Reminiscences

The intercalary month was in progress, and so a devotee presented ShriMaharaj with a silver bowl, which he kept in a niche. Next day, the barber came to shave him, and ShriMaharaj asked him to use not his usual brass bowl but the silver one in the niche. The barber docilely obeyed. As usual, he kept the bowl in the usual, convenient place, namely, at his right hand, that is, to ShriMaharaj's left. The poor man's mind naturally dwelt on the silver bowl with a covetous feeling, which ShriMaharaj easily divined. When the shaving ended, ShriMaharaj picked up the bowl, which stood on his left, with the nearest, that is, left hand, and immediately handed it over to the barber, with the words,' Take this as yours.' This was watched by a learned pundit who was standing there, and he raised the academic objection that a grant with the left hand is ultra vires. ShriMaharaj said,' It may be so, but I did it lest, during the brief time of transferring the bowl to the right hand,my mind yielded to covetousness and changed the action.'