाचि ॥९॥
aika vatsā nāmadhārakā | bhikṣā māgato pinākā | āṇika sāmgena aikā | dattātreya taisāci ||9||
Listen, child Nāmadhāraka: even Śiva, the wielder of the bow Pināka, goes begging for alms; and Dattātreya does the same.
Even the greatest gods are shown taking on the humble posture of a beggar — divinity does not consider ordinary humility beneath it.
Do not think any humble task is beneath you; the greatest have taken it on without shame.
दत्तात्रेय त्रयमूर्ति । भिक्षुकरुपी असे दिसती । भक्तजनानुग्रहार्थी । तीर्थयात्रे हिंडतसे ॥१०॥
dattātreya trayamūrti | bhikṣukarupī ase disatī | bhaktajanānugrahārthī | tīrthayātre himḍatase ||10||
Dattātreya, the three-formed one, appears in the guise of a mendicant; for the sake of blessing devotees he wanders on pilgrimage to holy places.
Dattātreya's trayamūrti (three-in-one form, uniting Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva) travels disguised as an ordinary beggar — grace often arrives in an unassuming form.
Treat every ordinary visitor or stranger with respect; you cannot always see what is truly behind an unassuming appearance.
अनुपम तीर्थे भूमीवरी । असती गौप्य अपरांपरीं । श्रीगुरुमूर्ति प्रीतिकरीं । प्रगटले भक्तांलागीं ॥११॥
anupama tīrthe bhūmīvarī | asatī gaupya aparāmparīm | śrīgurumūrti prītikarīm | pragaṭale bhaktāmlāgīm ||11||
Incomparable holy places exist on this earth, hidden one after another; out of love, the Guru's form has revealed itself to devotees at such places.
Tīrthas (holy sites) remain concealed until, out of compassion, the Guru's revelation makes them known to those who seek him.
Trust that the good you cannot yet see will become clear in its own time if you keep seeking sincerely.
भक्तजनोपकारार्थ । तीर्थे हिंडे श्रीगुरुनाथ । गौप्य व्हावया कारणार्थ । समस्त येऊनि मागती वर ॥१२॥
bhaktajanopakārārtha | tīrthe himḍe śrīgurunātha | gaupya vhāvayā kāraṇārtha | samasta yeūni māgatī vara ||12||
For the benefit of devotees, Śrī Gurunātha wanders among holy places; wishing to remain hidden, all the places themselves come and beg him for a boon.
Even the sacred tīrthas are pictured as longing for the Guru's presence and asking to be blessed by it — showing that his grace, not ritual alone, is what sanctifies a place.
Seek out the company of good influences the way a place seeks blessing — actively, not passively.
लपवितां दिनकरासी । केवीं लपे तेजोराशी । कस्तूरी ठेवितां जतनेसी । वास केवीं गौप्य होय ॥१३॥
lapavitām dinakarāsī | kevīm lape tejorāśī | kastūrī ṭhevitām jatanesī | vāsa kevīm gaupya hoya ||13||
How can one hide the sun by concealing the giver of daylight? How can the fragrance of musk, however carefully stored, stay hidden?
Two images — the sun and musk (kastūrī) — teach that true greatness cannot be concealed forever, however much the Guru tries to remain unseen.
Do not chase recognition; let genuine goodness in your actions be quietly known on its own.
आणिक सांगेन तुज साक्षी । गुण कैसा कल्पवृक्षीं । जेथें राहे तया क्षितीकांक्षी । कल्पिलें फळ तेथें होय ॥१४॥
āṇika sāmgena tuja sākṣī | guṇa kaisā kalpavṛkṣīm | jethem rāhe tayā kṣitīkāmkṣī | kalpilem phaḷa tethem hoya ||14||
I shall tell you another proof: consider the nature of the wish-granting tree — wherever one desiring the earth's fruit sits beneath it, the wished-for fruit appears there.
The kalpavṛkṣa (wish-fulfilling tree) grants whatever is asked of it wherever it stands — an image for how the Guru's presence answers whatever a sincere seeker brings to it.
Bring your genuine needs to those wise and generous enough to help, and expect a real response.
याकारणें तया स्थानीं । प्रगटले गुरुमुनि । सांगेन तुज विस्तारुनि । एकचित्तें परियेसा ॥१५॥
yākāraṇem tayā sthānīm | pragaṭale gurumuni | sāmgena tuja vistāruni | ekacittem pariyesā ||15||
For this reason the Guru-sage revealed himself in that place; I shall tell it to you in detail — listen with a single-pointed mind.
