You hold the protective shield of unconditional love!
When one escapes a major calamity or an accident, one tends to think that they are saved from its dire consequences because they follow the path of devotion (Bhaktimarg) towards one's Sadguru. One tends to think that since one chants Ramraksha, reads Sundarkand and behaves well, one has gathered enough blessings to be saved from any untoward incident. However, this experience would narrate how I was rescued from a major calamity despite not having done anything mentioned above. One whose life is filled with the existence of Sadguru Aniruddha Bapu tends to experience the state of affairs differently. One tends to experience a positive transformation when one surrenders to Sadguru, and that is what I experienced.
On the night of May 31, 2003, I had an ache in my chest, and I was experiencing a burning sensation there as well. I immediately went to my physician, who later took an ECG. On examination, he informed me that my blood pressure was fluctuating; there were equivocal T wave changes in my pre-cordial leads. He said that he would have to keep a constant check on me through the night. However, since he had to travel to Mumbai for his daughter's admission to medical school, he referred me to another physician. He informed the physician that he was sending me to him. My brother and my wife took me to the other doctor. What he said there, scared all my relatives. He said that he was glad that they had brought me to him just in time. Otherwise, it would have been too destructive for my health.
He then admitted me to the ICU and treated me for unstable angina. I was feeling almost normal as I shifted from one nursing home to the other. However, I had to suffer through self-created ill-fate. My elder brother has been following Bapu since the year 2000. He would keep telling me things about Bapu, but it did not affect me. I would keep talking negatively about Bapu. I would throw away papers of Bapu's discourses that he would give me to read. Not only that, I had not even made an attempt to know Bapu's full name. I was slowly turning into an atheist. I used to feel that I was living my life to the best of my abilities, and therefore, I never needed to surrender to God or, for that matter, his agents (I used to acknowledge Bapu as an agent of God). On hearing that millions of devotees follow Bapu, I would say that millions of people eat Gutka and chew tobacco as well. Does it then mean that I had to do the same? I was utterly self-absorbed. However, my ego soon took me to the depths of utmost darkness.
On obtaining a discharge from the nursing home, I was asked to take tablets to treat my hypertension and control my cholesterol. I was asked to take Ecosprin for the rest of my life. On top of that, they recommended that I go to Mumbai for Angiography. On reaching Mumbai, Dr Prafulla Kelkar, Cardiologist from KEM and Dr Handa, Cardiologist from Jaslok, informed me that I was not a heart disease patient. They concluded by saying that I didn't need to get an Angiography. However, they strongly recommended taking the three medications that were prescribed for me for the rest of my life.
However, by then, I suspected that I had developed a severe heart condition. I also felt that the doctors were saying whatever they said just to let go of my fears. From that moment onwards, the fear of death began occupying my mind like an epidemic. My health kept on deteriorating thereon. I kept on feeling that I had chest aches often; I would then go to the doctor. The doctor would take an ECG and prescribe medications. In this vicious cycle, my emotional, physical and financial condition worsened. Every moment of mine was engulfed with the fear of death and worries about my future (with regard to my wife and my six-month-old daughter). I lost almost 15 kgs weight. My digestive system collapsed, and as a result, I would pass stool with undigested food. I had unbearable physical pain and emotional upheaval.
In the midst of all of this, that day broke on the horizon. It was the year 2003-04. At about 2 in the afternoon, I was in my shop worrying about my wife and daughter. To kill time, I felt I should read the newspaper and thus was searching for one. I felt that my shop assistant had probably kept the paper in a drawer, thinking it was from the previous day. Therefore, I opened it and put my hand inside it. And that was the moment when I experienced a complete turnaround in my life, that was the moment when Bapu entered my life.
Instead of the newspaper, I found a torn book with a part of Bapu's discourse. Out of sheer curiosity, I must have read just a little piece, and I began to see a divine figure in front of my eyes. I kept my head on that torn book and began to cry uncontrollably. I kept saying, "God, please pardon me. Bapu, please pardon me. I could never understand you. Please pardon all my sins; please forgive me."
After few moments, as I gathered my composure, I began to think. I wondered what kind of realization was it. Why was I saying this? Who was this Bapu? I began to question myself. Whenever my elder brother gave me those books, I would throw them aside as waste without reading any one of them. I would shut my brother up before he could tell me anything about Bapu. I would tell him not to tell me anything about his Baba. Despite that, Bapu ensured that I chanted his name then. Truly Bapu is ever-giving and ever-forgiving. For no reason, I would call him a fake Baba. He still forgave me.
I was surprised. I called up my elder brother and asked him if the person he kept on telling me about was called Bapu. On hearing from him in affirmation, I could not believe that the one I did not know, I considered fake and had never met, was indeed the one I saw. I called him out and addressed him "My God Bapu", and asked for his forgiveness. It was beyond my comprehension. His experience has ensured that I stayed at his lotus feet even today. It is due to this incident that whenever I have doubts in my mind, I think about the incident, and the moment I think about it, all my misgivings wither away in thin air.
