Shri Maharajji Absorbed in Bhava
These days Shri Maharajji was gradually sinking into the depths of his own rasa or spiritual
essence. Due to ill health his body was becoming frail and wasted, day by day. Shriji's disinterestedness in bhoga or indulgence was rising. Laughing, talking and meeting others had decreased considerably. He had begun living in extreme abstinence and detachment.
Shri Radha-Krishna's Prema
In a constant state of deep absorption[1] he could be seen sitting, lost in some rasa of Shri Radha-Krishna's selfless love. Shriji's condition was such that he was not be
interested in seeing what others were doing and was least bothered about eating or drinking. When members of his inner circle would alert him or ask him something he would open his eyes and give a vague answer. Besides, there was generally some sort of incoherence when he talked. He would be
lost in some other realm and would keep lying down most of the time.
Venu Vinod Kunj
In the morning, after arti had
been done in Venu Vinod Kunj and Shriji had taken tea, he would sit upon the bedstead in his chamber for some time.
That is when members of his parikar
would sit by his side and
converse with him. Shriji would spiritedly give some answer at times or else sit with the index finger poking his cheek. Either lying down or sitting he would keep listening with detachment.
If this state continued for a long time some inmate would jovially remark,” Maharajji! We too are sitting next to you!”
Listening to this comment he would smile gently and reply, “ I know
that!” and looking through half open eyes shut them fully again.
After returning from a fairly short walk with Ghanshyamji, Shriji was compelled to drink a bit of milk. Thereafter, sensing his desire to be in seclusion the door of his chamber was closed again.
Even on not wishing to Shriji would open the door of his room at 11:30 AM thinking that members of his parikar would be waiting. After having some food with everyone he would shut himself up again.
From 4 PM onwards, his own followers and bhaktas living outside the Kunj would keep coming to have his darshan. Trying to be alert he would get up and sit down, and strive to please his followers by creating a jovial atmosphere. At times talk of satsang would be there.
Shriji would try his level best to satisfy everybody but all this would be possible only if his condition supported him. His heart would invariably get steeped in
Lord Krishna, the ocean of rasa .
Ever since
Shriji's sadhana, spiritual practice, had started this wave of introversion
had been flowing, but in different forms. This time when
his spiritual practice was so intense Shriji naturally stayed aloof and distant from society, worldly behaviour, interacting with people and being introduced to them etc.
The Agony of Separation From Krishna
Later on when Shriji was in acute agony due to separation from Krishna, an inclination to stay in seclusion transformed into withdrawing further into himself.
Yashoda Kund
Yashoda Kund and Uddhava Kyari (Nandgaon) are a witness to this state of his, wherein weeping, constant crying and shedding of tears which streamed down his cheeks all the time were visible symptoms.
After complete Self-realization[2], a stream of events like Shriji's coming to Shri Vrindavan due to Lord Krishna's stimulation, his selection of recipients (members of his
inner circle), his doing satsang as
well as sankirtan as he roamed with his close associates, flowed for several years at a stretch.
The Realm of Krishna's Divine Play
When Shriji remained absorbed in the realm of
Lord Krishna's divine play in his nij svarupa or true self, he kept becoming more and more beloved to the Supreme Lover.
Prema[3] has
no beginning and no end. Prema or selfless
love is eternal and the sweet ineffable beauty of the Supreme Lover has no circumference.
kshanne kshanne yannvatamupaiti, tadev upam ramneeyatayah ||
Dark-hued Krishna's Assumes New Forms
'The charm of beauty is such that it assumes a novel form every moment.'
The one who drowns in it stops existing to report anything. The river of
Shriji's rasa flowed incessantly and swiftly-further, further,and further on.
Shri Radha Baba & Shri Maharajji
It is impossible to describe the meeting of two great personages (Shri Radha Baba and Shri Maharajji) at Gorakhpur on Radhashtami every year. This would lead to private talk between the two, transport them into depths of rasa[4], and drown them in
immense joyous abandon with religious rapture gushing forth from both sides.
Time is no impediment. When two people crazed by religious madness meet only they know what transpires. Both were siddh or self-realized souls, both of them were insane
due to religious rapture and both were rasikas[5] of the shringara rasa. We can say that Shri Radha Baba and Maharajji were, ” One soul and two bodies.”
Prema Rasa of Shri Maharaji & Radha Baba
When two great rasikas would meet it would seem as if moving living beings and inert objects of Gita Vatika had reached the heights of elation and ecstasy with the entire Vatika seemingly drowned in the prema-rasa[6] or
sentiment of sweet romance. This sequence of the exchange of transcendental love of two divine luminaries continued for years together.
By being attached to the dust of their love, innumerable lives
were blessed. When has anything ever been permanent in the courtyard of the dusk and dawn of
this mundane world.
Ultimately when Shri Baba wound up his worldly sport, venerable Shriji became all the more serious. His association with the external world disappeared to a great extent. We can ascribe this to the wish of the Almighty that a special resolve arose in revered Shriji's heart to establish an idol of Shri Baba. The determination of great personages always results in fulfilment.
