Nandsen

Summary

Nandsen, an orphan boy, grows up in his maternal uncle’s house where he is overworked, abused and called ‘an ugly boar.’ Feeling unloved and worthless, he runs away and sleeps under trees. One night he dreams of a radiant sun rising over the world. Wandering through forests, he hears a nectar‑like voice calling him by name. He looks up and sees a monk bathed in compassion who resembles the sun of his dream. Falling at the monk’s feet, Nandsen confesses that he is ugly and without intellect. The monk smiles and tells him that his intellect is like that of Bṛhaspati, his genius like that of Śukra and his beauty comparable to Vaiśravaṇa; the universe needs his service. Encouraged, Nandsen goes to a hermitage near a village. There he serves monks, travellers and villagers with selfless devotion, never seeking praise. When a cholera epidemic strikes, he tends to the sick tirelessly, foregoing food and sleep. Though exhausted, he remains serene. One day he is told that a monk afflicted with cholera lies on a roadside. Nandsen hurries to him, washes his diseased body and offers to escort him to the hermitage. The monk berates him as a scoundrel and orders him to carry him. Nandsen humbly apologises for his unworthiness and lifts the monk in his arms. As he staggers under the unexpected weight and endures insults, he suddenly senses a sweet fragrance and sees the same divine light from his dream. The monk disappears and a celestial voice says, “Nandsen, your vow has been fulfilled. Your selfless service has achieved what is to be achieved.” Nandsen falls to the ground, repeating his plea for protection, realising that through humble service he has attained spiritual grace.