Dnyaneshwar

After many days passed in this way, another extraordinary thing happened. On a certain day, the owner of the house where Nivritti, Dnyandev, and Muktabai were staying began the ceremony of worshiping his ancestors. When he went to invite the Brahmins to be present, they said to him, "You have kept in your house the children of a sannyasi. Therefore, we cannot come to your house to eat." Hearing their words, the man was deeply concerned. He hurried back to his home and sat down, depressed in mind.

Dnyandev asked him what had happened. "Why are you so troubled today and sitting so silent?" Hearing this question, the Brahmin replied, "Today is the holy ceremony in honor of ancestors, but the Brahmins will not come to the feast. Therefore, my mind has become sad, and I am sitting here silently." Dnyandev then said to the Brahmin, "Do not be troubled in your mind. The ancestors will come to the feast in visible form. Calm your mind and do the necessary cooking in your house."

Hearing this prediction, the man was astonished. After finishing his bath and devotions and thus purifying himself, he prepared and served many kinds of dainty food on leaf plates. Dnyandev sprinkled the rice and brought down the ancestors in visible form. He worshiped their feet and gave them seats in the chief place. He gave them garments, ornaments, adornments, tulsi leaves, garlands of flowers, the twelve forehead marks, the beautiful sacred thread, and gifts of gold. In this way, having worshiped them, he offered them an abundance of incense and lights.

The Brahmins thought this very strange, and in their minds, they expressed their astonishment. When Dnyandev made the offering to God in the form of the ancestors in visible form, these ancestors very graciously began to eat the food. He served them whatever pleased their taste until all of them were satisfied. He gave them water to wash their hands, then offered them the pan-supari and gifts of money. When it was said to them, "Return to your abodes," these ancestors became invisible, and all the Brahmins of Paithan discussed the matter among themselves.

They said, "Dnyandev has done a wonderful thing. He has feasted the ancestors in their actual visible form. We have never seen nor heard so great a miracle in this world of mortals. Through our obstinate pride, we rejected the invitation to the feast. So the ancestors came in person and took away the gifts. Just as Shiva devoured the offering, and the guardian of the idol remained silent, so it seems it has happened to us. It is as if the sun came in person and took away the image of the sun, and the astrologer whose mind was full of expectations remained chewing his cud. The guardian of the sacred city has taken away the victim that was placed near the altar of sacrifice. The keeper of the treasures strongly objected, but his opposition was of no avail. Just as when Indra and those with Him came in person and took away the materials offered in sacrifice, the fire itself remained silent, so it has happened to us. Just as when ghosts come in visible form and take away what has been offered to them, and the sorcerer, thinking what is done as of no value, remains hungry; so these ancestors have taken away the gifts of gold and the dainty food. Because we were filled with pride, we have lost everything.

Blessed are these: Nivritti, Dnyandeshwar, and Sopan, noble Vaishnavas, and Muktabai, who is the visible avatar of Adimaya (the primal force). A penance cannot be of any value to these three divine beings. They are world gurus, uninfluenced by their bodies, and jivanmuktas (free while living)." They, therefore, wrote a letter to that effect and gave it into the hand of Sopan.

"The young male buffalo has recited the Vedas, and in the same way, it is still reciting them. When a touchstone touches iron, it always turns it to gold, so this buffalo was day and night reciting the philosophical teachings of the Vedanta. Hari gave Dhruva an immovable place. His seat will never be removed. In that same way, Dnyandev gave to this buffalo the everlasting knowledge. Upamanyu was seated by the ocean of milk and continued without ceasing to drink the milk. Just so, Dnyandev made the buffalo recite the Vedas without ceasing. Just as Yogis sit on seats of spikes and yet feel unceasing joy, so this buffalo is absorbed in the knowledge of the Vedanta."