Chapter 25: Shri Maharajji in Ujjain (part 2)

 

Shri Radha Ramanji, Vrindavan

One day Girijaji was circumambulating the Shri Radharaman Mandir when an unknown person confronted her, “You will have to travel somewhere outside.”

 “ Where?” she asked.

“ You will come to know in the course of time,” he replied.

 “ Gosh! I will have to go out somewhere! I do not want to step out of Vrindavan,” she thought.

Shriji suddenly thought of going to Mandleshwar eight days after this incident took place. Shri Deviji  wished to accompany him.

Mandleshwar

“You have to go along with me to Mandleshwar, today itself,” Shriji informed Girijaji when she came to Ganga Mandir in the morning.

 “When do we have to leave?” asked Girijaji.

 “Get ready in two hours,” said Shriji.

“ My monthly allowance has got over and money hasn't yet come from home. Merely four to five rupees would be left over from my stipend,”Girijaji revealed.

 “ Get whatever you are left with,” said Shriji.

Girijaji headed homewards at once.She was standing anxiously when she felt her hand jolted by Shri Radharamanji (the Lord)saying, “ Open the  chest, at least.”

Clothes Chest

On opening the chest of clothes she found some new ten rupee notes, amounting to eighty rupees, spread on top of her stacked clothes. Girijaji was very astonished. Realizing that it was the divine play of Shriji she took the money and her clothes and went to Ganga Mandir. In those days the fare to Mandleshwar was only nine rupees.

All four of us left for Mandleshwar on that very day and reached   next day. The group of devotees residing in Mandleshwar were overjoyed. Satsang and kirtan began with exultation in Mandleshwar as it used to be held before.

Balakwada, Madhya Pradesh

There is a village named Balakwada about 25 miles away from Mandleshwar. In those days Shri Narayan Rao, with whom we are acquainted since the first visit of Shriji to Mandleshwar, was the administrator here. He was entirely devoted to Shri ji and the main listener of Shriji's discourses. Devotees had given him the title of 'Parikshit[8].' The villagers had come to know about the glory of Shriji's satsang and kirtan from him only. Ever since, the villagers were keen to behold Shriji. As soon as they came to know that Shriji had come to Mandleshwar they thought of taking him to their village. Making Nageshwar Rao take the lead, they approached Shriji and prayed that he visit Balakwada. Getting his consent they made preparations to take him there. The group journeyed by bus for a few miles, from the southern banks of river Narmada.

A Decorated Bullock Cart

As there was an unpaved path further on, the village folk had arranged for four decorated bullock carts. The horde of devotees covered the distance by travelling in these carts. Some devotees of Mandleshwar were accompanying them. As soon as the bullock carts taking Shriji reached the village's border the people who had already gathered there welcomed Shriji with shouts of 'jai jaikar[9] ' resounding in unison. Singing devotional hymns they took Shriji to the residence where he was to stay. There was an arrangement of great feasting (prasad) in the morning and zealous sankirtan took place at night. The next day a bhakta invited Shriji to his house. Shriji's satsang and kirtan took place in his house with the audience sitting spellbound while Girijaji sat facing Shriji.

 Krishna is Waiting to Welcome Us with Open Arms

 

 The spiritual discourse was related to the success of human life, “The whole of creation  has been  well organised to attain union with Lord Krishna. We have easily got human life so favoured, which is rare for even angelic forms, to unite with Lord Krishna, the Supreme Soul. He is forever waiting to meet us, face to face. It is such a great opportunity for us to avail but we don't give Him any chance. From time immemorial dark-hued Krishna has been standing in front of our eyes with open arms but we don't ever look in His direction.”

The instant Shriji uttered these words, “standing with open arms in front of our eyes,” he appeared as Lord Krishna to Girijaji.

Girija Devi was taken aback and thought,” I have seen him as the svarupa[10] of Lalitaji till now and hoped to have Lord Krishna dependent on me by her grace. However, what should I expect from this form of Lord Krishna.” As soon as this thought struck her Girijaji was greatly distressed.

