Ashok Kumar and The Vow
Ashok Kumar, aged of 21, the three‑wheeled scooter driver, was not honest! He cheated his customers every time to the tune of at least 25 paise. One day, he took a customer to Golf Links where he heard `a Baba’ had come. He stayed on to have His darshan. He saw Him twice that day. He desired to have His photograph, but could not get one.
Next day, Providence directed me to him. I hired his scooter, and he was taking me through Golf Links Road. He turned around and asked me, `Did you see this Baba?” I pretended not to know so that I could draw him out. “Who is He?” I asked. For full half-hour, he narrated to me the miracles of Baba and how lucky he was to have His darshan, not once but twice. I was touched by his genuine enthusiasm. He said, “While taking His darshan, I took an oath that I would never cheat anyone.” When I reached home, I took him to the little altar where I had photographs of Baba garlanded, with small oil lamps burning and incense sticks filling the room with fragrance. I gave him a photograph of Baba. He received it gratefully and said, “Baba has heard my prayers.” I engaged him again and after reaching the destination, he said the charges were Rs. 4.40; I gave him a ten‑rupee note; he returned a fiver, and I asked him to keep the small change due.
Meanwhile another customer got into the scooter. While Ashok and I were engaged in conversation, the `customer’ managed to `pocket’ the ten-rupees note that had fallen on the ground! As I was about to leave, he came running, “Saab! You have not given me the ten rupee-note!” That was a great shock. I gave him another tenner, and told him, “If you find my first note in any of your pockets, return it to me”.
Next day he came to my place. He returned the ten-rupee note. He begged, “Saab! I committed a big mistake”. He explained, “The `gentleman’ who hired the scooter had stolen this note. I detected it when he took the money from his pocket to pay my dues. When anyone gives me a currency note, I fold it always in a different manner. I saw such a note in his possession. He refused to give it to me. There was a fight, a crowd gathered, a policeman came, and the `gentleman’ reluctantly parted with it! After the crowd dispersed, the policeman asked me, “Why should you return the note to that Saab? Let us share it; give me five and you take five” But I told him, “If I am involved in an accident, you are not coming to help me! Baba will come there and help me. I have taken an oath before Baba that I will never more cheat anyone”.
This is one specific example of how an illiterate scooter‑driver turned honest. Maybe many thousands have turned a new leaf in their lives. He Knows. Delhi’s polluted air has been sanctified by His visit. He alone can do it.
~R. Ramanujam, New Delhi
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, June 1972
