← The Gospel of Swami RamdasHis talks, as recorded by Swami Satchidananda

1957-01-25

Chapter 52

Anandashram, January 25, 1957

When Papa was in Calcutta in March, 1954, with Sri Hiralal Kamdar, the mahant of Sri Hanuman Mandir, Porbandar, had gone there on purpose to request Papa to instal the murtis of Sri Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman in the new temple. The love, fervour and devotion of the mahant made Papa accept the invitation, which normally he would not. The date of the installation after the completion of the mandir was communicated to Papa, by both the mahant and Sri Gunvantrai Kamdar. Accordingly Papa, Mataji and party left Anandashram this morning for Porbandar, reaching there on the 30th via Bombay.

Porbandar, January 30, 1957

546. Sri Hanuman Mandir

On Papa's arrival he was taken straight to the new Hanuman Mandir. The massive mandir because of its height could be seen from long distance. When the party reached the mandir, the murti of Sri Hanuman was being then kept in the room ready for the pratishtha. Papa touched and garlanded the murti. After seeing the other murtis also in the temple they left for Gunvantrai Kamdar's house.

On the 31st January, Papa and party went to the temple again and, ascending the stairs, had a good view of the beautiful structure of the temple. Sri Hanuman was to be installed in the ground floor while Sri Ram, Sita and Lakshman were to be installed in the second floor. The first and third floors were kept vacant. On the fourth floor there was an inscription of the Ram Mantra.

On the 1st February, Papa, followed by Mataji and a few others, went to the palace and spent about an hour in the company of the Maharaja and Maharani. In the evening there was a grand procession. The leading car was driven by the Maharaja with Papa at his side, while Mataji, Rani Lalitha Devi and Maharani occupied the rear seat. Behind Papa's car was the one carrying Sai Sattar Shah and two other mahatmas. A few more cars followed and last came an open lorry, well decorated, with the murtis of Sri Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Ganesh. The procession lasted about an hour and went through most of the important streets of Porbandar.

After the processsion, Papa visited the Kanya Gurukul built by Sri Nanji Kalidas Mehta. The student kanyas were performing a yajna there. Papa was taken round the Gurukul buildings erected recently. Long rows of fine buildings for housing the school, boarding home, library, laboratory and so on, made the place look like a self-contained colony. Papa then went to the Hanuman Mandir, where a bhajan was held for an hour and a half.

2nd February. Papa visited the temple at 9 a.m. when the yajna was started. Gunvantrai Kamdar and Champaben Kamdar performed the Ganesh-pooja after which the yajna rituals began. Papa returned to his residence at 11 a.m. and again went to the temple at 2 p.m. The sacred yajna fire was lit in Papa's presence. Many purohits and eminent pandits took part in the yajna. Papa stayed on till 6.30 p.m.

The second and the third days of the pratishtha ceremony were very inspiring. On Papa's arrival at the temple at 9 a.m. the second day, there was a long procession headed by about fifty ladies and young girls, each carrying a pot of consecrated water for abhiskeka of the murtis. Accompanied by band and other paraphernalia the procession went through important streets and reached Hanuman Mandir. The murtis of Sri Ram, Sita and Lakshman were brought to the pandal where the yajna was going on. Papa stood before the murtis, washed their feet, worshipped and garlanded them. This was followed by pooja and abhisheka in the vedic style by the purohits. The consecrated water carried by the women in procession was then poured on the murtis to the accompaniment of vedic chants.

In the afternoon also the yajna was in full swing. About 5 p.m. Papa offered arati to Sri Ram and other murtis. This was followed by bhajan in the temple for an hour.

The last day's function was a grand affair. Papa reached the temple at 9 a.m. as the yajna was in progress. Pooja and abhiskeka to Sri Ram and other murtis were performed by the priests according to sastric injunctions.

The muhurta fixed for the pratishtha was between 1 p.m and 2.30 p.m. First, Papa performed the installation of the murti of Hanumanji on the ground floor, with the assistance of the purohits in the vedic style.

Mataji and others stood near Papa. The installation was, indeed, a thrilling scene. Then all went upstairs where Papa with Mataji's assistance performed the installation of Sri Ram, Sita and Lakshman. The Hanuman flag was hoisted on the top of the mandir. The pratishtha was now complete.

Pooja was then performed to Hanumanji by the mahant of the temple. For Sri Ram, Sita and Lakshman, Papa performed the pooja and arati. Mataji helped him, standing at his side. After pooja there, all went upstairs where the Ram Nam slab had been installed by the mahant. Pooja and arati there was done by Mataji. She did this in her own way, first worshipping Papa and then the Ram Nam slab. She did arati for Papa and Ram Nam together. Altogether, it was a happy and memorable function.

5th February. Papa installed the old murti of Sri Hanumanji in the new temple, near the new murti. There were no priests present. The mahant was immersed in ecstasy. He was simply jumping, singing God's name. All glory to Him!

After attending the functions for a week in Porbandar, Papa and party went to Bombay for a stay. From there they proceeded to Poona to spend a few days at Hari Krishna Mandir, on the loving invitation of both Sri Dilip Kumar Roy and Srimati Indira Devi.

547. Visit to Dilip Kumar Roy's Ashram in Poona

The beautiful account of the visit of Papa and Mataji as given by Dadaji (Dilip Kumar Roy) himself in a letter to his Western disciples is reproduced below.