The narrator signals a shift from reflection to story: the concealment ends and a new episode of revelation begins.
When a lesson concludes, be ready to receive the next one with the same attentiveness.
करवीरक्षेत्र नगरांत । ब्राह्मण एक वेदरत । शास्त्रपुराण विख्यात । सांगे सकळ विद्वज्जनां ॥१६॥
karavīrakṣetra nagarāmta | brāhmaṇa eka vedarata | śāstrapurāṇa vikhyāta | sāmge sakaḷa vidvajjanām ||16||
In the town of Karavīra-kṣetra there lived a brahmin devoted to the Vedas, famous for his mastery of scripture and purāṇa, which he expounded to all the learned.
The new story begins with a respected scholar-brahmin in Karavīra (Kolhapur) — a man of learning whose situation is about to be tested through his son.
Remember that even the most accomplished among us can face unexpected trials close to home.
अग्रवेदी असे आपण । जाणे तर्क व्याकरण । आन्हिकप्रमाण आचरण । कर्ममार्गी रत होता ॥१७॥
agravedī ase āpaṇa | jāṇe tarka vyākaraṇa | ānhikapramāṇa ācaraṇa | karmamārgī rata hotā ||17||
He himself was foremost in Vedic learning, skilled in logic and grammar, faithful to daily ritual observance, and devoted to the path of prescribed duties.
His credentials are listed in full — tarka (logic), vyākaraṇa (grammar), ritual discipline — establishing him as a model of orthodox learning before the contrast to come.
Build your own competence thoroughly before you judge others for lacking it.
त्यासी जाहला एक सुत । मूर्ख असे उपजत । दैववशें मातापिता मृत । असमाधान होऊनियां ॥१८॥
tyāsī jāhalā eka suta | mūrkha ase upajata | daivavaśem mātāpitā mṛta | asamādhāna hoūniyām ||18||
A son was born to him who was dull-witted from birth; by fate his parents died, leaving him disconsolate.
The learned father's son is born without natural aptitude, and then loses his parents — a double misfortune that sets up the boy's crisis of worth.
Do not measure a person's worth only by their early setbacks; circumstances can change.
वर्धतां मातापित्याघरीं बाळ । वर्षे सात जाहलीं केवळ । व्रतबंध करिती निश्चळ । तया द्विजकुमरकासी ॥१९॥
vardhatām mātāpityāgharīm bāḷa | varṣe sāta jāhalīm kevaḷa | vratabamdha karitī niścaḷa | tayā dvijakumarakāsī ||19||
As the child grew up in his parents' home, when he reached seven years, they performed the sacred-thread rite for the twice-born boy without fail.
Even a struggling child is given the vratabandha (sacred-thread initiation) at the proper age — the community fulfills its duty toward him regardless of his ability.
Give every young person the same opportunities and rites of passage, regardless of how promising they seem.
न ये स्नानसंध्या त्यासी । गायत्रीमंत्र परियेसीं । वेद कैंचा मूर्खासी । पशूसमान जहाला असे ॥२०॥
na ye snānasamdhyā tyāsī | gāyatrīmamtra pariyesīm | veda kaimcā mūrkhāsī | paśūsamāna jahālā ase ||20||
He could not perform the morning ablutions or the Gāyatrī mantra recitation; how could the Vedas come to a dullard? He had become like an animal.
The boy's inability to learn even basic ritual and the Gāyatrī mantra marks him, in the eyes of his community, as no better than a beast.
Notice when you judge someone's whole worth by a single failed skill, and resist doing so.
जेथें सांगती अध्ययन । जाऊनि आपण शिकूं म्हणे । तावन्मात्र शिकतांचि क्षण । सवेंचि विस्मृति होय त्यासी ॥२१॥
jethem sāmgatī adhyayana | jāūni āpaṇa śikūm mhaṇe | tāvanmātra śikatāmci kṣaṇa | savemci vismṛti hoya tyāsī ||21||
Wherever teaching was given, he would go and say he would learn; but the very moment he learned it, forgetfulness overtook him at once.
His affliction is not laziness but a genuine block — he tries and forgets instantly, a picture of effort undone by circumstance beyond his control.
When someone keeps trying and still fails, credit the effort rather than dismissing them as lazy.
त्या ग्रामींचे विद्वज्जन । निंदा करिती सकळै जन । विप्रकुळीं जन्मून । ऐसा मूर्ख उपजलासी ॥२२॥
tyā grāmīmce vidvajjana | nimdā karitī sakaḷai jana | viprakuḷīm janmūna | aisā mūrkha upajalāsī ||22||
The learned people of that village would all mock him, saying: born into a brahmin family, how did such a fool come to be?
