The Warm Welcome

It was a long journey from Ahmedabad to Sri Badrika Ashram: nearly 12 hours with a mix of the plane and an arduous car journey. We had woken up at 4 am in Ahmedabad and had managed to reach Sri Badrika Ashram only by 4 pm.  

So, anyone with a highly skeptical mind might consider the below episode with a rationality that is so characteristic of our modern, scientific age, and can assume my below experience to be the tiredness of a long journey. But the best part is: what happened to me wasn’t on the same day – the wonder that I experienced, I experienced with a well-rested mind and body, on the second day.

On day 2, there was pin-drop silence in the Sri Hari temple. It was my first time in the temple. Accompanied by my daughter at 5.45 AM in the morning, I entered the temple as quietly as I could naturally manage for Vishnu Sahasrarnama.To be honest, I only had heard about Om Swamiji from my daughter, who had read all his books. I knew that there was a vigrah of Narayan in the temple on the ground of the ashram but I thought it will be like any other murti in any other temple in the world. We all have been to many temples across the world.

There were only a couple of people in the ocean-like silent place. I tiptoed in and Sri Hari’s vigrah came into view. At first, I joined hands, like anyone would in front of any murti, and went closer for my pranaam.

That was when something happened that made me miss a heartbeat and jolted me out of my wits.

Totally normal a second ago, I suddenly saw Sri Hari’s vigrah smiling warmly at me! As if welcoming me to His abode.

And then as I blinked my eyes in shocked disbelief, like a playful master, He once again assumed His normal poise!

Despite being the month of February, I broke into a little bit of sweat. Did I see what I just saw? Did He really smile at me? Was I hallucinating? Was I still tired from the journey yesterday? No! I wasn’t tired at all. And I wasn’t hallucinating – He indeed smiled at me! My fast heartbeats were proof of that.

Controlling my emotions, I quietly stepped aside, and only told my daughter about it sometime later. She believed me. As anyone who has been near the beautiful dark vigrah of Sri Hari would believe me!

That was the first time in the 60 years of my life when I realized that even God can be alive!

We stayed at the ashram for 12 days, lasting up to Mahashivratri, but it was only during my first day when He playfully smiled at me like that.  One other time, as Swamiji had just completed the aarti in the evening, I had suddenly noticed that the vigrah had suddenly opened His eyes as if He was fully immersed in Swamiji’s aarti with closed eyes till then, and after the shouts of Govinda…Govinda..Govinda..He had finally opened them!

But the first time will always remain special! And to be honest, this was my first miracle – of my entire life! May Sri Hari be kind to you all too!!

God bless you. Jai Sri Hari.