You Have Work To Do

I was asked by Janananda Swami to stay in the Kanhangad Ashram for over ten days. I spent my time with him, Sadanand Swamiji and my grandfather, Mr. Devrai Pai. Then one day Janananda Baba called me and said "Now you have to go back to Mumbai. You have work to do. You must first do your duty and come here when you find time." I bowed low and took his permission to leave the Ashram with heavy heart. It was like separating from one's mother. In December of 1979 I returned to Mumbai and took admission in the UDCT Institute for my doctorate degree. My association with Swamiji and Baba’s devotees began during this time.

Shree Janananda Swami

I have begun Part 2 of this offering today, April 30th, 2006. It is Akshaya Tritithiya, an auspicious day on Hindu calendar. On this day Shri Lalita Mauli and my grandfather, Devrai Pai, were born. This year (2005-06) is the birth centenary year of Lalita Mauli and a festival was held in Nityanand Nilaya Gurukul Ashram at Panvel. I was fortunate to have visited the ashram and I took Mahaprasad. I met Vinayakumar Masurkar and Leela Joshi. Leela Joshi was fortunate to accompany Lalita Mauli on her visit to Ganeshpuri to have darshan of Bhagawan Nityananda.

Lalita Mauli recognized the ability of Leela Joshi to compose Bhajans, Stotras and prose. She used to encourage Leela to recite poems in the presence of Bade Baba. They experienced great joy when Bhagawan Nityananda expressed his satisfaction by uttering his typical humkar, upon hearing the Bhajans. Several books of Bhajans were published later on by her. The best was the Nityanand Charitra, designed for daily reading (parayan). Devotees of Saints often write about the life of that saint in the form of poetry, as in the Sri Guru Charitra. This type of work about the life of Swami Nityananda as not available until one was written by Leela Joshi. I offer my salutations to Lalita Mauli by beginning Part 2 of this offering on this auspicious celebration of that time.

Visits to Kanhangad

I joined UDCT for my Ph.D. and then worked in Dyes Research Laboratory. This was my golden period. I got a scholarship which was enough to take care of all my needs. So, I was financially independent and my time was my own. I worked hard and had good relationships with my research guide. This made me very successful in my research. I also had enough time to pursue my quest to spend time with Janananda Baba.

During college I had a friend named Andrew Sequeira. We were studying in D. G. Ruparel College. We were great friends and used to study, as well as, loaf around together. We used to study in the college library until late in the evening. At closing time they had to put us out. When the library closed we sat on the college lawn in the cool grass and discussed our lives and dreams.

One day I mentioned to Andrew that my sister had given me a small book about Swami Vivekananda and his powerful talk on the theme Man is maker of his destiny. Andrew was touched, moved and inspired by Swami Vivekananda's words. He went to Ramakrishna Mutt and bought the entire set of collected volumes of Swami Vivekananda's works. Bhagawan Nityananda had strongly recommended reading the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. So, Andrew and I became partners in our quest for the Truth. We read and discussed different aspects of his teachings.

One day I told him about Bade Baba and the Ganeshpuri Ashram. He became interested and wanted to visit Ganeshpuri. One day we traveled there and stayed for a week. We stayed in a hotel and attended the three pujas at Bhagawan Nityananda’s shrine. Gradually Andrew's inner experience grew and our visits to Ganeshpuri became frequent. Our meager funds made it very difficult to pay for hotel rooms. During one such visit we ran out of money and barely had enough to go home. Now, Andrew is daredevil type, whereas I am a bit cautious and can be easily frightened. He declared "If we have to leave the hotel lets spend the night on the bank of the river under the Divine tree."

On the bank of the river Teja, there was a large Peepal tree with big leaves that can be heard fluttering in the wind. In early 1950s, Bhagawan Nityananda used to go for walks along the bank of this river. He said "All Gods are sitting on the branches of this tree and they express joy when they see people (devotees) visiting Ganeshpuri. All Gods are there." Now this Andrew of mine was ready to spend the night underneath this tree. In this place it is very frightening at night because there are not only insects, but also wild animals everywhere. And I had no desire to become their next victim.

Just as we were leaving Bhagawan Nityananda's shrine, I met Avinash Khade and Chetan Patil. Avinash is the son of Baburao Khade and Chetan is his grandson. They invited us to stay in their bungalow that evening. Alas, I was saved from having to sleep in the wilds underneath that tree! This was the answer to my prayers. Bade Baba was taking care of me! With great joy we went. Mr. Khade was to leave for Mumbai that same evening. He offered us their bungalow and said we could stay as long as we wanted. Our joy knew no bounds.

