There was a Brahmin who was worshipping Lord Shiva. He was very poor and desired wealth. Lord Shiva appeared to him and told him, “If you want wealth, you should go to Vrindavana. On the banks of the river Yamuna is the Dvadasha-aditya tila. There you will find Sri Sanatana Goswami. He has a sparsha-mani (touchstone). If you touch iron with that touchstone, it will turn it into pure gold. If you ask him, he will give it to you”. The Brahmin very enthusiastically went to Vrindavana. He climbed up the Dvadasha-aditya tila and there was Sri Sanatana Goswami, performing his bhajan.
The Brahmin said, “Lord Shiva appeared to me and told me that you will give me a sparsha mani. Do you actually have one?
Sri Sanatana Goswami answered, “Yes I have one. Do you want it?”
The Brahmin replied, “Yes”, so Sri Sanatana Goswami pointed and said, “It’s over there.”
“Where?” asked the Brahmin.
“There,” replied Sri Sanatana Goswami.
“There? But that’s a pile of rubbish,” said the Brahmin.
Sri Sanatana Goswami then confirmed, “Yes, somewhere in that pile of dust and rubbish there is a sparsha – mani. If you can find it you can have it.”
So the Brahmin looked through the rubbish, and sure enough, there it was-the touchstone!
Anything of iron, he touched would turn into gold. He was very happy. He was touching and getting gold. But Lord Shiva blessed him, and therefore, he had good intelligence. He began to think, “The whole world is looking for a touchstone like this. But Sri Sanatana Goswami had it lying in a rubbish bin, so he must have something more valuable than this.”
He went back and asked Sri Sanatana Goswami, ” Do you have something more valuable?”
Sri Sanatana Goswami replied, “Yes, I do have something millions of times more precious. Do you want it?”
The Brahmin said, “Yes, please. I do.”
Sri Sanatana Goswami then told him, ” First take your touchstone and throw it into the Yamuna, because you cannot receive what I have until you are freed from all these other attachments.”
The Brahmin had faith in the words of a Sadhu. To get the treasure of Krishna Consciousness, there has to be a great leap of faith in the words of the Sadhu.
The Brahmin threw the touchstone into the river Yamuna, knowing that it would never be seen again.
Sri Sanatana Goswami said, “I will now give you a touchstone that will give you something greater than all the gold in creation. The greatest treasure is the treasure of Sri Krishna – Prema. That treasure is lying dormant within your heart. There is only one means of achieving it; through the touchstone of the very sincere chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Sri Sanatana Goswami initiated him in the chanting of the Holy Names and he became the possessor of the ultimate wealth.
Featured image: Kailash Temple