Part 6 (1/2)
Deeht tickets to proceed north to Rishi+kesh, a soil long hallowed by feet of ed on the platforht to an abrupt halt by a shout frouardian escorted us to a station bungalow and took charge of our money He explained courteously that it was his duty to hold us untilthat the truants' destination had been the Hie story
”I see you are crazy about saints! You will never reater man of God than the one I saw only yesterday My brother officer and I first encountered hies, on a sharp lookout for a certain murderer Our instructions were to capture hi as a SADHU in order to rob pilgriure which resenored our co his back, I wielded ht arm was severed allance at the ghastly wound, the stranger astonishi+ngly continued his swift pace As we jumped in front of him, he spoke quietly
”'I a'
”I was deeplysage Prostrating myself at his feet, I implored his pardon, and offered my turban-cloth to staunch the heavy spurts of blood
”'Son, that was just an understandable arded , and don't reproach yourself
The Beloved Mother is taking care ofarm into its stump and lo! it adhered; the blood inexplicably ceased to flow
”'Come to me under yonder tree in three days and you will find me fully healed Thus you will feel no reerly to the designated spot The SADHU was there and allowed us to exaoing via Rishi+kesh to the Himalayan solitudes' He blessed us as he departed quickly I feel that h his sanctity”
The officer concluded with a pious ejaculation; his experience had obviously esture, he handed arbled , alas! even in India), the reporter's version was slightly exaggerated: it indicated that the SADHU had been almost decapitated!
Ai who could forgive his persecutor in such a Christlike way India, materially poor for the last two centuries, yet has an inexhaustible fund of divine wealth; spiritual ”skyscrapers” may occasionally be encountered by the wayside, even by worldly men like this police our tediu that he was more fortunate than we: he had met an illumined saint without effort; our earnest search had ended, not at the feet of a master, but in a coarse police station!
So near the Himalayas and yet, in our captivity, so far, I told Amar I felt doubly impelled to seek freedoo on foot to holy Rishi+kesh” I sly
But my companion had turned pessimist as soon as the stalwart prop of our money had been taken frole land, we should finish, not in the city of saints, but in the stoers!”
Ananta and Areeted his relative with affectionate relief I was unreconciled; Ananta got no
”I understand how you feel” My brother spoke soothingly ”All I ask of you is to accoo on to Calcutta to visit your grieving father for a few days
Then you can resume your search here for a master”
Amar entered the conversation at this point to disclai to Hardiththe familial waruru
Our party entrained for Benares There I had a singular and instant response to ed by Ananta Before seeing me at Hardwar, he had stopped in Benares to ask a certain scriptural authority to interview me later Both the pundit and his son had promised to undertake my dissuasion from the path of a SANNYASI
{FN4-1}
Ananta took reeted thy philosophic discourse Professing to have a clairvoyant knowledge ofa monk
”You will meet continual misfortune, and be unable to find God, if you insist on deserting your ordinary responsibilities! You cannot work out your past karma {FN4-2} without worldly experiences”
Krishna's immortal words rose to my lips in reply: ”'Even he with the worst of karma who ceaselessly meditates on Me quickly loses the effects of his past bad actions Beco, he soon attains perennial peace Arjuna, know this for certain: the devotee who puts his trust in Me never perishes!'” {FN4-3}