The Great Challenge

The story of Devatma is, the narration of the unbearable persecution of devatma by the whole world; and the unbroken love and devotion of Devatma for the good of the persecuting humanity.

The story of devatma assumes greater pathos and tragic character than the other great geniuses who also sacrifices their lives for one or another great causes because all intrinsic sufferings and sacrifices are not of equal values-some are of higher than others because of different purposes.

In spite of the limited mental grasp which is very much in us we should understand that sufferings and sacrifices in themselves have no value but depends onthe supreme ideal..

Devatma had no second person who could serve as a sympathizer and to whom he could light his heart. If the sublime life (love of truth and goodness) had not evolved in Devatma , there would not have been the life of tortures, torments, of sufferings and shocks which he persecuted by all because of the uniqueness.

Thus says devatma, “where is to found that painful record of all those long series of continuos hurts to my heart and the injury caused to physique, through bitter oppsosition of my mission at the hands of deep dyed lovers of evil, through traiters to my mission and the ungreateful, vindictive and willfully malicious persons and even by loyalists through their dirty and low-feelings.”

It is beyond the pen of man to describe the intensity of the suffering of devatma to portray is whether real or imaginative sympathy, the spirit that we want to represent. But the uniqueness of the devatma separated him from all human minds, and therefore the human mind is unable to reach this state of sympathy, even in imagination.

Even devatma handicapped by human language-which can describe experiences of human souls because language is the product of human efforts to express his thoughts, emotions, and feelings–expresses his inability to describe the intensity of his sufferings.

Devatma says,” strike a stone upon a mound of sand, it would not produce any whirlings; but fling that into a pond of water, the whirlinf and circles that it would make, would go on extending further and further, wideningin to larger and larger circumference. Similarly, the vibrations of pain caused by wrong acts are felt in more or less degree according to the sensitiveness of one’s heart…..I feel the sinful behaviour of others most deeply , it causes me so great an agony of mind or heart that i cannot describe it.”

Various forms of persecutions and prosecutions against devatma, just for example

1. Devatma was of creating hatred in the general public through pen and platform by accusing him of all gross evils and immoral sins. The leaping sparks of devouring and destructive fire of vindictiveness and jealousy were being emitted from hundreds of hearts.

2. There was not a single evil adjective that was not used against him such as cheat, a liar, a criminal, a debauchee, a hypocrite, murderer, misappropriator, a bad character, female infanticide etc.

3. There was hardly a crime that was not put to his name. There was no indecency of which he was not accused. These accusations were not merely oral but writings in the form of articles in the newspapers, posters and books too.

4. Most degraded charater and conduct people found great satisfaction to tease devatma’s disciples on the way-side, to through dust on them, to strike them with fists, to snatch propaganda book from them, and tear them, to break the head of some of them with sticks.

5. Human hatred threw the accumulated filth of its evil hearts on Devatma by false charges and other many malicious and degrading forms of persecutions, such as creating rowdyism in his meetings, burning sign boards, throwing brick-bats etc.

6. He was declared as addicted even to those eight great sins, whereof the renunciation is indispensable condition for a disciple of the lowest grade.

7. In the garb with odience, when devatma start his sermons, they would create noice, throw stones and break door panes or even attempt to injure him.

8. Devatma was torture and torment of the power source of law. Number of absolutely false law-suilts were filed aginst devatma and his diciples and continues up to five-years.

9. Devatma had to pay not only heavy fees for legal proceedings but other expenses of litigation which are its necessary course also.

Says devatma, “almost all the accumulated funds of the infant samaj, which were quite meagre, were spent. The samaj press had to be stopped and sold away. The staff of the press had to be dismissed. Most of the office furniture such as tables, chairs and almirahs had to be sold away. A large portion of the headquarter’s buildings (including devatma’s residentials rooms) were given on rent.”

