ONCE a sadhu placed his disciple in a magnificent garden with the intention of imparting to him the knowledge of the real Self and went away. After a few days he came back and asked the disciple, “Do you feel any want, my boy?” On being answered in the affirmative, he left with him a fair woman named Shyama, and advised him to take fish and meat freely. After a considerable time he came again and asked the same question as before. This time the disciple replied, “No, I have no want, thank you”. The sadhu then called both the disciple and Shyama to him and pointing to Shyama’s hands, asked the disciple, “Can you tell me what these are?” “Why, these are Shyama’s hands”, replied the disciple. He put the same question several times, pointing to Shyama’s eyes, nose, and other parts of the body, and the disciple gave appropriate answers. Presently the idea struck the disciple, “I am talking of everything as Shyama’s ‘this’ and Shyama’s ‘that’. What then is this Shyama?” Bewildered, he asked his Guru the question, “But who is this Shyama to whom belong these eyes, ears and the rest?” The sadhu said, “If you wish to know who this Shyama is, come with me, and I will enlighten you”. So saying, he revealed to him the secret. (133)