Page 13 - My Father-Final Book

celibacy for some time and during those times my eyes became sharp to the extent once my Professor told me in the class that I was breaking the classroom blackboard with my penetrating vision.)
My father was extremely tolerant when it came to hardships. He was able to live on a very small amount of food. He was able to sustain very high fevers and pains. I have witnessed such illness so many times that I was not worried even when he appeared to be close to death due to extreme illness. My mother told me many times and also,he himself told me a few times that he took upon himself the illness of others to help them. Only a saint can do such a thing. I attribute this tolerance to his hardships as a young lonely boy working hard to make his education happen in the midst of Mumbai city, and to his love for others.
After the episode of the attempt to end his life and a Yogi’s appearing on the scene, my father had developed an intense spirituality. He had started reading the well known scripture called Shree Guru Charitra while maintaining perfect celibacy. During this period, he also worked in cloth mills of Mumbai. He used to read Ramayana and Mahabharata to his fellow workers. However, he never told me stories from these two epics. My mother told me the Mahabharata stories. She was very good at telling stories and they used to make me cry. I clearly remember of crying when she told me the story of Sudama, the poor friend of Shree Krishna. I had formed an image of how Sudama looked and now I remember that he looked like a roadside newspaper salesman with short trousers! There was a constant feeling in my house of my father’s presence as a Yogi even in the midst of quarrels between my father and mother, or in the midst of any financial problems, or in the midst of family fights or enjoyments. With
13