The community's cruelty, mocking a birth-defect of memory as though it were moral failure, sets the emotional low point of the story.
Refuse to join in mocking someone for a struggle they did not choose.
तुझा पिता ज्ञानवंत । वेदशास्त्रादि अभिज्ञात । त्याचे पोटीं कैसा केत । उपजलासी दगडापरी ॥२३॥
tujhā pitā jñānavamta | vedaśāstrādi abhijñāta | tyāce poṭīm kaisā keta | upajalāsī dagaḍāparī ||23||
Your father was learned, versed in Vedas and scriptures — how did such offspring come from his line, born like a stone?
The taunt contrasts the father's brilliance with the son's perceived stupidity, deepening the boy's shame at no fault of his own.
Never compare a struggling person unfavorably to a talented parent or sibling to their face.
जळो जळो तुझें जिणें । पित्याच्या नामा आणिलें उणें । पोटीं बांधूनि पाषाण । तळें विहीरी कां न करिसी ॥२४॥
jaḷo jaḷo tujhem jiṇem | pityācyā nāmā āṇilem uṇem | poṭīm bāmdhūni pāṣāṇa | taḷem vihīrī kām na karisī ||24||
Cursed, cursed be your life! You have brought disgrace to your father's name. Why not tie a stone to your belly and drown yourself in a pond or well?
The verbal cruelty escalates to an actual suggestion of suicide, showing how far communal shaming can go when it loses compassion.
Never suggest, even in anger, that another person's life has no value — words like that can wound permanently.
जन्मोनियां संसारीं । वृथा जाहलासी सूकरापरी । तुज गति यमपुरीं । अनाचारें वर्तसी ॥२५॥
janmoniyām samsārīm | vṛthā jāhalāsī sūkarāparī | tuja gati yamapurīm | anācārem vartasī ||25||
Born into this world you have lived in vain, like a pig; your fate leads to Yama's city, for you conduct yourself without proper practice.
The village continues its harsh judgment, equating the boy's lack of formal learning with a lack of any spiritual worth at all.
Resist reducing anyone's spiritual worth to their formal accomplishments alone.
ज्यासी विद्या असे ऐका । तोचि मनुष्यांमध्यें अधिका । जेवीं द्रव्य असे निक्षेपिका । तैसी विद्या परियेसा ॥२६॥
jyāsī vidyā ase aikā | toci manuṣyāmmadhyem adhikā | jevīm dravya ase nikṣepikā | taisī vidyā pariyesā ||26||
Listen: one who possesses learning is the foremost among men; as wealth is a hidden treasure, so, understand, is learning.
The village's lecture on the value of vidyā (learning) begins — likening it to buried treasure, a resource whose value outlasts everything else.
Invest time in learning something well; treat it as treasure you are laying up for later.
ज्याचे ह्रदयीं असे विद्या । त्यासी अखिल भोग सदा । यशस्वी होय सुखसंपदा । समस्तांमध्यें पूज्य तोचि ॥२७॥
jyāce hradayīm ase vidyā | tyāsī akhila bhoga sadā | yaśasvī hoya sukhasampadā | samastāmmadhyem pūjya toci ||27||
One in whose heart learning dwells enjoys every pleasure always; he becomes successful, prosperous and happy, and is honored among all.
The praise of learning continues — it is credited with bringing success, joy, and universal respect, in the conventional worldly view being voiced here.
Pursue genuine understanding, not just credentials, as something that enriches your whole life.
श्रेष्ठ असे वयें थोर । विद्याहीन अपूज्य नर । अश्रेष्ठ असे एखादा नर । विद्या असतां पूज्यमान ॥२८॥
śreṣṭha ase vayem thora | vidyāhīna apūjya nara | aśreṣṭha ase ekhādā nara | vidyā asatām pūjyamāna ||28||
A man may be great in age, but without learning he remains unhonored; another man may be of humble standing, yet if he has learning he is held in high esteem.
The verse insists that learning, not age or birth-status, determines true honor — an old idea used here to further shame the boy.
Judge people's worth by their character and effort, not by age or seniority alone.
ज्यासी नाहीं सहोदर । त्यासी विद्या बंधु-भ्रातर । सकळिकां वंद्य होय नर । विद्या असे ऐशागुणें ॥२९॥
jyāsī nāhīm sahodara | tyāsī vidyā bamdhu-bhrātara | sakaḷikām vamdya hoya nara | vidyā ase aiśāguṇem ||29||
One who has no brother has learning as his brother; a man becomes worthy of homage from all by virtue of this quality of learning.
