Page 269 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

the moment the merchant paid his obeisance, his body began to tremble, and he opened his eyes. The sage looked at him with a keen eye and said, “Come with me.” The merchant followed him to a fast-flowing stream. after drawing his attention to it, the sage returned to his place. The merchant could not understand why the sage had led him down to a solitary place. The sun was yet to shine bright. he began to wander along the stream. There were places, both high and low. he saw how water was rushing down from above. somewhere there he could see a cataract rippling down with a thundering sound. There were places where the water was flowing down with a murmuring sound. The sun rose and the whole world got bathed in the sunbeams. it was then he saw that the stream was shallow and that the water there was so clear that the depth of the stream was strewn with sand of either yellow or reddish colour. he took out a handful of it and saw that it was all gold. Gladdened at heart, he saw that the bottom of the stream was strewn with gold.
he sat still at a place. he then realized why the sage had brought him there and left him. The sage was the King of that mountain with its adjoining forest. it is indeed inaccessible to man. he was sure that not a single man had come to that dense and inaccessible place. he collected some amount of gold and returned to the sage. he paid his obeisance to the sage and said, “i have seen a huge amount of gold.”
The sage said, “The higher up you go, the more you will see gold. You can take as much as you can carry. Then buy horses and arms and come back to take all the gold available here. it is kept reserved for you only.”
On returning to the town, he purchased a house, bought horses and necessary arms. he appointed labourers. since he was a gold- smith, he was a man of name and fame far and near. so it was nothing unnatural that he would buy so many horses and so many arms. Everybody noticed that the merchant, instead of being a seller of gems, began to deal in gold only. Before the turn of the year, the merchant set up rest houses in the big towns and arranged everything for the food and stay of the sages and sannyasins. he
Sixth Volume: Fhftd TiTanTd 239