संत साहित्य · Guru Charitra · Chapters
Chapter 47 — Parbati Had Bumper Crops Even in Scarcity
Literal. Parbati, a farmer in Ganagapur, asks Shri Guru to look at his crop; Shri Guru says: if you have faith, do as I bid. Parbati cuts the crop before it ripens, on Shri Guru's instruction. The town officer doubles the rent; Parbati promises to pay double. He cuts. His wife and children mourn the lost food. Parbati: Shri Guru is Shiva; we shall have no loss. Severe cold sets in; all neighboring crops are destroyed. Then heavy rain on Mul Nakshatra ruins the rest. Parbati's already-cut field, however, yields a hundred times more crop than expected. Wife and children repent.
Symbolic. Apparent imprudence at the teacher's word is the most prudent course. The chapter is structurally the inverse of the colic-Brahmin story (Ch. 13) — the unexpected instruction, accepted on faith, produces a result invisible to ordinary reasoning.
Verse by verse
श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥ श्रीसरस्वत्यै नमः ॥ श्रीगुरुभ्यो नमः ॥
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ || śrīsarasvatyai namaḥ || śrīgurubhyo namaḥ ||
Salutations to Śrī Gaṇeśa; salutations to Śrī Sarasvatī; salutations to Śrī Guru.
The chapter opens with the traditional triple invocation before the story of the guru's grace to a lowly farmer begins.
Start any new effort with a moment of humble invocation rather than plunging straight in.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारकासी । अपूर्व एक कथा वर्तली परियेसीं । श्रीगुरुचरित्र अतिकवतुकेंसीं । परम पवित्र ऐक पां ॥१॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakāsī | apūrva eka kathā vartalī pariyesīm | śrīgurucaritra atikavatukemsīm | parama pavitra aika pām ||1||
Siddha says to Nāmadharak: a wondrous story once took place, listen; the Śrī Guru-caritra, filled with great delight — listen, it is most sacred.
The narrator again frames the coming episode as a marvel worth hearing, priming the listener for a story of unlikely faith.
Approach the next lesson with fresh attention, as though hearing something for the first time.
गाणगापुरीं असतां श्रीगुरु । ख्याति जाहली अपारु । भक्त होता एक शूद्रु । नाम तया 'पर्वतेश्वर' ॥२॥
gāṇagāpurīm asatām śrīguru | khyāti jāhalī apāru | bhakta hotā eka śūdru | nāma tayā 'parvateśvara' ||2||
While Śrī Guru was staying in Gāṇagāpur, his fame spread boundlessly; there was a devotee, a śūdra by caste, named 'Parvateśvara.'
The story deliberately centers a devotee of low social status — the guru's grace, we will see, does not track worldly rank.
Judge people's worth by the sincerity of their devotion, not by their social standing.
त्याच्या भक्तीचा प्रकारु । सांगेन ऐका मन स्थिरु । भक्ति केली श्रीगुरु । कायावाचामनेंकरुनि ॥३॥
tyācyā bhaktīcā prakāru | sāmgena aikā mana sthiru | bhakti kelī śrīguru | kāyāvācāmanemkaruni ||3||
I shall tell you the manner of his devotion; listen with a steady mind — he served Śrī Guru with body, speech, and mind.
The threefold devotion — body, speech, mind — names the classical ideal of total, undivided worship that this shudra will embody.
Bring your whole self — actions, words, and thoughts — into alignment when you commit to something.
श्रीगुरु नित्य संगमासी । जात असती अनुष्ठानासी । मार्गीं तो शूद्र परियेसीं । आपुले शेतीं उभा असे ॥४॥
śrīguru nitya samgamāsī | jāta asatī anuṣṭhānāsī | mārgīm to śūdra pariyesīm | āpule śetīm ubhā ase ||4||
Śrī Guru would go daily to the Saṅgam for his rites; on the way, that śūdra, listen, would be standing in his own field.
The devotee's field lies along the guru's daily path — an ordinary geography that becomes the site of extraordinary grace.
Position yourself, in small daily ways, where you can encounter what matters most to you.
श्रीगुरुतें नित्य देखोनि । येई धांवत शेतांतूनि । साष्टांगीं नमन करुनि । पुनरपि जाय आपुले स्थाना ॥५॥
śrīgurutem nitya dekhoni | yeī dhāmvata śetāmtūni | sāṣṭāmgīm namana karuni | punarapi jāya āpule sthānā ||5||
Seeing Śrī Guru daily, he would come running from his field; performing full prostration, he would then return again to his own place.
His daily, wordless ritual of running to bow shows devotion expressed through consistent small action rather than grand gesture.
Let a small daily ritual of respect become part of your routine, even if no one asks it of you.
माध्यान्हकाळीं मठासी । येतां मागुती नमस्कारी परियेसीं । ऐसें किती दिवसवर्षीं । शूद्र भक्ति करीतसे ॥६॥
mādhyānhakāḷīm maṭhāsī | yetām māgutī namaskārī pariyesīm | aisem kitī divasavarṣīm | śūdra bhakti karītase ||6||
At midday, when Śrī Guru returned to the maṭha, he would again offer namaskāra; thus for many days and years the śūdra continued his devotion.
The doubling of his bow — morning and midday — shows sustained devotion continuing for years without visible reward, the essence of patient faith.
Continue a good practice consistently, even when it brings no visible result for a long time.
श्रीगुरु तयासी न बोलती । नमन केलिया उगीच असती । येणेंविधि बहु काळ क्रमिती । आला शूद्र नमस्कारा ॥७॥
śrīguru tayāsī na bolatī | namana keliyā ugīca asatī | yeṇemvidhi bahu kāḷa kramitī | ālā śūdra namaskārā ||7||
Śrī Guru did not speak to him; after the bow, he would simply remain silent; in this manner much time passed, and the śūdra kept coming to offer namaskāra.
