Swami Akhandananda was leading the life of an itinerent monk after the passing away of his Master Sri Ramakrishna. He walked eighty miles to see Narayan Sarovar, a holy lake in Gujarat. He was cautioned by the local people that the path was dangerous and haunted by robbers, but Akhandananda prepared himself to face them. He took a young boy as his guide and learned from him the words in Kutch dialect; "Take everything I have, but don't kill me." He had covered fifty miles when he met a pilgrim on the way, and then let the boy continue his own journey.

That part of the country was severely affected by famine and sparsely populated. On one afternoon Akhandananda noticed that four men wearing red turbans were following them diagonally. As the pilgrim was an elderly man, he remained a little behind the swami. When the men who had been following them approached Akhandananda, he asked, "How far is it to Narayan Sarovar?" "Six miles," one of them answered. Then all of a sudden, one of them grabbed his shoulder and thrust him onto the ground. Immediately, the swami said in their language, "Take everything I have, but don't kill me."

Another robber then struck his back twice with a bamboo staff; luckily, his cotton shirt and backpack cushioned the blows. Two robbers with daggers in their hands ordered Akhandananda to remove his clothes. He kept on his kaupin (loin cloth) and handed everything else over to them. They searched his clothing and bundle, but found no money. They then realized that the swami was a genuine, penniless monk. In the meantime, the pilgrim arrived. Upon seeing the robbers, he fell to the ground, saying "I am gone".

Akhandananda asked the robbers not to hurt the old pilgrim. Knowing that they were poor, the swami offered his warm clothing to the robbers. The ringleader was very touched. He took the dust of the swami's feet and begged for his blessings. He then asked Akhandananda not to tell anyone about this episode, and then all of them disappeared swiftly.

Love conquers.

Want to know more about this Swami? Read God lived with them