39. Story of Ranka and Banka | Way of Living


Story of Ranka & Banka (Way of Living)

Champakali asked Supreme God Kabir, “O God! What shall I do with this sinful property and money?” Supreme God Kabir said, “Daughter! Donate this hellish money.” Champakali went home and thought, “If I will donate the entire money, what will I eat? I do not have any other job.” Champakali started going more to the satsang. One day, it was told in the satsang that: -

            Ranka (man) and Banka (woman) were supreme devotees of God. They had properly understood the (Tatvgyan) true spiritual knowledge. They were leading their life based on that only. They had a daughter named Abanka. One day devotee Namdev said to his Guru ji, “Gurudev, your devotees Ranka and Banka are very poor. Please give them some wealth so that they do not have to bring wood from the jungle and earn their livelihood by selling it in the city. Both of them go to the jungle, collect pieces of wood there and bring it over. They even have difficulty managing food for themselves.” Gurudev said, “Brother! I have tried to give them wealth several times, but they donate everything. Two-three times, I have myself gone disguising as a wood-buyer. I paid them hundred times more for their wood than the others. Every day, their wood used to sell for two annas. I bought them for ten rupees. Spending four annas on their food, they donated the rest in my Satsang. Now you tell me how should

I give them money?” Devotee Namdev again requested, “Give them money again this time; I am sure they will take it.” Guru ji and Namdev ji went on that path from where Ranka and Banka used to bring wood from the jungle. Guru ji put a lot of gold jewellery worth lakhs of rupees on the path. Namdev and Gurudev hid behind a bush. Ranka was walking ahead with pieces of wood on his head, and behind him was Ranka walking at a distance of two hundred feet carrying pieces of wood. Devotee Ranka saw that precious gold jewellery is lying on the path, and Banka is a woman; she might become greedy on seeing the jewellery and might spoil her deeds. Therefore, he started putting dirt on the jewellery with his feet. Devotee Banka also was a disciple of a Complete Guru. She saw that her husband is putting dirt on the jewellery. She understood his motive. She yelled, “Move on Bhakt ji! Why are you putting dirt on dirt?” Ranka understood that she is firm in her intentions; she is not wavering. Bypassing that jewellery worth lakhs of rupees, both of them went to the city. Guru ji said, “Did you see, devotee Namdev! Devotees should be like these.”

One day, Guru ji was doing Satsang at 4 o’clock in the evening. The venue of Satsang was at a distance of four acres from Ranka’s hut. Ranka and Banka both had gone to listen to the Satsang. Their daughter Abanka (19 years old) was sitting outside the hut on a cot. The hut caught fire. All the items got burnt. Abanka came running and saw that Satang is going on. Guru ji was delivering the Satsang. The audience was engrossed in attentively listening to the satsang. It was a peaceful atmosphere. Abanka loudly said, Mother! The hut has caught fire. Everything has got burnt. Mother Banka got up and took her daughter to one side and asked, “What is left?” Daughter Abanka told, “One cot was outside; only that has been saved.” Devotee Ranka had also come. They both said, “Daughter! Put that cot also in the fire and come back. Listen to the satsang. If the hut had not been there, it would not have caught fire; had it not caught fire, there would have been no disturbance in the bliss of Satsang.” Abanka went and putting the cot in the fire of the hut, came back to listen to the satsang. After the satsang, they all went home. They had eaten the food of that time at the communal meal in the satsang. At night, they slept under a tree near the burnt hut without any bedding. When they woke up early in the morning to do bhakti, they had a beautiful hut over them. All the utensils were there and there were earthern pots full of flour and lentils etc. At that very moment an ethervoice occurred, “Devotee family! This is God’s grace. You may live in this hut. This is Gurudev’s order.” The three of them said, “Your wish is our command, Gurudev!” At sun rise, the people of the town were amazed to see that the ashes of the hut that was next to another tree were still present. A new hut could not be built before a week. Everyone said that this is a miracle of their Guru ji. Whoever saw it vowed to take initiation from Guru ji. Thousands of townspeople took initiation. (Supreme God Kabir had performed this entire divine act approximately two hundred years before appearing in Kashi city. At that time, He had also taken devotee Namdev in His refuge.)