The guru's long silence is itself a teaching — testing whether devotion can persist without acknowledgment or reward.
Do not require praise or acknowledgment to keep doing what is right.
नमन करितां शूद्रासी । पुसती श्रीगुरु संतोषीं । कां रे नित्य कष्टतोसी । आड पडतोसी येऊनियां ॥८॥
namana karitām śūdrāsī | pusatī śrīguru samtoṣīm | kām re nitya kaṣṭatosī | āḍa paḍatosī yeūniyām ||8||
When the śūdra bowed, Śrī Guru asked him with pleasure: why do you toil daily, coming and standing in my way?
The guru finally breaks his silence — a sign that the devotee's patient persistence has been noticed and is about to be answered.
Trust that sustained sincerity eventually draws a response, even after a long silence.
तुझे मनीं काय वासना । सांगे त्वरित विस्तारुन । शूद्र विनवी कर जोडून । शेत आपुलें पिकावें ॥९॥
tujhe manīm kāya vāsanā | sāmge tvarita vistāruna | śūdra vinavī kara joḍūna | śeta āpulem pikāvem ||9||
What desire is in your heart? Tell it to me quickly, in full. The śūdra entreated with joined hands: may my field bear a good crop.
The devotee's wish is entirely ordinary and material — a good harvest — showing that the guru's grace meets people in their real, everyday needs, not only lofty spiritual ones.
Do not feel your prayers must be grand or spiritual to be worthy — ordinary needs matter too.
श्रीगुरु पुसती तयासी । काय पेरिलें तुझ्या शेतासी । शूद्र म्हणे यावनाळ बहुवसी । पीक जाहलें तुझे धर्में ॥१०॥
śrīguru pusatī tayāsī | kāya perilem tujhyā śetāsī | śūdra mhaṇe yāvanāḷa bahuvasī | pīka jāhalem tujhe dharmem ||10||
Śrī Guru asked him: what have you sown in your field? The śūdra said: mostly millet; the crop has grown by your grace.
The devotee already credits his modest crop to the guru's grace, even before any miracle — a mark of a heart already oriented toward gratitude.
Practice attributing your good fortune to grace and help received, rather than to yourself alone.
तुम्हांसी नित्य नमन करितां । पीक दिसे अधिकता । पोटरें येतील आतां । आतां तुझेनि धर्में जेवूं ॥११॥
tumhāmsī nitya namana karitām | pīka dise adhikatā | poṭarem yetīla ātām | ātām tujheni dharmem jevūm ||11||
By bowing to you daily, the crop appears greater; the stalks will soon fill out — now we shall eat by your grace.
The shudra's simple faith links his daily bow directly to his family's sustenance — devotion and daily bread are, for him, the same thread.
See the connection between your daily practices of respect and gratitude and the sustenance you receive.
स्वामी यावें शेतापाशीं । पहावें अमृतदृष्टींसीं । तूं समस्तां प्रतिपाळिसी । शूद्र म्हणोनि नुपेक्षावें ॥१२॥
svāmī yāvem śetāpāśīm | pahāvem amṛtadṛṣṭīmsīm | tūm samastām pratipāḷisī | śūdra mhaṇoni nupekṣāvem ||12||
O master, come to my field; look upon it with your nectar-like gaze. You who sustain everyone — do not neglect me because I am a śūdra.
The devotee names the very prejudice he fears — caste-based neglect — and asks the guru directly to look past it, appealing to the guru's universal care.
Ask directly to be treated without prejudice rather than assuming you will be overlooked.
श्रीगुरु गेले शेतापाशीं । पाहूनि म्हणती त्या शूद्रासी । सांगेन तुज जरी ऐकसी । विश्वास होईल बोलाचा ॥१३॥
śrīguru gele śetāpāśīm | pāhūni mhaṇatī tyā śūdrāsī | sāmgena tuja jarī aikasī | viśvāsa hoīla bolācā ||13||
Śrī Guru went to the field; seeing it, he said to that śūdra: I will tell you something — if you truly listen, it will prove your faith in my word.
The guru sets up a test explicitly — what follows will measure whether the devotee's daily bowing was genuine faith or mere habit.
Be ready to have your convictions tested before they are confirmed.
जें सांगेन तुज एक वाक्येंसीं । जरी भक्तीनें अंगीकारिसी । तरीच सांगूं परियेसीं । एकोभावें त्वां करावें ॥१४॥
jem sāmgena tuja eka vākyemsīm | jarī bhaktīnem amgīkārisī | tarīca sāmgūm pariyesīm | ekobhāvem tvām karāvem ||14||
What I tell you in a single sentence — if you accept it with devotion, only then will I tell you; do it with one, undivided mind.
The guru insists on prior, unconditional commitment before revealing the instruction — faith is asked to precede understanding, the classical test of trust.
When someone trustworthy asks for your commitment before explaining, be willing to trust first and understand later.
शूद्र विनवी स्वामियासी । गुरुवाक्य कारण आम्हांसी । दुसरा भाव मजपाशीं । नाहीं स्वामी म्हणतसे ॥१५॥
śūdra vinavī svāmiyāsī | guruvākya kāraṇa āmhāmsī | dusarā bhāva majapāśīm | nāhīm svāmī mhaṇatase ||15||
The śūdra entreated the master: the guru's word alone is sufficient reason for us; I hold no other thought in my mind, master, he said.
The devotee's unconditional trust — 'your word alone is reason enough' — is the very faith the guru had asked to see.
Give your full trust to those who have earned it through years of consistent care.
