When the Divine Lord Protects

GLIMPSES OF HUMAN VALUES - 4

- Swami Japananda

The wandering sannyasin was coming down from Chamba mountains (Punjab) towards Pathankot. As it was the rainy season, the rain was pouring cats and dogs! He had no umbrella with him and had just a thin blanket used as an umbrella. Even that too had become a burden for him after getting drenched. So he had to squeeze the wet blanket again and again and cover the body with it. There was a village after 12–13 miles and there was no other place to halt on the way. The length of this short route to Pathankot was 15–20 miles less than Pathankot-Dalhousie-Chamba main road.

The village was visible from afar. One has to cross a bridge, but alas, the road had been damaged and disappeared up to a long distance! There was no way to go forward, so the sannyasin thought—what to do now? Meanwhile, a trail was seen, which had gone almost half a mile down up to the river Chambal. And the waterfall which had broken the path, was pouring into the river with great velocity. The trail had crossed it, again to meet the road. That was the only way to go to the bridge in front. The rest was all uphill and high mountains. There was no way to climb there. Hence, the sannyasin went downwards and reached the river.

The Chambal river had taken the form of destruction and was running—dancing and roaring—with great speed. It was brimming with water and its flow level was only a little below the high bridge! But the speed of that waterfall was so intense that even a little slip of foot could take one straight into the lap of the river. The flow of the river—bouncing and jumping through the stones—was such that even if a blade of grass fell into that, it would split into pieces and destruction would be the only consequence.