संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 43 — Tantuk's Shri Shailya Yatra on Maha Shivaratri
Literal. Tantuk, a weaver, is one of Shri Guru's devotees. On Maha Shivaratri, his family leaves for Shri Shailya yatra without him; he says his Shri Shailya is at Shri Guru's feet. On the day of the festival Shri Guru asks: do you want to see Shri Shailya? Tantuk says yes. Shut your eyes and hold my sandals firmly. Tantuk does; instantly they are at Shri Shaila Giri. Shri Guru says: go, doKshour, see Mallikarjuna at the temple. Tantuk goes, sees his family, encounters Shri Guru being worshipped as the Linga in the temple. Returns to Shri Guru's side. Asks Shri Guru: I saw you in the place; how can you have come here? Shri Guru explains: God is everywhere; this place's significance is real; the king Vimarshan was once a dog who ran around the Shiva-temple chasing flesh and was reborn a king of the Kirat desh. Embedded narrative of king's previous lives. Shri Guru and Tantuk return to Ganagapur instantly. People wonder.
Symbolic. Instant pilgrimage by holding the teacher's sandals — the second-clearest example in the book (after Ch. 19) of spatial compression by yogic conveyance. The chapter also stages the seven previous-lives sequence (the king's seven births in different regions, married to the same queen each time, named).
Structural. Seven future births of the king and queen in seven named regions (Sindhu, Srinjaya, Sourashtra, Gandhar, Magadh, Awanti, Anart, Pandya, Vidarbha). The geography is a sweep of the subcontinent.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥ श्रीसरस्वत्यै नमः ॥ श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः ॥
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || śrīsarasvatyai namaḥ || śrīgurubhyo namaḥ ||
Salutations to Shri Ganesha; salutations to Shri Sarasvati; salutations to Shri Guru.
The chapter opens with the customary triple invocation — to Gaṇeśa (remover of obstacles), Sarasvatī (goddess of speech and learning), and the Guru — before the story of grace begins.
Begin any important undertaking by first quieting yourself and invoking what is good and true.
नामधारक म्हणे सिद्धासी । पुढें चरित्र जाहलें कैसी । विस्तारावें आम्हांसी । कृपा करीं गा दातारा ॥१॥
nāmadhāraka mhaṇe siddhāsī | puḍhem caritra jāhalem kaisī | vistārāvem āmhāmsī | kṛpā karīm gā dātārā ||1||
Namdharak says to Siddha: how did the story continue further? Please expand it for us; be gracious, O giver.
The disciple Nāmdhārak (one who bears the Name) again asks his teacher to continue the tale — devotion advances through the humble, repeated act of asking.
Keep asking for guidance rather than assuming you already know enough.
सिद्ध म्हणे ऐक वत्सा । समस्त भक्त सेवा करितां । त्यांत एक विणकर तंतिक अत्यंता । करीतसे भक्ति श्रीगुरुची ॥२॥
siddha mhaṇe aika vatsā | samasta bhakta sevā karitām | tyāmta eka viṇakara tamtika atyamtā | karītase bhakti śrīgurucī ||2||
Siddha says: listen, child. Among all the devotees who serve, there was one weaver, Tantuk, utterly devoted, who performed devotion to Shri Guru.
A new devotee is introduced — an ordinary weaver named Tantuk, whose greatness will not come from status but from single-minded bhakti (devotion).
Do not wait for a special role or title before giving your whole heart to your practice.
तीन प्रहर संसारयात्रा । करुनि येतसे पवित्रा । राजांगण झाडी विचित्रा । नमस्कार करी दुरोनि ॥३॥
tīna prahara samsārayātrā | karuni yetase pavitrā | rājāmgaṇa jhāḍī vicitrā | namaskāra karī duroni ||3||
Having completed three quarters of his worldly livelihood-labor, he would come purified; he would sweep the courtyard beautifully, and bow from a distance.
Tantuk's devotion was woven into ordinary work — he labored honestly, then came each day to serve and bow before the Guru without fail.
Turn the end of your workday into a moment of gratitude and humble service rather than rushing past it.
ऐसे किती दिवस क्रमिले । व्रत शिवरात्री आलें । समस्त यात्रेसी निघाले । मातापिता तंतिकाचे ॥४॥
aise kitī divasa kramile | vrata śivarātrī ālem | samasta yātresī nighāle | mātāpitā tamtikāce ||4||
So some days passed; the Shivaratri vow-festival arrived. All the pilgrims set out, including Tantuk's parents.
The great Śivarātri (Shiva's sacred night) pilgrimage season arrives, and the whole town — including Tantuk's own family — prepares to travel to the holy mountain.
Notice when a season of collective devotion arrives and ask what it is really asking of you.
त्यासी बोलाविती यात्रेसी । तो म्हणतसे नयें तयांसी । तुम्ही मूर्ख असा पिसीं । माझा श्रीपर्वत येथेंचि असे ॥५॥
tyāsī bolāvitī yātresī | to mhaṇatase nayem tayāmsī | tumhī mūrkha asā pisīm | mājhā śrīparvata yethemci ase ||5||
They invited him to the pilgrimage; he said, I will not come with you. You are foolish and mad — my Shri Parvat is right here.
Tantuk refuses the outward pilgrimage, insisting that his Śrī Parvata (holy mountain, i.e. the deity's abode) is already present where his Guru is.
Before traveling far for inspiration, check whether what you seek is already near at hand.
श्रीगुरु माझा मल्लिकार्जुन । पर्वत म्हणिजे श्रीगुरुभुवन । आपण न यें येथून । चरण सोडोनि श्रीगुरुचे ॥६॥
śrīguru mājhā mallikārjuna | parvata mhaṇije śrīgurubhuvana | āpaṇa na yem yethūna | caraṇa soḍoni śrīguruce ||6||
My Shri Guru is Mallikarjuna; the mountain means the abode of Shri Guru. I will not go from here, leaving the feet of Shri Guru.
Tantuk identifies his Guru directly with Mallikārjuna (the deity of Shri Shailya) — for him, the Guru's feet are the mountain shrine itself.
Let your daily devotion be as sacred to you as any famous pilgrimage site.
समस्त लोक त्यासी हांसती । पिसें लागलें यासी म्हणती । चला जाऊं म्हणोनि निघती । भ्राता माता पिता त्याचे ॥७॥
samasta loka tyāsī hāmsatī | pisem lāgalem yāsī mhaṇatī | calā jāūm mhaṇoni nighatī | bhrātā mātā pitā tyāce ||7||
All the people laughed at him, saying madness has seized him. Saying let us go, his brother, mother, and father set out.
The townspeople and even his own family mock Tantuk's conviction as madness — true devotion often looks foolish to those who measure faith only by outward observance.
Do not let ridicule shake a conviction you have tested and found true.
नगरलोक समस्त गेला । आपण एकला राहिला । श्रीगुरुमठासी आला । गुरु पुसती तयासी ॥८॥
nagaraloka samasta gelā | āpaṇa ekalā rāhilā | śrīgurumaṭhāsī ālā | guru pusatī tayāsī ||8||
All the townspeople left; he alone remained. He came to Shri Guru's monastery; the Guru asked him.
Left alone in the empty town, Tantuk goes straight to the Guru's maṭha (monastery) — solitude becomes an opportunity for closeness, not loneliness.
Use the quiet left behind when others move on as a chance to draw nearer to what matters most.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तयासी । कां गा यात्रेसी तूं न वचसी । तंतिक म्हणे स्वामीसी । माझी यात्रा तुमचे चरण ॥९॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tayāsī | kām gā yātresī tūm na vacasī | tamtika mhaṇe svāmīsī | mājhī yātrā tumace caraṇa ||9||
Shri Guru says to him: why do you not go on pilgrimage? Tantuk says to the master: my pilgrimage is your feet.
Asked directly why he skipped the pilgrimage, Tantuk answers simply that the Guru's feet already contain every tīrtha (holy place) he could seek.
State your convictions plainly when asked, without hedging to please the crowd.
नाना तीर्थयात्रादि देखा । तुमचे चरणीं असे निका । वायां जाती मूर्ख लोक । पाषाणदर्शन करावया ॥१०॥
nānā tīrthayātrādi dekhā | tumace caraṇīm ase nikā | vāyām jātī mūrkha loka | pāṣāṇadarśana karāvayā ||10||
See, all the various pilgrimages and holy places are truly present at your feet. Foolish people go in vain to have the darshan of stone.
Tantuk contrasts the fools who travel merely to view carved stone with the truth he has found: the living presence of the Guru surpasses any physical shrine.
Value living relationships of guidance and love over mere outward ritual.
ऐसें म्हणोनि तंतिक । नमस्कार करी नित्य देख । तंव पातली शिवरात्रि ऐक । माघवद्य चतुर्दशी ॥११॥
aisem mhaṇoni tamtika | namaskāra karī nitya dekha | tamva pātalī śivarātri aika | māghavadya caturdaśī ||11||
So saying, Tantuk, see, bowed daily. Then Shivaratri arrived, listen — the fourteenth day of the dark half of Magh.
Time passes in this steady daily bowing until the appointed night of Śivarātri itself finally arrives, setting the stage for what follows.
Let steady, unglamorous daily devotion be the ground from which greater moments grow.
