श्री सत्यप्रमोद स्वामीजीच कुंभकोणम संचार॑ - Original Post by Shri. Gopalrao Kowlikar.

“श्री सत्यप्रमोद स्वामीजीच कुंभकोणम संचार॑” was posted in English in mdmsin.com/forum/virtual onTa by Shri. Gopalrao Kowlikar on 1—03-2014. His original post and my Tanjore Marathi translation are given below. 

Original post by Shri. Gopalrao Kowlikar

Translated into Dakshini Marathi

This happened some fifteen years back when Sri Sathyapromodaru was in Kumbakonam on Sanchara and was staying in our ancestral house there. I was employed in Essar group and was on the Board of Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank and had gone to Tuticorin for a Board Meeting. I got a call from a sishya of the U.M to say that two days from that day a Bisksha Vandanam was organised for the swamiji in a Sihsya of the Mata and the Gruhastha’s mother passed away and I should reach Kumbakonam to substitute for the Biksha that could not take place. After the Board meeting I motored down to Kumbakonam and met the swamiji and offered my pranams. Next day after the Bikshavandanam in our house in the evening Swamiji was relaxing and I had a private audience with him with my second son. I enquired about the origin of the name Uthiradhi Mata and asked him does it mean Uthira = north Aadi =and others meaning north and beyond north mata. He explained to me that Uthira as is Uthira Gopathir Goptha of Vihsnu sahasranamam Uthira is hamsa ad Vishnu is Paramahamsa being the one who knows the good and bad and accordingly deals with them, and as the Mata was founded by the Paramahamsa = Uhtira himself it is called Uthiradhi Mata. The conversation then veered towards, dhana and dharma and being pious etc. The swamiji told me a story . I now quote the Swamiji “ In a small town on the banks of a river there lived a pious rich erudite Brahmin who had made it his daily obligation to take care of visiting pious men and host them. On a particular day a pious man had visited the town and was camping by the banks of the river. The rich man came to to about it and went to see the pious man with ONE of his sons. He made offerings and prayed to the pious man to visit his house for athithi sathkara. The pious man agreed but on a condition that he will not take food in any person’s house who tells a lie, and went on the quiz the rich man as to how many sons he had. The rich man replied “only one son and he was accompanying him and present before the pious man”. Next the rich man was asked about his wealth to which the rich man replied that he has a few crores worth only say about four to five crores only. Satisfied the pious man said after finishing his anushtanas he will come to the rich man’s house and that the rich man should send his son the guide the pious man to the rich man’s house. The rich man went back home and made arrangements for welcoming the pious man and the bikshavandanam and was waiting for the pious man’s arrival. After a few hours he sent ANOTHER of his sons to fetch the pious man. On seeing a new face the pious man asked who he was and when told that he was a son of the rich man refused to go over to the the rich man’s house as he has been told a lie about the number of sons. The boy rushed back home and told his father what happened, The rich man said he will explain and went to the river bank and pleaded with the pious man to come home saying he will come to know that the rich man was not telling a lie. In the meanwhile at his house all were engrossed in their work and the son who went first to see the pious man was in the garden arranging for banana leaves for the lunch. The house had a sloping roof and the façade was low that one had to bend to enter the house ( in olden days houses were built that way serving two purposes one to enter the house with humility by bending their head and two to prevent any thief who has entered the house rushing out as the thief will get his by the low facade). All were busy and no one in the front of the house to receive them. On seeing this the rich man rushed inside to alert them about the arrival of the pious man but in the hurry got knocked off in the head by the low façade and fell down unconscious. No one seemed to bother and no first aid or any such thing happened. The pious man was also stunned. By now the son who had gone to fetch the leave and who was the one who went with his father to invite in the first instance the rich man returned and seeing father on the floor fallen, rendered assistance and first aid and made his father comfortable. After he regained consciousness the rich man looked at the pious man and said “ Swamin, now you know why I said I have only one son and that is this boy who takes care of me and all other though born to me are of no use to me and I have given about 4 crores of rupees as dhana and only that is mine and all the other riches are for the family. You will now know I did not lie” Happily the pious man had his bikshavandanam there. After finishing the story the Swamiji told me that only that which you give away in charity is yours and therefore keep doing charity. Even though in writing it is longish Swamiji told in this story in a few minutes and I still remember and try and do my little bit.

