11 - Sharp Intellect

Nobody was playing in the school. There was pin-drop silence in the school. The exams were due. The students were busy preparing for the examination. Narayan was meditating God, singing Keertans. His friends approached him and spoke, ‘Narayan, exams are due. You are not studying at all.’ Narayan replied, ‘I do not need to study.’ His friends inquired, ‘How would you appear in the exams? Every year, you pass the exams with first rank. How do you write without studying?’ Narayan explained, ‘Whenever the teacher teaches us, I understand with total concentration. At home, I prepare my notes. I study those notes once and I remember everything by heart. I do not have to revise it.’

All the friends asked in chorus, ‘Only once!!’ Narayan replied, ‘Yes, I read it once with the remembrance of God and I remember everything by heart.’ A friend requested, ‘Narayan, would you give me your notebook to study?’ Another friend said, ‘Who will give you at the time of exams? Don’t you think, he will have to study it?’ Narayan replied, ‘Oh no! not at all. I do not have to study. You can take it. I remember everything by heart.’ The friend was delighted. One of the friends glanced through the notes and asked, ‘O Narayan! From where did you take these notes? Teacher has not explained in this manner.’ Narayan replied, ‘I have prepared these notes by myself. I have explained all the topics as per my understanding.’ The friends were surprised. One of the friends asked, ‘Narayan, how do you write the exams? How do you manage to get first rank in all the exams?’ Narayan explained, ‘First of all, I study attentively. Then while writing the exams, I pray to Lord Swaminarayan in the beginning.’ Friends asked, ‘What kind of prayers? How do you pray?’ Narayan continued, ‘I pray that O Maharaj! Please join me to write the exam. Listening to such prayer, Maharaj participates with me to write the exam and I am able to write in the best possible way. When Maharaj Himself joins me in writing exams, obviously I get first rank.’

One of the friends asked, ‘This year, I have not studied properly. If I pray to God, would He pass me?’ Narayan replied, ‘Hard work is essential. Then and only then God joins with us and helps us to get good marks. Without working hard, if we ask God, He does not grant. We must prepare properly. And then if we pray to God, He responds to our prayers.’ Listening to such advice of Narayan, all the friends began to prepare for the exams.

Difficult words:
Approach - Come nearer
Concentration - Fixed attention
Revise - Reading one again
Essential - something necessary

Points to ponder:
- Muktaraj teaches us that whenever the teacher is teaching in the school, we must learn with total concentration and we must prepare the notes at home.
- Without working hard, we should not expect God to support us. If we work hard and pray to God, He certainly responds to our prayers.

Exercise

Answer the following questions:
1. Why was nobody playing in the school?
2. What was Narayan doing?
3. Why was Narayan not studying?
4. How did Narayan get first rank in all the exams?

Fill in the blanks :
1. Narayan was meditating _____________ and singing _____________.
2. Whenever teacher teaches, I learn with total _________, at home I prepare the________.
3. I read it ________ with the remembrance of God, so that I remember everything ________ ________.