श्रीगुरु होते संगमासी । दोन प्रहर होतां भक्त परियेसीं । आपण गेला स्नानासी । उपवास असे शिवरात्रीचा ॥१२॥
śrīguru hote samgamāsī | dona prahara hotām bhakta pariyesīm | āpaṇa gelā snānāsī | upavāsa ase śivarātrīcā ||12||
Shri Guru was at the sangam; when the second quarter of the day came, listen, devotees — he himself went for his bath, observing the Shivaratri fast.
Guru and disciple both keep the discipline of the day: the Guru at the saṅgam (river confluence) for his bath, Tantuk fasting in observance of the vow.
Mark sacred occasions with a small personal discipline, such as a fast or an early rising.
संगमीं स्नान करोनि । श्रीगुरुतें नमस्कारोनि । उभा ठेला कर जोडोनि । भक्तिपूर्वक एकोभावें ॥१३॥
samgamīm snāna karoni | śrīgurutem namaskāroni | ubhā ṭhelā kara joḍoni | bhaktipūrvaka ekobhāvem ||13||
Having bathed at the confluence, he bowed to Shri Guru; he stood with joined palms, devotedly, with single-minded feeling.
Tantuk approaches the Guru after his ritual bath and stands in the posture of añjali (folded hands) — the body composed, the mind wholly given.
Let your posture reflect your inner attention when you approach someone or something you revere.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तयासी । तुझीं समस्त गेलीं यात्रेसी । तूं एकलाचि राहिलासी । पहातासी विनोद श्रीपर्वताचा ॥१४॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tayāsī | tujhīm samasta gelīm yātresī | tūm ekalāci rāhilāsī | pahātāsī vinoda śrīparvatācā ||14||
Shri Guru says to him: all your people have gone on pilgrimage; you alone have stayed behind — are you watching the play of Shri Parvat?
The Guru gently tests him, asking whether he is merely watching the mountain's vinoda (play, spectacle) from a distance rather than truly seeking it.
Welcome a teacher's probing question as an invitation to examine your own motives.
पुसती कधीं देखिलासी ? । म्हणे स्वामी नेणें कधींसी । तुमचे चरणीं आम्हांसी । सर्व यात्रा सदा असती ॥१५॥
pusatī kadhīm dekhilāsī ? | mhaṇe svāmī neṇem kadhīmsī | tumace caraṇīm āmhāmsī | sarva yātrā sadā asatī ||15||
He asks, have you ever seen it? Tantuk says, master, I do not know when — at your feet, all pilgrimages are always present.
Tantuk holds firm to his conviction even under questioning, restating that every holy journey is already fulfilled in the Guru's presence.
Stay consistent in your answer when your deepest conviction is tested repeatedly.
त्याचा भाव पाहोनी । जवळी बोलाविती श्रीगुरुमुनि । बैस म्हणती कृपा करुनि । दाखवूं म्हणती श्रीपर्वत ॥१६॥
tyācā bhāva pāhonī | javaḷī bolāvitī śrīgurumuni | baisa mhaṇatī kṛpā karuni | dākhavūm mhaṇatī śrīparvata ||16||
Seeing his devotion, Shri Guru the sage called him close; he said sit, and out of grace said, I will show you Shri Parvat.
Moved by the depth of Tantuk's faith, the Guru offers, unasked, to grant him a direct vision of the holy mountain — grace answers sincerity, not demand.
Trust that quiet, sincere devotion is noticed and answered even when you ask for nothing.
नयन झांकूनि पादुकेसी । दृढ धरीं गा वेगेंसीं । ऐसें म्हणोनि तयासी । मनोवेगें घेऊनि गेले ॥१७॥
nayana jhāmkūni pādukesī | dṛḍha dharīm gā vegemsīm | aisem mhaṇoni tayāsī | manovegem gheūni gele ||17||
Close your eyes and hold my sandals firmly and quickly, he said. So saying, he took him at the speed of mind.
The Guru instructs Tantuk to shut his eyes and grip the pādukā (sandals) — surrender of sight becomes the condition for a miraculous, mind-swift journey.
Practice letting go of the need to see and control everything when you trust a wise guide.
क्षण न लागतां श्रीगिरीसी । घेऊनि गेले भक्तासी । तीरीं बैसले पाताळगंगेसी । नयन उघडीं म्हणती त्यातें ॥१८॥
kṣaṇa na lāgatām śrīgirīsī | gheūni gele bhaktāsī | tīrīm baisale pātāḷagamgesī | nayana ughaḍīm mhaṇatī tyātem ||18||
Without a moment's delay he brought the devotee to Shri Giri; they sat on the bank of the Patalganga; open your eyes, he told him.
In an instant they arrive at Śrī Giri (the mountain) beside the Pātāḷagaṅgā stream — the Guru then tells him to open his eyes and behold it.
Be ready to act the moment you are given the opening you long prayed for.
क्षणैक मात्र निद्रावस्था । म्हणतां झाला जागृता । अवलोकितां पर्वत दिसत । म्हणे स्वप्न किंवा सत्य ॥१९॥
kṣaṇaika mātra nidrāvasthā | mhaṇatām jhālā jāgṛtā | avalokitām parvata disata | mhaṇe svapna kimvā satya ||19||
For just a moment it was like a state of sleep; then he became awake. Looking around, he saw the mountain; he said, is this a dream or reality?
Tantuk wakes as if from a brief sleep to find the mountain truly before him, and wonders whether the miracle is dream or waking truth.
When something extraordinary happens, pause to take it in rather than dismissing it too quickly.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तयासी । कां गा भ्रांतपणें पाहसी । वेगें जावें दर्शनासी । क्षौर स्नान करुनियां ॥२०॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tayāsī | kām gā bhrāmtapaṇem pāhasī | vegem jāvem darśanāsī | kṣaura snāna karuniyām ||20||
Shri Guru says to him: why do you look confused? Go quickly for the darshan, after shaving and bathing.
The Guru dispels Tantuk's confusion and directs him to prepare properly — with kṣaura (tonsure) and bath — before the temple darshan, honoring the form of ritual even amid the miraculous.
Even in extraordinary moments, still attend to the ordinary preparations that show respect.
श्रीगुरु ऐसे निरोप देतां । शीघ्र गेला स्नानाकरितां । तेथें देखिलीं मातापिता । भ्राता ग्रामलोक सकळिक ॥२१॥
śrīguru aise niropa detām | śīghra gelā snānākaritām | tethem dekhilīm mātāpitā | bhrātā grāmaloka sakaḷika ||21||
When Shri Guru gave this instruction, he went quickly to bathe. There he saw his mother and father, his brother, and all the villagers.
Following the Guru's word, Tantuk goes to bathe and unexpectedly finds his own family and townspeople already there on their pilgrimage.
Follow instructions promptly, and be ready for surprising encounters along the way.
ते पुसती तयासी । कवणें मार्गें आलासी । आमुची भेटी कां न घेसी । लपून येणें कोण धर्म ॥२२॥
te pusatī tayāsī | kavaṇem mārgem ālāsī | āmucī bheṭī kām na ghesī | lapūna yeṇem koṇa dharma ||22||
They ask him: by which road did you come? Why did you not meet us? What kind of righteousness is it to come hiding?
His family, astonished to see him there before them, suspiciously accuses him of having traveled secretly with them all along.
Expect that others may doubt an experience of grace they cannot explain — respond with patience, not defensiveness.
विनवीतसे मातापित्यांसी । आम्ही निघालों आजि दोन प्रहरेंसी । एक घटिका लागली वाटेसी । आतां आलों गुरुसमागमें ॥२३॥
vinavītase mātāpityāmsī | āmhī nighālom āji dona praharemsī | eka ghaṭikā lāgalī vāṭesī | ātām ālom gurusamāgamem ||23||
He entreats his parents: we set out today at the second quarter; one ghatika was spent on the way; now I have come in the Guru's company.
Tantuk answers honestly and simply, attributing his impossibly swift arrival to having traveled in the Guru's company.
Give a truthful, humble account of grace rather than embellishing or hiding it.
एक हांसती मिथ्या म्हणती । आम्हांसवेंचि आला लपत । ऐसें बडिवारें बोलत । अबद्ध म्हणती सकळ जन ॥२४॥
eka hāmsatī mithyā mhaṇatī | āmhāmsavemci ālā lapata | aisem baḍivārem bolata | abaddha mhaṇatī sakaḷa jana ||24||
Some laugh and call it a lie, saying he came hiding along with us. Speaking boastfully like this, all the people call it false.
The crowd mocks and disbelieves him, unable to accept a truth that exceeds their own experience.
Do not let the disbelief of a crowd erode a truth you have personally witnessed.
तो कोणासवें न बोले । शीघ्र स्नान क्षौर केलें । पुष्पें अक्षता बेलें । घेऊनि गेला पूजेसी ॥२५॥
to koṇāsavem na bole | śīghra snāna kṣaura kelem | puṣpem akṣatā belem | gheūni gelā pūjesī ||25||
He argued with no one; he quickly bathed and shaved. Taking flowers, unbroken rice, and bel leaves, he went to the worship.
Rather than defending himself, Tantuk simply proceeds with quiet dignity to prepare for and perform his puja.
Let your actions answer accusations instead of arguing back.
