(Ganesha drinking milk)
MIRACLES
(Religious)
There is no religion worth talking about
without miracles inter-woven in its tradition. Miracles are the only phenomena
that prove the existence of the Supreme power to the humanity at large. When
we see impossible things happen, we call them "Miracles", usually attached
to this Supreme Power. Some very popular miracles are narrated below:
All these examples of miracles - and there are hundreds more like these in our history, biography and literature - only show that when Divinity wills it , there is nothing in this world of science and matter to prevent it from happening the way divinity wants it to do. This Divine Will is called "Sankalpa".
| Draupadi-Vastrapaharanam.(Stripping) Let us go back in time to that large assemblage of kings and princes in the palace hall of Dhritarashtra, the Kaurava emperor. There the eldest Pandava prince Udhishter has just gambled away everything he possessed-including himself, his four brothers and their devoted consort , the princess Draupadi. The helpless princess is forcibly dragged to the hall and outraged by an attempt to strip off her sari. Draupadi cries in horror and despair: "O Lord of dwaraka, where are you ? None but You can save me now. I surrender to you." The entire assemblage shamelessly watch without stirring a limb or raising a finger. But, lo and behold, the sari starts lengthening, and though it is pulled off most viciously, Draupadi remains covered. The other end of the sari never appears. It simply goes on and on. By the infinite grace of the Lord, the sari has become as it were infinite in length. |
| Walking on the water "Except ye see signs and wonders", says Jesus of Nazareth, "ye will not believe." The disciples of Jesus look up from their rowing boat when they see the shadowy figure coming towards them on the water. They have already seen strange things but nothing so strange as man walking on water. "If it is indeed you, Lord," says peter, "let me come towards you on the water." "Come", says jesus. Peter steps bravely from the tossing boat onto the surface of the water and begins to walk. But when the strong wind blows against him, he suddenly gets frightened and feels he is sinking. "Lord, save me," he cries out. Jesus stretches out his hand and catches him. "Oh, ye of little faith," says the Lord. "why did you doubt ?" His disciples are amazed at his extraordinary powers and declare, "you are in truth the Son of God." |
| Padmapada (Lotus Feet) Among the disciples of Sankara there was one named Sanandana, who was mistakenly thought to be below their level of evolution by the other disciples. One day Sankara decides to prove to his disciples the greatness of sanandana. Sanandana has gone on some errand across the Ganga. Sankara and his disciples are having their daily class on this side of the river. Suddenly sankara calls out to Sanandana to come over to him. Sanandana, wholly immersed in the thoughts of his guru, does not realize that he has to cross the mighty Ganga to reach his guru. He has no consciousness even of his own physical self. He simply walks towards his teacher. As he enters the water, a lotus blooms at every step he takes, to support him. Only after he has completely crossed the river does he look back, when others ask him to do so and he finds, by the grace of his Lord, that he has walked on a bridge of lotuses specially created for him. He was thenceforth known as "Padmapada", the one under whose feet lotuses grew. |
| "...a sign that
a great soul has descended" On Thursday 21 September the news swept around the world of the extraordinary miracles of milk-drinking Hindu statues. Never before in history has a simultaneous miracle occurred on such a global scale. Television, radio and newspapers eagerly covered this unique phenomenon, and even sceptical journalists held their milk-filled spoons to the gods - and watched, humbled, as the milk diisappeared. The media coverage was extensive, and although scientists and 'experts' created theories of "capillary absorption" and "mass hysteria", the overwhelming evidence and conclusion was that an unexplainable miracle had occurred. |
| Yamunacharya & Ramanuja Yamunacharya, the author of the four great books of Vaishnava tradition, could not complete his mission to write certain other books and it was left to his successor, Ramanuja, to fulfill his task. The story of yamunacharya's death in Srirangam and Ramanuja's later arrival there to see the body is full of miracles. With fixed gaze Ramanuja began to see that supremely pure and blessed form of the greatest among the vaishnavas. With eyes transfixed, he kept gazing on that great one, as if the two were exchanging thoughts. All stood mute; no one in the great crowd uttered a word. With amazement, they beheld the communion of the living with the dead. After a while, Ramanuja asked, "I find that the three fingers of the Maharshi's right hand are folded and clenched. Were they like that during his lifetime ?" The disciples who were close by said, "No, his fingers used to remain straight. We cannot guess why they are so now." At this, Ramanuja declared aloud, "Remaining always in the fold of Vaishnavism I shall protect the people deluded by ignorance, bestowing upon them the 5 samskaras, making them versed in Tamil Vedas and devoted to the Dharma of surrender." As soon as he declared this, one of the fingers of the dead Guru became straight. Ramanuja declared again, "Taking into consideration all the interpretations, I shall for the well-being of the people write the Sri Bhashya, which will usher in the good and establish the knowledge of reality." As soon as he said so, another finger got relaxed and straightened. Ramanuja declared again: "In order to pay off the debt to that gracious Muni Parasara, who out of compassion wrote the gem among the Puranas, in which he clearly lays down the nature of Ishwara, Jivas, the world and the way of their progress- I shall name one greatly learned Vaishnava after him." No sooner had he said so than the remaining finger also got relaxed and became straight. All were exceedingly amazed to witness this.! History tells that Ramanuja fulfilled all the three vows later. |
