Monk and Monarch

Author(s): Vidyavijay
Publisher: Deepchand Banthia

Page 90

જેહની ગાદી ગોઆ બંદિરિ, સેવન છત્ર સોહિ ઉપર, કોઈ ન લપિ તેહની લાજ, નામિ સીશ ફરંગી રાજ. ૧૭૧
i. e., Parekh Vajia and Rajia belonged to the Shri family. They were very powerful. They had built five temples. They lived at Goa and had a golden umbrella over them. No one dared disobey them, and even the chief of the Portuguese bowed to them,
Similarly there were devotees of Suriji in Rajnagar, Patan, Visalnagar, Sirohi, Vairat, Pipad, Alwar, 32 Jesalmer, Nagor, Jhalora, Medta, Agra,33 Firoznagar (where the devotee was one Aku Sanghvi, who was 96 years old, had 91 persons in his personal family and was a poet also ), Burhanpur, Malva, Surat, Baroda, Nawanagar, and Div.
Once, when he was at Khambhat, his former Brahmin teacher came there. Suriji was a preacher then; but he at once got up and respected him. He showed his inability to offer him anything. The teacher said that he had simply come to see him, because once, when he had a serpent-bite, he was relieved of its poison by remembering the name of the Suri and licking at the bite. A rich lady, Sanghvan Sangde, was sitting there. She, on learning that the Brahmin was Suriji's teacher once, at once offered him her golden bracelet. Immediately 1,200 rupees were collected, and the whole of that amount was given away to that Brahmin.
Once Suriji was at Agra. In Agra lived a beggar named Aku. His wife had gone to bring water and returned home somewhat late. Her husband angrily asked her the reason of her delay. She said, " It is not easy to fetch water. If you are so rich, why do you not bring an elephant ?" The beggar, taking this to heart. went out and began to praise Hirvijaysuri's merits. Shravakas were much pleased with him and gave him many gifts; but he did not accept them, saying that he would accept only an elephant. At that time a gentleman named Sadarang offered him an elephant after doing Lunchhnun( ) over it. Seeing this, a Bhojak, who was sitting there, said, "This elephant belongs to me, as the