Jeva Main Nirakhya Re - Sadhu Narayanprasaddas

On that same tour of Calcutta, an exhibition of my paintings had been arranged. One particular day, the famous Bengali writer Tarashankar Bandopadhyaya was scheduled to pay a visit to the exhibition. I happened to be stuck without a jod to accompany me to the exhibition. Everyone was busy in something or another, and besides, there weren't many of us anyway.

Understandably I was getting rather worked up. I was almost certain I'd miss the important appointment.

Swamishri somehow picked up on my frustration. "Come on," Swamishri called to me, "I'll come with you."

I was overwhelmed. Pramukh Swami? Come with me? It just didn't fit in my head! How could I possibly take Pramukh Swami with me? In the end though, Mahant Swami accompanied me. But I'll never forget Swamishri's offer.

Later that day, I brought Tarashankar Bandopadhyaya to Dolatbhai's house for Yogiji Maharaj's darshan. A sharp and intelligent man, Tarashankar was quick to comment upon his first darshan of Yogiji Maharaj, "Your Guru seems as endowed as Ramkrishna Paramhansa; as powerful as God."

Tarashankar met Swamishri there as well and was deeply impressed with Swamishri's striking personality. He expressed his first experience in his Bengali-accentuated English, "This sadhu is worthy of being meditated upon!"

Ever since the beginning, Swamishri's enchanting personality could barely be concealed.

--Sadhu Narayanprasaddas