| Arunachala Mahima There was an elderly and devout cripple, who would, in spite of his disability, every day make a circuit of the Arunachala Hill at Tiruvannamalai town. One day, after many years of his daily round, upset at being ill-treated by the relatives with whom he stayed, he decided to leave Tiruvannamalai and live in a village. But, even before he had left the outskirts of the town, a young Brahmin appeared before him and rudely snatched away his crutches crying, "Wretch, you dont deserve this !" and disappeared. Before the old man's indignation could get the better of his surprise and break forth into words, he had recovered the use of his limbs and could walk without crutches. Ramana Maharshi has affirmed that this miracle took place in his own knowledge but did not say who performed it nor how it happened. His devotees believe it was he himself who used his power to help the old cripple. |
| Mrs. Anderson It is 23rd November 1968. Mrs. Anderson, a visitor from the western world to Sathya Sai Baba's home in India, is sitting in her wheel chair(to which she had been confined for years) among the audience, watching the proceedings on the dais where Baba is being anointed with oil by his close devotees. Suddenly, Baba gets up, takes the cup of oil from his devotees, descends from the dais, walks up all the way to the other end of the hall where Mrs. Anderson is sitting, bows his head to her and shows her the cup of oil for her to anoint his head with, while still sitting. As soon as she has done it, Baba beckons her to hold his hand and in a commanding tone says, "Get up." She gets up and walks with Baba to the dais ! The whole gathering is thrilled at the sight of Mrs. Anderson without her wheel chair. That is the end of the wheel chair for her ! |
| Bringing Rain Once in a village in Karnataka, the Kanchi Acharya was camping and observing complete silence, as he does very often. The inhabitants of the sorrounding villages came on a deputation to him and complained that , because of the failure of the monsoon for several years in succession, the people were suffering untold miseries. They asked the swami what they should do. The Swami was silent, but a devotee who sat close to him had a sudden inspiration and, without realizing what he was doing, declared in an authoritative tone: "Pour 1000 pots of pure river water continuously (non-stop) on that linga in worship and devotion. The job should be done by the men alone and they should bring the water from the nearby river." Now the swami who was silently listening to this pronouncement, nodded as if in agreement. The villagers took the advice and formed a long line of men from the river to the linga and, in unceasing succession, poured 1000 pots of the river water on it, all the time chanting in chorus the "Sata Rudriya" from the yajur Veda, which is the passage usually recited when a Siva linga is formally bathed. Lo and behold, at the very end of this 'Abhisheka', there was a downpour of rain, the like of which the neighbourhood had not witnessed for years. |
| Shirdi sai baba A devotee named Hansraj goes to have darsan of Shirdi sai baba. "See, you have beaten me," says the Baba, showing his own back. The devotee is shocked to see the ghastly bruises on the back of his Lord. But he is greatly puzzled as to how he could be accused of this crime and is quite unnerved. Laughing, says baba, "Why do you think I am confined to this physical frame ? Did you not beat your cat to your heart's content to punish it for having drunk your milk ? All the beating you gave your cat was felt by me." |
| Bala Pattabhi The time was the late 1940s. Bala pattabhi Chettiar was a close devotee of Sathya sai Baba and had often benefited from miracles performed for him by the Baba. Once, on his way to puttaparthi, Baba's home, when Pattabhi reached the river Chitravati, which he had to cross to reach Puttaparthi, he found it was in full flood. To cross it was impossible, but pattabhi was not willing to turn back; he was determined to reach Baba's place. Filling his mind with thoughts of God, he stepped into the river and started wading across it. But when the water reached his neck, he was frightened and returned to the bank. This happened again and again. Then, determined to do or die, he stepped into the river chanting Baba's name. As if from nowhere, an old man suddenly appeared with a shawl wrapped around his shoulders and holding a stick in his hand. He said, "My son, I am also going to puttaparthi. Hold on to this stick and follow me. Dont swerve this way or that. Just follow me." The voice was familiar; it was like Baba's. But there was no time to think about this. He simply waded behind the old man holding on to his stick. Later, he remembered only that he was at one moment chest-deep in water and all the next he was safely on the other bank, drenched from head to toe, but the old man with his stick was nowhere to be seen ! When he reached Baba's residence, people told him that , earlier that evening, Baba had left his body (Which he used to do very often those days), saying that the gentleman from Udumalpet was coming, and returned to it after some time to watch the gate as if he was expecting somebody. Bala pattabhi was the gentleman from Udumalpet, and he was certainly overwhelmed by this divine overflow of affection and grace showered on him. |
All these examples of miracles - and there are hundreds more like these in our history, biography and literature - only show that when Divinity wills it , there is nothing in this world of science and matter to prevent it from happening the way divinity wants it to do. This Divine Will is called "Sankalpa".
