|
I
was a simple lad, somewhat self-centred, unable to mix
freely with others, with little understanding of things.
I had no interest in studies. Unfortunately my teacher
happened to be anything but agreeable. Another teacher
was a friend of my father and he felt he could exercise
all rights upon me and say what he chose. In the full
class he would ask me several questions and mock at
me saying that I had grown only in body but not in mind.
Others would naturally laugh. He would join them. I
could do nothing about it except pray to God to reduce
my body. But He does not seem to have heard my prayer.
My body continued to be robust and I was known as Ganesh.
When I was 15 (1918), my maternal uncle
opened a study-home, abhyasagrha, where students
would stay the whole day except during food timings
when they would go to their respective homes. I joined
there and was happy. After some time the uncle died.
As I said to you on another occasion, this uncle used
to go to a Shiva temple for Puja for one month every
year. When he passed away, my father asked me to go,
which I did on the condition that after the month was
over and I returned to town, I would not join school.
He agreed. At the end of the month, I stopped going
to school but continued in the abhyasagrha.
Somehow, a copy of Ramakrishna-Kathamrta
came into my hands at this time and I devoured it
avidly. I lost interest in everything. But I retained
my interest in the akhada, gymnasium, which was
popular in our town and where I was regularly going,
not so much for doing the exercises as to enjoy the
freedom of the place. There I met one Punamchand, a
Sandow, a very popular figure. I learnt that he not
only looked after the exercise of the boys, but also
followed the Yoga of Sri Aurobindo. I met him at his
house. I was much influenced by him. Mother was to tell
me later how hard she had to work to remove his influence
over me. His influence remained with me till 1930when
I was 27.
Some time later Dikshit -a very respected
figure in the educational circles during those days
-came there and met Punamchand. Both of them decided
to go to Broach. Punamchand asked me to proceed with
Dikshit and said he would follow, along with his wife.
My father had no objection, but my mother demurred and
she was supported by her brother. This uncle had a good
relation with Dikshit. And when Dikshit learnt of this
reluctance to send me, he came to my father and said
to him: I am asking for bhikti; give me Champak.
He is a jewel wrapped in rags. Father consented. That
was how I left my home when I was 17, and went to the
Ashram in Broach.
This Ashram was on the island of Kansia,
a few miles from Broach Town. It was a fine place
on the estates of Kashibhai (father of Kamala). He was
staying there in order to build up good samskaras
and used to invite spiritual personalities to that
place. Kamala was then 5. Dikshit's wife and son were
already there when Dikshit and I reached the place Later,
Punamchand and his wife, and Chiman, the elder brother
of Kesarimul, arrived. Kantilal, brother of Vasudha,
left his college and joined. Also came Natwarlal. Though
in the beginning we had separate kitchens, after some
time there was one joint kitchen along with the Kashibhai
family. The director of the Ashram was Dikshit. A book
can be written about what I learnt from him and the
history of the Ashram.
Kashibhai's brother Haribhai was living
in Broach and he was a big leader at that time; many
important men used to visit them and i remember seeing
C. F. Andrews there at his place. Sri Aurobindo looked
upon Haribhai as something exceptional. He gave instructions
to Haribhai in sadhana even though he had direct contact
with Swaminarayan after retirement from his political
life. I learnt that the instructions were such that
Haribhai could go his own way helped by these instructions.
Both Kanti and I had been to Haribhai's
house on the day of Ramakrishna Jayanti. We meditated
there. Our desire to see Sri Aurobindo increased so
much that I wrote to my aunt Motibai about it. She had
loved me very much from my childhood and I felt I must
inform her. I did not want anything from home. She did
not reply; I learnt later 1hat she had not received
my letter at all.
I told Dikshit that we meant to go
walking. He declined to send us that way, alone. He
talked to Punamchand and decided that all of us should
start together. So Dikshit, Punamchand, his wife Champa,
Kantilal, Natwarlal, Zaverben whose husband was looking
after Kashibhai's land, Chimanlal (Kesarimul's brother)
and myself form a the group. Dikshit's aunt's son and
Dikshit's son came but they went back from the next
village.
We came to Navasari where Punditji, a disciple
of Motilal Roy of Chandernagore, was running an Ashram
and publishing books in Gujarati. We stayed there for
a while. I did not know what the elders of our party
talked to him, but I learnt that we were to prepare
sandals on the way, sell them and go further on the
proceeds. Kanti knew how to prepare sandals. So one
big bag of leather was secured; we had to carry it by
turns. Once while passing on a bridge over a river,
Kanti was so tired that he wanted to throw away the
whole bag into the waters! Somehow he did not do that.
At last we came to Bilimoria from where three of us,
myself, Kanti and Natwar, were to be sent by train to
Bombay. I learnt that Champa's ornaments were pledged
in the town and with the money so procured, tickets
were purchased for us to go to Bombay. There we went
to Ghatkoper where a businessman, almost a disciple
of Dikshit, was living in his own bungalow. Dikshit
had given us a letter of introduction to him. We took
a letter from a high railway officer, Motilal Mehta,
to one Narandas (C.I.D.) in Pondicherry. We were to
stay at his place on arrival at Pondicherry. How we
met him and what happened subsequently l shall tell
you next.
By the way, in the course of our journey
we all had gone for bath into a river. Zaverben, a relation
of Kashibhai in our party, came with us saying that
she knew swimming. As I was swimming and enjoying myself,
I suddenly noticed that something was going wrong with
that lady. I went near her, but as soon as I went close,
she caught hold of me; somehow I extricated myself and
managed to pull her back into shallow waters. I do not
know how I did it or how I got that strength and saved
myself. Obviously I had to come to Pondicherry and the
Grace worked in so many ways.
|