मग निरोपिती श्रीगुरु त्यासी । आम्ही जातों संगमासी । परतोनि येऊं माध्यान्हेसी । तंव सर्व पीक कापावें ॥१६॥
maga niropitī śrīguru tyāsī | āmhī jātom samgamāsī | paratoni yeūm mādhyānhesī | tamva sarva pīka kāpāvem ||16||
Then Śrī Guru instructed him: we are going to the Saṅgam; we will return at midday — by then, you must cut down the whole crop.
The instruction is deliberately shocking — destroy the very crop you prayed would flourish — the test of faith is total, not partial.
Recognize that real trust is tested precisely at the point where the instruction makes no sense to you.
ऐसें सांगोनि शूद्रासी । श्रीगुरु गेले संगमासी । शूद्र विचार करी मानसीं । गुरुवाक्य मज कारण ॥१७॥
aisem sāmgoni śūdrāsī | śrīguru gele samgamāsī | śūdra vicāra karī mānasīm | guruvākya maja kāraṇa ||17||
Having said this to the śūdra, Śrī Guru went to the Saṅgam; the śūdra thought in his mind: the guru's word is reason enough for me.
Left alone with an incomprehensible command, the devotee chooses to hold to his earlier vow of unconditional trust rather than his own judgment.
When facing a decision that tests your commitment, recall the reasons you trusted in the first place.
शीघ्र आला ग्रामांत । अधिकारियासी विनवीत । खंडोनि द्यावें आपलें शेत । गत संवत्सराप्रमाणें देईन धान्य ॥१८॥
śīghra ālā grāmāmta | adhikāriyāsī vinavīta | khamḍoni dyāvem āpalem śeta | gata samvatsarāpramāṇem deīna dhānya ||18||
He quickly came into the village and entreated the revenue official: release my field from its assessed dues; I will give grain as per last year's measure.
Before destroying his crop, the devotee tries to renegotiate his tax obligation — a practical step showing he is thinking through the consequences of obedience, not acting blindly.
Even when acting on faith, take sensible practical steps to prepare for the consequences.
अधिकारी म्हणती त्यासी । पीक जाहलें बहु शेतासी । म्हणोनि गुतका मागतोसी । अंगीकार न करूं जाण ॥१९॥
adhikārī mhaṇatī tyāsī | pīka jāhalem bahu śetāsī | mhaṇoni gutakā māgatosī | amgīkāra na karūm jāṇa ||19||
The official said to him: your field has yielded abundantly this year — that is why you are asking for a reduced assessment; I will not accept it, know this.
The administrator's refusal, grounded in visible evidence of a good crop, heightens the irony — the devotee is about to destroy exactly the abundance that makes his request seem suspicious.
Expect that others will judge your actions by visible evidence, even when your true reasons are invisible to them.
नानाप्रकारें विनवी त्यासी । द्विगुण देईन गतसंवत्सरासी ; । अंगीकारिलें संतोषीं । वचनपत्र लिहूनि घेती ॥२०॥
nānāprakārem vinavī tyāsī | dviguṇa deīna gatasamvatsarāsī ; | amgīkārilem samtoṣīm | vacanapatra lihūni ghetī ||20||
He entreated him in many ways: I will give double last year's due. The official agreed with satisfaction, and a written agreement was drawn up.
The devotee raises the stakes himself, offering double payment — a costly commitment that shows how far his faith is willing to risk material loss.
Be willing to accept real cost when following through on a commitment you believe in.
आपण अभयपत्र घेऊनि । लोक मिळवोनि तत्क्षणीं । गेला शेता संतोषोनि । कापीन म्हणे वेगेंसीं ॥२१॥
āpaṇa abhayapatra gheūni | loka miḷavoni tatkṣaṇīm | gelā śetā samtoṣoni | kāpīna mhaṇe vegemsīm ||21||
Taking the deed of assurance himself, and gathering people at once, he went to the field with joy, saying: I will cut it quickly.
Notably he goes to the task with joy, not reluctance — his obedience to the guru has become genuine gladness, not grim duty.
Try to carry out a difficult commitment with a willing heart rather than a resentful one.
कापूं आरंभिलें पिकासी । स्त्री-पुत्र वर्जिती त्यासी । पाषाण घेऊनि स्त्री-पुत्रांसी । मारुं आला तो शूद्र ॥२२॥
kāpūm ārambhilem pikāsī | strī-putra varjitī tyāsī | pāṣāṇa gheūni strī-putrāmsī | mārum ālā to śūdra ||22||
He began to cut the crop; his wife and children tried to stop him; taking up stones, that śūdra came to strike his wife and children.
His family's frantic opposition shows how radically his faith diverges from ordinary sense — even those closest to him see only ruin, not the test of grace underway.
Expect that those who love you may not understand a conviction you are following, even when you are certain of it.
समस्तांतें मारी येणेंपरी । पळत आलीं गांवाभीतरी । आड पडती राजद्वारीं । "पिसें लागलें पतीसी ॥२३॥
samastāmtem mārī yeṇemparī | paḷata ālīm gāmvābhītarī | āḍa paḍatī rājadvārīm | "pisem lāgalem patīsī ||23||
He struck at everyone in this way; they ran fleeing into the village; they fell at the doors of the officials, crying: 'madness has come upon my husband.'
The family publicly accuses him of insanity — the story does not soften the social cost of his radical obedience.
Be prepared for others to misjudge you as foolish when you follow a conviction they cannot see the reason for.
पीक होतें बहुवसीं । कापूनि टाकितो मूर्खपणेंसीं । वर्जितां पहा आम्ही त्यासी । पाषाण घेउनि मारी तो ॥२४॥
pīka hotem bahuvasīm | kāpūni ṭākito mūrkhapaṇemsīm | varjitām pahā āmhī tyāsī | pāṣāṇa gheuni mārī to ||24||
The crop was abundant, and yet he cuts it down out of foolishness; when we tried to stop him, see, he took up stones and struck us.
