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firmament with countless millions of brilliant lights. At this period of
life he was strongly convinced of the existence of God and once when
his
mother remonstrated with him, while engaged in his
nocturnal
observations, he remarked: "Look mother! look towards heaven,
at the shining stars and the different forms there; they must have
their Maker and I am learning the way to reach him. You do the
same."
Guru Datta had much of poetic element in him, and having
a natural aptitude for verse making, his compositions were free
from artificiality. There was a good deal in them characteristic of
a natural born poet. His verses were sweet, beautiful and
melodious and they were often composed without much exertion.
So great was indeed his power in this particular department that
he once translated a long Urdu passage into Persian verse quite
extempore.
But he did not cultivate his poetic taste.
After passing the Middle School Examination he was sent to
Multan, his native place, for studying in the High School. His
favourite book of study in those days was
Masnavi Maulana Rumi.
Being a student of extraordinary intellectual acumen, he was one
of the shining students of his class and always occupied high
position in examinations and had earned the favour and good will
of his teachers especially of the Head Master Babu M.M. Sircar,
who confident of his great power, foreshadowed his future career.
He was very fond of study, and there was no Library in Multan
that he did not have recourse to for the improvement of his
knowledge. The big library of the school and that situated in Langhe
Khan garden, he had totally ransacked and finished within a short
time. Master Daya Ram' being on the school staff at the time and
perceiving that Guru Datta was strongly inclined towards religion
gave him two books entitled "India in Greece" and the "Bible in
India" for study.2 Just before this he had come across a book called
the
Aina-i-Mazhabi Hanud.
These books gave him much information
concerning the ancient history of this country. From
Aina-i-Mazhabi
Hanud,
which embodied the cogent points of Hindu creed, he learnt
the mystic recitation of
Anhad,
an attribute of God, which he kept
up for some time. Soon after he came to know of the efficacy of
Paranayam as
a factor in psychic development. He practised it daily
without fail, and one result of this practice was that his mind,
already very penetrative, came to possess of a great power of