Pinnacle Of Spirituality

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal

Page 34

9. Extraordinary Memory
Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust
upon them. Shrimad was born great. While it is often difficult to grasp the inner greatness of such beings, it becomes apparent in the routine events of their lives.
When Shrimad was admitted to school the form master Lavjibhai paid him special attention as instructed by the headmaster. He wrote the numerals 1 to 5 on a slate and asked Shrimad to copy them out. Shrimad sat with the other students, slate in hand. Instead of copying out the numbers, he stared at them for a while and then turned to his teacher and said: "Sir, I know all these things." Then he wrote out the numbers. Lavjibhai suspected that the boy may have received some coaching at home which is how he knew the first five numerals. The teacher wrote out the numbers 6 to 10, and carried on all the way to a hundred, while Shrimad immediately wrote them all out. How could a new student know all these things!
He went on to the multiplication tables from 1 to 10. Once again, as he wrote out the tables, Shrimad also wrote and read them out. The teacher went on to the 11 and 12 times tables, and the same thing happened. Turning to language, as his teacher wrote out the first lesson in Gujarati, Shrimad again repeated it immediately. The teacher was now amazed.
Lavjibhai went to the headmaster and asked "What am I to teach this boy? He seems to know everything from mathematics to poetry.
The headmaster sent for Shrimad's father and asked him if Shrimad had been taught anything at home. Ravjibhai told him honestly that he had only just bought the boy a slate and that he had not studied a thing before starting school. The teacher immediately realised that Shrimad was a child prodigy and from then on kept him at the head of the class. He would often have the boy sing deeply religious songs.
Within a year, Shrimad was able to complete what would take most students four years to study. In less than two years, he had finished seven years worth of schooling. As soon as the teacher taught a new subject, Shrimad understood it thoroughly.