Page 221 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

The merchant came to the drawing room and said to the Brahmin, the leader of the gang of robbers, “it is a grace of God that you have paid a visit to our house. i would be glad if you have your bath and take lunch.”
surprised as well as gladdened, the Brahmin had his meal to his satiety. The wife of the merchant put five silver coins at the feet of the Brahmin for the latter’s having taken his meal at their place. The dacoit could understand that the lady of the house was there to bid him farewell with that petty amount of money. he cast aside his greed for five hundred coins and felt contented with those five coins. This was because he was then at the house of the merchant as his guest, and there was therefore no way out to forcibly get the desired amount of money. With a dry smile, the dacoit took leave of them.
having told the tale, Baba explained the underlying meaning,
Life is no better than a forest. and, a human being is gener- ally the embodiment of sattva’, ‘Rajas’ and ‘Tamas’. similarly, the merchant was attacked by three dacoits, embodying three different traits. The cobbler personified ‘tamas’. Just as both the Brahmin and the warrior drove the cobbler away, both ‘sattva’ and ‘Rajas’ will be able to kill the ‘tamas’. The moment the human heart would be cleansed of the ‘tamo bhava’, it will pave the way for ‘sattvaguna’. Finally, it is ‘sattva’ who would be bold enough to make Rajas’ flee away. The Brahmin, for example, drove away the warrior and thus justified his superiority. it is at that time that he could safely escort the merchant to his place, i.e., to heaven.
The wife of the merchant, being an emblem of purity, is the guide to Brahman. Once such wisdom is roused, one can realize himself by means of meditation. at that stage one need no help of ‘sattva’ and ‘Rajas’. it is the ‘sattvik’ quality that helps a man realize the Brahman. This frail body takes leave of its near and dear ones, and gets dissolved with the ‘Panchabhut’. What remains is ‘atmagyan’ (आत्मज्ान). The dacoit took leave of the merchant and his family with only five coins. ‘sattva’, ‘Rajas’ and ‘Tamas’ left one by one at the rise of purity of heart. The body, made of Panchabhut got themselves dissolved with Panchabhut—only the immortal i was left behind.
Fhftd Volum: Seventh Taranga 191