Robbers attacked Ramana Maharishi

*Robbers attacked Ramana Maharishi*

It was at around 11:30 in the middle of the night of the 26th of June 1924. Though at that time Sri Ramanasramam consisted of only a few thatched sheds, some thieves came thinking it to be a rich mutt. They tried to break in through the windows by smashing them, and threatened to destroy everything. The noise woke up the devotees who were sleeping in the shed where Sri Bhagavan was lying. Sri Bhagavan invited the thieves to come in through the proper doorway and asked the devotees to give them a hurricane lamp so that they could look for whatever they wanted, yet they shouted angrily, "Where are you keeping your money?"

"We are sadhus who live by begging, we have no money. From what you can find here, you may take away anything you want. We will come outside".. so saying, Sri Bhagavan came and sat outside followed by the devotees. As they came out of the shed, the thieves beat them with sticks, and one blow even fell on the thigh of Sri Bhagavan.

 "If you are still not satisifed, beat the other thigh as well",  said Sri Bhagavan in clear voice, feeling sorry for them!

The Sage not only bore their attack patiently, but requested them to take a meal before they departed. He actually offered them some food. 

Was this to be the limit of His kindness towards the thieves? No, He also prevented a young devotee who,unable to bear the sight of Sri Bhagavan being beaten,jumped up with an iron bar in retaliation. Sri Bhagavan advised him,

"Let them do their dharma [i.e. role]. We are sadhus, we should not give up our sadhu dharma. In future, the world will blame only us if any wrong happens. When our teeth bite our tongue, do we break them and throw them away?

Though others do wrong to one, it is best not to return the same in wrath."

Some days later the police caught the thieves and brought them before Sri Bhagavan, and an officer asked Him to identify the one who had beaten Him on that night. Sri Bhagavan at once replied with a smile, "Find out whom I beat [in a previous birth], for it is he who has beaten me now!" He never denounced the criminal!

Conquer the foe by your worthy patience and for ever forget the wrong done to you on account of ignorance.

The right way of punishing the wrong-doer is to do good to him and to forget his wrong.