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NILKANTH CHARITRA
own name. He looked around and saw the child-celibate Nilkanth Varni sitting under a banyan tree. Nilkanth again called Bhagwandas by his name. Still wondering‚ Bhagwandas went near him. He bowed to Nilkanth and sat down beside him. He thought‚ “ This celibate surely looks divine. How did he come to know my name? How did he recognise me?” While he was wondering thus‚ Nilkanth said to him‚ “ Brother Bhagwandas‚ I have called you to take out the thorn which has pierced my foot. It will be a favour if you would kindly remove it. I shall then be relieved of the pain.” “ Of course‚ I will‚” replied Bhagwandas and sat opposite Nilkanth. Nilkanth stretched out his right leg and placed it on the lap of Bhagwandas. As Bhagwandas lifted the foot to take out the thorn‚ he noticed the nine marks on the sole of Nilkanth’s foot. He saw the urdhvarekha‚ ashtakon‚ swastik‚ jambu‚ java‚ vajra‚ ankush‚ ketu and padma. But no thorn was visible on the sole. Bhagwandas was much pleased to see the nine marks on the sole. he said to
Bhagwandas observes the holy marks
BHAGWANDAS HAS DARSHAN OF SACRED FOOT-MARKS
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Nilkanth‚ “ O Brahmachariji‚ the thorn is perhaps in the other sole‚ not in this.” So Nilkanth stretched out his left leg and placed it on his lap. Bhagwandas observed the remaining seven marks on the left sole. They consisted of trikon‚ kalash‚ gopad‚ dhanushya‚ meen‚ ardhachandra and vyom. Then he suddenly remembered what his mother had told him. He looked at the sun in the west and then in the east. He saw his own shadow‚ but not that of Nilkanth. He felt extremely happy. Without waiting for a moment‚ he requested and prayed to Nilkanth to accompany him‚ made him sit in the boat and took him home. They reached home late at night. Bhagwandas knocked at the door. His old mother came to open the door. The wife of Bhagwandas too came to the door with a lamp in her hand to see who it was. The door opened. Both the mother and daughter-inlaw were amazed at what they saw. The light of the lamp was passing through the body of Nilkanth. The mother was exhilarated. Her joy knew no bounds. The wife of Bhagwandas prepared fresh loaves and fed Nilkanth with hot loaves‚ milk‚ butter and sugarcandy. They attended on him all through the night. In the early morning‚ the mother of Bhagwandas went from home to home in the village inviting everyone to come and have darshan of God in her house. People‚ out of curiosity and doubt‚ came to see him. Nilkanth imparted a few words of wisdom and appeared to all in the form of Chaturbhuj Narayan holding a conch shell‚ mace‚ wheel and lotus in his four hands. Everyone bowed at the feet of Nilkanth. Nilkanth stayed for two days at the old woman’s house and then blessed the family‚ “ All three of you will pass away shortly and will be reborn in north Gujarat in the