Bhaj Govindam

Similarly, on another occasion a satsang was in progress in another devotee's house.  Girijaji was sitting in front. Suddenly a thought struck her that one of her  kul gurus, family's spiritual preceptor, was at Arrah and Shrji was also there in the form of another guru, so whom should I revere out of the two? If both of them are integral to each other then the guru at Arrah used to sing 'Bhaj Govindam, Bhaj Govindam.' If the same devotional hymn is uttered from the mouth of Shriji right now I will consider both of them to be the same.  Girijaji had barely thought of this when the same hymn began being sung by Shriji. Intensely surprised Shri Girijaji began looking at Shriji. Once in Vrindavan she was having darshan of Shri Biharjiji when suddenly she saw Shriji's face fully reflected in the lotus face of Shri Bihariji.

 “ Good heavens!”  she shrieked in joy.

People standing close by wondered what had happened to her. Several such amazing incidents occurred in Girija Devi's life. All of us came back to Vrindavan after a month.

Girijaji Visualised Shriji with Eyes Closed

 Shri Girijaji was once sitting with her eyes closed at her home in Vrindavan. Her eyes were shedding tears. Shriji was in Mandleshwar at that time. In that very state she visualised that Shriji had come. Coming to her he began blowing puffs of air into her eyes. Girijaji was startled and tried to catch his hand. Instantly on opening her eyes she saw that there was no one present the whole room was infused with a sweet fragrance, making her body and all her clothes fragrant.

In the evening when she went to have darshan of Thakur Shri Radharamanji the goswami of that temple remarked, “ Mataji! Even on being so old you apply a strong attar[11]!”

What answer could she give? Smiling, Girijaji kept silent. This fragrance lasted for three days, scenting her clothes during this span.

A sentimental mature woman used to live near Girijaji's house. She had the seva of  Thakurji’s idol. She was much pained to be deprived of attending to the needs of Thakurji and doing his seva for four days in a month due to menstruation. Expressing her pain to Girijaji several times, the woman would be very distressed. One day Shriji came to have a meal at Girijaji's place.

After he had eaten, Girija Devi took the leftover food, prashad, from Shriji's plate and gave it to that woman saying, “Eat the prashad after wishing for whatever you want.'

That woman was dejected because of being deprived of seva[12], so she remembered that fact and ate the leftovers. Since then the woman was forever released from this bondage because her menses discontinued.  Girijaji had many such divine occurrences in her lifetime.

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[1]     Faqir: a Muslim ascetic

[2]     Siddh: perfected and sanctified by penance.

[3]     Pandit: scholar, well versed in the shastras

[4]     Guru: spiritual preceptor

[5]     Mahants: Heads of a temple

[6]     Raas Sthali: site of the round dance of Krishna with the herdgirls of Braj

[7]     Shri Lalitaji: Within Vaishanava theology and Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Lalitaji is included amongst the eight principle gopis known as 'sakhis' or friends of Srimati Radharani, Lord Krishna's highest loving consort. Her mother is Saradi and her father is Vishoka. Her husband is Bhairava, a friend of Govardhana Malla, the husband of Chandravali.

                She tends to side with Srimati Radharani during disputes between Lord Krishna and Radharani. She is renowned for her "mana" - pure loving anger. Among the gopis Lalita and Vishaka are considered to be the foremost.

[8]     Parikshit: Upon the commencement of Kailyuga, the dark age of sin, and the departure of Krishna Incarnation from the world, the five Pandava brothers retire. Young Parikshit is duly invested as king.."Listen to the good praise of the King belonging to all people, who, (like) a god, is above men, (listen to the praise) of Pariksit!  Say the Vedas

[9]     Jai jaikar(shouts of salutation and greeting,

[10]    Svarupa: form

[11]    Attar:a perfume or essential oil obtained from flowers or petals.

       

[12]    Seva: service to the Lord's svarupa, In seva the devotee attends  selflessly without expectation of reward, to the needs of the Lord, and glorifies Him by assuming a particular relationship with the Lord.