The power of Guru’s grace overpowered a mad elephant
Following tradition, a huge procession of Lord Shri Rama’s divine Idol was taken out from the Shri Rama temple established by Samarth Ramdasji in Chaphal village of Maharashtra. During the crowded procession an elephant went mad. Mahout tried to subdue it with his goad but he was not successful. Terrified, people started running around and there was uproar. Samarth Ramdasji said to his disciple Kalyan: “Go, restrain the elephant.”
People started whispering to each other: ‘Guru saves the disciple from the jaws of death, but this Guru is pushing his disciple into the jaws of death!...’ However, sincere disciples are not taken in by the words of fools. Guru’s command is dearer than life to them. Kalyan was a Satshishya (a true disciple). He moved with the speed of the wind towards the elephant. When the mad elephant, capable of uprooting big trees, saw Kalyan coming with full fervour and agility, it ran furiously towards him. Kalyan, like a lion, attacked the elephant. The elephant gripped Kalyan’s hand in its trunk so firmly that the people thought it was difficult for Kalyan to escape. But the one having Guru’s grace cannot be bound by either an elephant or any power of the world. Kalyan grabbed one of the elephant’s tusks and gave it such a jolt that the elephant became one-tusked. Then, with lightning speed, he punched the elephant’s temple so forcefully that it couldn’t see anything but darkness. The madness was gone and it fell to the ground.
Kalyan took hold of the trunk of the elephant and pulled it like a pet dog and started walking it towards the revered Samarth. The astonished bystanders watched as the elephant meekly followed Kalyan and their silence and tranquility of the atmosphere was broken... The sky became resonant with the shouts of “Victory to Samarth! Victory to Kalyan!”
Samarth signalled Kalyan to release the elephant. The elephant bowed his head at the lotus feet of Samarth and raised its trunk reverently. Samarthji said to the people: “Do not
be astonished by this. Everything is possible with the power of celibacy and faith in Guru. Not only nature, but even the Supreme Lord is ready to be subdued by the person who has subdued his senses, mind and intellect and offered them to obey the commands of his SatGuru; then what is the big deal if this animal has been subdued?
Through such unique devotion to Guru’s feet and practice of Brahmacharya, Kalyan succeeded in getting established in the state of the Supreme Self by digesting the complete grace of Guru and became famous as ‘Kalyan Swami’.
* If we tread the path to God and love Him sincerely, He chooses us. Even through Guru, He alone showers grace.