            On listening to the aforesaid story, the fear in devotee Champakali’s mind got dispelled and she donated the entire property and wealth to God Kabir Guru ji. God said, “Daughter! When you have become mine, then your wealth is automatically mine. Keep that much of this wealth of mine with you as much is sufficient for you to sustain yourself. Keep donating the rest. Devotee Champakali did the same. She kept the house and donated majority of the money as per Guru ji’s order in the communal meals. 


FAQs about "Story of Ranka and Banka"

Q.1 What is the significance of donating wealth as mentioned in the article?

Donating wealth is seen as a way to purify one's actions and rid oneself of sinful properties and money, according to the Suksham Vedas.

Q.2 Who were Ranka and Banka, and why were they considered supreme devotees?

Ranka and Banka were considered supreme devotees of God because they practiced true spiritual knowledge, lived a simple life, and generously donated their earnings to support their spiritual community. They devoted their whole lives to attaining salvation and serving God.

Q. 3 What did Ranka and Banka do with their remaining wealth?

Ranka and Banka consistently donated all the wealth given to them by God, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to spiritual principles, even when offered significant amounts of wealth.

Q.4 How did Ranka and Banka react when they saw valuable gold jewelry on their path?

Ranka and Banka chose not to be tempted by the valuable gold jewelry and even covered it with dirt to avoid any distractions from their spiritual path.

Q.5 What happened to Ranka and Banka's hut?

Ranka and Banka's hut caught fire, and all their possessions were destroyed. However, they chose to remain focused on listening to Satsang and put their last remaining possession, a cot, into the fire to avoid any disturbances to the ongoing Satsang (spiritual discourse). Ranka, Banka, and Abanka remained committed to the Satsang and accepted their situation without complaint, demonstrating their deep faith in their spiritual path.

Q.6 What miraculous event occurred the morning after their hut burned down?

The morning after the hut fire, a new hut appeared over Ranka, Banka, and Abanka, along with all the necessary utensils and food supplies. This was seen as a divine miracle. Witnessing the miraculous event involving Ranka, Banka, and Abanka, thousands of townspeople were inspired to take initiation from Guru ji.

Q.7 What did devotee Champakali do with her property and wealth after hearing the story of Ranka and Banka?

Inspired by the story of Ranka and Banka, Champakali donated the entire property and wealth to God Kabir Guru ji, following his guidance to keep only what was necessary for her sustenance and generously donating the rest.


 

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Raghav Saini

I have concerns about the practice of donating regularly in Satsang. With the current inflation, most of our income is spent on basic sustenance, leaving only a small amount for savings. It becomes challenging to allocate funds for donations. Additionally, there is a lack of transparency in how these donations are utilized, which makes me hesitant to support such acts.

Satlok Ashram

Dear reader, we appreciate your engagement with our article. It's important to remember that the law of Karma dictates that we receive in proportion to what we give. Some famous devotees' stories illustrate that giving a little can result in receiving more. While it's true that some gurus misuse donations for personal gain, Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj encourages charity and good deeds for deserving individuals. Many of his followers have prospered by following this path. We recommend that you explore the spiritual knowledge of Sant Rampal Ji by reading the book "Jeene Ki Rah" for proper guidance.

Bhoomi Rajput

My mother regularly donates money to beggars, temples, and wandering sadhus who seek alms at our home. However, if giving leads to receiving more from God, why don't we see any tangible returns? Meanwhile, our neighbors, who rarely give to anyone, seem to be financially well-off.

Satlok Ashram

Dear reader, we commend your curiosity regarding the principles mentioned in the article, which are based on scriptures. In the Holy Srimad Bhagavad Gita, it is stated that a donation is successful only when given to a deserving person, and it requires guidance from an enlightened Saint. It's possible that the recipients of your mother's donations may not be deserving individuals, and they may misuse the funds by consuming intoxicants or any other wrong purposes, leading to turmoil in their lives and society. Before making donations, it's advisable to first understand the spiritual teachings of Sant Rampal Ji Maharaj and read the book "Jeene Ki Rah" for proper guidance.