Great Warrior Of Ahimsa

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 34

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MAJOR (fearful, getting up from the bed] Tiger....Tiger..............(Pause) Oh...it was a dream only....so this was the man whose love and non-violence and fearlessness surpassed even the wild beasts like tigers..!
(A soldier Guard peeps in and goes away], [Major again gets absorbed in dream and finds Rajchandra in the same pause sitting in his Bombay's Indian-styled sitting room-a part of which is only seen with books etc., - welcoming young Gandhi who had then, in 1891 July, returned from England on completion of his studies in law...] SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA : Welcome my friend, be seated... It is good that you have come. I was waiting for you. I am happy to meet you. GANDHI : Dr. Mehta told me about you and I also 'feel very much grateful to you that I could see you.(pause).... Dr. Mehta had also suggested me to know something about your SHATAVADHANA. Will you kindly tell me what it is? Is it any miracle? SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA : No, it's no miracle. It's simply the practice of memory. It's the faculty of remembering or attending to a hundred things simultaneously... GANDHI : (surprised) Attending to a hurdred things simultaneoulsy!... How is it possible? SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA : Devoted Studies and Practice of knowledge, Character and Devotion to God can make it possible.... GANDHI : It's noteworthy. I shall like to know more about it but I have taken a lot of your precious time...I'll come again... SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA : (warmly) Feel free to come or write at any time my friend... [Gets absorbed in reading a book as Gandhi goes ] GANDHI : [Repeating Rajchandra's words to his own self while going): "DEVOTED STUDIES & PRACTICE OF KNOWLEDGE, CHARACTER AND DEVOTION TO GOD CAN MAKE IT POSSIBLE...".. Yes... what he says is true...He himself seems to be full of such wide knowledge of the scriptures, spotless character and burning passion for Selfrealisation....
[Gandhi and Srimad Rajchandra both disappear) MAJOR : (Reacting]:..........Could there be such Truth-Seekers? (again opening the book "Gandhi-the Truth Seeker" and reading aloud: One soldier-Guard peeps from the window and goes away...):
".....AS IN THE MIDST OF THE WILD BEASTS AT IDAR, RAJCHANDRA CONTINUED HIS PRACTICE OF NON-VIOLENCE AND LOVE AT BOMBAY. IN HIS BUSINESS OF JEWELRY ALSO HE STRICTLY FOLLOWED TRUTH. GANDHI GOT VERY MUCH IMPRESSED FINDING THIS IN COURSE OF HIS SEVERAL MEETINGS AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIM. THUS HE GOT THE FIRST LIVE LESSON IN HIS SEARCH FOR TRUTH FROM SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA AND TOOK HIM AS HIS GUIDE AND HELPER. AS REGARDS INDIRECT HELPERS, THE 'GITA' IMPRESSED GANDHI A LOT AS 'THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU' BY TOLSTOY, "UNTO THIS LAST' BY RUSKIN AND 'WALDEN' BY THOREAU. SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA HAD SUGGESTED AND SENT SOME OTHER SCRIPTURES LIKE THE 'YOGA VASISTHA' WHEN HE CORRESPONDED WITH HIM SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM TIME TO TIME FROM AFRICA TILL THE EARLY DEMISE OF SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA AT THE AGE OF 33 IN 1901.