________________
After a while when the prayers were over Manubhai inquired from Santbalji what was wrong if such scurrilous and obscenely abusive pamphlets were prevented from being circulated. Santbal's reply was that the propagation of lies never sustained for long and that it was not proper to punish the pedlar as was done at the Railway Platform because the pedlar was not interested in defaming him; his interest was confined only to the sale which was to bring income to him. The matter ended there.
Blessings to Kalu :
It was the conclusion of an evening prayer meeting when it was already 10.00 p.m. of the winter night. Outside, cold wind was blowing and all those who had gathered to offer prayer were dispersing for night rest. By this time a man came running and gasping for breath. Addressing the Saint he implored him to go with him. The followers who were present asked him to say whatever he wanted to, then and there, instead of asking the Saint to go with him out in the winter night, and reminded him that nothing was secret with the Saint. The stranger retorted saying that nothing was secret with the Saint as he was god-like but other were humans and would like to talk to him in secret.
The Saint looked to his watch and asked the stranger to go ahead and followed him. Both silently went to the village outskirts on the bank of a pond where a group of people was sitting surrounding a bonfire. Seeing the Saint approaching them they were overjoyed, went forward to receive him and bowed down to his feet. Going near the bonfire the Saint asked them in a tone full of sympathy and affection why he was required. Some body from the crowd shouted, “Maharaj, bless this wretch”. Before the Saint made further inquiries, another person said, “Maharaj, we have brought this Kalu, please bless him.” The Saint thought that the matter was not so simple because if it was a mere matter of blessing some one, they would not have called him personally at
98
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
