Rameshwaram
is one of the prime places of pilgrimage. It is believed that the
lingam in temple at Rameshwaram was installed by the hands of Lord
Rama himself. No wonders it attracts hundreds of pilgrims every year.
I
am not a pilgrim. But I am a traveller for sure. I visited
Rameshwaram as a traveller. But I did not know that it would have
such great impact upon me.
I
reached Rameshwaram in the early morning by train. No sooner I got
out of the station I got a bus to go to the temple. I thanked God for
my luck. The bus dropped me at the car street. The streets were full
of hotels and lodges. I checked in one of those lodges.
I
had a bath and went to the main temple.
The
temple was grand. The columns with intricate designs had stood the
test of the time. There are many small wells in the temple complex.
They are believed to contain the waters of the holy rivers. You have
to buy a ticket. A person fetches water from each of the wells and
pours on you. I had come as a traveller and not as a pilgrim.
Needless to say that I was not interested in such things. I went to
the sanctum. Fortunately there were not many people at that point of
time. The lingam was decorated with fragrant flowers and sandal
paste.
I
came out of the sanctum and sat on the parapet. That was when an old
Sadhu approached me. I though that he would ask for alms. He
sprinkled some water from his kamandalu upon me. He told me that he
collected holy waters from all the wells. He also told me now that he
had sprinkled the water upon me, I had attained the merit of bathing
in all those waters. I thought that now he would ask for money. But
he did not ask for any money. He just disappeared. I searched for him
everywhere. But he was no where to be seen.
This
incident had a great impact upon me. I learnt that not everybody acts
with an intention of getting something in return. There are some
people who act selflessly. I do not know for sure whether the
kamandalu indeed contained waters from all the wells. I also do not
know whether that Sadhu was indeed a great Master or just a
mendicant. But for me that hardly matters. He had opened my eyes to a
reality that not everyone works for something in return.
That
incident at Rameshwaram had a great impact upon me. It made me
selfless. I was doing my duties without expecting anything in return.
That sage had imparted me a great moral lesson through his deed. Such
is the impact of that incident that it has made me generous.
This
blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger
for the launch of the #Fantastico
Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test
drive of the hatchback Zica today.
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