| Temples & Legends Of
Maharastra |
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| Temples & Legends Of
India |
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PANDHARPUR - VITTHAL |
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| For them life with
Pundalik was worse than the privations they would suffer on the long journey. Some time
later Pundalik decided to go to the yatra himself. He hired two excellent horses for
himself and his wife. They embarked on the long journey and quickly traversed the distance
his parents were straggling on foot. His enthusiasm and hurry, however, were such that he
missed the route and as dusk was nearing decided to take refuge in a nearby building that
looked like an ashram. He went there to enquire and found out that it was an ashram and
belonged to a famous rishi by name Kukkut. Kukkut hospitably welcomed the couple and
invited them to stay with him as long as they chose. Pundalik asked him directions for
reaching Varanashi. The sage told him he did not know the way nor had he ever been there.
The guest was quick to ridicule the kind host for not having gone to Kashi which was so
close by. But the latter held his peace. The matter rested there and everybody went to
sleep. Pundalik however, was disturbed from his sleep around midnight and thought he heard
some female voices. He came out to investigate and saw three ladies sprinkling water in
the courtyard of the ashram. The looked ghastly and pale. But he noticed that a change was
overcoming them and when they had finally finished cleaning the courtyard they were
looking like some divine beings, fresh and beautiful. This phenomenon confounded the young
Pundalik but he had enough wits left to rush forth and enquire. They revealed that the
three of them were Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati and used to come to Kukkut's ashram every
morning to repurify themselves. And although Pundalik was a sinful soul, he now stood
absolved of his sins because of his having met them. The curiosity of Pundalik grew and he
asked them about the secret of Kukkut's power. 'He had served and nursed his parents most
faithfully and devoted all his life to that one aim, He had thus accumulated vast Punya.'
Pundalik saw the light and hastened back to his parents. He put them on horseback, took
them to Kashi showed them round the tirth and brought them back most respectably.
Henceforth, the care of his old mother and father came before everything else-even before
god, as events were to prove. |
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