Hari Krishna Mandir, Poona, 16 March 1957.

Dear Richard and Don, You were right in felicitating us. The purifying contact of Swami Ramdas and Mataji Krishnabai for three full days, was indeed, a blessed experience for us all. I will try now to give you a brief account of the hurricane of joy that passed over our little ashram, Hari Krishna Mandir, during their three days' stay with us. Only, it was a hurricane that cleansed the atmosphere without harming even a tender petal of rose-aspiration.

Yes, the saints cleanse and purify without doing violence to our unregenerate nature. When you will come here, you will read with us the ‘Bhagavat’ (you must) and then shall recite together (1-1-15).

"Even the Ganga's waters will take long to make mean clean: But saints with one touch purify all who transgress and sin."

The ‘Bhagavat’ has not overstated the magic of the boons true saints come to give. Swami Ramdas – or Papa as they call him tenderly – did act on all who contacted him as a purifying agent. Only, he purified not by dint of the heat of Rudra: he melted the dross in all he greeted by the light of his beneficent personality, his laughter (with a merry twinkle, as often as not), his crystalline simplicity, his refreshing anecdotes and, above all, by what he has become through his one-pointed concentration on Ram whose loyal servant he has become today to be the better able to teach us, unhappy egoists, the supreme bliss of being a servant of the Lord. "Chakar Rakho ji"- sang Mira, the unforgettable slave (dasi) of the one Master of us all. But now few can practise in life what they preach through their songs and lectures! Thousands sing this immemorial song but rarely comes one, like Ramdas or Krishnabai, to us to show how one can live up to the ideal. But to come down to earth-life on which they acted here in Poona with all the alchemic power the Lord has endowed them with.

We all went to the station – a big crowd of devotees – with garlands and flowers. They alighted from the train – three of them: Papa (Ramdas), Mataji Krishnabai, and Swami Satchidananda, their devoted disciple.

Papa and Mataji put us, Indira and myself, at our ease at once. Here Mataji is endowed with a native gift as it were, for her very movement is so natural and simple that Indira, who had to work hard from daybreak to midnight to feed scores of guests, heaved a sigh of relief – she told me confidentially, after having realised what Mataji could be in action. We had, indeed, heard a lot about her greatness and unassuming self-effacing personality. But, as a Bengali adage has it, one can hardly know another truly till one has lived under the same roof with him (or her).

Mataji came as though to be tested on this basis till we, who came to know her, living under the same roof, found that she was all and even more than she was made out by her devotees. She ate with us at the same table, often serving us while partaking of the prasad left by Papaji. A supremely loving soul and utterly self-unconscious, she was always mindful of all who sat at table with her. How she laughed and talked unconstrainedly with us and comported herself as though she had known us all her life! Somebody had described her as shy. But we felt that she was only natural and transparent – like a limpid stream purling along or shall we say, a flower nodding in the breeze – but a flower of grace which not only wafts fragrance but smiles at all who happen to be there. Sahaja is the word in mystic terminology which applies to her: it means – utterly at ease, spontaneous and natural. I would certainly not called her shy or timid, for she is strong enough in all conscience when strength alone can meet the situation.

An instance: Somebody invited Ramdasji to a school in the evening. He agreed. Suddenly Mataji stepped in, unasked, and put her foot down on it and in simple Hindi vetoed it all. Somebody said: "But Papa has consented." Mataji pursed her lips and said: "He will consent to anything. He is a child pure and simple. But then he is not well and cannot take liberties with his health. You may take him there between 4 and 5 in the afternoon but not in the evening. He mustn't catch a chill." The persons who had come to invite murmured something about the afternoon being inconvenient. Then Mataji shook her head: "Sorry if the time does not suit you. Can't be helped for I can't allow him to go out in the evening." So they had to agree to the afternoon. You can't call such a ruler shy, No. Sahaja is the title that fits her like a glove.

Indira calls her great in that she has fulfilled the ideal of Indian womanhood; sweet, gracious and graceful, but neither timid nor vacillating, not indeed overassertive but unyielding when yielding would be wrong. True, she has an innate repugnance to be in the limelight anywhere and prefers to act from the background, but she acts all right even when she keeps herself in the shadows. That is why before leaving our place Ramdas said to me: "Ramdas is only a talker; it's she who's the doer." Mataji laughed and waved the compliment away with a mere "Bah!" It's indeed a beautiful relationship – theirs – one supplementing as well as complementing the other. I can recall no other instance among the saints I have seen in my life, where such an exquisite spiritual relationship can be claimed to have flowered out so spontaneously. "The other day, Mataji," I said to her as I greeted her at the station, "I spoke to a big gathering of our devotees about you for about forty minutes." She just smiled and said: "But why me? You should have spoken only of Papa". Truly a remarkable blend of strength and humility! But to come back to Papa now.

We chalked out a tentative programme subject to alternations from day-to-day. Papa agreed to meet the devotees and seekers who would come for two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon. The evenings were to be devoted to bhajan-singing (chorus and solo) and arati before the image of our Lord. We all sang, nightly, an arati song composed by Indira as a sadhaka moved the censer up and down round and round before the image. Thereafter prasad was to be distributed.

Our hall is generally crowded in the mornings. So we spread extra mats in the adjoining room and veranda to accommodate many more who were likely to come.