Since there were no regular visitors the place was bit dirty. So, after they left, Andrew did a massive cleaning of all the rooms in the bungalow. After cleaning, we settled in. I was fond of cooking so we saved money by cooking our own food. We used to place chairs in the garden and sit quietly in contemplation. Andrew read books. We went to the shrine at 6 am, 12 noon and 8pm to do puja. During winter it was very cold and the cold seeped in through our toes and washed over our entire bodies. Here we learned the art of being present to ourselves. In summer it was very hot and, when it rained, it poured. We enjoyed everything. We got soaked in an unending flow of Divine Grave. We were not aware of it at the time, but there was slow, steady transformation occurring in us. Our faces were glowing and we exuded joy wherever we went. People enjoyed our company.

This bungalow is called Indraprasadam. The story behind how it came to be known in this way is a wonderful one. Baburao Khade led a group of youths who visited Bade Baba's Ganeshpuri Ashram regularly to sing Bhajans. This group became known as the Sion group. It was growing in size and they found it difficult to find a place at Ganeshpuri when they visited as a group. This Sion group got even larger when devotees from Nasik were sent by Shree Janananda Swami to join the group. So, one day, Baburao and Gajanan Mhatre approached Bade Baba and expressed their desire to build a small place to accommodate this group of devotees. Bhagawan Nityananda then told them to find a place.

During their search they were informed that, near the Bhadrakali Temple there was an old illiterate man who owned a piece of land. When they met this man, they found him to be meek and gullible. They decided that they could get a good deal by pulling a fast one to get the man to sell for much less than the property was worth. After negotiating their deal, they went to ask Bhagawan Nityananda for his approval of the purchase. Just as they mentioned the place, Bade Baba flew into a rage. "What do you say? That piece of land belonging to that poor old man! You want to cheat him? How dare you think so low?!" Both of them felt so ashamed. Bhagawan Nityananda’s concern for the poor old man was very touching. Even while sharing this story, Gajanan Mhatre was very moved.

Bade Baba then offered them the land next to the Museum. He called Bhagawan Mistry (a devotee who was also a civil contractor) and gave him the order to build a bungalow for the Sion devotees. The bungalow was duly constructed as per the design given by Bade Baba. Baburao Khade, along with all the Sion devotees, asked Bhagawan Nityananda to come to the inauguration ceremony for the bungalow. Bade Baba sent Swami Muktananda in his place. Thus came into being Indraprasadam. This is the place where Swami Janananda used to stay during his visits to Ganeshpuri. Bade Baba said, "Call it Indraprasadam. It is located on the site where Lord Indra performed penance and is full of Divine vibration. It must be used for Bhajans and holy festivals."

Thus we passed the days filled with Bhagawan Nityananda's Grace in this holy bungalow. Both Andrew and I were very fortunate to stay in this holy place. At night one can hear the sound of cymbals being played. Janananda Swami's Shakti can be felt everywhere. The Shakti was so strong that we had to maintain purity of mind. We made best use of the time by immersing ourselves in meditation and prayer. In this way, I had many Divine experiences. I also received instruction for my Sadhana. It is here that Sai Baba appeared to me. He said, "Grace of Sadguru must be obtained. You must meditate with the image of the Sadguru with Abhyahastha (hand raised in blessing) installed in your heart."

A French Lady called Malu Lanvin visited me here. I had met Malou at Kanhangad and we became great friends. Malou was a very advanced spiritual soul and was initiated by Baba Muktananda. Her love for Janananda Baba was very intense and she wrote to me many beautiful and inspiring letters. She used to visit the Rishikesh Ashram of Swami Shivananda. She also meditated in the Himalayas. She had an equally spiritually evolved daughter named Miriam.

One day Malou took me to Nasik to visit Swami Prakashananda. He knew my Uncle, Sitaram Shenoy, and when I was introduced to him he received me with great love. He used to call me Docterbabu. Although we were meeting for the first time, he spoke to me with familiarity, as if we had known each other for long. He prepared tea with his own hands and served me. He shared with me the many experiences of his Sadhana. He was always full of love for Bhagawan Nityananda. He told me how he survived on the fruit of the Rumbad tree. This tree has a fruit on it that looks like figs. The Rumbad tree is considered to be the Divine abode under which Lord Dattatreya is often found.

