Barwani
On 7th August Shri Maharajji returned to Shri Dham from Barwani. Imparting joy to devotees of his inner circle he stayed delightedly at Venu Vinod Kunj. It had become an annual practice for Shriji to go to Gorakhpur on Shri Radhashtami, compelled as he was by Shri Baba' love. However, this year round the idea of going to Gorakhpur was a bit slack. Shri Kusumji wrote of this fact to Shri Kamlaji who told Shri Baba about it.
Devoid of external memory because of being in a constant state of inner rapture Shri Baba was startled.
“ I actually wanted thee!”
he exclaimed in English
Shri Kamlaji wrote down this sentence and sent it to Shri Dham. It was decided that Shriji would go to Gorakhpur for sure. He left for Delhi on 27th August and starting on 30th August reached Gorakhpur on 31st August.
Gita Vatika
As soon as Shri Maharjji would arrive it would seem as if the spring of joy had arrived in Gita Vatika. A festive environment would pervade the place.
Workers of Gita Vatika like gardeners etc., would enthusiastically exclaim to each other,” Shri Maharajji has come from Vrindavan!” and express their delight.
Every particle of Gita Vatika would be infused with enthused exultation. Devotees would wait for his arrival like a thirsty chatak or pied cuckoo[1].
Whenever any problem related to Shri Baba would crop up devotees would seek the refuge of Shriji to solve it.
Radha Baba &Maharajji
Once it so happened that
Shri Baba's meals had excessive salt for two
consecutive days even on the cooks being told about it a couple of times. On seeing this
repeated mistake Shri Baba instantly decided that he would have food without salt. Everyone in the Vatika was perplexed. The painful guilt that the cook bore was of course inexpressible. If Baba took prasad or the offering of food without salt then how could the others possible have salted meals. They were in a dilemma as to what should be done? Vishnu Hari Dalmiaji and other bhaktas ran to Shri Maharajji for solving the problem.
“Your giving up of salt has really troubled Shriji. If you eat bhiksha[2] without salt how can Shriji take salt?” Ghanshyamji requested Baba on Shriji’s order,
“ Let Maharajji decide with his inner vision whether I have acted correctly or not. My wish is that Maharajji should not give up salt,” was Shri Baba’s response.
' Those who have made a mistake in cooking bhiksha should be forgiven. If it is repeated again we will think about the matter,” thereafter Shri Maharajji sent these lines in writing.
As soon as Shri Baba read these lines he agreed to have food with salt. Everyone's faded faces began blooming with happiness once again.
Shri Radhashtami Celebrations
In this manner Shriji's arrival in Gita Vatika provided infallible support because Shri Baba had been generally living a life steeped in bhava unmada or a state of being intoxicated by divine madness, beyond the material world. That is why those who loved him were quite uneasy about him. Shri Baba became somewhat normal after Shriji's arrival and the Radhashtami festival was celebrated happily. Shri Baba's health was better.
This was simply due to the miraculous presence of Shriji.
Shri Bhaiji
23rd of September was shradh divas, the death anniversary of revered Shri Bhaiji. The centenary celebrations of his birthday had been going on for the past one year. Shriji made a plan of going back to Shri Dham and accordingly got reservation done on 24th of September for
Lucknow. At this end revered Ma's (wife of Shri Bhaiji) health had been very worrisome for the past few days. She had been lying unconscious
for the last five days.
Permission to go to Shri
Dham had been taken from Shri Baba but it seemed revered Baba had some other
idea in his mind, which he was not revealing.
`
Gorakhpur Station
On 24th September the entire
baggage of Shriji had been kept in the car to go to the station. When they made
a phone call to the station to know the correct time of the train's departure
it was found that the train was late by eight hours. Near about that time when
they rang up the station again they came to know that the train was late by eighteen
hours. Everyone was in a state of uncertainty now.
Shri Bai (the daughter of
late Shri Bhaiji) came to Shriji and asked, “ Mother's condition is very
serious, will you depart in such a situation?”
Shriji postponed his
programme of leaving Gorakhpur. The next day passed by. Ma's condition was
getting worse. Symptoms of her approaching
end were visible since 24th September..
Shri Baba & Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj
“ Thakur! Where are you
taking Shri Maharajji? Do not do so. With his and mine joint spiritual efforts
we have to make Ma reach the deserved place,” stated Shri Baba.
Ma breathed her last at
twenty minutes past nine on 26th September. Her funeral rites were
properly performed a little away from the shrine of Shri Bhaiji in Gita Vatika.
The entire information was conveyed by phone to Vrindavan.
On 28th
September Shriji went to Shri Baba to take leave as he was setting out for
Vrindavan.
