He remained in the hermitage of his teacher for years together and had his education. After having completed his education he went to pay the fee to his teacher and said, "Sir! having had education from you has given a definite meaning to my life. What is it that I could offer you as your fee."
Gurudev smiled and said, "Dear boy! I have already taken the darkness of your ignorance from you; now what remains to be taken. I only expect you to serve humanity and remove darkness from the face of the earth."
Hearing this the disciple said humbly, "I promiseto observe your command; but still you will have to accept at least something as Gurudakshina."
Seeing the disciple so insistent, Gurudev gave him a flag in black color and said, "Take this flag to all the places of pilgrimage and wash it with the waters of the holy rivers. You should consider having given my Gurudakshina once the black flag turns white."
The disciple obyed his teacher and set out with the black flag. First of all he went to places of pilgrimage in the country which were situated on the banks of the holy rivers. He washed the black flag everywhere but it didn't change its color. He was thoroughly disappointed. Then he went to the other places of pilgrimage; and there also he washed his black flag in the holy waters thoroughly, but all in vain.
Time kept rolling on and thus five years passed. Now he was tired of carrying the flag. He had traveled thousands of miles on foot. Sometimes he used to feel disappointed and think, "Will this black flag become white ever in my life?"
One evening while he was returning from a pilgrimage and was on his way through a forest, he climbed up a tree and sat on a branch with his flag to save himself from the wild animals. He could not sleep the whole night. In the last hours of the night he heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from a distance. And after a short time three men riding on horses came and halted under the same tree. One of them had forced a beautiful young girl to sit on his horse with her hands and feet tied.
The three men dismounted from their horses and made the girl lie down on the ground, and began talking to each other. One, who probably was their chief, asked the other two to go and fetch some drinking water for him, and himself lied down to relax.
The disciple sitting on the branch of the tree was watching everything. It didn't take him time to understand that the three men had actually kidnapped the young and beautiful girl. He felt pity on her. Now it was clear that these three men were robbers.
When the robber lying under the tree began snoring, the disciple climbed down the tree slowly and carefully, and challenged him.
The robber was nonplussed momentarily. But next moment he rushed forth to pick up his sword; but the young disciple was more swift than him. Before the robber could reach the sword the disciple had already taken it in his possession. And death played its role. The robber didn't get another chance. His head rolled down his shoulders, spewing a lot of blood around. Then he whipped the horses and chased them away so that when the other two robbers returned with water, they would not be able to chase him.
Now he untied the hands and feet of the young girl and asked her identity. The young girl said, "I am daughter of a businessman. My father lives on the other side of the forest. These robbers kidnapped me during my marriage ceremony."
"Please come with me. I shall escort you to your house," saying this the disciple climbed up the tree quickly, picked up his flag and climbed down. He made the young girl mount the horse along with him and clapped his spurs to the horse's flanks. The horse was almost flying in the air.
He reached the young girl's house before it became dark. There it seemed as if the whole house had been rocked by an outbreak of violence. Every member of the house seemed woe-begone.
When the young girl described how the disciple had risked his life to get her freed from the clutches of the robbers, everyone became very happy, and her father embraced him with a feeling of gratitude.
By the time he reached the out-skirts of the village, the sun had risen. Suddenly he saw his flag fluttering in the air. He looked at it with his mouth agape.
The rising sun gave him a glimpse of not black but white flag. He looked at it again; this time carefully. His heart was filled with happiness. He couldn't believe his eyes. His black flag had turned white. He remembered his teacher in his heart and said, "Gurudev! You are great. You have completed my education by teaching me to offer selfless service to humankind."
Gurudev smiled and said, "Dear boy! I have already taken the darkness of your ignorance from you; now what remains to be taken. I only expect you to serve humanity and remove darkness from the face of the earth."
Hearing this the disciple said humbly, "I promiseto observe your command; but still you will have to accept at least something as Gurudakshina."
Seeing the disciple so insistent, Gurudev gave him a flag in black color and said, "Take this flag to all the places of pilgrimage and wash it with the waters of the holy rivers. You should consider having given my Gurudakshina once the black flag turns white."
The disciple obyed his teacher and set out with the black flag. First of all he went to places of pilgrimage in the country which were situated on the banks of the holy rivers. He washed the black flag everywhere but it didn't change its color. He was thoroughly disappointed. Then he went to the other places of pilgrimage; and there also he washed his black flag in the holy waters thoroughly, but all in vain.
Time kept rolling on and thus five years passed. Now he was tired of carrying the flag. He had traveled thousands of miles on foot. Sometimes he used to feel disappointed and think, "Will this black flag become white ever in my life?"
One evening while he was returning from a pilgrimage and was on his way through a forest, he climbed up a tree and sat on a branch with his flag to save himself from the wild animals. He could not sleep the whole night. In the last hours of the night he heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from a distance. And after a short time three men riding on horses came and halted under the same tree. One of them had forced a beautiful young girl to sit on his horse with her hands and feet tied.
The three men dismounted from their horses and made the girl lie down on the ground, and began talking to each other. One, who probably was their chief, asked the other two to go and fetch some drinking water for him, and himself lied down to relax.
The disciple sitting on the branch of the tree was watching everything. It didn't take him time to understand that the three men had actually kidnapped the young and beautiful girl. He felt pity on her. Now it was clear that these three men were robbers.
When the robber lying under the tree began snoring, the disciple climbed down the tree slowly and carefully, and challenged him.
The robber was nonplussed momentarily. But next moment he rushed forth to pick up his sword; but the young disciple was more swift than him. Before the robber could reach the sword the disciple had already taken it in his possession. And death played its role. The robber didn't get another chance. His head rolled down his shoulders, spewing a lot of blood around. Then he whipped the horses and chased them away so that when the other two robbers returned with water, they would not be able to chase him.
Now he untied the hands and feet of the young girl and asked her identity. The young girl said, "I am daughter of a businessman. My father lives on the other side of the forest. These robbers kidnapped me during my marriage ceremony."
"Please come with me. I shall escort you to your house," saying this the disciple climbed up the tree quickly, picked up his flag and climbed down. He made the young girl mount the horse along with him and clapped his spurs to the horse's flanks. The horse was almost flying in the air.
He reached the young girl's house before it became dark. There it seemed as if the whole house had been rocked by an outbreak of violence. Every member of the house seemed woe-begone.
When the young girl described how the disciple had risked his life to get her freed from the clutches of the robbers, everyone became very happy, and her father embraced him with a feeling of gratitude.
By the time he reached the out-skirts of the village, the sun had risen. Suddenly he saw his flag fluttering in the air. He looked at it with his mouth agape.
The rising sun gave him a glimpse of not black but white flag. He looked at it again; this time carefully. His heart was filled with happiness. He couldn't believe his eyes. His black flag had turned white. He remembered his teacher in his heart and said, "Gurudev! You are great. You have completed my education by teaching me to offer selfless service to humankind."
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