The Holy Shadow!

“The company of the holy will inspire him to travel in hope and faith. The assurance that God is within call, that He is ever near, will lend strength to his limbs and courage to his eye.” (Bhagwan Baba)

There was a Saint who performed penance to have Divya darshan. After long and rigorous hours of prayer and meditation, God was pleased and appeared before him. God said, “I am pleased my child. Tell me, what do you want?”

The saint took offence to this question and said, “I prayed out of pure love and devotion . . . . because I wanted to see you. I don’t want anything. I didn’t ask for anything. How can you think that I am so selfish?”

God was a little surprised. Now, that was certainly not, run of the mill. Everyone seemed to want something or the other. And God’s darshan is not supposed to go in vain. So something . . . something had to be given. At the cost of repetition, God asked the saint again, “I am happy, that you asked for nothing. But I still want to give you something. Tell me and I shall grant it to you!” The saint felt downright insulted. He said, “God! I told you I don’t want anything. How can you doubt me? I have got your darshan. I am wondering if you are a real God or not . . . can’t you understand that I desire nothing else?”

So, God smiled and thought to Himself, “This is a unique character. He thinks I am not a real God, because I want to give him something. But anyways, I surely have to bless him with something.” So the Lord silently blessed the saint’s shadow, saying that wherever his shadow fell, there would be peace, happiness, prosperity and unity. . . And so it was!

This leads me to think . . . . There are many saints that move around in society. I don’t know how deep a relationship they share with God … but undoubtedly, meeting a saint does give peace and happiness, even if momentarily – ‘Sant-darshan’ is always calming and inspiring. Wherever pure souls go, they spread happiness and peace . . . perhaps because their shadows have been blessed by the Lord Himself !!!