7. Vocation

Pujya Shri Narayanbhai was a born teacher. He was a 'seer' in the real sense of the term. He began his career at Premier High school, Dariyapur in Ahmedabad. A man of integrity, an upholder of truth. Narayanbhai did not find his job equal to his expectations. He simply resigned.

In those days, the father of Shri Keshavlal Karbhari was the manager (Karbhari) at Shri Swaminarayan Temple, Ahmedabad. He was aware of Pujya Shri Narayanbhai's extraordinary spiritual powers. He knew that the wife of the owner of the famous Calico Mill was suffering from tuberculosis. He took Shri Narayanbhai to the rich man's bungalow. The industrialist requested him to care his ailing wife. Narayanbhai told him that he could only pray, he was not a miracle maker. Only Shreeji Maharaj could cure your wife. He offered an idol of Shreeji Maharaj to the worried husband and directed him to light a lamp every day near the 'Murti'. He told him that the patient should eat only that food which has been offered to the 'Murti'. The rich man agreed to follow Muktaraj's instructions. The divine treatment began. The spiritual therapy worked. The signs of recovery were visible. In no time the disease dissapeared and the lady regained her health. The industrialist was impressed by Muktaraj's faith-healing. He revered him with utmost devotion.

The industrialist came to know that Shri Narayanbhai was jobless and he had been looking for some work. As Shri Narayanbhai had a Diploma in Textile Chemistry, he was directly appointed as a Dyeing Assistant and offered him Rs.350 as a salary every month. His superior one Mr. Bhatt used to take commission on all the purchases. He asked Shri Narayanbhai not to bother about the quality of the chemicals and buy the products of only that company which would grease his palm. Instead of obliging the corrupt official, Narayanbhai decided to quit the job without making any fuss. While he was on his way, he saw a long queue at Saraswati Vidyalaya. He made an inquiry and learnt that new teachers were being recruited by Saraswati Vidya Mandal. Muktaraj stood in the queue. But the time was over that day. When Muktaraj was asked to come on the next day, he firmly replied that he was not sure of coming the next day. So if, possible they should interview him the same day. He was interviewed and was immediately selected for the post of teacher. He had heard about the very high academic standards maintained by the missionary spirit with which the trust ran its institutions. He accepted the job that offered him a salary of Rs.60/- per month and a yearly increment of Rs.5/- only.

As this school was situated in Saraspur area of the city, he hired a house in that locality. After taking up his job as a teacher, he went to Vadodara to obtain his B. T. [Bachelor of Teaching] Degree. Saraswati Vidya Mandal had very eminent persons like the ex-finance Minister the late Shri H. M. Patel, Shri Harbhai Trivedi and Shri Raghubhai Naik, great educationists as trustees and members of the governing board. They were greatly impressed by Shri Narayanbhai's administrative abilities, devotion to the cause of education and flawless character. He was appointed as the Principal of J. N. Kanya Vidyalaya. He ran the girls school with love and devotion and established high academic standards and instilled moral values in the minds of young girls. The fellow teachers as well as the students looked upon him not only as an ideal principal but revered him as a great saint and a spiritual guide. Before launching any activity, they all went to him to seek his blessings. Muktaraj too, never behaved like a boss but like a father, a true leader who depended not on authority but goodwill, who never evoked fear but radiated love and earned their love and made them adhere to the principles of discipline and high moral values without any grudge or grumble. He combined search for knowledge with the arousal of spiritual quest and taught them all a true religion of man. He could raise academic discussions to spiritual heights and bring philosophy to the level of their understanding. He imparted both instruction and delight. ''Education is that which liberates'' and Muktaraj always taught with a desire to help his stundents as well as disciples attain 'freedom' in its totality.

No student ever defied his command or violated the rules or misbehaved. He ruled over their hearts and instead of showing who was wrong, he always showed what was wrong and thus made them disciplined and daring, obedient and adventurous. Once he accompanied his students on an educational tour. As they failed to find any accommodation, he led the group to a grave yard and pointing to the graves he said, ''The way these people are lying here, you too could sleep here without any fear or doubt. Let us pray, cast our cares to God and sleep. No harm can come to any one of you.'' The students too, with a firm faith in the reassuring words of their Guruji, prayed and stretched themselves on the ground and fell asleep. The great teacher, thus did not simply talk, but gave them practical lessons in faith and courage. He had drawn his own syllabus which aimed at the total development of the students' personality.

With a view to spreading the divine bliss among the largest number of people, Narayanbhai used to sanctify the water tank by dropping the sacred 'charanraj' of Shreeji Maharaj into water and encouraged everybody to drink it. During his tenure as principal of the school, he was given a National Award for his research paper entitled: 'Modern Education Theory with Respect to Teaching'.

A man who never compromised with his principles Narayanbhai, taught till 1977 and asked for voluntary retirement. The members of the trust were reluctant to relieve him. But as he had resolved to give more time to his spiritual activities, he requested the trustees to allow him to go. All those who had worked with him were touched by the contagious generosity of spirit, his childlike innocence, his spiritual powers and his love for students. They all bid a tearful good bye to this great teacher who had moulded the character of students for more than thirty years.

It is no wonder if one comes across some of his students occupying important positions. Whenever they met him, they would proudly remind him that they owed their success in life to him. They had the great opportunity to love and be loved by this extraordinary teacher who had shaped their destiny. Only a teacher like Pujya Shri Narayanbhai can open the horizons of hope for the lost generation of to-day.