A handsome man and a beautiful lady worshipped Acharya Shri Vijaysinh and humbly requested him, “We are relatives of the new monk, Shikhi and have come to see him.”
“He might be engrossed in meditation right now.”
“We just wish to see him; we will leave after seeing him.”
Acharyaji gave permission.
Both of them walked quickly. Almost all the monks were engrossed in meditation. Nobody saw them and they reached their destination.
Under the tree, Shikhi was immersed in meditation. Both bowed down to him.
Kamlini said in a soft voice, “I hope you are fine. I ask for your blessings.”
Shikhi opened his eyes. He saw the young lady and a man standing behind her.
He immediately looked down and said, “You should know that this place is for meditation of monks who have renounced the world. Women are not allowed here at this time.”
Kamlini said, “I am well aware about this. But I didn’t know that a monk who has acquired control over his senses, would hesitate to talk to a woman who has come along with a man.”
The monk was quiet for a few moments. Meanwhile, the princess sat right in front of him. The man sat a little behind.
The monk said, “Devi, I was hesitated at the arrival of a woman because women are like darkness. Women are attachment, illusion and infatuation. A woman has no place in the world of knowledge. Since you have come, it’s my duty to talk to you.”
She bowed her head, joined her hands and said, “To the butterfly drooling over light, here’s a greeting from darkness.”
The statement was as dangerous as an arrow. But the tone was as soft as a song. Kamlini’s charm was poetic; there was mischief in her attraction.
The monk was boggled for a moment. He looked at Kamlini. He was amazed. In this entire life, he had never seen such a beautiful woman.
He asked, “Can I know who are you?”
“I am King Sindhu's daughter, Kamlini. And this is my brother.”
She spoke half truth and half lie.
Shikhi replied in a slightly sharp tone, “Your poetry is coated with insanity. Poison is hidden behind your beauty. Since you have come here and asked for blessings, I bless you. May you receive good intellect!”
The princess laughed out! Her laughter had captivating fragrance.
She said, “There’s a hidden meaning of intellect. The pleasure of affection is the pain of detachment. Every human considers himself to be on the right and true path. According to him, people who follow principles different from his beliefs, are on the wrong path.”
“But there is only one truth. The knowledge of reality. Only that path is right where one receives peace and bliss.”
Shikhi's tone was intense. The glow of penance was illuminating his appearance. The flame of peace was sparkling in his eyes. His eyes met Kamlini’s eyes for a few seconds. Sensuality trembled in front of penance. The princess realized that she is sitting in front of a really high grade monk.
She said, “Peace and comfort? Peace is another name for laziness! Also, there are various definitions of comfort!”
Shikhi thought, 'This princess is not only beautiful but also sharp. She has good reasoning power combined with brilliance.’
After a few moments of silence, he said firmly, “You are right. Peace is another name for idleness and idleness is freedom. There is ultimate peace in liberation since it has complete idleness. That is our first and ultimate aim. That’s why, the synonym that you gave for peace is appropriate. But happiness is only one - when you leave the external world and engage with the soul. That is the eternal happiness of our soul.”
With courage, Kamlini replied, “Happiness is satisfaction and one will get satisfaction only where there is desire and sensuality.”
For a few seconds Shikhi remained quiet and then he intensely replied, “The happiness you are talking about is not happiness but illusion. It is not the real and everlasting happiness. However, overruled by their karma, beings run behind illusory happiness considering it to be true. And pleasures never give satisfaction. Even if one gets satisfied, that satisfaction will lead to dissatisfaction and the cycle will go on! There is no scope for satisfaction in sensory pleasures. Dissatisfaction keeps making them sad. That is why, the material world is sorrowful. Real happiness can be achieved only by renouncing this material world. Princess, believe me! Don’t start with an argument or reasoning. There is no end to reasoning. Truth is understood with experience. You will not gain knowledge without experience and belief.”
Kamlini was attracted to his beauty. And today, she even fell for his knowledge. But she felt that the things she wanted to talk about were left on one side and another conversation sprang up!
Kamlini sat their quietly. There was peace on her face. But sensual desires were swinging behind that calmness. She was longing to speak about the feelings arising from the depths of her heart. She was finding a chance, looking for an excuse.
Just then, Shikhi’s voice was heard.
“Princess, have you come here with a motive or for some reason?”
“Yes, I have come here at this time with a huge motive and an important reason,” replied Kamlini.
“Okay then if you don’t mind, can you please state your purpose clearly.”
Kamlini’s eyes filled with colours of sensuality.
She hesitantly murmured, “Shikhi, I like you. You shall also like me. It is my deepest desire that we commit to each other, get lost in each other’s love and live together.”
An innocent smile flashed on Shikhi’s face.
He said, “Princess, have you come here with the aspiration of love? Someone who has never loved anyone, doesn’t know what love is! How strange of you! Understand one thing very clearly, you admire me, it’s okay till there. I am not capable to stop you. But I cannot love you. My love is different from yours.”
Kamlini’s face that had blossomed like a flower, faded away.
But still she said quite seriously, “You are right, monk! I had come here to satiate my thirst of love. I had come here with an indomitable greed to get the privilege of being your wife so that I could drown in your love. To forget my existence and just be yours but…!” tears dropped from her eyes.
