Reminiscences

Once a devotee asked, "Maharaj, when we come to Gondavale we feel great enthusiasm for namasmarana for the first week or so. Gradually the intensity dimin­ishes. Why is this ?" ShriMaharaj said, "Nowadays boys and girls from all sections of society go to schools and colleges. A fisherman's handsome daughter was studying in a college. She married a rich, perfumer's son studying in her class. After the marriage she went to live with her husband's family. There being a perfumery right at home, for the first week or so she felt good because of the fra­grance. But later she began to lose appetite and ate poorly. She thinned. Her father-in-law noticed this and he asked her what the matter was. She told him, 'For the first few days I very much liked the strongly fragrant atmosphere. But later it became overpowering to me. From my child­hood, I am used to the smell of fishes and I now yearn for it. It is because I cannot get that smell here that I cannot eat well.' On hearing this her father-in-law said to her, "Look here, do you not now belong to our family ? Now you will have to rid your mind of the memory of the smell of fishes. You have now to spend your life here in this house." ShriMaharaj further said, "Your condition is simi

lar to that of the fisherman's daughter. You are reminded of worldly pleasures by your earlier conditioning, and thereby the ardour for sadhana gradually diminishes. You should now .tell your mind that now that you belong to Rama, it must now find happiness in the service and memory of Rama. It will not do to be reminded of worldly pleasures."

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