Pipa, born in the year A. D. 1425, was king of a state called Gagaraungarh. He possessed every spiritual excellence and conferred happiness and saintship on the human race.
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Pipa had been at first a worshipper of Durga^the consort of Shiv. Some holy men came to his capital, and he with his usual generosity and devotion ministered to all their wants. They then prepared food, offered it to God, and prayed that the king might become a saint. At night he had a vision in which a holy man, who took an interest in his welfare, appeared to him and said, 1 How foolish thou art who turnest away from God and yet askest for pardon ! ’ From that moment he desired nothing but the service of God. All the things of this world appeared to him to have no reality.
It is said that the goddess subsequently appeared to him. Pipa prostrated himself before her, and asked her how he could serve God. She told him to go and take Ramanand as his spiritual guide. After this highly disinterested advice the goddess disappeared. Pipa manifested such a passionate desire to see Ramanand that his friends apprehended he would lose his reason. At last he went to Banaras, where he had heard Ramanand resided. The great swami on hearing of Pipa’s arrival expressed his surprise and sent him a message, ‘ My house is a place for faqirs. What business have kings here ? ’
On Ramanand’s refusal to receive him Pipa returned home, and bestowed his wealth on the poor. He again appeared before Ramanand, and said he had now become a faqir. Ramanand in order to test his sincerity told him to throw himself into a well. Without further reflection Pipa proceeded to do so, but Ramanand’ s disciples restrained him. They brought him back to Ramanand who, on being satisfied of his humility, forthwith made him a disciple and bestowed saintship on him. He then gave him permission to return to his own country, and continue to serve saints. Ramanand promised to go in company with other saints to visit him after a year of probation. Pipa departed, served holy [ p. 113 ] men, and worshipped God with increased fervour. After a year he wrote to Ramanand and reminded him of his promise to sanctify Gagaraungarh with a visit.
Ramanand set out with his forty chosen disciples, including Rav Das and the renowned Kabir. Pipa, having taken a palki for his guru, met the party outside the city. He prostrated himself before Ramanand and each of the disciples, and bestowed on the poor a large amount of money and the remnant of his property as a thanksgiving on that joyful occasion. He took the whole company to his palace, and bestowed such service on them that he quickly received the great spiritual reward of salvation during life.
After some time Ramanand conceived a desire -to visit the country of Dwaraka on the western coast of Kathiawar. Pipa on hearing this became distressed at losing the companionship of his holy guide. Ramanand, on seeing the king’s heartfelt love, said he could make his choice either to remain where he was or become a mendicant of his order and accompany him. Upon this Pipa abdicated his sovereignty and joined Ramanand and his party.
His queens prepared to share his poverty and his pilgrimage to Dwaraka. Pipa tried to dissuade them by pointing out the hardships of travel and sojourn in forests and solitude, but they would not be convinced. He then told them to take off their jewels and regal attire, and put on patched clothes, and they might thus accompany him if they pleased. The mention of the detrimental alteration of costume was more efficacious than any expostulation. All his queens save one immediately returned home.
The youngest, whose name was Sit a, the best beloved of her husband, doffed the becoming attire of her graceful youth, and put on, as her husband had suggested, the coarse blanket of a mendicant*
Ramanand, Pipa, and Sita duly arrived in Dwarakai Ramanand merely desired to see the temples there, [ p. 114 ] and, this being done, declared his intention of returning to Banaras. But Pipa wished to settle in Dwaraka, and obtained Ramanand’s permission to do so. He and his consort abode there in the society of holy men and made great progress towards spiritual perfection.
When the sanctity of Pipa and his faithful consort became known, a great crowd assembled to do them homage. Wearied with the attentions they received from the people, Sita pointed out to her spouse that in order to save themselves from inconvenience and preserve their humility, it would be expedient for them to go to a strange country. They accordingly departed for other places of pilgrimage. When they had proceeded six stages, they encountered Afghan troops. The soldiers finding Sita fair to look upon appropriated her for themselves. In this difficulty she remembered God, and with fervent prayer supplicated His assistance. He rescued her from the Afghans, and restored her rejoicing to her husband. Pipa asked her if she would not even then go home, seeing that troubles arose on every side on her account. She replied, ‘ Great king, what trouble hath caused any interruption to thy devotion or hath been removed by any contrivance of thine ? It was all the work of God. Thou and I have proof and perfect assurance of this. To admonish me now, notwithstanding all that hath occurred, is not in accordance with the devotion of a husband or a saint.’ Pipa was pleased with her constancy, they became reconciled, altered their route, and continued their pilgrimage.
