संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 20 — A Brahmani Relieved from Brahmahatya and Gets Issues
Literal. Gangahar, a Brahmin at Shirol, has a wife who repeatedly loses children at birth. A Brahmin tells her: this is because she once owed money to a Brahmin of Shounak Gotra who committed suicide; his unpropitiated spirit blocks her issues. She is told to do specific prayashchitta — fast for a month, bathe at Papvinashi, worship Audumbar for seven days, do Abhishek, give Rs. 100 to a Brahmin of Shounak Gotra. She does. The spirit appears in her dream, beats her; she takes shelter under Audumbar; Shri Guru appears and confronts the spirit, who accepts the offerings and is liberated. She has two sons; the second dies of tetanus during chout (head-shaving) ceremony.
Symbolic. Spirit-debt as obstacle to lineage continuation. The chapter precisely diagnoses an inherited karmic block, prescribes specific reparations, and tracks their resolution.
Structural. 42 generations liberated by sannyas (21 paternal + 21 maternal). Rs. 100 to the Shounak-Gotra Brahmin. 7 days of Audumbar worship.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नम: ॥ श्रीसरस्वत्यै नम: ॥ श्री गुरुभ्यो नम: ॥
śrīgaṇeśāya nama: || śrīsarasvatyai nama: || śrī gurubhyo nama: ||
Salutations to Shri Ganesha; salutations to Shri Sarasvati; salutations to Shri Guru.
The chapter opens, as before, with the traditional triple invocation to Gaṇeśa, Sarasvatī, and the Guru before the narrative resumes.
Start any new undertaking by first acknowledging what and who makes your effort possible.
नामधारक शिष्यराणा । लागे सिध्दचिया चरणा । विनवीतसे कर जोडून । भक्तिभावेंकरूनि ॥१॥
nāmadhāraka śiṣyarāṇā | lāge sidhdaciyā caraṇā | vinavītase kara joḍūna | bhaktibhāvemkarūni ||1||
Namdharak, the prince of disciples, clasps the feet of Siddha, entreating him with joined hands and a devoted heart.
The formula of reverent approach repeats to open a new chapter — bhaktibhāva (a heart full of devotion) is the proper posture for receiving teaching.
Approach each new lesson with the same fresh humility you brought to the first one.
पुसतसे तयावेळी । माथा ठेवोनि चरणकमळी । जय जया सिध्द-स्तोममौळी । विनंति एक अवधारा ॥२॥
pusatase tayāveḷī | māthā ṭhevoni caraṇakamaḷī | jaya jayā sidhda-stomamauḷī | vinamti eka avadhārā ||2||
He asks at that time, placing his head at Siddha's lotus feet: 'Victory, victory, crest-jewel of the Siddha assembly! Hear one request.'
Namdharak's bow and praise before his question shows that in this tradition, reverence precedes inquiry, not the reverse.
Show respect first, then ask your question — don't lead with demands.
स्वामी निरोपिलें आम्हांसी । श्रीगुरु आले गाणगापुरासी । गौप्यरूपें अमरापुरासी । औदुंबरी असती म्हणतां ॥३॥
svāmī niropilem āmhāmsī | śrīguru āle gāṇagāpurāsī | gaupyarūpem amarāpurāsī | audumbarī asatī mhaṇatām ||3||
Master, you told us: Shri Guru came to Ganagapur, remaining hidden at Amarapur, staying at the Audumbar, as you said.
Namdharak recaps the previous chapter's teaching accurately before asking for more — good listening includes remembering what was already taught.
Before asking a follow-up question, show that you actually absorbed the previous answer.
वर देऊनि योगिनींसी । आपण आले प्रकटेसी । पुढे तया स्थानी कैसी । विस्तार झाला तें निरोपावें ॥४॥
vara deūni yoginīmsī | āpaṇa āle prakaṭesī | puḍhe tayā sthānī kaisī | vistāra jhālā tem niropāvem ||4||
Having given a boon to the yoginis, he himself became manifest; please tell what further unfolding happened at that place.
Namdharak wants the story to continue forward in time — devotion to a teaching includes wanting to know what came of it, not just admiring the moment.
Follow up on stories or lessons to their conclusion instead of leaving them half-finished in your mind.
वृक्ष सांगसी औदुंबर । निश्चयें म्हणसी कल्पतरु । पुढे कवणा झाला वरु । निरोपावे दातारा॥५॥
vṛkṣa sāmgasī audumbara | niścayem mhaṇasī kalpataru | puḍhe kavaṇā jhālā varu | niropāve dātārā||5||
You call the tree the Audumbar, and say with certainty it is the Kalpataru [wish-fulfilling tree]; please tell, O giver, what boon happened there afterward.
The disciple pushes for concrete detail rather than resting on the general claim already made — good inquiry keeps asking 'and then what?'
Don't settle for a general principle; ask for the specific example that proves it.
शिष्यवचन ऐकोनि । संतोषला सिध्दमुनि । सांगतसे विस्तारुनि । औदुंबरास्थानमहिमा ॥६॥
śiṣyavacana aikoni | samtoṣalā sidhdamuni | sāmgatase vistāruni | audumbarāsthānamahimā ||6||
Hearing the disciple's words, Siddhamuni was pleased; he narrates at length the greatness of the Audumbar place.
As before, a sincere question draws out a fuller teaching — the guru-disciple exchange itself models how wisdom is transmitted.
Reward someone's sincere curiosity by giving them your fullest, most generous answer.
सिध्द म्हणे ऐक बाळा । किती सांगूं गुरुची लीळा । औदुंबरी सर्वकाळ । वास आपण असे जाणा ॥७॥
sidhda mhaṇe aika bāḷā | kitī sāmgūm gurucī līḷā | audumbarī sarvakāḷa | vāsa āpaṇa ase jāṇā ||7||
Siddha says: listen, child, how much shall I tell of the guru's play [leela]? He dwells at the Audumbar always, know this.
Līlā (divine play) names the guru's activity as spontaneous and inexhaustible — too abundant ever to be told completely.
Accept that some sources of wisdom are inexhaustible; take what you need now rather than waiting to hear it all.
जया नाम कल्पतरु । काय पुससी तयाचा वरु । जेथे वास श्रीगुरु॥ कल्पिलें फळ तेथें होय ॥८॥
jayā nāma kalpataru | kāya pusasī tayācā varu | jethe vāsa śrīguru|| kalpilem phaḷa tethem hoya ||8||
The one named the wish-fulfilling tree — why do you ask about its boon? Wherever Shri Guru dwells, the wished-for fruit is found there.
Siddha restates the chapter 19 teaching plainly: the guru's presence, not the tree itself, is the true source of the blessing.
Remember that it's the presence of goodness, not the physical object around it, that truly matters.
अमित झाला तेथें महिमा । सांगावया अशक्य आम्हां । एखादा सांगो दृष्टांत तुम्हां । शिष्योत्तमा नामधारक ॥९॥
amita jhālā tethem mahimā | sāmgāvayā aśakya āmhām | ekhādā sāmgo dṛṣṭāmta tumhām | śiṣyottamā nāmadhāraka ||9||
Immense became the glory there, impossible for us to fully describe; let me tell you one example, O best of disciples, Namdharak.
Faced with an inexhaustible subject, Siddha wisely chooses to teach through one concrete story rather than an abstract summary.
When a subject is too large to explain fully, teach through one well-chosen concrete example.
'शिरोळे' म्हणिजे ग्रामेसी । विप्र एक परियेसीं । 'गंगाधर' नाम ऐसी । वेदरत होता जाणा ॥१०॥
'śiroḷe' mhaṇije grāmesī | vipra eka pariyesīm | 'gamgādhara' nāma aisī | vedarata hotā jāṇā ||10||
In a village called 'Shirole' there was a brahmin, listen; his name was 'Gangadhar,' devoted to the Vedas, know this.
The story now shifts from myth to an ordinary human household — a Vedic scholar named Gaṅgādhara in the village of Shirole.
Remember that profound teaching often comes through ordinary people's real struggles, not only grand myths.
त्याची भार्या पतिव्रता । शांत असे सुशीलता । तिसी पुत्र होती ते सर्वेचि मृत्युता । कष्टतसे येणेंपरी ॥११॥
tyācī bhāryā pativratā | śāmta ase suśīlatā | tisī putra hotī te sarveci mṛtyutā | kaṣṭatase yeṇemparī ||11||
His wife was chaste and virtuous, calm in nature; the sons born to her all died; she suffers in this way.
A pativratā (devoted, virtuous wife) nonetheless suffers repeated child loss — the story insists that even righteous conduct doesn't exempt anyone from grief.
Don't assume that someone's suffering means they've done something wrong; goodness and hardship can coexist.
पांच पुत्र तिसी झाले । सर्वेचि पंचत्व पावले । अनेक देव आराधिले । नव्हे कवणेपरी स्थिर ॥१२॥
pāmca putra tisī jhāle | sarveci pamcatva pāvale | aneka deva ārādhile | navhe kavaṇeparī sthira ||12||
Five sons were born to her; all of them met death; many gods were worshipped, yet nothing became stable or lasting.
The repeated loss of five children establishes the depth of this family's grief before any explanation is offered — the pain is named fully first.
Let grief be acknowledged fully before rushing to explain or fix it.
दु:ख करी ते नारी । व्रत उपवास अपरांपरी । पूर्वकर्म असे थोरी । स्थिर नोहे पुत्र तिसी ॥१३॥
du:kha karī te nārī | vrata upavāsa aparāmparī | pūrvakarma ase thorī | sthira nohe putra tisī ||13||
The woman grieves greatly; she performs vows and fasts repeatedly; her past karma is heavy; sons do not remain stable for her.
Pūrvakarma (past-life karma) is introduced as the traditional framework for understanding otherwise inexplicable suffering.
When facing repeated hardship you can't explain, look honestly at patterns in your own past choices rather than only blaming chance.
