Chapter 36: Manoramaji Surrends at Shriji's Feet (part one)

 

Shri Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj

Shri Maharajji had been visiting Mandleshwar since 1945. Rajnath Shuklaji, a resident of Mandleshwar, was working there in government service. He along with his family had come into the shelter of Shriji's feet, since then. Both husband and wife were very sentimental and used to keep coming to hear Shriji's satsang . Manorama was the name of their eldest daughter. The girl had already imbibed religious sanskaras from her parents. Furthermore, she would get chances of plunging into close association with a realized saint like Maharajji and winning his grace since childhood.  Therefore she did not have to confront the ugliness of this material world. The saint's causeless grace lifted her from her parent's abode and placed her in Nij Dham Vrindavan, where Lord Krishna forever dwells. 

 

 Thakur Venu Vinod Bihari

Above all, she was entrusted with the burden of attending to the needs of Shri Vinod Biharji, the presiding deity of 'Venu Vinod Kunj.' She has been doing this duty with immense loving devotion since that time.

After some days Shuklaji was transferred to Mahu. Shriji had gone there once. Manoramaji was fourteen years old at that time.

 “ Aren't you looking for an eligible boy for her?” Shriji asked Bai (Shuklaji's wife),

 “ Maharajji! It will all be possible by your grace. Why should I worry?” replied Bai.

Krishna Wears a Mukut of Peacock Feathers

“ Look! You must look out for the One wearing a crown of peacock-feathers,”  Shriji hinted at the future in amusement.

 

Khargone

Thereafter, Shuklaji was transferred to Khargone. Shriji would often go there. He would stay at the residence of  Shri Balkishanji Ganpati, a sentimental and affluent seth[1] of that place. Every day there would be satsang and kirtan at his place. Manorama would go there with her parents. This satsang had a great impact on her mind. At times, Shriji would go to Shuklaji's house. Manoramaji would keep praying to Shriji to call her to Vrindavan.

The Mahamantra

“ You will come to Vrindavan if you chant the 'Mahamantra' one lakh times, every day for two years,” Shriji assured her.

With devoted dedication, Manoramaji repeated the incantation one lakh times with an ardent longing, every day:

' hare ram hare ram, ram ram hare hare |

hare krishna hare krishna, krishna krishna hare hare ||'

Once sankirtan had been organised in a mandir of Temla Village ( near Khargone). Shuklaji also went there, along with his family. All of a sudden Manoramaji began having unbearable pain in her stomach. She went and lay down in a room. Shriji was lying outside in the courtyard.

A Folded Betel Leaf

He called her and gave her a folded betel leaf. “ This betel leal is an offering of Shri Banke Bihariji. Eat it and you will be fine,” he said.

As soon as she ate the betel leaf Manoramaji's stomach ache disappeared and she was steeped in a divine bhava of love flowing towards the Lord. Tears began streaming down her cheeks. She had no inkling of how she went to join in the kirtan.  

Pag Ghungaru Baandh Meera Naachi Re

Her heart was engrossed in Krishna on listening to ' pag ghungaru baandh meera naachi re[2] ' from Shriji's mouth. That's it! From there the gush of divine grace began. Name chanting went on effortlessly and constantly now with Shriji's grace. An ardent longing to go to Vrindavan was escalating.

Once Shriji had gone to their house in Khargone. Everyone touched his feet. The instant Manoramaji put her head at his feet Shriji drew a sort of line on her forehead with his toe nail, with such force that it left a mark.

“ Did it hurt you much?” he asked her. “What to do! In fact, the fate line had to be erased.”

Whenever she touched Shriji's feet Manoramaji would feel an ecstatic thrill due to the awakening of sattvik bhavas.

One fine day, Shriji asked her to adorn Lord Krishna from top to toe in mental worship.

Once Motiramji happened to be at Khargone so he went to Shuklaji's place.

Vrindavan

 “ I am going to Vrindavan. Will you accompany me?” Shriji asked Manoramaji by the way.

And she was absolutely ready to go. Shuklaji was also fully dedicated to Shriji and admired him. Without any objection he sent his daughter to Vrindavan with Motiramji. In this way she began residing in Vrindavan with great ease and she was merely twenty years old when she came to Vrindavan in the month of Vaisakh[3],1965. Shuklaji would rely on Shriji for every matter. Even on being in government service, he never resorted to lies. The family was very huge. Therefore he had to bring up the children with great difficulty from the financial viewpoint. Nevertheless, even on facing such financial constraint he would keep sending the rent of Ganga Mandir and Gopal Mandir from his salary. 

Venu Vinod Kunj, Vrindavan

 When Shriji shifted to Venu Vinod Kunj he sent a small amount of money for seva [4] throughout his life. Shriji seemed to have taken on the full responsibility of this family. After Shriji's lila pravesh or demise, life became a sort of burden for Shuklaji. When his letters loaded with agony would reach Vrindavan, those reading them would become distressed. Eleven months later Shuklaji gave up his body in an ailing condition on 'Vaisakh Krishna Ekadashi' while meditating upon Shriji.