I owe my life, my all to You
Mangesh Khanvilkar
A blockage in the artery, blood pressure below 40….All the medical parameters were pointing to certain death. The doctors had lost all hope. The bhakta had left everything to Bapu,”Bapu! May Your will prevail.” Bapu rushed to the aid of His beloved bhakta
“Om Manahsaamarthyadaata Shree Aniruddhaay Namaha”. I begin writing my experience with this mantra that epitomizes my Bapu. Also, this was the mantra that gave me the strength to escape from the jaws of death.
I have been coming to Bapu from December 2000. In June 2011, I met with a terrible incident. But, it was Bapu who saved me.
It was a Saturday on the 4th of June 2011, I was struck with a bout of cold and cough. But due to certain unavoidable circumstances, I was unable to visit the doctor. As the next day was a Sunday, and no doctor would be available, I got a few medicines from a friend, who happened to be a doctor. After two days, I started feeling breathless while doing my daily exercise. I thought that it was because of my sickness that I felt so and I continued my exercises.
On 14th of June, we had a meeting with Bapu. I told Bapu about my problem of breathlessness. Bapu said that he knew of my problem and would further give me two more exercises. After saying this, Bapu touched my back, smiled and left. I continued my exercises. But, the breathlessness would not go away. Simultaneously, I also started suffering from a backache. Moreover, this worsened with every passing day.
On 17th June, the pain was unbearable and I decided to not go to the office. I had stopped doing my exercises as I thought they were the source of pain. But, I also started feeling breathless and uneasy while walking. On 20th June, while I going to the office from my sister’s residence, I climbed up the bridge at the Kandivali station, but only with great effort and will. I got into a train and went home instead of the office. A meeting was scheduled in the evening with Bapu and I decided to rest at home. In the evening, as the meeting started, I was unable to concentrate because of my backache and breathlessness.
During the meeting, Bapu would occasionally look at me and smile. But, I did not understand the reason behind it. Afterwards, I told Him about my pain once again. He again touched my back and asked me to meet Suchit Dada and also said that He would speak to Suchit Dada about it. He smiled and left. I went back home. That night I had a very strange dream. I was wearing pure white clothes and there was a white light all around. Suddenly, Bapu’s hand appeared and he took away my white clothes and put some dirty clothes on me. I could not make head or tail of this dream.
The next day was Tuesday, 21st of June, and I went to the clinic. Suchit Dada had yet to arrive. In the meantime, Dr. Shiva Nichanki examined me and asked me to get an X-Ray and an ECG done immediately.
After examining my X-ray and ECG reports, Suchit Dada said that I might have to stay under observation in a hospital. But, before that, he asked me to consult a cardiologist, Dr. Harish Mehta. Rajendrasinh Dingankar accompanied me to Dr. Mehta. After examining my reports, Dr. Mehta wrote a letter asking me to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Nanavati Hospital. I took the letter back to Suchit Dada. He asked me to get admitted to the hospital immediately. While leaving, he smiled and asked me to meet Him after being discharged from the hospital. Suchit Dada also asked Rajendrasinh Dingankar and Hemantsinh Mhatre to accompany me.
They accompanied me to the Nanavati Hospital where I was admitted. I was initially diagnosed with pneumonia. But, on examining my ECG report, Dr. Mehta asked me to undergo a 2-D Echo test. Fortunately, those tests turned out to be normal. He also asked me to undergo a CT scan. But I had to make the necessary monetary arrangements. Hence, the CT scan took some time. Two days later, on 23rd June, I was shifted to the General Ward. Dr. Mehta came to examine me at 2 in the afternoon. He asked me to undergo the ECG and CT scan test once again. On that day, I was feeling extremely uneasy since the afternoon.
I chanted the Panchamookha Hanuman Kavach, Kleshanivaaraka Stotra, read a chapter of the Maatruvaatsalyavindaanam and wrote a page of the Anjana Maata notebook. In the evening, prior to my supper, the nurse gave me an injection. I told the nurse that the injections were unusually painful that day. She stopped midway. Suddenly, I felt some uneasiness in the stomach and I fainted on the bed. After 15 minutes, I regained consciousness and felt better. I had my supper peacefully. Sometime later, the nurse came and gave me the injection again. I asked my sister for some water. But, by the time she got me water, I had fainted again.
