Shriji, Vrindavan
When the idol of Shri Radha Baba was being installed Shriji had taken care of his health through sheer will power. However, he relapsed into his former condition on coming to Vrindavan with no appetite left for food, not being able to sleep and becoming breathless. His restlessness escalated. Dr.K.Gopal was called. He said that increase of congestion was the reason for this condition and prescribed strong antibiotic capsules. There was some improvement in his condition after three days. Shriji's birthday was on 13th December. Members of his parikar were worried as to how it would be celebrated.
Barwani
Letters were written to all the devotees that only those who had been attending
Shriji's birthday celebrations as a regimen should come and not get their wives and children along. And this is exactly what happened. Merely fifteen people arrived from Barwani whereas a busload of people had been coming come every year from this district in Madhya
Pradesh. However, many people turned up from other places.
The Rasa Lila was organised for just a day instead of three days which had been the practice earlier. Shriji could sit for a very short while in these programmes of the festivity. That is why the devotees' desire for Shriji's darshan remained somewhat unfulfilled.
On the morning of his birthday Shrij sat for two hours at a stretch for the sake of everyone's happiness. But he became very exhausted and could not even eat lunch properly in the afternoon.
Sandhya Arti
After sandhya arti [1] in the evening the intensity of his bout of coughing became very severe. It seemed that he was incapable of even speaking. No one was allowed to meet Shriji and everyone went back.
"Today was the day of my departure which got averted," Shriji revealed when he got some relief after a
few hours.
The Mahamantra
Sankirtan of the 'Mahamantra' went on throughout the night as always. Wherever Shripad Baba might he would definitely attend
Shriji's birthday sankirtan without fail. This time he came and sat next to Shri Maharajji since 8 o' clock particularly due to Shriji's ill health and kept sitting in one posture in the sankirtan for the whole night. Somehow or the other the festival came to a successful conclusion and everybody went to their respective homes with heavy hearts. Everyone's letters started pouring in to know about Shriji's health.
Delhi
Shriji went to Delhi again on 31st December and remained under the care of a doctor for fifteen days. It was bitterly cold that winter and Shriji was unable to bear
the cold due to extreme weakness. Hence he thought of going to Madhya Pradesh as advised by everyone.
Indore
Accordingly Shriji departed from Delhi on 14th January and reached Indore. Shri Ghanshaymji, Kusumji, Vidyadharji and Vrindavan were also accompanying him. He stopped over at Radhe Shyamji's place in Indore as usual. The whole family swelled with happiness on his arrival. Shriji stayed with them for ten days. Some signs of improvement
became visible in his condition.
Devotees had come back from his birthday with somewhat dejected and disappointed hearts. When could Shriji tolerate this fact? So after consulting
the devotees of Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh from Delhi itself he had decided to get the Rasa Lila enacted and the Shrimad Bhagwat Saptah done in Barwani. He
had got all the arrangements made despite being extremely unwell.
Barwani
The instant he became a
little better Shri Maharajji reached Barwani from Indore on 26th January. We came to know of this grand programme when printed posters and invitation cards were received by us in Shri Dham.
Shri Mahaprabhu Lila
Shrimad Bhagwat
The Shrimad Bhagwat Saptah started from 10th February, 1995. Acharya Shri Kishori Ramanji of Vrindavan was the katha vyas or narrator. Due to his interesting rendition of the sacred text an infinite crowd of spectators would keep thronging the place. Intensely desirous of listening to the katha, people would come an hour earlier and sit down. In spite of immense weakness Shriji would c be present in both the sessions for some time. On conclusion of the katha on 19th February a Hari Naam sankirtan was held for 48 hours at a stretch. A grand procession was taken out and a huge bhandara[2] was held.
Khandwa
Resting for two days Shriji reached Indore again. He wanted to go back to Vrindavan soon but Shri Balkrishnaji Saraf,
the elder brother of Vidyadharji, particularly insisted and took Shriji to Khandwa for
two days. A non-stop sankirtan of 24 hours took place there.
Shri Mamleshwar Temple
Shriji went with Sarafji for darshan of Shri Mamleshwar Jyotirlinga[3] at Omkareshwar. Many devotees from Barwani and other places were also
accompanying Shriji.
Mamleshwar Jyotirling
For the benefit of Shriji's health, the elder brother of
Vidyadharji got a Rudra Abhishek[4] of Mamleshwar
Bhagwan done by 11 brahmins and the pujan[5] done
by Shriji.
Shri Ramanuja
The worship of Lord Shiva
is forbidden in the Ramanuja Sect but Shriji had always been free from
sectarian bonds. Even so it was the first occasion of Lord Shiva's worship in
Shriji's life. Meditating upon the causeless mercy of Lord Shiva, Shriji went
into bhava stithi , a state of awakened spiritual consciousness, while
worshipping Him. Constant tears began flowing from his eyes and he reached a
trance like state of religious rapture. It seemed that he would swoon now.
Sensing the seriousness of the condition, Ghanshyamji gently picked up Shriji
and got him out to have him seated. He kept sitting in this very state on the
stairs outside. Thereafter, on regaining normal consciousness Shri Maharajji
returned to the dharamshala along with his close followers.
“What can be said about the ambiance of the
temple? Divinity was spreading all over the place. Lord Shiva forcibly showered
His grace on me and made me see His splendour!” exclaimed Shriji.
An old woman, a disciple of
Ranga Avadhoot Maharaj, used to live in Omkareshwar. She was 90 years of age.
Meeting her Shriji stayed there for a few hours and then returned straight to
Indore.
Shri Dham Vrindavan
Stopping over at Indore for two days he came back to Shri Dham on 11th
March, 1995.
Venu Vinod Kunj
From 11th March to 22nd
May,1995 Shriji delightedly stayed in Venu Vinod Kunj, imparting joy to members of his parikar , the
inner circle of associates.
[1] Sandhy arti:
an evening ceremony performed
in worhsipping a god,a dish
holding a lamp burning
ghi, incense and other
articles is moved in
a series of circles
in front of the
idol
[3] Jyotirlingam: is a devotional
object representing the god Shiva
. Jyoti means
'radiance' and lingam means
the 'mark or sign'
of Shiva,; Jyotir Lingam
thus means the Radiant
sign of the Almighty.
The jyotirlinga is
the supreme partless reality,
out of which Shiva
partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are
places where Shiva appeared
as a fiery column
of light. - each
considered different manifestation of Shiva. At
all these sites, the
primary image is lingam
representing the beginningless and
endless Stambha, symbolizing the
infinite nature of Shiva.
[4] Rudra Abhishek: is a
ritual where
lord Shiva is ceremonially bathed
with Panchamrita which includes appropriate
quantities of Milk (only
zebu cow milk), Yogurt,
Honey, Sugar and Ghee
mixed together. This is accompanied
with powerful hymns/mantras to
fulfills all the wishes
of the person who
gets it performed.
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