Radha Baba at Rasa Lila in Gita Vatika
The underlying meaning of
this statement was that Baba should remain hale and hearty till then. It had
been decided that the 'Rasa Lila' would be enacted on the birthday of Shri Baba
in January.
Shriji was hinting at this
fact but Shri Baba interrupted him,” Prabhu[3]! This
time
Saying this venerable Baba
became very serious. With teary eyes Shriji went on staring at him.
Shri Bhaiji's Samadhi
In this
very condition, holding hands both the great souls came to Shri Bhaiji's samadhi. Thereafter, Shri Baba
bade Shriji farewell from this spot.
This was the last meeting
of these two great spiritual luminaries. Departing from Gorakhpur Shriji
reached Lucknow and stopping over at the kothi of Mankapur's Rani Sahiba, he
bestowed the benefit of kirtan and satsang on everyone. Thereafter, he reached
Kanpur on the insistence of Ushaji Jhunjhunwala. Granting the benefit of
satsang to bank manager Ram Krishna Shukla, Vimal Narayanji Shukla and other
loving devotees, he reached Shri Lalji's place in Delhi on 4th
October.
Venu Vinod Kunj, Vrindavan
Resting there for four days he came to Shri Dham on 9th
October. Venu Vinod Kunj was flooded with joy on Shriji's arrival. Members of
his inner circle who had been eagerly waiting for him for the past one and a
half months were delighted to have him amongst their midst once again.
Venerable Shri Radha Baba Enters the Eternal Supreme Abode
Radha Baba, Gita Vatika
Venerable Shri Maharajji
had come to Shri Dham on 9th October, 1992 from Gorakhpur. A day
later news arrived from Gorakhpur that Shri Baba's condition was very critical.
Vomits and loose motions had caused great weakness to him. Glucose was being
administered. A phone call came the very next day intimating us that that there
was improvement in his condition. We were a bit relieved.
Soon after, a phone
call came on the third day that Baba's condition was extremely grave; there was
pain in his ribs, he was breathing very fast, oxygen was being given and
glucose was being administered. Hearing about the giving of oxygen, Shriji got
very worried and thought of going to Gorakhpur. He repeatedly made phone calls
from Vrindavan and kept finding out about Shri Baba's condition.
On 12th October
Shri Maharajji talked to Jagdishji at night, who revealed that Shri Baba's condition was improving. Oxygen had
been removed but glucose was still being given. Shri Baba had been made to lick
something with a spoon. This information brought relief to everyone. Shriji
also rested peacefully that night.
Phone Calls Were Made
Early in the morning Shriji
along with Ghanshyamji went to Shri Kamlaji's place on 13th October
and rang up Gorakphur to find out about Shri Baba's condition. Hariji told them
from Gorakhpur that Shri Baba's condition was somewhat better. Shriji was
pleased. Making Shri Radharamanji sit there for ringing up Gorakhpur again,
Shriji must have gone just up to Hari Kunj when Shri Radharamanji came
running. Weeping he told Shriji that
Shri Baba was no more. Shri Maharajji was shocked and taken aback. Soon after,
he went to Swami Ramji's place and lay down. A little later he came with
Ghanshyamji to Venu Vinod Kunj. Both of them were very dejected and grieved.
Shri Miraji had already
given this deeply tragic news at the Kunj. Grief had overwhelmed the Kunj and
tears were streaming down everyone's cheeks.
Supreme Abode of Shri Radha-Krishna
Venerable Shri Baba had given up
worldly life and gained entry into the Supreme Abode on 13th
October, 1992 at 8:30 in the morning.
Sita Bhai Poddar's car was
immediately called for. Within an hour Shriji left for Delhi to go to
Gorakhpur. Shri Ghanshyamji, Kusumji, Radharamanji, I and many others from
Vrindavan accompanied Shriji to Gorakhpur. On reaching Delhi we got reservation
in Vaishali Express as special efforts had been put in.
Thereafter, we left
with Shriji for Gorakhpur at 7:30 in the evening. Information of our departure
had been conveyed by phone to Gorakhpur from Delhi. When we reached Gorakhpur
at 8:30 AM the next day, some people from Gita Vatika were waiting for us at
the station. Two cars had been sent to take Shriji and his associates.
Thereupon, all of us reached the Vatika. An ocean of grief was surging forth in
the Vatika. Everyone burst out crying on seeing Shriji.
Slowly Shriji was taken to
Shri Baba. Revered Shri Baba was seated on a chair placed on a wooden plank.
The instant Shriji went in front of that chair tears naturally began flowing
down his cheeks. He stood for some time in front of Shri Baba. People standing
nearby gave a garland in the hands of Shriji who put it around Shri Baba. As
soon as Shri Maharajji garlanded Baba's body, Shriji became somewhat stable. All
of us touched Baba's feet as our eyes shed tears.