रहणी कर्मविपाकेसी । विचार करिती तिच्या दोषासी । पुत्रशोक व्हावयासी । सांगती पातकें तये वेळी ॥१४॥
rahaṇī karmavipākesī | vicāra karitī ticyā doṣāsī | putraśoka vhāvayāsī | sāmgatī pātakem taye veḷī ||14||
Considering the ripening of her karma, they examine her faults; to explain why sons cannot survive, they tell of her sins at that time.
The community's elders investigate her situation through the lens of karma-vipāka (the ripening of past deeds) rather than dismissing it as bad luck.
Seek thoughtful counsel when trying to understand a recurring problem in your life.
सांगती विप्र विद्वज्जन । पुत्र न वांचती काय कारण । पूर्वजन्म-दोषगुण । विस्तार करिती तियेसी ॥१५॥
sāmgatī vipra vidvajjana | putra na vāmcatī kāya kāraṇa | pūrvajanma-doṣaguṇa | vistāra karitī tiyesī ||15||
The learned brahmins tell her: what is the reason sons do not survive? They narrate at length the faults of a previous birth.
The scholars take the time to explain fully rather than simply pronouncing judgment — teaching accompanies diagnosis.
When explaining a hard truth to someone in pain, take the time to fully explain your reasoning, not just deliver a verdict.
गर्भपात स्त्रियांसी । जे जन करिती तामसी । पावती वांझ-जन्मासी । झाले पुत्र मरती जाणे ॥१६॥
garbhapāta striyāmsī | je jana karitī tāmasī | pāvatī vāmjha-janmāsī | jhāle putra maratī jāṇe ||16||
Women who cause abortion with a cruel intent attain a barren birth in future lives; the sons born to them die, know this.
The text names specific traditional moral failings believed to cause suffering across lifetimes — the logic is one of consequence, not arbitrary punishment.
Consider that serious harm done to others, even long ago, can have consequences that outlast the original act.
अश्ववध गोवध करी । वांझ होय सदा ज्वरी । एकदा परद्रव्य अपहारी । अपुत्री होय तो जाणा ॥१७॥
aśvavadha govadha karī | vāmjha hoya sadā jvarī | ekadā paradravya apahārī | aputrī hoya to jāṇā ||17||
One who kills a horse or a cow becomes always feverish and childless; one who once steals another's wealth becomes sonless, know this.
The list continues cataloguing traditional grave offenses — cruelty to animals and theft — believed to disrupt one's fortune in family life.
Treat honesty about property and kindness to living creatures as foundational, not optional, parts of a good life.
विप्र म्हणती तियेसी । तुझे पूर्वजन्म-दोषी । दिसतसे आम्हांसी । सांगूं ऐका एकचित्ते ॥१८॥
vipra mhaṇatī tiyesī | tujhe pūrvajanma-doṣī | disatase āmhāmsī | sāmgūm aikā ekacitte ||18||
The brahmins say to her: your faults from a previous birth appear to us; we will tell you — listen with one mind.
They preface the hard news with reassurance that they are about to explain, not merely condemn — care is taken in how difficult truth is delivered.
When you must deliver difficult news, signal clearly that an explanation, not just blame, is coming.
शोनेकगोत्री द्विजापाशीं । रीण घेतले द्रव्यासी । मागता तुवां न देसी । कष्टला बहुत तो ब्राह्मण ॥१९॥
śonekagotrī dvijāpāśīm | rīṇa ghetale dravyāsī | māgatā tuvām na desī | kaṣṭalā bahuta to brāhmaṇa ||19||
Near a brahmin of the Shonaka lineage, you took a loan of money; when asked to repay, you did not give it; that brahmin suffered greatly.
The specific past wrong is finally named — an unpaid debt that caused real suffering to a real person.
Repay what you owe promptly; unpaid debts cause more harm than the debtor often realizes.
लोभी होता तो ब्राह्मण । द्रव्यसंबंधे दिधला प्राण । आत्महत्या केलिया गुणें । तो पिशाच झाला असे ॥२०॥
lobhī hotā to brāhmaṇa | dravyasambamdhe didhalā prāṇa | ātmahatyā keliyā guṇem | to piśāca jhālā ase ||20||
That brahmin was greedy by nature; because of the money dispute he gave up his life; having committed suicide, he became a ghost [pishacha].
The creditor's own greed contributed to the tragedy — the story doesn't make the wronged party purely innocent, showing suffering as tangled and mutual.
Recognize that in conflicts over money, both sides often bear some responsibility for how badly things turned out.
गर्भपात करी तो तुज । जाहल्या मृत्यु करी तो द्विज । तुझें कर्म असे सहज । आपली जोडी भोगावी ॥२१॥
garbhapāta karī to tuja | jāhalyā mṛtyu karī to dvija | tujhem karma ase sahaja | āpalī joḍī bhogāvī ||21||
He causes your miscarriages; when a child is born, that brahmin causes its death; this is simply your own karma — you must experience what you have earned.
The haunting is presented as a direct consequence (karma) of the unresolved debt — the moral logic ties cause and effect tightly together.
Resolve unfinished obligations and conflicts while you can, rather than letting them linger unaddressed.
ऐकोनी ब्राह्मणाचे वचन । विप्रवनिता खेदे खिन्न । अनुतप्त होऊनि अंत:करण । द्विजचरणा लागली ॥२२॥
aikonī brāhmaṇāce vacana | vipravanitā khede khinna | anutapta hoūni amta:karaṇa | dvijacaraṇā lāgalī ||22||
Hearing the brahmin's words, the brahmin-wife was distressed and grief-stricken; repentant in her heart, she fell at the brahmin's feet.
Anutapta (remorseful) marks the turning point — genuine repentance, not denial or excuse, is her first response to hard truth.
When shown your own fault clearly, let genuine remorse be your first response rather than defensiveness.
कर जोडोनि तये वेळी । विनवीतसे करुणाबहाळी । माथा ठेवूनि चरणकमळी । पुसतसे तयावेळी ॥२३॥
kara joḍoni taye veḷī | vinavītase karuṇābahāḷī | māthā ṭhevūni caraṇakamaḷī | pusatase tayāveḷī ||23||
Joining her hands at that moment, she entreats with great compassion; placing her head at his lotus feet, she asks at that time.
Her physical posture of prostration mirrors Namdharak's own opening gesture — humility before authority recurs as this text's basic grammar of seeking help.
Approach those who can help you with humility, not pride, especially when you are at fault.
ऐसी पापिणी दुराचारी । बुडाल्यें पापाचे सागरी । स्वामी मातें तारी तारी । उपाय सांगणे म्हणतसे ॥२४॥
aisī pāpiṇī durācārī | buḍālyem pāpāce sāgarī | svāmī mātem tārī tārī | upāya sāmgaṇe mhaṇatase ||24||
'Such a sinful, wicked woman am I, drowned in the ocean of sin; master, save me, save me — please tell me a remedy,' she says.
Her plea, urgent and doubled, shows how completely her guilt has overwhelmed her — but she asks for a remedy, not just pity.
When overwhelmed by guilt, ask directly for a way forward rather than sinking into despair alone.
ऐसी पापें हळाहळी । अपत्ये भक्षिली चांडाळी । औषधी सांगा तुम्ही सकळी । म्हणोनी सभेसी विनवीतसे ॥२५॥
aisī pāpem haḷāhaḷī | apatye bhakṣilī cāmḍāḷī | auṣadhī sāmgā tumhī sakaḷī | mhaṇonī sabhesī vinavītase ||25||
'Such terrible sin — I have, as it were, devoured my own children, wretched one; please, all of you, tell me a remedy,' she entreats the assembly.
Her grief expresses itself in extreme self-blame; the assembly she appeals to is a communal one — she seeks help publicly, not in isolation.
Don't carry a heavy burden of guilt entirely alone; bring it to a trusted community that can offer real guidance.
विप्र म्हणती तियेसी । तुवां केली ब्रह्महत्या दोषी । अपहारिलें द्रव्यासी । ब्राह्मण पिशाच जाहला असे ॥२६॥
vipra mhaṇatī tiyesī | tuvām kelī brahmahatyā doṣī | apahārilem dravyāsī | brāhmaṇa piśāca jāhalā ase ||26||
The brahmins say to her: you have committed the sin of brahmahatya [causing a brahmin's death]; you misappropriated his wealth; that brahmin became a ghost.
The verdict is restated clearly and directly — brahmahatyā was traditionally considered among the gravest sins, explaining the severity of her suffering.
Name a serious wrong plainly once it's understood, rather than softening it into vagueness.
जधी मेला द्विजवर । केली नाहीं क्रियाकर्म-पर । त्याचें द्रव्य तुवां सारें । भोगिलें असे जन्मांतरी ॥२७॥
jadhī melā dvijavara | kelī nāhīm kriyākarma-para | tyācem dravya tuvām sārem | bhogilem ase janmāmtarī ||27||
When that brahmin died, you did not perform his funeral rites; you have enjoyed all his wealth across this span of rebirth.
Failure to perform proper śrāddha (funeral rites) compounds the original wrong — leaving loose ends unresolved deepens harm over time.
Finish what obligations you begin; unfinished duties toward others tend to compound rather than fade.
त्यासी करणें उध्दारगति । सोळावें कर्म करावें रीतीं । द्रव्य द्यावें एकशती । तया गोत्रद्विजासी ॥२८॥
tyāsī karaṇem udhdāragati | soḷāvem karma karāvem rītīm | dravya dyāvem ekaśatī | tayā gotradvijāsī ||28||
For his deliverance you must perform the sixteen rites; you must give a hundred units of wealth to a brahmin of his lineage.
A concrete remedy is now prescribed — ritual (ṣoḍaśa karma, sixteen rites) plus restitution (payment to his kin) together, not one without the other.
When making amends, combine sincere ritual or symbolic gesture with concrete practical restitution.
तेणें होय तुज बरवें । एकोभावें आचरावें । कृष्णतीरी वास करावें । एक मास उपवासी ॥२९॥
teṇem hoya tuja baravem | ekobhāvem ācarāvem | kṛṣṇatīrī vāsa karāvem | eka māsa upavāsī ||29||
By that it will be good for you; practice it with a single heart; dwell on the bank of the Krishna [river], fasting for one month.
