Recently on a train trip to Delhi, I met a hindu saint who got me thinking about the educated people's prejudices against saints...
He boarded the train ( without ticket..) at a station before Mathura and came to our already packed compartment to request for a seat till Mathura. As already agreed upon by the pessengers, we refused him a seat. He kept standing there. Finally we told him to sit down.
As soon as he took seat, a fellow pessenger, Saleem started to pull his leg.. "Baba kuch chamatkar dikhao", he said..Baba calmly said "Mujhe koi chamatkar nahi aata beta.". Saleem now started narrating an incident when a dhongi baba came to his village, did some magic tricks and fooled people into giving away hundreds of rupees. He then boasted "Main in sab chalo mein nahi aata, maine ek rupiya bhi nahi diya". Baba was listening with patience as Saleem said "Ye sab dhongi baba hote hain" and concluded the story.
Saleem was expecting the baba to be embarassed, instead baba said "Beta, fir bhi tum mujhe chamatkar dikhane ko bol rahe the." Saleem instantly went in to a hole and did not speak for the next few minutes.
I was not involved in the conversation as I was already preoccupied with thoughts of moving to Delhi. But Baba's reply got me instrested.
I was already embarassed with my fellow pessenger's bid . "Sadhu ke bhesh mein dhongi bhi ghumte hain na baba." I said as if to make up for Saleem's act. Baba said "Beta, Jungle nahi hote to mor kahan chhipte, sadhu nahi hote to chor kahan chhipte." and looked at me, I gave a silent nod as if no more explaination was required.
I then started asking curious questions, all of which he answered patiently. Finally he deboarded the train at Mathura, but not before leaving a mark on all pessengers (including Saleem...!)
He boarded the train ( without ticket..) at a station before Mathura and came to our already packed compartment to request for a seat till Mathura. As already agreed upon by the pessengers, we refused him a seat. He kept standing there. Finally we told him to sit down.
As soon as he took seat, a fellow pessenger, Saleem started to pull his leg.. "Baba kuch chamatkar dikhao", he said..Baba calmly said "Mujhe koi chamatkar nahi aata beta.". Saleem now started narrating an incident when a dhongi baba came to his village, did some magic tricks and fooled people into giving away hundreds of rupees. He then boasted "Main in sab chalo mein nahi aata, maine ek rupiya bhi nahi diya". Baba was listening with patience as Saleem said "Ye sab dhongi baba hote hain" and concluded the story.
Saleem was expecting the baba to be embarassed, instead baba said "Beta, fir bhi tum mujhe chamatkar dikhane ko bol rahe the." Saleem instantly went in to a hole and did not speak for the next few minutes.
I was not involved in the conversation as I was already preoccupied with thoughts of moving to Delhi. But Baba's reply got me instrested.
I was already embarassed with my fellow pessenger's bid . "Sadhu ke bhesh mein dhongi bhi ghumte hain na baba." I said as if to make up for Saleem's act. Baba said "Beta, Jungle nahi hote to mor kahan chhipte, sadhu nahi hote to chor kahan chhipte." and looked at me, I gave a silent nod as if no more explaination was required.
I then started asking curious questions, all of which he answered patiently. Finally he deboarded the train at Mathura, but not before leaving a mark on all pessengers (including Saleem...!)
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