The wife's plea to the officials repeats the villagers' likely judgment — from the outside, faith that destroys visible good fortune looks like madness.
Do not judge someone's actions as foolish before understanding the deeper reason behind them.
संन्यासी यतीश्वराच्या बोलें । पीक सर्वही कापिलें । आमुचें जेवितें भाण गेलें । आणिक मासां भक्षितों आम्ही"॥२५॥
samnyāsī yatīśvarācyā bolem | pīka sarvahī kāpilem | āmucem jevitem bhāṇa gelem | āṇika māsām bhakṣitom āmhī"||25||
At the word of a wandering ascetic, he has cut down the whole crop; our means of eating is gone — what more shall we eat in the coming months.
The family's despair names the real material stakes — their livelihood — making clear that this is not a symbolic test but genuine risk of hunger.
Take seriously the real material fears of those affected by your decisions, even when you feel certain.
अधिकारी म्हणती तयांसी । कापीना कां आपुल्या शेतासी । पत्र असे आम्हांपाशीं । गतवत्सरेसीं द्विगुण द्यावें ॥२६॥
adhikārī mhaṇatī tayāmsī | kāpīnā kām āpulyā śetāsī | patra ase āmhāmpāśīm | gatavatsaresīm dviguṇa dyāvem ||26||
The officials said to them: why is he cutting his own field? We hold the written agreement — he must pay double of last year's amount regardless.
The officials, bound by contract, remain unmoved by the family's distress — the devotee's word, once given, has legal as well as spiritual weight.
Honor the agreements you have made, even when circumstances afterward become difficult.
वर्जावया माणसें पाठविती । नायके शूद्र कवणें गतीं । शूद्र म्हणे जरी अधिकारी भीती । पेंवीं धान्य असें तें देईन ॥२७॥
varjāvayā māṇasem pāṭhavitī | nāyake śūdra kavaṇem gatīm | śūdra mhaṇe jarī adhikārī bhītī | pemvīm dhānya asem tem deīna ||27||
They sent people to stop him; the śūdra would listen to no one; the śūdra said: if the officials are worried, I will give them the grain stored in my bins.
He offers his own stored reserves as a guarantee, showing that his radical act is calculated risk-taking within faith, not reckless disregard for others' needs.
When taking a risk on faith, offer whatever reassurance you reasonably can to those depending on you.
जावोनि सांगती अधिकारियासी । आम्हीं सांगितलें त्या शूद्रासी । त्यानें सांगितलें तुम्हांसी । विनोद असे परियेसा ॥२८॥
jāvoni sāmgatī adhikāriyāsī | āmhīm sāmgitalem tyā śūdrāsī | tyānem sāmgitalem tumhāmsī | vinoda ase pariyesā ||28||
They went and told the official: we told this to the śūdra, and he told us this in reply — listen, it is quite a strange affair.
The messengers themselves are bewildered, framing the devotee's calm confidence as bizarre — the narrative underscores how inexplicable true faith can look to onlookers.
Do not expect everyone to understand your reasoning; some convictions only make sense in hindsight.
जरी भीतील अधिकारी । तरी धान्य देईन आतांचि घरीं । गुरें बांधीन त्यांचे द्वारीं । पत्र आपण दिलें असे ॥२९॥
jarī bhītīla adhikārī | tarī dhānya deīna ātāmci gharīm | gurem bāmdhīna tyāmce dvārīm | patra āpaṇa dilem ase ||29||
If the officials are worried, then I will give the grain right now at their house; I will even tether cattle at their door — I have already given my bond.
He backs his word with tangible collateral, showing that faith in the guru does not exempt him from taking full responsibility for his worldly promises.
Back your convictions with concrete responsibility, not just words.
अधिकारी म्हणती तयासी । आम्हां चिंता असे कायसी । पेंवें ठाउकीं असतीं आम्हांसी । धान्य असे अपार ॥३०॥
adhikārī mhaṇatī tayāsī | āmhām cimtā ase kāyasī | pemvem ṭhāukīm asatīm āmhāmsī | dhānya ase apāra ||30||
The officials said to him: what worry do we have? We already know where the storehouses are — there is grain in abundance.
The officials' confidence, resting on visible abundance elsewhere, will soon be overturned by the coming famine — a quiet irony building in the background.
Hold worldly confidence lightly; circumstances can change faster than certainty allows for.
इतुकें होतां शूद्र देखा । पीक कापिलें मनःपूर्वका । उभा असे मार्गीं ऐका । श्रीगुरु आले परतोनि ॥३१॥
itukem hotām śūdra dekhā | pīka kāpilem manaḥpūrvakā | ubhā ase mārgīm aikā | śrīguru āle paratoni ||31||
While this was happening, behold, the śūdra had cut the crop with full resolve; he stood there on the road, look, as Śrī Guru came back.
His resolve completed exactly on schedule — he meets the returning guru having fulfilled the command in full, whatever the cost.
Complete what you have committed to before reporting back, rather than stopping halfway.
नमन करुनि श्रीगुरुसी । शेत कापिलें दाविलें त्यांसी । श्रीगुरुनाथ म्हणती तयासी । वायां कापिलें म्हणोनि ॥३२॥
namana karuni śrīgurusī | śeta kāpilem dāvilem tyāmsī | śrīgurunātha mhaṇatī tayāsī | vāyām kāpilem mhaṇoni ||32||
Bowing to Śrī Guru, he showed him the cut field; Śrī Gurunātha said to him: you have cut it needlessly.
The guru's remark — 'needlessly' — seems to mock the devotee's sacrifice, the final twist of the test before its true purpose is revealed.
