After learning Hindi Ramprasad was admitted to a Madarsa to learn Urdu language which still held sway in the courts, lower level government offices and literature. Even the Hindi writers preferred to write in Urdu script. By the time he crossed fourth class of Madarsa he had gained good knowledge of Urdu.
Urdu was a language of the romantic poetry, stories and novels. Ramprasad then a fourteen year old teenager developed a taste for romantic novels of sentimental and mystery thriller kind. He became addicted to them. To buy or hire such thrillers he began to steal money from the chest of his father.
Unfortunately the bookshop from where Ramprasad bought those books happened to belong to a person who was a friend of Muralidhar Tiwari. He informed the father about his son’s literary interests. The father began to keep an eye on his son and the books he read.
Ramprasad sensed that he was under watch. To avoid confrontation he gave up reading romantic novels. But it was not the end of the problem. The bad habit got substituted by other bad habits.
He started smoking, that led to hashish smoking as well. The two habits also cost money. So, he continued to steal money from the chest of his father.
One day he was high on hashish and needed money immediately. He tried to steal in that intoxicated state. His hands were not steady. Ramprasad fumbled with the lock which made a clattering sound.
That brought his mother on the scene to investigate. The mother saw that her son Ramprasad was trying to insert a key into the lock of the chest of her husband. She knew that there was only one key to that lock which Pandit Muralidhar always kept with himself. That meant that her son had got a duplicate key made and had been probably stealing money every now and then. It shocked her.
The mother rebuked her son soundly. Ramprasad listened to her tirade with bent head and shame faced. His mother searched his box as well and discovered some sleazy novels and some small cash. She tore the novels and burnt them down. A new lock was put on the chest of Pandit Muralidhar. It put effective check on Ramprasad’s activities of another kind.
The boy did introspection and realised that what he had been doing was no good. It had resulted in his failing twice to clear the middle class examination in Urdu. The vices had taken his mind off his studies. So, he made up his mind to reform himself for his own good.
There was a temple near the house of Tiwaris. Lately a priest had taken charge of it and he looked a very genuine religious person.
Ramprasad went to the temple and spent some time with him listening to his sermons. Soon, he became a regular visitor to the temple. The priest taught him some worship rituals and mantras. The noble sermons of the priest made a deep impression on Ramprasad.
The priest was an ardent advocate of celibacy. Honesty, loyalty and truthfulness were some of the other virtues he preached. Infact he proved a very good reformist guide for Ramprasad.
Meanwhile Ramprasad and his classmates got drawn towards physical exercises. He took up a regular exercise regime. His health improved dramatically. The ill effect of sexual self-indulgence induced by sleazy novels and tobacco-hashish intake vanished.
Young Ramprasad again was pepped up with a feeling of physical well being. He never again felt like going back to smoking even in times of stress. He felt that everything in him was regenerating.
Since the Madarsa carried the memories of his two failures at middle level he had no wish to continue to study there. He wanted a new beginning to education as well.
Now he wanted to study in an English school.
He talked about it to his father. The father didn’t want to get him educated in alien language that taught sinful western culture. His orthodox mind was revolting. But his wife pitched in the favour of her son’s wish. The husband had to give in. So, Ramprasad was admitted into a English medium school although the father wanted his son yoked to some small business to make a living.
The school was run by a Christian mission. Ramprasad was enrolled in 5th class. In this school he met a classmate named Sushilchandra Sen. The two became fast friends. It was this friend who proved a great help in giving up the habit of smoking.
By now Ramprasad had cleansed himself of all the vices. He prayed regularly and did physical exercises. Both the acts gave immense pleasure and peace to the youngman’s mind.
There was a gentlemen named Munshi Inderjit who lived in the neighbourhod of Tiwaris. He was a man of a character and noble values. He noticed a youngman who prayed every evening with total devotion and solemnity. There was no trace of frivolity associated with the youngmen with whom he wished an interaction.
The youngman was none other than Ramprasad. Munshiji revealed several methods of praying, meditation and yoga to the youngman alongwith the benefits of those exercises. He had logical and scientific explanation for various Hindu customs, traditions, rituals and the religious tenets.
Munshi Inderjit was a prominent member of Arya Samaj, the organisation that was at the forefront of Hindu social reforms, interpretation of scriptures logically and education drive.
He introduced Arya Samaj to Ramprasad and explained its aims, objects and principles. He also gave ‘Satyartha Prakash’ to Ramprasad to read. The book was the Bible of Arya Samajis. The book contained the ideology of Arya Samaj besides lampooning of the orthodox clergy through satirical short stories which made the book extremely popular.