After a while, the funeral
rites to be performed as per the rules of Hinduism began.
“ All my last rites must be
done by the hands of Thakur Shri Ghanshyamji,” Baba had clarified before his
demise
Veda-reciting brahmins got
all the rites done while reciting the mantras [4].
Shriji bathed Shri Baba with his own hands with Ganges water kept in a silver
pitcher. Shri Thakurji and others worshipped Shri Baba. Everyone's eyes were
streaming with tears. So many garlands were made to adorn his body that only
Shri Baba's holy face was visible.
Singing devotional hymns the bhaktas took Shri
Baba seated on the chair towards Radha Krishna Sadhana Mandir. After
circumambulating the mandir the same was done around Shri Bhaiji's kothi[5] in
which Shri Baba's room was allocated. Thereafter, Shri Babai's doli or
sedan chair was brought to the samadhi sthal of Shri Bhaiji.
Circumambulating Shri Bhaiji's shrine and the pyre site of Shri Ma, the sedan
chair was kept in front of Shri Baba's cottage.
Shri Radha-Krishna Sadhna Mandir, Gita Vatika Gorakhpur
The site for Baba's
samadhi was arranged for under the tree where venerable Shri Baba used to
stay in a tin shed. Gita Vatika was crowded with countless people thronging the
place. People were pouring in and kept coming for Baba's last darshan from far
off places. They came by aeroplanes, cars, trains or whatever conveyance they
could get from distant cities such as Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi Vrindavan etc.
Everyone's heart was filled with infinite love for Shri Baba and all of them
were feeling sort of orphaned without his presence. Their hearts were being
torn to pieces with immense grief. Shri Baba's pure prema had bound all
of them together. Each one of them believed that Shri Baba loved him the most.
Radha Baba Wanted Ghanshyamji to Perform Last Rites (Ghanshyamji Centre)
Shri Maharajji and all his
close followers had not even taken a sip of water till then. Seeing everyone
wallowing in grief Shriji stayed on for two more days, leaving the place on 16th
October. The loving inmates of Gita Vatika came to see him off at the station
and requested him to visit them again.
“You are the sole refuge
for all of us now, after Shri Baba's departure,” they said,
Consoling the inmates, Shri
Maharajji assured them that he would come for Baba's Memorial Function. This
statement comforted those people somewhat.
At first it was decided to
have the function of Shri Baba's commemoration in January 1993 but owing to
some reasons it was celebrated on 25th-26th April. One particular
reason for this was that due to some political turbulence the atmosphere was
disturbed at that time. Venerable Shriji's birthday celebrations were to be
held on 6th December and on that very day the Babri Masjid was
demolished in Ayodhya (Ramjanma bhoomi).
Almost all leaders of the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad were arrested, in which President Vishnu Hari Dalmia was also
included.
Shri Vishnu Hari Dalmia
Shri Maharajji left for
Gorakhpur on 12th April to attend Shri Baba's Memorial function. Although
the Dalmia family is fully devoted to venerable Shri Baba but because of Senior
Dalmiyaji's health being extremely worrisome, Shri Vishnu Hariji, Shrimati
Lalitaji and Shrimati Arunaji, the chief working members of the function, could
not attend it.
The function was carried on
in the presence of Shriji. Non-stop sankirtan, a seminar of saints, service of daridra
narayans or the have nots were on the agenda of the programme.
The decision of building
Shri Baba's samadhi mandir or shrine was taken at this very juncture.
Some differences of opinion arose on one point. Revered Shri Bhaiji's family
wanted to have a shiva linga[6]
installed at the samadhii mandir whereas some others wanted the idol of Tripura
Sundari[7] to be
installed as Shri Baba had worshipped the beautiful goddess.
Shri Radha Baba Steeped in the Mahabhava
However, the close
spiritual aspirants of Shri Maharajji and Shri Baba wanted that the idol of
Shri Baba who was steeped in the Mahabhava[8], should be installed at the samadhi.
Eventually it was decided to do so and construction of the samadhi mandir
began.
Shri Dham Vrindavan
[4] Mantras: Hinduism.
a word or formula,
as from the Veda,
chanted or sung as
an incantation or prayer.
[6] Shiva LingaIn
Sanskrit, Linga means a
'mark' or a symbol,
which points to an
inference. Thus the Shiva
Linga is a symbol
of Lord Shiva -
a mark that reminds
of the Omnipotent Lord,
which is formless.
[8] Mahabhava:Centred on
the divine love of
Radha and Krishna the worshipper is
required to assume the
nature, nuance and psychological state
of Radha in her
loving devotion to Krishna,
this state is called
Radha bhava or Mahabhava.
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