WHEN DIAMONDS LOSE THEIR SHINE

ॐ नमोः भगवते वासुदेवाय नमः ॥

Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya Namah

Over a century ago in the small village of Tirthalli, in the Shimmoga District of Karnataka, there lived a wealthy diamond merchant, Srinivasa Nayaka. Srinivasa Nayaka had inherited the jewellery business from his father. Being a shrewd businessman he had increased profits manifold. However, in the process of multiplying his wealth Srinivasa had become extremely greedy and materialistic. He was also an exceedingly miserly man.

A poor, old man used to come to Srinivasa’s store begging for money. Srinivasa being stingy and a hoarder of his wealth would never part with even a single coin. Time and again he shooed away the old man. Yet the old man persisted and kept visiting Srinivasa’s shop hoping that one day the rich jeweller would give him some alms. For almost a month the poor man kept coming.

Fed up with having to turn away the old man Srinivasa devised a plan to get rid of the man once and for all. He began collecting all the damaged and worthless coins. Then when the poor man once again arrived at his store, Srinivas stepped out and showing him the collection said, “Here take one of these coins and then never come back again.” The old man sadly picked one coin even though he knew that it was totally worthless and then he shuffled off down the street.

Not far from Srinivasa’s shop was an elegant home. The beggar decided that he would approach the residents of that house. He thought, “That looks like a decent house. Perhaps the people there will be a little more generous than this jeweller.”

The house was in fact Srinivasa’s house. The beggar knocked at the door and Srinivasa’s wife, Saraswathi Bai, opened the door. Seeing the old bedraggled man standing before her with his right palm outstretched the gentle, kind lady without even waiting for the man to say anything immediately said, “Sir, wait a moment, let me try to help you in whatever way I can.”

She rushed back into the house and searched frantically for some money but she found nothing. Her husband was so stingy that he made sure that there was no money left in the house. He did not want his wife to indulge in any wasteful expenses. But Srinivasa’s wife did not have the heart to turn away this old man. She was by nature a kind and generous woman. She desperately wanted to help the man. Then she thought to herself, “I do not have any money but I do possess something of value, my diamond nose stud that my mother gifted me. I will give this to him. She took the nose stud off her nose and headed to where the man stood waiting.

Saraswathi Bai said, “Sir, unfortunately I have no money with me but perhaps you could sell this nose stud and get some money to pay for your needs”

The raggedy old man gave her a beaming smile and thanked her profusely. He then thought to himself, “This is a beautiful piece of jewellery. Though the jeweller would not give me any money surely he would not turn away an opportunity to add this piece to his collection? I will go back to his jewellery store and sell it to him.”

When Srinivas saw the man return to his shop he rushed out and blocking his entry said, “I told you to go away. Leave right now. I have already given you alms. So don’t ever bother me again.”

The beggar opened his right palm in which he had held the nose stud tightly and said, “Sir I do not come to beg. I am here to ask you if you wish to buy this exquisite piece of jewellery.”

Srinivasa was taken aback. He looked at the nose stud and instantly recognized it as belonging to his wife.” He was livid. He immediately assumed that the man had stolen the ornament. He was determined to find out. Taking the nose stud from the man he pretended to examine it and then said, “Leave it with me. I will appraise it and give you the money tomorrow.”

The old man left. Srinivasa put the nose stud into a box and locked it away safely. He then headed directly home.

When Saraswathi Bai opened the door Srinivasa noticed right away that her nose stud was missing. Indignantly he enquired, “Where is your nose stud?”

Saraswathi Bai seeing her husband angry trembled with fear. She was not sure how she could explain the missing ornament to him. She knew that if she told him that she had given it away to an old man in need Srinivasa would never forgive her. In order to avoid facing her husband’s rage Saraswathi Bai rushed into the kitchen without answering. Srinivasa followed her. Being a religious and pious woman her only recourse was to turn to God. Saraswathi Bai began praying fervently to Lord Krishna, “Oh Krishna please come to my aid in this my hour of need. Please spare me my husband’s wrath.”