The remedy requires sustained personal discipline — a month of fasting by the river — not a one-time payment alone.
Back up a serious apology with sustained personal discipline, not just a single grand gesture.
पंचगंगासंगमेसी । तीर्थे असती बहुवसी । औदुंबरवृक्षासी । आराधावें परियेसा ॥३०॥
pamcagamgāsamgamesī | tīrthe asatī bahuvasī | audumbaravṛkṣāsī | ārādhāvem pariyesā ||30||
At the confluence of the Panchaganga [five rivers] there are many holy tirthas; worship the Audumbar tree, listen.
The brahmins direct her specifically to the Audumbar at Ganagapur — connecting her private penance to the earlier site of grace.
Point someone in real need toward a specific, proven place or practice, not vague generalities.
पापविनाशी करुनी स्नान । वेळ सात औदुंबरस्नपन । अभिषेकोनि श्रीगुरुचरण । पुन्हा स्नान काम्यतीर्थी ॥३१॥
pāpavināśī karunī snāna | veḷa sāta audumbarasnapana | abhiṣekoni śrīgurucaraṇa | punhā snāna kāmyatīrthī ||31||
Having bathed at Papavinashi [the sin-destroying tirtha], bathe the Audumbar seven times; having anointed Shri Guru's feet, bathe again at Kamyatirtha.
A precise ritual sequence is given — Pāpavināśī and Kāmyatīrtha are named tirthas at the Ganagapur confluence, each with a specific bathing rite.
Follow precise, proven steps when undertaking serious inner work rather than improvising loosely.
विधिपूर्वक श्रीगुरुचरणीं । पूजा करावी भावोनी॥ येणेंपरी भक्तीने । मास एक आचरावें ॥३२॥
vidhipūrvaka śrīgurucaraṇīm | pūjā karāvī bhāvonī|| yeṇemparī bhaktīne | māsa eka ācarāvem ||32||
Worship Shri Guru's feet according to rite, with devotion; in this manner, with devotion, practice for one month.
The instruction closes its first cycle by tying ritual detail back to sustained devotion over time.
Let devotion, not mere mechanical repetition, animate any disciplined practice you undertake.
स्थान असे श्रीगुरुचें । नरसिंहसरस्वतीचें । तुझे दोष जातील साचे । पुत्र होतील शतायुषी ॥३३॥
sthāna ase śrīgurucem | narasimhasarasvatīcem | tujhe doṣa jātīla sāce | putra hotīla śatāyuṣī ||33||
There is the place of Shri Guru Narasimha Saraswati; your faults will truly be removed; sons of full lifespan will be born to you.
The promised outcome is stated clearly: full removal of fault and healthy, long-lived children — hope given concrete shape.
When offering someone hope, be as specific as honesty allows about what real change might look like.
मास आचरोनी येणेंपरी । मग ब्राह्मणातें पाचारीं । द्रव्य द्यावें शौनकगोत्री । द्वीजवरासी एक शत ॥३४॥
māsa ācaronī yeṇemparī | maga brāhmaṇātem pācārīm | dravya dyāvem śaunakagotrī | dvījavarāsī eka śata ||34||
Having practiced for a month in this way, then summon a brahmin; give a hundred units of wealth to a Shaunaka-gotra brahmin.
The restitution step is repeated and specified further — the material debt must still be settled after the spiritual practice.
Don't let spiritual practice become a substitute for settling a practical debt you still owe.
त्याचेनि नामें कर्म सकळ । आचरावें मन निर्मळ । होतील तुझे कष्ट सफळ । श्रीगुरुनाथ तारील ॥३५॥
tyāceni nāmem karma sakaḷa | ācarāvem mana nirmaḷa | hotīla tujhe kaṣṭa saphaḷa | śrīgurunātha tārīla ||35||
In his name, perform all the rites with a pure mind; your hardship will become fruitful; Shri Guru will save you.
Sincerity of intention (mana nirmaḷa, pure mind) is emphasized as what makes the ritual effective, not the ritual's form alone.
Bring a genuinely clean intention to any act of amends, not just correct outward performance.
गुरुस्मरण करूनि मनीं । तूं पूजा करीं वो गुरुचरणीं । तुझें पाप होईल धुणी । ब्राह्मणसमंध परिहरेल ॥३६॥
gurusmaraṇa karūni manīm | tūm pūjā karīm vo gurucaraṇīm | tujhem pāpa hoīla dhuṇī | brāhmaṇasamamdha pariharela ||36||
Remembering the guru in your mind, worship at the guru's feet; your sin will be washed away; the brahmin's haunting affliction will be removed.
Remembrance (smaraṇa) of the guru is presented as itself purifying — inward focus matters as much as outward ritual.
Keep the person or principle guiding you actively in mind during a difficult practice, not just going through motions.
ऐसें सांगतां द्विजवरीं । ऐकोनि सती चिंता करी । शतद्रव्य आमुच्या घरीं । कधीं न मिळे परियेसा ॥३७॥
aisem sāmgatām dvijavarīm | aikoni satī cimtā karī | śatadravya āmucyā gharīm | kadhīm na miḷe pariyesā ||37||
Hearing this told by the learned brahmins, the devoted wife worries; 'a hundred units of wealth, in our house, we will never gather,' listen.
Her practical worry — genuine poverty — grounds the story in real economic hardship, not just abstract spiritual crisis.
Take seriously the practical, financial barriers someone faces even amid a spiritual or moral crisis.
कष्ट करीन आपुले देहीं । उपवासादि पूजा पाहीं । मासोपवास एकोभावीं । करीन आपण गुरुसेवा ॥३८॥
kaṣṭa karīna āpule dehīm | upavāsādi pūjā pāhīm | māsopavāsa ekobhāvīm | karīna āpaṇa gurusevā ||38||
'I will undergo hardship in my own body — fasting and worship, see; I will keep a month's fast single-heartedly; I myself will perform service to the guru.'
Unable to pay, she offers what she does have — bodily discipline and devoted service — showing that sincere effort can substitute where wealth is lacking.
When you can't offer money, offer sustained effort and devotion instead; it counts.
येणेंपरी तये नारी । सांगे आपुले निर्धारीं । ऐकोनियां द्विजवरीं । निरोप देती तये वेळी ॥३९॥
yeṇemparī taye nārī | sāmge āpule nirdhārīm | aikoniyām dvijavarīm | niropa detī taye veḷī ||39||
In this manner that woman states her resolve; hearing this, the learned brahmins give her their leave at that time.
The community accepts her alternative offering — her sincerity, not her wealth, is what earns their approval.
Judge someone's sincerity by their effort and resolve, not by how much they can afford to give.
विप्र म्हणती ऐक बाळे । तूर्ते द्रव्य इतुकें न मिळे । सेवा करीं वो मननिर्मळें । श्रीगुरुचरणीं तूं आतां ॥४०॥
vipra mhaṇatī aika bāḷe | tūrte dravya itukem na miḷe | sevā karīm vo mananirmaḷem | śrīgurucaraṇīm tūm ātām ||40||
The brahmins say: listen, child, you will not obtain that much wealth; serve now at Shri Guru's feet with a pure mind.
They gently release her from the impossible financial demand and redirect her wholly toward devotion — practical wisdom adjusts the prescription to her means.
When guiding someone, adjust your prescription to what is actually within their means, not an ideal standard.
निष्कृति तुझिया पापासी ।श्रीगुरु करील परियेसीं। औंदुबरसंनिधेंसी । वास असे निरंतर ॥४१॥
niṣkṛti tujhiyā pāpāsī |śrīguru karīla pariyesīm| aumdubarasamnidhemsī | vāsa ase niramtara ||41||
'Shri Guru will grant relief from your sin, listen; near the Audumbar his dwelling is everlasting.'
They reaffirm that the guru's grace, not the money, is the actual source of the remedy — the ritual and payment were only supporting acts.
Remember that sincere devotion, not the size of an offering, is what ultimately matters most.
तो कृपाळू भक्तांसी । निवारील ब्रह्महत्यादोषासी । जितुकें येईल तुझ्या शक्तीसी । द्रव्य वेंची गुरुनिरोपें ॥४२॥
to kṛpāḷū bhaktāmsī | nivārīla brahmahatyādoṣāsī | jitukem yeīla tujhyā śaktīsī | dravya vemcī guruniropem ||42||
'He is compassionate to devotees; he will remove the sin of brahmahatya; whatever comes within your means, spend that wealth, by the guru's direction.'
They set a proportionate standard — give what you can, guided by the guru, rather than an arbitrary fixed sum.
Give what is genuinely within your means rather than measuring yourself against someone else's larger capacity.
परिसोनि द्विजवचन । विप्रवनिता संतोषोन । गेली त्वरित ठाकोन । जेथें स्थान श्रीगुरूचें ॥४३॥
parisoni dvijavacana | vipravanitā samtoṣona | gelī tvarita ṭhākona | jethem sthāna śrīgurūcem ||43||
Having heard the brahmin's words, the brahmin-wife, pleased, went quickly, straight to where Shri Guru's place was.
Her response to guidance is immediate action — she doesn't delay once she understands the path forward.
Once you receive clear guidance, act on it promptly rather than putting it off.
स्नान करूनि संगमासी । पापविनाशीं विधीसीं । सात वेळ स्नपनेसीं । करी औदुंबरी प्रदक्षिणा ॥४४॥
snāna karūni samgamāsī | pāpavināśīm vidhīsīm | sāta veḷa snapanesīm | karī audumbarī pradakṣiṇā ||44||
Having bathed at the confluence, with the rites of Papavinashi, bathing seven times, she performs circumambulation of the Audumbar.
She follows the prescribed ritual sequence precisely, showing her practice matches her stated resolve exactly.
Follow through on a commitment in its actual details, not just its general spirit.
