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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
reply gives proper advice to the aspirant as to what religion one should resort to. He might further doubt as to what could be the reward of resorting to such religion ? To this, reply is conveyed by the words, "Even gods pay their homages to those who resort to such religion". Now if such a devotee is worshipped even by Gods then what to talk of men ? This implies that he becomes the centre of worship of the entire world whereby he fulfills the mission of his human existence. You now realise the intensity of the power of religion.
Gentlemen, religion is not an ordinary thing of lay category but it is something quite supreme--extra ordinary. Parasa jewel transforms iron into gold by its touch but religion transforms a man of the meanest type into heavenly lord. You must listen to the tale of the Saint Dradhaprahari to be convinced on this point.
TALE OF SAINT DRADHA-PRAHARI
There was a Brahmin boy named Durdhara. Since his childhood he kept the company of the vicious persons and became addicted to gambling. He was much persuaded by his parents to abandon gambling. They said : "Leading kings were ruined by gambling and you are nothing. Gambling is the abode of disasters and it will ruin you". But Durdhara did not desist from gambling. When adverse fate is waiting at the door, most benevolent words do not carry any appeal.
In gambling he badly required more and more money, whereupon he began to break open treasuries of the rich merchants to steal the valuables. But such state of affairs cannot continue long. He was arrested by the city superintendents on receiving complaints from the people and was produced before the King. The King was convinced that Durdhara was a habitual thief and he punished him with transportation. Transportation in those days meant that a person to be transported was clean shaved on head with lime besmeared, was pasted black on the face, was garlanded with shoes, was seated on a donkey and was carried throughout the city heralded by a broken pot-noise. Then the culprit had to leave the borders of the state. Durdhara also had to face the same fate. He wandering here and there arrived at some forest, where the thieves caught him and produced him before their chief. The
