Page:The Autobiography of Maharshi Devendranath Tagore.djvu/89

ii DEVENDRANATH TAGORE 41 furnish a parallel to my case. Narada is talking about himself thus to Vedavyasa. In my former birth I was the son of a certain Rishi's maidservant. During the rainy season, many holy people used to come and seek refuge in that Rishi's hermitage. I used to minister to their wants. In course of time divine wisdom dawned upon me, and my mind was filled with a single-hearted devotion to Hari. Then when those holy men were about to leave the hermit age they, in the goodness of their heart, taught me the mysteries of philosophy, which enabled me to understand clearly the glory of Hari. My mother was the Rishi s maidservant and I was her only son. It was only for her sake that I could not leave the Rishi's asrama. One night she went out to milk the cows. On the way she was bitten by a black serpent that she had trod on, and she died. But I looked upon this event as a great opportunity for the fulfilment of my desire, and alone I entered a huge and terrible forest, shrill with the voice of cicadas. In the course of my wanderings I felt very hungry and thirsty. I relieved my fatigue by drinking and bathing in a pool of water. Then I went and sat underneath an ashvattha tree, and according to the teaching of the saints began meditating on the Spirit of God dwelling within the soul. My mind was flooded with emotion, my eyes were filled with tears. All