काम्यतीर्थी करूनि स्नान । पूजा करूनि श्रीगुरुचरण । प्रदक्षिणा करूनि नमन । करीतसे उपवास ॥४५॥
kāmyatīrthī karūni snāna | pūjā karūni śrīgurucaraṇa | pradakṣiṇā karūni namana | karītase upavāsa ||45||
Having bathed at Kamyatirtha, worshipping Shri Guru's feet, performing circumambulation and bowing, she keeps her fast.
The full devotional sequence — bathing, worship, circling, fasting — is carried out in earnest, day by day.
Build a complete daily practice rather than performing only the easiest part of a discipline.
येणेंपरी दिवस तीनी । सेवा करितां ते ब्राह्मणी । आला विप्र तिच्या स्वप्नीं । द्रव्य मागे शत एक ॥४६॥
yeṇemparī divasa tīnī | sevā karitām te brāhmaṇī | ālā vipra ticyā svapnīm | dravya māge śata eka ||46||
In this manner, for three days, that brahmin-woman performs the service; the brahmin came into her dream, demanding a hundred units of wealth.
Even mid-practice, the old creditor's ghost reappears with his original demand — old grievances don't vanish instantly just because reform has begun.
Don't expect old conflicts to resolve the moment you begin to make amends; be patient through the transition.
अद्यापि जरी न देसी । घेईन तुझे प्राणासी । पुढें तुझ्या वंशासी । वाढों नेदीं अवधारीं ॥४७॥
adyāpi jarī na desī | gheīna tujhe prāṇāsī | puḍhem tujhyā vamśāsī | vāḍhom nedīm avadhārīm ||47||
'If even now you do not give it, I will take your life; hereafter I will not let your lineage grow, listen.'
The ghost's threat escalates, showing unresolved anger can remain dangerous even while a remedy is underway.
Recognize that a wronged party's anger may still flare even as you're doing the right thing to make amends — don't be discouraged by that.
वायां करिसी तूं सायासी । पुत्र कैंचे तुझे वंशी । म्हणोनि कोपें मारावयासी । आला पिशाच स्वप्नांत ॥४८॥
vāyām karisī tūm sāyāsī | putra kaimce tujhe vamśī | mhaṇoni kopem mārāvayāsī | ālā piśāca svapnāmta ||48||
'In vain do you undertake this effort; where will sons of your lineage be?' Saying so, in fury, to kill her, the ghost came in the dream.
The ghost's rage seeks to undo the very remedy being sought — a vivid image of how bitterness can resist even sincere attempts at repair.
Stay the course of doing right even when someone's bitterness seems determined to resist reconciliation.
भयचकित ते वनिता । औदुंबराआड रिघतां । तंव देखिलें श्रीगुरुनाथा । तयापाठीं रिघाली ॥४९॥
bhayacakita te vanitā | audumbarāāḍa righatām | tamva dekhilem śrīgurunāthā | tayāpāṭhīm righālī ||49||
Frightened, that woman, going in behind the Audumbar tree, then saw Shri Guru; she went behind him for refuge.
In her fear she instinctively runs to the very place of grace she had been cultivating — her practice becomes her refuge exactly when she needs it.
Build your spiritual practice before crisis hits, so it's already there to shelter you when trouble comes.
अभय देवोनि नारीसी । वारिता झाला ब्राह्मणासी । पुसती श्रीगुरु तयासी । कां मारिसी स्त्रियेसी ॥५०॥
abhaya devoni nārīsī | vāritā jhālā brāhmaṇāsī | pusatī śrīguru tayāsī | kām mārisī striyesī ||50||
Giving safety to the woman, he restrained the brahmin; Shri Guru asks him: why do you wish to kill this woman?
The guru intervenes directly and personally, protecting the vulnerable party first before addressing the aggressor — protection precedes negotiation.
When mediating a conflict, secure the safety of the vulnerable person first, then address the aggrieved party.
विप्र विनवी श्रीगुरूसी । "जन्मांतरी आपणासी । अपहार केला द्रव्यासी । प्राण त्यजिला यास्तव ॥५१॥
vipra vinavī śrīgurūsī | "janmāmtarī āpaṇāsī | apahāra kelā dravyāsī | prāṇa tyajilā yāstava ||51||
The brahmin entreats Shri Guru: 'In a previous birth, she caused me the loss of wealth; because of that I gave up my life.'
Even the aggressor gets to state his grievance to the guru directly — the guru hears both sides rather than assuming guilt.
Give even the person in the wrong a fair hearing before rendering judgment.
स्वामी कृपाळू सर्वांसी । आमुचे शत्रूचा पक्षपात करिसी । तुंही यतीश्वर तापसी । पक्षपात करूं नये " ॥५२॥
svāmī kṛpāḷū sarvāmsī | āmuce śatrūcā pakṣapāta karisī | tumhī yatīśvara tāpasī | pakṣapāta karūm naye " ||52||
'Master, you are compassionate to all; yet you favor the side of our enemy; you too are an ascetic — you should not show partiality.'
The ghost accuses the guru of bias, appealing to the guru's own stated ideal of impartiality — a bold but reasonable challenge, even from a wrongdoer.
Be willing to hear even an uncomfortable accusation of unfairness and examine it honestly.
ऐकोनि तयाचें वचन । श्रीगुरु म्हणती कोपोन । "उपद्रव देसी भक्तजना । तूंतें शिक्षा करूं जाण ॥५३॥
aikoni tayācem vacana | śrīguru mhaṇatī kopona | "upadrava desī bhaktajanā | tūmtem śikṣā karūm jāṇa ||53||
Hearing his words, Shri Guru speaks in anger: 'you trouble my devotee; I will discipline you, know this.'
The guru firmly protects his devotee, showing that compassion for the ghost does not mean tolerating continued harm to the innocent.
Compassion for a wrongdoer's past pain doesn't mean permitting them to keep causing new harm — set the boundary clearly.
आम्ही सांगों जेंणें रीती । जरी ऐकसी हितार्थी । तुज होईल सद्गति । पिशाचत्व परिहरेल ॥५४॥
āmhī sāmgom jemṇem rītī | jarī aikasī hitārthī | tuja hoīla sadgati | piśācatva pariharela ||54||
'We will tell you a way; if you listen with your benefit in mind, you will attain a good destiny; your ghosthood will be removed.'
The guru offers the ghost genuine liberation (sadgati, a good after-death state), not mere punishment — discipline is paired with a path forward.
When correcting someone, offer them a real path to improvement, not just a rebuke.
जें काय देईल विप्रवनिता । तुवां अंगिकारावें सर्वथा । जरी न ये तुझ्या चित्ता । जाईं आतां येथोन ॥५५॥
jem kāya deīla vipravanitā | tuvām amgikārāvem sarvathā | jarī na ye tujhyā cittā | jāīm ātām yethona ||55||
'Whatever the brahmin-wife gives you, accept it fully; if it does not satisfy your mind, then leave from here now.'
The guru sets firm terms — accept the proportionate offering made in good faith, or depart; endless demand is not permitted.
Set a clear boundary: accept a sincere, proportionate amends, and let old grievances go rather than demanding endlessly.
राखीव माझिया भक्तांसी । वंशोवंशी अभिवृध्दीसीं ; । पुनरपि जरी पाहूं येसी । शिक्षा करूं " म्हणती गुरु ॥५६॥
rākhīva mājhiyā bhaktāmsī | vamśovamśī abhivṛdhdīsīm ; | punarapi jarī pāhūm yesī | śikṣā karūm " mhaṇatī guru ||56||
'Protect my devotees and their lineage, generation after generation; if you come again to trouble her, I will punish you,' says the guru.
The guru converts the ghost's role from tormentor to protector — reconciliation transforms the relationship rather than merely ending the conflict.
Aim, where possible, to turn a resolved conflict into a positive, protective relationship rather than a cold truce.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरुचें वचन । विप्र-पिशाच करी नमन । " स्वामी तुझे देखिले चरण । उध्दरावें आपणासी ॥५७॥
aikoni śrīgurucem vacana | vipra-piśāca karī namana | " svāmī tujhe dekhile caraṇa | udhdarāvem āpaṇāsī ||57||
Hearing Shri Guru's words, the brahmin-ghost bows: 'Master, having seen your feet, please deliver me.'
The ghost's own attitude shifts from anger to reverence once genuinely addressed — encounter with real compassion can soften even a bitter heart.
Trust that even a hostile person may soften when met with firm, fair compassion instead of matching hostility.
जेणेंपरी आपणासी । होय गति उध्दरावयासी । निरोप देसी करुणेसीं । अंगिकारूं स्वामिया " ॥५८॥
jeṇemparī āpaṇāsī | hoya gati udhdarāvayāsī | niropa desī karuṇesīm | amgikārūm svāmiyā " ||58||
'In whatever way I may attain deliverance, give me your instruction with compassion; I will accept it, master.'
The formerly vengeful ghost now humbly asks for guidance — a full turn from demand to request.
Once a conflict is defused, be willing to ask sincerely for guidance on how to move forward rightly.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तयासी । विप्रवनिता भावेसीं । करील कर्म दहा दिवशी । गति होईल तूतें जाणा ॥५९॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tayāsī | vipravanitā bhāvesīm | karīla karma dahā divaśī | gati hoīla tūtem jāṇā ||59||
Shri Guru says to him: the brahmin-wife will perform the rite for ten days with devotion; you will attain deliverance, know this.
A specific, time-bound resolution is now set — ten days of devoted practice will complete the ghost's release.
Give a process a clear, reasonable timeframe rather than leaving resolution open-ended indefinitely.
येणेंपरी तयासी । निरोप देती स्त्रियेसी । जें असेल तुजपाशी । आचरीं कर्म तया नामीं ॥६०॥
yeṇemparī tayāsī | niropa detī striyesī | jem asela tujapāśī | ācarīm karma tayā nāmīm ||60||
In this manner he gives instruction to him; he tells the woman: whatever you have with you, perform the rite in his name.
