The Murder of A Saint

Next Day

Travelling through the Deccan on the coach to Rishikesh

After a discourse to Kalia’s pupil, Madhavendra asked Burak and Kalia to follow him to his compartment.

“I had an old friend at Rishikesh. His name was Rajendra – a gem of a man. People would throng him in thousands and he would relieve their worldly agonies while himself being engaged in realms outside of this material existence.” Shankara started. “He had a favorite disciple – a man who would go to any extent for his worldly gains through the way of unworldly pursuits. He rules the world today.”

“In his hijack of the forces of good, he has joined hands with the ones who share his greed. The multitude of go getters who have crushed many a blooming lives to make their  way up to nowhere. The farther they go, the farther go the horizons and the farther goes their insatiable greed. They have become heroes, role models and masters of the earth. They sow the seeds of sin on the earth and reap the harvest of evil, which grows in magnitude – consuming this very earth, until one day living would become impossible on the earth.” The seer had a grave face.“What they don’t know is that they would be gone in a flash. Apamnapat who resides in the water filled clouds waits to devour them and rain the fresh waters in which he hides.”

“Who is he my lord?” Professor asked the seer.

“His name is Ajay. Born in a small hamlet in near Mathura – he was a son of a simple farmer. It was broad daylight in Mathura when he was born, and suddenly it began to rain without clouds. There was a tumultuous uproar as dogs, cats and jackals howled and the birds of prey gathered in the sky and flew in circles. The whole district of Mathura was flooded in this unseasonal rainfall. He tore his mother’s womb and killed her while coming out. His father’s crops failed that year. As he grew up, he would eat all the food in his poor household, leaving his elder and doting brothers hungry.  A bane on the family, his black shadow loomed on the whole village as the rodents and locusts infested the crop and cattle died of mysterious illness. It was at such a time that Rajendrananda arrived in the village. He saw the  agony of the villagers and found out the cause. It was the boy. He took the boy with him and raised him up as his own son, transforming him by the power of his prayers into a positive soul – or at least so he felt. The boy was to become the cause of his death in the time to come. Ajay put up a show of humbleness and righteousness in front of his master so that he became his favorite pupil. One day when Rajendra went up in a mountain cave with a year’s vow ofnot standing up from meditation and eating just once in two days, he appointed Ajay as his sole caretaker who would be the only person to have an access to him. His duty was to bring food to him. For four months he did his duty religiously. By then, he had also taken up the duties of his master as the head of the hermitage. He felt the taste of the position of power and prestige for the first time. People, rich and poor, powerful and impoverished all came to him alike. Moreover, he saw people giving him expensive gifts and the money flowing in. ‘What would happen once his master returns’ he thought. ‘All the privilages would be taken away from him and he would have to hold a subsidiary position again.’ This is when he stopped feeding his master. Rajendra would wait for food for five minutes every second day, while Ajay took the food from the hermitage and threw it away in the stream by the hillside. Within two months Rajendra fell ill.

Ajay reported at the hermitage that the guru was not opening his eyes for food. When Rajendra last met him, he told him that he does not want anyone to meet him. One day, when Rajendra decided to end his fast, he rose up with great difficulty to find Ajay standing by the hillside.

“Why don’t you get me the food?” He called out to him in an annoyed voice.

Ajay just laughed in surprise. “ You have risen father?” He said. “ this is not right. You shouldn’t break your vow. He approached a weakened Rajendra and gently pushed him along the hillside in the stream. The ascetic died of the fall and asphyxia. The seat was permanently taken by Ajay, who now named himself Narayanaswami. He heads a religious sect now and is lately chairing the world parliament of religions in America.”

Shankara continued, “ The board of governors at the parliament of religions is filled with such demons disguised in the veil of holy men. All of them are ready with a shovel in their hands – ready to dig the grave of humankind forever.” Shankara’s voice was furious. “They are the governors of the shovel of the doomsday.”

“What he doesn’t know however is that, the day he killed his master, he gave birth to his destruction. Rajendra’s soul was sucked into the sky with the streams water by Apamnapat – who lives as lightening in the rain clouds- the one who will bring about his destruction.”