Chapter 3 (b): Renouncing Home & Wandering

Shri Ramakrishna Parmahamsa

 He had a mind established in the highest spiritual state and was blessed by the pious hand of Shri Paramhamsa Deva, the icon of love? It is said that Lord Krishna, the stealer of hearts, invariably captivates the hearts of His loving devotees. Karshtiti Krishna is that Manmohan [2], who instantly attracts His devotees. It is His very nature to attract.

Rasiya Songs

Fully engrossed, he went on listening to the Rasiya songs. When the singing ended Shri Maharaj ji became aware of the mundane world but this coming back to his senses made him pine for Vrindavan.

Haridwar Station

Now Shri Maharajji's heart was just not interested in the Kumbha Mela and was roaming in the forest paths of Braj. His feet instinctively walked in that direction. He left the grand festivity of the Kumbh Mela and reached Haridwar Station. Standing on the platform, Maharajji saw the Dehradun Express going to Mathura. He did not have money on him for the fare. So without taking a ticket he reached the platform to board the train. A ticket checker noticed him and stopped him from sitting in the train. Maharajji's heart seemed to be struck with lightning. His mind was distressed because of an ardent longing and his heart wept; his face became dejected with a deep sadness. Somehow he managed to reach the waiting-room and began to pace up and down, uneasily. A Sikh gentleman was sitting on a bench in the waiting room.

“Do you want to go to Mathura?,”the Sikh got up suddenly and asked Maharaj ji Indifferently, Maharajji nodded his head in affirmation.

Handing a ticket to Mathura in his hand, the gentleman said “Hurry up! I had to go to Mathura but remembered that I have to finish an important task today. Go fast, the train is about to leave.” 

Godly Intervention

It seemed as if Maharajji had got a new lease of life. His joy knew no bounds. Delightedly amazed at this incident of Godly intervention, Shri Maharajji took the ticket and ran. The guard had blown the whistle. Somehow he managed to go and sit in the compartment, and the train chugged off. Being in a great hurry to leave Maharajji could not even thank the Sikh gentleman who had done this great favour to him.

Train Going to Mathura

After sitting calmly in the train Maharajji began musing over this amazing coincidence which had occurred so unexpectedly. If the Sikh Sardar was reminded of urgent work after buying the ticket why was he wasting his time by sitting on the bench in the waiting room instead of returning the ticket and taking his money back?

Maharajji wondered, “I was very keen to go to Vrindavan but I certainly did not disclose my desire to anyone. Then why did he hand over the ticket for going to Mathura to me out of all the other people in the waiting room? By consistently repeating that the train is about to leave, he hurried me up so much that I did not get a chance to see him properly and grasp the situation.”

Dark-hued Krishna Assumes Many Forms

Ultimately Maharajji's intellect came to this conclusion that this was also divine help offered by Godly intervention. Lord Krishna deluded Maharajji at this juncture but when Maharajji reached the high state of spiritual evolution, he came to know that beloved Krishna, the Supreme Cheat, had assumed the form of the Sikh Sardar and facilitated Maharajji's path of going to Vrindavan. The biographies of several saints are a witness to this fact that Lord Krishna Himself comes in different human forms forms to provide help to his loving devotees.

If one gets to touch the soil of Braj Bhoomi, the playground of Lord Krishna's playfull dalliances, even once, Krishna showers the indelible impact of His attraction on that person, knowingly or unknowingly.  

Vishram Ghat, Mathura

Leaving Haridwar Shri Maharajji reached Mathura, the blessed birthplace of Lord Krishna, at night, the next day. Bowing to this pious township in the morning, he bathed at the Vishram Ghat of river Yamuna. Having darshan of Dwarkadeesh he set off on foot for Shridham Vrindavan which is just six miles away from Mathura. He arrived at the Dham in a short while and roamed about in its lanes for the entire day. Suddenly he had a loss of interest and living here for just a day, Maharajji got ready to go to Nepal for having darshan of Shri Pashupati Nath. The reason for this mysterious loss of interest will be unravelled in the future. Let us get ready for sighting Pashupati Nath, for the time being.

The Vayu Purana states:

'aho madhupuri dhanyā vaikuṇṭhācca garīyasī

dinam ekaṁ nivāsena harau bhaktiḥ prajāyate  | '

Vaikuntha

'Aho! This Mathurā-dhāma is even superior to and more blessed than Vaikuṇṭha, the dhāma of Śrī Nārāyaṇa. By residing here for only one day, one attains Śrī Hari-bhakti.'