Sri Sadguru Mahime

Author: Charana Dasa

Translator: Shri.Ganesh Prasad

Chapter 83 : The wrist watch

Gurunatha used to tell us often “I won’t accept anyone easily; I won’t accept myself also easily.” The inner meaning was that we should always examine things before we accept them. Gurunatha used to test the patience of the visitors before listening to their problems. He never used to accept anyone easily. This Charanadasa has also been subjected to many tests. Once pointing at me to one of the visitors he had said..”Had l subjected you to one test as l have done for him, you would have run away by now”.

Once an Australian citizen had come to see Gurunatha, it was during the rainy season. Gurunatha kept that person waiting for about 3 days outside his house. He used to wait drenched in rain, until he was told to ‘Go’. He did not speak the local language. 3 days passed like this. On the fourth day Gurunatha called him inside and made him sit on a chair. Gurunatha himself served food to the visitor and did arathi (a ritual in which light from wick soaked in ghee is offered). Gurunatha blessed him that he shall get all that he wished for and sent him back.

Gurunatha used to closely observe my behavior at every step. He would not put up with the slightest of mistakes from me. If there was any mistake, a test would be waiting to happen without any discussion. I need not scold or say a word to anyone, just one intense glare from me towards someone would ensure a test.

One day Gurunatha asked me to bring a mat used for filtering cooked rice. It was in thatched roof on the third floor. As I put it into the car, he asked me to show it to him. On seeing it, he said that was not the mat he expected and asked me to bring another one. Next time also it was not the one he wanted and this time he scolded me. .”What work are you doing?” This went on for about 7 times. Then he smiled at me and said.. “Were you tired? I am going outside, keep a watch on the house” and left.

In another incident, an engineer who had got a good job thanks to Gurunatha’s grace was coming to meet him. On the way he stared intensely at one girl who was sitting in the next seat. As soon as he reached Gurunatha’s residence, Gurunatha gave him a description of how the boy had stared at the girl and the attire and expressions of the girl. The boy was speechless.

Gurunatha had sent one devotee for Gurudarshana at Sringeri. After finishing Gurudarshana he left for Shivamogga via Thirthahalli. While driving through Thirthahalli he saw a group of college girls walking along the road and stared at them till he could see them. Within minutes he got a call from Gurunatha who warned him “road side attractions are signs of an impending accident, isn’t it?” and laughed. Much to his embarrassment Gurunatha even explained the exact visuals the devotee had seen.

If all these illustrations were not enough to drive home the point, Gurunatha once got about 200 wrist watches during the house warming ceremony of one of his relatives. He got that distributed among his devotees who had gathered and said “Do you know why I gave you these wrist watches today? This shall remind you that I am always watching you”.

I was too scared to use that wrist watch!

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