पंध्रा वर्षाच पुढे झालते हे. श्री सत्यप्रोमोदतीर्थ ह्येनी त्यंच संचाराच वेळी कुंभकोणमाला आल्होते अणी अम्च घरांत राह्त होते. ते वेळी मी "एस्सार" ग्रूपांत उद्योगांत होतों अणी तमिल नाड मेर्कंटैल बॅन्कांत॑ डैरक्टर म्हणूनीं होतों. बॅन्काच बोर्ड-मीटिंगाकरतां मी तूतुकुडीला गेल्होतों. तद्दी उत्तरादि मठांतून मला एक फोन-कॉळ आल॑. विषय काय म्हणजे, कुंभकोणमांत॑ स्वामीजीला भिक्षा-वंदन॑ एक घरांत व्यवस्था झाल्होते, पण ते गृहस्थाच मायेच मृत्यू होऊनगेल॑ ते करतां पुढे कार्यक्रम मीच चालिवाम॑ म्हणून सांगिट्ले. कार्यक्रम दोन दिवसाच नंतर॑ होयाच होत॑ अणी मी कुंभकोणमाला येऊनचसराम॑ अस॑ सांगिट्ले. बोर्ड-मीटिंग झालेव॑र मी कुंभकोणमाला जाऊन स्वामीजीला मझ॑ प्रणाम अर्पणा केलों. दुसर दिवस अम्च घरांत भिक्षा-वंदन झालेव॑र संध्याकाळी स्वामीजी आराम करत असताना त्यंच आशीर्वाद घ्याला मला अवसर मिळ्ळ॑. मझ॑ लोंक पणीं मझ॑ बरोर होता. उत्तरादि मठाला कस॑ ते नाव आल॑ म्हणून मी स्वामीजीला विचारलों. "उत्तर" म्हणजे "North" अणी "आदि" म्हणजे "And others", हेजांतून "उत्तरादि" म्हणून नाव आल का म्हणून मी विचारलत्याला स्वामीजी अस॑ सांगट्ले. विष्णु-सहस्रनामांत॑ "उत्तरो गोपतिर्गोप्ता" (उत्तर + गोपति + गोप्ता) म्हणाच्यांत॑ "उत्तर" म्हणजे "हंस॑". चोक्कोटीं वंगळीं (ओंगळीं) भेद करून तज-तज जोक्त॑ सांभाळाच विष्णु (म्हणजे, परमहंस) स्थापना केलते मठाला "उत्तरादि मठ" म्हणून नाव आल॑, अस॑ स्वामीजी मला कळिवले. नंतर॑, दान, धर्म, भक्ति असलते विषय बोलत असताना स्वामीजी हे एक खाणी सांगिट्ले :- " एक नदीच कांठशीच एक ल्हान गामांत॑ (गांवांत॑) एक ब्राह्मण होते. देवाच भक्ति, ऐश्वर्य अणी थोर पाडित्य हे सगळीं त्यांस॑ भरून होत॑. ते गामाला भक्त लोक॑ कोणीन आलेतर॑ त्यांस बेष उपचार करणे, राह्याच वसतीच व्यवस्था करणे असलते कर्तव्य अग्गीन तेनी फार श्रद्धांत करत होते. एक दिवस ते गामाला एक भक्त ब्राह्मण आले. तेनी नदीच कांठाकडे राहतात म्हणून ऐकून अम्च पल्लमदार ब्राह्मण समेच (सवेच) तिकड जाऊन प्रणाम करून अतिथी-सत्कार स्वीकार कराला त्यांस घराला बलावले. एक लोंक पणीं त्यंच बरोर गेल्होते. स्वीकार ओपताना तेनी एक विषय स्पष्ट केले. लटक॑ बोलाच मनुषांच घराला येऊन जेवण॑ करना, अस॑. "कित्ति लोंक तुम्हाला आहेत॑" अस॑ विचारताना "मझ॑ बरोर अत्ता आलते लोंक विना, दुसर॑ लोंक कोणीं मला नाही" अस॑ गामाच ब्राह्मण उत्तर देले. "तुम्ही कित्ति पैसावंत" अस॑ विचारलत्याला, "चार पांच कोटि