We were not mistaken. The hall was packed to suffocation by 9 in the morning. Many had come from Bombay. A dear friend of ours, Vishnoo Shivadasani, had come all the way from Hyderabad, and his wife from Delhi. Vishnoo proved his mettle by posing questions tirelessly to be met by Papa's equally tireless answers. This duel of words was soon to become a feature of our daily programme.

It is not possible to give you in a letter such as this even a substantial resume of the day-to-day happenings during Papa's brief stay with us; everyday was replete with events that broke out into unforeseen thrills from moment to moment as it were, especially during these eager talks of the devotees with Papa; the questions asked, the answers given, the clarifications sought, the implications of the statements brought out through illuminating similes, and last, though by no means the least, the challenges flung to be met by Papa's ready repartees which intermittently evoked ripples of laughter in our big hall. Only one thing must be noted; Papa is not one for mouthing cliches. Not that he says anything which runs counter to the findings of India's greatest sages (after all, all truths are as old as the hills) but that he puts it all in his own with a simple inimitable charm that hardly ever misses the target, reinforced, as often as not, by his infectious laughter as simple as it is heart-warming. Also, let me add, his answers were so effective as they were, as much because of their aptness as because of the way they were worded – in the simplest language, filled with images, starred with anecdotes and mellowed by his disarming laughter. To give an instance.

Somebody asked about how saints spoke. Pat came the answer: "Like the proverbial parrot to teach other parrots." A startling answer, indeed! And so Papa added quickly: "A parrot, you see, learns to speak most easily when taught by another parrot. So a mirror is held before him in which he sees his own image and takes it for a fellow parrot. Now the trainer hides himself behind the mirror and speaks the words which the parrot thinks are addressed to him by the other parrot in the mirror, and so is fired to repeat them faultlessly. Similarly, the Lord speaks through the saints, who being human like us, stimulate us to emulate them."

Some time, again, Papa would exploit very ordinary happenings to bring home the position of the mystic vis-a-vis the divine. Here is an instance to the point. "How could we know," somebody asked, "that the Lord is so near and dear to us and how can we grow to love Him without having met Him?" Papa smiled and answered: "Once upon a time, there was a mother with a little son. The father had gone abroad to make a living. The little son has never seen him but had grown to love him having heard from his mother daily how great his father was. One day a playmate of his laughed at him when he said that he loved his father heart and soul. He said: "How can you love one you haven't so much as seen?" The son replied with a touching simplicity: "But my mother has seen him.” Comment on such a beautiful parable is superfluous: it convinces by its very simplicity. Only faith leads to love. There is a Bengali song Sri Ramakrishna often used to quote: "Na jene, nam shune kane man diye tai lipta holo": "I knew Him not but heard His Name and so my heart was drawn by Him."

It is not necessary nor possible to record in detail his numerous answers to the numerous questions of the Poonaites. Satchidananda has recorded his answers to questions galore in Papa's ‘WORLD IS GOD’ and ‘RAMDAS SPEAKS’. I have given the two answers he gave here only to illustrate the nature of some of the questions he had to answer here, as well as to stress their appositeness.

It is not that devotees came here only to see him. Hundreds came, as they usually do, to pay homage to the Lord's image in our temple as also to attend the Bhajan soirees and matin services. But these too came to be attracted by Papa the moment they were greeted by his radiantly cheerful face, lovely smile and gracious willingness to answer their questions again and again – often enough the same questions answered from different angle, illustrated with different anecdotes. We did, indeed, wonder how Papa, who is anything but strong physically (in fact he has always been rather frail and said here once that he owes his long life to Mataji's careful tending and nursing) and is over seventy-odd years in age, could go on meeting new-comers from day to day and welcome them with his never-failing smile and laughter and answers and repartees! Of course, questions such as these carry their own answers: In this case the answer being that it is his spontaneous love for all, the love of a seer who sees his beloved Ram in all and so cannot help but love, that endows him with the strength to go all out to help those who need help.

One day – on the 28th February, to be precise – we went to visit the far-famed Sadhu Vaswaniji at his Mira School. The vast hall was packed with Vaswaniji's devotees who sang their welcome to Papa. Then Vaswaniji stepped in and embraced Papa tenderly. The sight of the saints greeting each other thus made all hearts heave, for it was, indeed, a beautiful sight and reminded us of two holy rivers meeting to form an even holier confluence; each melts into the other and yet preserves its distinctive individuality.

Sadhu Vaswani spoke of Papa's love, Papa returned the compliment by speaking of Vaswaniji's compassion for all and lastly, I spoke at some length of the blessedness of such a meeting of saints and how saints fulfilled their divine mission through love and living what they preached. India is India because her soil is favourable to the growth of saints. Sri Aurobindo was surely right when he wrote: "The hero, the rishi, the saint, are the natural fruits of our Indian soil and there has been no age in which they have not been born."

Dawned March 1st. Papa and Mataji would leave us tomorrow – was the sad thought that visited each of us as we sang in chorus our welcome song to them composed by Indira Devi in Hindi:

which I translated so that it may be sung in the same tune:

We bow to thee, O Ramdas, great saint, we bow to thee: O peerless child, whose love outflowers in pure simplicity! Thou com'st to bless our arid earth with His Name's rain of Grace And chantest: "Ram! I sing thy glory in deep gratefulness," "Who's a king and who's a bondsman? Who's an alien, say? Behold with the eye of love; in friend and foe – 'tis He would play! On land and sea 'tis He who reigns! All live by His breath of Grace, And so O Ram! I sing thy glory in deep gratefulness." Touching thy feet the earth is blessed, O Ram's darling son! Blessed Krishnabai and those who have seen in thee the One And known that through Ramdas comes Ram to serve and sport in Grace And chants: "O Ram! I sing glory in deep gratefulness."

