Lord Ram and the Boatsman

12

Lord Ram disembarked the boat that had ferried it across the river Maithali. It was his calling, he had to come here. There was an ashram on the banks of the river that once belonged to a holy sage Gautama. Lord Ram had to visit the ashram, he had to come here to fulfil and rescue a few destinies. He knew it was a stone that was waiting for him for all these years, to gain what it was destined to.
As the lord was clambering the shore banks a few muddied stones rolled down. Some wet gravel some mud soiling the lord’s feet, but the lord with a firm push hoisted himself on to the banks. The Lord continued to walk away from the river and towards the ashram which passed through a small fisherman’s village. As the news spread of a stranger, with majestic look and Godly demeanour, the villagers started to gather around lord Ram. The villagers were too awestruck to ask anything but just bowed to the Lord and started following him with joined hands.
Just as the Lord was approaching the ashram a stone, just like any other, rolled down from the near-by hillock and hit the Lord’s feet. And the lord knew, it has happened.
Suddenly there was a whirlwind of dust around the stone. The twister kept rising and gathered more and more dust and kept getting stronger. The villagers were aghast, spell bound and frozen. A few yogis came from the Ashram and were stunned with what they saw. But the lord was calm and unperturbed, he knew what was to happen. When the dust settled there stood a beautiful lady. The villagers and the yogis were bewildered. They all fell to the ground in salutation to the lord. They had suspected him to be a noble man, but now they knew he was magical and miraculous, he could turn stones into women. She immediately fell to the lord’s feet to seek blessings.
The woman was the most beautiful that anyone had ever seen. A flawless -symmetrical face. Perfect almond shaped dark eyes. A supple tender body. Skin smooth and white as milk. Long dark hair. The woman looked no less magical or celestial.
The lord raised her and asked “What is your name lady?”
And she replied “Ahalya”
The lord gestured towards the ashram and all the yogis followed lord Ram and Ahalya into the Ashram.
The villagers all gathered outside the Ashram to have a glimpse of the holy man and the beautiful lady that he had brought to life. The news of the miracle spread fast and people from around started gathering outside the Ashram.
Inside the Ashram, Ahalya got down tending to Lord Ram. She cleaned his feet with water and wiped it dry. She offered milk and fruits to the lord. Everyone around was perplexed and baffled at the proceedings. Understanding the concern and the doubt in everyone’s mind the lord asked Ahalya to tell her story.
And Ahalya started –
“My name is Ahalya and I was created by Lord Vishnu from water. I was married to the great sage Maharishi Gautama. Once Lord Indra saw me and fell in love with me. He then disguised himself as my husband and came to meet me. I did not suspect him to be anyone but my husband and got intimate with him. That is when Maharishi Gautam arrived and saw me in an intimate state with lord Indra and out of rage cursed me to be a stone. Till the time, Lord Ram would come and rescue me of my burden and bring me back to life, with his touch. And I was waiting all these years for Lord Ram to arrive and when I saw him, I knew it was time”. 
The yogis and the villagers continued to listen in disbelief. The awe for the stranger had now become worship. They all felt blessed just to have seen him.
A few moments later the Lord prepared to leave. With teary eyes and a heart full of gratitude and debt, Ahalya bid farewell to the Lord.
It was past evening now and scores of people had gathered to have a glimpse of the deity. The Lord walked towards the river and had decided to take a boat again across the river.
As he neared the shores, the boatsmen were eager for Lord Ram to take their boats, and in the process bless them and their boats, their only source of livelihood.

Just as the Lord had decided to board the first boat waiting on the banks, that boatsman fell to the ground at the feet of Lord Ram.

He wept and with a lump in his throat he said “Wait my Lord, I beg of you. Stop. Please do not touch my boat or get in to it”

Here all the boatsman were pleading the Lord to board their boats and he was stopping the Lord. The air was filled with rage and amazement at his gall to refuse the Lord.

Lord Ram said nothing he just smiled as if abetting him to continue.

The boatsman was now sobbing inconsolably. He was down sitting on his knees, clasped palms and head down. He continued ” My Lord I am a very poor boatsman and have 5 small children. I earn by ferrying people across the river and earn just enough to feed them, though some nights we have to go without food.
And you are the incarnation of God and a miracle man. We all just saw you turn a stone into a beautiful woman. Who knows what demons and souls are entrapped in my boat. What if it takes a new form on your touch my Lord. And I will lose the only source of livelihood. What face will I show my wife and children. I am just happy with the meager earnings and dread to lose my boat. I beg you my Lord not to touch or board my boat.”

The congregation gasped. The Lord smiled and put his hand on the boatsman’s shoulder and in one step boarded his boat. Nothing happened to the boat. Nothing was going to happen to the boat. He was Lord Ram and knew what was cursed and what wasn’t.

The boatsman successfully rowed Lord Ram to the opposite bank.

The boat was now blessed with the Lord’s touch. The boat lasted through seven generations of the boatsman and no one ever in his lineage had to sleep without food.