Thursday, August 23, 2018

Chapter 19: Deviji Takes Refuge in Maharajji's Feet (part 2)


Dwarka Dham

Having darshan of Dwarka Dham, they went to the secluded spot of Morvi via Rajkot and stayed on there. Here too people thronged to see them.  
 

Morvi State

The Raja of Morvi State also came to pay his respects to the two sisters. When he came to know that some anti-social elements were disturbing the sadhana or spiritual practice of the ascetic girls, he arranged for their stay at a beautiful shivalaya and made arrangements of police security for them. The priest there sincerely served them and attended to their needs.  


Shri Nathdwara

One day without telling anyone they set off from Morvi on foot and reached Shri Nathdwara. In search of a secluded spot, they thought of moving along the banks of river Narmada and reached Omkareshwar. 


 Mamleshwar Mahadev, Omkareshwar

 'Mamleshwar' Mahadev, one of the twelve jyotirlingas, is a famous pilgrimage site situated on the banks of river Narmada, located inside the Omkareshwar area. Shri Deviji had several surprising experiences here pertaining to godly intervention. On some sadhu's saying that by fasting for forty days one definitely has a vision of God, she  undertook a fast without having meals.


Lord Shiva

Three days later Lord Shiva appeared in her dreams and said,Such fasting without any intake of food troubles me therefore you must certainly eat something.

As per Lord Shiva's order she began taking some food.

 Once on hearing that Shri Narmadaji never lets the pilgrims of its banks go hungry  she went and sat in a small dingy room on the third storey of the Shiva Mandir, without telling a word to anyone. Next day an eight year old mallah[3] girl got milk  for her and made her drink it, coaxing,My mother has sent this milk for you.After making her have milk, the girl left.


Maa Narmada

On hearing this incident, a siddh[4] lame saint living in Omkareshwar revealed,No girl of this  sort lives anywhere around. She must be Maa Narmada herself, for sure.

Dense Jungle on Banks of the Narmada

Shri Deviji and Krishnaji went on foot to have a view of Dhavdi Kund in the dense jungle located on the banks of the Narmada. They lost the way while returning. Seeing a cluster of eight to ten huts at a place when evening had set in, they assumed it to be a small village and stayed on there. But that place was uninhabited. People had deserted that place due to fear of wild animals. Around midnight, fifteen to twenty people suddenly arrived at the cluster of huts with flaming torches.

The Sanyasins Return to Omkareshwar

One of them said,Do not be scared. I have been ordered in my dream that two ascetic girls are sitting in the deserted jungle nearby. Go, take water to them and make them drink it. No one could muster courage to come here alone for fear of wild animals. If you want you can accompany us or  else drink this water. Both the cousin sisters returned with those people to Omkareswar.  

Barwaha,Madhya Pradesh

Thus staying in Omkareshwar for some time they walked to Barwaha via the river Choral and river Narmada confluence.

The sanynasins went to Maheshwar by bus from Barwaha. Here they got acquainted with Babulalji Brijvasi. He made them put up at the outhouse of Seth Jagannath. Here, they would be steeped in sadhana[5] all day long and subsist on a bit of milk.

Khalghat, Maheshwar

 After staying here for some time the two sisters walked along banks of the Narmada and  reached Khalghat via Morgadi. Deviji got high fever which turned  into typhoid. The Seth's wife who had the outhouse, was ordered in her dream to serve Deviji. Babulalji was sent to get Deviji to Maheshwar and arrangements were made for her stay in the family of Ramchandra Rao, a good householder. It became arduous for Deviji to even stir and speak because of extreme weakness which had set in due to the illness, during this one month period. However, Divine providence was with her all the time, like a shadow.   
 
 The Divine Woman

Shri Deviji would always see a divine woman sitting with a young girl at the head of her bed.

Since you are unable to speak we keep motivating the members of your family to provide you with drinking water at regular intervals. Don't worry. No one except you can see us except you,” the woman would say on asking.

Deviji would also see two divine like handsome boys dressed in the best of finery, lying near her feet. They had told her,We stay as forms of energy near you and help you survive.

After recovering Shri Deviji and her cousin sister set out again to realize their supreme objective. One day it struck Deviji that one must progress in sadhana for God realization by becoming absolutely detached. She presented her heart's feelings before Krishnaji and both the cousins went on separate paths. In this manner Deviji roamed about all alone in rigorous asceticism, for a year. 

Shri Maharaj ji

As a fruition of this tough spiritual practice she was able to get refuge at the feet of siddh [1] saint Shri Maharajji, after three years in 1947, in Maheshwar. Her life  took a new turn from this juncture, whose detailed account the readers have already read.

Shri Vrindavan Dham

Coming to Shri Dham, and living under the shelter of revered Shri Maharajji, Deviji would do 

 
 The Mahamantra

 three lakh japas of the 'Mahamantra' daily in the lonely hermitage of Ganga Mandir. Shriji's satsang was limited to four to six sadhakas or spiritual aspirants. Since his temperament was not to increase acquaintances, very few  people knew him even though he was staying in Braj. He would say that residing quietly in the Dham one should keep relishing the rasa[2] of bhakti. Apprehensive of attracting a large gathering, the time of his satsang was also not fixed. The programme of sankirtan[3]  would also not take place often.

Shri Maharajji would say,I do not have to collect people. Only one person may come to me but he must be a true sadhaka[4].

The satsang which would ensue amidst a few selected intent sadhakas and the ambiance it created can be known only to those who have had the good fortune to participate in it. Shriji's conduct was always alienated from the material world. Impressed by his association the sadhaka would innately feel that he was beyond the mundane world. All this is not a topic for the pen to describe. So be it.

Singing the Glories of Shri Krishna

Shri Maharajji always instructed the spiritual aspirant to delightfully listen to glories of the Almighty and at the same time be engaged in repetition of Naam Japa[5] with an ardent loning, as this is the chief means of God realization in Kaliyuga or the age of spiritual darkness. These days his bhava dasha or state of awakened spiritual consciousness was going on for many months which transformed into a condition of bhava unmada or intoxication by divine madness, later on



[1]    Siddh: sanctified and perfected by penanace
[2]    Rasa: aesthetic flavour
[3]    Sankirtan: congregational singing of devotional hymns
[4]    Sadhaka: a true spiritual aspirant
[5]    Naam Japa: chanting the Name of God
 



[1]    Bhiksha: alms
[2]    Abhay mudra: posture of assurance and blessing
[3]    Mallah: traditionally boatmen of north and east India
[4]    Siddha: perfected and sanctified by penance
[5]    Sadhana: spiritual practice
 
 



[1]    Sanyasin: a female wandering ascetic





 

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