Do not be discouraged if the value of your sacrifice isn't acknowledged right away.
विनोदें तुज सांगितलें । तुवां निर्धारें कापिलें ।; म्हणे तुमचें वाक्य भलें । तेंचि कामधेनु मज ॥३३॥
vinodem tuja sāmgitalem | tuvām nirdhārem kāpilem |; mhaṇe tumacem vākya bhalem | temci kāmadhenu maja ||33||
I told it to you as a jest; you, however, cut it with true resolve. He said: your word is precious to me — that alone is my wish-fulfilling cow.
The guru reveals it was a test of sincerity, not a literal demand — and now praises the shudra's total obedience as more valuable to him than any actual crop.
Treat a person's genuine trust in you as more precious than any material outcome.
ऐसें ऐकोनि श्रीगुरु म्हणती । निर्धार असेल तुझे चित्तीं । होईल अत्यंत फळश्रुती । चिंता न करीं म्हणोनियां ॥३४॥
aisem aikoni śrīguru mhaṇatī | nirdhāra asela tujhe cittīm | hoīla atyamta phaḷaśrutī | cimtā na karīm mhaṇoniyām ||34||
Hearing this, Śrī Guru said: if this resolve remains firm in your heart, the fruit of it will be exceedingly great; do not worry, he said.
The guru promises that steadfast resolve, once proven, will yield disproportionate blessing — faith tested is faith rewarded.
Keep your resolve steady after a hard trial; the true reward often comes only after the test is passed.
ऐसें सांगोनि श्रीगुरुनाथ । आले आपण ग्रामांत । सवें शूद्र असे येत । आपुले घराप्रती गेला ॥३५॥
aisem sāmgoni śrīgurunātha | āle āpaṇa grāmāmta | savem śūdra ase yeta | āpule gharāpratī gelā ||35||
Having said this, Śrī Gurunātha himself returned to the village; the śūdra came along with him, and went on to his own home.
The guru's simple companionship on the walk home is itself a quiet honor — walking beside the devotee he has just tested and blessed.
After a difficult trial has passed, accompany and support the person who endured it.
पुसावया लोक येती समस्त । होतसे त्याचे घरीं आकांत । स्त्री-पुत्र सर्व रुदन करीत । म्हणती आमुचा ग्रास गेला ॥३६॥
pusāvayā loka yetī samasta | hotase tyāce gharīm ākāmta | strī-putra sarva rudana karīta | mhaṇatī āmucā grāsa gelā ||36||
People came to ask what had happened; there was an uproar at his house; his wife and children were all weeping, saying: our sustenance is gone.
The family's grief continues even as the resolution is already underway — the narrative holds the human cost visible rather than glossing over it.
Do not rush past others' grief just because you already know the outcome will be good.
शूद्र समस्तां संबोखी । न करीं चिंता रहा सुखी । गुरुसोय नेणिजे मूर्खीं । कामधेनु असे वाक्य त्यांचें ॥३७॥
śūdra samastām sambokhī | na karīm cimtā rahā sukhī | gurusoya neṇije mūrkhīm | kāmadhenu ase vākya tyāmcem ||37||
The śūdra consoled them all: do not worry, remain at peace; fools do not understand the guru's way — his word is a wish-fulfilling cow.
He now becomes the one offering assurance to his frightened family, having internalized the guru's promise fully as his own conviction.
Once you have gained conviction through experience, share that steadiness with those still afraid.
एकेकाचे सहस्त्रगुण । अधिक लाभाल तुम्ही जन । स्थिर करा अंतःकरण । हानि नव्हे मी जाणें ॥३८॥
ekekāce sahastraguṇa | adhika lābhāla tumhī jana | sthira karā amtaḥkaraṇa | hāni navhe mī jāṇem ||38||
You will gain a thousandfold more than what each of you had; steady your hearts — there will be no loss, I know it well.
His confident promise to his family mirrors the guru's own promise to him — trust, once received, is passed forward to others.
Pass on the reassurance you have received to those who depend on you.
नर म्हणतां तुम्ही त्यासी । शिवमुनि असे भरंवसीं । असेल कारण पुढें आम्हांसी । म्हणोनि निरोपिलें ऐसें मज ॥३९॥
nara mhaṇatām tumhī tyāsī | śivamuni ase bharamvasīm | asela kāraṇa puḍhem āmhāmsī | mhaṇoni niropilem aisem maja ||39||
Even if you call him merely a man, know with certainty that he is a Śivamuni; there must be some purpose ahead for us — this is what he told me.
The devotee insists the guru's seeming ordinariness conceals a sage's true nature — outward appearance is not the measure of inward reality.
Do not judge someone's spiritual worth by their ordinary outward appearance.
श्रीगुरुकृपा होय ज्यासी । दैन्य कैंचें असे त्यासी । निधान जोडलें आम्हांसी । म्हणोनि तो शूद्र सांगतसे ॥४०॥
śrīgurukṛpā hoya jyāsī | dainya kaimcem ase tyāsī | nidhāna joḍalem āmhāmsī | mhaṇoni to śūdra sāmgatase ||40||
To whomever Śrī Guru's grace comes, what poverty can remain for them? We have found a treasure — so that śūdra says.
He names his true gain plainly: not the crop, but the guru's grace itself, which he now regards as an inexhaustible treasure.
Recognize that the deepest gain from a trial is often the trust and grace earned, not the material outcome.
नानापरीनें स्त्री-पुत्रांसी । संबोखीतसे शूद्र अति हर्षीं । इष्टवर्ग बंधुजनासी । येणेंचि रीतीं सांगतसे ॥४१॥
nānāparīnem strī-putrāmsī | sambokhītase śūdra ati harṣīm | iṣṭavarga bamdhujanāsī | yeṇemci rītīm sāmgatase ||41||
In many ways he consoled his wife and children, the śūdra, with great joy; to his close relatives and kin too, he told it in the very same manner.
