The True Story of Bandhu Mohanty – Lord Jagannath Disciple
Lord Jagannath is known as the God of his disciples.A person named Bandhu Mohanty of the Jajpur district in Odisha.He had two daughters and one son.Bandhu Mohanty was very poor and he used to beg for his living.He had no reserve funds.Bandhu Mohanty was a great devotee of Lord Hari.He used to spend his days chanting the holy name of the Lord.He was merciful to all living entities, was very truthful, and was very fond of serving Brahmanas.He was indifferent to his family life, knowing that everything is temporary except the holy name of the Lord.In this way, he spent his days happily.
Once there was the drought in this area, and people were dying because of lack of food.Bandhu Mohanty went to some villages to beg alms, but the people had no food even for themselves— how could they give alms to Bandhu Mohanty? He returned to his house without any food, all the while meditating on the Lord.His wife told him that the children were very hungry.She asked,“Don’t you have some relative who can help us during this difficult time? Let us leave this place and go to some other place where your rela¬tives are staying.”
Bandhu Mohanty said that he has no relatives to help him, but have a friend who lives far from his village.According to him, his friend was the best among all the people.Bandhu Mohanty believed there is no one equals to him. He lives in Sri Kshetra Puri.If somehow or other we can man¬age to reach him,our problems will be solved.” His wife was very happy to hear this. She said, “Then let us go there immediately. I will carry one child. You will carry the other. Let us go there now without any delay. Otherwise, all of us will die.” Bandhu Mohanty was very happy to hear this from his wife. He thought it would be very nice to go to Sri Kshetra and take darshan of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra.
They started their journey to Sri Kshetra, arriving four days later.They approached Jagannath temple at the Lion Gate. Thousands of people were visiting the temple, and security was very tight.Many guards were there with sticks in their hands. As it was not possible for them to enter the temple, they took darshan of Patita-Pavana, the deity of Lord at the entrance of the temples eastern gate.Then Bandhu Mohanty went towards the southern gate near Peja Nala, where all the starch from the cooked rice from Lord Jagannath’s kitchen gathers.The cows drink this liquid known as Peja.Bandhu Mohanty was very tired.He sat down there near the south gate. His wife said, “Why are you sitting here? It is getting late. Now it is already evening time. Let us go to your friend’s house to get refreshed and eat something.We all are very tired and hungry.Where is your friends’ house?” At this time all the children also started to cry, saying, “We are very hungry. We cannot tolerate our hunger anymore. If you do not feed us, we will die very soon.”
Bandhu Mohanty said to them, “Today there are many guests at my friends’ house.The gate-keepers are allowing only selected guests inside.If anyone tries to enter by force, they’ll be beaten. Let us sleep here tonight. We can drink some starch from Jagannath’s kitchen and spend the night here.Early in the morning, we will go to meet with my friend and ask him to give us shelter and food.My friend is very merciful.”.They arranged a broken clay pot, all of them drank the rice-starch water and got a little relief from their hunger.All the members of the family were very tired and soon fell asleep.Bandhu Mohanty started to offer his prayers to Lord Jagannath: “O Lord of the universe.You are taking care of everyone in your creation. Am I exceptional ? We are dying here due to want of food. Please bless us,else it will be tough for us to survive.Please consider our case.” While he was praying to the Lord in this way, he fell asleep.
In the meantime, the Lord Jagannath’s pujari completed the evening offering to the Lord.After finishing the puja, he locked the temple door, and with the key in hand, headed towards his home.Known as the Lord of the Disciples, Lord Jagannath became very worried that his devotee was sleeping without having eaten anything.He could not sleep. “My friend has come from so far. How can I sleep peacefully without feeding him? He has come here thinking I am his only friend, to seek My help at this time.” Then the Lord of the universe entered into the storeroom and took one golden plate in His hand. He collected many varieties of foods like cakes, sweet rice, vegetable rice, all kinds of dry sweet prasad.Then He came to the south gate of the temple.The Lord called, “Oh my dear Bandhu, please come here.” Bandhu Mohanty heard someone calling his name. He thought, “Maybe they are calling someone else.There must be so many people here with this name.No one knows me here, so who could be calling my name?” Thinking like this, he did not respond. Then the Lord called again, “Oh, Bandhu Mo¬hanty from Jajpur, please listen. You are staying near Peja Nala along with your family. Please come here. I have brought food for you.” Hearing this, Bandhu went and saw an old brahmin ready to hand him a plate filled with so many varieties of foodstuffs.The Lord, in the form of this old brahmana, told Bandhu, “Please accept this food and feed your family members.Tomorrow morning I will arrange everything for you.” Saying this, the Lord disappeared from there.
Bandhu Mohanty took prasad very happily. He woke up all the family members, and they all honoured prasad very happily, then once again slept, content with full bellies. After cleaning the plate, Bandhu Mohanty went to the south gate to return the plate. He pushed the door, expecting that the brahman would be there and he could return the plate to him. But to his surprise, the brahman was not there. Bandhu went back to his sleeping place and wrapping the plate in his cloth, decided he would return it in the morning.