Guruvanam

One day Andrew expressed that he wanted to go to Bhagawan Nityananda's Kanhangad Ashram with me. Both of us went to Kanhangad and were received by Janananda Baba. We were given the same center room that I had stayed in previously. During this visit, we also met Sharad Jaywant. My father told me to ask permission of Janananda Baba to sit in that very cave at the Kanhangad Ashram where Bade Baba was normally to be found when he was at Kanhangad. I approached Janananda Swami and told him that I wished to meditate in the cave where Bade Baba lived. Swamiji agreed and sent the watchman PT to accompany me to identify the right cave. During those days Swamiji normally discouraged anybody from meditating inside the caves. Very few devotees were allowed.

I then asked Swamiji for permission to visit Guruvanam for an overnight stay. Asking for permission was not an easy task. Swamiji could, at times, be very strict in his admonishment. But to my surprise he gave me permission. Most of the villagers went to Guruvanam on foot but we city people were advised to hire a taxi. If you choose to walk to Guruvanam, you have to wade across the river at Nileshwar.

Swamiji wanted to know who else would accompany me and how we would travel. After explaining who would be going with me, surprisingly, Janananda Baba gave Andrew, Sharad and I permission to travel by foot and to stay for one night. All three of us were overjoyed when we heard this. The attendants at the Ashram were also surprised at we had been given permission.

We started early the next morning after breakfast. We bowed low to Swamiji and he uttered the humkara typical of Bade Baba, as a sign of permission. We walked the entire distance and reached the river. It was a lush green with coconut trees swaying on its banks. The villagers found it funny to see three men wading through that river, shaking like leaves. The local people were wading across with ease, whereas we were a funny sight to them.

Finally we reached Guruvanam. For the rest of the day we wandered through the Guruvanam jungle, eating fruits and drinking tender coconut water. Evening came and it turned dark. In those days there was no electricity in that region. So, when I say it got dark, it was pitch dark until the moon rose. Guruvanam was known for nocturnal animals, insects, snakes and scorpions. But we were not afraid. Under the bright moonlit night we took a bath in the "Papanashini Ganga."

Pilgrimage to Amarnath Cave

Andrew became a bank officer and was transferred to Northern India. I continued on in my studies to get my doctorate. In that period he undertook several pilgrimages from Kanya Kumari to the Himalayas. He visited Jaganath Puri, Kedarnath, Badhrinath, Amarnath Dakshineshwar, Almora, Ujjain, Dwarka, Kashi, Vaishnodevi and several other places.

Andrew was now well read in many scriptures and had also advanced in his Sadhana. He was very impressed with the Vaishnodevi cave and temple, and equally impressed with the Amarnath Yatra that he had undertaken several times in the thick of winter. He wanted me to make this pilgrimage because he wanted to share this divine experience. The journey to Amarnath is difficult for a city-bred person like myself. From the description that he gave me I was frightened at the idea of taking the journey.

There was one major difference between Andrew and myself. He was strong, athletic and a daredevil. On the other hand, I was never attracted to sports of any kind, I am a bit weak physically and not very adventurous. The very thought of walking in snow at very high altitudes on a very narrow path, high over a wide chasm, made me perspire. Andrew had a lot of experience in these matters and he was quite persuasive. He convinced me to join him on the next journey and assured me that, with the proper gear, we would make it together.

This is not an easy journey to take. Normally it is done in small groups. For the sake of safety, this journey is undertaken during the annual festival, when the Government of India organizes the travel plan and sends volunteers to oversee this pilgrimage that is attended by thousands of devotees. This festival occurs on the full moon day called Narli Purnima, or Coconut day. It is a festival which marks the end of the monsoon season. Coconuts are offered to the sea god and fisherman once again start their business of fishing. My friend Andrew wanted to make the journey early in the season. He wanted to walk over the virgin glaciers and be first to have Lord Amarnath’s darshan. I had no choice but agree to his idiosyncrasies. So, I purchased all that was needed to travel in the Himalayas and the two of us boarded the train to Jammu in early June.

Andrew took the role of the leader and I chose to abide by his decisions. After we arrived at Jammu, he told me to rest in a Dharamshala. He thought it best to rest during the day and travel at night when there were less people and it was cooler. We started the climb to the Vaishnodevi shrine late in the evening. I was awestruck by this journey and the natural beauty that surrounded us. The devotion of the other pilgrims was also very moving. All types of people of all ages, from different parts of India and abroad, were climbing the countryside with very deep faith in the Divine Mother. The night air was charged by a chorus exclaiming "Jai Matadi!" I experienced brotherhood and love, as if each of us belonged to one mother. Andrew was also deeply touched.

