Friday, December 17, 2010

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

Shri Manohar Baba with Balkrishan Das ji Maharaj


Manohar Baba's anguish on being separated from Shri Maharaj ji escalated to such an extent as if someone was turning his heart on a hot griddle and roasting it.Therefore Baba thought it was better to give up his body by going on a hunger strike till he died, instead of living a life without Shri Maharaj ji. Consequently he kept returning the meals which came from Gopal Mandir to his hut for six days at a stretch.

Shri Radha Rani


On the seventh day a gentleman from Mansarovar came with food to his house and coaxed him, “ Shri Radha Rani has appeared in my dreams and asked me to feed you.”

 Amazingly Baba had the meal and broke his fast.


Shri Balkrishan Das ji Maharaj


Later on it was learnt that it was not Radha Rani who had sent the food for him but rather his very own Maharaj ji. He was the one who by making Baba, his extremely close adherent a pawn was playing a fearsome game for some important objective. In the absence of Shri Maharaj ji, the days and nights were passing like an ordeal for Manohar Baba and he felt very much like a fish out of water.


Shri Santosh Bahenji


Santosh Bahenji had extreme reverential affection and selfless love for Baba. Once Baba was suffering from the unbearable pain of shiatica. Bahenji used to live in Gopinath Bazar in those days. Even on staying so far she would set out in the blazing afternoon every day as a regimen to give medicine and attend to the needs of Baba. Later when Baba sprained his foot she would make poultice etc from her kutiya and get it for him.

Manohar Baba stayed in a hut made on the Suraj Ghat. Out of affection, Bahenji would make all arrangements of serving him and took care of his needs and comforts. Baba made full use of the quilt as well as the aasan (seat of cloth) made by Bahenji till the last days of his life. Manohar Baba always regarded her as his elder sister and would never hide any matter from her.


Shri Narad Muni


At times she would tease Baba and call him Narad Muni(one of the four sons of Brahma, who is a devotee of Krishna and a tale-bearer).

On Ekadashi, Baba would invariably get phalahar (a meal of fruit) at her residence. Once Santosh Bahenji went to Baba's kutiya in Suraj Ghat to have his darshan. 

“Bhaiya! Can I come up?”She called out from below.


Maa Sita in Ashok Vatika


Baba instinctively replied, “ What will you do by venturing upstairs? I am in Ashok Vatika.”(a garden in Lanka where Sita the wife of Rama was held captive by Ravana, the demon king, after her abduction).

 In this manner Baba was absorbed and suffering the anguish of separation from Shri Maharaj ji, his virtuous guru.


Ramakrishna Seva Ashram, Vrindavan


During the last stage of her life when Santosh Bahenji was admitted in the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Ashram of Vrindavan, Baba had gone to Barwani for sankirtan (a congregation chanting) of the 'mahamantra.' 

Only after Baba came back to Vrindavan and met her, did Bahen ji leave her body, the very next day. Actually speaking,by using his transcendental and supernatural power Baba had not let Bahenji depart from this mundane world in his absence.


Golok, the Eternal Nikuna



After Bahenji gained entry into the eternal nikunja (merged with Lord Krishna) Manohar Baba was the one who did her antyeshti (funeral rites), had paath of the Shrimad Bhagavat done, held a smriti sabha (gathering in her memory), gave meals to brahmans and sadhus, and got memoirs published in her auspicious memory. (Page 368 of 'Smriti Kaumudi, the memoirs of Shri Manohar Baba)

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