Shriji's firmness demolished the rock-like walls of differing opinions and several hurdles. Obstructions were overcome and the work of sculpting Shri Baba's statue began. Its entire charge had been given to Shri Jagdish Sharma who was secretary of the memorial committee
as well as a deft and devoted worker. Shri Vajpayee, a sculptor of Jaipur was given the contract of making the sculpture of Shri Baba. It was venerable Maharajji who after inspecting several photographs of Shri Baba in consultation with Ghanshyamji decided what type of vigraha or statue should be made and in which pose the sculpture should be sculpted.
Jaipur
When the clay model was ready Shriji himself went to Jaipur along with Ghanshyamji and Lalji to see the vigraha. After having a look gave the required instructions to Shri Vajpayee for improving it.
Ashtasakhis
Shri Ghanshyamji
Shri Jagdishji's demise in an unexpected accident caused some hindrance in the project but could there ever be an impediment stopping Shriji's firm resolve. Now the entire load of this undertaking came on Shri Ghanshyamji's shoulders. Shriji wanted that the statues should be installed on occasion of the coming Radhahshtami but there was constant delay on the part of the sculptor. Off and on Shriji would send someone or the other to Jaipur to stimulate the sculptor.
Shri Radhastami
Shri Vajpayee expressed his inability to ready the
vigraha before Radhashtami which made Shriji greatly worried. Shriji was driven by only one passion at that time that the statue of Shri Baba should be installed on the fixed day.
Shriji's health was failing day by day. He was certainly anxious to have Shri Baba's idol established but he was losing consciousness of his body and mind because of being immersed in the realm of bhava[8] or love flowing towards the Lord. All the members of his parikar[9] would get worried on seeing this condition of his.
Shriji's emotionally agitated state was at its peak today; no sleep, no hunger, no thirst. Writhing restlessly, the whole night would pass by.
Despite this Shriji thought of writing a special letter to Shri Vajpayee to sculpt the statue of Shri Baba in time. A couple of days later when Shri Ghanshyamji phoned Shri Khichi Sahab and informed him that Shriji was thinking
of writing a letter, he leapt with joy and exclaimed that revered Shri Maharajji 'mental letter' had been received by Vajpayeeji.
“How?” asked Shri Ghanshyamji.
“Yesterday when I went to Vajpayee to see the progress of work I found he was busy working with passionate fervour.”
'I will certainly complete the statue on the fixed time that is by 1st September,' is what Shri Vajpayee affirmed,’ said Khichi Sahab.
He revealed that his spirit to work had been inspired by Shriji's inner stimulation.
A few days later I went to Jaipur with Ghanshyamji and Lalji. The task of creating the statue had been accomplished
and merely some finishing touches were left. Shri Vajpayeeji assured us that he would finish the idol in three to four days at the most. Shriji was in Delhi at that time. When we phoned Shriji from Jaipur to inform him that the vigrahas[10] had been sculpted in accordance to what he had wanted he clapped his hands loudly and laughed heartily.
Shri Maharajji was Delighted
Returning from Jaipur when we went to meet Shriji he told Ghanshyamji, “ One should not abruptly convey a matter of special joy to someone. I could not sleep the whole night on account of great delight.”
Radha Baba, Gita Vatika
Shri Baba's statue and those of the eight sakhis had been readied with beautifully sculpted bodies. The idols reached Gita Vatika safely on 28th August,1994.
[1] Absorption: trance
like state of religious
rapture, through avesh or
deep absorption one may directly
experience the feelings and
moods of another realm.
[2] God
realization:What
keeps man from this
state of consciousness is
the ego, the identification with
a false self. Ultimately
the ego weakens through
endless expression of itself in
many lifetimes of experiences, finally
disappearing completely in full Self
or God-realization.
[3] Prema: selfless love
[5] Rasika: person moved by
passionate religious devotion esp for Krishna
[6] Prema-rasa:The two,
rasa and prema, are
essentially one, Krishna desires
to be one with
Radha, for as much
as love requires two,
it is all about
two becoming one. However,
He must do this
in a dynamic sense
to preserve his original
purpose of fully tasting
Himself. He must become
one with Radha while
preserving both of their
identities.
[7] Ashtasakhis:the eight
primary sakhis named, Lalita, Vishaka, Campakalata,Citra,Tungavidya, Indulekha,
Rangadevi and Sudevi.
[8] Realm of
bhava:or awakening of spiritual consciousness, is
a state of communion
with God. It is
related to the sub-conscious mind
(chitta). When one’s
spiritual emotion is awakened, one transcends
one’s usual state
of identification with a worldly
existence. The awareness of
one’s own existence
also reduces. Thus in
a state of spiritual
emotion one transcends the
little ‘i’ and identifies
with the big ‘I’. Spiritual emotion
gives us a spiritual
experience of Bliss (Ānand).
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