Almighty Father, He keeps giving

"Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwara
Guru Saakshat Param Brahma Tasmay Shri Gurvey Namaha"
We mortals believe in the existence of an unseen and unknown supreme power, which reinforces its presence through our faiths and beliefs. That supreme power has many times manifested itself in the form of various avatars in different yugas (ages). And that very supreme form has in this yuga taken a human guise in the form of our respected Guruji. Every human being in any part of the world is the recipient of His sublime benediction irrespective of whether the person knows Him or not. There are myriad instances which speak volumes about us being blessed every passing second, but it is impossible to narrate each and every blessing in this constrained format. But there are a few which I would like to share with you all, with His blessings.

At first, we were skeptical about visiting His mandir, as we were non-believers in saints and yogis. But it is very much true that one can soak in His divine presence only if and when He wishes it. Our call from Guruji thus came in November 1995 in Jalandhar. My husband had been suffering from a severe skin ailment called psoriasis. It had been over eight years, and we had tried all possible treatments but to no avail. He was covered from head to toe with big red patches encrusted with a thick, white itchy crust. His scalp used to feel hard like a rock. Even his genitals were covered with patches. Apart from this physical agony, he had to face the mental trauma of dealing with people who would shirk from even standing near him. With no other alternative but with some reluctance we went to Guruji. In retrospection, I realize how very lucky we were: Guruji produced divine prasad (producing fragrant sweets from no where at all) in front of my own eyes not once or twice but six to seven times during our initial days.

However, the telling blow to these uncertainties and my suspicion came to an end when Guruji blessed my husband on 1 January 1996. He told us to bring a copper tumbler, which He blessed. My husband had to drink water from it first thing in the morning and take a bath with the rest. Believe me it was a miracle when he was absolutely cured within a few days.

Getting rid of my thyroid problem and a tumour

At the same time I was undergoing treatment for Hypothyroidism. I was on two pills of Altroxin, which is a massive dose. One day I was sitting at Guruji's lotus feet when He suddenly said: "Neeru Aunty, tera hormonal problem theek kar diya" (I have treated your hormonal problem.) I was taken aback because I had never said anything about my problem to Him. This was my first experience of the fact that you don't have to say anything to Him. He knows everything and sure enough I stopped taking medicines after all the tests came negative.

Moreover, when I was in Panchkula, I developed a severe gynaecological problem and began taking medicines for the same, but in vain. I had to go to the loo at least 10-12 times during the nights and had several other complications, too. I couldn't sleep at all, and so was very cranky the whole day. Guruji was in Delhi at that time. Fortunately, my husband had a meeting in Delhi. Wishing to take this golden opportunity, I decided to accompany him so that we could have Guruji's darshan in the evening. We left our little daughters at home thinking that we would be back home early the next morning. But, on the contrary, in the evening after having Guruji's darshan, when we went to take leave, He told us to stay back for four days. We were thrilled and said an instant Yes. We stayed there for four days, thoroughly soaking in His divine presence and lapping up all that chai prasad and langar. And on the fourth day, He summoned us and gave us permission to leave.

Reaching home, I slept calmly, realizing that He had cured me of whatever I was suffering from. After a week, we had the opportunity to visit Him again. The first thing that He asked me even before I could reach Him was: "Neeru Aunty, su su theek ho gaya?" (Your urine problem has been cured?) Everybody started laughing. When I bowed down to touch His lotus feet, He told me He had cured me of a tumour in the uterus. Again He healed me without me telling Him anything about my problem.

My daughter's psoriasis

One day Singla Uncle came to call on me on Guruji's command. I got up thinking that He might have wanted me to do satsang. But instead, Guruji told me to get some Ayurvedic medicine for Him from a specific pharmacy, which only exports this stuff. With Guruji's blessings we got the medicine, which pharmacists normally don't give without a doctor's prescription. Guruji took the medicine - one pill with milk - in the evening. After 15-20 days, He told us to return the same, saying it was too strong for Him. We tried our best but couldn't return it because of the export problem. It was quite expensive and moreover Guruji had asked for a substantial amount of the medicine. These events were taking place around June.

