Shandilya's real story

 I'm being inspired by the character from the following text. Text originally from here.

Yogeshwar parivrajak appears on the stage. He loudly calls out for his disciple Shandilya. Shandilya appears from nowhere. He bluntly declares that it was not for the sake of dharma but for receiving food he had become disciple for parivrajak. Pompous Guru tries to explain to him the significance of spiritual concepts like bhava-bandhana, anasakti, samabhava, sanyam but hungry Shandilya insists that they should go about begging for alms.

When Guru points out that this is not the time for them to ask for food and says that let us rest for some time in the garden nearby the disciple flares up. He asks why he needs rest when he is above pain and pleasure.

On this guru parivarajak propounds a fantastic theory of person having two souls --atma and karmatma. He explains that Atma is that entity which is indestructile, moves up in the sky, comes and goes per the divine will. It is known as Antaratma also. But this human body which is known by the name of man or woman is the karmatma that is affected by pain and pleasure.

Shandilya says the entity which is indestructible, unchancing unfading and perennial is atma but which laughs, makes others laugh, sleeps, eats and perishes is karmatma.

They enter the garden and continue their conversation in the same vein. Guru insists the disciple Shandilya must study but SHandilya question the very propriety of going through the tedious and back-breaking process of learning. When he is asked by his Guru to recite the tenets of his religion he starts speaking about the principles of Sankhya philosophy though he belonged to the path of Buddha. On being rebuked he burs out commandments of Buddhist Shikshapada.

Guru asks the disciple to meditate as it leads to spiritual knowledge. Shandilya asks the Guru to meditate upon Yoga and he will meditate on bhoga that is carnal pleasure.

Now enters a beautiful courtesan, Ajjuka, with her two maidservats. Her name is vasantsena. They sit under the mango tree and sing beautifully. Shandilya is attracted by the singing and the beauty of singer, the courtesan. He appreciates the sweetness of her voice and asks Priivrajak also to listen. Parivrajak says that he has listened the music but does not want to get acquainted with the singer. Shandilya caustically says that the Guru would do that also but where is the money?

At this point enters yamaduta. The messager of Yama -- the got of death, and as per the order of his master takes away the life of the courtesan. Shandilya goes near the dead body of the AJjuka and starts weeping. When her friend asks him why he is behaving like that he explains that it is love which is making him weep. The maidservant thinks that ascetics love everybody hence Shandilya was speaking like that. Shandilya laments that he could not lay his hands on her full bosoms resembling talaphala and smeared with sandal paste when she was alive.

Moved by the lamentation of the disciple, by his yogic powers, guru makes his soul enter into the body of courtesan vasantasena and she gets up. Overwhelmed with joy Shandilya tries to flirt with her but she sternly asks him to study. Courtesan starts behaving like a Parivrajak and everybody is transformed by her transformation. Yamaduta returns after being lambasted by his master Yama for picking up wrong soul. He too is stunned, when he finds out that vasantasena is alive and kicking. Exasperated he puts back the soul of courtesan in the body of Parivrajak. And Paricrajak now starts behaving like the courtesan and asks for liquor, tries to embrace the love of courtesan. All hell breaks loose. Vaidya, the medicine man, is invited to treat vasantsena but he runs away from the scene when vasantsena having the soul of parivrajak starts speaking authoritatively on the science of medicine. He stops reciting his mantra and cries for his book and ultimately vanishes from the scene/

Yamaduta appears again and requests Parivrajak to leave the body of the courtesan. He aggres and Yamaduta exchanges their souls. Vasantasena departs with her lover, mother and maidservants leaving Shandilya and his Guru behind. They too depart for their Ashrama.