The climb to the Vaishnodevi Cave had become long and physically painful for me. My solace came in the form of observing people much older and more frail than I, making this journey with little effort and full Faith. On the way up, we took a bath in the cold river. This is where Lord Hanuman took water for the Divine Mother, Vaishnodevi. Taking a bath in that river was indeed very soothing if one could overlook shivering! Finally we reached the cave called Ardhakuvanri. This cave has an appearance that seems like being inside a womb. It is a narrow cave through which one can pass only while lying on one's back or stomach and crawling through it. Passing through this cave is considered to be like taking a birth in the Divine Mother’s womb.

I entered the cave with Andrew leading. This was the most wonderful experience of my life! I could feel Divinity everywhere inside it. The interior was very smooth and slippery and the surface stones were round. This creates a feeling of being inside a human body. When I came out there was a transformation in my being. If one is present to this experience, imagine what it is like!? It is an opportunity to take birth from the womb of the Divine Mother!

Then we went to the shrine, which is a cave with cold water flowing underfoot. The tide of that water is knee deep. As there was a rush pf water, the volunteers used to push the devotees to hurry past the deity. All this pushing and pulling allowed the devotees to have a glimpse of the deity for a few seconds only. The moment I noticed this, a thought passed through my mind. "Oh Mother! With great difficulty I have come so far to have your darshan. I don’t know if I will ever make this trip again. Your devotees believe that it is only by your will that one can have your darshan. Mother dear! Please give me a few minutes to be in your presence."

The cold water below my feet made me shiver. My leg muscles were now tired, cramping and screaming for rest. We reached the altar. At that very moment, a man in front of me dropped one of his valuables into the water below. To retrieve it he had to stop. The volunteers who were insisting that the crowd move quickly had to stop to allow that man to search in dark in knee deep water for his belongings. This took a little time. The Divine Mother answered my prayer! Now I had plenty of time to have her darshan. With great love and sense of fulfillment I stood in front of her. All physical pain vanished and I was very happy. Mother blessed me thus. I invoked Bade Baba, Janananda Swamiji, my mother and all other devotes of Bhagawan Nityananda to be present in that cave with me so that I could receive the Grace of the Siddhas.

After darshan, Andrew insisted that we climb further to have the darshan of Kal Bhairav. Now, I could hardly lift my legs due to cramps. Andrew, on the other hand, was still energetic. Once again I followed him and finally sat in front of Kal Bhairav. The sun had just risen and it was a beautiful sight. We sat there in silence just being present to Grace. Andrew tied red cloth around my head. There was a cool and soothing breeze flowing over our tired bodies. Both of us fell into a silent contemplation that allowed us to become absorbed in Divinity. In the midst of hundreds of people, there was a sense of calm, as if it was just three of us; Andrew, Mother and I.

After resting we began our climb down the mountain with a heavy heart. Once again we reached the dharamshalla and Andrew ordered me to sleep. This time, he didn’t have to coax me. I lay down and soon fell into a deep sleep. The next morning we set out for Amarnath.

The Climb to Amarnath

In 1987 the terrorism in Kashmir was at its height. The day we decided to start for Amarnath a curfew was declared due to riots. We, however, decided to start irrespective of the situation. We were stopped by military personnel along the way. When the soldiers understood that we wanted to make the pilgrimage to Amarnath, they ordered us to turn back. It was very dangerous to travel alone and anything could happen. One of the soldiers used every possible foul language to dissuade us from going to Amarnath.

I finally said "Sir, we have left home to have darshan of Baba Amarnath. Now we have only two choices. Either we visit Amarnath or die at the hands of the terrorists." Oh! Brave me? When I uttered these words he asked me "Where are you from?" I answered "From Bombay." When I said I was from Bombay, his attitude changed. He eagerly asked "Do you understand Marathi?" I immediately answered "I am Maharashtrian." He was longing to meet someone from his home town. After exchanging some pleasantries he promised to help us.

He hailed a truck that was headed for the interior of Kashmir. He stopped the truck and told the driver "These are my friends and they wish to go to Sonmarg. You have to ensure that they reach there safely. I am handing them over to you. If anything happens to them you will have to face me." The driver was an old Sikh and he accepted us as his passengers. We thus began our journey to Sonmarg.

Andrew and I safely reached Sonmarg in the evening. The beautiful peaks were beckoning Andrew. But the fear of terrorists, along with the fact that it would soon be dark, was frightening me. Andrew looked at the mountain and said "Let’s begin the journey right now. Soon it will be night and it would be wonderful to walk in the moonlight." Under this strict dictator I had no choice. I followed him and began the climb. Half way on the steep trail I slipped and came rolling down. When I landed on the ground I stood firm and declared "I am not interested in making this climb at night! Forget it! I don’t want to see that Amarnath of yours. If he wants he will come down here and meet me. You may continue. I would prefer to spend the night here in the jungle."

