The festival of Radhashtami was be celebrated on 11th September, 1994 in Gita Vatika. The vigraha[1] of Shri Radha Baba and the arrangement of installing it in his shrine had been fixed for this very occasion.
However, Shriji continued to be extremely unwell in Vrindavan. He did not have the appetite to eat even a morsel of food. Weakness prevented him from taking regular walks. Least mindful of his own comfort and rest, Shri Ghanshyamji was readily devoted in serving him and was by Shriji's side like a shadow. He was the one who gave Shriji a bath and attended to his other needs.
Members of Shriji's parikar, the inner circle of devotees, were not unable to figure out as to what they should do to relieve Shriji's suffering. The time to go to Gorakhpur was approaching fast. They were worried as to how he would be able to travel in such a condition. On being asked Shriji would generally remain mum but it seemed that he was firmly determined to go to Gorakhpur.
Finally the time came close. Shriji had sent Bhagwat reader Acharya Shri Kishori Ramanji and four karam kandi brahmins from Shri Dham to Gorakhpur for installing the statue. Despite his delicate health Shriji himself left for Delhi along with Shri Ghanshyamji to go to Gorakhpur on 4th September 1994. He got his medical check up done by showing himself to Dr. Arora in Delhi.
Seeing the state of Shriji's health the doctor did not give him permission to go to Gorakhpur.
” If something happens to Shri Maharajji I will never be able to forgive myself,” he said.
But when was Shriji going to follow someone else's advice against his own determination. He started for Gorkahpur by Vaishali Express on 9th September accompanied by Ghanshyamji, Kusumji, Vrindavan Das, Lalji, Neena, Shri Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Lalitaji and Arunaji.
Gorakhpur Station
A Wheel Chair
Shri Vishnu Hari Dalmia and his wife Lalitaji were the jajman[2] of the installation ceremony of Shri Baba's idol. The work of putting up the statue started on 12th September. After the initial sankalpam [3] the Dalmia couple transferred the representative status of the ceremony to Ghanshaymji. The entire burden of the festival lay on his shoulders as well as all other tasks of the function were getting done as per his instructions. Shri Ghanshyamji was the most close and favourite recipient of Shri Radha Baba.
At the other end, the whole responsibility of Shri Maharajji's care rested on Ghanshyamji. Burden of the tasks to be done had increased manifold but he did not mind and felt that Shri Baba and Shri Maharaji were getting the work done from him as an instrument therefore all the tasks were done to perfection.
12 o' clock had been fixed as the astrologically auspicious time for installing Shri Baba's statue. All religious observances were being carried out according to traditionally established norms during the recitation of mantras. Exactly at 12 o' clock the idol of Shri Baba was unveiled by the lotus hands of Shri Maharajji.The entire sky resounded with exultant shouts of 'jai jai[4]' along with the musical sound of conch shells, gongs, and large bells being sounded and echoing
from all sides.
When Shri Maharajji did arti [5] his spiritually emotional stance was worth
watching. His eyes had become red and his face shone brightly with a divine radiance. It seemed as if venerable Shri Baba had actually
manifested and was perceptible in the idol. His large compassionate eyes were shining like wick flames. It was tough to say who was doing whose arti[6].
Prasad [7] was distributed after the arti. Soon after, the work of installing the vigraha was completed along with the singing of devotional hymns and shouts of exultation.
Shriji was carried to the hut for rest. He was very exhausted but every fiber of his being was ecstatic because the task of installing Shri Baba's idol had been completed without any hindrance. After the ceremony of putting up the statue, Shri Vishnu Hariji and Shri Lalitaji came to the hut of Shriji and touched
his feet with full religious devotion.
“ Maharajji! You have made us supremely happy,”
Shri Lalitaji exulted in a delighted tone.
“Maharajji you have showered infinite
grace on us. I have seen many fine statues in foreign countries from an artistic point of view but have never seen such compassionate eyes as are visible on respected Baba's face,” Shri Vishnu Hariji complemented.
The festival of Radhashtami fell next day. Everyone got busy in its activates. An
immense crowd of onlookers was thronging the place.