Learning is described as a companion that never abandons a person, standing in even for family in adversity.
Cultivate a skill or body of knowledge that can support you when other supports are absent.
एखादे समयीं विदेशासी । जाय नर विद्याभ्यासी । समस्त पूजा करिती त्यासी । विदेश होय स्वदेश ॥३०॥
ekhāde samayīm videśāsī | jāya nara vidyābhyāsī | samasta pūjā karitī tyāsī | videśa hoya svadeśa ||30||
If at some time a learned man travels to a foreign land, all there honor him, and that foreign land becomes like his own.
Learning is praised as portable honor — it makes a stranger at home anywhere, unlike wealth or birth-status which are tied to one place.
Develop abilities that will earn you respect wherever life takes you, not just in familiar surroundings.
ज्यासी विद्या असे बहुत । तोचि होय ज्ञानवंत । त्याचे देहीं देवत्व । पूजा घेई सकळांपाशीं ॥३१॥
jyāsī vidyā ase bahuta | toci hoya jñānavamta | tyāce dehīm devatva | pūjā gheī sakaḷāmpāśīm ||31||
One who possesses abundant learning becomes truly wise; divinity dwells in his very body, and he receives worship from all.
The village's praise of learning reaches its height, nearly deifying the learned man — setting up the later irony that true grace, not scholastic learning, will save the boy.
Respect genuine wisdom wherever you find it, but remember that character matters as much as knowledge.
एखाद्या राज्याधिपतीसी । समस्त वंदिती परियेसीं । ऐसा राजा आपण हर्षी । विद्यावंतासी पूजा करी ॥३२॥
ekhādyā rājyādhipatīsī | samasta vamditī pariyesīm | aisā rājā āpaṇa harṣī | vidyāvamtāsī pūjā karī ||32||
Even a king, a lord of the realm, whom all bow to and honor, himself takes joy in honoring a man of learning.
Even worldly power, symbolized by the king, is shown deferring to learning — the highest human authority still honors knowledge.
However much authority you hold, remain humble before those who know more than you.
ज्याचे पदरीं नाहीं धन । त्याचें विद्याच धन जाण । विद्या शिकावी याचिकारण । नेणता होय पशूसमान ॥३३॥
jyāce padarīm nāhīm dhana | tyācem vidyāca dhana jāṇa | vidyā śikāvī yācikāraṇa | neṇatā hoya paśūsamāna ||33||
One who has no wealth in his purse — know that learning itself is his wealth; for this reason one should study, for the ignorant become like beasts.
Learning is offered as wealth for the poor — but the phrase 'become like beasts' is the same insult the boy has already suffered, showing the community's cruelty is dressed as wisdom.
Offer encouragement toward growth without resorting to insults, however well-meaning your advice.
ऐकोनि ब्राह्मणांचें वचन । ब्रह्मचारी करी नमन । स्वामींनीं निरोपिलें ज्ञान । विद्याभ्यास करावया ॥३४॥
aikoni brāhmaṇāmcem vacana | brahmacārī karī namana | svāmīmnīm niropilem jñāna | vidyābhyāsa karāvayā ||34||
Hearing the brahmins' words, the young celibate student bows and says: my masters have instructed me in the value of learning and told me to pursue study.
The boy receives the lecture humbly rather than resentfully — his response of respectful submission, despite the harshness shown him, marks his character.
Receive even harsh feedback with humility if there is truth in it, setting aside the manner in which it was delivered.
जन्मांतरीं पूर्वी आपण । केलें नाहीं विद्यादान । न ये विद्या याचि कारण । त्यासी काय करणें म्हणतसे ॥३५॥
janmāmtarīm pūrvī āpaṇa | kelem nāhīm vidyādāna | na ye vidyā yāci kāraṇa | tyāsī kāya karaṇem mhaṇatase ||35||
In a former birth, he says, I must not have given the gift of learning to anyone; that is the reason learning does not come to me — what then am I to do?
The boy reasons in terms of karma — his present block is explained as the fruit of a past failure to help others learn, an idea of causes carrying across lifetimes.
When you struggle at something, consider whether generosity toward others in that area might, over time, open the door for you.
ऐसा आपण दोषी । उद्धरावें कृपेसीं । जरी असेल उपाय यासी । निरोपावें दातारा ॥३६॥
aisā āpaṇa doṣī | uddharāvem kṛpesīm | jarī asela upāya yāsī | niropāvem dātārā ||36||
I am thus at fault; save me with your compassion. If there is any remedy for this, please instruct me, O giver.
