This is the story of a turtle.
It is heard that the poor man heard the glory of the feet of the Lord and wanted to go to those feet. So started asking everyone – where should I go, where should I go? But no one had any idea where to go to find God’s feet?
He kept on searching, searching – finally one day he found a devotee – who asked that little one to go to the infinite Kshir Sagar – and also suggested the way there. As he was a tortoise so started walking at the pace of a tortoise. On the go, on the go…. He even reached the seashore – then started swimming, and kept moving forward.
And finally reached the place where Lord Shesh was on the bed – Shesh ji was pleased to make him sleep on his body and Lakshmi Maiya, being a form of devotion, was pressing the feet of the Lord.
The tortoise wanted to touch the feet of the Lord – but Shesh ji and Lakshmi ji did not allow him to do so – the poor little impure creature who remained
Poor – all his penance – remained incomplete.
The Lord just kept smiling – and seeing all this, Narada kept thinking that why did the Lord allow this to happen to His devotee?
Then the time passed, In one birth the turtle became a boatman- Lord appeared in the form of Shri Ram, Lakshmi Ji appeared in the form of Sita and Shesh ji appeared in the form of Lakhan. …………….. Lord came and asked him to cross the river – but the boatman said………
if you let me wash your feet then only I will take you across the river because if our boat turns into a woman like that stone turned into Ahilya, then it will snatch the bread of the family of the poor like us. ….. And then in front of Shesh Ji and Lakshmi Ji, the boatman got the pleasure of washing the lotus feet of the Lord.
And time passed…
The tortoise has now become Sudama – Lord became Kanha, Lakshmi Ji became Maya, and Shesh Ji took the form of Bal Dau. Days passed by – and one day the little tortoise who became Sudama – came to meet the Lord. Dusty feet, thorns, blood flowing, mud soaked ………….. and what happened?
The Lord washed his Sudama’s feet with his own hands, Rukmini brought water, and Baldau also stood there showering tears of love with his eyes seeing the love of the childhood friends. ,
Hari Anant, Hari Katha Ananta……..Hari Bol….