First of all Shriji performed the arti of 'Radha Kishoriji', and it was soon followed by artis done by Shri Vishnuji, Shri Phoglaji and Shri Baiji. The next day the ritual celebration of dadhikando [8] was performed along with sankirtan, the congregational chanting of Lord Hari's name, with ardent fervour.
Shriji attended the ceremony for a short while, unable to sit any longer.
In this manner installation of Shri Baba's idol and the festival of Radhashtami were performed in an atmosphere loaded with zealous joyous abandon. Thereafter, most of the people returned to their respective homes.
Unprecedent Bhava Avesha, a Trance Like State
of Religious Rapture`
Shri Maharajji motivated the followers of Shri Baba in Gita Vatika to do sankirtan every morning and evening in front of Baba's shrine for some time.
On Ekadashi that is on 15th September, 1994, the start of sankirtan was auspiciously inaugurated in the shrine. Shriji gave instructions that five types of dry fruits should be offered as bhoga[9].
Accordingly five sacks loaded with dry fruits were called for so that all the devotees could have prasad from the offering. Sankirtan began after the ceremonial
offering of bhoga. Shri Ghanshyamji, Swami Shri Ramji and Swami Fateh Krishnaji
were getting the kirtan done in a melodious tone.
Venerable Shriji was
resplendently seated on a stool near Shri Baba's samadhi mandir [10] and
his gaze was stably fixed on the virgraha of Shri Baba. His eyes were
turning red. In his state of deep absorption in spiritual emotion Shriji
slipped the shawl of coarse silk draped around his shoulders down to his waist
and slowly started sliding forward on the stool. He was still fixedly gazing at
Shri Baba. Speedily getting down from the stool and raising both his hands,
Shriji quickly climbed up two stairs and reached the door of the samadhi
mandir.
Exulting, 'Oho! Oho!'
Shriji began dancing in a round circle, in a state of religious rapture. Where
on the one hand it was tough to take even two steps and where was this emotionally charged state of his. The
entire gathering of people present there watched this state of rapture,
speechlessly, fascinated and silently. Their eyes were constantly shedding
tears. Swami Fateh Krishnaji was weeping continuously. A boy name Sarveshwar
who had accompanied Shriji throughout the festival was crying so pathetically
that it could even melt a stone.
The entire region of Gita Vatika had changed
with a new creation of prema[11]. It
appeared that Shriji would faint and fall down. Leaving the harmonium,
Ghanshyamji got up instantly and took care of Shriji by supporting him with his
hand. Shriji sat down right there, in front of Shri Baba's idol. Tears were
constantly streaming down his cheeks.
” Vaibhav ! Adbhut
vaibhav ! Vaibhav ! Adhbhut vaibhav ! (Majesty! Wonderful
majesty!)” Indistinct words were pouring out of his mouth,”
“ Shriji's intention to
leave is clearly not visible,” Shri Vishnuji intervened When Ghanshyamji
quickly asked for a wheel chair
“ However I have to take
him, for sure!” Shri Ghanshyamji
instantly responded.
He very well knew that Shriji would swoon and lose consciousness very soon. Earlier also he had seen this state of Shriji's bhava dasha[12] or spiritual ecstasy. Despite knowing that taking him away from the present state of religious rapture would hurt Shriji it was essential to take this step on seeing the seriousness of the situation.
Shriji Was Made to Sit on a Wheel Chair
State of Bliss in the Realm of Shri Radha-Krishna
Next day when Shriji's
intimate followers and associates of the Vatika sat next to him in the cottage
Ghanshyamji politely broached the topic, “Maharajji! Yesterday when padas
were being sung some vague words like 'Adbhut
adbhut and kya vaibhav kya vaibhav ' (Wonderful, wonderful and what
splendour what glory) rambled out of our mouth when you were in bhava stithi , a spiritually emotional
state. They were written down by Shri Bankaji. Everyone is eager to know how
you scaled the two stairs in a dancing posture and reached the idol of Shri
Baba without any support?”
After being requested
repeatedly Shriji sat up on the bed and started speaking slowly:
'radhika
ramann nirvadhi jai, jai ambuj-nayan sada priyatam '
'
Hail Radhikaraman the Supreme lover of Radha, hail to the lotus eyed Krishna,
the eternal lover of Radha!'
