Faith becomes real when devotion turns belief into lived experience, as reflected in the legend of Lord Thayumanavar | Representational Image
Most of us believe in God. Most of us say some form of prayers daily. But if I were to ask you, “How real is God to you?” I wonder what your answer will be!
A legend from the banks of the Kaveri
There is an interesting history of the well-known Shiva temples in South India, located near the banks of the River Kaveri. According to this legend, there was a woman living on the other side of the river who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Every day, she crossed the river to visit the temple; she had the habit of visiting the temple daily since her childhood.
Faith tested by circumstance
Now, she was a young married woman, expecting the birth of her first child. But still, she continued her practice of daily visits to the temple. One day, the river was in spate and could not be crossed by boat. As she waited for the river’s flow to subside, she developed severe labour pains.
A desperate journey to safety
The young woman was desperate to go back home to her mother, who was the only person she trusted enough to deliver her child safely. The daughter was delirious with relief as she found her mother. A bonny baby boy was born to the young woman.
A mystery unfolds
After a week or so, the river became passable; the mother arranged for a boat to ferry the daughter and the child safely across. When the young woman reached the other shore, she lost sight of her old mother. Puzzled, she made her way home and knocked at the closed door.
A divine revelation
The door was opened by her mother, who exclaimed in surprise on seeing her, “Dearest daughter, where were you? We have been so worried about you! You are carrying your baby in your arms! When was the child born? Who helped you at childbirth?” The daughter was speechless with confusion and wonder.
The presence of the divine
Then they heard a divine voice utter the words, “Young woman, Lord Shiva is always there to protect His devotees.” To this day, you can visit the famous Rock Fort temple in Tiruchi, where the Lord is worshipped as Thayumanavar.
A message of unwavering faith
You only have to call out to Him with devotion, and He will always be there for you!
Dada J. P. Vaswani was a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader.
