Tathastu

Baba started walking down the narrow path towards Kanchi River. The sun had not yet come out but Baba’s eyes could see through this dim light. He had wrapped a thick shawl around him which was worn for years. The small holes on the shawl was making visible Baba’s creased skin. On the head, he had tied a dusky cloth like a pagadi to support his long, tangled, uncut hair. Those hair had seen almost forty years. They grew once and stayed with Baba for years on his head, twisting and turning in each other. Like his hair, his one shawl, two dhotis and the head cloth had been there with Baba for many years. Though they were frayed and old, neither Baba nor them were ready to give up each other. As soon as he reached the shore, he took out his head cloth and shawl. Then he reached to take out his Rudra rosary. He kissed it and let it touched to his forehead.

Kanchi was still cold as there was no sun to make its water warm. Baba’s body shivered for a moment and then it merged into the water. He took water in his cupped palms and let it flew over his head and behind his back. Once, twice, thrice……

Then he continued his bath. With each drop of water flowing onto his body, there were numerous names of Gods and Goddesses. With each plunge into the water, there was holy chanting. It took several minutes for him to come out of water and the sun to come on the horizon. When both came out, they both had their own shine and shimmer.

Nobody knew from where he had come from. Nobody knew who he was. Many years before, a drunkard, named Aabla saw a half naked man sitting on the mountain under a banyan tree. His eyes were closed and he was chanting something.

Aabla, who was already high with liquor, thought that he was the Saint sent by God for his survival. He was to marry his daughter off the other day. But the Groom’s parents were expecting Dowry with the bride. He was a poor farmer. Whatever he had earned was kept for his only daughter’s marriage. But that money was not enough to pay off dowry. As usual, Aabla got drunk, the only solution, he thought to solve his problem. Waggling and drawling with a bottle of liquor, he reached Kanchi. For a few moments, he blurred and cursed the God for making him helpless where he could not earn enough money for his daughter. He started throwing pebbles in the water and cursed his wife who did not bring enough dowry from her parents.

After sometime he realized, the bottle was empty. He sat on the shore. He had only last ten rupees left to buy another bottle. Then he saw Baba up on the peak. He was glad to find him. Baba had still his eyes closed. Aabla went and fell on his feet. He started crying, blurring everything out to Baba.

When Baba opened his eyes, he could not comprehend what Aabla was saying. But his face was enough pity to understand that the poor soul was in trouble. Baba touched his forehead. He gave him an apple and said “Tathaastu”. Aabla took the apple home and gave it to his daughter to eat. Poor girl did not have her food in the noon, she ate the apple contently. Next morning there was a miracle. Groom came down and told Aabla that though his parents wish for dowry, He did not want anything else but his daughter.
Aabla was shocked to experience Baba’s apple’s effect so soon. He asked his wife to make food and took it to the river Kanchi. He wanted to thank Baba.

When he reached there, he saw Baba sitting in the same position as yesterday. He went to him and called him. But Baba’s eyes were closed tightly. Aabla waited for a few minutes there. Baba did not open his eyes. Aabla did not wish to disturb him. He just kept the food in front of him and went off.

Although, while returning from the Kanchi, he spread out the news of Baba’s arrival and his live experience of the apple. Soon people of Balarapura came to visit Baba. Baba had just finished his delicious food, brought by Aabla and he was back to his meditation.

People reached onto the peak of the mountain. They started touching Baba’s feet. He got surprised to see such a huge crowd, bending on his feet. He looked at each of them with a blank look.
One of the villagers asked him’ “ Baba, where are you from?”
Another asked, “ Baba, are you really a God sent for our village?”
Another asked,” what shall we call you?”

Baba looked at all of them. He did not answer to any of their many questions. He closed his eyes again and did not open until everyone was gone. People of Balarapura waited for hours for Baba to open his eyes. But he did not open. After a while Aabla came in front and told his fellow villagers that they should leave now and let Baba have his own privacy for his meditation.

“…he does not like to speak…” , he said in hissed voice.

