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चैत्र कृष्ण पक्ष, गुरूवार, तृतीया, संकट निवारण चर्तुथी

Manmohan Thaploo

Glimpse Of A Mystic – II  Kishbab- (Sh. Keshav Nath Kaul)

Manmohan Thaploo 

The Martand

Mystics try to remain in disguise but the nature has its own ways to expose them. Sh. Keshav Nath Kaul, alias KISHBAB was also one such person, who lived as a village shopkeeper and attended the routine chores of life as an ordinary person. However, he had been to some extent a child prodigy, who developed into a person of philanthropic qualities and resentment for material possessions. Sh. Arjan Nath Thaploo discovered the mystic in him by chance and the incident is narrated as follows:

Once Sh. Arjan Nath Thaploo had a small problem. His son Maharaj, as an infant would often weep throughout the night and keep his parents awake, which made their life uncomfortable. When he was not able to find out any material cause for such a behaviour of the child, he thought that the child must be under the spell of some evil spirit and as such went to one of his relatives Sh. Kanth Kak of Hangalgund, a village near Kokernagh, to get some charmed incense i.e. DHOOP and sesamum seeds from him, to ward off the effect. The reader should not be surprised, even-to-day, parents go to saints to get amulets, or charmed Dhoop etc. from them to save their children from the effect of evil spirits through the recitation of secret formulae i.e. Mantras and burning of some items like sesamum seeds, sanctified by such incantation.

Sh. Kanth Kak, a saintly person was discussing Yogvashist with another person namely Sh. Narayan Joo Bulla of Anantnag, also a saintly person, when Sh. Arjan Nath Thaploo entered his room. On explaining about his problem, Sh. Kanth Kak asked him, as to why didn't he put the problem before his maternal uncle Sh. Keshav Nath Kaul. Sh. Arjan Nath replied that he did not go to him and came straight to this place as he knew that his problem would be solved here. Kanth Kak remarked, "Don't be foolish? Never consider Keshav as your maternal uncle but revere him as a saint. The sun was shining at the gates of Gowsanigund Ashram; it brought light to Keshav, who is passing the days incognito as an ordinary shopkeeper, at the gate of the Ashram. However the Ashram remained in darkness as before, Inspite of all its cleanliness and physical comforts, which it provides to the visitors. Therefore remember my words, respect your maternal uncle as a saint, and not as a relative of yours. Whenever you go to him, convey my regards to him. "Meanwhile, someone brought a handful of sesamum seeds from the house; he charmed them by sacred mantras and handed over these to Sh. Arjan Nath Jee.

When Sh. Arjan Nath was about to leave, Sh. Narayan Joo Bulla also stood up and told him that he had also something important to tell him and both took leave of Kanth Kak Jee and they started their journey on foot towards Sagam. En-route up-to Sangam Sh. Narayan Joo Bulla did not speak anything and this led Sh. Arjan Nath to introspective speculations: Narayan Joo is a wandering monk. He has no worldly obligation. Neither a son to be married and settled, nor a daughter to be looked after and a suitable groom to be searched for her. Then what important talk he is to have with me? May be it was a mere pretence, so that he could leave Sh. Kanth Kak's house"

While engrossed in such thoughts, Narayan Joo suddenly asked him, "When are you visiting your material uncle?" "Next Sunday, I usually go there on Sundays", said Arjan Nath, Narayan Joo folded his hands & turned towards Arjan Nath and said, "Then please ask him as to what happened to my application? Please remind him with folded hands on my behalf and convey my regards and I shall be obliged to you". Repeating these words he took leave of Arjan Nath and went to some house in Sagam Village.

Arjan Nath could not make out anything from these words, and conveyed the same to his material uncle, at Gowsanigund on his visit to that place. His maternal uncle said, "Such matters shall be discussed later. Go & have rest, till I prepare meals for you".

Arjan Nath was really tired because of a long walk from Larkipora and soon felt asleep. At one time in his dreams Shiva appeared and it was at that very moment that his maternal uncle called him for taking meal and he woke up. While having meal, Arjan Nath again asked about Narayan Joo's problem. His maternal uncle revealed to him, that Narayan Joo Bulla wants that I should plead for his salvation with the personage you were just seeing in your dream. Arjan Nath was surprised to know that his maternal uncle could penetrate into his dream state also and this cleared his doubt as to what Sh. Kanth Kak had disclosed him about his maternal uncle. The words of Kanth Kak echoed in his mind "Don't consider Keshav as your maternal uncle". His behaviour towards him changed thereafter and he started approaching him often, whenever he had any problem, domestic or otherwise and Sh. Keshav Nath also showed him his glimpse sometimes.

Once while purchasing some articles in Jammu his ear was pulled momentarily by someone, and he moved his hand, which saved him from getting pick pocketed and it was later revealed to him by Keshav, that it was his play for his timely help.

Similarly, once when Arjan Nath went to Gowsanigund on routine visit, Keshav Nath enquired about the status of his building, which was under construction. On knowing that it is flood prone area, he asked Arjan Nath to bring a piece of wood which was burnt at one end. He told him that within a few day, it is going to rain heavily and a big flood shall devastate the valley. He advised him to fix the semi burnt piece of wood with burnt edge upwards near the plinth of the house which was under construction, at a place beyond which he does not wish the waters should rise. There was not any sign of rains at that time and the sky was clear. But within a few days it rained heavily for many days. The whole valley was flooded including Anantnag town also, till waters reached the spot where the semi burnt piece of wood had been fixed, but it did not cross that limit and receded thereafter.

It was revealed later on by one person named Moma Kaw that on this occasion, when it was raining heavily and he was on watch and ward duty at a camp where walnuts were being sorted out at a village near Hakur-badsgam, that he saw BAB walking in haste and on enquiring he told him that he has to attend an urgent meeting at the nearby shrine so that further flooding of Anantnag town is stopped. He was further instructed that having now seen him, he should not reveal it to others. However Mama Kaw could not remain silent and told about it to others and fell ill seriously. Later he was taken to Gowsanigund and BAB brought him back to normal life. The incident was told to Sh. Arjan Nath by Mohd Akbar Sheikh, a cloth merchant of Anantnag. However it may be clarified here to the reader, that Sh. Keshav Nath Kaul never left his shop physically and what Moma Kaw has seen was an astral visit of BAB to the nearby shrine at Hakur-badsgam on that night.

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The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."

Courtesy: The Martand- The Official organ of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference: 31st August, 2009

 

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