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Relics
16. Extra-Sensory Perception
Hemrajbhai and Malashibhai were surprised when Shrimad addressed them
by their names. They asked: "How did you know that we were coming?"
Shrimad replied: "The Soul has infinite powers." Shrimad then took his guests to the magistrate Dharshibhai's house, where they were warmly welcomed. The two visitors wanted to talk to Shrimad privately and the magistrate led them to a room where they might speak without interruption.
The two men of Kutch had heard much about Shrimad's various abilities: his phenomenal memory, his eloquence, and his poetic skills, and had been eager to meet this child prodigy. In order to see for themselves Shrimad's talents, they had brought with them a little test. They had selected a verse from a book called Sanghapattak, and read out the letters making up that verse in random order. Shrimad listened, re-arranged the letters in his mind, and then recited the verse in proper order.
Experiencing Shrimad's mental faculties for the first time, they were truly amazed. They even wondered whether sending Shrimad to Kashi to study would actually benefit a boy of such skill and intelligence. Despite this, as they had come such a long distance, they offered to pay for his education in Kashi, and to cover his and his family's expenses. Shrimad very politely declined the offer.
The two visitors told Dharshibhai that their visit had been unsuccessful. They also explained how Shrimad had come to meet them at the outskirts of Rajkot and called them by their names, even though he had never met them before. Dharshibhai related his own experiences to them and told them how Shrimad had made arrangements for them to stay with him. After this discussion, the magistrate was very sure that such a boy had no need to go to Kashi: Shrimad was already wise and learned.
Shrimad decided to return to Vavania. As he took leave of Dharshibhai and his two uncles, he was given a box of sweets, as was the custom. Shrimad did not have enough to pay for his train fare to Vavania, and so sold the sweets to a local confectioner. While he did not hesitate to ask Dharshibhai to accommodate the travellers from Kutch, he did not ask a thing for himself, even though anyone would have gladly given him the train fare. This is a characteristic of many a great souls.
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