पूजा करितां लिंगस्थानीं । देखता झाला श्रीगुरुमुनि । अति विस्मय करोनि । पूजा केली मनोभावें ॥२६॥
pūjā karitām limgasthānīm | dekhatā jhālā śrīgurumuni | ati vismaya karoni | pūjā kelī manobhāvem ||26||
While performing worship at the linga's place, he came to see Shri Guru the sage there. Filled with great astonishment, he performed the worship with full heart.
At the very shrine, Tantuk perceives his own Guru present in the liṅga (the aniconic form of Shiva) — the boundary between deity and Guru dissolves before his eyes.
Look for the sacred you already know in the unfamiliar forms you encounter.
समस्त लोक पूजा करिती । श्रीगुरु सर्व पूजा घेती । तंतिक म्हणतसे चित्तीं । श्रीगुरुराज आपणचि शंकर ॥२७॥
samasta loka pūjā karitī | śrīguru sarva pūjā ghetī | tamtika mhaṇatase cittīm | śrīgururāja āpaṇaci śamkara ||27||
All the people perform worship; Shri Guru accepts all the worship. Tantuk thinks in his heart: Shri Guru the king is himself Shankar.
Watching everyone's offerings being received as one, Tantuk quietly concludes in his heart that his Guru and Śaṅkara (Shiva) are one and the same.
Trust the quiet realizations that arise in your own heart even if you say nothing aloud.
ऐसा निर्धार करुनि । पाहिजे प्रसाद-फल खुणी । घेऊनि आला गुरुसंनिधानीं । एकचित्तें परियेसा ॥२८॥
aisā nirdhāra karuni | pāhije prasāda-phala khuṇī | gheūni ālā gurusamnidhānīm | ekacittem pariyesā ||28||
Having made this resolve, he took the prasad-fruit as a sign, and came back into the Guru's presence with a single-pointed mind, listen.
Carrying the prasāda (blessed offering) as proof of what he witnessed, Tantuk returns to the Guru fully absorbed in his one conviction.
Carry tangible reminders of a moment of insight so it does not fade once you return to ordinary life.
श्रीगुरु पुसती तयासी । एधवां राहसी किंवा जासी । तंतिक विनवी स्वामियासी । एक देखिलें नवल आतां ॥२९॥
śrīguru pusatī tayāsī | edhavām rāhasī kimvā jāsī | tamtika vinavī svāmiyāsī | eka dekhilem navala ātām ||29||
Shri Guru asks him: will you now stay or go? Tantuk entreats the master: I have just seen a wonder.
The Guru gives Tantuk the choice to remain or leave, and Tantuk, still full of amazement, prepares to share what he witnessed.
When offered a choice after a profound experience, first give voice to what moved you before deciding what to do next.
समस्त लोक जाऊनि । देवालयाभीतरीं बैसोनि । पूजा करिती तुमचे चरणीं । लिंग न देखों तुम्हीच तेथें ॥३०॥
samasta loka jāūni | devālayābhītarīm baisoni | pūjā karitī tumace caraṇīm | limga na dekhom tumhīca tethem ||30||
All the people go and sit inside the temple, performing worship at your feet — but they do not see the linga there, only you.
Tantuk reports that the pilgrims worship the linga without realizing that what they truly behold, unknowingly, is the Guru himself.
Consider that the deeper truth behind a ritual may be present even when others do not consciously perceive it.
श्रीगुरु तूं जवळीच असतां । इतुके दुरी कां कष्टती वृथा । लोक येताति बहुता । काय कारण या स्थाना ॥३१॥
śrīguru tūm javaḷīca asatām | ituke durī kām kaṣṭatī vṛthā | loka yetāti bahutā | kāya kāraṇa yā sthānā ||31||
Shri Guru, when you are so near, why do people trouble themselves in vain going so far? Why do so many come to this place — what is the reason?
Tantuk voices his puzzlement: why do crowds journey far to this mountain when the Guru — the same reality — is close at hand?
Ask honest questions about religious custom rather than following it unreflectively.
तूं तरी केवळ परमेश्वर । दिसतोसि आम्हां नर । न कळे तुझा महिमा अपार । गौप्यरुपें गुरुनाथा ॥३२॥
tūm tarī kevaḷa parameśvara | disatosi āmhām nara | na kaḷe tujhā mahimā apāra | gaupyarupem gurunāthā ||32||
You are indeed the sole Supreme Lord, yet you appear to us as a man. We cannot know your boundless glory, hidden in the form of a Guru.
Tantuk acknowledges the paradox of the Guru's hidden divinity — infinite majesty concealed within an ordinary human form.
Approach every person you meet with the humility that greatness may be hidden behind an ordinary appearance.
सर्व जन मूढ होऊन । नेणती तुझें महिमान । कां हो येताति या स्थानीं । विस्तारोनि सांग मज ॥३३॥
sarva jana mūḍha hoūna | neṇatī tujhem mahimāna | kām ho yetāti yā sthānīm | vistāroni sāmga maja ||33||
All people, being deluded, do not know your glory. Why do they come to this place? Explain it to me at length.
Tantuk presses further, asking the Guru to explain why the mass of unknowing people are nonetheless drawn to this particular sacred place.
Keep seeking deeper understanding of a practice rather than settling for the surface explanation.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती ऐक भक्ता । सर्वत्र ईश्वरपूर्णता । स्थानमहिमा असे ख्याता । जे अगम्य त्रिभुवनीं ॥३४॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī aika bhaktā | sarvatra īśvarapūrṇatā | sthānamahimā ase khyātā | je agamya tribhuvanīm ||34||
Shri Guru says, listen devotee: God's fullness is everywhere, yet the glory of this place is renowned, incomprehensible in the three worlds.
The Guru teaches that while the divine pervades all places equally, certain tīrthas (holy sites) carry a special renown and power beyond ordinary comprehension.
Honor both the truth that the sacred is everywhere and the special value some places and times hold for focused practice.
तंतिक म्हणे स्वामियासी । तूं तरी पूर्ण ब्रह्म होसी । स्थानमहिमा वानिसी । विस्तारुनि सांग आम्हां ॥३५॥
tamtika mhaṇe svāmiyāsī | tūm tarī pūrṇa brahma hosī | sthānamahimā vānisī | vistāruni sāmga āmhām ||35||
Tantuk says to the master: you are indeed the full Brahman; please describe to us at length the glory of this place.
Having accepted the Guru's identity with the ultimate reality, Tantuk now formally requests the full story behind the mountain's fame.
Once you trust a teacher, ask directly and fully for the wisdom you seek.
श्रीगुरु निरोपिती भक्तासी । येथील महिमा पुससी । सांगेन ऐक विस्तारेंसीं । स्कंदपुराणीं असे कथा ॥३६॥
śrīguru niropitī bhaktāsī | yethīla mahimā pusasī | sāmgena aika vistāremsīm | skamdapurāṇīm ase kathā ||36||
Shri Guru tells the devotee: you ask about the glory of this place; I will tell you at length, listen — there is a story in the Skanda Purana.
The Guru begins a teaching story drawn from the Skanda Purāṇa (a major scripture) to explain the sanctity of the mountain and its festival.
Ground your understanding of a tradition in its recognized scriptural sources when you seek to learn it properly.
माघवद्य चतुर्दशी । अपार महिमा श्रीपर्वतासी । सांगेन ऐक तत्परेसीं । श्रीगुरु म्हणती तंतिकातें ॥३७॥
māghavadya caturdaśī | apāra mahimā śrīparvatāsī | sāmgena aika tatparesīm | śrīguru mhaṇatī tamtikātem ||37||
The fourteenth day of the dark half of Magh has boundless glory for Shri Parvat; I will tell it attentively, Shri Guru says to Tantuk.
The Guru names the exact day — Māgha vadya Caturdaśī (Shivaratri) — as carrying immense sanctity at this mountain, and prepares to narrate why.
Learn the specific times sacred to your tradition and give them your attention when they arrive.
पूर्वी ख्यात किरातदेशीं । 'विमर्षण' राजा परियेसीं । शूर असे पराक्रमेंसीं । समस्त शत्रु जिंकिले तेणें ॥३८॥
pūrvī khyāta kirātadeśīm | 'vimarṣaṇa' rājā pariyesīm | śūra ase parākramemsīm | samasta śatru jimkile teṇem ||38||
Formerly, famed in the land of the Kiratas, there was a king named 'Vimarshan,' listen. He was brave and valorous; he conquered all his enemies.
The Guru's story begins with a powerful king, Vimarshan, ruler of the Kirata country, renowned for military victory.
Recognize that outward power and success alone do not determine a person's inner character.
आणिक एक कुबुद्धि असे । पारधी करी बहुवसें । बलाढय स्थूळ बहु असे । चंचळ सकळ-स्त्रियारत ॥३९॥
āṇika eka kubuddhi ase | pāradhī karī bahuvasem | balāḍhaya sthūḷa bahu ase | camcaḷa sakaḷa-striyārata ||39||
But he also had one bad quality: he hunted excessively. He was strong and huge, fickle, and lustful toward all women.
Despite his valor, the king is shown to have serious moral flaws — violence toward animals and unchecked lust — setting up the tension the story will resolve.
Be honest with yourself about the flaws that coexist with your genuine strengths.
सर्वमांस भक्षण करी । ग्राह्य अग्राह्य न विचारी । ऐसा वर्ते दुराचारी । ईश्वर पूजी भक्तिभावें ॥४०॥
sarvamāmsa bhakṣaṇa karī | grāhya agrāhya na vicārī | aisā varte durācārī | īśvara pūjī bhaktibhāvem ||40||
He ate all kinds of meat, without discerning what was permitted or forbidden. He lived wickedly like this, yet worshipped God with devotion.
