BENGALI WRITINGS

16Bengali WritingsSeeing the tiger Harimohon's own feet would not proceedany further. But the boy forcibly dragged him near to theascetic. Incapable of resisting the boy's pull Harimohon hadto go. The boy said, “Look, Harimohon.” Harimohon saw,stretched out in front of his eyes, the ascetic's mind like adiary on every page of which the name of Sri Krishna wasinscribed a thousand times. Beyond the gates of the FormlessSamadhi the ascetic was playing with Sri Krishna inthe sunlight.Harimohon saw again that the ascetic had been starvingfor many days, and for the last two his body had experiencedextreme suffering because of hunger and thirst.Reproachingly Harimohon asked, “What's this, Keshta?Babaji loves you so much and still he has to suffer fromhunger and thirst? Have you no common sense? Whoshall feed him in this lonely forest home of tigers?” Theboy answered, “I will feed him. But look here for anotherbit of fun.” Harimohon saw the tiger go straight toan ant-hill which was close by and break it with a singlestroke of the paw. Hundreds of ants scurried out and beganstinging the ascetic angrily. The ascetic remained plungedin meditation, undisturbed, unmoved. Then the boy sweetlybreathed in his ears, “Beloved!” The ascetic opened hiseyes. At first he felt no pain from the stings; the all-enchantingflute-call which the whole world longs for, wasstill ringing in his ears — as it had once rung in Radha'sears at Vrindavan. At last, the innumerable repeated stingsmade him conscious of his body. But he did not stir. Astonished,he began muttering to himself, “How strange!I have never known such things! Obviously it is Sri Krishnawho is playing with me. In the guise of these insignificantants he is stinging me.” Harimohon saw that theburning sensation no longer reached the ascetic's mind.