His joy and conviction extend outward, becoming a testimony he repeats to his whole community, not kept private.
Share the lessons of your faith openly with your family and community, not just privately.
समस्त राहिले निवांत । ऐसे आठ दिवस क्रमीत । वारा वाजला अति शीत । ग्रामींचें पीक नासलें ॥४२॥
samasta rāhile nivāmta | aise āṭha divasa kramīta | vārā vājalā ati śīta | grāmīmcem pīka nāsalem ||42||
All remained calm; thus eight days passed; a bitterly cold wind blew, and the crop of the village was ruined.
The frost that ruins the surrounding village's crops sets up the coming contrast with the shudra's field — calamity for the doubters, blessing for the faithful.
Stay calm through a waiting period, even when outward events seem uncertain or troubling.
समस्त राष्ट्रींचें पीक देखा । शीतें नासलें सकळिका । पर्जन्य पडिला अकाळिका । मूळनक्षत्रीं परियेसा ॥४३॥
samasta rāṣṭrīmcem pīka dekhā | śītem nāsalem sakaḷikā | parjanya paḍilā akāḷikā | mūḷanakṣatrīm pariyesā ||43||
The crop of the entire region, look, was ruined entirely by the frost; untimely rain fell out of season, under the Mūla nakṣatra, listen.
The astronomical detail — rain under the inauspicious Mūla constellation — marks the calamity as unmistakably a natural disaster, not incidental bad luck.
Recognize that widespread hardship sometimes strikes everyone equally, regardless of merit — what matters is how you have prepared.
ग्राम राहिला पिकेंवीण । शूद्रशेत वाढलें दशगुण । वाढले यावनाळ सगुण । एकेका अकरा फरगडेंसीं ॥४४॥
grāma rāhilā pikemvīṇa | śūdraśeta vāḍhalem daśaguṇa | vāḍhale yāvanāḷa saguṇa | ekekā akarā pharagaḍemsīm ||44||
The village was left without any crop at all; the śūdra's field grew tenfold; the millet grew abundantly, each single stalk bearing eleven side-shoots.
The reversal is total: where the village starved, the shudra's cut-down field returned tenfold — the guru's promised blessing made visible in astonishing yield.
Trust that what seems like sacrifice can return manifold, even when the timing and manner of the return can't be predicted.
पीक झालें अत्यंत । समस्त लोक विस्मय करीत । देश राहिला स्वभावें दुष्कृत । महदाश्चर्य जहालें देखा ॥४५॥
pīka jhālem atyamta | samasta loka vismaya karīta | deśa rāhilā svabhāvem duṣkṛta | mahadāścarya jahālem dekhā ||45||
The crop grew exceedingly; all the people marveled; the region otherwise remained naturally bereft of any yield — a great wonder had come to pass.
The public marvel confirms what the devotee alone had trusted in private — faith vindicated in full view of the doubting community.
Let results, when they come, quietly validate a trust you never abandoned.
ते शूद्रस्त्री संतोषोनि । शेता आली पूजा घेऊनि । अवलोकीतसे आपुले नयनीं । महानंद करीतसे ॥४६॥
te śūdrastrī samtoṣoni | śetā ālī pūjā gheūni | avalokītase āpule nayanīm | mahānamda karītase ||46||
That śūdra's wife, with joy, came to the field bringing worship offerings; beholding it with her own eyes, she rejoiced greatly.
The very wife who had once called her husband mad now brings worship to the field — her doubt transformed into devotion by direct witness.
Be willing to revise your earlier judgment when the evidence before your eyes proves you wrong.
येऊनि लागे पतीचे चरणीं । विनवीतसे कर जोडूनि । बोले मधुर करुणावचनीं । क्षमा करणें म्हणतसे ॥४७॥
yeūni lāge patīce caraṇīm | vinavītase kara joḍūni | bole madhura karuṇāvacanīm | kṣamā karaṇem mhaṇatase ||47||
She came and fell at her husband's feet; entreating with joined hands, she spoke in sweet words of remorse: please forgive me, she said.
Her humble apology models how to make amends honestly once one recognizes an earlier failure of faith.
When you have doubted or wronged someone unfairly, apologize plainly and without excuse.
अज्ञानमदें अति वेष्टिलें । नेणतां तुम्हांसी अति निंदिलें । श्रीगुरु कैंचा काय ऐसें म्हणितलें । क्षमा करणें प्राणेश्वरा ॥४८॥
ajñānamadem ati veṣṭilem | neṇatām tumhāmsī ati nimdilem | śrīguru kaimcā kāya aisem mhaṇitalem | kṣamā karaṇem prāṇeśvarā ||48||
Wrapped entirely in the pride of ignorance, not knowing better, I slandered you greatly; I said 'what guru, what is this' — forgive me, O lord of my life.
Her confession names her fault precisely — the arrogance born of ignorance — the same fault the earlier chapter warned against.
Name your own fault honestly when apologizing, rather than offering a vague or evasive regret.
ऐसें पतीसी विनवोनि । शेतींचे पांडवांसी पूजोनि । विचार करिती दोघेजणी । श्रीगुरुदर्शना जावें आतां ॥४९॥
aisem patīsī vinavoni | śetīmce pāmḍavāmsī pūjoni | vicāra karitī doghejaṇī | śrīgurudarśanā jāvem ātām ||49||
Having thus entreated her husband, and worshipping the Pāṇḍavas of the field, the two of them together decided: let us now go for Śrī Guru's darśana.
Reconciled, husband and wife turn together toward gratitude — first honoring the field's guardian deities, then setting out to thank the guru in person.