The king's conduct is deeply flawed by conventional standards, yet a thread of genuine devotion to God persists within him — the story does not simplify him into a villain.
Do not assume someone is beyond spiritual growth just because their conduct is far from ideal.
नित्य पूजा करी अपार । शिवरात्रि आलिया हर्षनिर्भर । गीत नृत्य वाद्य परिकर । भक्तिपूर्वक करी पूजा ॥४१॥
nitya pūjā karī apāra | śivarātri āliyā harṣanirbhara | gīta nṛtya vādya parikara | bhaktipūrvaka karī pūjā ||41||
Daily he worshipped abundantly; when Shivaratri came, filled with joy, with song, dance, and music, he performed worship devotedly.
Whatever his other faults, the king keeps up a genuine and joyful devotional practice, especially intensified on the night of Shivaratri.
Let joy and celebration, not just duty, mark your moments of worship.
आचार तरी बरवा नसे । शिवपूजा करी बहुवसें । पत्नी त्यासी एक असे । सुलक्षण नाम 'कुमुद्वती' ॥४२॥
ācāra tarī baravā nase | śivapūjā karī bahuvasem | patnī tyāsī eka ase | sulakṣaṇa nāma 'kumudvatī' ||42||
His conduct was not good, yet he performed Shiva worship greatly. He had one wife, of good character, named 'Kumudvati.'
The narrative now turns to his virtuous wife, Kumudvatī, whose good character will contrast with and eventually illuminate her husband's mixed nature.
Recognize the quiet, steady virtue of those close to you even when the household's more visible figure draws attention.
सुशील सुगुण पतिव्रता । मनीं करी बहुत चिंता । पुरुष आपुला परद्वाररता । ईश्वरभक्ति करीतसे ॥४३॥
suśīla suguṇa pativratā | manīm karī bahuta cimtā | puruṣa āpulā paradvāraratā | īśvarabhakti karītase ||43||
Good-natured, virtuous, and devoted to her husband, she worried greatly in her mind — her husband was given to adultery, yet he practiced devotion to God.
Kumudvati is troubled by the contradiction she sees: her husband commits grave wrongs yet also worships sincerely, a puzzle she resolves to understand.
Let honest confusion about a moral contradiction move you to seek understanding rather than silent judgment.
ऐसें क्रमितां एके दिवसीं । पुसों लागली आपुले पुरुषासी । म्हणे प्राणेश्वरा परियेसीं । विनंति एक असे माझी ॥४४॥
aisem kramitām eke divasīm | pusom lāgalī āpule puruṣāsī | mhaṇe prāṇeśvarā pariyesīm | vinamti eka ase mājhī ||44||
So passing the days, one day she began to ask her husband: she says, lord of my life, listen — I have one request.
Kumudvati finally approaches her husband directly with the question that has been troubling her.
Bring a difficult question directly and respectfully to someone rather than letting it fester unspoken.
क्षमा करावी माझिया बोला । विस्तारोनि सांगावें सकळा । तुम्ही दुराचारी भक्षितां सकळां । परद्वार निरंतर ॥४५॥
kṣamā karāvī mājhiyā bolā | vistāroni sāmgāvem sakaḷā | tumhī durācārī bhakṣitām sakaḷām | paradvāra niramtara ||45||
Forgive my words; please explain it all to me — you, though wicked, indulge in eating everything, and constantly in adultery.
She names his faults plainly but respectfully, asking for understanding rather than delivering mere accusation.
When raising someone's faults, ask for genuine understanding rather than only condemning.
तुम्हांला ईश्वरावरी । भक्ति उपजली कवणेपरी । सांगावें स्वामी सविस्तारीं । कोप न करावा प्राणनाथा ॥४६॥
tumhāmlā īśvarāvarī | bhakti upajalī kavaṇeparī | sāmgāvem svāmī savistārīm | kopa na karāvā prāṇanāthā ||46||
How did devotion to God arise in you? Please tell me in full detail, master; do not be angry, lord of my life.
Kumudvati asks the real question at the heart of the story: how can true devotion coexist with such flawed conduct?
Ask sincerely how someone found their faith, rather than dismissing it as inconsistent with their flaws.
राजा म्हणे स्त्रियेसी । बरवें पुसिलें आम्हांसी । ज्ञान झालें आतां मानसीं । पूर्व जन्म सांगेन माझा ॥४७॥
rājā mhaṇe striyesī | baravem pusilem āmhāmsī | jñāna jhālem ātām mānasīm | pūrva janma sāmgena mājhā ||47||
The king says to his wife: you have asked me well; understanding has now arisen in my mind — I will tell you my previous birth.
Rather than taking offense, the king welcomes her question and offers to explain through the story of his own past life.
Receive a hard question with openness instead of defensiveness, and answer it honestly.
पूर्वीं पंपानगरीं आपण । श्वानयोनीं जन्मोन जाण । होतों तेथें काळ क्रमोन । शिवरात्रि आली एके दिवसीं ॥४८॥
pūrvīm pampānagarīm āpaṇa | śvānayonīm janmona jāṇa | hotom tethem kāḷa kramona | śivarātri ālī eke divasīm ||48||
Formerly, in the city of Pampa, I was born in the womb of a dog. I lived there, passing the time, when one day Shivaratri came.
The king reveals he was once born as a dog in Pampānagarī, and that his transformation began on a Shivaratri night.
Believe that even the lowliest circumstance can become the doorway to great change.
त्या नगरीं होतें एक शिवालय । समस्त लोक आले पूजावया । आपणही गेलों हिंडावया । भक्षावया कांहीं मिळेल म्हणोनि ॥४९॥
tyā nagarīm hotem eka śivālaya | samasta loka āle pūjāvayā | āpaṇahī gelom himḍāvayā | bhakṣāvayā kāmhīm miḷela mhaṇoni ||49||
In that city there was a Shiva temple; all the people came to worship. I too went wandering there, hoping to find something to eat.
As a stray dog, he wanders to the temple purely out of hunger, with no religious intention at all — grace will meet him regardless of his motive.
Do not despise a small or self-interested first step that leads you, even accidentally, toward something sacred.
उत्साहें लोक पूजा करिती । नाना वाजंतरें वाजतीं । गर्भगृहीं प्रदक्षिणा करिती । धरुनि आरति सकळिक ॥५०॥
utsāhem loka pūjā karitī | nānā vājamtarem vājatīm | garbhagṛhīm pradakṣiṇā karitī | dharuni ārati sakaḷika ||50||
The people worshipped with great enthusiasm; various instruments played. They performed circumambulation in the sanctum, holding the lamp-offering, all together.
The temple scene is vivid with music and the ārtī (lamp offering) and pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) — festive devotion is unfolding all around the unnoticed dog.
Let festive, communal worship be full-hearted and wholehearted, not merely dutiful.
आपण गेलों द्वारांत । विनोदें पाहूं म्हणत । मज देखोनि आले धांवत । काष्ठ पाषाण घेवोनियां ॥५१॥
āpaṇa gelom dvārāmta | vinodem pāhūm mhaṇata | maja dekhoni āle dhāmvata | kāṣṭha pāṣāṇa ghevoniyām ||51||
I went to the doorway, thinking to watch for amusement. Seeing me, they came running, carrying wood and stones.
The dog is spotted and violently chased away by the crowd — even sacred spaces can turn cruel toward the unwanted.
Guard against turning a place of worship into a place of cruelty toward the vulnerable.
आपण पौळीमध्यें होतों पळत । द्वार घातलें मारूं म्हणत । धरा धरा मारा म्हणोनि बोलत । मारुं लागले पाषाणीं ॥५२॥
āpaṇa pauḷīmadhyem hotom paḷata | dvāra ghātalem mārūm mhaṇata | dharā dharā mārā mhaṇoni bolata | mārum lāgale pāṣāṇīm ||52||
I was running about inside the enclosure; they blocked the door, saying they would kill me. Shouting catch him, catch him, hit him, they began striking me with stones.
Trapped and terrified, the dog is pursued mercilessly through the temple grounds — his suffering intensifies within the very site of worship.
Show mercy to a frightened creature even when it has intruded somewhere it should not be.
वाट नाहीं बाहेर जावयासी । अभिलाष असे जीवासी । पळतसें देवालयभीतरेसी । मार्ग नाहीं कोठें देखा ॥५३॥
vāṭa nāhīm bāhera jāvayāsī | abhilāṣa ase jīvāsī | paḷatasem devālayabhītaresī | mārga nāhīm koṭhem dekhā ||53||
There was no way to get outside; my life clung to a thread. I fled inside the temple; there was no path anywhere.
The dog's desperation grows as escape becomes impossible — his terror unwittingly drives him deeper into the sacred precinct.
Recognize that fear can push you, unplanned, toward the very refuge you need.
बाहेर जाईन म्हणत । द्वाराकडे मागुती येत । सवेंचि लोक पाठीं लागत । सव्य प्रदक्षिणा पळतसें ॥५४॥
bāhera jāīna mhaṇata | dvārākaḍe māgutī yeta | savemci loka pāṭhīm lāgata | savya pradakṣiṇā paḷatasem ||54||
Thinking to go outside, I came back again toward the door; but the people were right behind me, and I fled in a clockwise circling.
