When God’s grace descends on us, we are made to take the right action and thereby our lives are transformed. I am one of those who experienced such a transformation when I received the opportunity of taking updesha from Mother Tara Devi on April 14th 1979. Let me narrate this incident.
My father late Gopal Bhatkal had the good fortune of being drawn to Divine Mother Rama Devi in 1975. After a serious illness, he longed for upadesha but the time came to him only in April 1979, when the call came from Divine Mother Sree Tara Devi to devotees from Karnataka desirous of taking Upadesha from Her to gather at Shaktinagar for two weeks. Accordingly my father made plans to undertake the journey. He suddenly asked me to receive the upadesha along with him.
I was in a dilemma. Though I had never been to Shaktinagar, nor had I met Mother Sree Rama Devi or Sree Tara Devi there was a feeling of regret of not having seen Mother Rama Devi. She had attained mahasamadhi by then. I was not sure if I would be accepted by Mother Sree Tara Devi. Hence I decided not to go with father. My father must have been disheartened by my response and even said that I might not get such an opportunity again, but I was firm in my decision.
One night I had a sweet dream. Both me and my father were in our ancestral house in Davangere. The house had a large courtyard with fruit trees. There was a tap outside the house a little away from the steps leading to the house, for watering the plants. It was on the steps that I saw Divine Mother Rama Devi standing. She was wearing a white sari with the orange border. One hand was raised in blessing. She addressed both of us and asked us to wash our feet before coming for upadesha, we washed our feet and then went inside the house after which the dream ended.
I woke up; the dream had made a deep impact on me. I realized that this was a message from Divine Mother She had accepted me as her disciple. A phone call was made to Mother Sree Tara Devi, would She be willing to accept one more disciple, someone who was brand new to the fold.
Mother approved – after all the call was from Her. I made my first trip to Shaktinagar. After the upadesha ceremony Mother Sree Tara Devi held classes for us on meditation and other aspects of spiritual life.
I have since made several trips to Shaktinagar which I have started realising as my real Home.
It is indeed an honor and a privilege to be Her disciple and to participate in Her mission.
Jai Mata.
– Amar Bhatkal