The Washerman’s Story – The Power of Past Karmas

Before reading the 9th chapter of *Guru Charitra* — or any chapter — one essential point must be firmly understood: Who is the “Guru” described in Guru Charitra? When reading *Guru*, many imagine their own spiritual guide or a familiar saint, but the Guru of this scripture is Saccidānanda Parabrahma Dattatreya manifest in human form. Whatever Bhagwan Dattatreya can accomplish is accomplished through this Guru. For devotees, the Sadguru is the living form of Dattatreya; from the Guru’s standpoint, He is not merely a saint but the head of the Nath lineage, the eternal Guru of the universe, the controller of cosmic law.

Today many claim the title “Guru,” but a true Guru is one through whom karmas, destiny and past-life conditions can fundamentally transform. If no transformation occurs in a seeker’s fate, the comparison is invalid. Guru Charitra also states that Dattatreya is essentially the Vishnu principle. When Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh tested Anasuya, her purity transformed them into infants; Brahma and Mahesh returned to their cosmic duties, while Vishnu remained as Dattatreya — the Guru-avatar.

In the cosmic order: * Brahma – creation * Vishnu – sustenance * Mahesh (Shiva) – dissolution

From birth to death, every being exists within Vishnu’s field of sustenance, and therefore when one stands before Dattatreya or a true Guru bearing His power, He has full authority to alter that being’s life-pattern — but only according to the person’s stored karmas (*sañcita* and *prārabdha*). All the upliftments described in Guru Charitra occurred in alignment with karmic eligibility, not arbitrary mercy.

Another deep truth: No one feels the desire to visit a temple, perform good deeds, or meet a Sadguru unless past-life merit awakens that impulse. A person may live beside Pandharpur yet feel no desire to see Vitthal; karmas pull the mind away or toward divinity. Only those whose karmic tide permits it naturally approach the Guru. When such a person arrives, the Guru reads the vibration of their thoughts and reshapes their inner tendencies. Even today, among living Sadgurus, only karmically eligible seekers gain entry into their orbit.

Questions naturally arise: * Is my present life shaped by my past births? * Can destiny (*prārabdha*) change? * How does the soul carry continuity across incarnations?

The following story from *Guru Charitra* chapter 9 offers insight.

A washerman once received a blessing from Guru Dattatreya. Before this rebirth, he had watched a royal procession and thought: “What a wondrous life! If only I could live such a life. Whichever Guru has elevated this king — I want to serve that Guru.” While absorbed in this thought, he encountered the divine Guru. The Guru asked, “What occupies your mind so deeply?” The washerman expressed his wish for royal life. The Guru said: “In your next birth you will be born in a foreign (Mleccha) lineage and enjoy kingship. When you see Me then, your past memory will return.”

Exactly as foretold, he was reborn in a foreign dynasty and became a powerful king. Later he developed a painful boil on his thigh which no medicine could cure. As his suffering peaked, he encountered the Guru again. Instantly his past-life memory awakened; he surrendered. Through the Guru’s grace, the boil was healed at once. The boil existed only as a karmic link between the two births.

This story reveals that: * The Guru sees the seeker’s entire karmic history. * Dattatreya — the unified Brahma–Vishnu–Mahesh principle — governs cosmic law. * Transformation occurs strictly according to karmic eligibility, never outside it. * The Guru can rearrange, accelerate, or neutralize karmas for the seeker’s spiritual progress.

The washerman’s evolution was shaped by his *sañcita*, *prārabdha*, and readiness for upliftment. The Guru simply unlocked what was already possible within karmic law.

“This game is of destiny and past actions — I know not how it unfolds. Whatever is not written on the forehead still blossoms through love and grace. None is to be blamed — each simply bears the fruit of their stored karma.”