His panicked flight unknowingly traces the shape of pradakṣiṇā (auspicious clockwise circumambulation) around the shrine — mere accident becomes ritual merit.
Trust that even actions born of fear or confusion can, by grace, still carry unseen value.
लपावया ठाव नाहीं देखा । वेष्टिलों पौळीं दुर्गासरिखा । पाठी लागले सकळिका । पुन्हा पौळींत पळे तैसाचि ॥५५॥
lapāvayā ṭhāva nāhīm dekhā | veṣṭilom pauḷīm durgāsarikhā | pāṭhī lāgale sakaḷikā | punhā pauḷīmta paḷe taisāci ||55||
There was no place to hide; I was surrounded in the enclosure like a fortress. Everyone chased me; again I fled the same way within the enclosure.
The chase continues relentlessly, the dog effectively completing further rounds of circumambulation without any intention to do so.
Persevere through a trial even when you cannot yet see any purpose in it.
उच्छिष्ट कांहीं मिळेल म्हणोनि । देउळांत गेलों भामिनी । काकुळती बहु मनीं । प्राण वांचेल म्हणोनियां ॥५६॥
ucchiṣṭa kāmhīm miḷela mhaṇoni | deuḷāmta gelom bhāminī | kākuḷatī bahu manīm | prāṇa vāmcela mhaṇoniyām ||56||
Hoping to find some leftover food, I went into the temple, O lady, my mind very pitiful, hoping only that my life might be saved.
The dog's only conscious motive remains survival and hunger — the sacred merit he is accruing happens entirely beneath his awareness.
Do not assume you must fully understand or intend a good outcome for it to still take root in you.
ऐसा तीन वेळां पळालों । मारतील म्हणोनि बहु भ्यालों । मग अंतरगृहीं निघालों । पूजा देखिली तेथ शिवाची ॥५७॥
aisā tīna veḷām paḷālom | māratīla mhaṇoni bahu bhyālom | maga amtaragṛhīm nighālom | pūjā dekhilī tetha śivācī ||57||
I fled like this three times, greatly afraid they would kill me. Then I went into the inner sanctum, and there I saw the worship of Shiva.
After three rounds of forced circumambulation, the dog finally glimpses the actual worship of Shiva at the heart of the temple — a moment of true, if accidental, darshan.
Stay in the difficult place a little longer — the deepest sight sometimes comes only after repeated struggle.
द्वार धरोनि समस्त लोक । शस्त्रें मारिलें मज ऐक । ओढोनि टाकिती सकळिक । शिवालयाबाहेरी ॥५८॥
dvāra dharoni samasta loka | śastrem mārilem maja aika | oḍhoni ṭākitī sakaḷika | śivālayābāherī ||58||
Holding the door, all the people struck me with weapons, listen. Dragging me, they threw me outside the temple.
The crowd's cruelty culminates in the dog being beaten and cast out of the temple — his suffering at the hands of the pious will later be revealed as inseparable from his liberation.
Do not let cruelty done in the name of religion go unexamined, even by the pious.
मज पुण्य घडलें प्रदक्षिणीं । पूजा देखिली नयनीं । तेणें पुण्यें राजा होउनि । उपजलों ऐक प्राणेश्वरी ॥५९॥
maja puṇya ghaḍalem pradakṣiṇīm | pūjā dekhilī nayanīm | teṇem puṇyem rājā houni | upajalom aika prāṇeśvarī ||59||
I gained merit through the circumambulation; I saw the worship with my own eyes. By that merit I was born as a king — listen, my beloved wife.
The king reveals the turning point: the accidental pradakṣiṇā and the glimpse of Shiva's worship earned him the merit to be reborn as a king.
Believe that unintended acts of proximity to the sacred can bear real fruit in your life.
शिवरात्रि होती ते दिवसीं । न मिळे उच्छिष्ट भुक्तीसी । प्राण त्यजिला उपवासी । तेंही पुण्य मज घडलें ॥६०॥
śivarātri hotī te divasīm | na miḷe ucchiṣṭa bhuktīsī | prāṇa tyajilā upavāsī | temhī puṇya maja ghaḍalem ||60||
It was Shivaratri that day; I did not obtain any leftover food to eat. I gave up my life fasting — that too became merit for me.
Even the dog's involuntary fast on Shivaratri, born only of exclusion and hunger, is counted as a sacred fast that added to his merit.
Recognize that hardship endured on a sacred day, even unchosen, is not wasted.
आणिक एक पुण्य घडलें । दीपमाळीस दीपक उजळले । ते म्यां डोळां देखिले । प्राण त्यजिला शिवद्वारीं ॥६१॥
āṇika eka puṇya ghaḍalem | dīpamāḷīsa dīpaka ujaḷale | te myām ḍoḷām dekhile | prāṇa tyajilā śivadvārīm ||61||
One more merit I gained: the lamps on the lamp-tower were lit, and I saw them with my own eyes; I gave up my life at Shiva's doorway.
Dying within sight of the lit dīpamāḷā (lamp-tower) at Shiva's threshold, the dog's death itself becomes sanctified by proximity to the divine light.
Seek to end even a hard chapter of life as close as possible to what you hold sacred.
तेणें पुण्यें झालें ज्ञान । ऐक शिवरात्रीचें महिमान ।; म्हणसी तूं दुराचारी म्हणोनि । त्याचा संदेह सांगेन ॥६२॥
teṇem puṇyem jhālem jñāna | aika śivarātrīcem mahimāna |; mhaṇasī tūm durācārī mhaṇoni | tyācā samdeha sāmgena ||62||
By that merit, knowledge arose; listen to the glory of Shivaratri. You say I am wicked — I will resolve your doubt about it.
The king explains that his very memory and understanding of past lives — his self-knowledge — arose directly from that Shivaratri merit; he now addresses his wife's original doubt.
Let painful past experiences become, over time, sources of clarity rather than only shame.
पूर्वजन्म माझा श्वान । त्याचा स्वभाव सर्वभक्षण । सर्वां ठायीं त्याची वासना । तेचि स्वभाव मज असती ॥६३॥
pūrvajanma mājhā śvāna | tyācā svabhāva sarvabhakṣaṇa | sarvām ṭhāyīm tyācī vāsanā | teci svabhāva maja asatī ||63||
My previous birth was a dog; its nature is to eat everything. That craving exists everywhere in its being; that same nature remains in me.
The king candidly admits that his present-life lust and indiscriminate appetite are lingering traces of his former animal nature — self-awareness, not excuse.
Recognize old habitual tendencies in yourself honestly, as inherited patterns to outgrow rather than deny.
ऐसें स्त्रियेसी सांगितलें । पुन्हा प्रश्न तिणें केले । म्हणे स्वामी जें सांगितलें । आपुला जन्म पुरातन ॥६४॥
aisem striyesī sāmgitalem | punhā praśna tiṇem kele | mhaṇe svāmī jem sāmgitalem | āpulā janma purātana ||64||
So he told his wife. Again she asked questions. She says, master, what you told is about your ancient birth.
Satisfied but curious for more, Kumudvati now turns the conversation toward her own past, prompting the next part of the teaching.
Follow up understanding of another's story by turning inward to examine your own.
तुम्ही असा सर्वज्ञानी । माझा जन्म सांगा विस्तारुनि । म्हणोनि लागतसे चरणीं । कृपा करीं गा प्राणेश्वरा ॥६५॥
tumhī asā sarvajñānī | mājhā janma sāmgā vistāruni | mhaṇoni lāgatase caraṇīm | kṛpā karīm gā prāṇeśvarā ||65||
You are all-knowing; please tell my birth in detail too. So saying, she falls at his feet: be gracious, lord of my life.
Kumudvati humbly requests to know her own past life, bowing at her husband's feet as a devotee would before a teacher.
Approach even a spouse or close companion with humility when seeking their wisdom.
ऐक वपुषे ज्ञान सती । तुझा पूर्व जन्म कपोती । करीत होतीस उदरपूर्ती । एके दिवसीं अवधारीं ॥६६॥
aika vapuṣe jñāna satī | tujhā pūrva janma kapotī | karīta hotīsa udarapūrtī | eke divasīm avadhārīm ||66||
Listen, wise and virtuous lady: your previous birth was a female pigeon. You were feeding yourself one day, listen closely.
The king now narrates his wife's past life as a pigeon, continuing the theme that even ordinary animal existence can be the seedbed of great merit.
Stay attentive when someone begins to explain the roots of who you are — such stories often carry real guidance.
पडिला होता मांसगोळा । तो तुवां चोंचीनें धरिला कवळा । उडत होतीस आकाशमंडळा । तें दुरुनि देखिलें घारीनें ॥६७॥
paḍilā hotā māmsagoḷā | to tuvām comcīnem dharilā kavaḷā | uḍata hotīsa ākāśamamḍaḷā | tem duruni dekhilem ghārīnem ||67||
A piece of meat had fallen; you grasped it firmly in your beak. While flying in the sky, a kite spotted it from afar.
The pigeon seizes a scrap of meat for food, unaware that this small act will trigger a chain of pursuit and, ultimately, merit.
Be mindful that even small, ordinary choices can set larger consequences in motion.