The guru now instructs the woman directly, tailoring the rite to what she actually possesses — practical compassion again shapes the remedy.
Tailor your effort of reconciliation to what you actually have, rather than waiting until you have more.
अष्टतीर्थी स्नान करी । तया नामें अवधारीं । सात दिवस येणेंपरी । स्नपन करीं औदुंबरा ॥६१॥
aṣṭatīrthī snāna karī | tayā nāmem avadhārīm | sāta divasa yeṇemparī | snapana karīm audumbarā ||61||
Bathe at the eight tirthas in his name, listen; for seven days in this manner, bathe the Audumbar.
The remedy repeats the earlier ritual pattern in a shorter, adapted form — established practices are reused rather than invented from scratch.
Reuse a practice that has already proven effective rather than reinventing your approach each time.
ब्रह्महत्या तुझे दोषी । जातील त्वरित भरंवसी । कन्या पुत्र पूर्णायुषी । होतील म्हणती श्रीगुरु ॥६२॥
brahmahatyā tujhe doṣī | jātīla tvarita bharamvasī | kanyā putra pūrṇāyuṣī | hotīla mhaṇatī śrīguru ||62||
'The sin of brahmahatya, your fault, will go quickly, with certainty; a daughter and son of full lifespan will be born to you,' say Shri Guru.
The promised outcome is restated with added specificity — both a daughter and a son, both living full lives.
State the hoped-for outcome specifically enough that both parties know what success will look like.
ऐसें देखोनि जागृतीं । विप्रवनिता भयचकिती । ज्ञाने पाहे श्रीगुरुमूर्ति । न विसंवे मनांत ॥६३॥
aisem dekhoni jāgṛtīm | vipravanitā bhayacakitī | jñāne pāhe śrīgurumūrti | na visamve manāmta ||63||
Seeing this while fully awake, the brahmin-wife was frightened; with awareness she beheld Shri Guru's form, not doubting in her mind.
The vision, unusually, occurs in waking consciousness (jāgṛtī) rather than dream, and she trusts it without doubt — clarity strengthens faith.
When you receive unmistakably clear guidance, trust it fully rather than second-guessing yourself.
श्रीगुरुनिरोपें दहा दिवस । केलें आचरण परियेस । ब्रह्महत्या गेला दोष । गति झाली ब्राह्मणासी ॥६४॥
śrīguruniropem dahā divasa | kelem ācaraṇa pariyesa | brahmahatyā gelā doṣa | gati jhālī brāhmaṇāsī ||64||
By Shri Guru's instruction, for ten days she performed the practice, listen; the sin of brahmahatya departed, deliverance came to the brahmin.
The remedy is completed exactly as promised — the narrative confirms that faithful practice produced the stated result for both the living and the dead.
Complete a committed practice fully through its stated duration, trusting it to bear fruit as promised.
येरे दिवशी स्वप्नांत । प्रत्यक्ष आले श्रीगुरुनाथ । नारिकेल दोन देत । भरली ओंटी तियेची ॥६५॥
yere divaśī svapnāmta | pratyakṣa āle śrīgurunātha | nārikela dona deta | bharalī omṭī tiyecī ||65||
The next day, in a dream, Shri Guru came in person; giving her two coconuts, he filled her lap [a blessing gesture].
Filling the lap (oṭī bharaṇe) with coconuts is a traditional Marathi blessing for conception and childbirth — the guru personally confers this rite.
Recognize and honor the traditional gestures of blessing in your own culture rather than dismissing them as mere custom.
म्हणे पारणें करीं वो तूं आतां । पुत्र होतील वेदरता । वाढे त्यांची संतति बहुता । चिंता न करीं अहो बाळे ॥६६॥
mhaṇe pāraṇem karīm vo tūm ātām | putra hotīla vedaratā | vāḍhe tyāmcī samtati bahutā | cimtā na karīm aho bāḷe ||66||
He says: 'break your fast now; sons devoted to the Vedas will be born to you; their lineage will grow greatly; do not worry, O child.'
The guru personally releases her from her vow and promises flourishing descendants — the long ordeal reaches its resolution.
Know when a period of disciplined effort has served its purpose, and allow yourself to rest and receive its fruit.
गुरुनिरोपें आराधन । करिती दंपती मन:पूर्ण । प्रकट झाला श्रीगुरुराणा । संपर्क लोह-परिसापरी ॥६७॥
guruniropem ārādhana | karitī dampatī mana:pūrṇa | prakaṭa jhālā śrīgururāṇā | samparka loha-parisāparī ||67||
By the guru's instruction, the couple worship with a full heart; Shri Guru-lord became manifest, like the touch of the philosopher's stone on iron.
The parisa (mythical touchstone said to turn iron to gold) is the classic image for the guru's transformative grace — ordinary lives turned to gold by contact with him.
Trust that consistent contact with a genuinely wise, good influence can transform even a long-troubled situation.
गुरुनिरोपें आराधन । करिती दंपती मन:पूर्ण । प्रकट झाला श्रीगुरुराणा । संपर्क लोह परिसापरी ॥६८॥
guruniropem ārādhana | karitī dampatī mana:pūrṇa | prakaṭa jhālā śrīgururāṇā | samparka loha parisāparī ||68||
By the guru's instruction, the couple worship with a full heart; Shri Guru-lord became manifest, like the touch of the philosopher's stone on iron.
This verse repeats the previous one nearly verbatim in the source text, reinforcing through repetition how completely the couple's devotion and the guru's grace met.
Don't be afraid to repeat and reinforce a truth that deserves emphasis rather than rushing past it.
पुढें तया नारीसी। पुत्रयुग्म सद्वंशी । झाले श्रीगुरुकृपेसीं । एकचित्तें परियेसा ॥६९॥
puḍhem tayā nārīsī| putrayugma sadvamśī | jhāle śrīgurukṛpesīm | ekacittem pariyesā ||69||
Afterward, to that woman, twin sons of a good lineage were born, by Shri Guru's grace, listen with one mind.
The long story of loss finally turns — not one but twin sons are born, doubling the promised blessing.
Trust that patient, sustained faithfulness can eventually yield more than you originally hoped for.
व्रतबंध करिती ज्येष्ठासी । समांरंभ अनंत हर्षी । चौलकर्म दुजियासी । करूं पहाती मातापिता ॥७०॥
vratabamdha karitī jyeṣṭhāsī | samāmrambha anamta harṣī | caulakarma dujiyāsī | karūm pahātī mātāpitā ||70||
They perform the sacred-thread ceremony [vratabandha] for the elder son with immense joy; they intend to perform the tonsure rite [chaulakarma] for the younger.
Vratabandha (the thread-investiture rite) and cauḷakarma (first tonsure) are standard life-cycle rituals — the family is now living an ordinary, joyful domestic life.
Celebrate the ordinary milestones of family life fully once hardship has passed.
समारंभ करी जननी । चौलकर्म करणें मनीं । पुत्रासी जाहली वर्षे तीन्ही । अत्योल्हास मानसीं ॥७१॥
samārambha karī jananī | caulakarma karaṇem manīm | putrāsī jāhalī varṣe tīnhī | atyolhāsa mānasīm ||71||
The mother arranges the ceremony, intending to perform the tonsure rite; the son had reached three years of age; there is great joy in her mind.
The narrative lingers on her joy and preparation, making the coming reversal more devastating by contrast.
Savor moments of hard-won joy fully, even knowing that life remains uncertain.
समारंभ अतिप्रीतीं । करिती झाली आयती । पूर्व दिवसी मध्यरात्रीं । आली व्याधि कुमरासी ॥७२॥
samārambha atiprītīm | karitī jhālī āyatī | pūrva divasī madhyarātrīm | ālī vyādhi kumarāsī ||72||
They prepare the ceremony with great love, all made ready; the day before, at midnight, illness came upon the boy.
Tragedy strikes at the threshold of celebration — a sharp narrative reversal typical of this text's teaching on impermanence.
Hold your plans and joys with open hands, knowing circumstances can shift suddenly.
व्याधि असती अष्टोत्तर । एकाहूनि एक थोर । तयामध्यें जो का तीव्र । धनुर्वात तयासी ॥७३॥
vyādhi asatī aṣṭottara | ekāhūni eka thora | tayāmadhyem jo kā tīvra | dhanurvāta tayāsī ||73||
There are one hundred and eight kinds of illness, one worse than another; among them, the most severe was tetanus [dhanurvata], which came upon him.
Dhanurvāta (lockjaw/tetanus) is named as a specific, historically dreaded and often fatal childhood illness.
Take serious illness seriously and promptly, rather than assuming it will simply pass.
अवयव वांकोनि । दिसे भयानक नयनी । येणेपरी दिवस तीन्ही । कष्टातसे तो बाळ ॥७४॥
avayava vāmkoni | dise bhayānaka nayanī | yeṇeparī divasa tīnhī | kaṣṭātase to bāḷa ||74||
His limbs bent, he appeared frightening to see; in this manner, for three days, the child suffered.
The physical description is stark and unflinching — the text does not soften the reality of the child's suffering.
Don't look away from someone's real suffering out of discomfort; bear honest witness to it.
तया दिवशीं अस्तमानीं । पंचत्व पावला तत्क्षणी । शोक करिती जनक जननी । ऐका श्रोते एकचित्तें ॥७५॥
tayā divaśīm astamānīm | pamcatva pāvalā tatkṣaṇī | śoka karitī janaka jananī | aikā śrote ekacittem ||75||
On that day, at sunset, he suddenly attained death; the father and mother grieve — listen, O listeners, with one mind.
The death is stated plainly and quickly, in contrast to the drawn-out joy that preceded it — loss often arrives faster than it can be absorbed.
Allow yourself and others the time grief actually needs, even when the loss itself happened suddenly.
आक्रोशोनि भूमीसी । आफळी शिर सत्राणेसीं । पाषाण घेवोनि उरासी । घात करी ते नारी ॥७६॥
ākrośoni bhūmīsī | āphaḷī śira satrāṇesīm | pāṣāṇa ghevoni urāsī | ghāta karī te nārī ||76||
Wailing upon the ground, she strikes her head with full force; taking up a stone against her chest, that woman tries to harm herself.
