32. Granting Life to a Brahmin Boy
Kalpa Vriksha of Kali Yuga
Fourth Delight
Shri Vyasaraja, accompanied by a few disciples, set out for Chandragiri and paused at a forested area near the royal capital. As it was noon, they decided to rest under the shade of dense trees near a beautiful, expansive lake. They resolved to perform their daily rituals and worship there.
After bathing in the clear, cool waters of the lake, Shri Vyasaraja completed his midday prayers, meditations, and rituals. Using flowers such as lotuses and tulasi leaves brought by his disciples, he offered worship to the deities.
Suddenly, from a cluster of trees on the southern side of the lake, the sound of someone crying and wailing in distress broke the serene atmosphere. As Shri Vyasaraja pondered the cause, a Brahmin couple emerged, carrying a young boy on their shoulders. They approached the lake and laid the boy’s lifeless body on its shore. Looking at his face, they wept in anguish.
Moved by their sorrow, the compassionate Shri Vyasaraja gently approached them and asked, “O householder, who are you? Where are you from? Why have you come to this perilous forest? How did this child meet his untimely death?”
Overcome with grief, the Brahmin, choking with emotion, replied, “Bhagavan, what can I say about this suffering, which is the result of my past misdeeds? I live in a nearby village. This boy, the sole heir of our lineage, is my only son. This morning, he came to this forest with his companions to collect samithu (sacred twigs for rituals). While gathering twigs under a large banyan tree, a venomous snake emerged from its hollow and bit him. The deadly poison quickly spread through his body, and this light of our lineage left us desolate. Hearing the news from his companions and some travelers, we rushed here. But by the time we arrived, our only support in life had passed away. We brought his body here to perform the last rites.
“Swami, we have wronged no one. We have lived in accordance with the duties of our varna and ashrama. Why did the Lord inflict this terrible misfortune upon us? I do not know,” the Brahmin lamented, weeping alongside his wife.
Shri Vyasaraja, deeply moved by their sorrow, was overcome with compassion. His heart overflowed with mercy. He comforted the grieving couple with kind and soothing words. Then, taking water from his sacred kamandalu, he sanctified it with prayers and mantras, meditated upon Shri Hari, and sprinkled the consecrated water on the boy’s lifeless body.
What a miracle! The boy, who had been lifeless, awoke as if from a deep slumber. He sat up, looked at his parents, and exclaimed, “Father! Mother!” and stood up. Witnessing this extraordinary event, the astonished Brahmin couple looked at their son’s face in disbelief and then embraced him joyously, shedding tears of happiness.
The couple, overwhelmed with gratitude and reverence, prostrated before Shri Vyasaraja along with their revived son. They praised his divine grace and immeasurable kindness. Filled with devotion and awe, they invited the revered saint to their home. With great joy, they accompanied him and his disciples to their residence.
At their home, the couple hosted Shri Vyasaraja and his disciples for two days, serving them with utmost devotion, offering meals and hospitality. Shri Vyasaraja, pleased with their devotion, blessed the family, gave them sacred fruits and consecrated rice (mantrakshata), and showered blessings upon the boy.
Afterward, Shri Vyasaraja, along with his disciples, departed for Chandragiri, which was nearby.