It was a hot summer day. The priest had already closed the temple doors for the midday meal. As he was about to leave for home to have his lunch, he recalled some pending work that had not been done for a long time, but needed urgent attention then. The priest decided to take care of it before his midday break. Finishing his work, as the priest was leaving the temple, he was surprised to notice somebody entering the temple from the main gate. He thought, ‘Everybody knows that the temple doors are closed for almost 3 hours during the noon, then why would anybody visit the temple at this hour?’ Moreover, due to the scorching sunlight, the mercury levels were soaring to jump to 45degrees! It required real devotion and determination to come out of the comforts of indoors to visit the temple at such an hour!
Curiosity and amazement made the priest wonder about the identity of that man. Almost hiding behind a nearby tree, the priest decided to take a better look as to what was going on! … The priest saw a man who… was wearing shabby clothes. … Overall, he seemed to be a person living below the poverty line. …Never before had the priest seen that man in the temple. He was wondering, when this man doesn’t come during the time when the temple doors are open, why then would he come at noon when the temple is closed. …Theft at the temple was the greatest worry that bothered him. So he decided to keep an eye at the mysterious man.
… In the following days, the priest noticed that the man would come every day at the same time.
… The priest walked up to him and asked, “What are you doing at the temple at this hour of the day?” The middle aged man… said, “I work in the factory down the street …I cannot devote a long time for the prayer as the factory is far off and I have to reach there before the afternoon shift starts. So I come to visit the temple for a very short prayer.” …He could not curb his curiosity to know what the man really asked for from God. He, therefore, enquired further, “What do you pray for?” The man’s reply amazed the priest even more than his regular visits at wee hours. …
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The priest could not believe his ears! He sat awestruck and marveled at such an undeterred faith, belief and trust in God that Shivaansh had! What was his reply? To know this and furthermore, read the complete article in January edition of English Akhand Gyan monthly magazine.
