"Guru eka jagii Traata,”
says GAYATRI KATRE as she shares some miraculous experiences from her devout connect with our revered Parama Guru – H.H. Shrimat Parijnanashram Swamiji III. With this moving account we begin our occasional series called ‘Sahavasa’ ... (January 2024)
My first samparka with H.H. Parijnanashram Swamiji III was when I was around 10 years old and had visited the Khar Anandashram Math, Mumbai, with my family for Gurudarshan. The Math at Mumbai was yet to be inaugurated, so Pujya Parijnanashram Swamiji was then staying in ‘Ramdas Nivas’ in the same compound. When Swamiji entered the pandal and took His seat, everyone sat down hurriedly.. I suddenly realised that there was no place for me and feeling confused, I looked around. Incidentally, I also happened to look at Swamiji and noticed that He was observing my discomfort closely. Swamiji’s Kripadrishti had such a magnetic pull that I totally lost awareness of the surroundings. The experience was both surreal and divine. In retrospect, I feel that unforgettable divine and compassionate Glance had re-established a Guru-Shishya connection from past lives.
Later, in the year 1967, during the Sadhana Saptaha held in Mumbai, Swamiji wrote a shloka from Shrimad Bhagavadgita (Ch12, V 8) in my autograph book –
मय्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय|
निवसिष्यसि मय्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशयः||
Through this shloka, from a very tender age of just 12, Swamiji’s Grace guided my मन, बुद्धि and my overall being into the fold of His रक्षाकवच. I felt, I now belong only to my Guru, although I did not understand the depth of the word ‘Guru’ at that age. All through my childhood, my married life and to this day, I have experienced His Support, Guidance, Compassion, and Protection at every step
सुखाच्या क्षणांत, व्यथांच्या घणांत
उभा पाठीशी एक अदृश्य हात ||
In the early ‘eighties, my husband, Vivek, was confined to bed with a slipped-disc. Such was the severity of the illness that the vibration caused by even a slightest sound in the room would cause him extreme discomfort. The doctor had advised surgery, but did not guarantee complete success and cautioned of a possibility of Vivek getting paralysed hip-downwards for life! Since Ganesh Chaturthi was fast approaching, Vivek decided to undergo surgery after the festival. Swamiji was then camping in Mumbai. When I went to offer vaina to Swamiji, I apprised Him of the situation, and He smilingly said,
“कशाला घाबरतेस, मी आहे ना” ( “Why fear, when I am here”)
This गुरुवाक्य has always been sacrosanct for me. I was balancing Vivek’s health condition and taking care of our daughters who were, at that time, five years and one year old, respectively. I was a homemaker and without a house of our own. I had every reason to panic – but did not, for the गुरुवाक्य had become my pillar of immeasurable strength, call it foolishness or faith!
During this time, one afternoon, Vivek was alone at home as I had gone to pick up my daughter from school. Swamiji came to our home uninformed and rang the doorbell continuously. Swamiji’s Anugraha, through the vibrations of the ringing doorbell, made the totally bedridden and irritated Vivek get up, walk to the door, and open it without realising how it had happened. He was surprised to see Pujya Swamiji standing with one hand on the doorbell, the other on His waist, napkin on His shoulder and a broad captivating smile on His face.
Upon my return, I was shocked to see the open door but immensely overjoyed to see Swamiji with Vivek– Gurudeva’s अगाध लीला. Do I need to say that Vivek did not require surgery after this? What a miracle! अशक्यही शक्य करतील स्वामी. My heart was filled with gratitude as I thought, “We are safe in Your Hands my Gurudeva, You are with us every second - watching, caring, and protecting.” Truly, the Guru gives us these little reminders, these unforgettable experiences to let us know that He is always with us on our longest and toughest journeys.
Around the mid-'eighties, Pujya Mataji of Ramnagar told devotees to collectively do five crores of ‘शिवपञ्चाक्षरी मन्त्र’ जप for Swamiji’s health condition. My parents immediately agreed to do the required individual count. I was asked to do 5000 counts of japa. Like always, I decided to seek Swamiji’s Blessings before starting this mantra-japa. During my visit to Khar Anandashram Math, when I sought Swamiji’s permission, He said,
जप करायची इच्छा, स्वतःला आतून वाटली पाहिजे, दुसर्याने सांगून होत नाही.
अग, ५००० वेळा माझे नाम घेशील आणि मग मला विसरून जाशील , ते मला नको.
तू प्रत्येक क्षण माझ्याशी सतत connected रहावीस अशीच माझी इच्छा आहे”
He asked me, “Who is your इष्टदेवता?” I replied, “You, Swamiji.”
He said,
“घरी सगळी कामे तूच करतेस ना, तेव्हां दिवसभरात जी कार्य करशील ती करताना, माझ्या इष्टदेवासाठी घर साफ करते, त्याच्यासाठी स्वयंपाक करते, त्याचे कपडे धुते, त्याने वापरलेली भांडी घासते, ह्याच भावनेने रोज प्रत्येक काम कर. तेव्हां सगळी कामे तू उत्साहाने, व्यवस्थित, न कंटाळता प्रेमाने करशील. रोज रात्रि झोपायच्या वेळी प्रत्येक कार्य स्मरून इष्टदेवाला अर्पण कर. इष्टदेवाला सदैव उत्तमच अर्पण करावे. एखादी चुकीची गोष्ट अर्पण करताना खूप लाजिरवाण वाटेल. तशीच वेळ भविष्यात परत आली तर सावध होशील. अशीच नकळत आन्तरिक शुद्धि होत राहील.”
Roughly capsuled that means do every task as if you are doing it for your Ishtadevata -your chosen deity. This way you will do everything with love and devotion and not boredom. At the end of the day, offer it to Him/Her. Since we should offer our chosen deity only the best of everything, obviously you will feel shamefaced to offer a wrongdoing...and this will serve as a reminder to prevent you from committing the same mistake again. Thus, inner cleansing will keep happening almost unconsciously
He then narrated Shabari’s story – when her Guru, Sage Matanga, was about to leave his body, Shabari prayed, “Lord, take me with You. I cannot live without You.” Then , the Guru told her that one day Lord Rama would come to see her and with His दर्शन and अनुग्रह she would attain her goal. With complete faith in her Guru, thereafter, Shabari tirelessly and devotedly followed her daily routine of cleaning the ashram, fetching flowers and fruits from the forest for Lord Rama while unceasingly reciting रामनाम. When Lord Rama finally came to the ashram, she was very old. But, all along, she never once doubted the words, power, or wisdom of her Guru
Swamiji said, “I want you to be like Shabari.” In a simple way, Swamiji had explained कर्मयोग which I would be able to understand and practice as I went about doing my daily chores while remaining constantly connected with the Gurushakti.
Many years later, at Shri Chitrapur Math, Shirali, when H.H. Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji asked me whether I had received मन्त्रदीक्षा from Pujya Parijnanashram Swamiji, I narrated the incident shared above. While giving me मन्त्रदीक्षा, Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji said, do the इष्टमन्त्र जप devotedly and regularly, then, the alignment with the Guru will speed up. I am so indebted and grateful to Swamiji, because we are experiencing the same Concern, Unconditional love, Protection, and Eternal Grace flowing incessantly from Him. It is an assurance for me that He who has led me so far will certainly guide me further in my life’s journey
|| न सोडी कदा स्वामी ज्या घेई हाती||
(The Master never abandons the one He has taken into His Fold)
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