Harihar Rai- The Judge

Harihar Rai- The Judge

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Prabhuji reached Patna. Shyam Narain, a leading lawyer of Patna heard of Prabhuji’s ever increasing fame and also the wonderful supernatural events of His life and hence became an ardent disciple of Prabhuji. With all out humility and devotion, he brought Prabhuji to his own mansion. Within a few days, he attained a good state of meditation. He was so much absorbed in Prabhuji’s  service that he stopped going to the courts  to plead his cases. It was during  these days that a great judge named Harihar Rai, was trying a criminal case in which a Brahmin boy had been falsely implicated on the charge of murder. The case came up for trial but advocate  Shyam  Narain would  not  attend the court to argue it. The case had been fabricated in such a planned manner that the accused was proved guilty of the charge and the judge had made up his mind to execute the boy and a date for final judgement had since been fixed up.

The only hope left for the brahmin to save his son was  to persuade  advocate  Shyam  Narain  to  plead  the  case  on  the appointed  date. He reached the advocate’s residence to request him for the purpose but came to know from his munshi, the  clerk, that  Shyam Narain would not attend the court even if huge sums of money were offered to him as he was deeply absorbed in the service of his sadgurudeva. On being  told  that  the  pleader  would  attend  the  court only  at  the  behest of Prabhuji, he somehow, approached Him and apprising Him  of utter falsity of the case, begged of Him to persuade the lawyer to attend the court and argue his case. Prabhuji commanded Shyam Narain to attend the court. The lawyer thought that his attendance in the court would be deprive him of the holy darshan and also the opportunity of serve to Him.  The omniscient  Prabhuji, reading the mind of the lawyer, stated that he would also accompany him  to  the  court. Then, out of reverence, the lawyer consented to plead the case on the final hearing and the brahmin gladly left for his home.

Prabhuji, alongwith advocate Shyam Narain, reached the court. Having learnt  that  Shyam Narain’s  Sadgurudeva had come to the court, the judge respectfully provided a special seat for Him. As the proceedings were about to commence the priest of the judge hurriedly came to hand over a letter to him and  while passing by, he incidentally, touched Prabhuji who forbade the priest to touch Him. The judge was taken aback. After taking  the  letter, he humbly enquired why a great accomplished soul  like  Him. Prabhuji said,”Let the case be conducted first.” But the judge stated that he was unable to concentrate on the trial unless his doubt was cleared. Prabhuji  replied that the purohit had received gifts during the eclipse. According  to the injunctions laid down in the Shastras the recipient was not fully competent, he was bound to be overtaken be leprosy. Because of his expiratory acts, the leprosy had, no doubt, very much subsided but its traces still remained with him. A leper, according to the Shastras, was untouchable. The purohit confessed all this which astonished the judge very much. Thereafter, the  trial  was  proceeded. Shyam Narain presented his  solid arguments where by  he proved that the brahmin boy was not at all guilty. The judge came to the conclusion that the accused was quite innocent and he acquitted him of the charge of murder. Afterwards Prabhuji  returned to His place alongwith Shyam Narin. The conscience of the judge had virtually been churned. He was, by this time more than clear in himself that he would have ordered the capital punishment against the  brahmin boy but for the able arguments put forth by Shyam Narain. He realised from the core of his heart that in the absence of such an able advocacy, many innocent people might have been punished by him for absolutely no fault of theirs. He decided to give up his profession as a judge. He became  so such disillusioned with his profession, rather the world  that he resigned his post and straigtaway reached  Prabhuji’s  feet and requested  that he be kindly accepted as a disciple and allowed to remain in His sacred company for ever. In the meantime, the wife of the judge, with her two tender children, also reached  Prabhuji and prayed, “Maharaj ! I have heard that my husband has come to you for becoming a sadhu; kindly consider our pitiable condition and do not admit him as a sadhu”. Prabhuji replied that her husband accepted as a disciple only when he pledges not to leave his family, otherwise not. The lady expressed her gratitude to Prabhuji and left for her home. Prabhuji advised Harihar Rai not to renounce his family but  this was  not  acceptable  to  him.  Hence, Prabhuji did not initiate him. Under a spell of renunciation, he left for an unknown direction. His wife and other relations intensively searched for him but it was all in vain.