Reminiscences

Shri Maharaj's Omnipresence

This is a story of the time when Baburao Gadre was a teacher in Kolhapur. He used to perform aarati every evening after placing milk for naivedya in a bowl before a picture of ShriMaharaj. The only water he used was at the time of offering naivedya. Later, on meeting him, ShriMaharaj said, "Baburao, even if naivedya consists of only milk, along with it drinking water is needed !" Since then he began providing a cup of water along with the bowl of naivedya.

Navarathri Programmes

ಶ್ರೀ ನಾಮದೇವಾನಂದ   ಸ್ವಾಮೀಜಿ ರವರು ಶ್ರೀ ಮಹಾರಾಜರ ಪ್ರವಚನವನ್ನು ಕುರಿತು ಉಪನ್ಯಾಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವರು.

Reminiscences

A. prominent official had retired. He began conducting research on Mahabharata to pass his time. In one work on Mahabharata he came across a statement that the incident of stripping Draupadi of her dress in the open court of King Duryodhana never took place. As he could not find anyone else's support for this view, he was un­settled. He could not unravel what the truth was. So he came to ShriMaharaj through a friend. On learning about his doubt ShriMaharaj said, "I do not know about re­search. I cannot summon knowledge of occurrences of the past and of the future. But you yourself say that saints can summon knowledge of past and future occurrences. , JnyaneshwarMaharaj, Namdeo, Eknath, Tukaram and  Samartha have been the universally accepted saints amongst us. There can be no objection to drawing upon their testimony. All of them have cited Draupadi's ex­ample to show how to call out to God with ardency. On the occasion of being stripped of her dress she called out to Shri Krishna exceedingly helplessly, and she came out of the occasion unscathed. But what I wish to tell you is that Death is dispossessing you, and you should pay attention to that. It is true that today everything is favourable to you. But when it is time for you to depart, nothing of this will answer your call, only God will help. Chant His nama and secure your well - being." The gentle­man did not give up his preoccupaton with research but, he passed away soon afterwards.

Navarathri Programme -8-10-2010

Reminiscences

A gentleman came and stayed at Gondavale to acquire love for God. Two months passed well. Then one day there was an altercation with the priest on a trivial matter and he had to listen to very bitter words. Thinking that he had been needlessly insulted, and that there was no point in continuing to stay there, he decided to leave Gondavale and return to his village. He went to ShriMaharaj in order to apprise him of his intention. As soon as he saw him, ShriMaharaj said, "One plants a variety of flower - plants. There are many types amongst them such as marigolds, daffodils, zinnias, roses. Plants like a rose plant being of importance amongst them, one feeds it the best dung- manure. What if the rose plant were to complain why it alone was being fed the nauseous ma­nure ? Attainment of love for God is valuable like a rose plant If one wants it to bear the flower of love, then pride and ego have to be destroyed, for which the manure of insults has to be fed. This is the dung-manure So if an occasion arises to face an insult, swallow it, taking it to be an occurrence of God's grace. Nama helps one do it. The gentleman was convinced by the reasoning, and cancelled his plan to leave.

Reminiscences

While talking with ShriMaharaj, Chintubuwa once said, ''Maharaj, I want to ask you for favours.' ShriMaharaj said, 'Go ahead. If Rama wills, can there be anything difficult for Him ?' Chintubuwa said, 'Firstly, my death should take place in Gondavale; and secondly, that every year a thousand persons be dined on the day of my death.*' The intention in asking for this was, to ensure that his descendants should remain accordingly wealthy. On hear­ing the request ShriMaharaj said, 'Rama will grant your wish !'

Chintubuwa's end came in Gondavale seven years af­ter ShriMaharaj cast off his body. That year had an intercalary month** of Margashirsha. He died on the tenth day of the dark fortnight of the month. As this was an intercalary month, there was no interruption in the cel­ebrations of Shri Maharaj's death anniversary on the same day of Margashirsha; and from then onwards Chintubuwa's death anniversary fell every year on the day of celebrations of ShriMaharaj's death anniversary, and dining of over a thousand people would positively take place on that day.

* day of death every year -   shraddhatithi ,  the death anniversary of a person when a ceremony is observed by his descendants, offering gifts and food made to relations and Brahmins.

**intercalary month - adhikamaas - an intercalary month formed of the aggregate days omitted in reckoning the lunar year. (Thus every three years, the lunar calendar is brought up with the solar.)

Reminiscences

While talking about death- at- will, ShriMaharaj said, "One who says that he will abandon his body only when he wills, disregarding the natural order, is not an ichchhamarani. * Only a person who has merged his will with God's should be called ichchhamarani. Whenever God sends for him, looking upon that as also his own wish, he gladly abandons the body. In truth, he has com­pletely parted from his body at the very moment his con­sciousness of his body has completely vanished. This is exactly what TukaramMaharaj describes in the line 'With mine own eyes have I seen my death.' When conscious­ness of one's body has disappeared, he is left with no attachment for the body. That is, he becomes an Ichchhamarani. This is accomplished by nama."

*Ichchhamarani - One who can die only when he wills it.