Saint Shikhi said, “Princess, neither am I against affection nor do I have any objection! I am against sensuality. If you are ready to get rid of this lust and follow the path of affection, then you will like the path I will tell you to follow.”
“Tell me the way!” replied Kamlini
“The path I have chosen; you also chose the same path,” said Shikhi.
“Can I ask you a question if you won’t get angry?” said Kamlini.
“No, I won’t. You may ask anything,” replied Shikhi.
“Are you satisfied with the path that you have chosen? Did you actually find this world so unpleasant? Will you never get attracted to this material world? And what you find pleasant today, can it not become unpleasant in future?”
“A decision that is taken knowledgeably does not have space for change,” answered Shikhi.
“But a human mind is fickle, isn’t it? To my knowledge, till the time our soul is bound by illusions, human feelings will be changeable. If this is right, then today I can move on the path you like because your wish is everything for me. I can surrender to your wish and leave all my comforts of life. But tomorrow, if my feelings change and whatever I left behind, I start liking it, then what will be my condition?”
“That fear is vain. This is also possible in your material world, isn’t it? Today, you like me. Tomorrow this liking can turn into hatred also. Then you will…”
“Impossible, this cannot happen! My love for you will remain as it is,” interrupted Kamlini.
“How?” asked Shikhi.
“Because this is love!”
“Won’t the feelings change?”
“No, these feelings won’t!”
“So then the fear you have, even those feelings won’t change. I take the responsibility to keep your good and pure feelings intact.”
“Then I devote myself to you.”
“Your attraction towards sensuality won’t come with you right? Will you be able to convert your lust into affection?”
“If I cannot, then you do it.”
Satisfaction emerged in Shikhi's mind.
He looked at Kamlini and said, “Then you must not make delay in taking permission from your parents and accept monkhood.”
It was time, the monk got up. Kamlini also stood up. She turned behind. A thought suddenly popped in her head.
She told the monk, “Give me a penance for speaking a lie.”
“Lie? What was it? With whom?”
“Yes, the man standing behind me is not my brother. Infact she is my friend disguised as a man. To enter these premises, I had to speak this lie and give you a false introduction that he is my brother.”
“Come to my Gurudev. I’ll give your true introduction to him. Tell him the truth. And he will give you penance also,” said Shikhi.
***
“Gurudev!”
“Yes!”
“She is princess Kamlini. She has become self-realised today. She has become detached from worldly pleasures and is ready to accept monkhood.”
“She has taken an excellent decision! We should not make unnecessary delay in good work.”
“I will immediately take my parents’ permission and be present here.”
***
Did Kamlini win or lose? She had gone to win Shikhi, to rule over and become his partner. But the opposite happened! Shikhi’s dominance established on her. But still, her wish to be dedicated to him all her life was sculpted. Shikhi didn’t accept her as his wife but as his disciple. Shikhi had accepted to take responsibility of the welfare of her mind and soul!
On their way back, Kamlini didn’t talk to Nalini at all. In her mind, there was happiness of life transformation on one side and on the other side, an unspoken pain was rising in her heart. She had put ash of patience on her incited fantasies but still deep down, there was some fire of desires left behind. And Shikhi had taken full responsibility to calm down that fire in her.
Both friends reached the palace.
After going to her room and changing her clothes Kamlini told Nalini, “Now I will have to tell my parents about everything clearly!”
Nalini’s eyes were filled with tears.
“Oh! Are you crying?”
Kamlini made Nalini sit beside her and wiped her tears.
“Princess, what are you doing? Will you leave this palace? Will you sacrifice your family and friends? Will you leave me also?” Nalini could not control herself and she burst into tears.
Kamlini caressed her head and said, “Nalini, a girl anyway has to leave her father’s house! She has to go to her husband’s house. I’ll go to a monk’s place. It is compulsory to leave! Our separation is certain! Don’t cry! A monk’s place will be more comforting then a husband’s house. Mutual expectations in a husband’s house lead to daily fights. On the other hand, there are no expectations in a monk's place.”
“Will you not have any kind of expectations from Shikhi? He is a monk and most of the monks are self-centered! Won’t you feel cheated when he will neglect you?”
“No, nothing like this will happen! I will get satisfaction just by his presence! It won’t make a difference whether he looks at me or no, talks to me nor no! I have known his inner self, he is in love with my soul! This is divine love! There is no means of body or any kind of selfish motive. This is love between two souls.”
Nalini kept quiet! Kamlini was starring at Nalini.
“Nalini, physical attraction has craze, and it destroys life! When this craze cools down, the mind gets into deep repentance. This has fixed in my mind very well. Today, in front of Shikhi, all my desires calmed down. I can experience the inner joy.”
“So, you will surely chose the path of monkhood?”
“Yes, surely!”
“This is out of my capacity! For me, only memories will remain behind!”
Both friends had dinner. Kamlini dropped Nalini to her room and went to her mother. She told her mother about everything and asked for her permission to accept monkhood. The queen spoke to the king. Both discussed about it and gave Kamlini the permission to accept monkhood.
A grand renunciation ceremony was organized in Priyankara City. The happiness of the citizens knew no bounds. With all the rituals, Acharyaji granted monkhood to Kamlini. A new nun joined the group of nuns.
Nun Kamlini worshipped Acharyaji and then Monk Shikhi.
“I have come under your shelter.”
“May your path be auspicious.”
For days and months, Kamlini’s renunciation remained a fresh topic for people.
