Sadhu

“ He lies coiled about the branches of the highest tree in the jungle and on every branch of the forest another such as he keeps guard over his rest."
"No man has ever seen him, Ayeshi?"
"No man dares set foot within the jungle, Sahib, save Vahana, and he is a Sadhu, a holy man. He has sat before the temple for a hundred years, and none have seen him eat or heard him speak." ”

“ Four or five years, according to the guide, had passed away, and there Sadhu Sing still remained among the trophies of his grief and his vengeance, exhibiting all the symptoms of advanced age, though still in the prime of youth. The tale hastened the travellers from their resting-place; the Vakeel because it reminded him of the dangers of the jungle, and Hartley because it coincided too well with the probable fate of his beloved, almost within the grasp of a more formidable tiger than that whose skeleton lay beside Sadhu Sing. ”

“ That sage who practices well conduct which is always pure and which is the path of liberation with perfect faith and knowledge is a Sadhu. Obeisance to him. When a Sadhu attaining concentration becomes void of conscious effort by meditation on anything whatever, that state is called real meditation. Do not act, do not talk do not think, so that the soul may be attached to and fixed in itself. ”

“ A Hindu addicted to wine-bibbing will sometimes turn his drinking orgy into an act of religious worship, in which the wine-bottle is set up on a pedestal and duly garlanded, apostrophized, and adored. A Sadhu may be a notoriously bad man, but if his vices have given him a preeminence over his fellow-men, he will find multitudes of Hindus, men and women, who will regard them only as so many proofs of his divinity, and worship him accordingly. It is not that the Hindu does not recognize or reprobate vice—he does both ”

“ Sádhu witnessed these horrors from a corner of the room and inwardly besought Allah to save him from the clutches of those demons. But Srikrishna, who was the bailiff of his circle, happened to see him and asked whether he had brought his rent. Sádhu got up, salámed humbly, and replied, "Babuji, you know my present circumstances well". "Answer yes or no," thundered Srikrishna, "I have no time to listen to your excuses."
"Your servant is a very poor man," continued Sádhu, shaking from head to foot.
"Who is this person?" inquired Ramani Babu. ”

“ A murmur was heard in the assembly, but Sádhu raised his hand in token of silence.
"Foolish girl!" he exclaimed, "do you wish to return to a mother-in-law who hates and persecutes you? Will Ramzán be able to protect you?" Then lowering his voice, he added, "Is your life safe with those people?"
"Life and death," rejoined Maini, "are in Allah's hands. It is his will that we should fulfil our destinies, and mine is to cling to my husband. I would not change him for Hátim Tái (a legendary hero, very rich and generous) himself!" ”

“ I do not see a single person in this large house; but a person of a different caste and of another village, is weeping near the Babu. Ah! the poor man is a day-laborer, and his very hand is cut off. Why is his face all daubed over with blood?
Sadhu. When the young Saheb struck his hand with the sword, like an ichneumon making a noise when its tail is cut off, he in agony from the pain of his hand flew off after seizing with a bite the nose of the elder Saheb. ”

“ Thus the vista of the Sadhu is always introspective, even to a vesting of the natural vital functions of the body with spiritual significations, which require the most laborious practisings and purifications to make them all subserve his great ideal of absolute subjection of the body to the spirit. ”

“ Sabitri. What anarchy is this! Did you inform Sadhu of this?this?
Reboti. No, my mother. He is already become mad on account of the Indigo; again, if he hear this, will he keep quiet? Through excessive anger he will rather smite his head with the axe.
Sabitri. Very well, I shall make this known to Sadhu, through my husband; you need not say anything. What misfortune is this! The Indigo Planters can do anything. Then why do I hear it generally said, that the Sahebs are strict in dispensing justice. Again, my son Bindu Madhab speaks much in praise of them. ”

“ This is at once the most salient and the saddest feature of the learned and meditative Sadhu.
But there they are—men who might have shone academically, who might have enriched the world with thought, research, and criticism, but who have chosen to live for and within themselves, careless whether others live or die, are instructed or remain ignorant. Though they have categorically rejected altruism, and denied that they have a duty towards their neighbour, and done their best to shut up the doors of sympathy, yet even with them human nature refuses to be utterly crushed, and will assert itself. ”

