Friday, March 29, 2019

Chapter 60: Shriji Visits Barwani Again


 Barwani, Madhya Pradesh

Venerable Shri Maharajji had not been able to visit Barwani for nearly the past three years. Constant insistence of the people of Barwani to call him went on escalating. Shriji had begun keeping quite unwell during this period. Members of his parikar or inner circle did not want him to undertake a long journey or go anywhere from Shri Dham. Everyone was apprehensive that much of travel could have an adverse effect on his health. Shriji was the very life of the close associates of his inner circle. Staying without him would certainly become intolerable for them. Shri Deviji would be very anguished and unhappy, in particular. Therefore, when Shriji had to go somewhere he would usually leave without telling a word to anyone. They would come to know later where he had gone and why. It was Shriji's mischievous nature to astonish his close followers, all of a sudden.

 Shri Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj

Shriji was determined to go to Barwani but did not reveal this matter to anyone. On 16th June he went with Ghanshyamji for a morning walk like every other day. He had wrapped just a sheet around his kurta[1].Strolling he went to Kamalaji's house. Shri Thakurji had no inkling of what was going on in his mind. Instantly Shriji kept the proposal of going to Delhi and taking Shri Kamalaji's car he went there along with Ghanshyamji. He stayed at Lalji's place as usual and phoned Shri Dham that he would return in four to five days after getting his health examination done.

 Rajkot

When Shri Deviji rang up after a couple of days she came to know that Shriji had gone to Rajkot on 22nd June. He stayed there at Mannibhai's place for ten days. In fact, he had gone to Rajkot after a span of seventeen years. All devotees of that place had gathered to reap the benefit of his kirtan and satsang.


The Bhagwat Saptah of Shri Krishna Shankar Shastriji was going on in Rajkot in those days. He had been acquainted with Shriji for the past many years and held him in great esteem.  

 
Shri Bhagwat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad

 A huge Bhagwat Vidyapeeth had been built in Shastriji's ashram in Ahmedabad where students would study the Shrimad Bhagwat.

News of Shastriji's Bhagwat Saptah had been published in newspapers. Shriji read about it at Mannibhai's place and expressed his desire to attend the same. Shriji left in Natwarlal's car on 1st July. 

 
 Shrimad Bhagwat Katha 

 When he reached the site of the Katha it was the first day of the Shrimad Bhagwat Saptah. Shastriji was about to recite the mangalacharan when he became so overwhelmed with the joy of Shriji's presence that he became speechless. Respectfully folding his palms, he gazed adoringly at Shriji. Shastriji got a seat arranged for Shriji and made him sit on the stage itself. Besides asking about his health he got Shriji's local address noted. Soon after, he remarked that Shriji's advent on the very first day of the 'katha' was an auspicious beginning.

Shriji sat hearing the katha for a while and then returned to his place. As soon as the katha got over, Shastriji reached there and began insisting that he come along with him for having prasad or meals. However, Shriji expressed his inability to do so as he had a programme fixed at some other place.

Shri Krishna Shankar Shastriji explained, “I am tied down here due to the katha so I cannot take you with me. However, you must vast the Sola Bhagwat Vidyapeeth at Ahmedabad Ashram on your way back. Shriji agreed and accepted his request.

Shri Shashtriji got this news prominently published in the daily newspapers of Rajkot: 'Shri Balkrishna Dasji Maharaj, a great saint of Vrindavan, has come to the Bhagwat Saptah Katha.'

 Sola Bhagwat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad

While leaving Rajkot Shri Maharajji went to see the Sola Bhagwat Vidyapeeth in Ahmedabad and stopped there for a few hours. The workers of the Vidyapeeth gave him a very warm welcome. Mannibhai's brother Dheerajlal and his niece Rukmaniji were also with Shriji at that time. 


Shri Ranchhodraiji

Starting from there all of them reached Dakor at 4 o'clock in the evening. The festival of Shri Rancchodraiji's rath yatra was to be held the next day. The archaka or Hindu temple priest had made special arrangements for Shriji to see the procession.


 Shri Ranchhodraiji Temple, Dakor

A huge group of spectators throng the place during this festival. Only Goswami boys draw the chariot of Shri Ranchhodraiji. Arti is done from place to place and the vault of the sky resounds with exultant cries of 'jai jai!'