Her grief turns physically self-destructive — an unfiltered depiction of a mother's anguish at the height of loss.
Watch closely over someone in acute grief; intervene gently before despair turns to self-harm.
देह टाकी धरणीवरी । निर्जीव होवोनि क्षणभरी । आठवी दु:ख अपरांपरी । नयनीं वाहे पूर्ण जळ ॥७७॥
deha ṭākī dharaṇīvarī | nirjīva hovoni kṣaṇabharī | āṭhavī du:kha aparāmparī | nayanīm vāhe pūrṇa jaḷa ||77||
She throws her body upon the ground, lifeless for a moment; recalling her grief again and again, her eyes fill with tears.
The repeated waves of collapse and recollection show grief as cyclical, not linear — it returns in surges rather than fading steadily.
Expect grief to come in waves rather than a single steady decline; be patient with its return.
प्रेतपुत्रावरी लोळे । अलिंगोनि परिबळें । विष्टोनियां मायाजाळें । प्रलापीतसे ते नारी ॥७८॥
pretaputrāvarī loḷe | alimgoni paribaḷem | viṣṭoniyām māyājāḷem | pralāpītase te nārī ||78||
She rolls upon her dead son's body, embracing him with all her strength; entangled in the web of illusion [maya], that woman laments.
Māyājāla (the web of illusion or attachment) names her state — even righteous love, the text suggests, can become a trap of grief if it refuses to accept impermanence.
Let deep love for someone coexist with acceptance of life's impermanence, rather than one denying the other.
म्हणे ताता पुत्रराया । प्राणरक्षका माझ्या प्रिया । मातें केवी सोडूनियां । जासी कठोर मन करूनि ॥७९॥
mhaṇe tātā putrarāyā | prāṇarakṣakā mājhyā priyā | mātem kevī soḍūniyām | jāsī kaṭhora mana karūni ||79||
She says: 'Father, my prince-son, protector of my life, my beloved — how can you leave me, hardening your heart, and go?'
Her lament (vilāpa) begins, a traditional genre of grief-speech addressed directly to the dead — raw address, not composed reflection.
Allow direct, unfiltered speech to a lost loved one as a legitimate part of mourning.
कोठें गेलासी खेळावया । स्तनींचें क्षीर जातसे वायां । शीघ्र येई गा ठाकोनियां । पुत्रराया परियेसीं ॥८०॥
koṭhem gelāsī kheḷāvayā | stanīmcem kṣīra jātase vāyām | śīghra yeī gā ṭhākoniyām | putrarāyā pariyesīm ||80||
'Where have you gone to play? The milk of my breast goes to waste; come back quickly, O prince-son, listen.'
The intimate, bodily detail — milk unused — grounds her grief in the concrete reality of a mother's severed bond with her infant.
Recognize that grief lives in the body, not only the mind; physical rituals of mourning have their place.
केवीं विसरूं तुझे गुण । माझा तूंचि निर्धान । तुझे गोजिरें बोलणें । केवीं विसरूं पुत्रराया ॥८१॥
kevīm visarūm tujhe guṇa | mājhā tūmci nirdhāna | tujhe gojirem bolaṇem | kevīm visarūm putrarāyā ||81||
'How can I forget your virtues? You alone were my treasure; how can I forget your sweet speech, O prince-son?'
She catalogues specific, cherished memories — grief attaches itself to particulars, not abstractions.
When comforting someone in grief, invite them to share specific memories rather than only offering general condolences.
तुझे रूपासारखा सुत । केवी देखों मी निश्चित । निधान देखत्यें स्वप्नांत । तैसें मज चाळ्विलें ॥८२॥
tujhe rūpāsārakhā suta | kevī dekhom mī niścita | nidhāna dekhatyem svapnāmta | taisem maja cāḷvilem ||82||
'How shall I ever see again a son like your form? I saw a treasure in a dream — so was I deceived.'
She reinterprets the earlier joyful vision as a cruel deception — grief can temporarily distort even a genuine former blessing.
Recognize that intense grief may cause someone to doubt even past genuine blessings; be patient rather than arguing them out of it.
पुत्र व्यालें पांच आपण । त्यात तूं एक निधन । जधीं झालें गर्भधारण । तैपासाव संतोष ॥८३॥
putra vyālem pāmca āpaṇa | tyāta tūm eka nidhana | jadhīm jhālem garbhadhāraṇa | taipāsāva samtoṣa ||83||
'I bore five sons; among them you are one who has died; when I conceived you, from then joy began.'
She recounts the family's full history of loss, situating this newest death within the earlier pattern of grief from the chapter's start.
Understand that a new loss can reopen and compound older, unhealed grief.
डोहळे मज उत्तम होती । कधी नसे मी दुश्चिती । अत्योल्हास नवमासांतीं । पुत्र होईल म्हणोनि ॥८४॥
ḍohaḷe maja uttama hotī | kadhī nase mī duścitī | atyolhāsa navamāsāmtīm | putra hoīla mhaṇoni ||84||
'My cravings during pregnancy were auspicious; I was never once troubled in mind; there was great joy — after nine months a son will be born, I thought.'
She recalls the hopeful anticipation of pregnancy (ḍohaḷe, pregnancy cravings, traditionally read as good or bad omens) now made bitter by the outcome.
Let yourself grieve not just the loss itself, but the hopes and expectations that came with it.
श्रीगुरूंनी दिधला मातें वर । पुत्र होईल निर्धार । त्याणें मज हर्ष फार । वरद पिंड म्हणोनि॥८५॥
śrīgurūmnī didhalā mātem vara | putra hoīla nirdhāra | tyāṇem maja harṣa phāra | varada pimḍa mhaṇoni||85||
'Shri Guru gave me the boon: a son will surely be born; by that I had great joy, thinking this a blessed, boon-given child.'
Her grief now directly implicates the guru's promise — she begins to question whether the earlier blessing was reliable at all.
It's natural, in grief, to question even a source you deeply trusted; give that questioning room rather than suppressing it.
जघीं तुज प्रसूत जाहल्यें । अनंत सौख्य मीं लाधलें । प्राणप्रिया तुज मीं पोसिलें । आमुतें रक्षिसी म्हणोनि ॥८६॥
jaghīm tuja prasūta jāhalyem | anamta saukhya mīm lādhalem | prāṇapriyā tuja mīm posilem | āmutem rakṣisī mhaṇoni ||86||
'When I was delivered of you, I attained infinite happiness; my beloved, I nursed and raised you, thinking you would protect us.'
She names her hope that this child would care for her in old age — a very ordinary, human expectation now shattered.
Recognize that grief often includes mourning lost practical hopes, not only emotional loss.
मज भरंवसा तुझा बहुत । वृध्दाप्याचा पोषक म्हणत । आम्हांसी सांडूनि जातां उचित । धर्म नव्हे पुत्रराया ॥८७॥
maja bharamvasā tujhā bahuta | vṛdhdāpyācā poṣaka mhaṇata | āmhāmsī sāmḍūni jātām ucita | dharma navhe putrarāyā ||87||
'I trusted you greatly, thinking you the support of our old age; to leave us and go away thus — that is not righteous, O prince-son.'
She even accuses the dead child of unrighteousness, an extreme expression of grief's illogic — sorrow does not always reason fairly.
Don't take grief's irrational accusations too literally, whether from yourself or someone else — let the pain speak without correcting it.
दु:ख झालें मज बहुत ।विसरल्यें बाळा तुज देखत । तूं तारक आमुचा सत्य । म्हणोनि विश्वास केला जाण ॥८८॥
du:kha jhālem maja bahuta |visaralyem bāḷā tuja dekhata | tūm tāraka āmucā satya | mhaṇoni viśvāsa kelā jāṇa ||88||
'Great grief has come to me; I had forgotten my past sorrow, child, on seeing you; I thought you were truly our savior — that's why I trusted.'
She admits the child's birth had temporarily healed her older grief — now that healing itself feels undone, deepening the current pain.
Understand that losing a source of healing can reopen wounds that seemed long closed.
ऐंसें नानापरी देखा । दु:ख करी ते बाळिका । निवारण करिती सकळ लोक । वाया दु:ख तूं कां करिसी ॥८९॥
aimsem nānāparī dekhā | du:kha karī te bāḷikā | nivāraṇa karitī sakaḷa loka | vāyā du:kha tūm kām karisī ||89||
Seeing her grieve in so many ways, the people try to console that young woman: 'why do you grieve in vain?'
The community steps in to console her — grief, even when private, is met here with communal presence, not left to be borne alone.
Show up for someone in deep grief rather than leaving them to face it in isolation.
देवदानवऋषेश्वरांसी । होणार न चुके परियेसीं । ब्रह्मा लिही ललाटेंसी। तेचि अढळ जाण सत्य ॥९०॥
devadānavaṛṣeśvarāmsī | hoṇāra na cuke pariyesīm | brahmā lihī lalāṭemsī| teci aḍhaḷa jāṇa satya ||90||
'For gods, demons, and sages alike, what is destined does not fail, listen; what Brahma writes upon the forehead — that alone is unshakeable and true.'
They offer the classical consolation of daiva (destiny) — even for divine beings, what is fated cannot be altered.
When comforting someone, gently remind them that not everything was within their control.
अवतार होताति हरिहर । तेही न राहती स्थिर । उम्ही तरी मनुष्य नर । काय अढळ तुम्हांसी॥९१॥
avatāra hotāti harihara | tehī na rāhatī sthira | umhī tarī manuṣya nara | kāya aḍhaḷa tumhāmsī||91||
'Even avatars of Hari and Hara [Vishnu and Shiva] do not remain permanent; you, after all, are merely a human being — what permanence can you claim?'
Even divine incarnations are impermanent in this teaching — a sobering reminder that impermanence spares no one, however exalted.
