Chapter 42: Weeklong Sankirtan in Lonara (part two)

 

Shri Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj (Shriji)

A man named Ramkrishna was a favourite recipient of Shriji's grace.  Shriji would usually use his taxi for commuting.There was a small village named Rasgaon on the way to Lonara. One of its residents had raised a high wall in the middle of the road due to a land feud. 

 

 The Uneven Hilly Tract

 Buses had to take a longer route through the uneven, hilly unpaved tract, thus passengers had to face a lot of inconvenience. 

 Once Shriji was coming to Lonara by Ramkrishna's taxi.

“ Maharajji! I don't want anything except that the hurdle impeding traffic on this road should be remove,.” Ramkrishna begged.

 Bhopal

On reaching Lonara Shriji got a letter written to the father-in-law of Ramesh Saraf Narmadaprasad Rajvaidya who was P.A. to Shri Shyamcharan Shukla, chief minister of Bhopal and asked him to get this task done. The non-stop kirtan of Lonara was going on in full swing.  Narmada Babu instantly wired the collector of Khargone and ordered that the Chief Minister was coming to attend the conclusion of the Lonara Sankirtan so the roads should be repaired.

A Wall Blocking the Path

The wall blocking the way was broken down at once, the road was cleared and a couple of small bridges on this route were repaired  In this manner, Shriji removed the hardships of many people and several devotees who sought his protection.

The impact of the sankirtan impressed even a maulvi[1] who would come and sit in the front row and regularly attend the kirtan and satsang. In those days the 'Mahamantra':

was written on the walls of every house.

“Why did you leave my house?  Though I am a sinner, am I not worthy enough for the 'Mahamantra' to be written on the wall of my house?' the Maulvi asked Shriji.

Shriji instantly sent a devotee to write the 'Mahamantra' on the wall of the Maulvi's house.

Cymbals

Lonara resident Shri Sukhlalbhai's co-operation in this sankirtan was unprecedented. When Sukhlalbhai would do kirtan with the clapping of cymbals, he would become oblivious of his body and mind. His life became all the more steeped in religious devotion during this four-month long kirtan. Though he had flourishing farms Sukhlalbhai had no interest in domestic life. He would run to Vrindavan at intervals and stay there for three to four months at a stretch. Shriji would send him home with great difficulty.

Ballubhai Sarpanch, his elder brother was known to be very notorious in the village. However, the four-month long sankirtan totally transformed Ballubhai's life. One day he caught Shriji's feet and asked him to give him diksha and initiate him.

 “I do not give diksha to anyone. You must do constant japa of the 'Mahamantra' which you have recited today,” replied Shriji.

Shriji gave an hour long discourse on what is a guru and what the disciple should be? Ballubhai accepted Shriji as his guru.

 Guru Purnima

The four-month long sankirtan was to end on 11^th July,1976. Guru Purnima fell a day before on 10^th July. The festival of Guru Purnima was celebrated in a joyous ambiance at the house of Dr. Shri Chandradev Dube. The villagers and devotees who had come from far for conclusion of the sankirtan, had the great good fortune of worshipping Shriji’s feet. Shri Ballubhai Sarpanch had come along with his wife and children, 

 Fruits & Flowers

carrying articles for worship such as fruits and flowers, clothes etc., and singing devotional songs. A letter had been kept in the worship platter, wherein surrendering himself, 

 Ballubhai had asked forgiveness for the sins he had committed till date:

' Accept me, howsoever much sinful, devious and morally debased I may be, and give me refuge in your feet. My heart has already accepted you as my guru.'

Shri Ballubhai transformed completely after this episode. He began helping out in the sankirtan and other tasks of the village and came to Vrindavan once. After conclusion of the long-lasting sankirtan, a grand kirtan was held at the Ram Mandir on his behalf. Ballubhai spent the rest of his life in naam japa, worship and devotional singing. He left his body while remembering Shriji.

 Shrimad Bhagwat Purana

Sukhlalbhai got a weeklong path[2] of 'Shrimad Bhagwat' done at Shri Vrindavan Dham at the urging of Shriji..