कवळ घेईन म्हणोनि । घार आली धांवोनि । तूं गेलीस वो पळोनि । महारण्य क्रमीत ऐका ॥६८॥
kavaḷa gheīna mhaṇoni | ghāra ālī dhāmvoni | tūm gelīsa vo paḷoni | mahāraṇya kramīta aikā ||68||
Thinking to seize the morsel, the kite came rushing. You fled away, passing through a great forest, listen.
Pursued by a predator, the pigeon flees in terror across a vast wilderness — the chase that will unknowingly lead her to a holy mountain.
Trust that fleeing danger, even in panic, can still carry you toward unexpected safety.
पाठीं लागली ते घारी । मागें पुढें न विचारी । तूं पळालीस ते अवसरीं । श्रीपर्वत-गिरीवरी ॥६९॥
pāṭhīm lāgalī te ghārī | māgem puḍhem na vicārī | tūm paḷālīsa te avasarīm | śrīparvata-girīvarī ||69||
The kite chased her, not caring which way she went. At that time, you fled to the mountain of Shri Parvat.
Terror drives the pigeon precisely toward the sacred mountain of Shri Shailya — an accidental pilgrimage born of fear for her life.
Stay open to the possibility that a crisis may be steering you toward exactly the refuge you need.
सवेंचि आली ते घारी । तूं गेलीस शिवालय-शिखरीं । भोंवों लागलीस प्रदक्षिणापरी । श्रम जाहले तुज बहुत ॥७०॥
savemci ālī te ghārī | tūm gelīsa śivālaya-śikharīm | bhomvom lāgalīsa pradakṣiṇāparī | śrama jāhale tuja bahuta ||70||
The kite came right behind her; you went to the temple's peak. You began circling around it as if in circumambulation; you grew very exhausted.
The pigeon's desperate circling above the temple peak mirrors the sacred act of pradakṣiṇā, echoing the dog's earlier accidental merit.
Notice how exhaustion in flight from danger can still trace a shape of unintended grace.
दुरोनि आलीस धांवत । प्राण होता कंठगत । श्रमोनि शिखरीं तूं बैसत । घारीं येऊनि मारिलें चोंचीं ॥७१॥
duroni ālīsa dhāmvata | prāṇa hotā kamṭhagata | śramoni śikharīm tūm baisata | ghārīm yeūni mārilem comcīm ||71||
Having flown far and exhausted, life reached her throat. Weary, she sat upon the peak; the kite came and struck her with its beak.
The pigeon, utterly spent, is finally caught and killed by the kite right at the sacred peak — her death, like the dog's, occurs at the threshold of holiness.
Understand that suffering endured at the edge of the sacred is never without meaning.
घेऊनि गेली मांस-कवळें । तुझें देह पंचत्व पावलें । प्रदक्षिणा-पुण्य फळलें । झालीस तुवां राजपत्नी ॥७२॥
gheūni gelī māmsa-kavaḷem | tujhem deha pamcatva pāvalem | pradakṣiṇā-puṇya phaḷalem | jhālīsa tuvām rājapatnī ||72||
It carried off the piece of flesh; your body met its end. The merit of the circumambulation bore fruit — you became a king's wife.
The pigeon's death near the shrine, like the dog's, converts her suffering into the merit of a queenly rebirth — the story's central teaching about grace amid suffering repeats.
Hold on to hope that even a painful ending can seed a better beginning.
इतुकिया अवसरीं । पुनः पतीस प्रश्न करी । आतां तुमच्या निरोपावरी । ईश्वरपूजा करीन ॥७३॥
itukiyā avasarīm | punaḥ patīsa praśna karī | ātām tumacyā niropāvarī | īśvarapūjā karīna ||73||
At this point, she again asks her husband: now, by your leave, I will worship God.
Having heard her own story, Kumudvati resolves to take up devoted worship herself, seeking her husband's blessing first.
Once you understand the roots of your good fortune, resolve to actively deepen your own devotion.
पुढें मज काय होईल । तुम्हीं कवण स्थानीं असाल । तें विस्तारावें प्राणेश्वरा निर्मळ । आत्मपति राजेंद्रा ॥७४॥
puḍhem maja kāya hoīla | tumhīm kavaṇa sthānīm asāla | tem vistārāvem prāṇeśvarā nirmaḷa | ātmapati rājemdrā ||74||
What will become of me in the future? In what place will you be? Please describe that fully, pure lord of my life, husband of my soul.
Kumudvati now asks about their shared future, eager to know how their bond will continue across coming lives.
Take genuine interest in the long future of the bonds you cherish, not just the present moment.
राजा सांगे सतीसी । पुढील जन्म कन पुससी । आपण राजा सिंधुदेशीं । जन्म पावेन अवधारीं ॥७५॥
rājā sāmge satīsī | puḍhīla janma kana pusasī | āpaṇa rājā simdhudeśīm | janma pāvena avadhārīm ||75||
The king tells the queen: you ask about the next birth. I will be born as king in the Sindhu country, listen closely.
The king begins foretelling their series of shared future births, starting with his rebirth as a king in the Sindhu region.
Approach the future with the same care and honesty you bring to explaining the past.
माझी भार्या तूंचि होसी । जन्म पावसी सृंजयदेशीं । तेथील राजा पवित्रवंशी । त्याची कन्या होसील ॥७६॥
mājhī bhāryā tūmci hosī | janma pāvasī sṛmjayadeśīm | tethīla rājā pavitravamśī | tyācī kanyā hosīla ||76||
You will indeed be my wife; you will be born in the Sanjaya country. The king there is of a pure lineage; you will become his daughter.
The king assures Kumudvati that their bond will continue: she will be reborn as a princess and again become his wife.
Trust that faithful bonds formed in devotion are not easily broken, even by time.
तिसरा जन्म आपणासी । राजा होईन सौराष्ट्रदेशीं । तूं उपजसी कलिंगराजवंशीं । माझी पत्नी होसील ॥७७॥
tisarā janma āpaṇāsī | rājā hoīna saurāṣṭradeśīm | tūm upajasī kalimgarājavamśīm | mājhī patnī hosīla ||77||
Third birth, I will be king in the Saurashtra country; you will be born into the Kalinga royal lineage; you will be my wife.
The chain of shared royal rebirths continues — each life renewing their union across different kingdoms.
See constancy in a relationship as something built and renewed across many changing circumstances.
चवथा जन्म आपणासी । राजा होईन गांधारदेशीं । तूं उपजसी मागध कुळेसी । तैंही माझी प्राणेश्वरी ॥७८॥
cavathā janma āpaṇāsī | rājā hoīna gāmdhāradeśīm | tūm upajasī māgadha kuḷesī | taimhī mājhī prāṇeśvarī ||78||
Fourth birth, I will be king in the Gandhara country; you will be born in the Magadha lineage; then too you will be my beloved.
The pattern of rebirth as royal consorts continues into a fourth life together.
Keep faith that devotion practiced now sustains a bond well beyond present circumstances.
पांचवा जन्म आपणासी । राजा होईल अवंतदेशीं । तूं दाशार्हराजकुळीं जन्मसी । माझी भार्या होसील तूं ॥७९॥
pāmcavā janma āpaṇāsī | rājā hoīla avamtadeśīm | tūm dāśārharājakuḷīm janmasī | mājhī bhāryā hosīla tūm ||79||
Fifth birth, I will be king in the Avanti country; you will be born in the Dasharha royal family; you will be my wife.
A fifth shared royal life is foretold, reinforcing the theme of merit compounding across lifetimes.
See each renewed effort at devotion as building upon, not replacing, what came before.
सहावा जन्म आपणासी । आनर्त नाम राजा परियेसीं । यायातिकन्या तूं होसी । तैंही माझी प्राणेश्वरी ॥८०॥
sahāvā janma āpaṇāsī | ānarta nāma rājā pariyesīm | yāyātikanyā tūm hosī | taimhī mājhī prāṇeśvarī ||80||
Sixth birth, I will be a king named Anarta, listen; you will be Yayati's daughter; then too you will be my beloved.
The sixth birth continues the unbroken lineage of their bond, again through royal families of legend.
Value continuity and patience — worthwhile bonds and growth take repeated seasons to mature.
सातवा जन्म आपणासी । राजा होईन पांडयदेशीं । रुप लावण्य मजसरसीं । नोहे कवण संसारीं ॥८१॥
sātavā janma āpaṇāsī | rājā hoīna pāmḍayadeśīm | rupa lāvaṇya majasarasīm | nohe kavaṇa samsārīm ||81||
Seventh birth, I will be king in the Pandya country; my form and beauty will have no equal in the world.
In this seventh and culminating birth, the king describes reaching the peak of worldly excellence and beauty.
Let long, patient effort be rewarded eventually with genuine flourishing, not just survival.
ज्ञानी सर्वगुणी होईन । सूर्यकांति ऐसें वदन । जैसा रुपें असे मदन । नाम माझें 'पद्मवर्ण' ॥८२॥
jñānī sarvaguṇī hoīna | sūryakāmti aisem vadana | jaisā rupem ase madana | nāma mājhem 'padmavarṇa' ||82||
I will be wise and possessed of all virtues; my face like the radiance of the sun, my form like Kama; my name will be 'Padmavarna.'
The king envisions his final royal incarnation as one of complete wisdom and virtue, likened to Madana (the god of love) in beauty.
Aspire toward a life where inner virtue and outer excellence finally align.