I could not understand what was going on. I had lost the sensation of my right side. My right eye had closed completely. I was breathing very heavily. My left eye was partially open and I could hear some voices faintly. The doctor told my sister that my condition was not good and that she should inform my relatives.
On hearing the doctor’s words, I was certain that my end was near. This thought was very scary and I do not have words to express what I felt then. I was constantly chanting Bapu’s name. I said to Bapu,” Bapu, why so soon? I am not done yet. I still have to take part in your programs and activities. So how can I die like this?” After speaking thus, I felt at ease emotionally and I said to Bapu, "May Your wish prevail!".
Another thing that annoyed me was that I could not see Bapu. Bapu had said that he would be with his bhakta when he leaves this world. Also, Suchit Dada had asked me to visit him after being discharged from the hospital. So how could I then die!
My left eye had closed completely. I was barely able to breathe. The doctor shifted me to the ICU. At 10.30 in the night, I regained consciousness. In the past 2 hours, my blood pressure had dipped below 40 and I was not undergoing any medical treatment at that moment. But, I was sure, at that time there was only one doctor who could save me. And that was my Bapu.
Dr. Mehta asked me to undergo a CT scan once again. The report was worrisome. According to the report, I had a pulmonary embolism, meaning that there was a blockage of the main artery and it could have possibly lead to a heart attack or paralysis or a lung failure. By Bapu’s grace, none of these happened to me. I was given a blood-thinning injection. While administering the injection, the doctors said that the injection would take 6 hours to take effect and in the meantime, there was a possibility of hemorrhage. But again, nothing happened.
I was almost dead, but Bapu brought me back. In the meantime, Amitsinh Chavan had been to the second floor of Happy Home and met Bapu there. He told Bapu that I was doing fine now. Bapu smiled and said, "The rascal just about made it!" (Bach Gaya Saala!)
For the next one week, which I spent in the hospital, Bapu was the sole source of emotional and mental strength. Eventually, I was discharged. In a few days, I went to meet Suchit Dada. He smiled and sarcastically asked, "So you were almost gone. How did it feel? Did you meet anyone? “I did not know what to say! Suchit Dada asked me to take rest for a week.
In a month’s time, I went back to the clinic to meet Suchit Dada. It was a Thursday. Now, He had permitted to attend Bapu’s meetings and discourses. The coming Monday we had a meeting scheduled with Bapu. I was going to meet Bapu for the first time after being discharged from the hospital. During the meeting, Bapu called me towards Him and asked me to sit in front of Him. He enquired about my health, what the doctor had said and asked me about the medicines I was taking. I told Bapu that I was scared of what had happened to me. After hearing this, Bapu asked me to place my right hand in His right hand. He pressed my hand tightly and said, "My child, you need not worry about anything.” He then placed His hand on my head and blessed me.
During the meeting, one of my friends told Bapu that, even when I was sick, I would jog around Shivaji Park. Bapu said it was due to these exercises that the danger to my health had mitigated. Then my friend asked Bapu, "Bapu, Mangesh had almost left us, is it not?” Bapu said, "No, that can never be possible."
Today, my health is perfectly fine. It was owing to Bapu’s grace that I got a new lease of life. I had lost my parents at a very early age. But, my real parents, who transcend all my births, have always been Bapu.
‘Ek Vishwaas Asaavaa Purtaa| Kartaa Hartaa Guru Aisa |'.Truly, we must place our complete faith in Bapu and everything in our lives will be sorted out.
‘Itke Sope Jeevan Kele, Baslyaa Zaagi Dev Aale| Uthoon Baslyaa Damalo Nahi, Heech Kaay Tee Seva Ghadali|’. (My Bapu has made life so simple. He, my God came into my life. What did I have to do for this blessing, this grace? All that I did was, I sat up – I did not keep sleeping oblivious to his presence in my life. I kept pulling myself up, braced myself and offered myself to him. That I did relentlessly Bapu, that I did by Your grace)