Act I, Scene 1

(Matsyendranath’s ashram. Matsyendranath is seated in very high meditation, surrounded by five of his disciples.)

FIRST DISCIPLE: Our teacher is such a great spiritual Master. Although he has tremendous spiritual and occult powers, he never misuses them. He always uses his power for God, only to fulfil God in humanity in accordance with God’s express Will.

SECOND DISCIPLE: See how he is diving deep within! Let us meditate with him.

(All meditate for a while.)

MATSYENDRANATH (coming out of trance): My dear spiritual children, you are my most intimate disciples. Did you hear any conversation just now?

THIRD DISCIPLE: No Master, we didn’t hear anything. There was nobody here, so how could we hear anything? We were all meditating with you in deep silence.

MATSYENDRANATH: Did you see a glow around my face or an aura behind my head?

FOURTH DISCIPLE: I did, I did!

FIFTH DISCIPLE: I saw something like a glow around your face, Master.

FIRST DISCIPLE: And behind your head, an aura! I know that you have many auras, but I must have been seeing your most beautiful aura!

SECOND DISCIPLE: What delight to have this kind of experience!

MATSYENDRANATH: It was all due to the presence of Lord Shiva. Shiva appeared before my inner vision to give me a special message. He told me that my best disciple, my absolutely best disciple, will be coming to me today for initiation.

(The disciples are inwardly shocked and displeased, but outwardly each one gives the Master a broad smile.)

MATSYENDRANATH: Hypocrisy and spirituality don’t go together. Be sincere. I know you are all sad that my best disciple is going to come to me today, and you will definitely be jealous of him. Now tell me why you are sad inwardly, although outwardly you are showing me happy faces? Why are you already jealous of him?

THIRD DISCIPLE: Master, you know it is not easy to conquer jealousy. We have been trying very hard for many years, but still it is extremely difficult for us to conquer jealousy.

MATSYENDRANATH: Just try to remember that we are all in a battlefield. You are my soldiers; I am your commander. But we are not strong enough to fight against our enemies, the brooding forces of night, alone. We need someone really strong to come and take our side. Naturally, if he also adds to our strength, we are bound to win.

FOURTH DISCIPLE: O Master, now we are extremely happy! The happiness in our hearts shows in our happy faces.

MATSYENDRANATH: You are lying to me! Inwardly you are not happy at all. You are extremely jealous. You are jealous of him because you feel that it is his power that will enable us to win the victory, not yours. When he appears on the scene, when he takes our side, only then will it be possible for us to win. If he does not come, we cannot win. So you are jealous because while you do not have the inner power to bring about the victory, he does. It is useless for you to tell me lies, because I can easily read your thoughts. If anybody wishes to challenge my inner vision, that person should stand up.

(Nobody stands.)

FIFTH DISCIPLE: Master, it is useless to try to deceive you, but we know that our deception is no match for your compassion. Your compassion is infinitely more powerful than our deception. That is why we stay with you.

MATSYENDRANATH: You are jealous that my most devoted disciple is going to come because he will be my favourite. You are jealous that he will be the one who can win the victory for us. But instead of being jealous, why don’t you consider the arrival of this brother of yours as the result of your many years of prayer and meditation with me? You have prayed for peace, light, bliss and power in boundless measure. Now why can’t you take his arrival as the answer to your prayers? Do not think of him as an individual with personality. Think of him as the bringer of peace, light and bliss. This peace, light and bliss is coming to you because of your sincere prayers. Your meditation for divine victory has borne fruit. You prayed to God in me for the fulfilment and transformation of your nature. Now God is granting you this boon by sending you this unparalleled brother who will be my best disciple. Take him as the fruit of your aspiration, not as a rival who is endowed with much more capacity than you have. If you can do this, then you can cherish no jealousy towards him.

(Enter Gorakshanath with the traditional gifts of fruit for the Master.)

GORAKSHANATH: Master, last night I had a vision. In the vision Lord Shiva appeared before me and told me that you are my Guru. So today I have come to you. Please initiate me.

FIRST DISCIPLE: This time, in all sincerity, I feel that all of us are inspired by our Master’s advice.

THIRD DISCIPLE: We are actually feeling in this new brother our own living presence.

FOURTH DISCIPLE: We see and feel that his arrival is the result of our own aspiration.

FIFTH DISCIPLE: Master, we are most sincerely happy, delighted and proud to see this youth. We see in him our own achievement.

MATSYENDRANATH: My dearest and best disciple, if I have ever had divine pride in my life, then all my divine pride I offer to you. I know who you are and what you are. You are of me and you are for me. You have come to help me shoulder my responsibilities, and for that I shall be eternally grateful to you.

GORAKSHANATH: You will be grateful to me? It is I who have to be grateful to you! You will initiate me and give me light in abundant measure. From you I will receive my realisation and liberation.

MATSYENDRANATH: You are grateful to me because I will give you my realisation, but I am grateful to you because you will be able to receive my realisation. I have been here now for many years, but I have not found anybody really receptive to whom I can offer my entire realisation. You are able to receive and I am able to give. It will take you a very short time to realise me. It is a matter of a few months. In these few months I shall be working most powerfully inside you to give you realisation and liberation. Once you receive my realisation, you will be able to manifest the Supreme in me. Now let me bless you and initiate you in the traditional way.

(Matsyendranath blesses Gorakshanath and gives him a string of beads.)

MATSYENDRANATH: I am giving you these japa beads. I have sanctified them, and they are only for you to use. This is a very special mala. Let me tell you a story about it.