Not knowing what to do next Saraswathi Bai decided it was best to end her life. She opened a container of poison, closed her eyes, praying all the while, and was about to drink it when she heard a clinking sound as she lifted the cup. She opened her eyes and there in the container was her nose stud!

Saraswathi Bai could not believe her eyes. As she looked into the cup she knew that Lord Krishna had performed yet another miracle to save her. She took the nose stud out and handed it over to her husband. Srinivasa was astounded. He thought to himself, “How could this be possible? I am sure that the nose stud I locked in the safe was definitely the one belonging to my wife. Then how come it is now in this container that my wife brings from the kitchen?”

Once again Srinivasa rushed off but this time he headed back to his shop. Holding the stud in one hand he quickly unlocked the drawer - the box lay untouched. Srinivasa opened the box but to his horror he discovered that the nose stud was missing. Srinivas ran out of the store and began to search everywhere for the old man but he was nowhere to be found. What was even more astonishing was that no one had ever even seen such a man before. Srinivasa kept searching all through the village. As night fell, Srinivasa returned home exhausted. He began to realize that something very strange had just occurred. He went home and enquired of his wife, “Saraswathi, I will not be angry but please tell me the truth about what you did with the nose stud.

Saraswathi then truthfully narrated the whole story to her husband. She said, “I could not bear to see the condition of the old man and as I had no money to give him I gave him my nose stud. When you came in search of the ornament I was so frightened that I even considered drinking poison and dying. I turned to God and begged him to save me. Then when I picked up the cup to drink the poison I discovered not poison but my own nose stud in it.”

Srinivasa was aghast. This was a miracle. Suddenly a wave of shame enveloped him. He had actually accused an innocent man of stealing and also distrusted his faithful and dutiful wife. It then dawned on him that the old man he kept turning away time after time was none other than Lord Krishna himself. He despised himself for being so stingy and hard-hearted that he had even turned away the Lord from his own doorstep. He despised himself for being so avaricious and mean.

Since it was his wealth that had turned him into such a greedy and miserly man Srinivas decided that he would no longer keep his wealth, He was truly penitent. He gave away all his wealth to the needy and began a new life as a mendicant.

After wandering around for several years he met the holy Sage, Sri Vyasatirtha Guru, and became his disciple. Sage Vyasatirtha, gave him the title Purandara Dasa. The sage was also instrumental in helping Purandara Dasa discover his exceptional talent for composing music and singing.

Early every morning, Purandara Dasa would leave his home wearing tinkling anklets on his feet, a Tulasi Mala around his neck and carrying a Tamboora in his hands. He would spend all day wandering through the streets singing beautiful songs that he had composed himself, in praise of Lord Narayana. The songs he composed were in Kanada, The words were easy to understand and it was set to enchanting music. Wherever he went Purandara Dasa’s singing enthralled every one. The money or food that he received as biksha (alms) he would take back to his family. From a life of extravagant wealth he now lived a simple, frugal life and yet was supremely happy.

Purandara Dasa composed around 475,000 songs and each song was unique, simple and mostly in praise of Maha Vishnu. He sang about the life of Lord Krishna. In many of these songs, he also satirized the various pretensions and vices that prevailed in the society of that time. He made fun of the false Bhakthas (devotees) who professed all outward signs of Bhakti without a kind thought or any true devotion in their hearts.

Purandara Dasa formalized the music system. He devised a structure of graded lessons for the teaching of Carnatic music. Purandara Dasa identified 84 ragas. Each of his lyrics are beautiful musical compositions. His works touched a variety of musical types – Kritis, Keertans, Padams and even many rare forms of music. It is therefore not surprising that Purandara Dasa is considered to be the father of Carnatic Music.

LIFE LESSONS

1. From Srinivasa we learn that it is never too late to change our bad habits.

2. God gives us several opportunities to mend our ways, as he did with Srinivasa.

3. God forgives even the greatest sinners if they are truly repentant.

4. Like Purandara Dasa we too can discover that it is in giving others joy that we find our own greatest joy.

5. Just like Purandara Dasa we too should use the gifts that God has blessed us with to show our gratitude to Him by using these gifts to spread happiness to all those around us.