Chapter 4: Religious Sentiments and Winsome Manners of Childhood

Krishna's Spirited Antics 

Even Lord Krishna draws His bhaktas because of His spirited antics as a child. Children have been considered as the svarupa of God. When the mundane influences an infant, he is invariably distanced from the Supreme Being in the course of time.

Shri Radha-Krishna in the Rainy Season

The rainy season was at its peak and after shasti pujan, the newborn girl began to be affectionately called 'Munno'. Everyone tried to draw her attention by saying 'Shri Radhe, Shri Radhe and Shri Krishna, Shri Krishna'. Gradually the infant began to mumble and focus her eyes as she grew up. Her mama was irked by her dark complexion but inevitably drawn by her charm. The dadi was delighted by her winsome manners, little knowing that this girl was a braj bala and a very dear sakhi of Krishna's, born for His service.

She was not particularly attached to her mother. In a few months she began crawling and her faint laughter turned to cries of delight.

Munno's mother was busy with household chores and most of her time was spent with her dadi. Ever since childhood a distinctive detachment was apparent in her. While crawling she would never sit on the ground but on an elevated place. When she was roughly nine months old she began to toddle and spoke quite fluently on crossing her first year. The house always resounded with her prattle and irrepressible joy.

Shyama ji's Thakurji

Shyamaji's life abounded with religious devotion and she had the full support of her husband. Munno got up with her early in the morning. She watched with concentration when her mother did puja as if she relished the devotional practice. Looking intently at Thakurji , Munno would invariably sit in a cross-legged posture.

Her father raved, "I will not make my Munno a Sita or Savitri but Gargi(the daughter of sage, Vachaknu whose inclination towards academics was very conspicuous from an early age) in academics and Mira in bhakti.

As she grew a bit older she would toddle around the courtyard and striving to go near Thakurji became easier. At times she would join in the ongoing kirtan with eyes closed. An innate interest in the Supreme Being,a distinctive impact of religious devotion, love towards every person and compassion for living beings was obvious early in her life.

Lord Shiva

Time passed by and Munno stepped out to light incense sticks before the tulsi plant, circumambulate the temple, offer water to Lord Shiva, hop up and down the temple's stairs and attentively hear kirtans, cuddled next to her grandmother. She was drawn to her dadi because of conversation focused on Lord Krishna.

Bulandshahr

Munno was very sharp-witted and sitting next to her parents during recitation of stotras; she learnt several of them by heart. When roughly two and a half years old she went to her nana in Bulandshahr. There she recited the verse of Ram Raksha Stotra so naturally that he was enraptured with her perfect rendition. He opined that this girl seemed divine and had certainly come to give them salvation.

Right from childhood Munno was never fond of idle gossip or play. Whatever tales of Lord Rama and Krishna she had heard she often narrated to children who were spell-bound. Once at her grandparents' residence she narrated the Satyanarayan Vrata Katha at her nana's insistence. Observing her religious sentiments, Munno's nana and others often exulted about her attributes.

As she grew older she easily imbibed knowledge of the Hindi and English languages from her mother Shyama, with focused attention. Many a times she was steeped in her own thought process in absolute isolation. A certain restlessness nagged her as the month of Shravan set in. She was particularly fond of the rainy season .which gave hope to love-struck souls and tried to find the cause of an inner pathos of longing. During this particular time she abandoned all activities.

Mischievousness

Several times she was seen playing kabaddi, gulli-danda and other sports with children. She entreated deities and read the hanuman chalisa in order to triumph in the play. Seeing her short height and lean physique,she seemed a repository of intense energy. Spirited and mischievous, Munno would often be clad in a dhoti and kurta. 

Munno Intensely Loved Shri Radha-Krishna

She grew up a bit. Hearing her knowledgeable questions-answers, it appeared as if reminiscences of her previous life were surfacing. With the passage of time, her bond with the Supreme Being was visible by her intense passion for Lord Krishna and her childish mindset wanted to do away with the typical imaginations and doubts which tugged it. But God's wish is supreme and love for Radha-Krishna soon transformed into bhava or love flowing towards the Lord. On maturing it made her conscious of connectivity with the Divine and led her on the hungering path which was her destination.

Seeing her absolute inclination for Shri Radha-Krishna everyone was convinced that she had a previous relationship with them. I am going to narrate an incident which endorses this fact. She must have been six years around this time. She went to her nana's house and became very close to her cousin sister. They would play around together but on seeing a particular absorption in Munno and a trance like state at times, her cousin was stunned.

Once both of them were playing in a room on the upper floor of their house, when Bobo(Ushaji) stood up all of a sudden. Her condition turned strange with ears desirous, teary-eyed, sight vigilant and the heart restless. In a peculiar state she crossed the verandah and strove to peep into the environs in front. Mellifluous notes, a lilting melody from behind a tree planted behind the facing wall, arose from the flute in Krishna's hands and filled her with a delicious anguish. She longed to offer her entire being to that dark god fluting. It seemed as if Krishna's terrifying rush of love had invaded her heart. When her cousin shook her she woke up as if from a reverie.