By the end of August, Tanya, my younger daughter (then in Class VIII) developed some patches on her face. The doctor diagnosed it as psoriasis. We were stunned. For one month we faced the dilemma of whether to tell Guruji about it or not. We told Him in October and He again told us to bring a copper tumbler, which He blessed. But contrary to everyone's expectations and unlike her father's miraculous recovery, psoriasis started spreading all over Tanya's body. In just one month, she was covered from head to toe. Although badly affected physically, mentally she was a pillar of strength herself. Such is His grace, that she remained positive and upbeat about it throughout. In the meanwhile Guruji had gone somewhere and could not be contacted. Everybody from neighbours to Tanya's principal, out of concern for her, started calling up to do something for her. But before we could say anything, she very positively would say: "Only my Guruji is going to cure me when the time is right." In the meanwhile, she endured so much that our hearts would go out for her. She couldn't even comb her hair due to the rock-like patches that had covered her whole body. It is in such times that His grace is felt all the more and here even a small child had been granted such a positive attitude. Guruji came back in January and the first thing He told us was to give that same Ayurvedic medicine which could not be returned to Tanya. It was then we realized that the medicine was meant for her in the first place. The medicine's full course is for about 40 days. Tanya completed her 40^th day on Shivratri, and Guruji himself told us to stop the medication the next day. Divine calculation! Positive results started showing from the next day and by the time she went to her maternal grandmother's place during her vacations, Tanya was fully cured.

After all these years, she sometimes develops these patches around her face in a miniscule percentage. I personally believe that Guruji is finishing her karmas left over from her previous birth because one day Guruji had Himself told me that my girl would have remained affected throughout her life.

Saving 90 lives to save one

In 2002, my husband, then posted at Belgaum, rang me up one Saturday in August to say he was coming home. He boarded the Goa Express on Saturday and was scheduled to arrive on Monday morning. The same Saturday I along with my daughters went to Guruji. That day everything was all the more pleasurable because Guruji made me sit near Him for a long time and made me do a lot of satsang. During langar I also got to eat double or triple the amount of langar because of the red chilly chutney which was accidentally (that is what you think at that time, otherwise nothing is accidental or incidental here) served to me in quantities best reserved for dals (lentils) or vegetables. To finish the chutney, I had to eat a lot of chapattis and dal. While giving me permission to leave, Guruji said: "Aunty, aaj tera kalyan kar diya" (I have blessed you today.) I was elated at these words.

In the morning, I was woken by a phone call from my husband. He abruptly said: "Everything is fine, don't worry." He then told me that his train had derailed and put the phone down. I immediately connected the previous evening's happenings and the blessings that averted the mishap and was overwhelmed. I put on the TV and saw the breaking news: "Goa Express - 7 bogies derailed, no casualties." I immediately went to the Bade Mandir, as I was feeling restless from within. When I reached there, Singla Uncle's daughter Aarti was the first one to meet me. Oblivious of my state of mind, she started teasing me about the amount of chutney I had to eat the previous night. When I told her about the derailment, she was shocked and immediately she called her mother and they both hugged me with tears rolling down our eyes. We spent the whole day doing satsang with the others in the sangat. In the evening, when I came to Guruji, He asked me Himself if I had come to tell Him about the derailment. I could just nod my head. It was then He told me that He had saved 90 other people to save a single devotee. And this fact was further corroborated (not that it needs to be) by Mrs. Subberwal, who was with Guruji on Saturday. At 1.30 am, Guruji was sitting silently, she said, when out of the blue He said He had saved 90 people and again became silent. It was at precisely that moment - 1.30 a.m. - when the derailment happened. Sitting here in Delhi, Guruji had saved so many people near Pune. Who could have done this but God Himself?

The power of prayer

With Guruji, no words are required. Silent prayers said from the heart reach Him effectively.

One morning, I was reading the Shiv Puran when I came upon lines which said that God does not hold or touch you physically, but if He does you cannot imagine how many generations of your kul (family) are blessed. It had me thinking about Guruji and how He gives blessings from a distance only. In the evening when we reached Guruji's place, Guruji was still in His room. Someone came and told us that Guruji was calling us in His room. We went in, Guruji was lying on a sofa and someone was pressing His lotus feet. We sat on the carpet and Guruji started talking to us. Suddenly, He held forth His arm and told me to press His shoulders. As I was doing this, He purposefully held my hand, entwined His fingers in mine and repeated in chaste Hindi those very lines which I had read in the morning.

Another time we had to go to Haridwar from Ambala. A superfast train which only takes about 2-3 hrs used to leave Ambala at 10.30 am. It was already 10.35 when we reached the station. My husband was keen on travelling by bus. I objected, telling him that the UP roads are very bad and that it would take five-six hours by bus to complete the journey.

We asked a passing coolie (porter) about the train and he said that it was never late but by chance it was running 10 minutes late that day. He added that the signal was down and it was about to leave. Absentmindedly, I prayed to Guruji that we catch the train. My husband agreed to give it a try and told me to run ahead and cross the bridge. He planned to buy platform tickets, as there was a big queue on the ticket counter. So I ran and on getting down the stairs I reached the place where the engine was. To my dismay, it started moving. Like a fool, I started waving at the engine driver to stop as you would in case of a bus. And, can you believe it, the train actually stopped for us for a good seven to ten minutes till my husband came and we boarded the train.