10. The annoying behaviour of the prosecutor, Chanda Singh who was blind pleader in ferozepur filed nine false suits (criminal and civil prosecutions), was most shocking . Even the megistrate felt the behaviour of Chanda singh so insulting that he wrote in his judgement thus

“Chanda singh’s manner and bearing is insufferable while in court. Throughout the case, his manner has been most offensive to the accused….. As Chanda singh is a blind man, i have shown great forbearance with him than i would with any other person but he has now gone beyond all bounds.”

11. When these means of persecutions against him failed to crush devatma’s mission then attempt on his life was also excited and made. For instance, an arya pamphlet reffereing to Devatma said,”catch him, bind him, hang him.” Some sent forth the cry,”would some Nihang Singh make an end of Him.”

12. Writes Devatma, “They wrote to me letters threatening me with death. Through posters they expressed the wish: ‘May some giant strangulate him’

This feeling gathered strength and culminated in actual attack on Devatma when a state ruler found an opportunity to vent his ill-feeling by abusing and firing at him five or six shots. Fortunately he missed his aim and most precious life was saved.

13. Devatma had to suffer the unbearable shock of the ungreatful deserters and traitors who joined persecutors’ camp and are welcomed and made potent instruments to harm Devatma. For example, Dharam pal prided himself that he had circulated as many as seventy thousand copies of his pamphlets and periodicals to injure the reputation of devatma and his Dev samaj. The black ingratitude of these deserters and traitors shocked Devatma beyond measure.

Writes devatma, “…..Bitter persecutions had already seriously affected my health butthese my kind friends seemed determination to blot out my very existence byevery means they could devise and employ under the British Raj.”

14. It is not only traitors that have shocked Devatma but even those who remained with him, have by their want of higher consciousnesses been a source of pains to him.

Says Devatma, “During this long time, this degraded land has failed to give me a single soul whom in such critical and trying moment of my life, i could count upon as a perfectly trusworthy and unfailing friend and a true well-wisher.”

“….sometimes their selfish, sel-sufficient and egoistic heart sun relieved by the presence of higher feelings, lead them to such actions assorely and deeply wound my heart and cause me pain and anxiety that is symply indescribable. Several times their behaviour becomes so exremely shocking to my highly sensitive higher feelings that this agony becomes ubearable for me and on such occasions sometimes i have wished that it would be better if death may relieve me of this awful mental and heart torture and release me from such sufferings.”

Again Devatma writes hismemorable article “Vilap”

“Alas! How painful is my condition! Oh! How paiful is my life and deserving of great sympathy and solace! But in this wide world, is there a single soul, who can prove a balm to my bleeding heart and give relief to my suffering soul? Apparently none. For other apart, even those who come in my contact, are not able to feel and realize the full measure of my tribulations. And when they cannot adequately realize my painful position, their sympathy even if they possess any, cannot be of any use to me. I am born to endure all alone these extraordinary agonies and certainly i alone will have to bear them. Alas! How solitary do i feel myself on account of these peculiar troubles! Alas! There is none in this world, whom i can call my own in this respect!After a long day’s hard work even the most simple labourer, does at night, rest in the soothing arms of sleep which recoups his exhausted energies and refreshes and revives him for the next day’s work. But often i am deprived of even this gift of Nature which is accessible even to the lowest sentiment creature that crawls upon the earth.”

This terrible suffering had been continuous for years and their hurts had shattered not only Devatma’s heart but body too, even then Devatma had immutable faith, the mission is in accordance with the laws of Nature, therefore cannot but progress and spread.

But the story of the persecution by the outside world and hurts from inside ranks daunted him not, deterred him not, but determined him more and more to work for his mission of doing highest spiritual good even to the persecuted humanity. In the grip of great agony, the light house on the shore of this see of troubles was still shining bright. Even in the state of great predicament, the light of sublime knowledge burnt bright in Devatma, showing him the path.

There was a special mission of Devatma’s manifestation and a special life-vow whose fulfilment is imperativen ot only for the uplift of the country but the spiritual welfare of the mankind. This mission and life-vow cannot reach fulfilment carrying the burden of all these pains and tortures.