Santbal A Saint with a Difference

Author(s): T U Mehta
Publisher: Navjivan Prakashan Mandir

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now got the salary of Rs. 160/- p.m. which was considered fairly a good income in those days. Shivlal was now out of financial difficulties. His personal life was simple and he could save good amount for his mother and sister.
Shivlal could now afford to spare some time for reading and getting the advantage of spiritual discourses of Saints. Honesty, industry, uprightness, courage to resist evils, and inclination to lead a purposeful religious life were the qualities which came naturally to him by inheritance from his parents. His intelligence and enthusiasm to know the things and study the ideas were much above the ordinary. He came in contact with some Jain Saints along whom one was Munishri Saubhagyamalji Maharaj, a Saint from Rajasthan. Being impressed by him Shivlal thought of accepting him as his Guru and taking Diksha as his pupil. However, when he came into contact with another Saint Shri Nanchandraji, he was greatly impressed by his oratory, lucidity and his zest for social reforms. By this time Lokmanya Tilak had given a call to the nation that to claim independence is the birthright of every citizen in India. Mahatma Gandhi was also the brightest star of Indian politics. He had given a call for Swadeshi. All this had great influence on the sensitive intellect of Shivlal. He began to put on Khaddar and tried to mould his life on the spiritual level. He was already free from the financial worries and his material prospects in life appeared to be brighter and brighter. He was coming closer and closer to Munishri Nanchandraji Maharaj.
His mother Motiben was now seeing the end of her trial. She was anxious to see that her only son and daughter, Shivlal and Maniben, were settled in family life. An early incident with Imam Saheb of the local mosque was more responsible for her anxiety to see that Shivlal was settled in family life as early as possible. Those were the days when engagements of one's own children
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