It was the first time that I had seen him. He was sitting in a tiny cell-like room. I wondered how a great personality like his could fit into such a small place. Just behind him, was a large open window. The piece of sky framed by it looked more beautiful than ever. The light coming from the window and the radiance of his naked form had converged to create a luminous circle, which was as impressive as the smile illumining his visage.
For a moment, I was lost in the allure of his equanimity and stood frozen at the door-step. After a while, I thought that I should go in. Seeing is possible only from inside. One can not get a good view from outside, but it was not easy to go in. There was a big crowd at the door and I was blocked by it. I came back, thinking that I would make another attempt some day to see him alone. Though I say that I came back that day, the truth is that even to this day, I have not been able to come back. My only desire now is to spend all my life at his feet, never to part. After this darshan, I realised how vibrant is the beauty of equanimity! Since then, the image of Shri Jinendra in the temple has also come alive for me. This is my gain from the first darshan.
Kundalpur (1976)