09 Jul 2025
Restoring Health By Preaching True Spiritual Knowledge
In Hyderabad, a scholar was teaching the Purana, Ashtavakra Samhita. The scholar stopped at a verse. He was doubting that if he explained the meaning of that verse, the listeners would throw stones at him. It was a dialog between Janaka and Ashtavakra in the text. Janaka was the one who even tested Sage Shuka. That Samhita is the Vedanta Shastra that Ashtavakra, the teacher of Janaka, preached to Janaka. The meaning of that verse is as follows: “O Janaka! The soul who is the mother in this birth, due to the fascination of the physical body of her son, will be born as a wife in the next birth!” The scholar asked many people how to interpret this verse and they all hated that verse; not knowing what to do, he remained bedridden for six months due to the sorrow, unable to eat and drink, succumbed to illness and became weak. He developed a moral dilemma to know the actual meaning of that verse. Looking at his situation, some of Swami's devotees arranged for the meeting of Him with the scholar.
Swami praised that scholar and said, “Oh! How fortunate I am! Are there people who value spiritual knowledge so much in the Kali Yuga! I will definitely clear your doubt. First, you take food and drink”, saying thus, Swami forcibly made the scholar take food and drink. Then, Swami explained the verse as follows: “A film was shown in a cinema hall. In that, an actor and an actress acted as mother and son. Later, another film was shown in that hall. In that, the same actors played the roles of husband and wife. But those actors are neither mother and son nor husband and wife in reality. In the same way, the relationships among souls in this world are also the same! These relationships end when the physical bodies disappear.
We all know that when Arjuna saw Abhimanyu in heaven and approached him to embrace him, Abhimanyu asked, “Who are you?” Arjuna replied, “I am your father,” and Abhimanyu asked, “I have had millions of births. You are the father in which birth.” This means that when the physical body is gone, all these worldly bonds are destroyed like the shooting bonds of a movie. This is the meaning of the verse spoken by Ashtavakra. Therefore, instead of being fascinated by these unreal bonds, put effort for the real and eternal bond with God,” advises the great sage Ashtavakra. “How much is this verse valuable really!” explained Swami.
The scholar, shaking with joy at the explanation of the meaning of the verse, bowed down to Swami with tears in his eyes and praised Him, “Swami! You are truly Datta. No one except Datta can explain this like this.” The next day, the scholar began to teach the Purana and explained the meaning of the verse and made the people delighted. And with the gift of true knowledge from Swami, the scholar’s health was recovered.
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