The boy's humble plea for help, rather than despair or resentment, is the turning point that will draw grace toward him.
When stuck, ask sincerely for help rather than giving up or blaming others.
परिहासकें ते ब्राह्मण । सांगताति हांसोन । होईल पुढें तुज जनन । तधीं येईल तुज विद्या ॥३७॥
parihāsakem te brāhmaṇa | sāmgatāti hāmsona | hoīla puḍhem tuja janana | tadhīm yeīla tuja vidyā ||37||
Mockingly, those brahmins say to him, laughing: you will have to be reborn in a future life — only then will learning come to you.
Even his sincere plea is met with a cruel joke — the brahmins offer no real help, only further ridicule dressed as an answer.
When someone comes to you sincerely for help, resist the temptation to respond with a joke at their expense.
तुज कैंचा विद्याभ्यासु । नर नव्हेसि तूं साच पशु । भिक्षा मागूनि उदर पोस । अरे मूर्खा कुळनाशका ॥३८॥
tuja kaimcā vidyābhyāsu | nara navhesi tūm sāca paśu | bhikṣā māgūni udara posa | are mūrkhā kuḷanāśakā ||38||
What learning could ever come to you? You are not a man, you are truly a beast; you fill your belly by begging — you fool, destroyer of your lineage.
The insults reach their cruelest point, calling the boy subhuman and blaming him for shaming his family's name.
Never let another person's cruelty define how you see yourself; their words describe them, not you.
ऐसें नानापरी नीचोत्तरेसीं । बोलती द्विज लोक त्यासी । वैराग्य धरुनि मानसीं । निघाला बाळ अरण्यासी ॥३९॥
aisem nānāparī nīcottaresīm | bolatī dvija loka tyāsī | vairāgya dharuni mānasīm | nighālā bāḷa araṇyāsī ||39||
Thus, in many harsh and bitter words, the twice-born people spoke to him; holding renunciation in his heart, the boy set out into the forest.
Unable to bear the humiliation, the boy turns to vairāgya (renunciation) and leaves human company altogether — grief driving him toward the wilderness.
When surrounded by cruelty you cannot change, it is sometimes right to step away rather than keep absorbing it.
मनीं झाला खेदें खिन्न । म्हणे त्यजीन आपुला प्राण । समस्त करिती दूषण । काय उपयोग जीवूनियां ॥४०॥
manīm jhālā khedem khinna | mhaṇe tyajīna āpulā prāṇa | samasta karitī dūṣaṇa | kāya upayoga jīvūniyām ||40||
His mind grew heavy with sorrow; he thought, I will give up my life. Everyone condemns me — what use is there in living?
The boy's despair reaches the point of contemplating death — a raw depiction of what unrelenting humiliation can do to a young heart.
If you or someone near you reaches this point of despair, treat it as urgent and seek real help rather than silence.
जळो जळो आपुलें जिणें । पशु झालों विद्याहीन । आतां वांचोनि काय कारण । म्हणोनि निघाला वैराग्यें ॥४१॥
jaḷo jaḷo āpulem jiṇem | paśu jhālom vidyāhīna | ātām vāmconi kāya kāraṇa | mhaṇoni nighālā vairāgyem ||41||
Cursed, cursed be my life — I have become a beast without learning; now what reason is there to go on living? So saying, he departed in renunciation.
The boy repeats the community's cruel words about himself, showing how deeply their judgment has been internalized before he turns toward the forest and the divine.
Notice when you have adopted someone else's harsh judgment of you as your own truth, and question it.
भिल्लवडीग्रामासी । आला ब्रह्मचारी परियेसीं । अन्नोदक नेघे उपवासी । पातला निशीं दैववशें ॥४२॥
bhillavaḍīgrāmāsī | ālā brahmacārī pariyesīm | annodaka neghe upavāsī | pātalā niśīm daivavaśem ||42||
The young celibate came to the village of Bhillavaḍī; taking no food or water, fasting, he arrived there by night, as fate willed.
Fate (daiva) leads the grieving boy, without his planning it, to the very place where the hidden Guru resides — providence working beneath despair.
When you feel lost, trust that even an aimless path can lead you somewhere meaningful.
जेथें असे जगन्माता । भुवनेश्वरी विख्याता । तेथें पातला त्वरिता । करी दर्शन तये वेळीं ॥४३॥
jethem ase jaganmātā | bhuvaneśvarī vikhyātā | tethem pātalā tvaritā | karī darśana taye veḷīm ||43||
Where the World-Mother, the renowned Bhuvaneśvarī, resides, there he arrived quickly and had her darśana at that time.
