Self Realisation

Author(s): Shrimad Rajchandra, Govardhandas
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram

Page 27

The Self Realization
He has also described fourteen mental states which make gradual development of the highest virtues. Avadhana or powers of attention
and recollection h In about Vikram Samvat 1940 or 1884 A. D. Srimad came from Vavania, his native place, to Morbi, a city in Saurastra. In Morbi, Shastri Shankarlal M. Bhatt was performing the feat of attending to eight objects or activities at a time. At the same time in Bombay, Gattulalji Maharaj was performing similar feats. These were the only two welknown persons for their exceptional memory and attention feats. Srimad saw the performance of these feats in Morbi and quickly picked them up. Within two days after he saw the memory feats, he started performing similar feats first before his friends and then for the open public. He was already known as a learned man but when he performed a memory feat of attending to twelve activities at a time before a public of two thousand persons he became famous as a prodigy with exceptional powers. Some admirers used to address him as the precious diamond of India. In one of the exhibitions at Wadhawan he performed his memory feat of attending to sixteen activities at a time before an audiance of rulers and highly educated public, and all were extremely pleased. The Dailies published articles in his praise. In Botad before his millionaire friend Sheth Harilal Shivalal he surprisingly performed the memory feat of attending to fifty two activities at a time. They included playing chopat with three other players, playing cards with three others and at the end to speak out all thirteen cards he had, at the same time playing chess and at the end of the memory-feat to declare all the pieces which were removed in the middle from the chess board, to count
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