आहे" म्हणून अम्च पल्लमदार म्हणट्ले. हे अग्गीन ऐकून संतोष झालते ब्राह्मण "उद्या (उजा) अनुष्ठान अग्गीन संपलाव॑र मी कंडिप तुम्च घराला येतों, पण वाट दाखिवाला लोंकाला पाठिवून देमते पडेल॑" अस॑ म्हणट्ले. अम्च ब्राह्मण घराला वापस येऊन भिक्षावंदनाला करामते व्यवस्था अग्गीन करून, भक्त ब्राह्मणाला बलाईंगून याला वेगळ॑ एक लोंकाला पाठिवले. पुढे पाह्यलते लोंकाच बद्दिल वेगळ॑ एक लोंकाला पाह्वून भक्त ब्राह्मण भिक्षावंदन स्वीकार कराला जायनास्क॑ राहून गेले. हे कळींगून अम्च ब्राह्मण त्यंचकडे जाऊन उजंड भव्यांत॑ घराला येऊन भिक्षावंदन स्वीकार कराला विचारींगट्ले. "घराला येऊन पाह्यलतर॑ मी लटक॑ सांगाट्लों नाही म्हणून तुम्हाला कळेल॑" म्हणून सांगिट्ले. हेज मध्ये घरांत अग्गि लोकेहीं त्यंच-त्यंच कामांत॑ होते. पुढे भक्त ब्राह्मणाला बलावाला गेलते लोंक जेवाला पह्जेते केळीच पान तोडाला बागांत होते. घर जुने काळाच होते अणी छत कस॑ होते म्हणजे, घराच आंत वेघाला डोस्के लवींगून जाम॑. (जुने काळाच घर अग्गीन असेच होते. हेला दोन कारण आहे. धराच आंत वेघणार अग्गीन भव्यांत डोस्के लवींगून आंत येम॑, हे एक कारण॑. दुसर॑ कारण काय म्हणजे, आंत वेघलते चोर्टे लोक बाहेर उत्तरून पळताना डोस्के बडींगून पडतील॑, हेच). घरांत अग्गि लोकेईं त्यंच-त्यंच कामांत॑ होते-ते-करतां भक्त ब्राह्मण याच अम्च ब्राह्मण विना वेगळ॑ कोणीं पाह्यल॑ नाही. आंतल॑ लोकांस॑ अग्गीन विवर सांगाकरतां तेनी पळून आंत घूंसताना डोस्के बडिवून मूर्च्छ होऊन खाले पडले. मूर्च्छांत पडलते यांस॑ बोध आणिवाला कोणीं कायीं केल नाही. हे पाव्हून भक्त ब्राह्मणाला भरून आश्चर्य वाटल॑. एवढ्यांत॑ केळीच पान तोडाला गेलते लोंक बाप खाले पडलसाच पाव्हून समेच काय-काय कराम की ते अग्गीन करून बापाला बोध आणिवून आश्वास केले. बोध आलाव॑र अम्च ब्राह्मण भक्त ब्राह्मणाला पाव्हून सांगिट्ले. "स्वामिन, अत्ता तुम्हाला कळ्ळसेल॑, मला एकच लोंक आहे म्हणून मी कां सांगिट्लों म्हणून. मझ॑ कष्टाच वेळ तो एकला मात्रच॑ मला सहाय कराच॑. दुसर॑ लोंक अग्गीन मलाच उजलते असूया, पण त्यनी कोणीं मला बरोर पाह्यींगाला तय्यार नाहीते. मी सुमार चार कोटी रुपे दान केलोहें. काय दान केलों की तेच मझ॑ आस्त॑. बाकी उरलते पूरा मझ॑ कुटुंबाला देलत्यास्क॑ मी म्हणींगतों ". खाणी संपिवताना स्वामीजी म्हणट्ले, "काय दान देतांत की तेच तुम्च संपत्त॑ अणी ते करतां दान करेत असांत॑". स्वामीजीच हे उपदेश आज पर्यंतीन मझान कित्ति अनुसरण कराला होते की मी करेतच आहें.