The boy instinctively seeks out the goddess Bhuvaneśvarī — turning first to the divine feminine for the mercy human beings denied him.
In moments of despair, turn toward what you hold sacred rather than isolating yourself completely.
न करी स्नान संध्या देखा । अपार करीतसे दुःखा । देवद्वारासन्मुखा । धरणें घेतलें तया वेळीं ॥४४॥
na karī snāna samdhyā dekhā | apāra karītase duḥkhā | devadvārāsanmukhā | dharaṇem ghetalem tayā veḷīm ||44||
He performed no bathing or evening rites, so great was his suffering; he sat down facing the temple door and undertook a vow of fasting protest.
His grief is so total that ritual observance itself falls away; he sits in dharaṇā (a fasting vigil) before the goddess, demanding her attention through his suffering.
Let your deepest need be expressed honestly rather than performing a routine you no longer feel.
येणेंपरी दिवस तीनी । निर्वाण मन करुनि । अन्नोदक त्यजूनि । बैसला तो द्विजकुमर ॥४५॥
yeṇemparī divasa tīnī | nirvāṇa mana karuni | annodaka tyajūni | baisalā to dvijakumara ||45||
In this way three days passed; with a mind set on his final resolve, he abandoned food and water and sat, that twice-born boy.
Three days of fasting show the depth of his resolve — a serious, sustained act of surrender rather than a passing impulse.
When you commit to seeking help, stay committed rather than giving up after the first difficult day.
नव्हे कांहीं स्वप्न त्यालागोनि । म्हणोनि कोपे बहु मनीं । म्हणे अंबा भवानी । कां उपेक्षिसी आम्हांसी ॥४६॥
navhe kāmhīm svapna tyālāgoni | mhaṇoni kope bahu manīm | mhaṇe ambā bhavānī | kām upekṣisī āmhāmsī ||46||
No dream came to him at all; so he grew greatly angered in his heart, and said: Mother Bhavānī, why do you neglect us?
His anger at apparent divine silence is voiced openly — the text does not shy from showing frustration even directed at the goddess herself.
It is human to feel abandoned when help seems slow to come; voice that honestly rather than suppressing it.
आक्रोशोनि तये वेळीं । शस्त्रें घेऊनियां प्रबळी । आपुली जिव्हा तात्काळी । छेदूनि वाहे देवीचरणीं ॥४७॥
ākrośoni taye veḷīm | śastrem gheūniyām prabaḷī | āpulī jivhā tātkāḷī | chedūni vāhe devīcaraṇīm ||47||
Crying out at that moment, taking up a weapon in great intensity, he at once cut off his own tongue and offered it at the goddess's feet.
In an act of extreme, desperate devotion, the boy sacrifices his tongue — an image of total self-offering when words themselves have failed him.
Recognize desperate acts as a cry for help; do not let a story of drastic sacrifice become a model to imitate literally.
जिव्हा वाहोनि अंबेसी । मागुती म्हणे परियेसीं । जरी तूं मज उपेक्षिसी । वाहीन शिर तुझे चरणीं ॥४८॥
jivhā vāhoni ambesī | māgutī mhaṇe pariyesīm | jarī tūm maja upekṣisī | vāhīna śira tujhe caraṇīm ||48||
Having offered his tongue to the Mother, he said again: if you still neglect me, I will offer my head at your feet.
His vow escalates further, showing the intensity of his conviction that the goddess must and will respond to true surrender.
Let your commitment to what truly matters be wholehearted, even while seeking wiser, less harmful ways to express it.
ऐसें निर्वाण मानसीं । क्रमिता झाला तो निशी । स्वप्न जाहलें तयासी । ऐका समस्त श्रोते जन ॥४९॥
aisem nirvāṇa mānasīm | kramitā jhālā to niśī | svapna jāhalem tayāsī | aikā samasta śrote jana ||49||
With his mind thus set on this final resolve, he passed the night; then a dream came to him — listen, all you assembled listeners.
After the extremity of his vow, relief finally arrives in a dream — grace answering surrender, even delayed surrender.
Do not lose hope in the hardest moment; answers sometimes arrive right after you feel most abandoned.
"ऐक बाळा ब्रह्मचारी । नको आक्रोशं आम्हांवरी । असे कृष्णापश्चिमतीरीं । त्वरित जाय तयाजवळी ॥५०॥
"aika bāḷā brahmacārī | nako ākrośam āmhāmvarī | ase kṛṣṇāpaścimatīrīm | tvarita jāya tayājavaḷī ||50||
"Listen, child, young celibate, do not cry out in anger against us; on the western bank of the Kṛṣṇā there is one — go to him at once.
