Giving lessons.

 

Tulisdas came to know about the strange manner in which Rahim, a muslim by birth but a devotee of Lord Krishna who wrote poetry dedicated to Krishna, was well known for giving alms to the poor. He never looked at the person he was giving alms to, keeping his gaze downwards towards the earth, in extreme humility, rather than look towards the face of alms seekers. Tulsidas, a great poet himself – author of Hindu scripture Ramayana in popular language of Northern India and Hanuman Chalisa, promptly wrote the following couplet and sent it to Rahim.

“ऐसी देनी देंन ज्यूँ, कित सीखे हो सैन

ज्यों ज्यों कर ऊंच्यो करो, त्यों त्यों निचे नैन”

“Sir, Where have you learn that peculiar way of giving alms (Why give alms like this)?

As your hands go up (to give alms to others), your eyes start going low staring down)”

Rahim knew Tulsidas well and realized that he is well aware of the reasons and is merely giving him an opportunity to explain it to others who may have the same question in their mind. In today’s highly social media context, we could say that Tulsidas we ribbing/ trolling Rahim in a friendly manner. He replied to Tulsidas in extreme humility, completing the couplet which Tulsidas wrote with the following words:

“देनहार कोई और है, भेजत जो दिन रैन

लोग भरम हम पर करे, तासो निचे नैन”

“The Giver is someone else (the God almighty), giving day and night.

But the world gives me the credit, unnecessarily, so I lower my eyes in embarrassment.”