As we sang this song a great many wondered how this great saint could make them all love him so naturally and spontaneously as though they had known him for ages! Was it not simply because he is so spontaneous and natural himself and as such can do away with all ceremonies which make for aloofness and awe? But then why analyse the mystery of love and saintliness? Let us claim the Lover with the response of love and sing with him the Lord's glory "in deep gratefulness."

Probably Papa had felt this response at the time we were singing his paean; for he said after we had come to an end, looking at Indira and myself: "You two have created here a nucleus of love, for Ramdas feels the vibration of love at every turn from the devotees you have attracted."

I felt a heave in my heart. "We have little else to offer Papa. All we have is love. We are but two drops--"

"Not drops." Papa cut in, "you have dug a vast lake of love here which is so inviting and cool that Ramdas has grown hoarse, don't you see, dipping into it again and again." And he laughed. (The context is: Papa had grown hoarse answering our questions morning and evening for hours. So he made light of it by assuring us that it was all because he has taken too much curd!)

Then I made bold to put a last question.

"Papa," I said, "would you mind telling us about your final realisation which they call Vishwarupa darshan?"

Papa instantly acquiesced and gave a long detailed description of his burning aspiration and yearning which led him to Arunachala Hill hallowed by the tapasya of the peerless saint, Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. I can only give here the gist of his long narration.

Papa said: "Before Ramdas left Mangalore on his wandering life it was usual with him to sit up the whole night chanting God's name. One night when he was thus engaged in the repetition of Ram Nam he saw suddenly Lord Krishna dancing before him. Krishna had a flute in hand, a gold crown on His head, a fine tilak on His forehead, a long garland of flowers around His neck and He was wearing a yellow silk cloth. This vision captivated Ramdas’ heart and he was for a few seconds witnessing the dance. It was a thrilling experience. He was very much delighted to have the vision of Krishna in that particular form, but his desire all along was to see Him as everybody, as everything in the entire universe. So at that moment he intensely wished and prayed that Krishna should grant him His universal vision and not put him off by giving His darshan in that form. Ramdas knew well that all those forms were impermanent, and when once they appeared they would disappear. He would be satisfied only with a permanent vision."

"Did you see him with closed eyes or open?" I interjected, "With open eyes as Ramdas is seeing you," answered Papa. He continued: "A few days after the vision, in a mysterious way, Ramdas was led to Tiruvannamalai and a sadhu took him for the darshan of Ramana Maharshi. Ramdas stood before the Maharshi and addressed him thus: 'Maharaj, here stands before thee a humble slave. Have pity on him. His only prayer to thee is to give him thy blessings.' The Maharshi, turning his beautiful eyes towards Ramdas and looking intently for a few minutes into his eyes as though he was pouring into Ramdas his blessings through those orbs, shook his head to say that he had blessed. A thrill of inexpressible joy coursed through the frame of Ramdas. Now at the prompting of Ram, Ramdas desired to spend some time in solitude. The sadhuram then took him to a solitary cave in the Arunachala hill. Throughout his stay there he was spending the day and night without a wink of sleep in the incessant repetition of Ram Nam. He ate very little food. He went out in the morning to beg and came back to boil the pot of rice – just rice – which he shared with the squirrels who were his only companions in the cave. After twenty days when he came out of the cave he was blessed with universal vision for which he was longing. He saw the Lord everywhere – in the trees, in the stone, in the grass, in the earth; in the ground and in all directions. The divine light was pervading and vibrating. He felt thrills of ecstasy coursing through his entire frame and he was running about like a mad man to embrace everything that he could hold on. He went to the trees and embraced them. He went to the rocks and embraced them. A man was passing that way. Ramdas ran up him and embraced him also, because he saw his Beloved in everybody. The man was frightened and was about to run away. But Ramdas caught him and talked to him very sweetly and then the man understood that Ramdas was not after all mad, and noted that Ramdas had not a tooth in his mouth and so felt a little assured that at least Ramdas would not be able to bite him." He laughed out and we echoed in chorus.

"And then?" I asked, after the laughter had subsided. Papa said: "The bliss and joy came to be permanent, like a torrent rushing downhill till it finds a placid level of limpid ever singing stream. This experience is called sahaja samadhi in which you can never be cut off from the consciousness of being at one with the One who has become all, in which you feel you are one with all because you have perceived that all is He."

The room throbbed as though with a holy Presence. And I loved Ramdas that he could talk thus to us all so naturally of the only things that is worth talking about. But alas, we talk on of this and that frittering away our precious energy having nothing better to talk (or hear) about. Our homage to this great child of Ram, who has never grown, thank God, so that we can hear at once the flute he has heard and behold in all the One-in-all he has visioned!

And that is why he can win our hearts at once, because he can make us feel the thrill he has felt of the Supreme Contact.

One last word. Papa told us that he had assured the Westerners that there would be no Third World War. After he had left I wrote to him asking whether it was a personal opinion he had expressed or a revelation given to him by Ram. He wrote back a loving letter in answer with which I will end this humble tribute to the great God-lover.

