Life of Shrimad Rajchandra

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 66

After a few days Shrimad read to Lallujiswami 17 stanzas of Samadhishatak (100 verses of spiritual essence) and gave him that book for reading. While the latter went up to the stairs, Shrimad called him back and wrote the following unprecedented line on the first page of the book.
Ätambhävnä Bhävatä Jiv Lahe Kevalinän Re One attains omniscience by reflecting over the true nature of soul.
Once Lallujiswämi asked: "I do not like all this. When can I stay tuned to soul forever?"
Shrimad: "You need to get instructions"
Lallujiswami: "Please give it."
Shrimad remained silent.
Shrimad frequently used to urge for observing silence and to say that it is very beneficial. Thereupon Lallujiswami adopted silence for three years after he left Bombay and moved towards Surat. The exception was made only for speaking to the monks or for putting questions to Shrimad on spiritual matters. Reading of Samadhishatak, which was put off during the bustle of Bombay, was commenced during the journey towards Surat and he was experiencing thereby unprecedented peace.
The great men, who have attained peace, can indicate the means thereof. Anger is removed the way they indicate, ego disappears the way they indicate, and peace can be gained the way they indicate.
Chapter 17: CONTACT IN SURAT AND KATHOR
Muni Devkaranji was so much enthralled of the scriptures that he repeatedly used to say to Lallujiswämi, 'Is Shrimad going to indicate anything beyond the scope of scriptures? I have read the scriptures and I know about that.' In order to reduce that predisposition Shrimad had given him Yogväsishtha and other books of Vedänt to read. He was reading those books when they were at Surat in 1894. There were several persons at Surat, who were well versed in Vedänt. By coming in contact with them and by reading books of Vedänt, Devkaranji began to think himself as a godly being. As Lallujiswämi told about that to Shrimad, he suggested Devkaranji to go through Jain Sutras like Uttaradhyayan once again so as to prevent him from leaning towards one-sided view. He also wrote a letter to Lallujiswami containing instructions for Devkaranji. The said letter, being worth pondering over by everyone, is given below.
"The omniscient Lords have repeatedly urged for being freed from material as well as inner entanglement and have stated that even the most enlightened should not stay complacent about the entanglement. I bow with intense devotion to the Lords, who have shown that path.
"The worldly soul has been mistaken in making out the true nature of soul since the infinity. Achäräng Sutra is the first and foremost among the twelve original scriptures. What has been said in its first chapter of the first section, part 1 is the essence of all the scriptures, that constitutes the seed of liberation and that is the right perception. By steadily contemplating over it, one would see that coming to the decision by himself, without resorting to the contact of the enlightened, is not the path of liberation.