If we had made this journey during the pilgrimage season, there would have been Langars (small, roadside canteens that serve food) along the route. The people running the canteens could have kept me company until the morning. So, even though it was a bold statement for me to make, I was still frightened because there was not a single soul anywhere in the sight. Andrew was still insisting that we continue. I found myself in a dilemma, as both the alternatives were frightening for me. I had no alternative but to call upon my Nityananda Baba. I raised my hands and prayed to Bhagawan Nityananda. I told Bade Baba that only he could now make it possible for me to get through this.

Just as I was about lose my faith in getting any help from Bade Baba, an old Muslim appeared and asked what we were up to. On hearing of Andrew's intention, he said that it would be stupid and dangerous to walk the narrow path up the mountain at night. He offered to put us up in his house for night and he promised to escort us to Amarnath early the next morning. Oh! The Grace of my Nitya! Yes, Bade Baba was ever present to help me. I jumped to my feet and led Andrew to the old man’s house before he could talk us into continuing the journey at night. Now I was the leader.

All three of us walked the long distance to the man's hut. It was dark already and, looking at the moon, I thanked God for sending this old man at the right time. He offered us some rice to eat and gave us blankets to sleep with. The entry to his hut was very low and it was absolutely dark. I was tired from my own anxiety and decided to push any thoughts of the old man himself being a terrorist out of my mind. This hut was eerie. In the middle of night I was repeatedly lifted and thrown on to the floor by some unknown force. I could see nothing except a silhouette of Andrew sleeping. I closed my eyes and prayed for Bhagawan Nityananda to take care of us.

Soon it was morning. When I described to Andrew my experience of being lifted and thrown on to the floor while sleeping, he expressed that he had a similar experience. He too experienced some strange eerie feeling. The old man and his wife gave us tea and we left the next morning. He offered his pony and, even before Andrew could refuse, I accepted the offer.

Our journey up the mountain to Amarnath finally began. Andrew was leading, followed by me on the pony and then the old man. Andrew was wearing just a T-shirt, trousers and a towel over his shoulders. I wore warm cloths with a wind-breaker over them, and I carried a first aide kit by my side. Andrew was walking with both his hands behind his back in very sturdy and rhythmic steps, showing no fear of the steep and narrow path. The army had still not repaired the trail and, at times, the path was so narrow that even the pony was frightened of continuing; A solace for my ego!

I asked Andrew how he could be so calm in the face of such dangers as falling from the narrow path or the exposure to severe cold. He answered "It is all conditioning of mind. Just be present to the path and you will walk with no fear." He asked me to give it a try. I was already deaf to his crazy ideas. My fear of the cold and falling into a deep chasm was enormous. But my Nitya was there to take care of his frightened child. Suddenly, the sun peeped out of the clouds! It got very warm and I had to remove most of my clothing! Never in his many visits had Andrew experience this phenomenon of a hot sun in the middle of the cold season.

Under the Sun's rays we finally reached the cave shrine of Lord Shiva called Amarnath, The Eternal One. The ice Linga was full of luminous glory. Except for a saint with his tent pitched outside the cave, there was no one else there. There are two mountains there, connected by a glacier. It was so beautiful. The sage asked us to clean the cave. We took a broom and cleaned the cave. I then bowed low to the Shiva Linga. Then I did what would not have been possible under normal circumstances. I hugged the ice Linga. For several minutes I hugged it repeatedly. I called upon my Nityananda Bhagawan, my Janananda Baba, my family deity (Shanteri, Kamakshi and Ramnath; Shiva and his consort), my mother, all the devotees and all my relatives. At the feet of The Eternal One, Amarnath, I prayed to Bade Baba for his eternal Grace.

Both Andrew and I were thus blessed with extraordinary darshan, both in the form of the Divine Mother and Lord Shiva. My eyes were filled with tears of love and gratitude towards my Endless One, Bhagawan Nityananda, for his appearance as The Eternal One, Amarnath. The Anantha (The Endless One) and The Amarnath (The Eternal One) united on the mountain ranges of Himalayas! After having darshan, the sage offered us lunch and then we began our descent.

So, with the blessings of Shree Janananda Swami, I began what was to become an era of pilgrimage. Everywhere I went, I experienced his never- ending Love and Grace. It was as if God came out to greet me.

Shri Sadgurunatharpanamasthu!

Hari Om Tat Sat

Part 3.