Champaklal Speaks

My Sacred Thread

As you know I have always worn my yajnopavita (sacred thread). One day it occurred to me that I could do without it. But as I thinking of removing it, the idea came: How can I remove it when:

Sri Aurobindo has touched it so many times?

I must explain. When, after the accident, he used to walk daily, he would take the support of my shoulder by keeping his hand around my neck¹ It was at that time that his hand touched my yajnopavita. Naturally only that part which came under his palm was being touched. Each day I would mark the portion that was so touched and the next day place the next portion near my neck. Thus the entire thread came to be touched by him. I had done the same with my tulsi-mala [a necklace of beads of basil stem].

To come back to the story. So I gave up the thought of removing my yajnopavita. But again another thought arose in my mind: Why that only? He had touched my body so often; and this body is going to go one day! However, I did not remove my yajnopavita myself. It got torn by use. I have still kept it safe.