Durga and the Bangle Seller

EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS IS A POPULAR BENGALI STORY WRITTEN BY AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR

Once there lived a man named Haricharan in a village. He was a bangle-seller. In the morning he used to get up early finish his daily chores and used to carry the bundle of bangles on his shoulders and used to go to all the villages. He used to return only in the night doing his business of selling bangles.

He was a very pious man. His guru taught him to chant Mother Durga’s name always day and night. As Durga is the supreme Mother Goddess his guru(Teacher) asked Haricharan ‘ to chant Mother Durga’s name day and night. As Haricharan is always chanting Durga’s name and he used to be always in a trance like state people in the village used to make fun of him. Sometimes they used to beat him with stones also.They used to mock him by calling him Durga das instead of his real name Haricharan. But Hari never used to bother. He used to do his worship and used to chant Mother Durga’s name. He had reached a stage where in he never used to bother about peoples mockery and their actions.

It was the summer time.The climate was very hot.Harichan was as usual going in search of his business. He was going in a forest. The Sun was very severe. He had a thirst. He saw a small lake and he was going to that lake to drink some water to quench his thirst. Then he saw a woman coming from the lake.He was spellbound to see such a beautiful woman. He had not seen such a beautiful woman in his life.He had put bangles to so many ladies of higher birth and rich ladies but till then he had not seen such a noble and beautiful lady.

So Hari called that lady under the shade of the tree and asked her to show her hands so that he could put her bangles.The lady told him to select good bangles and give her. When Hari started to adorn her hands with bangles he had unexplainable happiness and he was not able to pinpoint the reason for his happiness. He was chanting Durga Duga. Then that lady asked why he was always chanting Durga’s name and what was the benefit he will get by that. Hari chran could not explain anything. He simply told her that his guru asked him to chant Durga mantra always and that is why he was doing. He further added that by chanting he will be more benefited.

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Durgadas (Harichran) told the lady not to take out the bangles and she is the personification of Motherhood and he did not want the money from her and he did not want to remove the bangles from her. The lady told him that she will not take the bangles without giving the money to him and asked him to go to one house. The owner of the house is Umapada Bhattachrya and that gentleman happens to be her father In reality it was not so. He was her ardent devotee so she told him that he was her father. Durgadas was supposed to go his house and ask for money.The lady further told him that the gentleman would refuse as he did not have a female child and he wont pay but Durgadas was supposed to tell him that some money was in a box under the idol of Durga and he was supposed to give that money to Durgadas.

In the meantime Umapada Bhattacharya was having very great difficulty in feeding his family and he was not able to offer anything to the Goddess also. He was heartbroken along with his wife. Both of them were crying for their inability t feed their son. One day when they were lamenting a man came to their house and gave the boy a box full of mangoes and went without telling anything. When Umapada heard this he told his wife that the mother had sent his son mangoes and he only was supposed to eat them. They offered the mangoes to the goddess and gave to their son. At that time three sages came to their house and asked food.As Umapada was not in a position to do anything he became dejected and wanted to end his life and he was searching for a rope to end his life.

In the meantime the sages were asking him whether they should go or would get food. Umapada went in and tried to kill himself. Then he heard a man calling his name.He thought it was better to see who was that and he came out and saw Durgaas. Durga told him that he had to pay him money because his daughter had taken bangles from him. As predicted by the Goddess Umapada told that he had no female children. But Durga insisted that money is under the idol of Durga and he had to give. When Umapada went and checked to his surprise money was there. He removed the coin and under that another coin was there.He was going on removing and coins were coming. His joy knew no bounds. He immediately came out to tell the sages that he could provide them food but they disappeared.

At that time one man came with all the provisions to make a very good meal and told Umapada that the local Zamindar(Noble man) had sent all the above provisions to Umapada. When Umapada could not see the sages he was crest-fallen and asked Haricharan whether he had seen them. Haricharan also saw them but could not tell about their whereabouts. Then Umapada asked him to show him the place where the lady got the bangles from the bangle seller.

Both Umapada and Haricharan went to the forest and realized that the lady is none other than Durga the Mother Goddes. They wept and asked her to appear. Immediately two hands with bangles given by Hardidas came from the lake and immediately disappeared.Both Umapada and Haricharan were spellbound.

They realized the greatness of the mother and lived happily thereafter. They were always doing good deeds and chanting Durga Mantra forever. This is how Mother Durga showed her unique presence and blessed them.

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