Mahashankh

(The great conch shell)

A story told by ‘Bhagwan’ Rajneesh sticks in the mind. Those of my vintage will remember the sex Guru.

A man did years of tapasya (penance through deep meditation 🧘‍♀️) until God appeared briefly one night. HE gifted him a shankh (conch shell) and said that all he had to do was blow into it and ask for anything. The man did as instructed. A voice from the shankh announced,

“I am at your service, Master. Ask for anything.”

The man asked for a kilogram of gold and instatntly a block of gold materialised in front of him. Just like that! Before the night was out, he had ordered everything he ever wanted and more. His simple thatched hut was replaced by an opulent palace. Luxury cars with liveried chauffeurs lined up outside, an army of servants ran around attending to him, a complete harem of desirable women frolicked in his perfumed gardens. It was as if a celestial branch of Harrods had opened in his backyard and everything including delivery was free. Soon, he ran out of ideas on things to order.

One day, a roaming mendicant came to his palace and said to him,

“ I hear you have a shankh that gives you everything you want?”

“Yes, yes!” replied our man.

“I have a Mahashankh. It’ll give you double of everything you ask.”

Our man, greedy and stupid in equal measures, asked if he could buy it. But the mendicant replied,

“I have no use for money. But if you want, we could exchange our shankhs.“

It was a no-brainer. Stupid mendicant, he thought and quickly gave up his shankh and received a much larger one from the mendicant.

The man blew into the Mahashankh and a deep voice came from within it,

“Command me and I’ll give you double of what you want.”

He said, “Give me a diamond.”

Mahashankh said, “I’ll give you two.”

He waited patiently. But nothing happened. No diamond was delivered. Maybe he was misunderstood, he assumed and blew again.

“Yes Master, what can I do for you?”

“Where are the two diamonds you promised?”

“I’ll give you four,” said Mahashankh.

Nothing delivered. Not even a pebble.

A bit impatient, our man blew a third time and when asked how he could be served, said rather impatiently,

“I’m still waiting for those four diamonds.”

“I will give you eight,” replied Mahashankh.

But gave nothing.

This story had a profound effect on me when I heard it as a young man. I was mortally frightened of making a promise I couldn’t keep.

So, If in the unlikely event that I haven’t done something I said I would, please remind me. I don’t want to be known as a Mahashankh.