AN UNTIMELY VISIT

“Om Agni Devaya Namah………..Om Agni Devaya Namah..”

“I offer my obeisances to you, my dear lord,” said a familiar voice. As I opened my eyes, I saw it was none other than…

“What happened Nandi?” said Father. “I told you to keep guard and not let anyone disturb us until my disciple finishes his sadhana. It is crucial and still, you came. May I know the reason?” asked father in a serious tone.

You all know my father. Yes!!!! I am telling you all. He is very soft, innocent, and gullible but when he takes the role of a Guru, you must be very careful otherwise…

Nandi replied, his voice trembling ” Master. If it was not an important issue, I wouldn’t have disturbed your process. I know how much importance the sadhana holds, for his holistic growth but there is someone who wishes to have an audience with your disciple.”

“An audience with me?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, Kumar” Nandi replied. Then looking at my father he said,” But..”

“But what Nandishwar?” replied father, still serious.

“But before meeting my dear friend, I wanted to have a glimpse of your divine presence, my lord Ashutosh,” said a familiar voice whose essence I could recognize, no matter where I was.

“I am extremely sorry to interfere in the middle of your Pancha Bhuta Aradhana, Prabhu,” he said, folding his hands in the mode of namaskar. “You can punish me for my insolence, my lord. But I couldn’t resist myself from meeting you and Kumar” he said, faintly smiling.

Father got up from his asana, went to him while taking his trident from the ground and said, smiling, overwhelmed” Today, my luck shines greatly upon me as the one who is the cause of all causes, has himself come to pay his devotee a visit.”

Still, hands folded, he replied, smiling ” It is the greatness of the one, who is the primordial source of everything that has manifested or remains unmanifested, to compliment his devotees with such statements, my dear lord.”

“No one can win against you when the case is of play of words, my lord,” said father, smiling.

“So can I meet my friend now, my lord, with your permission of course,” he said, looking into father’s eyes, seeking approval.

Father looked at me and then looked back again and replied,”How can I refuse my Ishta?” He looked at me again and said” As a guru, I permit you to stop your Panch Agni Tapa and have an audience with your friend. After that, we will start again. Saying this, he blew off the circle of fire around me in which I was doing my sadhana.

“Let us go Nandi” Father went, taking Nandi with him.

“Govind” I screamed with joy as I got up from my asana. He came towards me and I bowed down to touch his feet but he held my hands.

“Uhuumm” he nodded, showing disapproval. “I came here not as an Ishta but as a friend and hence I want my friend to hug me instead.”

Overwhelmed, I hugged him tightly.

“How are you doing, Sakha?” He asked, caressing my head while hugging.

I replied with my eyes closed, smiling, and enjoying his caressing “I am fine now. But I wanted to ask you something?”

“Ask.” He replied, smiling.

“How are they all doing?”

He looked at my face, displeased with the question. said” You are indeed very cruel, Sakha. I came all the way here to meet you and without asking about my well-being, you ask about your other friends and family. I won’t talk to you from now on.”

He turned his back against me. I held his shoulder and replied smiling,” Now, don’t make a gloomy face in front of me, Keshav. I very well know about your emotional tricks. It won’t work on me. Remember, I have been staying with you since..”

“I know. But sometimes, let me also have some fun,” he replied, smiling.

“Speaking of fun, don’t tell me that you started your mischiefs with my friends and family too.”

He smirked in reply.

“Madhav,” I said, feeling tense, “They will know. I told you to keep a low profile so that your behavior doesn’t arise suspicion among them. But I am sure you must have done one thing or the other.”

“If you are so sure then why ask me? You already came to a conclusion.”

“I am not but I also do know about your fondness of doing leelas and now when you have my body, I am sure you must have done something that either must have freaked them out or made them dislike you.”

“I did no such thing, just..” he stopped feeling guilty of something.

“JUST WHATjQuery112407139546584375895_1607114940358?” I asked, irritated.

“Just said some things bluntly onto their faces but it was not my fault. They were all speaking nonsense and you very well know, I love to feed on the arrogance of my devotees whether they are conscious of it or not. In any way, at last, they all are worshipping me. So it becomes my duty to shatter their arrogance.”

“But Madhav” I replied seriously “They don’t know it’s you. I am sure that they must have said something which was insulting to you. And that may add up to their karma.”

“You still did not change. You declared that you will change your personality but the tinge of misplaced compassion still remains.”

I replied, smiling ” For your kind information, I still haven’t completed my sadhana and if we see from the perspective of my kith and kin, I must have undergone a distinctive change in my personality because the one who was very nice and kind suddenly became very blunt and displeasing.”

“Seriously speaking, how did you deal with them, especially with their nonsensical  comments?”

“With love and compassion, of course. But now with your conduct, I am very sure, when I get back, I will receive a lot of irritated glances from my acquaintances. Because you may have also said them something which they didn’t like.”

“Well, you may be true to some extent but I am sure you will figure something out when you get back after finishing your sadhana.” He said, laughing.

“What other choice do I have left, Kanha?” I replied, sarcastically looking at him.

“Well, don’t be tensed, Sakha. I am very good at my acting skills and to act like you is very easy. Just need to potray me as dumb and caring. No one will ever have a suspicion.”

“So you are trying to say that I am dumb and caring?”

