Page 59 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

joy proved to be a cause of irritation to the parents. They being old who would look after their boy? This was what worried them. The boy, intelligent as he was, could easily follow the cause of irritation and worry of his parents. and one day he said to his parents, “Why are you so worried about me?” i am prepared to undergo anything i am fated to. The way the days are passing by will be the same after you are no more. Days will pass in a smooth way if i am so destined.”
On hearing these words, the mother took exception to it and called him ungrateful. The angry father said, “Let me see, how Destiny comes to your service.” With these words, the father placed him on his back and left him on the bank of a river in a forest, miles away from the village. in spite of being left alone on the river bank the boy did not get frightened; he began to chant ‘Harinam’ (i.e., chanting hari’s name with all devotion). a few cowherds came to tend their cattle on the bank of the river. On being attracted by the chanting of Harinam, they got close to the boy. at the sight of the plight of the boy, they were moved to pity. They then lifted him with their arms and laid him under the shade of a tree. They cleaned the place around, prepared a bed of leaves for the boy, got a hut made with the branches and twigs of trees and each of them offered a share of their tiffin to the boy. The boy on the other hand went on chanting Harinam. so the cowherds named him Haribola. it became the daily duty of those boys to share their tiffin with that boy. some of them cleansed his excreta, some fed him food, and some others went out to collect food for him. Least interested in what was being done for him, the boy continued chanting Harinam. The boys too got inspired to begin chanting Harinam with him. so powerful was the impact of Harinam that one could not help being attracted to Harinam. and it so happened that everyone began chanting Harinam with that boy in a chorus.
Once Devarshi Narada, while wandering in the sky, noticed that Harinam was being chanted at a certain place on earth. Being attracted, he came down to earth and saw a group of boys dancing around a handicapped boy and chanting Harinam. highly impressed
Second Volume: First Taranga 37