"Beloved Ram", he wrote, "Ramdas did assure the Westerners that there would be no Third World War. This he said as inspired by Ram. You may take it as a revelation.

"It is not only that you enjoyed our stay with you, but we too had an overwhelmingly blissful time in the company of yourself and Indira Devi, bathing in the holy atmosphere of your Hari Krishna Mandir. The days we spent with you are really unforgettable. Ever your self, Ramdas."

When he left our ashram I was reminded again and again of a famous saying of Acharya Shankar:

"The liberated soul lives to serve others." – Dilip Kumar Roy.

Anandashram, August 17, 1957

548. Vinobaji's visit

It was indeed a blissful day for all in the ashram. The meeting of the two saints was a most elevating event. It had been a rare privilege to witness Papa meet many saints in India and abroad; but this was the most memorable of them all.

Papa had invited Vinobaji to visit Anandashram on his way from Cannanore to Mangalore. After a while we were happy to get a letter from his camp in Calicut that he would halt for a day in Anandashram.

Vinobaji was scheduled to arrive at the ashram at 7.30 a.m. It began as a bright morning and the ashramites were busy adding final touches to the decorations made on a small scale to receive the distinguished guest. Papa was ready to receive Vinobaji as early as 6.30. In his eagerness, Papa could not stay within the ashram. He came out and was standing at the head of the steps leading to the bhajan-hall, looking towards the gate for the saint who was to arrive only after an hour. Somebody got a chair for him on which Papa sat facing the gate. An hour was obviously too long for such waiting. Suddenly the weather changed. Dark clouds gathered and soon it was raining heavily. Papa was thus forced to go back to the ashram and sit in the portico.

News soon came that Vinobaji was nearing the ashram. Due to the heavy downpour it was impossible to receive him at the gate. So Papa walked up to the guest-house where Vinobaji was to stay, in order to receive him there. In a few minutes, just before 8, protected from the heavy rain by a simple country-made, palmleaf umbrella and followed by about a hundred people, Vinobaji entered the ashram compound and walked up towards the guest-house by the neat little road that Mataji had newly got laid from the ashram main road. As soon as he entered the house, Papa greeted him with his beaming smile and garlanded him. Both embraced each other warmly. They entered the adjacent hall and sat on an asan on the floor and had a hearty chat for a few minutes during which Vinobaji recalled their first meeting at Paunar ashram about six years ago. Their failure to meet each other all those years, he compared to the inability of the two eyes of the face to see each other in spite of their close proximity. On a devotee remarking that the meeting of saints was a great occasion for rejoicing, Papa observed, "Ramdas is no saint, but a simple child of all saints." This drew out from Vinobaji the words that he was only a sudra, who loved to serve everyone. What a wonderful example of humility saints set to us!

After the brief and pleasant chat, Papa left Vinobaji to attend to his morning routine. Half an hour later Mataji went to the guest-house to make pranams to Vinobaji. She spent some time with him talking in Marathi. Just after 10.30 Vinobaji and party came to the ashram bhajan-hall, where many visitors also were present. He and Papa sat together on an asan laid on the floor and Vinobaji's daily programme of the reading of ‘Tulsidas Ramayan’ went on for about half an hour. The recital, in which all the members of his party joined, was very sweet and impressive.

Between 2 and 2.30 p.m. the members of Vinobaji's party came to the bhajan hall to meet Papa. In response to their request Papa spoke as follows:-

"You all know everything. What is there that Ramdas can tell you? You are in the company of a great mahatma who has been teaching you from day to day what you should do, what you should not do, what should be the basis of your life. So Ramdas has nothing new to say.

"The basis of life must be self-sacrifice. Self-sacrifice should be there if you want to be useful to society, to the community, to the nation, to the country and to the world at large. Self-sacrifice is possible only when we think of God constantly. By constant God-remembrance our ego will be put down. If we work without putting down the ego-sense, we shall be doing things ostensibly for the good of others, but really for our own self-adulation. So the basis of our life should be God. He will be at our back when we remember Him constantly and do all things in His name and for His sake. God-thought must never be absent from our mind. All other thoughts must be kept away. Then our life will flow spontaneously for the good of others, and in the good of others we shall find the good of ourselves.

"It is said rightly that in the happiness of others lies our own happiness. The world thinks otherwise. We think by exploiting others we can be happy. This is false. Only by trying to be useful to others, by sacrificing our own interest for their sake, we can find true happiness. The mother toils and moils for the sake of her child. She finds happiness in such a life although she undergoes great difficulties and hardship. She sacrifices food and sleep and still she is happy because she is doing all these for the sake of her child, out of love for the child. So also, if you do things with love in your heart and undergo sufferings for the sake of others, you will feel immensely happy. Self-sacrifice is however not possible unless you tune your mind to God within you. Whatever be the work you are engaged in, for the good of humanity, God-thought must be always present in you. Then your life becomes blessed all round.

"Ramdas’ humble suggestion to you all is that you should remember God constantly and then do your work. Whatever great work you do in that spirit will help you to put down your ego and the sense of pride that springs from it. Thus you become true servants of God. You will then not arrogate to yourselves anything great or good. If anybody praises you for any work done, you will say and feel that all praise should go to God as it is He who makes you do everything. Now you will be happy and make others also happy.

