मेरा आजीवन कारावास / माझी जन्मठेप (स्वातंत्र्यवीर सावरकर - काले पानी का ऐतिहासिक संस्मरण)

you go? You may hide it underneath your garment but as the saint has put it, "The more
you hide it, the more it is exposed, and the more it fills the atmosphere with its foul
smell." Ramdas is stall clearer on the point when he says, "You may eat the choicest
meal. It is bound to be reduced to part pieces and part vomit. Drink the water of the pure
and holy Ganges. It cannot help Itself from turning into urine." And the process is
common to man-be he prance or pauper. None can wash out the dirt in his own stomach.
If this be the fact true for all time, then you must put up with the stink and filth outside of
you as you bear it within and of your own body. If one is no nuisance to you, the other
must be borne as no nuisance. If eating is the need of the body, purging is as much its
indispensable need And both the processes are equally beneficial to the human system.
Why the world is like this, why the body and its senses feel happy in certain function and
despise others as degrading to them, is more than man can either understand and explain.
Only nature whirls created us can explain and justify This antagonism is beyond human
intelligence to grasp Perhaps it is nature's play and nature enjoys it. Or nature is helpless
to do other than it has done!
Such conflicts between reason and sentiment, such battle between their opposing
forces on the theatre of my mind was a comedy to enjoy. Henceforward I felt nothing of
the close contiguity of dirt I have mentioned. I went to sleep at past midnight. The hour, I
believe, was one o'clock at night and I had sound sleep during rest of the tame. While on
board that steamer I never more showed my Inconvenience and discomfort. The placidity
of my temper was a surprise to fellow-prisoners. One or two of them even passed
strictures upon ,my behaviour. They said that their suspicion of me as a dirty man of an
extremely low caste was more than justified by my recent conduct. This they said behind
me and only among themselves.
The Attitude of The Europeans
The travellers and some of the Indian officers on board the ship desired to express
their feeling of reverence for me by doing me service of one kind or another. They often
used to pay me a casual visit. Some of the European soldiers treated me very politely. I
was given some English newspapers to read as also some magazines. We got on with
nothing else to eat but fried grams and peas. But the officers Insisted that I should have
something better. I did not know what special things I should ask for and it was difficult
for them to make an exception in my case. As a result some philanthropic merchants on
board that steamer arranged a dinner for all of us with the permission of the Captain. It
consisted of rice, fish and pickles and several other preparations. The whole of the prison-
world in that steamer welcomed It with joy after two days of practical fasting and I was
the cause of it. They were duly grateful to me for it They were all taken, for half-an-hour
during the day along with me, on the deck of the ship to have a whiff of fresh air, and we
were all treated during that time much better and with greater ease than in the prison-hold
below. Naturally the prisoners expressed their gratitude to me in the following words.
They said, "It is our good fortune, Sir, that we have your company in this voyage.