After reconciliation, turn together toward gratitude and shared purpose.
म्हणोनि सर्व आयतीसीं । पूजों आलीं श्रीगुरुसी । स्वामी पुसती तयांसी । काय वर्तमान म्हणोनियां ॥५०॥
mhaṇoni sarva āyatīsīm | pūjom ālīm śrīgurusī | svāmī pusatī tayāmsī | kāya vartamāna mhaṇoniyām ||50||
So, with all due preparations, they came to worship Śrī Guru; the master asked them: what is the news? he said.
The guru's simple, unassuming question — 'what news?' — belies his own foreknowledge, letting the couple tell their own story of transformation.
Let others narrate their own journey of change rather than speaking for them.
दोघेंजण स्तोत्र करिती । जय जया शिवमुनि म्हणती । कामधेनु कुळदैवती । तूंचि आमुचा देवराया ॥५१॥
doghemjaṇa stotra karitī | jaya jayā śivamuni mhaṇatī | kāmadhenu kuḷadaivatī | tūmci āmucā devarāyā ||51||
The two of them offered hymns of praise: victory, victory to the Śivamuni! You are the wish-fulfilling cow, our family deity — you alone are our lord and king.
The couple now elevate the guru to the place of their own family deity — the highest devotional acknowledgment a household can give.
Give the highest honor in your household to whoever has truly guided your family through hardship.
तुझें वचनामृत आम्हां । चिंतामणिप्रकार महिमा । पूर्ण जाहलें आमुचें काम्य । शरण आलों तुज आजि ॥५२॥
tujhem vacanāmṛta āmhām | cimtāmaṇiprakāra mahimā | pūrṇa jāhalem āmucem kāmya | śaraṇa ālom tuja āji ||52||
Your nectar-like word to us carries the glory of a wish-fulfilling gem; our desire has now been fully accomplished — we have come today to take refuge in you.
They name the guru's spoken word itself as the true wish-fulfilling jewel — the source of their blessing was his promise, kept.
Value a kept promise as more precious than any single gift.
'भक्तवत्सल' ब्रीद ख्याति । ऐसें जगीं तुज वानिती । आम्हीं देखिलें दृष्टांतीं । म्हणोनि चरणीं लागलीं ॥५३॥
'bhaktavatsala' brīda khyāti | aisem jagīm tuja vānitī | āmhīm dekhilem dṛṣṭāmtīm | mhaṇoni caraṇīm lāgalīm ||53||
'Lover of devotees' is your renowned epithet; thus the world praises you; we have witnessed it with our own eyes as proof — therefore we cling to your feet.
Their testimony converts hearsay reputation into personal, verified experience — they no longer merely repeat what others say of him.
Let your own tested experience, not just others' reputation, ground your trust.
नाना प्रकारें पूजा आरती । शूद्र-स्त्री करीतसे भक्तीं । श्रीगुरु संतोषले अतिप्रीतीं । म्हणती लक्ष्मी अखंड तुझे घरीं ॥५४॥
nānā prakārem pūjā āratī | śūdra-strī karītase bhaktīm | śrīguru samtoṣale atiprītīm | mhaṇatī lakṣmī akhamḍa tujhe gharīm ||54||
With many kinds of worship and lamp-offering, the śūdra-wife performed devotion with great love; Śrī Guru, greatly pleased, said: may Lakṣmī remain unbroken in your house.
The guru's final blessing — unbroken prosperity — completes the arc from poverty and doubt to abundance and firm faith.
Bless and encourage those who have grown in faith through a hard trial, so their newfound conviction is strengthened further.
निरोप घेऊनि दोघेंजण । गेलीं आपुले आश्रमासी जाण । करितां मास काळक्रमण । पीक जाहलें अपार ॥५५॥
niropa gheūni doghemjaṇa | gelīm āpule āśramāsī jāṇa | karitām māsa kāḷakramaṇa | pīka jāhalem apāra ||55||
Taking leave, the two of them went to their own dwelling; as the time of a month passed, the crop grew boundless.
The narrative moves swiftly to material fulfillment — the promised abundance materializes within the natural span of a month.
Give a hard-won commitment time to bear its full fruit before judging its outcome.
गतसंवत्सराहूनि देखा । शतगुण जाहलें धान्य अधिका । शूद्र म्हणतसे ऐका । अधिकारियासी बोलावोनि ॥५६॥
gatasamvatsarāhūni dekhā | śataguṇa jāhalem dhānya adhikā | śūdra mhaṇatase aikā | adhikāriyāsī bolāvoni ||56||
Compared to last year, look, the grain became a hundredfold more abundant; the śūdra, listen, said, calling for the official.
The staggering hundredfold increase fulfills, and exceeds, the guru's earlier promise of 'a thousandfold gain,' making the fruit unmistakable.
When your effort or faith is finally rewarded, be ready to act generously with the surplus, not just enjoy it privately.
शूद्र म्हणे अधिकारियासी । पीक गेलें सर्व गांवासी । रिता दिसतसे कोठारासी । आपण देईन अर्ध वांटा ॥५७॥
śūdra mhaṇe adhikāriyāsī | pīka gelem sarva gāmvāsī | ritā disatase koṭhārāsī | āpaṇa deīna ardha vāmṭā ||57||
The śūdra said to the official: the crop failed throughout the whole village; the storehouse appears empty — I will give half my share.
Having gained abundantly, the devotee immediately offers to share half with the officials and, implicitly, the struggling village — generosity as the natural fruit of grace received.
When you receive unexpected abundance, share generously with those around you who are struggling.