"Again Ramdas comes to the burden of the song as it were, that God-remembrance should be the basis of your life. The great work in which you are engaged under the leadership of Sri Vinobaji will bear abundant fruit. It is bearing fruit already because you have a leader who is a great devotee, whose life is spiritually enlightened. In his company you are elevated and inspired. You must take him as a great example and work up your life to the ideal which he has placed before you. So Ramdas’ message to all of you is that you should not forget God at any time. Let remembrance be the substratum of your active life. What more can Ramdas tell you? What little he knows he has told you."

Vinobaji and party came once more to the bhajan-hall at 3 p.m. This meeting was arranged in response to the insistent request of some of the devotees to see and hear the two saints. Papa began by conveying to the distinguished visitor the desire of the devotees that he should speak to them a few words on some spiritual subject. Vinobaji then spoke as follows:-

"I shall speak slowly in Hindi. I have not come to this place to give a speech. If I had come to speak I would have stayed in the town. Here I have come to get influenced. You all know that my pada-yatra has been going on for the last six and a half years during which I gained many experiences and contacted many people. I forget many faces, but I remember the form of God.

"I sometimes come across such places as this also. Recently, I went to Pondicherry. I could not go there before that, when Aurobindo Ghosh was living. I spent thirty years when I was young, in chintan, manan and service. If Gandhiji were alive today, I would have continued that sort of work and never started on this walking tour. In that work I had entire satisfaction in those days and today in this work also I have that satisfaction. I have studied Aurobindo Ghosh's works from my early days, but I could not contact him or see him in his ashram. I saw him in Baroda in my childhood and after he had dropped his body I went to Pondicherry during this yatra. Where great men have lived, the atmosphere has its own sanctity even after they have dropped their bodies. I was happy to see Pondicherry. They wished that I should tell them something. There also I went only to be influenced and I did get influenced. Now I have come here.

"I was not sure of coming here because I am in the hands of the organisers of Bhoodan. Wherever they want to take me for some work, there I go. Therefore it was not sure whether I should go from Tellicherry to Mysore, or go to Mangalore and thence to Mysore. In the end we were prompted by God to go via Mangalore which made this visit here possible. I too desired to go via Mangalore, but left it to the workers of Kerala. From here I had received an invitation also to visit this ashram. But I did not write a reply that I could come, because I did not know. By God's will I have come here and I am very happy.

"I do not much discuss spiritual matters and I do not believe in such discussions. In worldly matters discussions may be necessary and possible, but not in spiritual subjects where we can enjoy only the rasa, the essence. Here one can give benefit to others and be benefited also. Those who can give, give; but while giving they do not even feel that they are giving. The real giver is God. That is how I feel. He gives the blessings. He takes various forms. He takes even the form of stone. He takes any form, big or small, and gives wisdom. He makes man an instrument to impart spiritual advice. If our mind is ready to receive the influence, we will be able to receive it. Here I have come with full faith and with an open heart. Mine is not, what is called a critical attitude. That type of attitude also I can have. But it should be considered where I should have that and where I should not have that. I do not keep that critical attitude here and I have kept it in its proper place. Therefore I have come to know from you and would like to have your suggestions.

"I am engaged in a great work for the people. I still remember the day when I received the first Bhoodan of one hundred acres of land at Telengana. That night I thought and thought of what had happened. Was it God's will? I got the message from within that it was God's will and if I should not feel it so, I would be unwise. I was forced from within to accept it. I was very calculative. So that night I calculated how much land would be required if everybody in India was to be given land. I found that five crores of acres of land would be necessary. How should I set about that work? Was it possible? I doubted. If I had taken up the work on my own, it would have been a failure. But I relied on God and His voice within me and started the work. I feel it is God's work.

"This is the place of God's devotees. From here I want advice and strength which are absolutely necessary for me. To get that from you I have come here. In that spirit, whatever you say I shall hear."

Papa then spoke:

"Ramdas may be excused for his inability to speak in Malayalam so fluently and correctly as to make you all understand what he has to say. So he will take the liberty of speaking to you in English. Sri Vinobaji has given us in a few words the highest wisdom with regard not only to the material side of life, but also the spiritual. So Ramdas does not know what he has to say more than what he has already said. Ramdas’ life for about thirtythree years now has been moulded differently along the spiritual line. He was at one time a great adherent of Mahatma Gandhi and had taken active part in the Congress work especially during the non-cooperation days. Later on God willed that he should live a life dedicated only to Him and spread the glory of His great name. To fulfil this object it was that Ramdas was freed from all activities of normal life. He was taken over by Him and made to go to so many places in India.

"First Ramdas was made to take the Name for himself continuously and enjoy its sweetness. God's name is his mainstay; his sole mission in life is to sing the glories of the name and make as many people as possible utter the Name, because, unless a man has got the spiritual background, his actions do not fulfil themselves in doing good to people. So Ramdas was directed by the divine within that he should first purify his life by constant remembrance of God and then dedicate all actions to Him. But dedication is possible only when we are free from the ego-sense, that is when we feel that we are merely servants of God. This attitude we can maintain by remembering Him constantly.

"Remembrance is called smaran. This smaran comes by taking His holy name constantly. His holy name is as sweet as nectar. It is like a nectarine pill. Like a lozenge, when you put it on your tongue, you taste its sweetness; its sweetness flows continuously.

