Love And Love Alone Can Transform Evil For Ever
By
Sri Swami Sivananda
This article is a chapter from the book Spiritual Stories.
In times of yore, a small Ashram consisting of a few huts and a temple, surrounded by a big garden of flowers, herbs and different kinds of plants and trees, was situated, far from towns and cities, on a hill slope by the side of a swift-flowing stream adjoining the Oudh Forest. A saint along with his six disciples used to live there. He was a devotee of Lord Gopala and used to call himself His servant. Hence his name became Gopaldas and the Ashram was called ‘Gopal Ashram’.
Gopaldas was a saint and herbalist too, famous for his nobleness, kindness, purity, loving behaviour and successful free-treatment of all sorts of patients without any distinction of caste or creed or colour, rich or poor. He always kept open house, never demanding anything in lieu thereof. If any rich man, on his own accord, ever donated any sum, almost the whole of it, was utilized in preparation of medicines, lodging and feeding of poor patients and other visitors etc. but he and his disciples, mostly used to live on alms which was generally collected by two disciples—turn by turn—from villages, going from door to door.
The young Zamindar (landlord), Jagdish Singh, of the Talug was known for his cruelty and loose conduct. He was very much afraid of Gopaldas. He had a honey tongue and a heart of gall. He never liked Gopaldas but always pretended to respect him whenever they met. Many a time, he sent sinful, mischievous and immoral persons to hurt and harm Gopaldas and his Ashram. A few of them returned back. They could not even dare to approach the saint. Some went to the Ashram and as soon as they saw Gopaldas, their minds were changed and they disclosed everything. Gopaldas heard all very calmly and kept quiet, smilingly. The Zamindar, finding that all his efforts failed and his intentions laid bare, made friendship with one Karan Singh, a renowned dacoit and culprit, living in the nearby forest with his gang. Both met, drank and dined together and made plans etc.
Gopaldas had a horse, not only very attractive but belonging to a special, famous breed, scarcely available, having all the qualities of a fine horse. The horse was very useful and dear to Gopaldas. One day, while going to see a patient in a certain village, Gopaldas rode through the forest. Karan Singh saw him and decided to attack him, but his courage gave way. However, on his way back, Karan Singh appeared on the road, disguised as a lame beggar and began to sigh. When the saint saw him, he was filled with love and compassion and made him be seated on the horse and he himself, started walking. After covering some distance, the dacoit spurred on the horse and left the saint behind and said in loud voice turning his face backward, “O Foolish Sadhu, I am Karan Singh. I decided to plunder your horse which I have done so tactfully. Now you can’t get it back.” Gopaldas laughed and replied, “The horse is well trained and will come back to me even now on my whistle. But I do not want to do that. I am glad to see that I was able to serve Gopal in thy form.” After a pause he continued, “Kindly do a favour, if possible.” Karan Singh asked in a stern manner, “What favour do you expect from Karan Singh? Do not try to befool me.”
Gopaldas, “Don’t think so. You can take the horse but please do not tell to anyone about this event.”
Karan Singh, “What harm will come to you in doing so?” Gopaldas, “After hearing this event, people may not trust and help the poor and needy in future.”
Saying so, Gopaldas returned back to his Ashram but his last words fascinated Karan Singh, the dacoit, and he was much ashamed of his act and behaviour. Throughout the night, he remained restless and could not have a wink. The next morning, along with the horse, he went to Gopal Ashram, where he was invited like a friend. He fell down at the feet of Gopaldas and said heavy-heartedly and beseechingly, “I have now decided to give up my profession entirely for ever. I request thy forgiveness, shelter and kindness.” Gopaldas took him in his arms with love and replied, “Don’t worry. Be calm. Probably you have not slept for the whole night, therefore go to the Kutir and take rest.” At the same time, he instructed one of his disciples to arrange for his lodging and food.
When the Zamindar came to know all about this, he was flushed with anger. Now deciding to put the whole Ashram on fire himself and to end the existence of Gopaldas and Karan Singh, he started with his few trustworthy servants nearly at mid-night. Jagdish Singh, the Zamindar, was on the horse leading the party. As they reached the Ashram-hill, the Zamindar asked his men to put out all the torches (Mashals) except one. The party now began to ascend. When they were just near the Ashram, the horse suddenly slipped and, with a loud neighing, fell down along with his master into the side vale. The dogs of the Ashram started barking. The men of the Zamindar were quite confused and frightened and were unable to decide what to do. Soon they noticed a few persons coming towards them with burning torches in their hands. Now they were intending to run away when they heard a sympathetic voice, “Please do not be frightened. I am coming to help you.” Gopaldas accompanied with his four disciples and Karan Singh reached there and enquired about the matter. One servant told all the facts frankly. Karan Singh heard and lost his temper but Gopaldas at once went down with a torch in his hand and followed by his disciples and the Zamindar’s servants. Karan Singh remained standing where he was. They found Jagdish Singh taking his last breath, half-hanging on a branch of tree, in an unconscious state and badly injured condition. Gopaldas brought him into his Kutir, washed his wounds, applied medicines and bandaged carefully. Then he put some liquid medicines in his mouth to bring him back to consciousness and sat down by his side waiting for the result.
Karan Singh, who, throughout this period, was looking at all these things with a strange look and with hate-mixed-anger now said respectfully to Gopaldas, “Pardon me Sir, your Holiness had to suffer so many times solely due to this wicked Jagdish and even now your noble self is trying to bring him into life again with so much pain and care?” Gopaldas putting his finger on the lips requested him to keep quiet.
In the morning, when the sun was just beginning to peep from the gates of heaven, Jagdish Singh slowly opened his eyes, looked all round once and closed his eyes again. Gopaldas prayed to Lord Gopala and silently thanked Him. Then he came out of the Kutir taking Karan Singh along with him and told him, “Hate produces hate whereas love transforms hate into love. There is a vast difference of earth and sky between conquering by power and conquering by love. The two are opposed to each other. The former is like a poison whereas the latter is like a divine nectar and extends its benefits to both. While the one temporarily brings the enemy to one’s knees, the other permanently subdues him for ever. Love is God and God is Love. Love and Love alone can transform …… …” Meanwhile, a disciple came running and intervened by informing that Jagdish Singh had opened his eyes again and his eyes were, probably, searching for someone. Gopaldas rushed towards the Kutir and both, Karan Singh and the disciple, followed. Jagdish Singh was not in a position to speak because his lower-jaw was also badly injured. Although Jagdish’s eyes were closed but he observed the light sound of Gopaldas’s foot-steps coming in.
After a minute or so, Jagdish Singh again opened his eyes but this look was quite strange to the previous one—as it appeared that his heart was burning and melting with the heat of his past actions, shame and repentance and the same thoughts and feelings were rolling on his cheeks from both the eyes in the form of sorrowful tears, full of gratitude and obligation towards Gopaldas, the embodiment of love and forgiveness.
Understanding Jagdish’s thoughts and feelings, Gopaldas blessed and consoled him by putting up his palm gently on his head.