तूं जन्मसी वैदर्भकुळीं । रुपसौंदर्यें आगळी । जैसी सुवर्णाची पुतळी । चंद्रासारिखें मुखकमळ ॥८३॥
tūm janmasī vaidarbhakuḷīm | rupasaumdaryem āgaḷī | jaisī suvarṇācī putaḷī | camdrāsārikhem mukhakamaḷa ||83||
You will be born in the Vidarbha lineage, surpassingly beautiful in form, like a golden statue, your face like the moon.
Kumudvati's final incarnation is described with similarly exalted beauty, matching her husband's.
Recognize that true partnership grows to mirror and complement each other's best qualities.
'वसुमती' असें नांव पावसी । तुज वरीन स्वयंवरेंसीं । दमयंती नळा जैसी । स्वयंवर होईल तुज मज ॥८४॥
'vasumatī' asem nāmva pāvasī | tuja varīna svayamvaremsīm | damayamtī naḷā jaisī | svayamvara hoīla tuja maja ||84||
You will bear the name 'Vasumati'; I will wed you in a svayamvara, like Damayanti and Nala; there will be a svayamvara for us too.
Their final union is compared to the legendary love of Damayantī and Nala, sealed through a svayaṃvara (bride's own choice of husband) — devotion crowned by mutual, freely chosen love.
Aspire to a partnership rooted in mutual, freely given commitment, not obligation alone.
राज्य करीन बहुत दिवस । यज्ञ करीन असमसाहस । जिंकीन समस्त देशांस । मंत्रशास्त्र शिकेन बहु ॥८५॥
rājya karīna bahuta divasa | yajña karīna asamasāhasa | jimkīna samasta deśāmsa | mamtraśāstra śikena bahu ||85||
I will rule for many days; I will perform boundless sacrifices; I will conquer all lands; I will learn the mantra-shastras greatly.
The king foresees a final life of great worldly accomplishment — rulership, ritual sacrifice, and sacred learning combined.
Let worldly achievement and sacred learning both find a place in a well-lived life.
देवद्विजार्चन करीन । नाना अग्रहार दान देईन । ऐशापरी वृद्धाप्य होऊन । राज्यीं स्थापीन पुत्रासी ॥८६॥
devadvijārcana karīna | nānā agrahāra dāna deīna | aiśāparī vṛddhāpya hoūna | rājyīm sthāpīna putrāsī ||86||
I will worship gods and brahmins; I will give many land-grants in charity. Thus reaching old age, I will install my son on the throne.
The king plans a life crowned by generosity and a graceful, orderly transfer of worldly duty to the next generation.
Plan to hand over your responsibilities to the next generation with care rather than clinging to them.
आपण चवथा आश्रम घेईन । अगस्त्यऋषीपाशीं जाईन । ब्रह्मज्ञानोपदेश शिकेन । अंतकाळ होय तंव ॥८७॥देहावसान होतां । तुज घेईन सांगाता । दिव्य विमानीं बैसोनि तत्त्वता । स्वर्गाप्रती जाऊं बळें ॥८८॥
āpaṇa cavathā āśrama gheīna | agastyaṛṣīpāśīm jāīna | brahmajñānopadeśa śikena | amtakāḷa hoya tamva ||87||dehāvasāna hotām | tuja gheīna sāmgātā | divya vimānīm baisoni tattvatā | svargāpratī jāūm baḷem ||88||
I will then take up the fourth stage of life; I will go to the sage Agastya; I will learn the teaching of Brahma-knowledge until the end comes. When the body ends, I will take you along; sitting in a divine chariot, we will truly go by its power to heaven.
The king's story culminates in renunciation — the sannyāsa stage, study under sage Agastya, and finally a shared ascent to heaven with his devoted wife.
Let your final years be devoted to seeking wisdom and release, not merely holding on to what you have built.
ईश्वरपूजेची महिमा । शिवरात्रिव्रत श्रीशैल्य अनुपम्या । म्हणोनि राजा स्त्री घेऊनि संगमा । यात्रा करी शिवरात्री ॥८९॥
īśvarapūjecī mahimā | śivarātrivrata śrīśailya anupamyā | mhaṇoni rājā strī gheūni samgamā | yātrā karī śivarātrī ||89||
Such is the glory of worshipping God — the Shivaratri vow at Shri Shailya is unparalleled. So the king, taking his wife to the confluence, performed the Shivaratri pilgrimage.
The inner story closes with the king and queen themselves undertaking the very Shivaratri pilgrimage whose glory their own past lives had proven.
Let understanding a tradition's deeper meaning move you to practice it yourself, not just admire it from afar.
श्रीगुरु म्हणती तंतिकासी । शिवरात्री-श्रीपर्वत-महिमा ऐसी । ऐक तो श्वान परियेसीं । सप्तजन्मीं राजा झाला ॥९०॥
śrīguru mhaṇatī tamtikāsī | śivarātrī-śrīparvata-mahimā aisī | aika to śvāna pariyesīm | saptajanmīm rājā jhālā ||90||
Shri Guru says to Tantuk: such is the glory of Shivaratri and Shri Parvat. Listen — that dog became a king through seven births.
The Guru concludes the embedded tale, summarizing that a single act of accidental merit carried the dog through seven royal lifetimes.
Believe that even one small, sincere act of merit can bear fruit far beyond what you can foresee.
अंतीं पावला स्वर्गलोक । पर्वतमहिमा ऐसा ऐक । तुज जाहलें गुरुमुख । ईश्वरपूजा करीं बरवी ॥९१॥
amtīm pāvalā svargaloka | parvatamahimā aisā aika | tuja jāhalem gurumukha | īśvarapūjā karīm baravī ||91||
In the end he attained the heavenly world; such is the glory of the mountain. You have now received this from the Guru's own mouth — worship God well.
The Guru drives the teaching home to Tantuk personally, urging him to translate this story into his own faithful worship, since he has heard it directly from the Guru.
Turn teachings you receive directly from a trusted source into concrete practice in your own life.
ग्रामीं असे कल्लेश्वर । गाणगाग्रामीं भीमातीर । पूजा करीं गा निरंतर । मल्लिकार्जुनसमान ॥९२॥
grāmīm ase kalleśvara | gāṇagāgrāmīm bhīmātīra | pūjā karīm gā niramtara | mallikārjunasamāna ||92||
In the village there is Kalleshwar, at Ganagapur, on the bank of the Bhima. Worship there constantly — it is equal to Mallikarjuna.
The Guru reveals that a local shrine, Kalleśvara at Gāṇagāpur, holds the same sanctity as the distant Mallikarjuna at Shri Shailya.
Do not overlook the holy places close to home while chasing distant ones.
संगमेश्वर संगमासी । पूजा करीं अहर्निशीं । मल्लिकार्जुन तोचि परियेसीं । न धरीं संदेह मनांत ॥९३॥
samgameśvara samgamāsī | pūjā karīm aharniśīm | mallikārjuna toci pariyesīm | na dharīm samdeha manāmta ||93||
Worship Sangameshwar at the confluence day and night; that indeed is Mallikarjuna, listen — hold no doubt in your mind.
The Guru further identifies the local Saṅgameśvara shrine with Mallikarjuna, dissolving any remaining sense of distance between near and far holiness.
Trust a trusted teacher's word that removes needless doubt about where you may safely direct your devotion.
तंतिक म्हणे स्वामियासी । स्वामी तूं मज चाळविसी । पूजेसि गेलों मल्लिकार्जुनासी । लिंगस्थानीं तुज देखिलें ॥९४॥
tamtika mhaṇe svāmiyāsī | svāmī tūm maja cāḷavisī | pūjesi gelom mallikārjunāsī | limgasthānīm tuja dekhilem ||94||
Tantuk says to the master: master, you are testing me. I went to worship Mallikarjuna, and I saw you there at the linga's place.
Tantuk playfully protests, reminding the Guru that he himself witnessed the Guru present at the distant shrine, not merely at the local ones.
Feel free to voice honest confusion to a trusted teacher rather than silently accepting what puzzles you.
सर्वां ठायीं तूंचि एक । झाला अससी व्यापक । कल्लेश्वर संगमनायक । एकेक सांगसी आम्हांपुढें ॥९५॥
sarvām ṭhāyīm tūmci eka | jhālā asasī vyāpaka | kalleśvara samgamanāyaka | ekeka sāmgasī āmhāmpuḍhem ||95||
You alone are everywhere; you have become all-pervading. You tell me one by one — Kalleshwar, the lord of the confluence — before me.
Tantuk marvels that the Guru is simultaneously present in every shrine he names, grasping at last the full meaning of divine omnipresence.
Let repeated proofs of a truth gradually deepen your conviction rather than demanding it all at once.
ऐकोनि श्रीगुरु हांसती । ये रे पादुका धरीं म्हणती । नयन त्याचे झांकिती । संगमा आले तात्काळीं ॥९६॥
aikoni śrīguru hāmsatī | ye re pādukā dharīm mhaṇatī | nayana tyāce jhāmkitī | samgamā āle tātkāḷīm ||96||
Hearing this, Shri Guru laughs; he says, come, hold my sandals. He closes his eyes; instantly they arrive at the confluence.
With warm humor, the Guru repeats the earlier miracle, instantly transporting Tantuk back to the confluence at Ganagapur.
Trust that grace can move you quickly back to where you are needed once your lesson is learned.
