Life or death, Mother is our only companion
This is the fourth article in the series on Shravan Bhakti.
- The pre-requisites for writing any piece on the life of Mother are humility, faith and pure bhava.
- Humility is necessary because it is beyond our capacities to describe accurately the life of an incarnate. Even the Rishis could not comprehend Lord Ram and expressed their inabilities with folded hands by saying that ‘O Ram, we only know you as Dasharatha’s son”.
The story of an incarnate is one, continuous and unbroken story- the origin and end of which is not determinable. The life of an incarnate is known to us only from the start and to the end as manifested to us and to the extent captured by our intellect. We are unaware of the incidents culminating to its start, those following its end and also the aspects which escaped our intellect.
It is for this reason that we should approach the task of writing a story of Mother with humility- for we can never fathom its length, breadth and its depth in full.
- Faith should be that her story will get written by itself – if She wills it and not otherwise. We are merely the pen (instrument) in her hands.
Faith should also be in the power contained in her story. For example, we have all heard with faith, the story of Mother saving her consort in Telichery home from the noose of Yama, the Lord of Death. This story should instill faith in us that Mother has capacity to likewise save any devotee, including us. And if such a moment arrives in our life, the same incident shall come true to us too. The story of Mother saving her consort from Yama, when heard by one devotee translates in to a similar lifesaving experience to him and when such stories are heard by us, be sure that we can also likewise be saved. The story of Mother is thus one long non- ending story – enlarging with every progressive experience of devotees.
These are the merits of Shravan Bhakti- listening to the tales of Mother. An experience of Divine Grace by one devotee will become a matching experience in the life of another – who absorbs this story with faith.
- The bhava in our hearts, while writing her story, should be pure and of selflessness. The story should be written not with the objective of displaying our so-called argumentative or writing skills – but to share genuine experiences of Mother’s Grace for the benefit of mankind at the large. It must be remembered that Mother is fully Self-accomplished and requires no external support or publicity from us to carry out Her Mission. On the contrary, by writing her story, we improve our own learnings and attain self-purification in the process. Therefore, let us expel any thought in our minds that Mother stands to profit by our writing her stories. It is we who stand to gain.
- We had heard that if the life story of Mother has to be written, Veda Vyas himself must come to do it. But, for that reason that we are not Rishis, we need not feel diffident in writing a piece on Mother’s life. All of us have descended from the gotra of some Rishi or the other and therefore, there is gene of this Rishi existing unfailingly in each of too. When we invoke our Mother in moments of pure devotions, this Rishi in us will also surface to write a piece on Mother.
- Obeisance to Rama, the Mother of the Universe. Obeisance to Thee, our Guru and Sole Refuge.
- There is no difference between Mother and Her Naam. The Name can protect the devout with equal tenacity as She in person.
I remember hearing an episode related to an audience by Jyotiben Hirani in Mother’s Thane Mandir. An evil person was stalking a female devotee of Mother on a street and in state of sheer desperation; the lady entered some nearby premises to hide. The man followed her there too. Just when the man had come in her vicinity, the lady shouted Mother’s name loudly – just once. There was nobody else in the premises to hear the shout and help the lady. But, the man took to his heels and ran by the sheer impact of the Name. God only knows what he saw or felt on hearing Mother’s Name. But, he ran away in fright.
- Therefore, great is the merit in reciting the Naam- whether it be Vishnu Sahasranaama or Ram Naam or Sadguru Naam. Invoke any of them – for they are the same. The Shravan of the Naam has capability to defeat any adversity in the life of the chanter –be it a calamity, a debacle or even death.
- The sacred Sri Sai Sat Charita describes in Shirdi Sai Baba’s own words – the efficacy of reciting Vishnu Sahasranaam.
Baba says –‘Naam’, has the power to liberate one from sorrows and cares. It can smash mountains of sins and sever bondage of the physical body. Naam can eradicate and destroy crores of passions. Naam can break the neck of Death. It can avoid the pull of birth-death cycles.
Naam, when chanted with conscious effort, is indeed excellent. Chanted without a conscious effort, it is not bad either. Even if it comes to the lips unexpectedly- it will reveal its power. There is no other means easier than Naam, to purify the heart. It is the adornment of the tongue. Naam nourishes spiritual life.
To take the Naam, a bath is not necessary; Naam has no precepts, no rules – laid down by the Shastras. By taking the Naam, all sins are destroyed; Naam is sacred, always. No other means need be practiced. One can attain Moksha with Naam.
