Mandleshwar
Shri Narayan Rao was the first virtuous listener of Shriji's satsang. Wherever he went Narayan Rao would begin singing the glories of Shriji and the goodness of being in the company of saints. When Shriji had come to Maheshwar for the first time in 1945 Shri Narayan Raoji had taken him to Mandleshwar and rendered unprecedented service to him because of my being unwell. Readers have already read a detailed description of the one and a half month long, day and night satsang session which emerged as a consequence of this.
Shriji
By attending to the needs of Shriji Narayan Rao had derived the actual benefit of his sacred company. This sequence continued for a span of 25 years. Shrji would go to Mandleshwar and oblige the group of devotees by his presence almost every year. Shri Narayan Raon never missed the opportunity of taking advantage of this fact. He had stayed in Vrindavan along with his wife for ten years but being physically disabled after his wife's death he had to go back home to his son.
Nimar Region
Whenever Shriji would go to the Nimar region Narayan Rao would remain by his side and gain on the spiritual plane from his virtuous company. When Shriji went to Barwani in 1989 Narayan Raoji met him for the last time. By requesting Shriji to hold a 24 hours sankirtan on his behalf (which had been accepted by Shriji), he had sought Shriji's permission to leave this world.
Khargone
Shri Narayan Raoji fell ill after a year and expired at his grandson Gopal Krishna’s home in Khargone on 21st May 1990.
When he was ailing Shri Narayan Rao had written to Shriji “The last hour of my life is approaching. Only the thought of your lotus feet must remain intact in my mind.”
River Narmada
Shriji too had replied to him in a consoling letter. According to Shri Narayan Rao's last wish his younger son Rameshwar had performed his last rites in Barwaha, on the banks of the holy river Narmada.
A few months after this incident doctor Rameshwar wrote to Shriji: 'The share of paternal wealth which I have acquired after selling the house of Mandleshwar, I want to spend that money in having the Bhagwat Saptah[1]' done in his memory, if you permit. “
Pleased at this thought Shrij wrote:' Why with just his money? You add whatever money you can spare to that sum and have it done with great fanfare and enthusiasm.”
Shrimad Bhagwat Katha
Shri Rameshwar delightedly wrote back to Shriji: 'I will do exactly what you command. The pandit for the saptah will have to be sent from Shri Dham and you too will have to grace the occasion.”
Deciding the date from Shri Dham itself Shriji conveyed it to Rameshwar and wrote that he was sending the 'rasa mandali' from Vrindavan. Writing a letter to Vidyadharji in Indore, Shriji ordered him to make all the necessary arrangements.
Barwaha, Madhya Pradesh
Vidyadharji went to Barwaha and got involved in doing the needful. Pandit Krishna Murariji, the japaka who repeats the incantation and theatre troupe of Shri Ramji/Fateh Krishnaji were sent to Barwaha. Shri Maharajji reached Barwaha via Delhi, a few days before the festival, along with Ghanshyamji.
On seeing the grand scale of the function Rameshwar got very nervous. However, Shriji consoled him that everything would turn out fine. The pandal[2] and stage were all readied. In 'Shyam Kuti,' Rameshwar's own house, the 'Shrimad Bhagwat Saptah' and enactment of the 'Rasa Lila'
began the next day.
Barwani
On Shriji's indication hordes of devotees poured in from Barwani and several other villages. Arrangements for their boarding and lodging were well looked after.
Proper arrangements for Shriji's stay were made at the house of lawyer Gawshinde Sahab, son-in-law of Rameshwarji. Even
though he had not come into contact with saints before this, he developed
implicit faith in Shriji and became busy in attending to his needs.
The Rasa Lila
The Sapath ended with much enthusiasm and gaiety. People would gather in thousands to see the 'Rasa' and hear the Bhagwat Katha. As Rameshwarji's house was by the roadside, truck and car drivers would stop their vehicles and enjoy listening to the katha and seeing the rasa. Thus a long line of vehicles would queue up on the road.
The person who had lent material for the pandal
like carpets and building of the stage was so impressed by the festival that he did not take any charges. There was an acute shortage of water at that time. Potable water had to be fetched by tankers from river Narmada from a distance of about three kilometres.
Women Carrying Pitchers of Water
With the feeling of doing seva hundreds of women would fill hundreds of pitchers with water from far off wells. And why shouldn't it be so? This festival was not of Rameshwarji's late father but of Narayan Raoji, a person who had been very close to Shri Maharajji and
had been very much loved by him. On account of Shriji's influence all the people had got carried away by some transcendental emotion. In
this manner, the festival celebrated as a tribute to Shri Narayan Raoji turned out to be so very unprecedented.
[1] Bhagwat Saptah:
(the word Saptah means
a week or 7
days, when the entire
Bhagwat is completed in
a week, that is
known as Bhagwat Saptah
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