shreeswamisamarthtanaya
Spiritual journey of a Swami Samarth and Shirdi Sai devotee
Swami Gayatri
Tuesday 21 Nov 2017, I woke up at 6 am as I wanted to recollect and write down my experience of the previous day. I wanted to treasure each word that Babaji had spoken through Ware Kaka. I hurried to fix breakfast at around 7.00 am as it has taken me an hour to recollect the details. The morning was perfect with clear skies and the Powai city waking up to the noises of the day. I made coffee and stared in to the distance to find thinking about the day. This was another day that I had been looking forward to for a long time. I was going to meet another Swami Gopi # 3. She had not only played a key role in teaching me Sahaj Swami Bhakti but also helped me meet another divine soul. So how did I run in to Swami Gopi # 3.
Let me give you a brief description of this loving soul. She lives in Vashi, a Mother and an adoring wife. To the world she may be an ordinary person but for me she is no less than a “Swami Angel”. Also, Rahadhiraj has bestowed her with a gift of tarot reading and numerology. I have not known Aparna for a long time. On 8th Jan 2017 a prayer was posted on our “Swami Swadhdhyay Parivaar” (A WhatsApp group created for Swami devotees across the globe) and chanting this prayer was helpful cancer patients. I saw Leena’s message about wanting to know more about the prayer. So I dropped her a personal message in the spirit of helping. I also shared with information on ayurvedic medicines and research available for cancer patients in Trayambakeshwar, Nashik (a learning from my Nov 2016 India trip). We ended up chatting to each other over the next few days. As always Swami has connected me with devotees across the globe. In this case I never knew that my acquaintance with Aparna would bring me immense joy. Since the very first day Aparna openly shared two precious stones of Swami Bhakti. They were “Swami Naamsmaran” and “Gayatri Mantra” given to her Guru by Swami in drushtant (dream state). Two simple methods but it was my folly I took so long to understand its value!A few days later Aparna sent me a recording of Swami’s Gayatri Mantra. I listened to it but found it very powerful and tried chanting it but I felt as if my head would explode! My bhaktisaar with Aparna continued over the next few months via Whatsapp and over the phone. I shared some of my Swami poems with her. Through out the entire journey I must have said to her that her face looked very familiar.
One day in April 2017, we were discussing about Swami living links over the phone. Aparna told me about her Swami journey and her initiation into deeper realms of Swami Bhakti by her Guru, Mrs. Meher Marker. She also mentioned that Mrs. Marker had received the Gayatri chanting from Swami in a dream state. The phone almost fell from my hands as I heard it. I heard Aparna saying, “Are you there? Is everything okay?”. I replied, “Yes, I’m fine. I just had a thought message from Shirdi Sainath. I had to stop and listen to it and to keep up with its transmission. I need to explain it to you for some reason. In the early days of Sai Bhakti, Baba had told me that when I am “ready” I will meet a Parsi Lady who will explain my life purpose. I have waited for 10 long years to meet this Parsi Lady and I think Mrs. Marker is the one!” We ended our conversation with Aparna offering to put me in touch with Mrs. Marker asap.
I shall save my journey with Mrs. Marker for the next post. Let’s get back to the morning in Powai!
The door bell rang sharp at 8.00 am making me snap me out of my self-introspection. I opened the door for our house-help, Neha and chatted to her briefly and requested her to try and finish cleaning up by 10 am. I had planned to meet Aparna at the Swami Math, Dadar around 11.00 am then eat lunch and continue our “gappa goshti” (chat). Honestly, I wasn’t very keen to go to the Dadar Math but I knew Swami had a plan up his sleeve. My phone calendar alarm buzzed to remind me of an appointment with Mrs. Marker at 2.00 pm.