On the greatness of Guru-Naam, Baba says: – “He, who repeats my name all the time, will at once have all his sins washed away. He who is murmuring my name, all the time, is to me more meritorious than the most excellent of men”.
- Similarly, great is also the significance of chanting Ram Naam as cited by the sacred Sri Sai Sat Charita. It is through this Naam that Self-Realization comes. The two letters ‘Ra-ma’ chanted even in the reverse order [ ‘Ma-ra’] by the wayside robber, Valya – made him Valmiki and he acquired such Siddhi that all his utterances came true. Chanting the Naam in reverse order as ‘Mara-Mara’, the Name of Ram appeared, in effect, on his tongue and the life story of Rama got written by him even before Ram was born. `Where Ram- Naam is proclaimed loudly, there revolves Shri Vishnu’s disc, ‘Sudarshan’ – to destroy innumerable obstacles. Such is this Naam- the Protector of the Meek and the Poor.”
- We shall see in the forthcoming paragraphs how the Name of our beloved Sadguru Mother also works similar wonders.
- Taking the Name with full faith is equivalent to surrender to God. There is an interesting connection between Name and Death. Sri Sai Sat Charita cites it with precision. Do hear this with care.
“As is their thought at the time of death, so is the next birth to the creature. Out of fear, an insect becomes a bee. And out of love for the young deer, Jadabharat was born a deer in the next birth.
Whatever the form before the (mental) eye in the moment of his death, it is that same form in which next birth comes. But he, who has surrendered humbly at the feet of God, has no rebirth.
And it is for this reason that devotees were encouraged to cultivate the habit of ceaselessly chanting the Name. So, that when the end comes, they may not be bewildered, but remember to take the Name.
But, what happens if the devotee is in slumber, when Death approaches him? How does he get the opportunity of taking the Name then for his protection? It is therefore essential that one should be simple and guileless and entrust oneself to a saint (Guru). For the Guru knows our fate of rebirth or otherwise and He alone shall stand as your companion at the hour of death.”
- To elaborate – just as we don a physical body, we have also don a sheath of mental body on ourselves. This sheath is image of what we have made ourselves mentally. If we are frightened, we are a ‘deer’; if we are aggressive; we are a ‘lion’. In reality, very few of us are a ‘complete man’ in life- because there is always some animal or other in us – say a deer (fear), a lion (anger), a hyena (deceit), a fire fly (prone to fatal attractions) and so on. The animals in us are the baggage which we have carried forward from our past lives and also what we have reared in the present.
If, we attack a mouse with a stick and it is cornered, it leaps on us like a lion in a last moment attempt to survive death. We have heard of a saying –‘Fear gives one wings’ and that should explain how an insect frightened in face of death become a bee in the next life. To the insect facing death , the only mode of escape possibly in its situation was to ‘fly’ away like a bee and this wistful self-conception at the time of death become his form for the next birth. Which particular mode of fear, we will inherit at time of our death, will be decided by our Karma.
In fact, the law of karma should explain the theory of evolution of species more appropriately than the Darwin’s theory.
- But, to the devout, who ceaselessly chants the Guru- Naam; this Naam will protect him from all his karmas at the time of death. Taking the Name with faith is equivalent of surrender at the Guru’s Feet. In taking the Name, the devotee confirms that he is convinced that he is under the Guru’s protection. Therefore, when a devotee is faced with death, he invokes the Name of his Guru and his mental form becomes that of an entity protected from Death. This is veritably what happens next. Death goes back empty handed – for over such a devotee, Death can stake no claim as he belongs only to the Guru- who is deathless.
To the devotee, who relentless chants the Guru-Naam, the Naam will unfailingly protect him. Even if the devotee is in slumber when Death is approaching in stealth, the Naam will awake the devotee on some pretext and cause him to take the Name.
- What are the advantages in participating in bhajans? Bhajans are praises of the Guru arranged in a lovely garland of flowers of musical words. We have noticed how we feel ‘light’ and ‘tension free’ after singing bhajans. It is as if all the heavy worries and calamities sitting on our heads have suddenly become feather-weight.
Sing bhajans soulfully. Mountains of calamities may fall on us in our lives- but they will fall harmlessly and pleasantly as flowers on our heads. This is the merit in singing bhajans. We shall not feel pains at all.
