Apaara Mahima
Our revered Mathadhipati-s have never tried to lure sadhaka-s with their miraculous powers. But, remember, what seems like a miracle to us, is an effortless outcome of the very nature of a Mahatma who has attained spiritual heights through rigorous tapasya and is now on the totally selfless Mission of guiding seekers, who come to Him, on their spiritual journey.
However, we felt it was time to share how Grace blossoms and blesses a sincere devotee every time, everywhere. Written by Dr. Vinod Kallianpurkar of Hubbali, here is the inaugural account in our new series called Apaar Mahima (August 2023)
Before narrating my experience, I would like to offer my respectful obeisance at the Lotus Feet of H.H.Shrimat Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji, without whose Blessings, such a wonderful experience would have been impossible.
A miracle can be defined as an extraordinary event manifesting Divine intervention in human affairs. It can also mean an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing or accomplishment. The year was 2005, when our H.H. Swamiji were observing His Chaturmaasa at the Shiva Krishna Mandir, Hubbali. I was assigned the pleasant duty of making all the necessary arrangements for the concluding event of Chaturmaasa, that is Seemollanghana.
There was hardly any time left to make all the arrangements, for this mega-event. The first venue that came to my mind was the Mallaprabha River, which flows between Hubbali and Belgaum and is situated very close to a place called Mughatkhan, Hubbali. When we visited the venue, we found the river in full spate, as it usually is during the monsoons. The width of the river was enormous, with the water overflowing the banks. I felt very worried about how I could arrange such an important event under such harsh conditions.
When we returned on the following day, hoping for some relief we found, to our dismay and agony, that the water level had risen further and the scenario seemed even worse and more challenging, I was in a total dilemma…How would I overcome this major obstacle? Just then, I saw an elderly man approaching us. Coming closer, he enquired about our problem. He then suggested we go to a village nearby, which was also situated on the banks of the river. When we entered the village, we noticed a boatman on a raft - like boat anchored on the bank of the river. It really seemed as if he was waiting for us, but I found that particular area not good enough for an event of such magnitude.
I was at my wits’ end, when another elderly bearded man approached us and after listening to my difficult situation, suggested we go to a Math which was situated on the other side of the village, right next to the river bank. He assured us that the venue was ideal and also feasible to make arrangements, not only for the event but also to accommodate all the devotees coming from near and far to witness the event.
When we approached the Math, the presiding Swamiji greeted us and was also happy to take us around the Math premises. We were overjoyed to see that, at one point, there was a flight of steps leading down to the river. The boatman also assured us that he could bring the boat right up to the steps.
On the day of the Seemollanghana, I was in the Shiva Krishna Mandir, but had requested Shri Nitin Sirur to take some volunteers to the venue and make the necessary arrangements. Sometime in the afternoon I received a troubled call from Shri Nitin who informed me that it was raining heavily, and that the floor of the Math was covered with leaves and mud ! It appeared humanly impossible to clean up the area in time for the ceremony. I panicked. Was my plan going to fail?? How would I face Pujya Swamiji and all the devotees?
All that I could do was- say a silent prayer and seeking the Blessings of H.H. Swamiji to bless me in overcoming all these obstacles.
I rushed to the spot and to my horror, saw for myself the terrible mess on the floor of the Math premises, especially near the vicinity of the place where Pujya Swamiji were to perform puja. My mind was in a turmoil. What could I do to avert the crisis?
To the profound astonishment and immense relief of everyone present, a sudden strong gust of wind followed by a heavy downpour cleaned the floor of the leaves and the mud like magic! The heavy shower ceased once the floor was cleansed….and to our utter surprise, there was no rain thereafter on that day.
We were now in need of some leaves from a mango tree to adorn the mantap erected for the puja. As if on cue, the branch of a mango tree full of leaves snapped and fell, almost at our feet. We were, naturally besides ourselves with joy and felt truly blessed, indeed!
How should I interpret these events? Should I just brush them off as mere co-incidences? Or was it Divine intervention? Yes, it certainly was - an extraordinary event indicating Divine intervention in human affairs. I must add here that the two elderly men who had given us the right advice were never seen again, even though all the villagers came that evening, after Seemollanghana to take the Blessings of Pujya Swamiji.
I sincerely attribute the success of this event to the Grace of the Almighty and the Blessings of Pujya Swamiji. My pranams at the Lotus Feet of H. H. Shrimat Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji, without whose Blessings, it would have been a herculean task to overcome such a big hurdle and arrange a memorable Seemollanghana.
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PICTURE STORY!
Vikram Sirur mam with the Swamiji of
Rudra Swami Mat
