The GOD under the spire.

 

GOD. It's something that only a handful have experienced, few try to contemplate and many are ignorant about. Shiva was a bum, who would spread his tattered jute rug on the floor in front of the shoe stand of Madurai's Meenakshi temple. No, he would not beg for alms like all the other bums who would sit beside him, nor would he accept any prasadam. He would simply ask all the temple visitors who would approach him, more out of pity, than sympathy or empathy.

"Have you seen GOD?" One wondered what he actually wanted to know about GOD, not even the devotest of the devotee would attest to seeing GOD and when such a question was asked by Shiva they were taken aback, at times offended for they visited the temple for years and yet, a simple question from this bum, had the power to unsettle them and question their faith and years of devoted worship. People would humor him sometimes and few teenagers would take him on his question, and answer seeing GOD in such an elaborate fashion, that even if GOD were to meet GOD it would not recognize itself. Shiva, he was a different story altogether, he would listen to these elaborations with wide-eyed amazement and would get into a trance sometimes. Even teenagers got confused and at times a little scared when they would see Shiva getting all shivering, eyes rolled back in their sockets and head swung back and swayed side by side, rotating at times. This was a regular picture to anyone who visited the Meenakshi temple. yet people who were good and compassionate would leave, some Dosai, Wada, etc, together with Sakkarai Pongal (Sweetened Rice) for this bum. Shiva lived on this food, and he never left his rug. he would sit there all the time, rain or sunshine, in chilly winter and in blistering summer. 

People had so much seen Shiva, that everyone in Madurai, knew Shiva, local papers would often cite this crazy bum, all the marriages, functions of birth, and death would set aside offering for Shiva. The town never knew when it became ritual that whenever a newly married couple would visit the temple they would first visit Shiva first offer him food and visit the temple further on.

Shiva was the subject of Madurai's conversations regardless of where the communication was taking place, in the growing old ages homes, in the mansions of Barrons of an ancient line, or in the parks. Even school kids would tease other fellow kids, Paittiyam Shiva( or the crazy Shiva).  So when people who didn't understand anything quickly, or were slow in comprehension also got this title. 

No one knew where Shiva went, no one actually cared. He was expected every morning on the steps beside the temple and to no one surprise, Shiva would be seen spreading the rug and asking temple visitors whether they have seen GOD.

Years followed and Shiva became a taboo, the food stopped coming to him from functions, and people did not name their kids, Shiva. To avoid their kids being categorized as crazy. People soon started to ignore him, now that the weddings were happening in destinations besides Madurai there was no question of the bride, groom visiting Shiva. He very soon was shunned like how you shun a lump of garbage in your garden, you want to take it out but you never do and one day it goes into the air by decomposing into fine phosphate.

Shiva cared for nothing, and he was ignorant of how people's attitudes changed over the period of time. He would simply ask anyone climbing up and down the temple stairs... Have you seen GOD?

Epilogue:-

When night dawned and street dogs started their usual inquiries after one another, Shiva on this night when no soul was in sight, got up. he looked with strange eyes, eyes that radiated an ancient power, his soot-covered body was slowly becoming blue and satin..as if he were metamorphosing into something alien. He climbed the steps to the temple looked at the guard half dozing at the gate, and passed him slowly and with deliberate resolve. visited the temple of lord shiva, there he walked towards the Lingam, and merged into it, body and soul leaving behind only his tattered jute rug. 

When the priest visited the temple at dawn, he was angry to see that such a tattered rug is covering the  Lingam (The Shiv Linga), he yelled at the guard and started shouting obscenities at the unwary guard who simply dozed at the time of the incident. As soon as the guard saw the rug, he soon recognized the rug, it was Shiva's, and a search was soon organized headed by a priest armed with Lathis (Strong and long wooden cane), they wanted to avenge their faith and all the Madurai was searched but shiva was nowhere to be found. Vengeance is a double-edged sword, it hurts the bearer more if the vengeance is not avenged soon. All the devotees of Lord Shiva including the priest were hurt and hurting themselves, the retribution for the bum's insolence was not complete and their faith was shaken because a tattered rug covered the Lingam. 

One fine day there came to the steps of Badrinath temple a bum, he spread his tattered rug onto the floor near the stairs and asked the visitors... Have you seen GOD?

***End***

Under the dome or spire, there is nothing celestial presence if you don't value the person next to you if you don't care for those who cannot and for those who are victims of circumstances. 

and like many other stories, this story also gives a moral, do not search for GOD in the wrong places it is not where you think it resides. It is in your heart. you have the power to do both good and evil, it's a matter of choosing, Which you would choose in the end? GOOD or EVIL.

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