Accept impermanence as a universal condition, not a personal failure or unique misfortune.
येणेंपरी सांगती जन । आणखी दु:ख आठवी मन । म्हणे मातें दिधलीं जाण । स्थिर म्हणोनि दोन्ही फळें ॥९२॥
yeṇemparī sāmgatī jana | āṇakhī du:kha āṭhavī mana | mhaṇe mātem didhalīm jāṇa | sthira mhaṇoni donhī phaḷem ||92||
In this manner the people console her; yet further grief she recalls in her mind, saying: 'he gave me — I thought — two stable children.'
Consolation doesn't immediately take hold — her mind circles back to specific hope, showing how grief resists quick resolution.
Don't expect words of consolation to work immediately; grief needs repeated, patient reassurance.
श्रीगुरु-नरसिंहसरस्वती । भूमंडळीं महाख्याति । औदुंबरी सदा वसती । त्यांणी दिधले मज सुत ॥९३॥
śrīguru-narasimhasarasvatī | bhūmamḍaḷīm mahākhyāti | audumbarī sadā vasatī | tyāmṇī didhale maja suta ||93||
'Shri Guru Narasimha Saraswati, of great fame throughout the world, always dwelling at the Audumbar — he gave me this son.'
She restates the origin of her hope precisely, preparing to confront that hope's apparent betrayal directly.
Be willing to name exactly where your hope came from before questioning whether it was misplaced.
त्याचे बोल केवी मिथ्या । मातें दिधला वर सत्या । त्यासी घडो माझी हत्या। पुत्रासवें देईन प्राण ॥९४॥
tyāce bola kevī mithyā | mātem didhalā vara satyā | tyāsī ghaḍo mājhī hatyā| putrāsavem deīna prāṇa ||94||
'How can his words be false? He gave me a true boon; may his sin fall upon me if untrue — I will give up my life along with my son.'
Her despair reaches its peak — she resolves on the drastic, forbidden act of following her son in death, doubting even divine promise.
Recognize the danger point where grief turns toward self-destruction, and intervene before it's too late.
म्हणोनि आठवी श्रीगुरूसी । देवा मातें गांजिलेंसी । विश्वास केला मी तुम्हांसी । सत्य वाक्य तुझें म्हणत ॥९५॥
mhaṇoni āṭhavī śrīgurūsī | devā mātem gāmjilemsī | viśvāsa kelā mī tumhāmsī | satya vākya tujhem mhaṇata ||95||
So saying, she remembers Shri Guru: 'God, you have wronged me; I trusted you, believing your word to be true.'
Her lament turns into direct address and complaint to the divine itself — even devout faith can include honest anger at God in extremity.
Allow room for honest anger or complaint directed at what you believe in, even in your deepest devotion.
सत्यसंकल्प तूंचि होसी । म्हणोनि होत्यें विश्वासीं । घात केला गा आम्हांसी । विश्वासघातकी केवी न म्हणों ॥९६॥
satyasamkalpa tūmci hosī | mhaṇoni hotyem viśvāsīm | ghāta kelā gā āmhāmsī | viśvāsaghātakī kevī na mhaṇom ||96||
'You alone are the true resolve [satya-sankalpa]; that is why I remained trusting; you have done me harm — how can I not call you a betrayer of trust?'
Satya-saṅkalpa (one whose will is inherently true and effective) is a classic epithet for God — she directly challenges that very attribute in her anguish.
Even sincere faith can survive being questioned honestly in crisis; don't fear voicing real doubt.
त्रयमूर्तीचा अवतारु । तुंचि नरसिंहसरस्वती गुरू। ध्रुवा विभीषणा दिधला वरु । केवीं सत्य म्हणों आतां ॥९७॥
trayamūrtīcā avatāru | tumci narasimhasarasvatī gurū| dhruvā vibhīṣaṇā didhalā varu | kevīm satya mhaṇom ātām ||97||
'You are the incarnation of the trinity, you are Narasimha Saraswati Guru; you gave boons to Dhruva and Vibhishana — how can I now call your word true?'
She invokes other mythic devotees (Dhruva, the boy sage; Vibhīṣaṇa, the loyal brother of Ravana) who received lasting divine boons, contrasting their fortune with her own apparent betrayal.
It's natural to compare your own hardship to others who seemed more fortunate; notice the comparison without letting it become the whole truth.
विश्वास केला तुझे बोलें । आतां मातें उपेक्षिलें । माझ्या मनीं निश्चय केला । प्राण देईन तुम्हांवरी ॥९८॥
viśvāsa kelā tujhe bolem | ātām mātem upekṣilem | mājhyā manīm niścaya kelā | prāṇa deīna tumhāmvarī ||98||
'I trusted your word; now you have forsaken me; I have resolved in my mind: I will give up my life before you.'
Her resolve to end her life before her own object of devotion makes explicit the crisis of faith at the heart of her grief.
Recognize a crisis of faith as a genuine emergency deserving care and intervention, not dismissal.
लोक येती तुझ्या स्थानीं । सेवा करिती निवसोनि । औदुंबरी प्रदक्षिणा करूनि । पुरश्चरणें करिताति ॥९९॥
loka yetī tujhyā sthānīm | sevā karitī nivasoni | audumbarī pradakṣiṇā karūni | puraścaraṇem karitāti ||99||
'People come to your place, staying there to serve you; performing circumambulation of the Audumbar, they complete repeated recitations [purashcharan].'
She recalls the devotional practices — purashcharaṇa (repeated mantra recitation as a fixed discipline) — that she herself performed faithfully.
Remember your own record of faithful effort honestly when you feel let down; it is real, whatever the outcome.
आपण केलें पुरश्चरण । फळा आलें मज साधन । आतां तुजवरी देईन प्राण । काय विश्वास तुझ्या स्थानीं ॥१००॥
āpaṇa kelem puraścaraṇa | phaḷā ālem maja sādhana | ātām tujavarī deīna prāṇa | kāya viśvāsa tujhyā sthānīm ||100||
'I too performed purashcharan; my practice bore fruit for me with this son; now I will give up my life before you — what trust remains in your place?'
She holds up her own fulfilled practice as proof that she had done everything right, making the loss feel like a broken bargain rather than fate.
Understand that doing everything 'right' doesn't guarantee immunity from loss; don't treat life as a strict transaction.
कीर्ति होईल सृष्टींत । आम्हां केला तुवां घात । पुढें तुज भजती भक्त । काय भरंवसा तयांसी ॥१॥
kīrti hoīla sṛṣṭīmta | āmhām kelā tuvām ghāta | puḍhem tuja bhajatī bhakta | kāya bharamvasā tayāmsī ||1||
'Your fame will spread throughout creation as one who has done us harm; the devotees who worship you in future — what confidence can they have?'
Her grief broadens into a challenge on behalf of all future devotees — her pain has become a test case for whether faith itself is trustworthy.
Recognize that one person's crisis of faith can raise real questions worth honestly addressing for a whole community, not dismissing as merely personal.
ब्रह्मस्वदोषें पीडोन । दृढ धरिले तुझे चरण । अंगीकारोनि मध्यें त्यजणें । कवण धर्म घडतसे ॥२॥
brahmasvadoṣem pīḍona | dṛḍha dharile tujhe caraṇa | amgīkāroni madhyem tyajaṇem | kavaṇa dharma ghaḍatase ||2||
'Afflicted by the sin against a brahmin [brahmasva-dosha], I clung firmly to your feet; having accepted me, to abandon me midway — what righteousness is this?'
She appeals to the guru's own responsibility once he had 'accepted' her case — a claim that commitment, once given, should not be abandoned partway.
If you take responsibility for helping someone through a difficult process, see it through rather than abandoning them partway.
व्याघ्रातें धेनु भिऊन । जाय आणिकापाशीं ठासून । तोचि मारी तिचा प्राण । तयापरी झालें आपणासी ॥३॥
vyāghrātem dhenu bhiūna | jāya āṇikāpāśīm ṭhāsūna | toci mārī ticā prāṇa | tayāparī jhālem āpaṇāsī ||3||
'A cow, fleeing a tiger in fear, goes and takes shelter near another; that very one kills her — such has happened to me.'
She uses a vivid folk image — refuge that turns lethal — to express the shock of being harmed by the very source she trusted for protection.
Take seriously anyone's fear that the place they sought safety has instead harmed them; investigate rather than dismiss it.
कीं एखादा पूजेसी । जाय देउळा संधीसी । तेंचि देऊळ तयासी । मृत्यु जोऊनि वर पडे ॥४॥
kīm ekhādā pūjesī | jāya deuḷā samdhīsī | temci deūḷa tayāsī | mṛtyu joūni vara paḍe ||4||
'Or, like one who goes to worship at a temple's doorway, and that very temple collapses upon him, bringing death.'
A second parallel image reinforces the same shock — sacred devotion itself seeming to turn dangerous, deepening her sense of betrayal.
Recognize how devastating it feels when the very thing meant to protect someone seems instead to have failed them.
तयपरी आपणासी । जाहलें स्वामी परियेसीं । माझ्या प्राणसुतासी । न राखिसी देवराया ॥५॥
tayaparī āpaṇāsī | jāhalem svāmī pariyesīm | mājhyā prāṇasutāsī | na rākhisī devarāyā ||5||
'In that same way it has happened to me, master, listen; my life-son, you did not protect him, O lord.'
She states her core accusation plainly at last, having built up to it through image and memory — direct grief-speech reaches its clearest point.
Let someone in grief eventually arrive at naming their pain plainly; don't rush them past the buildup.
येणेंपरी अहोरात्री । दु:ख करीतसे ते नारी । उदय जाहला दिनकरीं । प्रात:काळीं परियेसा ॥६॥
yeṇemparī ahorātrī | du:kha karītase te nārī | udaya jāhalā dinakarīm | prāta:kāḷīm pariyesā ||6||
In this manner, all through the night, that woman grieves; the sun rose at dawn, listen.
The passage of an entire night of grief is marked by the sunrise — even the deepest sorrow is set within ordinary, continuing time.
