Kancha Prabhu - Swami Sivananda

Once upon a time there lived in a distant village near Allahabad, a Vaishya by the name of Kancha Prabhu. His parents belonged to Mysore and he went out of his home town in search of business, finally settling in Allahabad. He dealt in piece-goods. By the Will of God he became very rich. He was so rich that he did not know exactly how much wealth he had in his possession. He had no sons. He had only a wife to serve him.

Days passed by. Kancha Prabhu became old. In all his lifetime he had never given anything in charity to anyone. So one day his wife, Santipriya, told him that they should do some charity and visit Banares and other places of pilgrimage at least once in their lives.

Kancha Prabhu was reluctant to undertake any pilgrimage for fear of losing his train fare and the fold and other expenses in connection with the pilgrimage. He said that they need not go anywhere on pilgrimage and that Prayag was itself the holiest of Tirthas. It was enough if they took their bath in the Triveni at Prayag. His wife agreed.

Kancha Prabhu did not take any money with him for the purpose of charity. He simply tied a few grains of gram in a cloth and started for his bath in the Ganges. He wanted to go to a Ghat where no Pandas were waiting. It was the Sankranti day and all the Ghats were full. He was terribly afraid of the Pandas for they would demand money as Dakshina. So he took a roundabout route and reached the Murda Ghat where all the dead bodies were burnt.

© `Inspiring Stories’ by Swami Sivananda, published (1997) by The Divine Life Society, Shivanandanagar 249 192. Reprinted with permission.

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