गतवत्सर-द्विगुण तुम्हांसी । अंगीकृत होय परियेसीं । धान्य जाहलें बहुवसीं । शताधिकगुण देखा ॥५८॥
gatavatsara-dviguṇa tumhāmsī | amgīkṛta hoya pariyesīm | dhānya jāhalem bahuvasīm | śatādhikaguṇa dekhā ||58||
What was agreed as double of last year's amount is accepted by you, listen; but the grain has become abundant — more than a hundredfold, see.
The narrator underscores the enormous gap between the modest sum the shudra had promised to pay and the vast wealth he actually reaped.
Honor the terms of an agreement even after circumstances have made you far wealthier than expected.
देईन अर्ध भाग मी संतोषीं । संदेह न करा हो मानसीं । अधिकारी म्हणती तयासी । धर्महानि केवीं करुं ॥५९॥
deīna ardha bhāga mī samtoṣīm | samdeha na karā ho mānasīm | adhikārī mhaṇatī tayāsī | dharmahāni kevīm karum ||59||
I will give half my share with joy — have no doubt in your mind about it. The officials said to him: how can we bring about a loss of righteousness by taking what is not ours?
The officials, moved by the devotee's generosity, decline to take more than is rightfully theirs — honesty answering honesty.
Meet others' generosity with equal integrity rather than taking advantage of their goodwill.
गुरुकृपा असतां तुजवरी । पीक जाहलें बहुतापरी । नेऊनियां आपुले घरीं । राज्य करीं म्हणती त्यासी ॥६०॥
gurukṛpā asatām tujavarī | pīka jāhalem bahutāparī | neūniyām āpule gharīm | rājya karīm mhaṇatī tyāsī ||60||
Since the guru's grace is upon you, the crop has flourished in so many ways; take it all to your own home and live prosperously, they told him.
Even the worldly officials now attribute the miracle to the guru's grace, publicly acknowledging what the devotee alone once believed.
Let even skeptical bystanders eventually witness, and acknowledge, the fruit of another's steady faith.
संतोषोनि शूद्र देखा । विप्रांसी वांटी धान्य अनेका । घेऊनि गेला सकळिका । राजवांटा देऊनि ॥६१॥
samtoṣoni śūdra dekhā | viprāmsī vāmṭī dhānya anekā | gheūni gelā sakaḷikā | rājavāmṭā deūni ||61||
With great joy, that śūdra, look, distributed grain generously to the Brāhmaṇas; taking the remainder, he went home, having duly given the king's share.
His prosperity flows outward in three directions — to officials, to Brahmins, and finally to his own household — generosity structuring his newfound wealth.
Structure your prosperity to give outward first — to duties, to community — before keeping the rest for yourself.
सिद्ध म्हणे नामधारकासी । श्रीगुरुचरित्र-महिमा परियेसीं । दृढ भक्ति असे सदा ज्यासी । कैंचें दैन्य तया घरीं ॥६२॥
siddha mhaṇe nāmadhārakāsī | śrīgurucaritra-mahimā pariyesīm | dṛḍha bhakti ase sadā jyāsī | kaimcem dainya tayā gharīm ||62||
Siddha says to Nāmadharak: such is the glory of the Śrī Guru-caritra, listen; for one whose devotion is ever firm, what poverty can remain in his house?
The narrator closes the story with its explicit moral — firm, unwavering devotion leaves no room for lasting poverty.
Cultivate steady, unwavering commitment as the real safeguard against future hardship.
सकळाभीष्ट तयासी होती । लक्ष्मी राहे अखंडिती । श्रीगुरुसेवा भावभक्तीं । म्हणे सरस्वती-गंगाधर ॥६३॥
sakaḷābhīṣṭa tayāsī hotī | lakṣmī rāhe akhamḍitī | śrīgurusevā bhāvabhaktīm | mhaṇe sarasvatī-gamgādhara ||63||
All his desires were fulfilled; Lakṣmī remained with him unbroken — through devoted service to Śrī Guru, says Sarasvatī-Gaṅgādhara.
The narrator's closing signature line reaffirms the chapter's teaching: sincere service to the guru is the true root of lasting prosperity.
Let devoted service, not mere ambition, be the root from which you seek lasting security.
इति श्रीगुरुचरित्रामृते परमकथाकल्पतरौ श्रीनृसिंहसरस्वत्युपाख्याने सिद्धनामधारकसंवादे शूद्रवरप्रदानं नाम सप्तचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ॥४७॥
iti śrīgurucaritrāmṛte paramakathākalpatarau śrīnṛsimhasarasvatyupākhyāne siddhanāmadhārakasamvāde śūdravarapradānam nāma saptacatvārimśo'dhyāyaḥ ||47||
Thus, in the nectar of Śrī Guru-caritra, the great wish-fulfilling tree of supreme stories, in the dialogue of Siddha and Nāmadharak, ends the forty-seventh chapter named 'The Granting of a Boon to a Śūdra.'
The formal colophon names the chapter's theme directly — grace extended to a devotee of low caste — underscoring that the guru's boon crosses social barriers.
Remember that true grace and reward are available to anyone who is sincere, regardless of social standing.
श्रीगुरुदत्तात्रेयार्पणमस्तु ॥ श्रीगुरुदेवदत्त ॥
śrīgurudattātreyārpaṇamastu || śrīgurudevadatta ||
May this be offered to Śrī Guru Dattātreya; O Śrī Guru Deva Datta.
The closing dedication offers the whole chapter back to the guru, completing the cycle of devotion the story itself describes.
Dedicate what you have gained back to its true source, rather than claiming it only for yourself.
( ओंवीसंख्या ६३)
( omvīsamkhyā 63)
(Verse count: 63)
A scribal note recording the traditional count of verses in this chapter, part of the text's careful transmission.
Appreciate the quiet diligence of those who preserve details accurately across generations.