Vardaan 1...The Ultimate Boon

Chapter 18: Just Before the Destination (Part 2)

Hearing that, the first chhatar asked, "I understand the benefit, but I do not agree with the loss. Suppose I listen to my friend Kripaasen's music or listen to my friend Mohitesh's stories to pass the time, what kind of destruction am I doing in that?"

The question was appropriate, so some aacharyas also seemed to agree with that.

The senior chhatar went near to that student to answer. He put his hand on junior chhatar's shoulder and asked, "Suppose that in the third prahar (12 pm to 2 pm) of the Chaturthi (day four) of the month of Ashadha (the fourth month in the Hindu calendar, mostly known as rainy season), you listen to your friend's music to pass the time. Now think and tell, will that prahar of Ashadha ever return in your life?"

The first chhatar thought and answered 'no'.

"So in this way, you destructed that one prahar in the name of passing the time. That destruction was as minor as not being visible, but it was destruction anyway." When the senior chhatar replied, the whole assembly was stunned.

"Now think about how much you could have done for yourself in that prahar. A friend's music will always be with him as his capital, but what did you get? Now just think that if you get into the habit of listening to music for one prahar every day in the name of passing time? Think how much time of your life you will destroy?" The senior chhatar said.

After a while, the pradhanaacharya Deependra himself stood up and greeted the senior chhatar. Accepting the greeting, he said, "I had learned all this by losing a lot. No one else should make this mistake, so I am sharing my past and my experience."

On that day of Sanjh Satsang, all four had clapped along with everyone else, but today they understood the deep meaning of those things in a practical way. That's why while digging in the name of passing the time, they indulged in creativity.

Time was also passing and they had three ponds too.

One morning everyone woke up to the sound of Batuk crying. He was crying bitterly standing near his farm.

Everyone got scared and went to Batuk. Batuk was not able to say anything, so he pointed his finger toward his farm.

The land of the mound, bearing the brunt of infecundity, had become free from the curse. The tiny yellow plants growing in their fields were proof of that. No one could believe his eyes. They had worked so hard to grow seeds. They knew very well that that would happen one day, yet, no one believed it.

Dev kept on sobbing and all three cried a lot.

Before passing the rainy season completely filled all the three ponds they had built, but there was a decrease in their ration. There was little food left, so all four started fasting.

No one eats on the first day. For the next four days, one eats nothing for the whole day and the other three eat only once. On the sixth day, they eat two times and on the seventh day, they eat all three times. Everyone fasts again on the eighth day.

When the seeds grown by them started peeping out of the pits after becoming plants, the Rasik noticed that the rain must have shown wonders in the forest too.

Rasik and Batuk then started going to the forest and brought different kinds of fruits and berries every day. After two weeks, their body got used to fasting. Now everyone did not feel very hungry. Their days were passing well with the help of less ration and few fruits.

After two months the plants had grown so large that they were visible separately on the mound. The environment and scene of the mound had completely changed. Grey color all around and greenery in the middle. Some insects had taken shelter in the water of the ponds. Seeing the water and insects, the birds also came there to rest.

Life in the wilderness was less surprising and more confusing.

A similar illusion happened to a traveler who started quenching his thirst with the water of a distant river. He had come here many times before. He had complete knowledge of this area. When he saw the greenery on the mound, he understood that the sun and hunger had disturbed his mental balance.

The traveler drank a lot of water and jumped into the river. For a long time, he drenched himself with water. When he felt that he was back to normal, he came out. By now he had forgotten the illusion of greenery. While drying the clothes, suddenly his eyes fell on the mound and he got scared.

"The greenery is still visible, have I got some serious disease?" The traveler said to himself.

"What a disease God has inflicted, greenery is visible on the deserted hill... Oh Lord, forgive my sins. Save me, God." Saying the traveler ran away with the horse.

The traveler came a long way but the view of the mound could not be removed from his eyes.

"I have seen many illusions...but can an illusion be so beautiful as well?"

The traveler went on.

"If it looked so beautiful from afar, how would it look from up close?"

The traveler stopped the horse.

"At the time of destruction, Wisdom often starts creating illusions." Saying the traveler turned the horse.

The traveler quickly moved towards the mound. The view of greenery in uninhabited was so enticing that he came there knowing it to be an illusion.

The traveler's big eyes kept getting bigger and bigger as he came towards the hut on the mound. He was very happy to see the pond, hut, crops, and birds there.

"Oh, my lord... have I not died?" The traveler said so in fear as he thought that he just entered heaven as a soul.

The four friends came out of the hut after hearing the voice of the traveler. It really took some time for the traveler to believe that he was still alive and there was no illusion on the mound.

The traveler was so happy that he gave them his remaining chickpeas and Jaggery with great respect. After ten days all four felt very good after eating something. All four of them seemed to be Majestic young men to the traveler and for all of them, he was a great man.

Some time ago, the traveler, who was seeking forgiveness from God for his sins, had no idea of how many blessings he had unknowingly taken from these hungry people.

When friends ate grains after so many days they felt that now this difficult time is going to end. They requested the traveler to go through their Gurukul and describe everything to the pradhanaacharya that he saw at the mound. So that he would know that his four shishyas had completed their last examination in eight months and ten days.

Heeding their request, the traveler sent that news to Gurukul, and at the same time, he went on telling in every village and town on the way to his home that four miraculous youths had made the barren mound green.