“No, I am trying to say that you are a fool.”

“Kanhaaa”

“What? Seriously, Sakha! I have told you many times that those beings who don’t want to listen about me. Don’t preach them to be my devotees. I don’t like it. But yet you do that again and again. Why?”

“Says who? The one who, in his devotee incarnation, gave the elixir of devotion to thousands of people.”

“That was a different case.”

“How was that a different case?  When you being a devotee couldn’t see someone else’s pain. How could you expect me not to help the other especially when they are going through enormous suffering and pain?”

“I don’t stop you from helping others but people who are too full of themselves, for them please, don’t utter the term ‘devotion’ in front of them because anyway, they are not going to get it and in the process may end up insulting you which I can’t tolerate. But you don’t need to worry now. I am taking care of them very effectively. Letting them know very well where they actually stand and where their rightful place is.”

“Seriously, Murari. You are making me worried about them. They may not be able to handle your blunt replies.”

“Seriously Sakha, I am amazed. You are still worrying about them and here I am, doing everything for you. And what you care about is how will they face their reality when their life is being disillusioned by me.”

“Okay, leave them. Tell me about my close ones. How are they progressing on their path? Did they trouble you much with their questions and doubts?”

“Doubts and questions are not a new thing for me, Sakha. You very well know that before the great war, I had to clear doubts so that my devotee could proceed. The case hasn’t changed in here too. The only thing that changed was that I needed to get rid of my aesthetics and answer them in a very technical way so that it gets into their dumb head.”

“Kanhaaa” I replied, seeming threatened “Beware, don’t talk about my close ones like that.”

“Yes, they are only your close ones and me, I am just a stranger, a fool who doesn’t need any care and affection because everyone knows that I am complete by myself, I don’t need anyone else.”

“Well, yes. That is indeed true.” I replied in a mocking tone.

“Well then, I will be leaving” Saying this he got up and started to leave when I stopped him by holding his hand.

“I am sorry, Govind. I was just mocking you. You very well know that my love for you can’t be described through mere words or affectionate gestures. Now, have a seat and tell me, how are they doing? Is their progress satisfactory?”

“Well, some are too busy but one of them has just completed his sadhana. His devotion towards you is what appeals to me the most.”

“So, how did he do?”

“Well, he has just started dissolving into you. So by the time you get back, you will see another of you talking to you.”

“But why didn’t you inspire him to dissolve into you, Madhav? After all, you are the Purna Purusha or the complete man? He could have got all your qualities which are enshrined in you.”

“Well, as if it was my call to take. It depends on a devotee that which form he/she chooses to dissolve into. He was inspired by you so he chose you.”

“Well, you could have stopped him?”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because you are the right one, not me.”

“Then, by inference, what I did was also right. So, don’t tell me what to do and what not to because you yourself accepted that I am the right one.”

“Father said it true. No one can win against you when the case is of playing with words.”

“Well, then why do you try again and again?” He asked laughing.

“Oh Lord,” I joined my hands and said, “You win and I accept my defeat.”

“Good.”

“Just one request”

“Anything”

“Just until I get back, nurture them like the way I did. Don’t be too harsh on them. After all, they are your children too. I don’t want them to dislike you in any way because after all, you are their well-wisher and well-doer. They must have companionship with you, not resist you. So, please be patient. If they do anything wrong, forgive them. Please, Devi Radha.”

“Don’t worry, Kumar” said a voice from Madhav’s chest and a form manifested from the left part of his chest.

“Pranam, Devi Radha.”

“Don’t worry. When Madhav will be blunt, I will compensate it with my affectionate behavior” said Devi Radha, smiling.

“But Devi, won’t it confuse them even more?” I asked, worried.

“They won’t be because I won’t let them even realize it,” said another voice which manifested into another form.

“Pranam, Devi Yogmaya.”

“You very well know, Kumar that when your Sakha did his leelas around Vrindavan. It was me by whose veil everyone forgot your friend’s true identity and treated him like any other cowherd. You rest assured. No one will suspect your identity. You complete your sadhana. Till then, we will handle it for you.”

“I am indeed grateful to you, Mahadevi. Shower your blessings upon me so that I can return to you all soon after successfully completing my tapsya.”

They all opened their right palm in the form of benediction and said in unison,” Kalyan Ho. Vijaya Bhava. May you return victorious.”

“Well, I must return to my father to start my Tapasya again. Please excuse me.”

They all nodded and I left for my tapsya.

“Well Madhusudan,” said Yogmaya. “What will you do now because your friend has requested you not to be harsh on them?”

“Well, I can’t be harsh on them but I can still be blunt.”

“Seriously, Kanha!” said Radha. “Still finding loopholes?”

“Why can’t I? After all, it is for my friend only.”

And they all laughed out loud. But the question is, who is the one that is telling you all this. Is it me or they or no one? It doesn’t make sense, right! The same is with life, don’t try to make sense out of it, you will miss life completely. Try to enjoy everything that you have without finding reasons for everything. When you can do that, you will know what Leela is. I will be very blunt to you all, the more you think about life, the more it gets constipated for you. Instead of thinking, try to experience it sometimes, you will realize that it is indeed a great feeling. I have given too much of a pep talk. You can go on doing your own chores now. After all, you have a life to THINK about!!!