ETERNAL INDIA 20 - THE GITA, THE BHAGVATAM AND VISHNU SAHASTRANAMM TRADITION - PART 2

The story of the son, MGA resembles the father’s, to some extent. Deep inside oneself one discovers , I mean the lucky man, that there has existed in him an unexplored spiritual depth which he had not discovered till accidentally something happened.

And then he discovers the greater truth that it was not accidentally but through a divinely preordained scheme that it happened. It is then, in that great supreme moment of truth, that one discovers like Arjuna of the Geeta that when Lord opens his mouth what issues out of it a story of predestination (11th chapter). It was preordained. It is then a stunning moment of truth. It then becomes a story of spontaneous meditation with eyes open, eyes closed, in the silence of the night and even in the terrible noise and dirt of the excruciating hours of a daytime in an urban city of modern India. You are then a modern avadhoot in modern western attire.

The story has its origin in your birth in a family where spiritual values of the eternal India were preserved, never talked of, never boasted about. It emerged out, you think accidentally one day, suddenly, you imagined. Then it dawns upon you that it was not even accidental or sudden. It was part of a scheme and you came to know of it when the lid of Maya got lifted off one day. But then Maya again conceals the Reality from your eyes. It is a never ending game of hide and seek.

That is the story of MGA whose father’s story was narrated in the previous episode. To have been born in Vrindavan was a great event. Tapovan maharaj, the great saint referred to by Swami Chinmayanand, had said that in the tiny hamlets of Himalayan village at great heights, even illiterate women knew Vedanta better than the theoretical scholar. That is because they live and breathe in a great tradition of spirituality without ever realizing it.

In Vrindavan, the women know so much about the essence of the Bhagvatam but may never have read this great book.The men folk of course read it, Brahmins particularly, to make a living as preachers.

MGA brought up in Vrindavan, made a career at the right age and moved out to join a class one central government service, married, raised a family to which he is deeply attached like any Hindu father. In course of time in his thirties he married and came with his wife and joined out small

group of Vishnu Sahastranaam recitation group. We went to Vrindavan and spent hours during some week ends with the great Nagaridas baba. We met occasionally, talked on phone and both retired, he busy and worried with his family burdens as usual but has his heart in the right place. This is the India we live in where Hindus do not wear their religion and spirituality on their sleeves. They always give you the impression of being crass materialist till they are scratched. Such males become spiritual and their wives remain religious and worldly.

Then MGA retired and his daughter went to USA to do a course which gave her a good career. He went there with his wife in June 2009. They went to Canada to meet some relation of theirs. There while coming of a kitchen on the first floor he slipped on a staircase and fell headlong down below in what was a pit. He became unconscious and had brain haemorrage.

Lying unconscious for five days he became a cause of worry for his wife and daughter who did Vishnu Sahastranaam, Mrityunjaya mantra and Radha Kripa Kataksha stotra by his bedside in that hospital in Canada. We came to know of in Delhi and other places and we also did Mrityunjaya for him , a group of twenty five for some hours. I got the email of the daughter of MGA from the elder brother of MGA and wrote to her. Here are some extracts.

From: R..@hotmail.com
To: knrao@.com
Subject: RE: Reply at once
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:46:10 IST

Dear uncle,
All's well. Papa is walking a bit now. However, he's weak and his head aches a lot. We really want to come back soon. We spoke to the doctors and the social workers today and they are of the opinion that he's medically alright. However, I told them that traveling for 24 hours in this condition is not a good idea. This is not in our hands. The insurance company and the doctors will decide what the next steps are. It look is like that they will make arrangements for Sat or Sun flight. I will also fly back on the 25th or 26th. He's getting better everyday and was really happy to hear from you.

I will keep you updated about the plans.
Warm Regards,
R.............

Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:29:08 +0000
To: r@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: RE: Reply at once
From: knrao@.com

R,
Let us know the latest.
KNRao.

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:14:21 +0530  R... wrote
Dear uncle,
I just got access to the Internet. Papa is doing very well. He's recovering at a fast pace and is talking, listening and making jokes in the ICU, making everyone laugh. I will call you tonight and give you more updates. I will see him in an hour and will call once I'm out of the unit. He's was giving his salutations to you yesterday. His words were: Rao sahab is great, Caroli is great! :) I will tell him that you e-mailed and asked about him and will let you know what he said this time. I will see you soon.
Warm regards,
R

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:05:30 +0000
To: r@hotmail.com
Subject: Reply at once
From: knrao@.com
R.......
Let me know if this email is reaching you. If yes,write about the condition of your father MGA as people are ringing me up to ask me. I can pass on the message and news them.
Yours,
K.N.Rao.

MGA came back to Delhi and rang me up. One day he said that he wanted to come to my house and meet me and I told him to rest more, recover more then come. He again rang me up after some days and I told him to wait for time more. When he rang me up again after sometime I asked him to come and he could come, walk up the staircase where I live and talk as he had been doing for years with me , like a normal man. But he was changed I could see.

He told me that he had an Ajamil like experience. Those who had read the Srimad Bhagvatam know what he meant. He experienced like Ajamil the messengers of death, we all Yama dootas coming and tying him up and dragging. It went on sometime and then he started shouting loudly Radhe Radhe. His wife and daughter by his bedside must have been surprised. He regained consciousness, started talking after that ghastly and frightening experience. Doctors were surprised and happy. His family was delighted.

But he was a changed man and talked now of divine themes, those familiar themes, which we read about, hear and forget in the turmoil of life and its exacting demands. He was talking with deepest

conviction of the truths of the Gita and Srimad Bhagvatam with rare conviction. In thirty years I had not seen or heard him speak with such devotion and fire as now. I listened to him and then he left.

He came again one day with his wife when Pavitran (Paul Manley) from USA (Hawaii) and Sakai from Japan were at my place. I introduced them to him and he was talking as he done in his previous visit.

Nothing is accidental, everything is predestined (the Gita eleventh chapter), nothing is unrelated , everything is interrelated (the Gita seventh chapter).

HE takes upon Himself to protect you.
Yogakheshamam vahamyamham

He is a changed man or an accident has woken him upto the divine reality---life at some time must cease to be a story of materialist pursuit and become divine ecstacy. For him it is the eternal truth of an eternal tradition of eternal India.