- Great is the merit in listening to words fallen from the Guru’s lips. No word uttered by the Guru will ever come false. The Guru’s Word is the ‘Sound-Form’ of the Guru. Let no one think that the Guru’s Word heard by us will fade away in our memories. Once heard and absorbed with faith, the Guru’s Word will reside in our minds in ‘silent form’ to guide us in calamities. If Death happens to attack us in stealth -while we are in slumber, this ‘silent form’ will wake us up and guide us instantaneously with the most appropriate option of countering Death. Invoking the Guru by his Name is always the most appropriate option. Guru-Naam will protect us from Death. Yes! It shall do this unfailingly.
- Similarly, great is the fortune of enjoying the Satsang of the Guru. To the devotee, the Satsang may seem momentary i.e. he is enjoying the companionship with the Guru only when the Guru is in his vicinity and the Satsang ends, when they part ways, But, as far as the Guru is concerned, the Satsang is Real, Permanent and Eternal for all lives to come. The Guru is the Only, Real, Reliable and Constant Companion in not just this lifetime- but also at the time of our death and for all times and lives thereafter.
- By the way, a question for the readers? When we see a picture of Mother and her consort Bhagwan in a Telichery background, which leela of Mother crosses our mind first and immediately? Each one of us will answer unfailingly with the same answer. ‘The leela of Mother saving the life of Bhagwan from Yama’s noose’
Blessed undoubtedly are the eyes that have seen the leelas of the Guru. But, those who have not seen the leelas need not feel dejected. It is suffice if they heard the leelas of the Guru with faith and devotion. Shravan of the Guru’s leelas will translate in such leelas coming real in our lives also. Such is the power inherent in the leelas.
- Therefore, fortunate indeed are the devotees of our Mother- who enjoyed her company in her abode in Telichery, basked in her darshan, lost themselves in devotional bhajans and heard her ambrosial discourses.
One such fortunate devotee is Shri M. R Prabhu- whose article called “Earnest Prayer” by Shri. M.R. Prabhu appearing in Golden Jubilee Souvenir, 1961 has attracted my attention.
The article reads as follows –
“ I was a frequent visitor to Mother’s house every day and used to leave the house at eight thirty in the night after bidding farewell both to Shri Bhagwan and Mother – who used to retire at 9 p.m. every night. Disciples visited Mother’s house every day for darshan. Mother gave them welcome with bewitching smile. In the peaceful atmosphere of her home, these disciples listened to elevating discourses and participated in many a thrilling bhajan.
During the day, I used to spend not less than six hours daily in the company of Mother and Bhagwan. I had come across multifarious wonders and miracles. To deal with all will involve me in a lengthy narration. I am going to detail in this article only one of the most memorable incidents. It was a harrowing experience. The miraculous happening and the abatement of my pain almost immediately thereafter- the experience and the miracle which is part of it –stand out vividly in my memory.
I am a man who used to take only one main meal a day in the noon and my usual night repast was almost light. Some eight years back, I as usual took leave of both Bhagwan and Mother at 8.30 p.m. and had sound and good sleep. At about midnight, I felt a weakness. Total exhaustion ensued. I was unable to speak or move; I felt tired and sinking; I feared life would become extinct within a few months. When I opened my eyes I was very much frightened to see before me a tall black figure with something in his hand stretched against me and he was on the verge of throwing it at me and I really felt that my death had approached. At this juncture, realizing my helplessness and gathering all the strength I could command I shouted on the top of my voice to Mother for coming and helping me in this calamity. The efficacy of earnest prayer was proved. Mother stood before me in answer to the prayer. I knew I was safe in her divine presence. I sat up, rid of my pain, weakness and fear. The black figure that stood before me some minutes back, to my surprise, had vanished. I found only loving Mother before me and no one else, and the next moment she vanished as if in vision. I had a sense of relief, difficult to describe and I felt as if nothing had happened to me and woke up in the morning quite hale and hearty.
On the ensuing morning, I prostrated at the lotus feet of Mother in full surrender and she received me in a way as if she knew nothing of the happenings of the previous night. Even today, while writing this article, I shudder to think of the happening. I will be remembering it to the end of my life. I have placed before you this miracle in order to convince you of Mother’s extraordinary protection and certainty of her protection.”
- The article by Shri M. R. Prabhu should put the readers beyond doubt about the fortunes that visited him from keeping Sastang with Mother, hearing and seeing her leelas, taking part in her bhajans and hearing her discourses. Shravan of this article will assuredly give us the same fortunes.
Mother is our only reliable companion – not just in our life time, but also at the moment of Death and thereafter.
In this Kaliyug, for us who are Mother’s children- taking Her Name once full heartedly is equivalent in merits to chanting the entire Sahasranaam of any Deity.
What to write in the next article in the series, Mother will be the Guide.
Jai Mata!
Date: 12th December 2016