Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Baba Shri Manohar Das ji, the Pride of the Spiritual World-VIII

Maharaj Shri Balkrishan Das ji


At the same time some distinctive bhaktas and devotees would come to the extremely ancient Ganga Mandir situated on the banks of the Yamuna for listening to Maharaj ji's sermons. Once it so happened that Shri Pratap Chandra Chanakya a businessman of Vilaspur (Raipur) begged to listen to Maharaj ji's discourse for an hour as a daily regimen. Manohar Baba hid behind the screen of a curtain and put down this sermon of Maharaj ji in writing. These discourses have been published in a book named 'Bhagwat Saar Sanket' after Shri Maharaj ji gained entry into the eternal nikunja (passed away).


A Cluster of Stars


“We would all have divine experiences on listening to the satsang of revered Shri Maharaj ji, which was unique. At times a cluster of countless stars would emanate from the centre of our beings, whereas occasionally a radiant mass of cosmic force would incarnate in our midst and vanish, soon after. Only the person who has relished this spiritual bliss can gauge its magnitude," affirmed Manohar Baba.


Manohar Baba and Shri Deviji with Balkrishan Das ji Maharaj in the centre


Baba and revered Devi ji would keep awake for entire nights at a stretch and chant the mahamantra in a loud voice.


Shri Santosh Bahenji


A great saint of Vrindavan, Shri Santosh Bahenji who had renounced the world and was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna would often be sitting on the stairs of Ganga Mandir. Paying no heed to odd hours of the day, she headed here with a delicious anguish to listen to this constant recitation of God's name. 


Gambhira Mandir, Puri in Orissa

“This is not Ganga Mandir but Gambhira Mandir where the name of God is not merely chanted but consumed," she firmly believed.


The Kalpataru


Highly revered Shri Maharaj ji was virtually a kalpataru (one of the fabulous trees of Krishna's paradise that grants all desires) for Manohar Baba. Maharaj ji's satsang was held on the terrace of Ganga Mandir on summer nighs, which Baba and Devi ji would listen to with intense absorbtion. Their perennial quest to unite the divine would rise exceedingly as the devotional songs surged forth. That is when Manohar Baba would keep his head in Shri Maharaj ji's lap as a child and weep compassionately for attaining the Supreme Being.

Once running his hand over Baba's body and head, Maharaj ji had given him an assurance of union with the Almighty, “ You two will be the very first whom I will unite with the divine and accomplish this task when the suitable time arrives.” This incident dates back to 1947 when highly revered Maharaj ji was in an intensely sentimental state for the span of a year.


Dark-Hued Krishna


Tears would stream down his cheeks constantly to gain entry into the emotional state and eternal divine play of the dark-hued Krishna whom he worshipped. Because of this very reason the entire courtyard of Ganga Mandir was always wet. Baba would forget all about about his sleep and basic eating or drinking when Shri Maharaj ji was in this intensely emotional condition and was unaware of the mundane world.


Shri Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj in a State of Bhava Avesha


Incidentally Baba was keenly interested in photography.Therefore 24 of the photographs he had clicked of Maharaj ji in various emotional-postures with shut eyes and ruffled clothes, running in ecstasy, in a trance, lying down lifeless in an inanimate condition, shedding tears on reaching the heights of elation and ecstasy, showcase Shri Maharaj ji intoxicated with divine madness in 'Tamaal Kunj' of Vrindavan, even as of today.(page358 of 'Smriti Kaumudi,'the memoirs of Shri Manohar Baba)

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