Pipa and his consort visited a holy man whose name was Chidhar. He and his wife, though highly pleased to see them, had nothing wherewithal to show them hospitality. In this plight Chidhar’s wife’s petticoat was sold to provide food for the guests. It was the only article of dress she possessed, and she had then to conceal herself in her room. [ p. 115 ] When the food was cooked and the guests sat down to dinner, Pipa requested Chidhar to bring his wife to join them. Chidhar bade them take their dinner, and his wife would eat their leavings. Upon this Pipa told Sita to go and fetch her. Sita went and found her hiding in her room. On inquiring the cause, Chidhar’s wife said it was not by wearing clothes heavenly bliss was obtained, but the first and most proper duty of all was to contemplate God and serve His saints. Sita divined what had occurred, and arrived at the conclusion that her own devotion and service were as nothing in comparison with what she had just witnessed. Half the clothes she wore she gave to Chidhar’s wife, and brought her forth from her hiding-place. They then all dined together.
Pipa and Sita then took leave of Chidhar and his wife, and after great hardships and privations arrived at the city of Toda near Tank, on the northwestern frontier of India. One day, on going to bathe, Pipa found an earthen vessel full of gold coins, but did not touch them. He mentioned the matter at night to his wife, and she said it was better not to go to the same bathing-place again. Some thieves who had overheard their conversation went thither, and found a venomous serpent coiled up in the vessel. They said to themselves that the newly-arrived faqir had designed to kill them by speaking of gold coin instead of a serpent in the vessel. They then decided that they would have the faqir himself bitten by the serpent. They accordingly dug out the vessel, took it with its contents and threw it into Pipa’s house. But the original contents had not changed for the holy man. He found it still filled with gold coins as before. Pipa, believing this treasure to have been obtained by divine favour, spent all the money within three days in rejoicings in honour of God, and in feeding and serving His saints.
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Sur Sen, king of that country, hearing Pipa’s name and devotion went to see him, and falling at his feet prayed him to instruct him and make him a holy man. Pipa remonstrated with him and even attempted to dissuade him from adopting the life of a hermit. However, on seeing him determined, Pipa told him to relinquish all he possessed. The king immediately obeyed this order, and placed his wealth at the disposal of the saint. After this trial Pipa gave him the spell of initiation and made him his disciple. Sur Sen’s queen went veiled to Pipa to remonstrate against separation from her lord. Pipa restored her to Sur Sen and assured him that he could lead a religious life even in the married state, and added that it was unnecessary for women to veil themselves in the presence of holy men — probably the first effort in modern times in India to abolish the tyranny of the parda.
In time an unfortunate difference arose between Sur Sen and Pipa which was rendered more acute by intrigues of the court Brahmans ; and Sur Sen threw off his spiritual allegiance to his royal guest. Pipa upon this reflected that it was the guru who frees men from sin and its consequences, and when a man throws off his allegiance to his guru, what hope is there for him ? He feared that the king would lose both this world and the next, so he resolved to save him. He accordingly proceeded to the king’s palace and caused himself to be announced. The king sent word that he was busy with his devotions and could not see the visitor. Upon this Pipa said the king was a great fool, for, while pretending to be performing his devotions, he was thinking of obtaining new foot-wear for himself. When these words were repeated to Sur Sen he, knowing that Pipa had divined his thoughts, at once went to him and throwing himself at his feet, said, ‘I am unworthy and faithless, I did not know thy greatness. Be merciful and pardon me. I am [ p. 117 ] extremely ashamed of all the suspicions and erroneous ideas I had formed regarding thee.’ Pipa replied, ‘ O king, remember thy faith and love on the day thou becamest my disciple. According to all rules thy love for God and his guru ought to have increased. Instead of that thou hast turned thy back on them, and prepared thyself for hell. For the future consfder the saints of God as His image and serve them. In this way shalt thou easily obtain the advantages of both worlds.’ Pipa gave the king other instructions of similar character, which sank deep into his heart. He then returned to his old allegiance to Pipa, and began anew his religious life and his repetition of God’s name.