 “Ballubhai has attained salvation.” Shriji had confirmed

The grand mahotsav[3] of sankirtan was concluded on 11^th July amidst thronging crowds.  

 

The Raas Mandali

The raas mandali of Swami Shri Ramji had come two days earlier from Vrindavan. Loving devotees were overjoyed with the performance of 'Rasa Lila.' A great bhandara was held and the procession of 'Rasa Bihari' was taken out with great pomp and show.

An affluent person named Gopalbhai of Lonara had kept absolutely aloof from this programme. A devotee of Shriji wished that this Bhai[4] should join their mandali. On the third day of conclusion of the four-month long mahotsav, the devotee invited Shriji to his place and asked Gopalbhai to come over. Gopalbhai reached his place and had darshan of Shriji. 

The Orange Orchard

 He had a sudden change of heart while having tea and wished that Shriji's holy feet should consecrate his orange orchard. That  evening Shriji went to his orchard along with some bhaktas because of his insistent entreaty. Plucking ripe oranges with his own hands Gopalbhai fed them to Shriji. He showed the whole orchard to Shriji along with some village devotees who were accompanying them.

 “Everything seems so desolate with the kirtan coming to an end,” said one of the devotees.

“ Keep kirtan at some devotee's house. Whose courtyard is large enough?” Shriji instantly replied.

“ The  courtyard of our house is very big.” Gopalbhai's wife spoke up.

” If Gopalbhai wishes let the kirtan be held at his house,”said Shriji.

 Gopalbhai hurried home with his family and got busy in preparing the jhanki or display and in doing other tasks. The kirtan was held at his house with great fanfare.

The village of Nandgaon is about fifteen miles away from Lonara. Its residents got Shriji along with his devotees to their village for seeing the newly built Ram Mandir. 

Flower Garlands

A cluster of devotees was standing with flower garlands to welcome Shriji at the bus stand. As soon as Shriji got down from the bus everyone garlanded him and took him to the Ram Mandir with shouts of jai jaikar. The Ram Mandir was adorned with arches, flags and buntings, as was Shriji’s place of rest. Crowds of simple villagers thronged the courtyard and were eager to touch Shriji's feet. This process took about two hours. Shriji got the 24 hours sankirtan started with his arrival. Shriji had come to Nandgaon for a few hours as he was not well. He had to go back to Lonara by the 5 PM bus. Crowds of women gathered at 3 o'clock to have darshan of Shriji. All of them began showering flowers and gulal on Shriji.

“We want to sing a few padas for you,” they requested him.

 Platters of Gulal

Four steel platters were filled with flowers and gulal[5], and kept before Shriji, which he blew as per the sentiments of the padas[6]. Everyone was so engrossed in singing the devotional verses that they had no inkling of the time. People wished that Shriji should stay over for the night in their village therefore they were constantly singing the padas. Since it was getting late Ghanshaymji gave a hint. Shriji stood up and asked the people to leave. Men were leading, Shriji was in the middle and the women were following as they did kirtan and reached the bus stand.

Since there was a delay in arrival of the bus Shriji was made to sit on the platform under the banyan tree, where a blanket had been spread out. Baskets of flowers and gulal were placed before him and women began singing padas on Mathura Gaman when Krishna leaves for Mathura.

Mathura Gaman, Krishna Leaves for Mathura

'You are heartless and You should not be doing this to us,'The verses were laden with such complaints.

An hour passed by but the bus did not arrive. Someone said that the bus would have gone straight, avoiding the village as crowds had gathered here due to marriages. However, it turned out to be a completely different story. A Muslim mason who had helped in building the Ram Mandir was moved on seeing the intense affection of Shriji's devotees. He did not let the two buses enter the village, warning them that the village folk would beat them up if they passed through the village. Therefore both the buses had quietly driven ahead through a bypass without honking.

An Idol of Shri Ram

Ultimately love triumphed and Shriji had to stay on in Nandgaon. Night long kirtan was held in the newly built Ram Mandir. It was so crowded that some devotees had to sit outside the Mandir. Thereafter, Shriji returned to Lonara, early in the morning.