Bhagavan and the Boatman

Sri Rama was in exile, walking towards the forest with Lakshma and Sita. They had to cross the river Ganga. There was only one boat in sight. Sri Rama spotted Kevat, the boatman, and approached him with a request to be ferried across the river. Kevat was reluctant, and explained in his own rustic way: “Tumhara maramu mai jana – I know your mysterious secret, so I won’t bring by boat.” Bhagavan said, “My life is an open book; there is no secret, nothing to hide.”  Kevat responded: “People say that the dust of your lotus feet is mysterious. It is some miraculous powder, and if it touches any object, even a stone, it is turned into a woman. I have proof from Gautama Rishi’s ashram.”

             He was obviously referring to the episode of Ahalya’s release from her curse at the  touch of Rama’s feet. Rama looked at Lakshmana. Here was a fact that could not be denied. Kevat continued: “My boat is only made of wood, not even  stone; how much time will it take for lakadi (wood) to become ladaki (a girl)?” Knowing the sadness of the circumstances, perhaps Kevat wanted to ease the situation with his humour. The Lord smiled and replied in the same vein, “If the boat were to become a woman, you can keep her for yourself.”

            Kevat would not give up so easily: “The woman went away with a Rishi; she did not go with you. So what is the use?” Rama parried, “I will ask her to stay with you.” Kevat persisted: “If my boat disappears, how will you cross the river? Also, I will lose my very livelihood and have one more mouth to feed!  As it is, taking care of my family is difficult. I do it only by using this boat to ferry people.” Sri Rama said,. “You can find some other job.” Kevat replied that he did not know any other job.

            Generally people take up jobs about which they don’t really know anything; they get a degree in some subject and work in some other field,. If the defence minister does not know anything about defence, we have to defend ourselves from him! So the Lord said, “Lakshmana, look for another boat.”

            Then Kevat said in a hurry, “Bhagavan, all of them have gone on a strike. No one else is available. If you want to go, I will take you. I have no objection. I know you are the Lord, and you can do anything,  I am concerned only about the dust of your feet. Please allow me to wash your feet. That is all I ask for. After washing your feet, I will help you on to the boat. Don’t worry, I won’t ask for any money. My only fare will be to wash your feet.”

            Bhagavan said, “What is the guarantee? You may ask for something after we go to the other bank!” Kevat vowed not to do it, calling to witness the name of the Lord, and his father’s name. Lakshmana did not like all this one bit; his hand reached out for an arrow. “Even if Lakshmana shoots an arrow at me, it does not matter Until I wash your feet, I will not take your across the river,”  pleaded the boatman, “ O Lord, you are the master of the whole universe;  you  don’t have to depend upon me or the boat your very wish is enough to take you across. You are known to be compassionate. Will you not give me a chance to serve you and wash your feet?”

            Hearing the ferryman’s words soaked in rustic love, Rama forgot his sorrow and laughed in amusement. Casting a meaningful look at Sita and Lakshmana, hinting that whatever their objections, he was going to give a a chance to the amusing boatman, Sri Rama, the ocean of compassion, said: ”Okay, do as you thing fit to keep your boar from disappearing. But do it fast, it is getting late.” “Late!” exclaimed the boatman, “You have to spend the next fourteen years in the forest. What is the great hurry?” Sri Rama said, “You don’t know how many people from Ayodhya are chasing me. I escaped last night. Now I have to go quickly before they catch. Also, there are so many devotees like you waiting to meet me. So, please hurry up.”

            He was the Lord, remembering whose name even once, a [person can cross the ocean of samsara, who measured the entire world with one foot during the Vamana  avatara, pleading with the boatman to take him across the river! The holy river Ganga heard all this and for a moment she was confused: “Is he the same Lord from whose toe I emerged?” However, when she saw the Lord’s toe, she recognised the place of her origin, and was delighted.

            Kevat filled his wooden vessel with water, and walked towards the Lord, gloating in ananda,  love flooding his heart. What a blessing to wash the feet of the Lord, to get a glimpse of which  yogis crave and perform severe austerities! If his feet are cradled in your hand,  do you think you can let go easily, quickly? He went on washing and massaging the divine feet. The Gita says that the contact with Brahman gives rise to intense joy (ananda) – sukhena brahma samsparsam atyantam suklhamasnute.

            All the gods showered flower on Kevat, though they were envious of his good fortune. He started drinking the holy water, and his family members came claiming their share of it. The   water of Ganga is always holy, but having been sanctified further with Lord’s feet, it liberated seven generations of his ancestors. He was ecstatic as he rowed Sri Ramachandraji slowly to the other side of the river.

                Sri Rama got down and stood on the sands of the Ganga, along with the king of all ferrymen, Guha.  Kevat got down, tied the boar firmly and prostrated to Sri Rama. Rama felt embarrassed because he had nothing to give him; as an ascetic. He had no money or belongings . Sitaji was totally in tune with Rama’s mind. She took off a beautiful gem-studded ring and gave it to Rama, who in turn gave it to Kevat happily. At this, intensely moved, Kevat fell at the feet of the Lord and held on to them crying: “What is it that I have not received today? All my impurities, sorrows and poverty have vanished. Till now I was only labouring to earn a livelihood. Today the Lord himself has been my passenger and fulfilled my life. The Lord is pleased with me and with His grace I have truly been rewarded. I want that grace to continue. That is all, it will be impertinent on my part to refuse anything that you offer, but I will take whatever you give me as prasada, reverentially holding it to my head. Now I cannot take anything because it will seem as if I have taken a fare from yuk and that is unfair.”

Sri Rama did his level best to give him the ring, but unsuccessfully. So he told Lakshma to give it, remembering that his earlier annoyance with the boatman may be preventing him from accepting the ring. Still, Kevat would not accept,. Then he told Sita, “Perhaps Kevat is hesitating because it your ring; it will be more appropriate if you give it to him.” “Even this plan did not work. Sita’s ring was not an ordinary one. It was given by Adi Sakti, a free pass  to go to any world. Yet he did not take it.

            Finally Sri Rama bid him farewell, bestowing him with pure devotion (vimala bhakti) that is superior even to liberation (mukti). Only when a person renounces everything can he get this bhakti. Kevat’s refusal to accept the ring, a passport to all one’s wishes, proved his vairagya, which naturally earned him the reward of supreme devotion,  The Lord did not wait for fourteen years to reward him; he blessed him there and then.

            Many saints talk for days together on this episode. They say”: Kevat refused to take a fee from Lord Rama, because they were both in the same profession – both of them were ferrymen. A doctor does not accept fees from another doctor. That is the tradition; The boatman takes people across the river, whereas the Lord takes them across the river of maya. Kevat told Sri Rama, “I brought you across the river free of charge. When I come to your side, don’t ask me for any fare, any account of my papa and punya.” How beautiful the sentiments are! Blessing him with the boom of supreme devotion, Rama took leave of him.

*Reproduced from Tapovan Prasad, Monthly Magazine of Chinmaya Mission