“ It is neither coloured nor colourless: it has neither form nor outline:
It sits in the shadow of love.
It dwells within the Unattainable, the Infinite, and the Eternal; and no one marks when it comes and goes.
Kabir says: "O brother Sadhu! deep is the mystery. ”

“ There was quite a small crowd in Sádhu's courtyard. On one side sat Maini and some other women with faces closely covered; Esáf and the witnesses were on the other. Between them was a mat, on which lay a bag full of money. ”

“ In the meanwhile, the Sadhu had fastened the rope round the cow's neck again and stood before us on the pathway, evidently not understanding a word of our conversation. His tall, slim figure seemed as if suspended in the air above the precipice. His long, black hair, floating in the breeze, alone showed that in him we beheld a living being and not a magnificent statue of bronze. Forgetting our recent danger and our present awkward situation, Miss X——, who was a born artist, exclaimed: "Look at the majesty of that pure profile; observe the pose of that man. ”

“ Neither am I in rites and ceremonies, nor in Yoga and renunciation.
If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at once see Me: thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.
Kabir says, "O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath." ”

“ Sadhus, I say, because then there were no faqirs. Faqirs are of comparatively recent origin, dating from the [212] time of the Muhammadan invasions, about the tenth century of our era. Now the distinction is often lost sight of. The word “faqir” is an Arabic one, and denotes a Muhammadan ascetic; while the word “Sadhu” is Sanskrit, and is best retained for the Hindu ascetic.
A Muhammadan Faqir
The Muhammadan faqir is altogether different from the Hindu Sadhu in his motives, his ideals, his habits, his dress—in fact, in nearly everything ”

“ The ochre-coloured garments are sufficient passport all over India, and people give alms and offer hospitality without requiring further evidence of the genuineness of the claims of the applicant on their charity. In fact, unless the Sadhu is of known bad character, the Hindu would gain his end—that of acquiring merit by almsgiving—as much by giving to one as another ”

“ Where is Sadhu now?
Reboti. He is sitting outside, and is weeping.
Nobin. To a woman of good family, constancy in faithfulness to her husband is, as it were, the loadstone; and how very beautiful does she appear (ramaniki ramaniyá) when she is decorated with that ornament. Is a woman of a good family carried off, when the Bhima-like Svaropur of my father is still in existence? At this very moment shall I go. I shall see what manner of injustice this is. The Indigo frog can never sit on the white waterlily-like constancy of a woman.
(Exit Nobin Madhab.) ”

“ Paul tells us, “No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” The Sadhu says each unit is only concerned in building up [217] its own karma, or balance of good and evil actions, whereby it must work out its own destiny regardless of the weal and woe of those around. The Hindu idea connects the soul with those other souls before and behind it in a long concatenation of births; the Christian idea connects the soul with the other souls around it, contemporaneous with its own corporeal existence, and linked with it by the good and evil vibrations of its own vitality. ”

“ He met a Sadhu on the way who told him about a herb in his possession which could materialise all his plans and work miracles. Sardarji believed him and visited this Sadhu unarmed. The Sadhu gave him some herbs to prepare and brought the police in the meanwhile. Sardar Saheb was arrested. That Sadhu was an inspector of the CID department. The Babbar Akalis stepped up their activities. Many pro-government men were killed. The doab land lying in between Beas and Sutlej, that is, the districts of Jullundur and Hoshiarpur, had been there on the political map of the country, even before this. ”

“ Our sadhu journeyed with us and was as kind and helpful on the way as man could be. He stayed at our camp for two days when we reached Pahlgam; for he was all but worn out, and we begged him to rest. It touched me to see the weary body and indomitable soul.
At last the time came for parting. He stood under a pine, with his small bundle under his arm, his stick in his hand, and his thin feet shod for the road in grass sandals. His face was serenely calm and beautiful. I said I hoped God would be good to him in all his wanderings ”

