Thukkaram - 10
Radhekrishna! The creation, protection, and destruction of this universe is wholly controlled by Bhagavan. We must depend on that bhagavan to rescue us from all sorts of ailments (thapathrayam). It is His duty to protect us. We must have full faith in that. It is only the mind that plays with us and make us do all karmas. So turn this mind towards God. That will lead us in the right path. Keep our mind engaged with the thoughts of bhagavan instead of rotating around the world. That will slowly change the heaviness of our mind. It will become soft as butter so that Krishna can steal that! Bhaktha's mind is like that. They want to do only good for the world around. Thukkaram was no exception from that. He was entrusted by the farmer to take care of his field full of ripened corns. But Thukkaram was happy to see the birds feasting from it.
The farmer came to see his field and was shocked to see all the birds eating his corns. He shouted at the top of the voice at Thukkaram. He was worried about how he was going to meet his needs right from paying tax to his expenses of his house. So he took Thukkaram to the local court and asked for justice. They enquired with Thukkaram whether the farmer's complaint was true. Thukkaram admitted that he was entrusted by the farmer to look after the fields and he 'looked on' the birds who came and ate the corns. People laughed at his answer. Thukkaram was asked how he was going to substitute for the farmer's loss. Thukkaram said he would somehow pay from his hands for his loss. The farmer said he usually expected around 15 to 18 sacks for corns from his field after harvest. Thukkaram agreed to pay the farmer whatever he got from the field and money for the rest.
Next day all the people gathered around the field to see what was happening. They were shocked to see the field was full of corns. The farmer couldn't believe his eyes. It looked as if there would be more than 30 sacks of corns. The people now began to shout that the farmer would be paid only 18 sacks and the rest should be given to Thukkaram himself. The local head agreed to that and offered Thukkaram the remaining corns. But the mahan was very reluctant to accept what was not his. He just left away the place. The village chieftain was a kind hearted man. He decided to keep the corns in Thukkaram's account with the government itself. It will be given to him when some proper occasion arises. This was agreed by all and so the corns were taken and kept in the government granary in the account of Thukkaram.
Within short time that occasion came. What was the occasion? We will see in the next issue. Radhekrishna! Radhekrishna!
