False Yogi  ( Kapat Sadhu – by Archana Puri, Translated by- Rita Chattopadhyay)

(This playlet is based on the popular and interesting story, repeatedly and inspiringly narrated by Sree Ramakrishna Paramahamsadeva, bearing some deep philosophical truth. It projects the Truth that samsara, i.e., the bondage of wordly life and Mukti, freedom from that bondage- both depend on ‘His’ will only. The present drama shows how even a pretended piety can transform a sinner to a saint and make his life blessed by causing his spiritual upliftment.)

Scene I

(The orchard of wealthy Amarnath. Amarnath is sitting alongwith his friends.)

First friend – Amarnath, how beautiful your orchard is! Last year we were lucky enough to get the fruits of your garden. But what’s wrong? This year we are deprived of the same?

Amar – Brothers! What can I say? I am very much worried. The fruits are stolen from my orchard. Not just that, but also the fishes from the pond.

Second friend – Really! Then truly it’s a matter of great concern. Dear Amar! You have to strengthen the security. Otherwise, who will prevent the theft of goods inside the house alongwith the fruit and the fish?

Amar – Brother! One guard and one gardener are already there.

First friend – Oho! The guard and the gardener! Now the whole matter is clear as crystal. You are bringing up thieves inside your very house. As such thieving can never be checked here.

Amar – But, you know, they are working from the days of my father. They are exceedingly loyal.

First friend – Brother! Who can guarantee that a saint in your father’s time will not turn into a thief during his son’s days.

Amar – Please, suggest me Brothers. What should I do now?

Second friend – Don’t worry; we will do the needful. Let us engage some village-boys to guard your orchard and let us now see whether the thief is apprehended or not.

Amar – Thank you Brothers! Please do the same. There is no other alternative.

Scene- II

(Dark night. A corner of the garden. A thief enters surreptitiously with a fishing net in his hand. He looks around…….)

Thief – I can neither see the watchman nor the gardener anywhere. This place seems to be absolutely deserted. Yet sounds can be heard from that side. Any way there is no need to go there, I shall return with a few catches in the pond. I should be satisfied with whatever little ‘He’ bestows on me.

(Now the thief tosses the net and begins fishing)

(Other corner of the orchard. The boys are conversing with one another)

First – Brother! Do you hear? Some sound can be heard from that side – is not it?

Boys (altogether) – Who’s there? Who’s there?

Second boy – Oh No! Not that side. The sound is heard in this side only.

Other boy – No, No! Not that side brother! It can be heard from the other side. Let us go through the winding path below the mango tree. I am quite sure that someone is there.

(The boys begin to search everywhere)

Thief – Goddam, I hear many voices. What shall I do now?

(Other corner of the Orchard)

Boys – Let some of us surround the orchard lest the thief should escape. We will keep a watch on this side.

Thief – What luck! There is no escaping now. I will surely be caught now. Oh God! deliver me.

(The thief looks around, while trying to escape suddenly falls in a heap of ashes.)

Thief – Ah! Here is a heap of ashes. This is fine. Let me smear my body and face completely with the ashes. Now I shall sit here under the tree in a saint’s guise.

(The thief feigns meditation in Yogi’s guise. The boys who were in search of the thief observe him from a distance).

First friend – Oho! I see a shadowy figure near the pond. But the place is very dark. Let us go with a torch.

Second friend – Be careful. Take the rod along with you. Otherwise, if the thief has any sort of weapon there will be danger.

(The boys come in front of the thief in disguise of a saint.)

First boy – Oh look! He is not a thief. A great Yogi is meditating here. What an accident it would have been! If we had struck him how tragic it would be. Thank God, we’ve brought the torch.

Second boy – Anyway, God has saved us. Thank God, we are not instrumental in murdering a holy man. Come along, let us beg for his mercy.

(All bow down before the Yogi.)