After that experience, I began to attend upasana in Dhule Upasana Kendra. Shortly after that, I got an opportunity to travel to Mumbai to attend his discourse. At that time, once again, I had a unique experience. I had witnessed such a divine environment for the first time. I, along with my family, was seated very close to the stage. Bapu must have reached the main entrance because I heard the song "Hari ala re…." I could not see Bapu, but on hearing the song, I had goosebumps, and my eyes began to well out. My daughter was sitting on my shoulders. She was about two years old at that time. While at home, at times, due to domestic challenges, my eyes would well out. My daughter never liked that, and she would gently hit me on my cheeks. But that day, at Harigurugram, those tears of happiness were not out of sorrow. My little daughter seemed to have understood it because she did not spank me on my cheeks as usual.
That day, as I looked at Bapu, I could see my mother in him. I had Bapu's Darshan, I heard him speak, and I began my journey back home with much contentment. While I was thinking about it, I realized that I had not had a chest ache in a long time. Until that time, I would continuously have these chest aches. Due to these chest pains, I would wake up in the middle of the night. However, on taking Bapu's darshan, my chest aches stopped permanently.
My hypertension and cholesterol stabilized. Moving forward, the doctors asked me to stop all three medications. Therefore, I did not need to take the medicines, which the doctors had initially said I would be required to take for the rest of my life. After that, I became much healthier, only because of my Bapu's intervention. Bapu gave me several experiences. However, the most significant experience was the fact that I obtained courage and confidence. Freedom from the fear of death! This seemingly impossible thing took place in my life only due to Bapu's blessings. Despite not having any good deeds to my credit, Bapu rescued me from physical, emotional and financial difficulties. From the year 2006 till the year 2012, I managed to pay off a loan of 20 Lakhs, and I also managed to build a bungalow for myself. All this has been possible only due to Bapu's blessings.
My second experience relates to my struggling days around the year 2006. My wife developed an intense issue of bleeding. The doctor informed us that she could take some hormone injections to arrest the bleeding, but she would not conceive after that. We reflected on it and thought that God had already blessed us with one daughter and were not even in a financial condition to afford another child. Moreover, the main issue was to save my wife from this condition. Therefore, we gave written consent to the doctor to administer the hormone injection.
After administering the injection, her bleeding stopped, and as a result, we saved spending money on her hospitalization. The doctor had indicated to us that my wife would experience irregularity in her monthly menstrual cycle. On one occasion, when she did not get her period for 2-3 months, we got the test done. The pregnancy test came positive. Precisely on the same day, in his editorial in Daily Pratyaksha, Bapu had written about the ill effects of excessive family planning. He had also recommended that every family should have at least two children. Therefore, we looked at this incident as a plan for us as recommended by our Sadguru, not a mere coincidence.
On showing the report to our doctor, he indicated that the probability of the child being normal was very low in cases where the pregnancy takes place after administering the hormone injection. He also said the chances of the child being mentally challenged or physically challenged was very high. On exiting the consulting room, my wife began to weep. I told her, "Look, the doctor had told us that you would not be able to bear a child, but that has been proven wrong. Now he is saying that the baby will not be normal. How can we believe his words? Why worry about it when we have Bapu backing us? We got the report the same day as the editorial in Pratyaksha. It was proof enough that Bapu was with us. Our child would be normal. Please do not worry. Let us apply Udi during your pregnancy, and let us chant his name." On hearing this, my wife felt much at peace and also felt confident.
Whenever we would go for follow-up, the doctor would warn us. He would say, "please reconsider. This baby will not be born normal. It is usually challenging to raise such children." However, we ignored his recommendations. The USG reports were all normal. Also, we had complete faith in Bapu. In the same year, the third volume of Shreemad Purushartha Grantharaj was published. It had information about "Shree Vardhamaan Vrataadhiraj" to be performed in the month of Margashirsha. We performed that vrat. While the term was almost over, the baby received the protective shield of Vrataadhiraj. We performed the udyaapan, and the next day, as guided by Parampujya Suchitdada, on January 9, 2007, at 5 am, the baby was born through a caesarean section. The nurse on duty pronounced ‘Hari Om’ in the newly born baby's ears.
My son is not a mentally challenged child. On the contrary, he is extremely sharp and is very active. It means the entire world is on one side, and my Sadguru's power is unbeatable on the other side. It is due to my Sadguru's blessings and grace that the seemingly impossible things have become a reality. I am a witness to this phenomenon myself. Therefore, I can say it with full confidence. I bow at the lotus feet of Parampujya Bapu a thousand times!