RAMAYANA-KEWAT SAMWAD

There are times when the Lord allows the devotees to be in a position where he seeks help from them. There is one such narration in the epic Ramayana. It is famously called the Kewat Samwad.

Lord Rama, the incarnation of Vishnu, went on exile for fourteen years alongwith his wife Sita and brother Lakshman. While in exile, he had to cross the sacred river Ganga. As he needed a boat to do so, he approached a boatman, a Kewat, for taking them across to the other side. Kewat agreed on the condition that he be allowed to wash the Lord’s feet before stepping inside the boat. Surprised, the Lord wanted to know the reason. The illiterate Kewat reminded the Lord of the incident with Ahalya. “There is magic in the dust of your lotus feet. The curse of sage Gautama had converted Ahalya into a stone and just by touching your foot you transformed the stone into a woman.”, he replied. Smiling, Lord Rama let Kewat to wash the dust off his feet. 

Then Kewat ferried them across the river in his boat. Upon reaching the other side, Sita removed her ring and gave it to the Lord for paying the Kewat for his services. Kewat however refused to be paid for the work saying “ How can I charge you when we both do the same work. I ferry people across this river and you ferry people across the bhavasagar,  the ocean of life.  As I took you cross this river today, so when the time comes for me to leave this world, this sansara, you take me across the bhavasagar.” The Lord was so pleased with his devotion that he embraced Kewat and blessed him. The Lord kept his word and liberated Kewat from the cycle of birth and death by giving him moksha.