Second boy – Oh Maharaj (Baba)! Unknowingly we were about to hit you. Prabhu! Forgive us all.

(Yogi pretended meditation and remained standstill.)

First boy – Look! He is static like a piece of wood. Come along, we should not disturb his meditation. (Exit)

Scene – III

(Next morning. The news spread that a great Yogi has arrived in the village. The villagers pour into the garden with fruit and flowers to have Darshan of the Yogi.)

First villager – Oh Maharaj! My only daughter is seriously ill. Kindly do something for her recovery.

(Yogi reassures him with the well-known gesture of blessing and give him a pinch of ashes.)

First – All Hail to Baba! All Hail to Maharaj!

Second – Baba, let me have better days. I barely live from hand to mouth. I can’t bear it any more. Please bless me to have enough wealth to eat rice in the gold-vessel along with my grandson.

(Yogi raised his hand and blessed him and gave a pinch of ashes.)

Second – I am now sure to have better days. Who else is more lucky than myself?

Lady – Baba! I wish my daughter-in-law begets a bonny male child, who will carry on my succession. My husband passed away and didn’t see his grandson. Would I have the same fate? Have pity on me. So that my daughter-in-law begets a male child.

(Yogi raised his hand in blessing and gave her a pinch of ashes.)

Lady – I will make an amulet out of this ashes and make my daughter-in-law wear it. Oh how kind my Master is! When my successor will come, I will request Yogi Maharaj for a holy visit to my hut.

Fourth man – Baba, a lawsuit has been filed in the court. Kindly bless me so that I can win. My brother is trying to grab my entire possession in illegal way. Let my brother turn into a pauper.

(Yogi raised his hand and blessed, gave a pinch of ashes.)

Fourth man – I will make an amulet out of this ashes and while going to the court I will put the amulet on my arm. Let me see how the enemy can defeat me. All Hail to Baba! All Hail to Baba!

Another devotee – Baba, everybody comes to you with some material desire. You assure them and bless them silently. But I have come to you with some other purpose. For ‘whom’ you have renunciated this worldly life, I want to renuntiate everything for ‘Him’. I shall be a Yogi like you, a Yogi only, Baba, I am at your feet. Make me a Yogi.

Thief (Monologue) – What a miracle! I am not at all a holy man! On the contrary, I am an unholy thief. Last night I came here only with the purpose of thieving. I smeared myself completely with the ashes just to save my life and with closed eyes pretended to be a holy man, a Yogi. But in the light of the dawn all my sins have been washed away as it were. Everybody now comes to me for Darshan, they earnestly ask for my blessings and bring me fruits and flowers. None of them suspects my identity. I have only been pretending to be a holy man, and for that I am being honoured so much! If I turn into a saint, a holy man in reality, then certainly I shall attain ‘His Love’. Then I shall have nothing of one’s life. Oh God! You haven’t punished me. The ardent devotion of these innocent people has turned my soiled soul into Gold.

Devotee – Prabhu! My Lord! Are you leaving now?

Thief – Yes my child, from now both of us will live in search of that ‘Highest Treasure’.

Devotee – What is that ‘Highest Treasure’?

Thief – God, that Almighty, who has opened my eyes, who has breathed into you the glow of renunciation. Let us, for ‘Him’, give up our worldly desires. We will be ‘Yogi in reality’.

Devotee – Prabhu, why do you say so? What do you mean by ‘Yogi in reality’?

Thief – I mean – Last night I was a ‘False Yogi’. Now I am a ‘True Yogi’ in the real sense. A true Yogi, a real Yogi, a genuine Yogi.

(Ramakrishna Paramahansadeva is seen in the background.)

Ramakrishna – Now you see, this much consciousness has been awakened only with this fraudulent sadhana. Then what more to say if the sadhana is real?

(Curtain)**

** উক্ত অনূদিত নাটকটি The Golden Horizon পুস্তক থেকে পুনর্মুদ্রিত, পৃ. ৭।