From Stealing to Seeking
By the mercy of Sri Sri Thakur, Dheerendranath had got the job of a government doctor at a very later stage of his career. Many people used to visit him for treatment. Two notorious dacoits, Mohammad Yakub and Kalu Sardar had created havoc in that area. Mohammad Yamud resided in a village about seven miles away from Dheerendranath’s place of work. Looting was his job and he had even lost an eye during one of his exploits.
Dheerendranath’s clinic was in a nearby village called Daudpur. Learning about the kindhearted and generous doctor, Yakub had become devoted to him. Once a week, he took out time to go and meet the doctor. Once, when Sri Sri Thakur had visited their home, Yakub got the opportunity of meeting him. In that first meeting, Yakub had surrendered his heart and soul in the lotus feet of Sri Sri Thakur. For, after that first instance, though he tried hard, he was unsuccessful in meeting Thakur again. Thakur always resided in the inner chambers and outsiders were not allowed in.
Yakub thought of a plan. He found out the day Thakur was supposed to leave the village and the route he would take. He hid behind a tree with his gang and waited for Sri Sri Thakur to pass by. When it was time to take leave, Thakur’s palanquin left their home. The devotees followed the palanquin singing kirtan to see him off at the dockyard. Suddenly Yakub jumped in front of the palanquin along with his gang, blocking the path. Seeing Yakub the devotees panicked. Seeing him all sorts of negative thoughts came to their minds. But everyone was surprised to see Yakub standing near the palanquin, with folded hands and his head bent low.
Yakub requested the devotees to have pity on him and to open the palanquin door. One of them opened the door and Thakur came out with a big smile on his face. Seeing Yakub and his associates standing there humbly with folded hands and eyes brimming with tears, Sri Sri Thakur asked, “What do you want?” Yakub replied in a quavering voice, “Please give us whatever you have given to Doctor babu.” Everyone was stunned hearing this reply. Wide eyed, they kept staring at both of them. Thakur thought for some time and answered, “Alright! All of you come to me one by one and sit down here facing me.”
Then and there, in the middle of the road, Thakur gave each one of them the Mahamantra and advised, “I have given you the mantra. Now, you go and ask Doctor babu to tell you what to do next.” This was never seen or heard before – a notorious dacoit got transformed and was given a new life. He gave up looting and accepted the life of a sadhu, a vikshu. His spent his entire life following this path, surrendering himself at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Thakur. Such is our merciful Thakur! He has said, “All of you who have sinned and are suffering, come to me. I have got the pot of nectar for you all. All your problems will disappear.”
…to be continued
Inspired by Krushnapriya Mohanty’s essay, “Deeghalkandi Parivar.”