Shriji explained, “This
devotional hymn which Baba was very fond of was being sung and my gaze was
fixed on Shri Baba. As I was looking at Baba his brows became wiggled and an
ineffable beauty suffused his face. I could not stop myself. In an attempt to
stand up I began sliding the stool in front.
I saw that along with the fickle movement of his eyebrows, Shri Baba had
raised his hand and he was exulting in a dancing posture ,' Jai ho! Jai ho! '
“ I
lost my normal consciousness and do not know how I scaled the two steps and
reached the door? I had no sense of the external world.
Shri Radha Baba Met Maharajji in His Divine Svarupa
“Venerable Baba was in his
divine svarupa and so was I. The whole atmosphere was uniquely
charged and the realm of bliss was reigning supreme. Seeing Baba in a dancing
posture I too assumed the same posture and began complimenting him.
' Wonderful ! Wonderful !' I raved.
“Acting as an echo point he
too responded by raising both hands and exclaiming 'Your majesty! Your
magnificence!'
'Veritable grandeur has
incarnated. You have turned up in this rupa to honour my every
word. You are actually seeing me! You are actually seeing me!” I exclaimed soon
after.
“ Revered Baba repeated my
words and began praising me. The smile on his face was increasing. He agreed to
be present and come in this form on my request.
' I have accepted your prasad , the
offering of dry fruits. I am listening to everything. What should I say! How
should I say it?'Shri Baba said.
' My heart is melting like
a lump of salt.' “ I replied.
Narrating up to this
juncture Shriji became silent.
Staying at Gita Vatika for
two more days, Shriji left for Vrindavan on 18th September.
Countless devotees were thronging the railway station. The train whistled and
taking Shriji, slowly chugged ahead. Fixedly gazing at him with tearful eyes,
the devotees saw him off. Seeing this compassionate scene who would not have
wept?
Shriji reached Lalji's
place in Faridabad next day. Some improvement in Shriji's health was visible as
a consequence of the fruition of his resolve.
He developed a small appetite for food and began getting some sleep as
well. The delight on his face was apparent due to the success of his task.
However weakness of his body remained the same as before.
Delhi
Shri Vishnu Hariji and Shri
Manmalji contacted India's famed heart specialist Dr. J Shah and Dr. Singhania
by phone to come to Delhi for Shriji's medical check up. The doctors gave a
date which fell after eight days. They came and examined Shriji. The medication
prescribed by them continued, thereafter.
Shri Vrindavan
Shriji came to Vrindavan after this
examination. Finding Shriji in their midst after a long time the inmates of
Venu Vinod Kunj were overjoyed. On our requesting him, Shriji narrated the divine experiences he had had when Shri
Baba's idol was being installed.
[1] Vigraha: In
Hinduism, vigraha
typically
refers to an image
that expresses a Divine Spirit
(murta). Meaning literally "embodiment", a
vigraha is a representation of
a divinity, made usually of
stone, wood, or metal,
which serves as a
means through which a
divinity may be worshiped.
[2] Jajman: a family
entitled to some services by
certain people, those who
pay for services traditionally rendered, as by
brahmans
[5] Arti utari
: This act signifies
'praising the deity with
all the respect and
devotion by lighting a
lamp on a sacred
worship place with a
hand movement which is
highly religious'..
[6] Doing arti:
a dish holding a
lamp, burning ghi,, incense
or other articles is
moved in a series
of circles in front
of an idol
[8] Dadhikando: a
ritual celebration on Radha
Ranis' birthday, involving the throwing of
dahi mixed with turmeric
[12] Bhava dasha:
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,
for that time 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).
[13] Bliss: awakening
of spiritual consciousnessis a state of
communion with God. It
is related to the
sub-conscious mind (chitta). When
one’s spiritual emotion
is awakened, for that time
one transcends one’s usual
state of identification with
a worldly existence. The
awareness of one’s
own existence also reduces. Spiritual
emotion gives us a
spiritual experience of Bliss (Ānand).
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