(12) अब चिन्ता किस बातकी
स्वामी केशवानन्द, जिन्होंने शिक्षाका व्यापक प्रचार किया, राज्यसभाके सदस्य थे। एक दिन उनके एक सहकर्मीने देखा कि स्वामीजी हाथपर दो-तीन सूखी रोटियाँ रखे दालसे खा रहे थे। रोटियाँ सूखी एवं ठण्डी थीं, उन्हें वे जल्दी-जल्दी चबाकर गलेके नीचे उतार रहे थे। सहकर्मीने उसका कारण पूछा तो बोले ‘मुझे कई जगह जाना है और शामको गाड़ी पकड़नी है, इसलिये तन्दूरसे यहाँ दो रोटियाँ मँगवा ली हैं।’
सहकर्मी बोला-‘इस आयुमें आपको ऐसा भोजन नहीं करना चाहिये। कुछ नहीं तो घी, मक्खन एवं फल ही ले लिया करें।’
इसपर स्वामीजी मुसकराते हुए बोले- ‘यह तो ठीक है, परंतु जब इन्हीं बातोंकी चिन्ता करनी थी तो संन्यासी बनकर समाजकी सेवाका व्रत ही क्यों लेता ?’ सहकर्मी निरुत्तर हो गया।
(12) What are you worried about now?
Swami Kesavananda, who widely promoted education, was a member of the Rajya Sabha. One day one of his co-workers saw Swamiji eating pulses with two or three dry rotis in his hand. The breads were dry and cold, they were chewing them quickly and taking them down the throat. When the colleague asked the reason, he said, ‘I have to go to many places and have to catch a car in the evening, so I have ordered two rotis from Tandoor here.’
The colleague said – ‘At this age you should not eat such food. If nothing else, take ghee, butter and fruits only.
On this, Swamiji said with a smile – ‘It is fine, but when he had to worry about these things, then why would he take the vow of serving the society by becoming a monk?’ The colleague became speechless.