The goddess redirects the boy's devotion toward the hidden Guru, showing that different forms of the divine work in concert to answer a sincere seeker.
Be willing to follow guidance toward a source of help you had not originally sought.
औदुंबरवृक्षातळीं । असे तापसी महाबळी । अवतारपुरुष चंद्रमौळी । तुझी वांछा पुरवील" ॥५१॥
audumbaravṛkṣātaḷīm | ase tāpasī mahābaḷī | avatārapuruṣa camdramauḷī | tujhī vāmchā puravīla" ||51||
Beneath the auduṃbara tree there is a great ascetic, the incarnate one crowned with the crescent moon; he will fulfill your wish."
The goddess names the Guru as an avatāra — the very figure whose hiddenness the disciple questioned earlier is here revealed as the answer to this desperate prayer.
When one source of guidance points you toward another, follow the trail with trust.
ऐसें स्वप्न तयासी । जाहलें अभिनव परियेसीं । जागृत होतांचि हर्षी । निघाला त्वरित तेथोनि ॥५२॥
aisem svapna tayāsī | jāhalem abhinava pariyesīm | jāgṛta hotāmci harṣī | nighālā tvarita tethoni ||52||
Such was the wondrous dream that came to him; waking with joy, he set out at once from that place.
The dream's clarity turns despair instantly into purposeful joy — a decisive change in the boy's state of mind.
When clarity finally comes after a hard struggle, act on it promptly rather than hesitating.
निघाला विप्र त्वरित । पोहत गेला प्रवाहांत । पैलतटा जाऊनि त्वरित । देखता जाहला श्रीगुरुसी ॥५३॥
nighālā vipra tvarita | pohata gelā pravāhāmta | pailataṭā jāūni tvarita | dekhatā jāhalā śrīgurusī ||53||
The brahmin set out quickly, swimming across the river's current; reaching the far bank swiftly, he came to behold Śrī Guru.
His physical effort — swimming the river himself — mirrors the inner effort of surrender that brought him this far; grace still requires the seeker's own striving.
Do your own part with full effort even as you rely on help beyond yourself.
चरणांवरी ठेवूनि माथा । करी स्तोत्र अत्यंता । श्रीगुरुमूर्ति संतोषतां । आश्वासिती तया वेळीं ॥५४॥
caraṇāmvarī ṭhevūni māthā | karī stotra atyamtā | śrīgurumūrti samtoṣatām | āśvāsitī tayā veḷīm ||54||
Placing his head upon the Guru's feet, he offered fervent praise; Śrī Guru's form, well pleased, reassured him at that moment.
The gesture of laying the head at the Guru's feet is the posture of complete surrender, and it is met immediately with reassurance rather than delay.
Approach a trusted mentor with full honesty and humility when you need real help.
संतोषोनि श्रीगुरुमूर्ति । माथां हस्त ठेविती । ज्ञान जाहलें त्वरिती । जिव्हा आली तात्काळ ॥५५॥
samtoṣoni śrīgurumūrti | māthām hasta ṭhevitī | jñāna jāhalem tvaritī | jivhā ālī tātkāḷa ||55||
Pleased, Śrī Guru's form placed a hand upon his head; understanding arose at once, and his tongue was restored instantly.
A single touch of the Guru's hand restores both the boy's cut tongue and grants him understanding — physical healing and spiritual awakening arrive together.
Trust that true guidance can restore what seemed permanently lost, in ways you cannot engineer yourself.
वेद-शास्त्र-पुराण । तर्क भाषा व्याकरण । समस्त त्याचें अंतःकरण । पूर्ण जाहलें तात्काळीं ॥५६॥
veda-śāstra-purāṇa | tarka bhāṣā vyākaraṇa | samasta tyācem amtaḥkaraṇa | pūrṇa jāhalem tātkāḷīm ||56||
Vedas, scriptures, purāṇas, logic, grammar, and languages — all of it filled his inner being completely and at once.
The very learning the village mocked him for lacking now floods into him instantly by grace, not by years of study — a complete reversal of his former state.
Believe that genuine transformation, though it usually takes patient effort, can arrive suddenly through the right encounter.
जैसा मानससरोवरास । वायस जातां परियेस । जैसा होय राजहंस । तैसें झालें विप्रकुमरा ॥५७॥
jaisā mānasasarovarāsa | vāyasa jātām pariyesa | jaisā hoya rājahamsa | taisem jhālem viprakumarā ||57||
As a crow becomes a royal swan upon reaching the Mānasa lake, so it happened to that brahmin's son.