Pipa on more occasions than can be related showed a marked deference to the wishes of others. Once some holy men took a fancy to a dish of curds which they had seen with a milkwoman, and asked Pipa to procure it for them. He caused the holy men to be served with curds daily, and cheerfully remunerated the milkwoman.
There was a Brahman friend of Pipa who was a worshipper of Durga. Pipa prepared a religious feast in the Brahman’s house, partook of the food himself, and induced the Brahman also to do so. Through the intercession of Pipa it is related that Durga manifested herself to the Brahman. His heart became purified and he began to worship God instead of an idol.
A handsome woman who sold oil used to go about saying, ‘ Buy my oil ! buy my oil ! ’ Pipa said it would be more becoming to her lips to utter God’s name. The woman became angry, and replied that it was only usual to utter God’s name when anybody died. On arriving at home she found her husband dead. She became a believer, fell at Pipa’s feet, and promised to utter with all her family the name of God. Upon this it is said Pipa restored her husband to life.
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Pipa procured a female buffalo to supply milk to his holy guests* The buffalo was stolen. Pipa took the buffalo’s calf and followed the thieves, telling them to take the calf also, as otherwise the buffalo would be displeased and not give milk. [1] The thieves repented and restored the stolen animal to her owner.
Pipa on another occasion was taking home some money and a cart laden with wheat . Highway robbers stole the cart with its burden. Pipa offered them his money also, telling them that they would require it to purchase utensils with which to cook the wheat. These robbers also repented and restored Pipa his cart.
Somebody killed a cow and was expelled from his caste for a crime so heinous in the eyes of the Hindus. Pipa by inducing him to utter God’s name and prepare a feast in God’s honour converted him from a sinner to a saint. His tribesmen, however, still refused to allow him to return to his brotherhood. Upon this Pipa proved the glory of God’s name from the Veds and the Shastars, and stated that whoever even once uttered it should be pardoned the mortal sins of hundreds of thousands of births. Consequently how could the sin of cow-killing remain attached to a man who uttered God’s name hundreds and thousands of times ? Everybody admitted the justice of this argument, and the cow-killer was restored to his caste and public favour.
A saint called Sri Rang invited Pipa by letter to visit him. Pipa accepted the invitation. On his arrival he found Sri Rang engaged in idolatrous worship. He was putting on the idol’s neck a garland of flowers, but it became entangled in the idol’s diadem. At that moment he was informed of Pipa’s arrival. He replied that he was occupied with divine service, and when it was completed he would go to receive his guest. Pipa replied, ‘What [ p. 119 ] sort of service is he performing ? He cannot put on a garland of flowers.’ On hearing this Sri Rang ran to meet him. They embraced each other, and Pipa remained with his new friend for several days. Sri Rang was greatly edified on witnessing Sita’s love and devotion, and applied himself with great fervour to imitate her example.
Once on the occasion of a famine Pipa distributed such a quantity of eatables and drinkables that it appeared as if there had been no famine, and everybody’s sufferings were relieved.
The author of the Bhagat Mal states that there are numberless similar anecdotes of Pipa which transcend all conjecture and conception. There is therefore, the writer states, no difference between God and His saints, since the glory of Pipa might be attributed to God, The Marathi chronicler sums up the character of Pipa by saying that he was brave, liberal, learned, religious, self -restrained, and watchful;
The following hymn of Pipa, intended to show that it is internal not external worship which is advantageous, is found in the Granth Sahib.
DHANASARI
In the body is God, the body is the temple of God, in the body are pilgrims and travellers ;
In the body are incense, lamps, sacrificial food; in the body are offerings of leaves. [2]
I have searched many regions, and it is only in the body I have found the nine treasures.
There is no coming and no going for me since I have appealed to God.
What is in the universe is found in the body : whoever searcheth for it shall find it there.
Pipa represented, God is the Primal Essence ; when there is a true guru he .will show him.