Sri Sadguru Mahime

Author: Charana Dasa

Translator: Shri.Ganesh Prasad

Chapter 138 :  At Ballaleshwara temple

Gurunatha has been an ocean of compassion giving us numerous life experiences through his miracles. However, this Charanadasa feels the one going to be narrated below really stands out from the rest. This incident also gives us a glimpse of our Gurunatha’s life when he was working at Ballaleshwara temple at Sakharaya Patna.

This Charanadasa vaguely remembered that Mangalore based couple; one of my relatives recently gave the contact details telling me this couple was known to Gurunatha as early as 1970 and they might help me in my endeavor of collecting these memories of my Gurunatha.

I called the number given and gave my introductions. l was overcome by emotions by what I heard from the other side. They were so affectionate towards me thanks to Gurunatha’s compassion. They asked me to visit them on a Sunday. As I landed there on a Sunday they made preparations for a Pada Puja because I was a disciple of their Gurunatha. l bowed to them and politely conveyed my inability to accept their Pada puja. I started my conversation by a requesting them to share their experiences.

The lady started first. “See as you probably know, we were not regular visitors to Gurunatha’s house, in spite of that the experiences my master has given us during that time are unparalleled. I shall try and recount some of them”.

“We first saw Gurunatha in 1970. Just prior to that, our farms were getting dry without proper rains for years. Some people suggested that we should perform abhisheka(offering milk,curd other liquids including water) to RishyaShringeshwara (Lord Shiva temple in Kigga near Sringeri, where offerings are made appealing for rain or for reducing rain). Then someone who was working as a priest with us and later on moved to Sakharaya Patna, suggested that we should perform abhisheka to Ballaleshwara temple in Sakharaya Patna. So, we decided on that and went to Sakharaya Patna in three cars, with eleven priests and carrying various puja items with us.

Ekadasha rudrabhisheka was performed to our satisfaction and during the mangalarati(concluding part of the ritual) the priest went into deep dhyana for some time. Then that person took us to his home offered us food and water and bid farewell to us. Later we came to know he was the administrator of the temple as well. We traveled for about five hours to reach our home and had a surprise in store. There had been heavy rains near our farms and adjoining area of about two kilometer radius and the rain had started exactly when the priest went into dhyana. Next one or two years we went to offer our service to Ballaleshwara. But, after that due to our other personal commitments we could not visit in person, our relative used to visit Sakharaya Patna every year till about 1982. Later we started sending money through money order. After that our next visit to Sakharaya Patna was probably in 1994. The seer of advaitha peetha had visited Sakharaya Patna. A few boys who had cooked for us during our programs called and told us.. “There is Guru in Sakharaya Patna, he tells past, present and future exactly as they are/occur. You should see him once”. As usual, I sat for my dhyana but my mind was not still. Repeatedly I felt like I should visit Sakharaya Patna. I requested my husband and came to Sakharaya Patna with him. Entering the administrator’s house I was thinking who was the Guru there..”. A person who was lying down came out and asked who we were.. before we could answer.. he asked “You are from Mangalore isn’t it? After so many years you remembered this route? He took a small piece of paper which had money wrapped inside, giving it to us he said, I was thinking how to send it back, now you have come yourselves..

l was thinking how could he possibly remember and identify us after so many years..

Pointing at that piece of paper he continued.. “The people of the town insulted me and threw me out of the temple, I got a pot of water offered some to the Lord Shiva and put the remaining on myself told Lord Shiva our relationship had ended and came out.”

I was cursing myself for not recognizing such a great person earlier. He took us to his pujaroom and gave an opportunity for us to perform puja to padukas he had. Later, he offered us sumptuous food. When I asked him if I could perform Pada puja, he agreed without hesitation. lt surprised everyone gathered there as he had not accepted pada puja from anyone before. Then he blessed us and sent us back. Just when we were about to leave he said, “Aradhana (birth day celebrations) of Chandra shekhara bharti seer is coming shortly, you should come, and do keep visiting”. In those fifteen years I might have visited Gurunatha’s house for about five —six times.

This Charanadasa looked at her quizzing, trying to know the reason behind that. She continued “No matter how many times you see Guru, if you do not correct your mistakes, there is no point in those visits. From his first glance, I got everything required to correct my mistakes. I had got Guru in my thoughts, I wanted to keep him in my thoughts forever, I did not find it necessary to go there. Also, during that time we were in an undivided family and the family responsibilities kept me very busy.”

At this point, Charanadasa remembered what Gurunatha used to repeat many times.. “Once Guru’s vision falls on you, nothing else may be required; one will get everything he/she desires wherever he/she is”.

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