Shriji stood up on seeing this beautiful scene and proceeded towards the chariot. He became charged with spiritual emotion on touching the chariot. Sattvik bhavas like romancha or horrification, ashru or shedding of tears and kampa or tremors were awakened in his body. Shri Ghanshyamji supported him with great difficulty. Shriji became normal in a couple of hours and had food on coming home.

 Barwani

Shriji stayed in Dakor for merely a day and reached Barwani on 2nd July.


Shri Nigam Sahab had had an amazing change of heart during the continuous sankirtan which had been held for ten and a half months. He left his body in great peace while remembering God in 1990.With the inspiration of Shriji his adopted son Shri Sushil Nigam had organised a grand 'Bhagwat Saptah' for the welfare of his departed soul and Shriji had visited Barwani for this reason. Shriji had sent Katha Vyas [1]Shri Krishnamurariji from Shri Dham. The Bhagwat Saptah Katha started on 3rd July.

 Shri Manohar Bhaiya (author of Charit Vaibhav)

Invitation cards had reached us at Shri Dham on 2nd July. It had been several years since I had gone to Madhya Pradesh. Its loving people were very insistent that I come but I wanted to do so only in the presence of Maharajji. As soon as I got the invitation letter I considered this opportunity to be perfect and reached Barwani on 7th July.

Thousands of people had come from every village to listen to the katha. Loving devotees had thronged the place to have darshan of Shriji. Shri Sushil Babu along with his wife listened to the katha in rapt attention. Moreover, they happily bore the burden of all the incurred expenses. Arrangements for the boarding and lodging of bhaktas had been made in a huge dharamshala named Tulsi Mandir.

Shri Laxminarainji who was fond of devotedly serving others, was looking after all the arrangements with expertise. Kailash Bhai, Moti Bhai, Purushottam Bhai and other reputed people gave full support. All of them were working with this thought predominant in their minds that this arrangement was not being done for some person but their very own Maharajji. How could there possibly be any kind of shortcoming in Shri Maharajji's work they felt.

 A Grand Bhandara Was Held

The Shrimad Bhagwat Saptah was concluded very joyfully and a huge bhandara [2] was held for two thousand partakers after the Katha's conclusion.

Thereafter, a week long non-stop sankirtan was immediately kept on behalf of Sushil Babu, ending with a huge bhandara on its conclusion.

 Shriji Was Garlanded

The festival of Guru Purnima was also celebrated with joyous abandon during this period. Thousands of people present there garlanded and worshipped Shriji at Motibhai's place, which took about seven hours. Outside Shriji's room long queues of devotees were lined up, right up to the road. All of them would come in turns and offer their flowers of faith to him. Once again, a feast was held on behalf of Motibhai on a large scale. Thus for a span of fifteen days Shri Maharajji made everyone relish the rasa amrit  of religious devotion. When he was leaving all the devotees bade him farewell with tears streaming down their cheeks.

 Maheshwar

On his way back Shriji went to my elder brother Shri Sakhya Hariji's place in Maheshwar for a few hours. He went to Indore from there. Shri Balkrishna Seth of Khandwa insistently took Shriji to his home town Khandwa. A non-stop sankirtan of 24 hours was held at his house. In fact, the people of Khandwa wanted to arrange for a continuou sankirtan lasting for seven days but 

Jhulan Utsav, Vrindavan

Shriji had to reach Shri Vrindavan Dham for the jhulan utsav (swing festivalof the Sawan[3] month.) Therefore, promising to come back again he left for Bhopal. Shriji stayed here at Shri Hiralalji's place for three days and bestowing the joy of satsang and sankirtan to formerly acquainted devotees he reached Shri Dham on 7th August.


[1]     Katha vyas: narrator of Bhagwat Katha
[2]     Bhandar: a free feast
[3]     Sawan: is a month of the Hindu calendar. It is the fifth month of the Hindu year, beginning in late July and ending in the third week of August.



 Mannibhai's brother Dheerajlal and his niece Rukmaniji were also with Shriji at that time. Starting from there all of them reached Dakor at 4 o'clock in the evening. The festival of Shri Rancchodraiji's rath yatra was to be held the next day. The archaka or Hindu temple priest had made special arrangements for Shriji to see the procession.






[1]     Kurta:a long-sleeved, hip-length shirt worn by men in India.

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