"So Ramdas’ experience by the repetition of the Name was that his mind was filled with divine bliss. It was not only purified and enlightened, but it was also sweetened. That sweetness entered into every part of his being and he realised that he was the very embodiment of bliss. This experience completely purifies you and you behold the divine everywhere and then you cannot but love everybody irrespective of any distinction on the surface. Likes and dislikes leave you completely and the divine energy in you flows out spontaneously for the good of everybody just as the sun gives light. If you ask the sun why it is giving light and if it could speak, it would say that it is its nature to give light. So also it becomes our nature to be active in the world for the good of others. Unless we find joy within ourselves we cannot do real good to others. So long as we are discontented within and our minds are impure and are craving for the things of the world, we are steeped in ignorance. If we are contented and happy, our actions will flow out of us spontaneously and prove to be beneficial to all those with whom we come into contact.

"In this spirit Sri Vinobaji has undertaken this great tour in which he is collecting crores of acres of land so that all can possess and enjoy them and live in freedom and happiness. Man, when he is serving another as an employee, is a degraded creature. He must stand on his own legs, cultivate his own land and then live a life which is independent, and co-operate with others so that others also may derive the benefit of his labour and thereby make a happy society, a happy community, a happy nation and a happy world. This is the great mission which God has entrusted Vinobaji with and he is successfully carrying it out. We can see all this from his life of perfect abstinence and dedication with the background of a divine consciousness.

"Gandhiji was also a great saint first and a karma-yogi next. His life was spotlessly pure because he had great faith in Ram Nam and Ram Nam did thoroughly purify his life and through such pure life it is that the divine energy poured out of him for the uplift of humanity. So the inspired personality who is in our midst here is a great example which everybody should follow.

"Ramdas, a few minutes ago, had talked to you this very subject. He said that we must have a spiritual background to our life. We must, through constant remembrance of God, develop the awareness of the Self, the divine consciousness. Smaran or remembrance will continue so long as duality persists. There is then the feeling of devotee and God. When this sense of duality disappears we realise that we and He are not different. Then the remembrance as such disappears and we attain a divine consciousness which is the basis of our life. Then it is that we will be really doing good to others. We will then dedicate our lives to the good of others and we will offer everything we have for their uplift and happiness. Sri Vinobaji's mission is to make everybody happy and stand on his own feet. Such a society we have to form in India. The message of the rishis is that everyone is the supreme Brahman. Let us realise this truth and be fearless and live and move with others in a spirit of equality, mutual help, co-operation and thereby contribute towards the harmony in the life of humanity as a whole.

"Today we must feel we are blessed that in our midst we have a great personality who is honoured all over the world. It is not India alone that honours him. We find in all other parts of the world his name has become a household word. So we must feel proud that he is with us today and we have to take lessons from him. The few words that he spoke to us can be taken by us as a message coming from the most high and we must try to work out in our lives the simple truths that he has placed before us so that our lives may become blessed. These are the few words Ramdas speaks in gratitude for his visit to us. We feel supremely blessed by his visit."

After the meeting Vinobaji was taken by Mataji round the ashram to see the office, the library, the Ram Nam Mandir, the publication department, the dining-hall and the go-shala. Vinobaji was much impressed on seeing in the Ram Nam Mandir ten big almirahs filled with Ram Nam note-books, some of which were taken out and shown to him.

The prayer meeting in the evening was arranged in the open space in front of the bhajan-hall. Vinobaji and Papa sat on a platform at the top of the steps, between the cement benches, and the audience, about a thousand strong, sat on the ground. In the evening the sky became clear enough to permit the public meeting to go on uninterrupted.

After the meeting, Vinobaji and a few others went up the hill behind the ashram and sat for some time there surveying the beautiful scenery all round. After walking eight miles in the early hours of the morning and going through a heavy programme of meetings and interviews during the day, it was wonderful that he found enough strength to walk up the hill like a young man. He retired to bed early at 8 p.m.

The lights were on again at 3 a.m. At 4 the usual prayer was held at Vinobaji's residence. The whole of the ‘Isavasya Upanishad’ and some songs were sung by the members of the party. Mataji and other ashramites also attended the prayer. Before the prayer started, Mataji offered Vinobaji the cup of cow's milk she had brought and he gladly accepted it. Exactly at 4.30 Vinobaji resumed his pada-yatra to the next halt at Peria, about six miles from the ashram. Mataji and a large number of ashramites accompanied him some distance and took their leave.

September 17, 1957

549. Mai Swarup's visit

Sri Mai Swarup Mai Markhand was, as the name indicated, a Mother worshipper. He stayed at Mai Nivas, in Santa Cruz, Bombay, and had a number of devotees spread over various parts of the country. He had a programme at Trichur, whither he was going from Bombay, via Mangalore. Papa, coming to know of Mai Swarup's intended visit to Trichur, had sent a loving invitation to him the previous month to visit Anandashram on his way to Trichur.

Mai Swarup arrived at the ashram with two of his women devotees and his Trichur host and hostess who had gone to Mangalore to receive him. Papa, along with a large number of ashramites and other devotees, was waiting under the banyan tree in front of the steps that led to the ashram bhajan-hall. As soon as Maiji got down from the car, Papa received him with a warm embrace. The faces of both the saints beamed with smiles. They were indeed blessed who witnessed the scene.