Early the next morning, Lord Jagannath’s pujaris opened the temple gate. Everybody was busy with their individual services. When they opened the storeroom they discovered the golden plate of Lord Jagannath was missing. The plate had been stolen! The pujaris reported the theft to temple management, and the police arrested all the pujaris and beat them, thinking that it could only have been a pujari who had stolen the plate from inside the storeroom. It happened that by chance some people saw one person along with his family sleeping near the south gate of the temple. They could see the golden plate wrapped in his cloth. The plate was dazzling in the sunshine. Immediately several people caught hold of Bandhu Mohanty. They bound him with rope, beat him severely, and took away the golden plate.
Bandhu Mohanty and his wife both explained how one brahmin gave them this plate filled with Prasada in the middle of the night. After eating he went to return the plate to the brahmana but could not find him, and that was how the plate ended up with in his cloth. Bandhu Mohanty and his wife appealed to the police: “We are not at fault. Why are you all beating us without any fault?” But nobody cared for what they said. He was arrested and put in prison. Bandhu Mohanty stayed in the prison house. He fixed his mind on Lord Jagannath and started to offer prayers: “Dear Lord Jagannath, I am the greatest sinful person in this universe. You are an ocean of mercy. There is no one as sinful as me, and there is no one like You, the great deliver of the fallen souls. Whatever You wish to do with me, please do it. I have no other shelter than You.” Thinking like this he meditated upon the lotus feet of the Lord.
Later that evening all the temple devotees completed their services to the Lord and went back to their respective houses. That Lord, who is all pervading and always worried for His devotees, could not tolerate the suffering of His devotee. He immediately climbed on the back of Garuda and went to the palace of the King. At that time the King was sleeping. The Lord appeared to the King in his sleep and told him, “Oh King, please listen: when guests come to your house, do you let them stay without feeding them and caring for them? Is there anyone in your palace who stays without eating? My friend had come all the way from Jajpur along with his whole family with so much faith in Me. I provided him food. I served My friend prasad on My gold plate. What is the problem for you? Your people caught him along with his whole family, and they were beaten severely. They bound them hand and foot and threw them in the prison house. Now my friend’s whole family is suffering so much. I order you to go immediately to Puri to release them from jail and wash their lotus feet with the greatest humility. Give them the best cloth and ornaments. Place a turban on my friends head in order to give him topmost respect. My friend deserves the same service from you as you give to Me. You will provide him and his family with the best food and accommodation for their whole life. If you do not follow My order, your whole family will be destroyed.” After saying this, Lord Jagannath woke the King and then left the palace.
The King immediately called all his ministers and explained everything to them. He personally went to the prison house to release Bandhu Mohanty and embraced him with affection. The King said, “My life has become successful simply by taking your darshan. Now I am blessed. Please forgive me for all the offences committed by my people.” After saying this, the King performed Abhishek to Bandhu Mohanty with holy water, gave him opulent cloth for wearing, and placed a turban on his head with great respect. He arranged for them. maintenance of Bandhu Mohanty s whole family for the rest of their lives. The King respected them as if they were his own relatives. He arranged a house for them near the south gate of the temple. Bandhu Mohanty was happy to stay next to his friend Lord Jagannath. He happily served Lord Jagan¬nath along with his whole family for the rest of their lives.
This is an example of the bhakta-vatsalya mood of Lord Jagannath. Whoever serves Him with great faith, He reciprocates with him in this way. He is very dear to His faithful devotees. Whoever lacks faith, for him Lord Jagannath is very far away. Whoever hears this pastime of Bandhu Mohanty will be free from the reaction of all sinful activities. He will achieve success in all his attempts and will never see Yama-Loka. This is the verdict of all the Vedic scriptures.
This is another true story of a devotee named Bandhu Mohanty of Jajpur to prove how Lord Jagannath descends from His throne to help His devotees.
Bandhu Mohanty was very poor and as such he had no support to maintain his family, consisting of his wife and two sons. His wife asked him out of agony one day that why he was not going to his rich friend of whom he was so proud. The friend about whom Bandhu Mohanty mentioned was Lord Jagannath, but his wife did not realise the essence of what her husband was saying all the time. So his wife compelled him to go to the house of the friend whosoever he was. He undertook his journey to Puri. It was night already. Their two little sons were crying for food. They came just near the temple. Bandhu Mohanty consoled his wife saying. “My friend’s palace is too big. He is very rich but it is not right to enter his house now as it is night. We will go tomorrow.”
All slept, being weak, hungry, tired and sad. But his wife did not sleep. Suddenly, on a golden tray many kinds of food were brought by a robust man whose colour was very black. He left the place very quickly. She fed her sons and when Bandhu Mohanty was awake from his sleep, he was thunder-struck, hearing everything from his wife.
But the golden plate was missing from the temple and found with them. This made a great noise in the small town. The police arrested all the family members and they were produced in the court before the king for severe punishment the next day.
The king dreamt that very night of Lord Jagannath. As if giving the order, the Lord said to him, “Oh King! When guests come to you, do you not entertain them? So release Bandhu Mohanty at once; he is my devotee.” It was done, and he was given service as a cook in the temple.
Even now, descendants of Bandhu Mohanty are the main cooks in the kitchen of the temple and they daily offer food to Lord Jagannath on a golden Tray.
Watch full Odia Movie Bandhu Mohanty-
https://youtu.be/yvzCPYUjH84
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