A Wonder!

A wonder happened last Sunday. One more time, it made me realise that every single day of my life is planned by the Supreme Lord Himself. I felt blessed and more relaxed after that.

So... What is the wonder?

I read a novel, Thangachurul (Golden Foil), by the ace Tamil writer Balakumaran. Every single day numerous novels are being read by numerous people through out the world in different languages. What is so wonderful about reading a novel? Before sharing that with you, let me give you a gist of the novel.

The story starts in a marriage scene. Sivagami and Kanagasabapathy get married among many friends, relatives and well wishers. Among the many who come to wish them good luck, there also comes a problem creator. She whispers into the ears of Sivagami that Kanagasabapathy is a womaniser and walks away. Sivagami is shocked and her face falls.

Kanagasabapathy asks his bride why her face has lost its gleam. Sivagami hesitantly tells him what that 'well-wisher' whispered into her ears. Kanagasabapathy and his parents explain to her that the particular woman wanted him to marry her daughter. His family had refused as the woman had a negative reputation in the society. At this instance Kanagasabapathy says, "I've always liked to live like Lord Rama. Marry a woman and ever remain sincere to her by deed, word and even by thought. Trust me."

This brought a smile in my face. 'Ha... Lord Rama!'

The story moves on. Kanagasapabathy works for the Indian railways. Painting is his hobby. He gets an order to paint a sign board for a wine shop. He paints, as per the clients requirement, a woman dressed carelessly. People appreciate. He gets a lot of orders. Kanagasapabathy gets scared within. He gets afraid that he'll end up drawing woman paintings that will invoke lust in many teenagers and youngsters. He refuses to accept orders. He informs his clients that if at all he does sign boards he will do the picture of Mahathma Gandhi without any charges. No orders come his way. He takes up Tanjore paintings, drawing Gods and Godesses, not bothering about the orders but as an act of deriving some self-satisfaction. But people do come and buy them.

One day he starts to draw a picture of Coronation of Lord Rama. I am delighted again. (ha... Lord Rama) He draws this picture for more than a year. A big one. Like the one you see in the picture. Also he draws a crowd of people watching the coronation. In that crowd he draws himself, his wife, his parents and in-laws. He prays to Lord Rama that this picture should be bought buy a good person and that the life of that person must change for good after this picture goes to their home.

One day a jeweller comes to his house. On seeing the picture, the jeweller is unable to take his eye off the painting. The jeweller says, "Give me this painting. I can give fifteen thousand bucks. Not more than that." Kanagasabapathy's family is more than happy. They had in mind only three thousand bucks.

After a year the jeweller comes back to them and says, "After your Rama came to my house, all my debts have been paid off. Now I am making a huge profit in my business." Kanagasabapathy is happy.

Life moves on. He gets orders from and through his friends to draw more of Coronation of Lord Rama pictures and also other God's and Goddesses. Fifteen years roll by. The jeweller comes back to him.

"I am building a three star hotel. I want to have a grand picture of Lord Rama's coronation at the entrance. It must be a real grand one. It must be like Lord Rama sitting in an open auditorium. Lord Rama's kith and kin and the citizens must be inside the auditorium. Domestic and wild creatures must watch it from outside the auditorium."

The project kicks off. Kanagasabapathy takes leave from his office and does it full time. The role played by his wife in supporting him brought tears in my eyes. She goes to the hotel touches the wall and prays that the project must be a grand success. She promises to herself that she would not invite him for any physical relationship until he finishes the project. She chants the name of Lord Rama while cooking, washing and while doing all her house hold chores for the successful completion of the project.

He finishes the project in one year. His painting becomes famous through out India. The trustees of Thirupathi Balaji temple approach him to draw a painting of Balaji. He takes up that project and finishes it. He comes back and informs everybody that he would not draw any other picture other than that of Lord Rama. He says, "I don't get the same satisfaction that I get when I draw the picture of Lord Rama." He continues to draw pictures of Lord Rama's coronation and retires after drawing more than a thousand pictures of Lord Rama.

This novel by itself is a wonderful one. It made me choke many times without any reason. What is more wonderful than that is that I read it!

In June 2006 I read 'Prince of Ayodhya' by Ashok K. Banker. After that I read so many other versions of Ramayana but never any other book, story, novel or magazine in the past three years. Not even Bhagavath Gita. Last Sunday without any proper reason I decided to read this novel. And, Lord Rama is the spirit in this novel. It is about a painter drawing pictures of Lord Rama. It is about his wife supporting him by chanting Lord Rama's name! And at the end he decides not to draw any other picture, not even of Gods, other than Lord Rama's Coronation!

Isn't that wonderful? Isn't it proof that I am with Him and He is with me? I really cannot express my joy when I think of this. He has come in my dreams so many times. But this incident stands tall and beautiful among all my spiritual experiences. There is a subtle message in this novel and in me reading it.

"There is no more travel after reaching Lord Rama!"