Mental Pranam

Now some years later, it is almost impossible to have the opportunity of touching Him and doing sastaunga pranam physically because of the crowds.

Baba had pointed out as long back as 1953 after my initiation, that I should do mental pranam when He is walking on the road or if there is someone with Him.

I asked:

“Will the mental pranam reach You and will You accept it?”

Baba had replied, “Yes. When mental pranam is offered I look at that sadhaka to indicate my acceptance. Others do not normally understand the meaning of these looks. Sometimes I slow down when I am walking when I accept such mental pranams, while on field walk”.

At that time my mind was not ready to accept this teaching but looking to the circumstances of the present day there appears to be no other alternative except to do mental pranam only.

My second weakness was to massage the lotus feet of Baba whenever I got this opportunity. On such occasions, my heart would leap and dance in pleasure and that whole day my happiness was unbounded.

Once I insisted upon massaging His feet on a day when perhaps Baba was not inclined to accept my service. My experience on that occasion was very different than usual. I hesitate to describe my experience on this occasion. It appeared as if a dry and hard piece of wood was in my hands. I had never felt like this before. Why was it like this at this time? I thought about it deeply, but was not getting an answer.

Previously the experience of massaging His feet had always been very unique and sweet, as if a ball of butter or a soft piece of cotton or silk was in my hands. The touch of Baba’s’ body was always beautifully blissful, fragrant and lovely. It was always pleasurable thinking that Baba’s body is so strong and sturdy. But today’s experience was so dry and dispiriting.

I thought about it more to see whether there was any evil though in my mind at that time. Then it suddenly dawned upon me that I had done this today against Baba’s wishes and hence the experience was so different.

I got such experience once more after that time, and then this weakness of mine also subsided. Now if I get the good fortune to massage His feet, I consider myself extremely privileged, but in case I do not get an opportunity to serve Him, I content myself by mentally massaging His lotus feet. It is a great kindness of Baba that he makes us shed so many of our weaknesses without impairing our devotion.

In the earlier days when one of the railway quarters had been converted into a jagrti, during working days, it was only now and then that Baba could go there. Evenwhen he went it was for a very brief while in the evening when be would give darshan to the sadhakas there or give some instructions to the manager and them proceed on his field walk. But on holidays he would invariably came there in the morning and stay there for a couple of hours and give darshan and pravachana to the devotees. Every sadhaka was therefore eagerly waiting for a holiday.

Most of the sadhakas staying with in a radius of 50 to 60 miles would certainly make a point to reach there by morning itself on every holiday. We had the good fortune to do our sastaunga pranam that has become a distant dream these days. Baba would bless everyone that day, enquire about everyone’s well being and the sadhakas would feel extremely elated and happy. Whenever Baba personally enquired about some sadhakas well being or about the well being of his family, his heart would leap in joy and he would surrender himself at the lotus feet of Baba. Every disciple thought that he is dearest to Baba.

This had extremely miraculous effect on all of us. We began to remain disciplined on our own and there was such irresistible love between Margiis for one another. He considered our discipline as the result of Baba’s love towards us. Discipline was increasing in every field of life. Now that kind of discipline is very much lacking. The affection for each other amongst the Margiis was such that whenever someone fell into some misfortune, other would jointly request Baba to remove his misfortune.

Everyone gave him the maximum opportunity to be near Baba. We were sharing all our pains and pleasures. Those days there was hardly any personal or Marga work about which we would not take Baba’s prior permission. Those days all the Margiis led a happy co-operative life and did regular sadhana and performed our daily routine in divine bliss. Now these days are memory only.

The description of Ram Rajya given in Ramcharitmanas was very much applicable to us in those days:

‘In the kingdom of Rama no-one suffered any affliction Be it physical, psychic or spiritual” Where are these days lost now? When will Baba repeat that environment?