The crow-to-swan image is a classical figure for total transformation — base nature transmuted simply by contact with something sublime, here the Guru's grace.
Seek out the company and influence that can transform you, not merely add a little polish.
चिंतामणि-संपर्केसीं । सुवर्ण होय लोह कैसी । मृत्तिका पडतां जांबूनदीसी । सुवर्ण होय जेवीं देखा ॥५८॥
cimtāmaṇi-samparkesīm | suvarṇa hoya loha kaisī | mṛttikā paḍatām jāmbūnadīsī | suvarṇa hoya jevīm dekhā ||58||
As iron becomes gold by contact with the wish-fulfilling gem, as clay dropped into the Jāmbūnadī river becomes gold, so behold it happened.
Two more transformation-images — the touchstone and the mythic golden river — reinforce that contact with the Guru transmutes ordinary matter into something precious.
Recognize the people or practices in your life capable of truly transforming you, and stay close to them.
तैसें तया ब्राह्मणासी । गुरुचरण होतां स्पर्शी । आली अखिल विद्या त्यासी । वेदशास्त्रादि तर्क भाषा ॥५९॥
taisem tayā brāhmaṇāsī | gurucaraṇa hotām sparśī | ālī akhila vidyā tyāsī | vedaśāstrādi tarka bhāṣā ||59||
So it was for that brahmin: the moment he touched the Guru's feet, all learning came to him — Vedas, scriptures, logic, and languages.
The narrative closes the miracle with a plain restatement: touching the Guru's feet was sufficient cause for total learning to arise.
Value humble, respectful contact with wisdom over anxious striving to acquire knowledge alone.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारका । श्रीगुरुमहिमा ऐसी ऐका । जे जे स्थानीं वास देखा । स्थानमहिमा ऐसी असे ॥६०॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakā | śrīgurumahimā aisī aikā | je je sthānīm vāsa dekhā | sthānamahimā aisī ase ||60||
The Siddha says to Nāmadhāraka: hear thus the Guru's greatness — wherever he dwells, such is the glory of that place.
The story closes by returning to its frame — the Siddha reminds the listener that the Guru's residence itself confers greatness, tying the tale back to the chapter's theme.
Recognize that the presence of a good and wise influence elevates whatever place or community it touches.
म्हणोनि सरस्वती-गंगाधर । सांगे श्रीगुरुचरित्रविस्तार । ऐकतां होय मनोहर । सकळाभीष्ट साधती ॥६१॥
mhaṇoni sarasvatī-gamgādhara | sāmge śrīgurucaritravistāra | aikatām hoya manohara | sakaḷābhīṣṭa sādhatī ||61||
Thus Sarasvatī-Gaṅgādhara narrates the expanse of Śrī Gurucaritra; hearing it delights the mind, and all wishes are fulfilled.
The author signs off the chapter, promising that sincere listening to this story itself grants the fulfillment of good wishes.
Return often to stories and teachings that nourish you; repeated listening deepens their benefit.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृते परमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिद्ध-नामधारकसंवादे भिल्लवडीस्थानमहिमावर्णनं-मंदमतिब्राह्मणवरप्रदानं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ॥१७॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛte paramakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne siddha-nāmadhārakasamvāde bhillavaḍīsthānamahimāvarṇanam-mamdamatibrāhmaṇavarapradānam nāma saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ ||17||
Thus, in the nectar-story Śrī Gurucaritra, the supreme wish-fulfilling tale, in the dialogue of Siddha and Nāmadhāraka concerning Śrī Nṛsiṁha Sarasvatī, ends the seventeenth chapter, titled the Glory of Bhillavaḍī and the Boon Granted to the Dull-Witted Brahmin.
The formal colophon names the chapter and its two themes — the sanctity of the place Bhillavaḍī and the transformation of the once-dull brahmin boy — closing the episode with due ceremony.
Mark the completion of a hard-won lesson with proper acknowledgment before moving to the next.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पणमस्तु ॥ श्रीगुरुदेव दत्त ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpaṇamastu || śrīgurudeva datta ||
May this be offered to Śrī Guru Dattātreya. Śrī Gurudeva Datta.
The closing dedication offers the whole telling back to Dattātreya, the source it describes — a reminder that the story exists to point beyond itself.
Offer credit for your good work back to whatever or whoever inspired and enabled it.
( ओंवीसंख्या ६१ )
( omvīsamkhyā 61 )
(Ovī count: 61)
A scribal note recording the traditional verse-count of this chapter, part of how the text was preserved and verified across copies.
Value the quiet, careful work of those who preserve a tradition accurately for those who come after.