Talk:Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa Blesses his Bhakta Puṇḍalika:Sant Jñāneśvara
By Vishal Agarwal
Sant Jñāneśvara’s father had become a sannyāsī, but he returned to his wife at the command of his guru. It was after his return to a householder’s life that Jñāneśvara and his siblings were born to the couple. In Hindu society, once a man becomes a sannyāsī, he cannot return to the state of a householder. Therefore, the society shunned the four children and refused to accept them in their midst.
The family therefore proceeded to Paithan, a town famous for its paṇḍitas, and the father begged them to admit the kids to their school. But the paṇḍitas mocked, saying that if the child’s name was already Jñāneśvara (the Lord of Knowledge) then what was the use of his going to school.
Suddenly, a waterman was seen goading his buffalo to move forward on the road. He addressed the buffalo by its name, Jñāna. The paṇḍitas laughed and said that even this buffalo was called Jñāna, so was there any difference between Jñāneśvara and the buffalo.
Jñāneśvara said that there was indeed no difference, for the same ātmā dwells inside all of us. Just then, the waterman whipped the buffalo because the creature was refusing to budge. As he hit the buffalo, the paṇḍitas were shocked to see that the marks of the lashes started appearing on Jñāneśvara’s back instead.
Jñāneśvara said that indeed no one is high or low because the same Paramātmā resides within us all.
The paṇḍitas would not give up. They said that if he and the buffalo were the same, then could that animal also chant the Vedas. Jñāneśvara walked up to the buffalo and placed his hand upon its head. To the astonishment of everyone, the buffalo started chanting the Veda mantras.
The arrogant paṇḍitas realized that Jñāneśvara and his siblings were sants, not ordinary children. They prostrated before them and sought forgiveness. They also offered to conduct the thread ceremony for the children.
However, the children decided to become ascetics, and therefore no longer needed the sacred thread. They left Paithan and became roaming ascetics. The buffalo Jñāna also followed the children wherever they went till its death.