Another occurrence is worth mentioning. Her father was employed as an adjudicator in an insurance company based in Lahore and Ushaji was with him. The servants swept the house but she had made it a practice to clean Thakurji's room with her own hands. Satsangis, ascetics and saints often dropped in. While sweeping the room she would look lovingly at Thakurji. Once, while doing so she stopped all of a sudden and the broom fell from her hands. Leaning against the wall,she rolled over to one side. With eyes shut and oblivious, she sat still. Later on she related this scene to her devoted friend Sushila Bahenji.

Munno Sees Dark-hued Krishna Playing the Flute

"When she turned to look towards Thakurji she saw a dense pipal tree. An unfired brick platform stood beneath it on which the dark-skinned cowherd frolicked with the flute. Tenderness and teasing loaded Hs eyes and a slight smile played on His lips. She could hear the chirping of birds and clearly saw Krishna's dark blue-black figure glowing in yellow garments. He was wearing a garland of flowers. Aching with separation, she experienced the joy of His presence followed by the emptiness of His absence." Interdependence of separation and union is the distinguishing attribute of Krishna's sakhis as romantic heroines.

Chapter 3: Ushaji's Birth

Saint Usha ji At the Age of Eight

There is never a lack of saints in this world. They appear for the well-being of mankind. Often God sends his close ones for giving direction to devotees hungering for Him. Whatever these personages say is seconded by the shastras and their acts form the essence of scriptures.Their speech in simple dialect is followed by the bhaktas and their characters, manners and dispositions abound with the pride of religious devotion.

Government College, Lahore

Shri Manmohan Swarup Bhatnagar was the only son of his father, Vishnu Swarup,a tehsildar of Muzaffar Nagar. His sister was married and living with her son at present. There was no financial constraint since his father had a government job with British Rule. Manmohan Swarup went to Lahore for acquiring higher education.

Later he returned to Ambala after his studies. In spite of accolades and interacting with people impressed by western civilization, he had implicit faith in Indian culture. Manmohanji was passionate about reading the shastras.

Narrating Shri Krishna's Lila

Thereafter he got married to Shyamaji, daughter of an affluent man of Sikandarabad,Bulandshahr. Her life also abounded with the bhakti bhava. Living in Ambala Cantonment with his mother and wife, a spiritual scene was predominant in the house. Shyamaji had great interest in going for darshan to the temple and listening to sermons of saints and kathas of the Shastras and Puranas. Manmohanji narrated several divine lilas to Shyamaji when she was carrying Usha Bahenji.They had a great impact on her, just like the tale of penetrating the chakravyuh had on Abhimanyu when he was in his mother's womb.

Sanatan Dharma Mandir, Ambala Cantt

At present Manmohanji was residing in a lane next to the Bengali Muhallah, near the Sanatan Dharm Temple. It was not a very modern house but had all the basic amenities. In the courtyard some flowers were planted for offering to Thakurji (svarupa of Lord Krishna). A tulsi plant was resplendent at one end. Shyamaji did tulsi pujan and kept vratas with conviction. Another family of bhaktas lived nearby and the two families interacted religiously.

Peacoks Danced in Joyous Abandon

In this manner the year 1925 began. The fragrant spring scene of Cait (first month lunar of the Hindu year March-April) gradually vanished and the summer season stepped in. In Asaarh (fourth month of the Hindu year June to July) nature changed its course yet again. Fatigued, it stretched out its legs and darkness shaded the clouds. Summer retreated and welcomed the rainy season. The cuckoos sang, enchanted peacocks danced in joyous abandon and deer skipped about in enchantment.

Swings Were Hung Up on Trees

The month of Shravan took over. Dense clouds gathered,swings were put up on trees and young girls dressed in brightly coloured finery frolicked with tinkling anklets. The clouds had rained heavily since morning on the ashtami of shukla paksha and winds blew at full blast. A wave of delight overwhelmed family members, relatives and dear ones. At midday, a girl child was born precisely at six minutes past one.

A distinctive joyous scene prevailed since she was the first girl child. Bells began ringing instinctively at the neighbour's house. Congratulations poured in from all over. Pleased and excited, various sorts of people dropped in. Some of them whispered that it would have been far better if it was a boy. But Manmohanji's enthusiasm never encouraged such baseless comments.

Songs were sung and loads of sweetmeats distributed generously. Such enthused exultation at the birth of a girl child was a rare spectacle. Possibly the entire scene had been destined earlier by the Supreme Being.

Her horoscope was made and the configuration of planets left everyone stupefied. Jupiter signified topmost education, sun meant absolute fame, the moon implied abundance of religious devotion and Saturn pointed towards renunciation. It was an unprecedented combination.

The infant girl wept inconsolably on birth. People said that she was blissful from where she had come and separation from her earlier joy hurt her. Her fair-complexion, large eyes, high forehead, beautiful nose, budding cheeks and curly hair invariably attracted all.

Maa Kali Temple, Ambala

Several religious observances were adopted for her long life. Her grandmother had pujan done at the Ma Kali Temple in Ambala and made her wear the Ma's prasadi garment to avert the evil eye. It is believed that the instant she was clad in the cloth,the infant's complexion became dark but she retained a certain charm. Her inner bhava or love flowing towards the Lord which gushed forth later on was apparent. It touched everyone's heart and drew them to her.