My wife had been suffering for nearly 18 years. It all started in 1982, when she developed lymph nodes (unwarranted glands) in her body, which later were found to be carrying a tubercular infection. A weak constitution and strong medicines paved the way for all sorts of ailments - peptic/gastric ulcers, gall bladder stones, hiatus hernia, tumours on the ear drum, and a fibroid uterus and ovaries.
We tried all forms of medication - allopathic, homeopathic, ayurvedic, unani - and even Reiki. Nothing worked; diseases kept attacking her. My wife had to undergo five major surgeries between 1987 and 1999. She lost her appetite completely and rarely would she be able to take one proper meal. She lost half of her hearing. As per some dismal astrological predictions, her life span was almost over. The family felt shattered; there was no ray of hope.
It was precisely then that divine benevolence came our way in the form of Guruji when He provided us shelter. We learnt about Guruji through a family friend and on 20 February 2000, we got to have His first
darshan. The very first day at the
sangat was in itself soothing and assuring.
Medically, my wife was prohibited from taking more than a pinch of any form of edible oil, anything spicy and had been told not to eat after 8 in the evening. At the
sangat, Guruji gave us a handful of oil-rich
kadah prasad at around 9 pm and we all ate the spicy
langar at about 10 at night. Back home, we wondered how she would cope with it, for my wife would feel uneasy lying down even if she had food at 7 in the evening and would stay awake till past midnight. On February 20, she went to sleep immediately and had slept soundly throughout. Ever since, she has started eating and digesting food without discomfort.
In the first week of March, on the auspicious occasion of
Maha Shivratri, we visited Bade Mandir for the first time. Guruji's blessings, His
prasad and
langar took away all her diseases. She felt completely recharged and energized.
A couple of days later, we were again amazed. We had switched on the TV, when she said that we were playing it at a very high volume. Mind you this was the same person who had difficulty listening to telephone calls due to her hearing loss.
Eighteen years of agony had ended in 18 days. That is not to say that Guruji takes or needs time to bless us. He is showering blessings all the time, but we may not be good recipients.
Within a blink of the
Mahapurush's eyes, creation and destruction take place. Hundreds of thousands of souls leave their bodies and a similar number enter new ones. All that we can say is: "
Tum Sam Sar Nahin Dayal, Mohe Sam Sar Papi (Just as no one can equal you in kindness, no one can compare with me in sinfulness)."
Zipper on my tongue
A decade ago, at the time of a second surgery that my wife was to undergo, I was kidding that for any complication doctors always prescribed surgery for her, so she might as well get a zipper inserted in her body. One day when I was narrating my experiences in the
sangat, Guruji prompted me to mention the 'zipper insertion' - precisely the words I had used in our one-to-one conversation nearly a decade ago.
Guruji's omniscience comes to the fore subtly at times. My elder sister was just having
darshan for the second time, when Guruji said she was a very old disciple of His. I was wondering how this was so, when I realized that she had been worshiping Lord Shiva from her childhood and keeping a Monday fast for ages. It was a rare occasion: Guruji had Himself hinted at His true identity.
Under Guruji's refuge, life has changed completely. Guruji has overwritten all astrological predictions and has given my wife a new and extended life. It seems to me that we are more fortunate than even Saint Kabir, who once puzzled over whom to bow to first - Guru or
Govind. For us, of course, the Guru is
Govind.
The
sangat is privileged and blessed to be chosen to sit at the lotus feet of a Living God. That He is permitting us to have His
darshan, blessings, affection, guidance and
langar frequently compounds our good fortune. May all get relief from misery and suffering. Let's all pray:
Mehran waley saiyan rakhin charna de kol, rakhin charna de kol sanu, charne de kol
(O Graceful Lord, keep us near your lotus feet, near them always)
Gopal Sethi, AVP of a dyeing company
July 2007