“ The password of the Buddhist Wanderers was Sadhu! which does not seem to correspond with the "Pax Vobiscum!" (Matt. x. 13) of Christ's disciples. But I have just come across a passage in Renan ("Les Apôtres," p. 22) which shows that the Hebrew word was Schalom! (bonheur!) This is almost a literal translation of Sadhu!
Burnouf says that by preaching and miracle Buddha's religion was established. In point of fact it was the first universal religion. He invented the preacher and the missionary.
"A NEW COMMANDMENT GIVE I YOU, THAT YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER."
"By love alone can we conquer wrath. ”

“ Oh young Bou, take hold of our mother-in-law; let me once see the Lord of my life, in the fulness of my heart. (Sits near the mouth of Nobin.
Priest. (To Soirindri.) My daughter, thou art a great lover of thy husband, a woman of constancy; the frame of thy body was created in a good moment. For one who is so entirely devoted to her husband, and who has every thing good on her part, Fortune may give life to her husband again; he is moving his eyes, serve him without fear. Sadhu, remain here till our madam be in her senses. ”

“ On approaching the entrance of the temple we were struck by the appearance of a young man, who stood apart from the crowd and was of an ideal beauty. He was a member of the Sadhu sect, a "candidate for Saintship," to use the expression of one of our party.
The Sadhus differ greatly from every other sect. They never appear unclothed, do not cover themselves with damp ashes, wear no painted signs on their faces, or foreheads, and do not worship idols. Belonging to the Adwaiti section of the Vedantic school, they believe only in Parabrahm (the great spirit) . ”

“ It appears that there was something earthly in the man, Sādhu though he was, as was evidenced from his relations with a woman votary or disciple, and it was probably because of this phase of his character that some people regarded him as a cheat and a rogue. ”

“ The young Saheb killed my daughter, and the elder one killed the eldest Babu. Ah! Ah! There is no one to preserve the poor.
Sadhu. What virtuous actions have I done, that I shall see the face of my grand-child? Khetro. My body is cut off. My waist is pricked by a tangra fish. [4] Ah! Ah!
Reboti. I think the ninth of the moon is closed, [5] my image of gold is to go to the water, and what means shall I have? Who shall call me "Mother! Mother"? Did you bring her for this purpose? (Taking hold of Sadhu's neck, weeps) .
Sadhu. Be silent, don't weep now; she will faint. ”

“ Aurva said—"Hear, O lord of earth, an account of all those religious observances celebrating which a man conquers both this and the next world. The term sat means Sādhu; and they are called Sādhus or saints who are freed from all blemishes. And their practices are called Sāddhachāras. O lord of earth, the seven Rishis, the Manus and the Patriarchs are those who have laid down and observed those practices. Let the wise, O king, get up at Brahmā Muhartta, [244] when the mind is at rest, meditate upon virtue and wealth not incompatible with the former. ”

“ A Santal may learn to read and write and associate with men of good position and thereby his mind may be perverted. He may wish to change his caste [170] become a Sadhu, or a Kherwar, or a Boistab, or a Mussulman, or a Christian or anything else ”

“ Such irrational effusions evoke in me repugnance too deep for words: the louder such people proclaim their solutions of 'universal' problems which are products of their own imagination, the more difficult it is for me to answer.
I left the shop. When I returned to our camp after posting my stampless letter at the post-office, my companions had not yet returned from their rounds. I found our Sadhu Baba somewhat out of humour. 'This village is rather cold towards sadhus and sannyasis,' he complained; 'the arrangements they make for us are anything but satisfactory. ”

“ When I gave up the tying of ribbons, still I tied my garment
about me:
When I gave up tying my garment, still I covered my body in its
folds.
So, when I give up passion, I see that anger remains;
And when I renounce anger, greed is with me still;
And when greed is vanquished, pride and vainglory remain;
When the mind is detached and casts Maya away, still it clings to
the letter.
Kabîr says, "Listen to me, dear Sadhu! the true path is rarely
found." ”