The day was rolling by quickly and by 10.15 am, I was in a cab to Dadar Math. While I was in the cab I received a phone call from GirishK (Swami bhoomi). He was sounding ecstatic as he spoke, “I went to the Chintamani Temple in Theyur this morning to pray. I met an old man around 4 feet tall. In commanding tone asked me to visit the Hanuman temple before going to see Ganpati. I went in the temple and He queried why was I praying in my mind, speak loudly to Him and ask Him for what you seek, He is listening! So I prayed loudly and then the man asked me for some tea. I had 21 rupees with me and I gave it to him and moved out. After about 45 mins of finishing the temple visit, I went to find an ATM to withdraw cash. I think an hour must have gone by and I saw the same man sitting outside a small restaurant. I asked him did you have tea. He replied saying He will have it now! This man was taking baby like steps as He was unable to walk properly. He insisted that I should have tea. The tea story has been going since a long time. At home, near the Shankar Maharaj photo we have been keeping every first cup of tea made in out house for him and then have it later. This had stopped for a few months and it was Maharaj’s way to remind me to do so.”
From what I heard in the traffic, I had tears in my eyes. Somewhere in hear I longed to go to Shankar Maharaj Math in Pune. I had to tell Girish that I needed to return his call as the cab driver couldn’t find the Math and we were lost.
I finally reached the Math at 11.30 am and found Aparna near the Math. We hugged each other like best friends. Aparna had brought some fresh sonchafa flowers from home to offer Swami and shared some with me. We kept our shoes at the counter and went in to the Math. He looked magnificent and I did a namaskar saying, “hello Swami, kashey aahat tumhi, mi parat aaaley” (hello Swami, how are you and I am back). We gave the flowers to the priest and then sat down in the common area to pray. Just then, my mobile phone rang and GirishK was calling me. My eyes were on Swami’s photo as I spoke to GirishK. He sounded thrilled and said, “I am sitting with Maharaj and having tea. He is next to me and I thought of calling you.” I wanted to hear more about Girish’s divine experience but one of the temple volunteers angrily told me to switch off my phone. I considered running out of the Math to listen to his story but the exit was far away and it would have taken 5-10 mins. I mentally thanks Shri Shankar Maharaj for his darshan and told Girish to hang up. My last words were, ” Girish, I have to go the temple volunteer is very angry but please enjoy every second of your chai with the divinity.” So saying I hung up and continued praying to Shankar Maharaj and Swami. I considered myself to blessed to have the presence of two perfect Masters at that moment. At the end of that day, I called Girish and heard the incident. He told me that after having tea the old man disappeared in to thin air and Girish couldn’t find him anywhere!
After our prayers at the Math, Aparna and I collected our shoes and stepped out. I stopped by the flower shop to buy roses for Mrs. Marker and dropped in at the small store selling pooja items and books. I queried if they had any books in English on Kardalivan as well a shawl for a mid-size Swami moorti. I didn’t either items but I found something valuable. I bought the beautiful Swami calendar which has Shekhar Sane paintings and Anandnath Maharaj poems. The person at the store gave me The Devine Life Of Swami Samarth by D.A.Ghaisas. He suggested that I should read it and shared that Mr. Ghaisas is his research guide and he introduced himself as Deepak Lonkar. He told me that he was currently studying M.Phil in DattaSampradaya. I almost pinched myself when I heard it. For last few years, I have been searching information to do a PhD in something related to Shri DattaGuru lineage. Mr. Lonkar kindly shared me all the information of how to seek admission and I thanked him. He gently said, “It’s Swami’s wish that we are talking about the research work.” I paused and thought Swami did have something in mind!
I completely forgot about Aparna and she stood patiently beside me. We left the Math and went to have lunch a local restaurant. We chatted until 1.15 pm while eating traditional Marathi food. I had to bid farewell to Aparna as I needed to meet Mrs. Marker. Such was the wonderful meeting with Swami Gopi #3. The below words crossed my heart as I wrap up yet another Swami leela:
तोची एक समर्थांच्या शोधात मी सामर्थ्य झाले
“Tochi Ek Samarthaan Chya Shodhaat, Mi Saamarthya Jhale”
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