What kind of mother is she!? Inducing a daughter, that too an innocent one – to inveigle an innocent sage? Using the piece of her own flesh as a pawn to kidnap a sage, who has not seen the world, by seducing him when his father is away?
Correctness or otherwise of a task has to be decided keeping in mind the purpose. If the purpose is good the task is not wrong even if it appears to be wrong; if purpose is bad then the task is not right even when it appears to be right!
Take for example “slitting the tummy of an innocent with a knife” – it is not right when done by a dacoit, but it is right when done by a doctor! Here the purpose of the dacoit is not good – slaying, purpose of the doctor is good – saving!
The Mother was not the least hesitant while sending her daughter to Rushyashrunga; because there was not a least bit of wrong intent. Steps of the daughter of that mother towards the hermitage displayed brave firmness; because there was no trace of any ill intention in her! She was not a divine damsel who had descended to spoil the penance of a sage; she was not heading to Rushyashrunga for fulfilling any mean desires! She stood before the doors of the hermitage offering herself for the service of the people of her motherland, if need be she was in such a sacred mental preparation that she was ready for the ultimate sacrifice in the bargain.
What an encounter was it! Glitter had stepped in front of grace; material enjoyment knocked on the doors of yogic enlightenment; fairy of illusion which is not ill-willed appeared before the icon of innocence!
Daughter of fallen woman drank the divinity of the sacred sage through her eyes. She wondered whether it is possible to be so chaste for a super soul who could save a state with the blinking of his eye! As a matter of fact real innocence and simplicity can be found only in sacred souls apart from children!
Rushyashrunga looked at her with bewilderment. He was not aware of a species called ‘female’ in the whole creation! He had seen only two humans; his father and himself! But the form in front of him was not like any of the two! The appearance was completely new to his eyes and mind! He had heard about other ascetics from his father though he had never seen one. But the figure in front did not appear to be matching with any such descriptions. How we will react if an alien appeared before us all of a sudden? Rushyashrunga was in such a state.
Eyes of the girl gleamed in esteem; the esteem echoed the sentiment – “he is the boon of our land”.
Eyes of the sage spoke in surprise; it meant “what is this new form?!”
The girl broke the silence. She had a task to complete. Moreover, he was learned, but not well-versed with the niceties of the world. Spiritual learning has no language! Though she did not have spiritual knowledge, she had the worldly knowledge, that was her language!
Hesitation never bothered her when she conversed with the sage. Where is the question of hesitation to talk to someone who was a newborn when it came to worldly wisdom?
Soul surrendered to the simplicity of the sage!
The young lady spoke to the sage in the language of affection; because beings connect and react from heart easily to the language of affection! Why only worldly beings, that language reaches even heavenly beings! Gopikas attained the proximity of Lord Krishna, which is not an easy path for any scholar; though there is no reference anywhere about their learning the nitty-gritty’s of grammar!
For the same reason her simple and natural conversation exchanging pleasantries provided much comfort to the sage. Great souls can quickly grasp the liking of another being.
Mother had informed her in advance about the innocence of Rushyashrunga. But the intensity of his innocence was beginning to sink in her when he started talking! Poor soul, there were no words to express female gender in his vocabulary! She had a bizarre feeling when he was addressing her with words indicating masculine gender!
There was no match for him, either for the stock of his greatness or the lack of his guile!
Rushyashrunga’s opening words: “Hey Man! Who are you? You resemble a creeper of light!?”
Rushyashrunga may have lacked the sense of gender, but he had knowledge of spirituality! He had recognized the specialty within her which she had never known! If an unknown form appears before us the first reaction is of bewilderment! Followed by suspicion! But Rushyashrunga did not see any ill-will in her; he saw only illumination!
Where is illumination in the daughter of a fallen woman? Don’t thumb your nose! Light has not imposed a rule on itself not to be in such houses! If there was no special grace within her persona Rushyashrunga would not have seen her as a ray of light! If she was not light she would not have even reached Rushyashrunga; would not have made him feel comfortable; she would not have succeeded in taking him anywhere like a child, and get great deeds done through him!
First impression and first expression of Rushyashrunga on her was “ऋध्या भवान ज्योतिरिव प्रकाषते!” It is not a case of light coming in search of darkness; it is a case of a ray of light coming and taking shelter in the tall tree of light.
When light joins darkness what results is a fight; when light joins light what results is a fun-filled duet!
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