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34. The Charity Saint Shri Meghjibhai Pethraj
Childhood: The child climbed on the tree to fly kite because of his child-like activities, but he lost his balance and fell down. Such a fall was bound to bring the end of his life but destiny was otherwise. The child was saved. The child must have thought. I should never climb on the tree, but no, it was Meghji and he thought, I must rise up, even more than this, but keep the circumstances well in mind. This was the first lesson that Meghji learnt in the beginning of his life. He was born in 1905 corresponding to the 15th September, at Dabsang, some 18 miles away from Jamnagar. The Jain Oshwal Shri Pethrajbhai and Ranibai were his parents. Shri Pethrajbhai had the eldest child, daughter Laxmi and then three sons, Raychand, Meghji and Vaghji. The economic condition of the family was not so good but their prestige was very high. Pethrajbhai was broad minded and the whole family was deeply religious minded. Meghji studied in a village school. He was very clever and passed the fifth standard very easily. Seeing his outstanding career as a student, he was appointed in his own school as a teacher and was granted monthly salary of Rs.8/-. Teachers were highly respected in those days. But Meghji was not to take this to be all. He was teaching names of London, Berlin, New York, Mombassa etc. to the students in the class. He himself wanted to see these places and earn a lot of money to save his family, society and the motherland. How can he be satisfied with this service of Rs.8/- a month? He was acquainted with prestigious families because of his service as a teacher and he decided to go to Africa on the basis of one of such relation. His parents granted their consent after much hesitation but pressed him to go after his marriage. As such Meghjibhai was married to Monghibai at the age of 14 as desired by his parents. The parents borrowed money on credit for the ticket of Meghjibhai and then Meghjibhai resigned from the service of a teacher. At the age of 15, Meghji came to Mumbai to go to Africa. He was coming out of Saurashtra for the first time and was aspiring to see the whole world. He was quite simple, totally unaware of the complications of worldly life. He completed the procedure for boarding the ship but when he returned he saw that his trunk of kits and goods was missing. He was extremely pained. The steamer was about to start. He asked everyone there because his passport, money, clothes were in the trunk. Instead of helping this boy, the persons laughed at him saying, "if you cannot look after your trunk, you should not have come out of your home and wished to go abroad". Meghjibhai felt this very much. So much pain and punishment for such a little error of oversightedness? He met the police. He ran everywhere to find out the trunk, but the steamer started and the dream of Meghji's going to foreign remained unfulfilled. Meghji thought that he would not be able to go abroad at anytime hereafter. His parents had collected money for his ticked with much trouble and they hoped that Meghji would earn much. But now, how to go to parents? What face will he show to them? He had lost his service of a teacher also. Should he go back or stay at Mumbai itself? Meghji was not a boy to lose courage by one failure. He must go abroad under any circumstances. He took a lesson to be careful at all moments of life. Ordinary man submits to circumstances but extra-ordinary man rules over the circumstances. He decided to return to home and try again. He has not done any evil work that he cannot show his face to anyone. He will now suffer his carelessness and try to come out of it once again. He returned home. All were surprised. Meghji told them the whole story. He said, I was being tested by his fate and if he lost courage, he should be working as a teacher for the whole of his life. If he remained idle, he should not get such opportunity hereafter. The parents could follow the ambition of Meghjibhai. They also did not like that his career may come to an end here. But what was the way out of? The mother could not sleep at night. She was after all a mother. Ranibai, next morning proposed to make use of her ornaments in these circumstances and
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