Memories (2)…

The time of reckoning had arrived…

After checking into a cosy hotel, we all started moving towards the temple…

I just had Pandurang, Pandurang, Pandurang on my lips… All the history started passing by my eyes…

Pandurang is none other but Lord Krishna… While travelling back to Dwarka on a chariot, the dusty roads had smeared His body with dust… The colour of His skin had now changed… He is called out as Pandurang now…

This place is the Mahayogpitha… As His Holiness Pandurang Shastriji explains that the place where bhakt (devotee) goes to meet His God is a yogpitha, but the place where the Lord Himself comes to meet his bhakt (devotee) is Mahayogpitha…

Lord Pandurang while travelling comes to know about his bhakt (devotee) Pundalik, staying in Pandharpur… Pundalik is a single son of his parents who are old by now… Being the lone but dedicated son, he looks after and takes care of his parents… He is the “ananyachit bhakt”, devoted to the Lord… Lord is very happy to hear and know about Pundalik and wants to meet him… And so He drives His chariot to Pundalik’s house… He reaches the door of Pundalik’s house and calls him… Now it so happens that Pundalik is doing some chores for his parents and without looking at who has called, he throws a brick (Vitt) and asks the caller to wait on it… And so the legend goes that the Lord is still waiting for Pundalik to finish his errands and is called “Vitthal”… Saints even today call out to Pundalik “Ka re Pundya maatlashi, ubhe kele Vitthalashi” (O Pundalik what have you done in your arrogance, you made the Lord stand on a brick!!!)… Now we may wonder is the Lord so free to wait? Or is the great devotee Pundalik so arrogant to make the Lord wait?… Here lies the divinity, that the Lord is so keen to meet his bhakt (devotee), He is ready to wait… And at the same time, let’s think about Pundalik and his work that made Lord to wait…

The Lord waiting on the brick has His two hands on His waist (as a person waiting for someone for long time would wait)… Bhagwaan Shankaracharya looking at this form calls out,

“Pramanam bhavabhderidam mamkanaam, nitambah karaabhyaam dhruto yen tasmaat…”

(The ocean of worldly desires is just upto my waist for my bhakt (devotee))…

Such is the Lord whom I (we) was (were) going to meet… The speed of my steps were increasing every moment… Even at night around 8pm there were many people and a line of devotees for the Lord’s Darshan… We all waited in the line for about 45 minutes and then we got the first glimpse of the Lord… A few metres away but seemed very far… The name of Pandurang gathered momentum on everyone’s lips…

Finally I (We) entered the “Garbhagrih” (sanctum sanctorum, the main room of the temple where the Lord resides)… An aura of splendour… An aura of divinity… Lo Behold! The Lord… I (we) touch the feet of the Lord and am lost… Forget what I want to ask him, tell him and tears of happiness just roll down…

It’s done in a few minutes… We move ahead for the Darshan of the Lord’s consort, Rukmini, fondly called Rukmaai… She awaits the Lord a little distance away (maybe, so as not to interfere the dialogue between the Lord and His devotee)…

And slowly we move out with a heavy heart of leaving the Lord behind… At the same time eyes filled with His form, which will help live this life…

The commitment towards my own life has increased manifold… The commitment to my family has increased manifold… The committment to my Guru, has increased manifold…

Now the feet move towards River Chandrabhaaga, to immerse myself and wash myself of all my vices… But duty towards the group prevails and so we move towards a small hutment for dinner…

Will have to wait for Chandrabhaaga till tommorrow and so will you, folks…

Parabrahma lingam bhaje Pandurangam…