इतुकिया अवसरीं । मागें गाणगापुरीं । श्रीगुरुसी पाहती गंगातीरीं । कोठें गेले म्हणोनियां ॥९७॥
itukiyā avasarīm | māgem gāṇagāpurīm | śrīgurusī pāhatī gamgātīrīm | koṭhem gele mhaṇoniyām ||97||
Meanwhile, back at Ganagapur, they were looking for Shri Guru on the bank of the Ganga, wondering where he had gone.
Back at the original monastery, the disciples grow anxious, searching for the Guru who has been secretly absent on this miraculous journey.
Expect that others may worry in your absence even when you are engaged in something worthwhile.
एक म्हणती संगमीं होता । एक म्हणती आम्हीं आलों आतां । कोठें गेले पहा म्हणतां । चुकर होती भक्तजन ॥९८॥
eka mhaṇatī samgamīm hotā | eka mhaṇatī āmhīm ālom ātām | koṭhem gele pahā mhaṇatām | cukara hotī bhaktajana ||98||
Some say he was at the confluence; some say we just arrived. When asked where he went, the devotees became confused.
Conflicting reports circulate among the confused devotees, none realizing the true, miraculous explanation.
Stay calm amid conflicting rumors until the fuller truth becomes clear.
श्रीगुरु आले संगमासी । तंतिकास पाठविती मठासी । बोलावावया शिष्यांसी । आपण राहिले संगमांत ॥९९॥
śrīguru āle samgamāsī | tamtikāsa pāṭhavitī maṭhāsī | bolāvāvayā śiṣyāmsī | āpaṇa rāhile samgamāmta ||99||
Shri Guru arrived at the confluence; he sent Tantuk to the monastery to call the disciples; he himself remained at the confluence.
The Guru, now back, sends Tantuk ahead to gather the disciples while he waits at the confluence — the miracle's proof will soon become public.
Be willing to serve as the messenger who carries good news back to the community.
तंतिक आला गांवांत । लोक समस्त हांसत । क्षौर कां रे केलें म्हणत । तंतिक म्हणे श्रीपर्वता गेलों होतों ॥१००॥
tamtika ālā gāmvāmta | loka samasta hāmsata | kṣaura kām re kelem mhaṇata | tamtika mhaṇe śrīparvatā gelom hotom ||100||
Tantuk came into the village; all the people laughed. Why did you get a haircut, they asked. Tantuk said, I had gone to Shri Parvat.
Returning to a skeptical crowd, Tantuk is mocked again for his shaved head, and simply repeats his claim of having visited the holy mountain.
Hold to a truthful account calmly even when it invites more mockery.
दवणा प्रसाद विभूति । नानापरींचे हार दाखविती । लोक ऐसा विस्मय करिती । म्हणती दोनप्रहरीं घरीं होता ॥१॥
davaṇā prasāda vibhūti | nānāparīmce hāra dākhavitī | loka aisā vismaya karitī | mhaṇatī donapraharīm gharīm hotā ||1||
He showed them the fragrant herb, the sacred ash, and various kinds of garlands as prasad. The people, greatly astonished, said he had been at home just two watches ago.
Tantuk produces physical proof — prasāda offerings from the far-off shrine — deepening the villagers' astonishment at the impossible timing.
Let tangible evidence, not just words, support an extraordinary claim when you can offer it.
एक म्हणती सत्य मिथ्या । त्यासी म्हणती सांग रे सत्या । तंतिक म्हणे सवें गुरुनाथा । गेलों होतों वायुवेगें ॥२॥
eka mhaṇatī satya mithyā | tyāsī mhaṇatī sāmga re satyā | tamtika mhaṇe savem gurunāthā | gelom hotom vāyuvegem ||2||
Some say true, some say false; they tell him, tell us the truth. Tantuk says, I went with the Guru at the speed of wind.
Under continued pressure to justify himself, Tantuk credits the miracle entirely to the Guru's power rather than to himself.
Give credit for an extraordinary gift to its true source rather than claiming it as your own doing.
श्रीगुरु आले संगमासी । मज पाठविलें मठासी । बोलाविलें शिष्यांसी । राहूं पाहती आजि संगमीं ॥३॥
śrīguru āle samgamāsī | maja pāṭhavilem maṭhāsī | bolāvilem śiṣyāmsī | rāhūm pāhatī āji samgamīm ||3||
Shri Guru has come to the confluence; he sent me to the monastery. He called for the disciples; they wish to stay at the confluence today.
Tantuk delivers the Guru's actual message, moving the story from personal vindication to practical service of the community.
Move quickly from defending your own experience to serving the task you were actually given.
एक म्हणती होईल सत्य । मूर्ख म्हणती नव्हे, मिथ्य ।; तंतिक गेला त्वरित । शिष्यवर्गांसी जाणविलें ॥४॥
eka mhaṇatī hoīla satya | mūrkha mhaṇatī navhe, mithya |; tamtika gelā tvarita | śiṣyavargāmsī jāṇavilem ||4||
Some say it will prove true, fools say no, it is false. Tantuk went quickly, and informed the group of disciples.
Despite the lingering doubt among skeptics, Tantuk faithfully and promptly completes his errand of gathering the disciples.
Complete your assigned duty faithfully regardless of who doubts you along the way.
सांगितला सकळ वृत्तांत । समस्त गेले संगमा त्वरित । पूजा जाहली संगमीं बहुत । सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारकासी ॥५॥
sāmgitalā sakaḷa vṛttāmta | samasta gele samgamā tvarita | pūjā jāhalī samgamīm bahuta | siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakāsī ||5||
He told them the whole account; all of them went quickly to the confluence. Great worship took place at the confluence. Siddha says to Namdharak.
The full community gathers at the confluence for a great celebration of worship, vindicating Tantuk's account through collective witness.
Let a community's shared gathering, not just one person's word, confirm and celebrate a truth.
मिथ्या म्हणती जे लोक । त्यांसी होईल कुंभीपाक । पंधरा दिवसीं ऐक । यात्रालोक गांवा आले ॥६॥
mithyā mhaṇatī je loka | tyāmsī hoīla kumbhīpāka | pamdharā divasīm aika | yātrāloka gāmvā āle ||6||
Those people who call it false will suffer in the boiling hell. After fifteen days, the pilgrims returned to the village.
The narrator warns of consequence for persistent, willful disbelief in the Guru's miracle, then notes the pilgrims' eventual return.
Take care that stubborn disbelief in what has been shown to you does not harden into real harm.
मग पुसती तयांसी । तेहीं सांगितलें भरंवसीं । आनंद झाला भक्तांसी । म्हणे सरस्वती-गंगाधर ॥७॥
maga pusatī tayāmsī | tehīm sāmgitalem bharamvasīm | ānamda jhālā bhaktāmsī | mhaṇe sarasvatī-gamgādhara ||7||
Then they asked the returning pilgrims; they confirmed the story with full confidence. The devotees rejoiced — says Sarasvati-Gangadhar.
The pilgrims who had gone to the physical mountain confirm that they too had witnessed the Guru there, resolving all doubt and bringing communal joy.
Let independent confirmation from others strengthen and celebrate, not just prove, a shared truth.
सिद्धें सांगितलें नामधारकासी । तें मी सांगतसें परियेसीं । श्रीगुरुमहिमा अपारेंसी । अमृत सेवितों निरंतर ॥१०८॥
siddhem sāmgitalem nāmadhārakāsī | tem mī sāmgatasem pariyesīm | śrīgurumahimā apāremsī | amṛta sevitom niramtara ||108||
What Siddha told Namdharak, that I tell you, listen. Shri Guru's glory is boundless; I drink this nectar constantly.
The narrator Sarasvati-Gangadhar steps forward in his own voice, comparing the retelling of the Guru's story to drinking endless amṛta (nectar of immortality).
Return again and again to stories of grace, treating their retelling itself as nourishment.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृते परमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिद्धनामधारकसंवादे श्रीशैलशिवरात्रिमहिमावर्णनं नाम त्रिचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ॥४३॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛte paramakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne siddhanāmadhārakasamvāde śrīśailaśivarātrimahimāvarṇanam nāma tricatvārimśo'dhyāyaḥ ||43||
Thus, in the nectar-essence of Shri Gurucharitra, the great wish-fulfilling tree of sacred stories, in the dialogue of Siddha and Namdharak narrating the tale of Shri Nrisimha Sarasvati, ends the forty-third chapter, named 'Description of the Glory of Shri Shailya's Shivaratri.'
The formal Sanskrit colophon closes the chapter, naming it for the glory of Shivaratri at Shri Shailya that has just been narrated.
Mark the close of a period of learning with a clear, deliberate acknowledgment of what it taught.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पणमस्तु ॥ श्रीगुरुदेवदत्त ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpaṇamastu || śrīgurudevadatta ||
May this be offered to Shri Guru Dattatreya. Shri Guru is the divine giver.
The chapter ends, as customary, by dedicating the whole telling back to Dattātreya, the source of the Guru's grace.
Offer the credit for what you have learned or accomplished back to its true source.
( ओंवीसंख्या १०८ )
( omvīsamkhyā 108 )
(Ovi count: 108)
A scribal note recording that this chapter contains 108 verses — the auspicious number found throughout the tradition.
Appreciate the quiet, exacting care behind the preservation of sacred texts across generations.