Later, Ramprasad admitted that the book changed his mindset completely. It triggered the evolution process of his own thinking. He could feel new ideas and thoughts getting generated within his intellectual self. He understood the importance of the truth, self control and celibacy.
Inspired by the book he took a vow to remain life long celibate.
The book changed the course of his life. In his own words—‘I read Satyartha Prakash’. Its study opened a new chapter in my life. I began to practice the harsh regime of controls for celibacy described in the book. I started sleeping on a blanket spread over a wooden plank and would leave bed at 4 a.m. Inspite of all that and the exercises my mind couldn’t free itself from the effect of the romantic novels. I continued to be haunted by wet dreams.
So, I gave up night meals and opted for only some milk. Bad habits or their affects are not easy to get rid of. Wet dreams continued. At the suggestion of a gentlemen I gave up salt. My meals became cruelly tasteless. My intake was only the boiled vegetables or pulses one time a day. Chillies and sour items were also no-no. For five years I ate saltless frugal meals. To the surprise of all including myself my health improved dramatically. All the affects to vices vanished. I was literally a picture of health.
It made me an ardent follower of the teachings and the agenda of Arya Samaj. I didn’t miss a single convention of the organisation where I listened to the speakers with rapt attention. The speakers could be reformists, politicians or Hindu theologists. I had grown a great reverence for the theologists. Whenever any sadhu or mahatma came I dedicated myself to his service because I wanted to learn pranayama yoga. I was so keen that I would run to any ascetic, sadhu or yogi to learn it even if that likely guru happened to be camping miles outside the town. They included non-Arya Samaji ones.
Meanwhile on one hand the son Ramprasad had moved towards reformist Arya Samaj and on the other hand father Muralidhar stuck to the old orthodox mob. The ideological differences soured the traditional relationship between them.
The orthodox mob brought in an orthodox scholar named Pandit Jagat Prasad in the town of Shahjahanpur. He tried to demolish the theories of Arya Samaj and its reformist movement. Arya Samaj did not like it. To counter Jagat Prasad they brought in a reformist scholar named Pandit Akhilananda.
Jagat Prasad was challenged for a public debate. The debate was held. The scholars argued in Sanskrit quoting scriptures.
The tempers on both the sides got charged up. It generated a tension among the supporters of the two groups. Some people fanned the fire of hatred.
The neighbours of the Tiwari household knew that Ramprasad had become staunch supporter of Arya Samaj. Most of the neighbours were of orthodox mindset. They complained to Muralidhar Tiwari, “Panditji, you are a true upholder of old religious values. It is a matter of shame that your son has degenerated enough to join the forces of our opponents…those lowly Arya Samajis. It is ridiculous. You must put sense in your son.”
Tiwari knew about the Arya Samaj connection of his son but he had refrained to say anything about it so far. He had put it down as a young man’s wild explorations. But now he felt utterly humiliated due to his act. He suspected that Ramprasad’s faith in Arya Samaj was firming up.
It was the time for confrontation.
Muralidhar reached home in foul mood. He tried to prove to his son that Arya Samaj and its reformist ideology was sinful and total nonsense. But his arguments made no impression on Ramprasad.
Infact he countered by claiming that Arya Samaj agenda was the need of the hour for the country. He advised his father to mend his outdated attitude and accept the reformist ideology.
As Ramprasad articulated his views the father seethed in mounting anger. At last when it became intolerable for Muralidhar he hissed at his son, “Ramprasad! I have seen the world. My hair is not painted white. It is the result of the seasoning with experience.”
“But father…,” Ramprasad tried to protest.
But the father cut him short by screaming at him menacingly, “Ramprasad! I don’t want to hear anything more from you. Either leave the Arya Samaj or my home. Make a choice.”
Ramprasad realised the futility of reasoning with his father. And further dialogue could provoke his father into violent act against him. But he could not give up his faith in Arya Samaj. So, he decided to leave home as desired by his father.
Ramprasad was in a shirt and was in the process of wearing a loin when the exchange between the father and the son took place.
Suddenly the raging father snatched away the loin and barked, “Get out of my house!”
It angered the youngman. In a huff he touched the feet of his father and departed in a defiant mood.
After his departure the father cooled down. He felt remorse at his hostile behaviour towards his son. His son too was entitled to his own views. He realised that the backbiting neighbours were not doing any good to his family. They had sown the seeds of the discord between the father and the son just for fun.
Muralidhar ran out of his house and caught up with his walking-away son. He persuaded Ramprasad to return to home and forget the incident.
After that incident the father never objected to the views of his son on the religion or politics. And Ramprasad was not subjected to physical punishment any more. He continued to attend the meetings of Arya Samaj although his family still felt uneasy about it.
His mother took special care that his feelings were not hurt.