”…he will just look at you and he will understand your problem. Trust me, he did the same to me too. I think, we should just go to him when we have problems…” , while coming home Aabla said.

“But what should we call him?”. a curious villager asked.

“We shall call him Goonga Baba. He does not speak but he only listens to our problems.” ,Somebody said.

Thus, from that day, Baba had been staying on the peak of the mountain near Kanchi river. At nights, he would take rest in the small cave of the mountain and at day time, he would sit and meditate. People of Balarapura had started having faith in Baba. Whenever there was any trouble faced by villagers, they would visit Baba. They will tell him and Baba would simply listen to them, looking straight into their eyes. He would not say a word or even grunt his assent but only at the end, he would end the session with a “Tathaastu”. And there would be an end to the problem.

If there were no rains that year, Baba’s “Tathaastu” would have rains. If there were not enough grains , his “one word” would spread plentiful harvest. Sometimes Baba used to give people fruits or sometimes water from his small water pot. Whatever was received by Baba was used to be accepted as holy as God’s gift.

When Badami got pregnant for the fourth time, her husband took her to Baba in the eighth month with their youngest daughter. He was hoping a son at least this time. He put his head on Baba’s feet and asked for a baby boy. Then Badami touched his feet, with her daughter. After all she was a mother. She prayed Baba in her mind for a healthy child. She begged not to have a child like her neighbour’s son, Timu who had a short leg than the other and crippled all the way. Baba touched the little girl’s cheek. He looked at the woman and said “Tathaastu”.
Little girl asked her mother, Ma, what is Tathaastu?”
Her mother explained, “ It means, “Let it happen.”

Few days later, Badami gave birth to one more child. This time a healthy girl child. Badami was happy but her husband was not. He was surprised to see Baba’s blessing going useless. Although that year, his all mango trees blossomed with plenty of fruits. People said that the newly born girl had brought luck to their family. Badami’s husband was happy now. He took mangoes to Baba and kept them on his feet. He apologized for whatever he thought and said, “…please bless us like this always Goonga Baba…”
Baba just smiled and said, “Tathaastu”.

Balarapura’s mad Paru was also ‘made’ a big devotee of Baba. Her old mother, frustrated by her harebrained daughter, got her to Baba. She wished that nobody in the village but Baba should only take care of her daughter. Paru was almost in her thirties by then. Her mother thought that anyways her lunatic daughter is of no use. It would be great honour if Paru serves Baba as his disciple. Baba said, “Tathaastu” and since then Paru was seen on the mountains near Kanchi river. According to the villagers, she was blessed with Baba’s powers and showed her appearance very rarely to others. She did not even come to see once when her mother died.
“Only blessed souls like Paru can really give up materialistic bonds…”, people would say in her honour.

A few opposed to believe in Baba initially. Annaa was one of them. He was a huge, fat money-lender. He hardly had faith in the God, having faith in a “Human God”, who never said a word beyond “Tathaastu”, was impossible for him. Once when he was crossing Kanchi to go to the town, he saw Baba near the river. Baba saw Annaa sitting in a small yacht, going to the other side. He neglected Baba thoroughly.

After that nobody had ever seen Annaa again. People of Balarapura heard that his body was found in the forest with his two helpers. All the three men were half eaten by some wild animals. That day they heard Paru laughing and running in the mountains. After that nobody ever disrespected Goonga Baba.

Sometimes Baba used to leave the mountains for few days. People would say,” Goonga Baba has disappeared ..”. And when he used to come back, people would gather in front of him and ask him, where he was. But he would just smile and close his eyes to go back in the trance.

As pre decided by the villagers, every house would bring food in the afternoon and at night each day for Baba. They would keep the food in front of Baba, where he used to be deeply lost in contemplation. Nobody knew what Baba did the rest of the day. Many people offered him their own houses. But Baba never even listened to them. People wanted Baba to have their love and service. They wanted to show Baba that they were thankful for everything he had done for Balarapura.

“Why can’t we have a puja near the river for Baba?”, a devotee suggested.

“No, he will not like that. He does not even like us going and roaming there unnecessary.” , somebody said.

