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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
to earn them. You must therefore firmly resolve and develop fully the vigour of the soul.
HANSA AND KESHAVA
Once upon a time two brothers Hansa and Keshava met a monk on their journey, who preached them that nocturnal-eating leads one to hell. Thereupon both the brothers took a solemn vow to abstain from nocturnal-eating.
It was late at night when they returned home; and they did not take their night supper. Being asked by the father they disclosed their vow but the father did not like their resolve. He asked the other members of the family not to give them anything to eat at day time. Next day both of them were made to confine themselves to business routine work till late at night. The mother offered them dinner but they refused. Even on the third day they were not allowed to eat at day time and were offered dinner at night but they firmly refused. Thereupon the father was highly enraged and he turned them out of his house. Hansa was bit nervous and the father could persuade him to give up his vow. He was allowed to stay with the family.
Keshava was firm and adamantine in his religious resolve. He could not get any provision to eat at day-time. He fasted till on the seventh day of his fast at midnight he arrived at a Yaksha's (semi-divine being) temple.
It was full-moon night and the Yaksha's worshippers were engaged in their worships. They had resolved to eat only after they offered something to eat to some guest. They found Keshava to their profound joy and they offered many eatables to Keshava, who flatly refused to accept anything at night.
The worshippers requested him in thousand ways to eat and they said: “We are all very hungry. Please eat, so that we may eat." But Keshava did not budge an inch. He said with all modesty that he observed a vow to abstain from eating at night and further told them to wait till morn. The worshippers said that they feared the death of some, by starvation, but nothing could move Keshava. At once Yaksha appeared with a hammer in the hand. He rushed to Keshava raging with wrath and saying
