THE SANYASI...

By Amitabh Shukla

Those who have surrendered their ego at the feet of the Lord undergo penance and endure all physical hardships to begin a fresh chapter of life. I came to learn about this while travelling in Uttarakhand hills recently to cover the elections in the state.

The Garhwal Hills, called Devbhumi, as four of the most sacred shrines of Hinduism – Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri – attract thousands of people from across the country after the winters when the doors of the temples after opened after the snow melts.

While going up the hill from Rishikesh, I saw at least six different groups of pilgrims on their way to the holy shrine on foot. They had walked all the way from Rishikesh and had planned to cover the entire journey on foot. The taxi driver, a local, told me that several pilgrims trek more than 300 kms during the pilgrim season. Curiosity got better of me and I stopped at the wayside to talk to a group of two men, bearded and wearing the gerua clothes which signifies abandoning the worldly comforts.

“Baba, where are you going?” I asked. The sanyasi replied – “To the char dham yatra”. But the temple doors must be closed at this time of the year and it is still two months away before it opens. “I will go upto the place where nature takes me to on the banks of the Bhagirathi,” said the Sanyasi, pointing to the holy river at a distance. Then he said: “I will wait at the temple gate and would be one of the first to offer flowers to the Lord,” he said.

“But why walk all the way when you can get a bus service for a small fee?” I insisted. It was here that I realised that the person to whom I was talking was spiritually evolved. “The abode of the gods is so beautiful. He wants his devotees to appreciate the mountains, the forests, the clouds and the snow and there is no better way of enjoying god’s hospitality than by walking to his abode,” said the sanyasi, who must be in his late 30s.

“People speak lies all year round and then go to God once a year thinking that he will be forgiven. They repeat it every year till the body becomes too old and the soul parts company and finds a new body. If one cannot even walk up to the abode of God and dedicate a part of the life span to selfless service of the Lord, how will the sins be written off?” the Sanyasi asked me.

I had no answers.

Then he broke into a melodious bhajan. His companion did the chorus and suddenly a truth dawned on me.