(1)

There was a Sadhu in Bhajangarh. As Gurudev (Sri Swami Sivananda) had stayed there a few years back, he knew Gurudev. He used to visit Gurudev occasionally. Whenever he came to meet Gurudev, he would offer a flower or a lemon to him. After usual formalities , Gurudev would motion to his attendant and tell him a code word. The attendant would, then, put his hand in his bag and would extend it tight-fisted to Gurudev. Gurudev would also give something tight-fisted to the Sadhu saying, “Give me your hand, Swamiji.” And thus the tight-fisted transaction would be over. The visiting Sadhu would say, “Thank you”, and go away. Once an old Sannyasin told Gurudev, “Swamiji, you have been giving him some money and he spends it on drinking and scandalizes you.” He says, ‘Our Ashram is not an Ashram in a real sense. There is nothing like Dharma here. There are many persons of other religions in our Ashram.’ Like that he criticizes you at your back. Gurudev simply said, “Yes, I know everything. He will follow his Dharma, I will follow my Dharma.”

This was Gurudev’s goodness, sympathy and understanding.

(2)

In those days Sivananda Ashram was very small. Everyone knew everything of everyone else. Once a Sadhu came to stay in the Ashram for a short period of time. Gurudev gave him permission to stay and he was accommodated in Ramashrama Dharmashala, which was next to the Ashram’s office. A room was given to this Sadhu. He stayed there for a month.

One day Brahmachari Vishweshwara Chaitanya complained that his blanket was missing. He enquired of everyone about his blanket. All were searching for it. After a couple of days Gurudev sent Prasad to that Sadhu to his Dharmashala room through this Brahmachari. When he knocked the door, the Sadhu was not there. As the door was not locked, he pushed it open to put the Prasad inside the room. He saw that the missing blanket was kept under the pillow. He was outraged. He kept the Prasad, took the blanket, came to Gurudev and said to him, “Swamiji, I have found the thief.” And he narrated the whole story. Gurudev said, “No,no,no. What have you done! Go and put the blanket back immediately. If he comes and finds out that it is missing, what will he think?” The Brahmachari was stunned. He was holding his own blanket which was lost and now found and yet he himself had to put it back so that the feeling and self-respect of the Sadhu were not hurt. But it was Gurudev’s wish. So he sheepishly went, kept the blanket where it was, closed the door and came back to Gurudev. Gurudev warned him, “Don’t utter a single word about this incident to anyone. The Sadhu should never learn about this. You go and get another blanket for you.”

An embodiment of goodness Gurudev was!