Life of Shrimad Rajchandra

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 58

knew him and how did he call by name? But before he would ask anything, Shrimad said, "There is a chit of paper in that compartment, please get and read it."
As Saubhagyabhäi drew the chit and read it, his amazement knew no bounds to see that it contained the very thing that he wanted to talk about. As such, he thought that Shrimad was the extraordinary person and that there was hardly anything to be shown to him. On the contrary, he should acquire knowledge from him. However, in order to test him better, he asked, 'In which direction is our main door in Säylä?' As Shrimad gave the correct reply, Saubhagyabhai was convinced of his enlightenment.
From this first meeting, Saubhagyabhäi developed worshipfulness for Shrimad. He had a companion named Dungarshi Gosaliä, who was practicing Yog and had influenced him with miracles and discussions. By virtue of his long correspondence with Shrimad, his worshipfulness for him continued to increase and he developed the supreme devotion. As such, his faith for Gosaliä gave way and he gained the true refuge of Shrimad.
When Shrimad was to return from his last trip to Säylä, Saubhagyabhäi had been to give him send off. As they came to the river at sunrise, the latter said, "In the witness of the sunrise, this river and the saint, let this Saubhagya not have any other refuge, but yours."
In one of the letters in 1887 Saubhagyabhäi writes to Shrimad:
"This is the last letter that I am writing to you. ... Now keep all the favors upon this low-laid person. ... Body and soul are distinct; the body is lifeless, the soul is conscious. That distinct consciousness did not come to the experiential level till now; by your grace they are seen distinctly separate for last eight days. Day and night, it is clearly experienced that this is the soul and that is the body. This is simply for your information.
"The faith that I had for Gosalia has been eradicated. As such, please elevate my soul by writing the letters from time to time as you may deem fit.
"Without studying and without reading the scriptures, the essence of truth has been clarified by your teaching. The clarification, which would not have been possible even at the end of 25 years, has occurred within a short time by your grace."
Shrimad also addressed to Saubhagyabhäi three last letters, which have been published in Shrimad Räjchandra' under serial numbers 779 to 781. They are worth contemplating by every liberation-seeker aspiring the tranquil death
Saubhagyabhäi passed away on 25th day of the month of Jeth V.S. 1953 (sometime in June 1887). In that context Shrimad wrote:
"The connection of soul with the body is essentially of that nature, yet the soul has been feeling grieved since the infinity while leaving the body. On account of the strong attachment, it treats itself as identical with the body. That is the root cause of life and death. While leaving the body. Sobhäg has maintained the pure state of consciousness without a trace of connectedness, which would have been hard even for the great monks. He has no doubt, achieved unprecedented benefit thereby. ...
"It repeatedly occurs to us that very rarely can we come across persons like Sobhäg in this area at the present time.
"The straightforwardness, decision about the supreme objective, benevolence towards the liberation-seekers and other attributes of Sobhag are worth contemplating repeatedly."