PURIFICATION BY PILGRIMAGE
Akavoor Chathan is believed to be one of the twelve
children of Vararuchi, a renowned scholar and astrologer who adorned the court
of King Vikramaditya. Akavoor Chathan was brought up in a poor low-caste family
and is a popular character in the Malayalam folklore of South India. He was
respected as a gifted scholar, intelligent and wise.
One day, his landlord informed Akavoor
Chathan about his intention to visit several holy lands and bathe in the holy
rivers to purify his soul and wash away his sins. He invited Akavoor Chathan to
accompany him during the pilgrimage. Akavoor Chathan politely accepted the
offer and followed the landlord, carrying with him a bitter fruit from his farm throughout the pilgrimage. He
dipped the bitter fruit in the holy waters
and brought it back. The landlord completed the pilgrimage and was happy
that all his sins had been washed away by the pilgrimage and the dip in the holy
waters.
The landlord arranged a grand
feast to celebrate his successful pilgrimage and share his joy. Akavoor Chathan
was also invited. At the feast, no one could relish the food as it was very
bitter. The landlord was furious. He enquired about the preparation and was
told that Akavoor Chathan had entrusted the landlord's wife with the holy fruit
which he had carried during the pilgrimage and following his request, she had
included the bitter fruit in the dishes for the day. The bitter taste of the
fruit had spoiled the feast. Akavoor Chathan was summoned and questioned. He replied that
he had included the fruit in the meals with the intention of sharing the
blessings brought by the fruit among all the participants of the party. He
added that as the fruit had been carried to several Holy lands and was washed
in holy waters, he believed that the bitterness of the fruit would have been
washed away like the sins of the landlord.
The land lord learned a lesson from the
incident. Akavoor Chathan taught him that a formal wash in holy water or a
visit to a sacred place could relieve a person from his sins, only if these
acts and rituals are accompanied by internal purification, real repentance and
true transformation.
"The Lord says, " I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them! When you bring me burnt-offerings and grain-offerings, I will not accept them; I will not accept the animals you have fattened to bring me as offerings. Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. Instead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry" {Amos 5: 21-24}.
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©By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally and Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala , India
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