Papa then escorted Maiji to the beautifully decorated guest-house walking hand in hand, followed by devotees. At the entrance to the guest-house, Brahmachari Subbaram was waiting with two garlands. When Papa and Maiji entered, he garlanded Maiji first and then Papa. Maiji then told Subbaram that he ought to have garlanded Papa first and then him, and quoted the couplet, 'Guru Govinda.....' Subbaram made no answer, but took both to the hall inside. Continuing, Maiji said that Subbaram was right as the Guru considered the guest to be greater than himself and therefore would he pleased if his guest was honoured first. Papa laughed in agreement saying: "Atithi Devo Bhava!"

Both sat on one cot. The ashramites paid their respects to the venerable guest, prostrating before him. They then took their seats on the carpet spread on the floor. After a short while Mataji came in, made pranams to Maiji, touching his feet, and enquired what he and his party would like to have. On being told they would have tea, she hurried back to the kitchen and brought the refreshments. Meanwhile, Papa and Maiji were having a merry talk about their previous meeting in Bombay and other topics. Maiji presented to Papa some of his recently published books. Refreshments over, Papa left Maiji and came away.

Mai Markhand, who was about the same age as Papa, was a well-built figure with short grey hair. He was simple like a child, very active and wore a toothless smile.

Maiji came to the bhajan-hall at the time of the evening bhajan. He and Papa sat together on a long asan provided for the occasion. He greatly enjoyed the bhajan, his eyes swimming in tears.

September 18, 1957

8.30 a.m. After dealing with the correspondence, Papa went to the guest-house to sit for a while with Maiji. Devotees came one by one and took their seats in front of the saints. Maiji talked mostly to the devotees telling them how the Divine Mother took care of them if they surrendered their all to Her. He narrated his own experiences and extolled the path of devotion which, he said, was comparatively easier and sweeter than other paths. A devotee had only to call the Mother and cry to Her for whatever he wanted and the Mother would give it. In the other paths, the sadhakas depended upon their own efforts and so found the path hard. His talks, largely based on his personal experiences, were very inspiring. He described how he enjoyed his stay at the ashram, how the ashram atmosphere was pure and peaceful, and how everything was done there naturally, spontaneously, without any artificiality. He said he was not praising the ashram but was giving the results of his observation like a laboratory analyst. He repeatedly stressed the value of satsang which never went in vain, and ultimately took the devotee to God.

In the course of his talks Papa asked Maiji his age. Instead of giving a direct reply, he asked Papa: "Papa, do you want my real age or false age?"

Papa: You may say you are eternal. But what Ramdas wants to know is how old this body is.

Mai Swarup: If that is so, the answer is seventytwo years.

Papa: Ah! Then you are younger than Ramdas.

Mai Swarup: Probably it is so. I was born in December 1885.

Papa: Ramdas was born in April 1884

Mai Swarup: Yes, God sent one to the world for some great work and, after some time sent another. Being born so close, we may say we both are of the same age.

Papa: So we can be twins.

Mai Swarup: Yes, we are twins.

Papa: Someone told Ramdas that you are seventysix or seventynine years old.

Mai Swarup: So you invited me here thinking that I am older than you, and if you knew I am younger, perhaps you would not have invited me!

Papa replied that the invitation did not depend on his age. Everybody had a hearty laugh at the childlike way the talks were going on.

It was nearing 10.30 a.m. Papa got up saying it was time for bath. He asked Mai Swarup to be ready to come to the dining hall to give the ashramites the pleasure of his company during lunch. Mai Swarup did not usually take the midday meal. But when Papa requested him to come and at least sit with him, he agreed. He added that he would not sit quiet, that he might be served the dishes in small quantities and he would take a little if he felt like doing so. Accordingly, at 11.30 a.m. Papa and Maiji sat together in the dining-hall with the devotees. After the meal, the two retired for rest.

On the way back to the guest-house, Maiji was shown some of the rooms in Lalitha Devi building. After seeing them he came out saying he would have liked to enter all the rooms. He observed that, whenever he passed by any temple of the Mother, his experience was that, unless he got down and had Her darshan, he would not be able to go forward without some accident or other. Therefore, he said, he never failed to visit all the temples of the Mother on his way. Returning to the guest house, he stretched himself on the cot for a few minutes. Some ashramites, who accompanied him, sat on the floor. They were waiting for him to get up after his rest in order to take him to the bhajan-hall before his departure. While resting, Mai Swarup suddenly asked those near him: "Who is singing?" There was nobody singing. So a negative reply was given. Maiji again said that he was hearing some fine music in Kannada tune and wanted to make sure if anybody was singing in the vicinity. There was none. Mai Swarup then said it was not the first time he heard music like that. He had similar experiences before when he heard music coming from apparently nowhere. He sat up and sang the tune he heard.

As it was time to start, Mai Swarup came to the bhajan-hall where Papa was waiting for him. They were garlanded by Subbaram and Chandrasekhar. Mataji and the devotees then paid their respects to the saints. It was then time for Mai Swarup's departure. He got up and embraced the devotees present in the hall. That loving gesture gave them no small joy. Papa, Mai Swarup and Mataji walked down together to the waiting car. Before Mai Swarup entered the car Papa closed his arms round him and gave him a warm embrace. Mai Swarup's eyes were filled with tears of joy. A blessed and touching sight indeed!

The party left at 12.30 p.m. Papa was waving his hand and in a few seconds the car was out of sight.