Trust that even the darkest night of grief is followed by morning, even before relief actually feels near.
द्विज ज्ञाते मिळोनि सकळी । येती तये स्त्रियेजवळी । वायां दु:ख सर्वकाळी । करिसी मूर्खपणें तूं ॥७॥
dvija jñāte miḷoni sakaḷī | yetī taye striyejavaḷī | vāyām du:kha sarvakāḷī | karisī mūrkhapaṇem tūm ||7||
Learned brahmins, gathering together, come near that woman: 'in vain, at all times, you act foolishly.'
The community returns, though their rebuke shows the limits of even well-meaning consolation — sometimes comfort is offered clumsily.
When consoling someone, be careful that your words don't sound like blame, even if you mean well.
जे जे समयीं होणार गति । ब्रह्मादिकां न चुके ख्याति । चला जाऊं गंगेप्रती । प्रेतसंस्कार करूं आतां ॥८॥
je je samayīm hoṇāra gati | brahmādikām na cuke khyāti | calā jāūm gamgepratī | pretasamskāra karūm ātām ||8||
'Whatever is destined to happen at its own time, even Brahma and the other gods cannot avoid it, this is known; let us go to the Ganga, let us perform the funeral rites now.'
They press the practical next step — proper funeral rites (saṃskāra) at the river — needed regardless of her grief's resolution.
Alongside emotional support, gently but firmly help a grieving person attend to necessary practical duties.
ऐसें वचन ऐकोनि । महा आक्रोश करी मनी । आपणासहित घाला वन्ही । अथवा नेदी प्रेतासी ॥९॥
aisem vacana aikoni | mahā ākrośa karī manī | āpaṇāsahita ghālā vanhī | athavā nedī pretāsī ||9||
Hearing these words, she wails greatly in her mind; 'either throw me into the fire together with him, or do not take away the corpse.'
Her resistance to the funeral rites intensifies into an ultimatum — grief refusing the finality that ritual would confirm.
Recognize resistance to closure as part of grief, not stubbornness to be simply overridden.
आपणासहित बाळासी । करा पां अग्निप्रवेशी । येरवी नेदीं प्रेतासी । म्हणोनि उरीं बांधी बाळा ॥११०॥
āpaṇāsahita bāḷāsī | karā pām agnipraveśī | yeravī nedīm pretāsī | mhaṇoni urīm bāmdhī bāḷā ||110||
'Put me into the fire together with the child; otherwise I will not give up the corpse,' saying this, she binds the child to her chest.
Her physical act of binding the child to herself dramatizes her refusal to let go — the body enacts what words alone cannot fully convey.
Notice that grief sometimes speaks through physical acts more than words; pay attention to both.
लोक म्हणती तियेसी । नव्हसी तूं स्त्री, कर्कशी । प्रेतासवें प्राण देसी । कवण धर्म सांग आम्हां ॥११॥
loka mhaṇatī tiyesī | navhasī tūm strī, karkaśī | pretāsavem prāṇa desī | kavaṇa dharma sāmga āmhām ||11||
The people say to her: 'are you not a woman, but instead harsh and cruel? To give your life along with a corpse — what righteousness is in this, tell us?'
Their rebuke is unusually sharp, revealing the community's own fear and helplessness in the face of her extremity.
Be aware that fear and helplessness can make even caring people speak too harshly to someone in crisis; try to soften your own reaction.
नाहीं देखिलें न ऐकों कानीं । पुत्रासवें देती प्राण कोणी । वायां बोलसी मूर्खपणीं । आत्महत्या महादोष ॥१२॥
nāhīm dekhilem na aikom kānīm | putrāsavem detī prāṇa koṇī | vāyām bolasī mūrkhapaṇīm | ātmahatyā mahādoṣa ||12||
'We have never seen or heard of anyone giving up their life along with a son; you speak foolishly in vain; suicide is a great sin.'
They invoke both social precedent and moral teaching against her intended act — a firm, clear boundary is drawn against self-harm.
State plainly and firmly, without hesitation, that self-harm is not an acceptable option, even to someone in deep pain.
नानापरी तियेसी । बोधिती लोक परियेसीं । निश्चय तिनें केला ऐसी । प्राण त्यजीन पुत्रासवें ॥१३॥
nānāparī tiyesī | bodhitī loka pariyesīm | niścaya tinem kelā aisī | prāṇa tyajīna putrāsavem ||13||
In various ways the people counsel her, listen; yet she resolved firmly thus: 'I will give up my life along with my son.'
Despite every effort at consolation, her resolve holds — the narrative shows that ordinary counsel alone cannot resolve this depth of crisis.
Accept that some crises require more than well-meaning advice; be ready to seek deeper help when words alone aren't enough.
दिवस गेला दोन प्रहर । प्रेतासी करूं नेदी संस्कार । अथवा न ये गंगतीरा । ग्रामीं आकांत वर्तला ॥१४॥
divasa gelā dona prahara | pretāsī karūm nedī samskāra | athavā na ye gamgatīrā | grāmīm ākāmta vartalā ||14||
The day passed two watches; she would not allow the corpse to be given funeral rites, nor would she go to the Ganga bank; an uproar arose in the village.
The standoff becomes a community-wide crisis (ākrānta, uproar) — private grief has become a shared emergency requiring resolution.
Recognize when an individual's crisis has become urgent enough to require the whole community's attention.
इतुकिया अवसरीं । आला एक ब्रह्मचारी । सांगे तिसी सविस्तारीं । आत्मज्ञान तये वेळीं ॥१५॥
itukiyā avasarīm | ālā eka brahmacārī | sāmge tisī savistārīm | ātmajñāna taye veḷīm ||15||
At this moment, a young celibate student [brahmachari] arrived; he tells her at length spiritual knowledge [atmajnana] at that time.
Help arrives unexpectedly in the form of a wandering brahmacārī (celibate student), who offers not consolation but teaching — ātma-jñāna (knowledge of the true self).
Stay open to help arriving in an unexpected form or from an unexpected person.
सिध्द म्हणे नामधारका । पुढें अपूर्व झालें ऐका । ब्रह्मचारी आला एका । बोधिता झाला ज्ञान तिसी ॥१६॥
sidhda mhaṇe nāmadhārakā | puḍhem apūrva jhālem aikā | brahmacārī ālā ekā | bodhitā jhālā jñāna tisī ||16||
Siddha says to Namdharak: further, a wonder happened, listen; a brahmachari arrived, and taught her knowledge.
Siddha signals to Namdharak that the resolution is at hand, framing what follows as a wonder (apūrva) worth close attention.
Pay closer attention when a story or situation signals it is approaching its turning point.
बाळ नव्हे तोचि गुरु । आला नरवेषधारु । नरसिंहसरस्वती अवतारु । भक्तवत्सल परियेसा ॥१७॥
bāḷa navhe toci guru | ālā naraveṣadhāru | narasimhasarasvatī avatāru | bhaktavatsala pariyesā ||17||
That was no ordinary child — it was the guru himself, who came wearing a human disguise; the Narasimha Saraswati avatar, affectionate to devotees, listen.
The chapter's final revelation: the young teacher was the guru himself in disguise, once again personally intervening for a devotee in extremity.
Trust that unexpected help in your darkest hour may carry more significance than it first appears to.
म्हणोनि सरस्वतीगंगाधर सांगे गुरुचरित्राविस्तार । ऐकता होय मनोहर । शतायुषी पुरुष होय ॥१८॥
mhaṇoni sarasvatīgamgādhara sāmge gurucaritrāvistāra | aikatā hoya manohara | śatāyuṣī puruṣa hoya ||18||
Thus Sarasvati Gangadhar tells the expanded Gurucharitra; hearing it is delightful; one who hears becomes a person of a hundred years' life.
The narrator closes with the traditional formula praising the benefit of devoted listening to this text.
Let stories of others' hard-won faith renew your own resolve when you hear them.
भक्तिपूर्वक ऐकती जरी । व्याधि नव्हती त्यांचे । पूर्णायुषी ते होती अमरी । सत्य माना माझा बोल ॥११९॥
bhaktipūrvaka aikatī jarī | vyādhi navhatī tyāmce | pūrṇāyuṣī te hotī amarī | satya mānā mājhā bola ||119||
Those who listen with devotion will have no illness; they will attain full lifespan, becoming as if immortal; believe my words to be true.
The chapter's closing promise mirrors its central crisis — the very trust that the grieving mother struggled to hold onto is now offered again to the listener.
Choose to place your trust in what has proven, through this story, worth trusting, even after seeing how hard that trust can be tested.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृते परमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिध्द-नामधारकसंवादे ब्रह्मसमंधपरिहार-प्रेतजननीशोकनं नाम विशोऽध्याय: ॥२०॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛte paramakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne sidhda-nāmadhārakasamvāde brahmasamamdhaparihāra-pretajananīśokanam nāma viśo'dhyāya: ||20||
Thus in the nectar of Shri Gurucharitra, the supreme wish-fulfilling story-tree, in the dialogue of Siddha and Namdharak, ends the twentieth chapter, named 'The Removal of the Brahmin-Ghost's Affliction and the Grieving Mother's Lament over the Corpse.'
The traditional Sanskrit colophon formally names and closes this chapter within the text's larger structure.
Mark the close of a difficult chapter of your own life clearly, so you can move into what follows with a fresh start.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पणमस्तु ॥ श्रीगुरुदेव दत्त ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpaṇamastu || śrīgurudeva datta ||
May this be offered to Shri Gurudattatreya. Shri Gurudev Datta.
A brief closing dedication returns the telling to Dattātreya, its divine source, as in the previous chapter.
End a significant effort by offering gratitude back to what made it possible.
(ओवीसंख्या ११९ )
(ovīsamkhyā 119 )
(Ovi count: 119)
A scribal note recording the traditional count of a hundred and nineteen verse-units in this chapter, preserving the text's careful transmission.
Keep track of your own progress carefully; small acts of record-keeping honor sustained effort.