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recollect the earlier state. One, who behaves otherwise, who has retained the scope for earlier states, can bring forth the experience of previous life."
"Memory of the previous life is a type of Matijnän (intellectual knowledge). ... Scope for recollecting the previous life does not occur on account of the pain experienced at the time of leaving the earlier body, stay in the womb before taking the new birth, lack of sense during the childhood and too much attachment for the present body. It cannot, however, be said that the stay in the womb and childhood did not occur because they are not recollected. Similarly it cannot be said that previous life did not exist, because one does not recollect it on account of the factors mentioned above. The people make grafting of mango trees etc. and plants turn out of that, if the conditions are favorable. Similarly, knowledge of the previous lives can occur, if circumstances like Kshayopasham (destruction cum pacification) of Karma are conducive to bringing forth memory of the earlier states. Continuance of the mental faculty is a must for that. Getting a life devoid of mental faculty would preclude the possibility." "Shrimad Räjchandra'
In the article on Early Age in Retrospect given in the last chapter, Shrimad has not mentioned about his knowledge of the previous lives, nor has he dwelt upon it at length in subsequent writings. But while talking with friends or in replies to questions, he had mentioned about having that knowledge, how it occurred and how it accelerated. One such talk, which seems reasonably true, is given below.
Padamashi Thäkarshi, a Bania of Kutch, had been in contact with Shrimad since 1886. In the Digambar Jain temple of Bhuleshwar, in Bombay, he once asked Shrimad:
"Do you have the knowledge of previous life as I have heard about?"
Shrimad: "Yes, I have something of that sort and the people talk on that basis."
Padamashi: "How and at what age did you get it?"
Shrimad: "When I was seven years old, there was a gentleman named Amichand in my village. He was well built, handsome and virtuous like Kalyanajibhai and held affection for me. Once on hearing that he instantly died of a snakebite, I came home to my grandfather. I did not know what dying means, so I asked him whether Amichand had died. Grandfather thought that I would feel afraid to know about death. So he tried to divert my mind by asking me to have the afternoon snack. That way he tried in various ways to divert my mind. Since I had, however, heard about death for the first time, I was very curious to know about it and hence I persistently continued to ask that very question. So the grandfather said that it was true. Thereupon I asked, what dying meant.
"Grandfather said that his soul had turned out of that body: as such, he cannot move, walk, speak, eat or drink. He would do nothing, and hence his body would be burnt to ashes at the cremation ground near the pond.
"For some time I moved in the home here and then sneaked towards the cremation ground. Climbing over the babul tree by the side of the pond, I noticed that the body was indeed on funeral pyre and several men were sitting around. The question arose to me, 'How cruel is it to put such a man on fire? Why did it happen? 'While thinking about that the obscuring cover gave way." So saying he stood up.
Padamashi: "Sir, I want to know something more about that."
Shrimad replied in brief: "Thereafter when I saw the fortress of Junagadh, it increased a great deal. Now let us move."
