How To Reduce One's Age?

The sage was fully involved in his penance, day after day. The only thing on his mind was the Lord and his infinite qualities. He did not even bother to think of what was happening around him. When he got up in the morning each day, he found all items ready for proceeding to the nearby river for carrying out his ablution and start his deep penance. After returning from the river, he would start his penance. Sometime around midday he would open his eyes. There would be a neat plantain leaf containing some items to eat fitting with his austere eating habits and in line with his line of living. There would be a small pot of water next to the well served leaf. He would consume the items dispassionately, drink the water and get back to penance again. When he broke the penance late in the night, a simple bed would be ready for him to rest for the few hours. There was absolutely no need for him to worry about anything. The routine will continue on the next day.

After a hundred years, the sage completed his long penance and felt he had achieved the goals he had set for himself. Feeling satisfied, he looked around. He saw an old woman standing near his seat. 

"Who are You? What are you doing here? Why are you waiting?" he asked her. "Today is my lucky day. My Lord has found time to observe my presence. I am your wife and came to this hermitage immediately after our marriage functions were over. You got into penance immediately after that. It is now a hundred years! I was a young and pretty girl when I got married. Now I am a pretty old woman!", she said. Now it dawned on the sage that he went into his tapas immediately after his marriage without even thinking of her. He felt sad for ignoring her comforts in his pursuits. "You have selflessly served me for all these years. Your contribution for my achieving success in penance is quite big. What can i do for you?', he asked her.

She gave a weak smile. "I have changed over the years while living with you. I don't need anything now. I have approached ripe old age. Since you are asking me specifically, I have to say this. During our wedding ceremony you had promised me that you would grant me many children. I am unable to conquer that desire", she said.

The sage looked at her. Then he looked at himself, Both were old and frail now. To fulfil her wish he had to reduce her age as well as his, since they were both past the age of begetting children!

How to reduce their age?

*****

The elderly couple were sitting before the bank executive in the branch maintaining their accounts. They were very old customers of the branch. They had opened those accounts in the first week of the branch opening. They were both young and energetic when they opened those accounts. Both were bank managers themselves, but opened these accounts in a new generation bank since their own bank did not offer d-mat and trading facilities in those days. 

As the years passed by, their accounts grew old, they grew old and their children moved to their youth. The children decided to move out elsewhere where they felt challenging opportunities were available to them. Unwilling to leave the parents fending for themselves in old age, they persuaded the parents to move to their country of residence now. 

Having become Non-Residents, they were required to inform their changed residency status to the bank by law. There is a big ghost called "KYC" (Know Your customer") that haunts all bank customers. Banks are required to renew KYC every few years to keep the account running. Banks have now adopted computerisation in all fields. Any work in the banks can be got done only if computer permits. Executives have become slaves of the system and they have absolutely no discretion. Or so they say. Passport is valid for 10 years. PAN card is for life. Aadhar Card is for life. Yet, they want the customer to produce all these documents every two years! If not done, they simply block your accounts!

The first thing a NRI is advised while visiting India is to get KYC done, so that they need not worry for two years. The elderly couple remembered this and asked for renewal of their KYC, all the cards and documents neatly arranged on the table. (He had also carried a post card written by his father to him sixty years ago, just in case bank asked for a post card as well.)

The executive looked at them as if looking at some aliens. "We cannot renew your KYC as it is not yet due. Please come after 4 months" she thundered. "We will be here for only two months. Hence we want to get it done now" they appealed pathetically. "I cannot help it. The system does not allow me to do it", she said. By showing some RBI circulars on the mobile, KYC was somehow got done.

First hurdle jumped, the lady made a request for internet banking. The executive went through the motions and ensured that the mobile linked to Aadhar was available in her hand. Now the computer system did not allow it because it provides internet banking through this route only for customers under the age of seventy. Computer had decided that customers above seventy years cannot be trusted with internet banking! The elderly couple were stunned wondering what to do? They had to reduce their age to get internet banking now.

How to reduce their age? 

*****

Lord Brahma was born in the navel-lotus of Lord Mahavishnu. He was assigned the task of creating the world and multiplying the beings in them. He created two humans at first, a man and a woman. (You may recall Adam and Eve). They were named Swayambhu Manu and Shataroopa. Brahma created other Prajapatis as well. Kardama was one of those prajapatis. (You may recall that Kardama's name can be seen Srisooktam). Kardama was also required to create more human beings on earth. 

Kardama did. long penance and got an audience with Lord Mahavishnu. Mahavishnu told Kardama that in two days time, Swayambhu Manu and his wife Shataroopa will come to him and offer their daughter Devahuti in marriage. Kardama should accept the offer. The newly wed couple will be blessed with nine daughters and one son. The nine daughters will in due course find their match in nine great sages. Lord Mahavishnu will himself be born as their tenth son thereafter. 

Swayambhu Manu and Shataroopa Devi came with their daughter Devahooti and offered Devahooti in marriage to sage Kardama. The ceremonies were completed and the newly wed couple moved to the hermitage of sage Kardama on the banks of river Saraswati.

As soon as they reached the hermitage, Kardama embarked on the hundred year penance. Now the couple were looking at each other and wondering how they will have all those ten children!

Sage Kardama used his mystic powers and created a Vimaana (Flying Machine or Aeroplane). Using the same powers he reduced the age of himself and Devahooti to the day of their wedding!. Now they were again that newly wed couple. The couple traveled in all nine directions in that Vimaana (Eight directions and one high above earth) on their honeymoon. They got one daughter each in each direction. They were named Kala, Anasuya, Shradda, Havirbhu, Gati, Kriya, Khyati, Arundhati and Shanti. In due course they were married to the nine great Rishis Marichi, Atri, Angirasa, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vasishta, and Atharva, 

Sage Kardama and Devahuti returned to their hermitage on the banks of Saraswati river. As promised to Kardama, Lord Mahavishnu was now born as their son Kapila. Kardama left Devahuti under the care of Kapila and went away for solitary penance.

*****

The elderly NRI couple do not have the mystic powers of the sage Kardama. They do not know how to reduce their age to get internet banking and are still waiting for it. It is reliably learnt that they are planning to embark on a hundred years penance to reduce their age so that they can meet computer standards. Of course, they are hoping that the computer standards will remain the same even after hundred years.

*****

Kapila Maharshi is the pioneer of "Sankhya Shasta" or the science of Numerology. His discourse to his mother Devahuti about how to obtain salvation is explained in Srimad Bhagavatam. 

To know more about Kapila and his teachings to his mother Devahuti, please click on the link given below:

https://roundtheclockstories.blogspot.com/2017/02/i-salute-you-dear-mother.html