Shri Radhashtami
Year 1978 A.D.: The festival of Shri Radhashtami was round the corner. Shriji's resolve was to go to Gorakhpur as he used to every year but this time weakness caused by illness at Indore delayed him in doing so. It had been decided to reach
Gorakhpur, a day before Radhashtami which was on 10th September. Reservation had been done accordingly.
Terrifying Flood in Vrindavan
However, such a terrifying flood had hit the Yamuna on 7th September that all the rooms of Venu Vinod Kunj were submerged in four feet of water. On seeing everyone's firm resolve to go, Shriji along with his close associates went to to Shri Sitaramji's place at the Vaishya Ashram by wading through the neighbour's house. On reaching they came to know that all the routes of Mathura-Vrindavan had been flooded so trains and buses plying in all directions had been stopped.
Flight from Delhi to Gorakhpur
It struck Shriji that they could travel by air but one had to go to Delhi to take a flight. Therefore departure to Gorakhpur was postponed as the situation was irremediable. Shri Baba was very worried as to how Shriji would reach Gorkhpur in this state of floods.
Shri Bhaiji's Birthday
The birthday of Shri Bhaiji fell a few days later on Ashwin Krishna Dwadashi.[1] Shriji got a letter from Shri Baba to come there on this occasion so Shriji reached Gorakhpur along with Thakurji, Kusumji and Albeli Sharanji. In fact, Shri Baba was waiting for them.
Loving Meeting of Shri Radha Baba with Shriji
As soon as they met Shri Baba took Shriji's hand in his own and exclaimed, “ Indeed, our Radhastami is today!”
The loving meeting of these two great personages was quite extraordinary. Shri Baba's prema[2] seemed to be growing steadily and their close intimacy appeared all the more intense this time. Shri Baba's health had deteriorated quite a bit
due to terrifying bouts of coughing. Added to this was great pain as the bone of his right shoulder had been fractured. Shriji was terribly upset to see Shri Baba's acute plight.
“Wait and watch, the bone is going to be joined in twenty-four days,” Shri Baba would say on seeing Shriji distressed.
Shri Baba would not even have water as medicine so the idea of plastering the shoulder was out of the question. Without plaster or any other treatment the bone's joining seemed impossible but the divine play of saintly personas is beyond our comprehension.
Shri Baba would lift his hand after a few days and say, “Look, it goes up by so much.”
“Look, Prabhu! You would not have been by
my side if you had come
for Radhashtami. It has surely been ordained by God,” he would explain to Shriji.
Shri Radha Baba Was to Take Kasht-Maun
Seeing the pain Baba was going through Shriji was unhappy. Besides, he was extremely anguished
by the fact that Shri Baba was going to undertake kasht-maun , a vow of strict silence on 7th December, 1978, for an indefinite period.
Supreme Lover Krishna
“ It is the call of the Supreme Lover. My mahaprayan, the final departure, can take place during this period,” Shri Baba would say.
Deep sadness had pervaded the
ambiance of Gita Vatika. It was simply unbearable for Shriji to see the sorrow of the parikarjan. As always, Shri Baba walked to Bhaiji's bungalow when Shriji was leaving for Vrindavan, took Shriji’s hand in his own and made him board the car. The scene of this loving separation is not possible to describe.
Shri Ghanshyamji
Making Shriji reach Shri Dham Shri Ghanshyamji left for Gorakhpur to render service to Shri Baba. While leaving Ghanshyamji was handed over a letter written by Shriji, which was addressed to Shri Baba.
Shri Krishna Wears Peacock Feathers on His Crown
“What can I possibly do? The One wearing peacock tail feathers (Lord Krishna) is the only One who knows,” Baba said on reading the letter and keeping it at the head of his bed.
Ghanshyamji conveyed these words, precisely as they were spoken, to Shriji in a letter.
“ Okay! If Baba has left the matter to Him (Lord Krishna) I will persuade Him, for sure,”Shriji responded
on reading the letter.
Ghanshyamji had also written about Shri Radha Baba's condition after Shriji's departure as
reported by Bankaji,
Gita Vatika
“When the car had left the front of the bungalow, Shri Baba kept standing with folded hands and tearful eyes. As soon as the car drove out of the main gate of Gita Vatika, Baba came out with folded hands and kept standing till he
could see the car. When it went out of sight Shri Baba bent down and bowed to the spot where Shriji had stood. Soon after, he returned to his cottage with a serious pace and quietly lay down on his wooden takhta,"
Hearing about Shri Baba's boundless love, Shriji was overwhelmed with delight. Day in and day out, the thought that Shri Baba might leave his physical body weighed on Maharajji’s mind. Baba's vow to
take maun and his forbidding everyone, even Shri Bhaiji's daughter Savitri Bai, from attending to his needs was the reason of Shriji’s
concern. Devotee Radhe Shyam and Ramsnehiji
were the only ones allowed to look after Baba.
No comments:
Post a Comment