#kevat

we are both! tired.

mobile episodes up this week

Shikhar Agarwal

Written Sep 24, 2013

Boatman Kevat's boon from Lord Rama.

This answer might surprise many readers. But that's the beauty of the boon - it's so subtle, it's so well thought that even Lord Rama couldn't help but smile. While we mainly think of asuras (daemons) asking intelligent boons, this is a beautiful exception showing how even Lord has to bow down to love and devotion shown by a mere human. And the grandeur is further increased by songs in the original Ramananda Sagar's Ramayana.

Part 1 - Drinking the real Charnamrita

During his vanavaas (exile), Rama arrives at the banks of River Ganga. There, he requests the boatman Kevat to drop him to the other bank of the river. And here Kevat steals the show. He recounts the tale where the mere touch of Rama's feet turned a stone statue into a woman ( Ahilya ) and tells Him that he is afraid that His feet might turn his not-so-strong wooden boat into something else, and he would lose his source of earning. He therefore tells Rama that he would first test His feet - he would wash it and drink the water himself first and then let Rama climb on the boat. Rama had no option but to give up to the demand and smart Kevat got the privilege to drink the real charnamrita (Water from the feet of the Gods we get in temples - except these are stone idols and Kevat got it directly through Lord Rama's feet)

Part 2 - Boon for Moksha (Nirvana)

After crossing the river, Sita offers her ring as "fees" to Kevat. But Kevat refuses and says the following words:

"Hey Lord, just like a barber doesn't charge a fellow barber, a washerman doesn't take money from a fellow washerman, how can a boatman like me take money from a boatman like you?"

Rama as boatman? Confused? Well Kevat explains:

"Just like I help people cross the River Ganga, you help people cross the River called Life - so you are also Kevat, and thus, how can I charge you?"

And finally the subtle boon for Moksha (Nirvana):

i just think! this page is neat

made the screenshot from witchiHow in 2021 probably, and I still think it's very fun.

still!!! so in love with how this page turned out