Something More to be Done

Lord Robert Clive (1725-1774), one of the top Britishers who struggled hard to make India a British colony in the 18th century, came at the age of eighteen, to Madras in 1743 and joined the East India Company as a clerk. His salary was five pounds annually. This amount was quite insufficient for his expenses. He was burdened with debts and, due to disappointment and depression, he quarreled with his colleagues and officers.

Later an incident took place which changed the direction of his life. One day to end his unsuccessful life, he put his loaded pistol to his head and pressed the trigger. But to his surprise, his pistol did not work. He opened his pistol and found it loaded with bullets. Although he had fully intended to kill himself, he was still alive.

This was a very strange occurrence. Realizing this, Robert Clive cried: “Certainly the Almighty has saved you for some important purpose!” Now he resigned from his job as a clerk and joined the British army. At that time both the British and the French were trying at the same time to set foot in India. Finally, a battle was fought between the two forces. In this war Robert Clive proved himself by showing extraordinary capability and bravery. Subsequently, he made a great deal of progress and was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the British army. Clive who had wanted to kill himself in frustration finally rose to the position of being the first British conqueror of India.

All of us at one time or the other are faced with such incidents, when we emerge safe from an extremely dangerous situation as though a miracle has happened. However, very few people learn their lesson as Robert Clive did. There are very few who come to understand from these incidents “Your time has not yet come, you have yet to complete your work in this world.”

Every person has been allotted a fixed time and certain opportunities. This fixed time and these opportunities are not taken away from him until the Almighty wills it to be so. If after the night the Almighty makes you see things anew in the morning, you should understand that there are more days left for you to do your work. If you succeed in saving your life in this world so full of grave incidents, it means that, according to the plan of Almighty, you have still to do something which is as yet unaccomplished.