Free pizzas at home

Last year (2005) on August 14, leaflets announcing an Independence Say scheme - one pizza free on purchase of one pizza - were being distributed by Dominos. My younger daughter was excited about it. But I put a dampener on her feelings by saying that we had already exceeded the month's expenses, so no pizzas. Mockingly, she said, "Guruji this is not fair; you know I love pizzas."

In the evening, we had friends from Guruji's sangat come over for dinner. I prepared the dinner in advance. When they came in the evening they said the children wanted to have pizzas so we have ordered two large ones. They were not aware of the scheme. So when the delivery came, two free pizzas were missing. The pizza delivery person gave two pizzas and went back to get the other two. Meanwhile, when we opened the box, one pizza was non-vegetarian whereas the order had been for vegetarian pizzas. We rang up the pizza company, they apologized and offered to rectify the error. By this time, the other two pizzas had also arrived and the error had been repeated.

At this point of time, our friend lost his cool and immediately called up the manager. He came to our place along with his colleagues and was profuse in his apologies. On top of it, he offered to give back the money, but since our friends had already paid, the free pizza offer was extended at our discretion, i.e., we could have four extra large pizzas whenever we wanted. Since we couldn't finish the four pizzas for dinner that evening, we had them for breakfast, too. We had a great time gorging on free pizzas for the next couple of months.

My husband gets a corporate job

My husband has been a marketing person in the pharmaceutical industry throughout. He has always had a field job, with no office and no fixed timings. Three years ago, when he was posted in Karnataka we missed him badly. Once I was at the Bade Mandir sitting in the hall, eyes closed. I was thinking that it would have been nice if my husband had a routine office job where I could pack his lunch. Suddenly, a lady from the sangat came to me and said your wish is granted. Surprised, I opened my eyes and found she was equally surprised herself. Within a couple of months, my husband had to resign and the job which he got later with His grace is a corporate job with no field work when he is in town. It's a 9 to 5 job and I have to pack his lunch also (which I sometimes resent). He now even travels in comfort and luxury.

My sandals are mended

On 14 April, after Baisakhi, when we reached Guruji's, the sole of my sandal suddenly came apart. I couldn't do anything at that point of time. So I let it be, thinking that I would pick it up and walk barefoot while going back. When I came out, I just couldn't find my torn sandals. I continued looking for them, but the ones resembling mine were absolutely fine. I picked them up and checked the tag and sure enough they were mine. But to the utter surprise of all of us, they were as good as new.

Daughter gains admission in law school

Although my elder daughter Megha had taken up the non-medical stream in Class XII, Guruji casually mentioned the arts stream for her future. Somehow through a satsang He also gave us a clue about her taking up law as a subject. She filled the form duly, and when she went for her entrance exam, she was quite astonished to find that other students had taken up special coaching classes and were carrying legal books for the same. But anyhow, taking Guruji's name she sat for the exam. Out of thousands who had appeared, only 900 qualified for the next level which comprised a group discussion and interview. Finally, only 250 had to be selected in the university. Due to Guruji's grace, she was one of them.

In the evening, when we told Him about the admission He was very happy and said: "This is just the beginning, just wait and watch." And sure enough she is doing very well in all aspects with His countless blessings.

One could go on and on extolling Guruji's virtues and blessings, but still be clueless about who He actually is. As He is in a human form, we tend to take Him as somebody with supernatural powers like many others on this earth. But He is just not like anybody else. He is as unique as Shiva. Shiva is Guruji and Guruji is Shivji. He is the ultimate.

But that doesn't mean that all is hunky-dory here. He takes you through the roller-coaster ride of life with its shares of ups and downs, according to one's karmas. He shows you like He did to me the futility of all relationships, however close. And when you think that there is nobody for you in this world, He shows you His presence in a very subtle way. And thereafter even if He doesn't speak to you, yet He makes His presence felt with an all-pervading fragrance. Although it is very difficult, yet according to me the easiest way out of this illusionary world, is to surrender to Him. Entertain no ifs and no buts, just follow His lead. Life becomes so much simple and beautiful. One has to just accept life as it comes with positivity and faith, which is His true blessing to us all. Last but not the least He sees, He listens, He acts without even our knowledge for He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient.

Thank you, Guruji

Megha Bhardwaj

Neeru Bhardwaj, housewife and devotee

December 2006