Another devotee suggested that they should build a temple for Baba in the village, “….so that he would stay with us here in the village..”

“Yes, yes. Then we will be also lucky enough like Paru Maa to be near by him.”

They all agreed to built a temple for Baba. But they did not want him to know for sure. “What if he would refuse?..”

When Baba came out of the Kanchi that day, he saw Paru running and laughing alone near the Banyan tree. He smiled and went to her. He grabbed her by her hand and took her inside the cave.
Poor Paru did not even notice that her clothes were off her body again. She did not oppose Baba and his hands running over her naked body. She laid under him for few hours and when Baba finished with his blessings, she took her sari and went outside the cave. After many days, Paru Maa showed her appearance to the villagers….running through the mountains. They were happy to see her.

Since her mother had left her to Baba, she had been fortunate to be blessed by Baba like this. Initially, she was not used to the service, she had to provide to Baba. But gradually, she did not find it strange or weird. Rather she did not understand what was going on. The blessings showered on her every now and then..

Many days passed and there was again a trouble heard in the Balarapura. Bali, teenage florist, went to the other side of the river one day. She was good at making beautiful garlands of wild flowers. She had heard of the red, tiny flowers on the other side of the Kanchi. She was happy to find them in the forest. While picking up the flowers in a small bucket, she went ahead in the narrow jungle. When she turned back, a dark, black panther jumped on her. On the next moment, she died. The tiny, red flowers in the bucket got spread with Bali’s blood on the ground. When people searched for her, they received her half fleshed body far in the forest. The series of killing continued. People were scared to pass near Kanchi.

When they went to Baba, he was in his cave, resting after offering his blessings on Maa Paru. People of Balarapura thought Baba had disappeared again. They all were worried. “If Baba is not there, then who will save us from that beast in the jungle..”, they thought. Next day when Baba was seen again at the peak of the mountain, people gathered and begged for mercy. They told him about Bali and her blood drenched body.

They said, “Baba, we know that you do not like our interference in your contemplation. That is why you leave us like this and disappear .Please get rid of this wild beast and we will not trouble you like this.”
Baba just listened to them and smiled. He said, ”Tathaastu”. People got relief. That night they all slept peacefully.

Few days there was no roaring of the beast, neither there was fear in the minds of the people. They thought, Goonga Baba’s “Tathaastu” had freed them from the dark shadows of the wild creature. People stopped their intervention near the mountains or even near Kanchi as promised. But the food was kept every day and night for Baba.

Goonga Baba got rest after many days. But he was missing Paru. He had not blessed her for many days. Next day when he went for a bath in the Kanchi, he saw Paru on the other side. When he reached there, she started running in the forest, giggling and laughing. Baba followed her, on a narrow path, she stopped near a tree. She knew what was going to follow. When she looked back. She saw Baba, walking slowly towards her, and she saw the wild black beast was following Baba. He was roaring and thriving behind him. Paru got scared and she screamed, “Beastsss……”.

But Baba still came walking towards her. She screamed again ,”…beast…he will eat you…”, her insane mind made her laugh again. Baba saw her laughing, “Tathaastu”, he said. She giggled again and looked at the beast notoriously. He was still following him but now speedily. She again sniggered and said,”….he is going to kill you…”. Baba reached his hand towards her and again said, “ .. I can not hear but I can feel you ….”
She repeated again, “…you will die…”
Baba said, “ Tathaastu”.
Wild beast came and jumped on Baba from behind. Within a spur of a moment he was taken away by him. Paru screamed and screamed but only Baba’s blood could reach her face.

Next morning when a devotee went to keep the food on the peak of the mountain, he saw Paru sleeping under the Banyan tree. Her hair were open and her forehead was red. The devotee searched for Baba, but he had disappeared again. For many days, villagers did not see Baba but only Paru Maa on the peak of the mountain.
They thought, Goonga Baba has disappeared and given us Paru maa to heal our troubles…”
They forgot about Baba and started visiting Paru Maa.
She would listen to their problems and giggle and say…”Tathaastu…”

__END__