"As if to subdue lust, greed and anger," Age declared, "the caravan of men, women and animals marched on. Hearing the tinkle of the camel's bell, these deep-rooted weaknesses in Man began to tremble."
As Mani later recollected: "Our camel of the New Life had a Persian silver bell round its neck ... The bell of the camel is mentioned in the verses of Hafiz. The bell worn by the leading camel of a caravan is symbolic of progress. It tolls to remind a caravan which has halted at an oasis and is unwilling to move on in the desert again, 'Move on. This is not your destination. Forward!' "1
Passersby were intensely curious about this strange group of travelers. They asked the companions about their caste and sect, and where they were heading. When told the caravan was proceeding to Hardwar, they bowed in respect. For the first time in many years, the Kumbha Mela was to be held in Hardwar, and the caravan's destination made people think the companions were some sort of monks, and the women nuns. "Who knew of their helplessness? Who could understand it? Who could fathom that it was their helplessness which was decanting to them the nectar of strength and steadfastness? Such helplessness comes from relying solely upon God, and such strength comes from complete dependence upon God. When such helplessness reaches its zenith, it blossoms into a perfect smile, which contains within itself the whole universe!"
Controlling the horse, cows, calves and donkeys proved a continual headache. Don led the horse by its reins; Ghani and Gustadji had charge of the two donkeys, who every few minutes refused to move forward. Ghani grew tired trying to coax the stubborn asses forward. Similarly, Nilu and Aloba had a rough time handling the cows, and Nilu, in the end, had to carry one of the calves across his shoulders.
Once, when Ghani was grumbling about the donkeys, Adi, who was enjoying witnessing Ghani's predicament, observed, "Yes, dear doctor, you love to read all sorts of discourses, discuss philosophy, et cetera. To pontificate about spirituality is a joy, but to live it is a suffering!" Baba overheard his remark and appreciated it.
The first day, they halted at 11:30 A.M. in the compound of a school and dharamshala, two miles beyond Shivpur in the Vyas Bagh locality. Baba and the women occupied one building and the mandali another rectangular building with a thatched roof and mud floor. There was a well in the compound and a concrete fodder trough for the animals to feed. Baba served lunch provided by the Nath and Khare families, and then asked for a report of the mandali's journey.
Later Baba sent Babadas and Eruch out begging. Eruch first approached the hut of a very poor old woman, but she had nothing to give — not even a little flour. Yet she told Eruch to wait, and borrowing some flour from a neighbor, lovingly gave it to Eruch as alms. How fortunate was this poor woman! The God-Man had sent his companions to beg at her door, and she did not fail to give him something, even if she had nothing herself.
Footnotes
- 1.Tales from the New Life (Beguine Library, 1976), compiled by Don E. Stevens.