My family is blessed. I say that because the Divine has accepted our prayers in a critical period of our lives and given all of us a reason to smile again. Almost one and a half years ago, a very good friend of mine told me about Guruji, narrating how Guruji had been blessing her family for almost a decade and a half. However, I could not or did not go.
Later, on April 3, 2013, I got news that my mother had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The very next day, I flew down to Delhi to be with my family.
We looked at all the therapeutic means available-homeopathy, Ayurveda, and allopathy-we left no stone unturned but had no clue about what would prove effective. My sister met an Ayurvedic doctor and my mother was started on some medicines. Meanwhile, all the allopathic doctors suggested a surgery; none of us, including my mother, were keen on that. Our world had come apart.
At that point of time, my uncle came to know about Guruji. My mom and brother along with my uncle and aunty visited Bade Mandir three days after mom's diagnosis. Mom's cancer had spread to her lungs, due to which she had problems breathing and would quickly feel fatigued. But that day, I came to know, she managed to be at the Bade Mandir for close to five-six hours and also have
langar.
The next morning, I could hear my mom reciting the
mantra: Om Namah Shivay Shivji Sada Sahay; Om Namah Shivay Guruji Sada Sahay. I was astonished. After all, my mother couldn't even talk for a long time, and here she was taking deep breaths and reciting the mantra. I went to her and asked her to repeat it because it felt as if God was speaking from her mouth. Every morning she would do the
mantra jaap and it made all of us feel very good.
The following Monday, I went to the Ayurveda hospital to collect my mom's reports. At the very first glance, the place did not inspire confidence. After consulting the so-called physicians at the hospital, I decided to drop mother's Ayurveda treatment. The day was a Monday, the day special to Lord Shiva, and I felt Guruji had saved us from these doctors.
We continued to consult doctors through the week, and finally on a Monday again, April 15, we were referred to a physician, who turned out to be amazing, at AIIMS. He convinced my mother and my family about the need to have a surgery at the earliest. The fact that this happened on a Monday deepened our belief. We felt we were in safe hands.
My mom's surgery was planned at a reputed private hospital for the next day, a Tuesday. Both the doctors at AIIMS and private went by the name of Bal. That again gave us confidence, since Bal is a name of Lord Hanuman,who is a form of Lord Shiva, that is, Guruji.
On Tuesday, my mom was admitted to the hospital. On Wednesday, she was taken to the OT for her surgery at 7:40 a.m. We met Dr. Bal, the surgeon, who told us that surgery would start at 10 in the morning after mom was under anesthesia.
Suddenly, I had the urge to go to Bade Mandir and seek Guruji's blessings. Until now, I had known Guruji only through my friend and mom and had not had His
darshan. I called up my friend and checked with her about the Mandir timings. She told me that the Mandir was closed on Wednesdays, but I should go there and Guruji would Himself call us inside for His darshan if He wanted to bless us. Without a second thought, my brother and I went to Bade Mandir. The gate was closed. We sat at the gate for a few minutes, praying with eyes closed to the Almighty to call us for His darshan.
A couple of devotees had meanwhile come to Bade Mandir. It seemed Guruji had sent them to let us in. The gate was opened and we quickly went in, sat outside Guruji's
samadhi and prayed tearfully to Him. We accepted
jal prasad and started again for the hospital.
It was 1 pm when the doctors came out and said that the surgery was successful. Upon hearing the news, my brother and I went back to Bade Mandir to thank Guruji for all that He had done for us.
When mom gained consciousness, she could not speak because of a cannula in her throat. So, she wrote on a piece of paper: "
Shivji ne darshan diye." Lord Shiva had given her darshan right before she went under anesthesia.
For all of us, it just meant one thing: Guruji had blessed her and us.
On April 19, all of us three siblings went to Bade Mandir to thank Guruji again. We attended the
satsang. I do not drink tea or coffee because I dislike milk. As I was offered
chai prasad, I folded my hands before the
sewadar in a polite gesture of refusal. However, his eyes seemed to brook no denial. I simply took the glass and drank the tea prasad till the last drop.
At the satsang, I tried a couple of times to meet my friend's father as I wanted Guruji's photo. I wished to keep it under my mom's pillow for her speedy recovery. She was still in the ICU. I couldn't find him, however, and had to come back to my place. I also did not want to leave Bade Mandir without having langar prasad, which is a vital part of Guruji's blessings. We surrendered ourselves to Guruji's implicit orders and ate langar prasad. After we had langar, we found my friend's family and obtained Guruji's photo. We soon reached the hospital and placed His photo under my mom's pillow.
The next Monday was April 22, and we somehow felt that it would again be auspicious. My brother reached home at 8 am after attending to mom at night in the hospital. At 8:15 am, I got a call from my sister saying that mom was found fit for discharge. Our smiles just could not get bigger. Without wasting a second, we started for the hospital. It was a Monday and Guruji had blessed us again.
The following Saturday, we went to Bade Mandir to thank Guruji and seek His blessings. Mom was weak but still went for darshan. Though she was on a light diet, she still managed to have prasad.
The next Saturday, May 4, found us again at Bade Mandir. My husband accompanied us as well. My husband and I were with mom as she wasn't feeling too well. A little boy named Ghanishta sat next to us that day. He observed mom very closely and, to our surprise, advised her to come to Bade Mandir on Thursdays and Fridays as Saturday and Sundays drew in a lot of devotees. It felt as if Guruji had advised us and we decided to act accordingly.
One night my mother awoke, frightened out of her sleep by a nightmare. I too was scared. Just a day before, I had read a satsang in Guruji's book in which He had saved a devotee during sleep. That satsang was similar to mom's experience, where she too was saved thanks to Guruji's intervention and blessings.
Yet another day, Guruji came in mom's dreams and gave her Rs. 350 in new currency denominations. Mom told us about the darshan, and we still wonder about the sum of Rs. 350.
After surgery, mom had to begin her nuclear medicine treatment. The medicine was to be given on a Friday and involved an overnight stay at the hospital. As Saturday was a government holiday and Sunday was a scheduled off for doctors, she would have to stay in the hospital for three nights until Monday. She was not too keen. We did reach the hospital on Friday, with my mom praying to Guruji to avert her hospital stay. Somehow the nuclear medicine did not arrive that day, as it was being sourced from Turkey. It was expected to arrive the next day, a Saturday. My mom's prayers were answered as she was let off the long hospital stay. Guruji always responds to his devotee's sincere prayers.
By the grace of Guruji, my mom has successfully battled the most critical phase of her life. It is true: Surrender to Guruji with faith and He will take care of the rest. Jai Guruji!
Bhavna Gupta, a devotee
November 2013