By Satpurush Ka Yogbal Jagat Ka Kalyan Kare..!
Yogbal — the mystical force that enlightened beings leave behind, which guides our spiritual journey long after they have departed. Today, the Yogbal of Shrimad Rajchandraji (1867-1901) resonates through His Vachanamrut and the inspiring tales of His saintly life. For over a decade, Sri Guru has harnessed this mystical force and transformed the lives of countless seekers. This year, in honor of Shrimadji’s Deh Vilay Diwas, SRM set out for the pious land of Rajkot. After all, what better place to experience His Yogbal than the city where Shrimadji spent time frequently and ultimately transcended this mortal world.
Commemorating Shrimadji’s 122nd Deh Vilay Diwas
On April 10, as Sri Guru landed at the Rajkot Airport, she was greeted by a hundred Sadhaks, eager to rally behind their Master in this Dharma Yatra. By her own words, she had arrived there with a different ‘energy load’. Who could tell, our experience was about to become far more profound than we had perceived!
The morning of Chaitra Vad Pancham marked the 122nd Deh Vilay Diwas of Param Krupalu Dev. Sri Guru along with other spiritual heads gathered at Shrimad Rajchandra Param Samadhi Mandir to pay homage to the enlightened Saint. Pujya Bhaishree, the head of Shree Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal (Sayla) gave a detailed account of Shrimadji’s journey across Gujarat between 1900-01 AD, a year before His passing.
Despite His deteriorating health, Shrimadji remained free from bodily attachments. External ailments couldn’t deter the stream of Anand flowing within. When most people would rush to treat the illness, here was Shrimadji, devoting every waking moment to reach new depths of self-bliss and reveal the path to His disciples. Aho..! As we marveled at His state of divinity, our minds grew envious of that blessed era that must have physically witnessed it all. The more we heard about His Dasha, the more grateful we felt for his invaluable presence.
After a soulful rendition of Jadd Chetan Vivek, Sri Guru took the dais to give a humbling tribute to her Sadguru. She highlighted that even after a century, the sacred ‘space’ of Rajkot has kept alive the pure energies of Shrimadji. “It is not just about faith, rather an astonishing fact of yogic science that nothing is truly lost in this ‘Space’. Just like Param Krupalu Dev’s wisdom, His vibrations had endured the tides of time!”.
The Five Powers of Shrimad Rajchandraji
Recalling the pivotal moments in Shrimadji’s life, Sri Guru referred to the Vachanamrut #856 and spoke about five distinct powers He cultivated successively. These were:
- Jigyasa Bal, the Power of Curiosity,
- Vichaar Bal, the Power of Deep Contemplation,
- Vairagya Bal, the Power of Inward Passion and Worldly Detachment
- Dhyan Bal, the Power of Meditative Experience; and
- Gyan Bal, The Power of Wisdom
Here, Sri Guru underlined that Shrimadji’s Gyan Bal blossomed after Dhyan Bal, which explains why His words and teachings evoke such deep admiration — for they emerged from the deepest experience of Dhyan Sadhana..!
Visit to the Narmada Mansion
From the Samadhi Mandir, the Master proceeded to Shrimad Rajchandra Samadhi Bhawan (Narmada Mansion), the solemn site where Shrimadji finally slipped into His pure blissful state and attained Param Samadhi. There, we sat in silence with Sri Guru and let ourselves be immersed in the sacred vibes of the hall — the most energized 24 minutes of the Dharma Yatra.
Thereafter, as Sri Guru opened her eyes, Sadhaks collectively recited Antim Updesh, Shrimadji’s final preachment, followed by ‘Dhanya Re Diwas’ Padd. Notably, in the latter, Param Krupalu Dev professes that “after nearly touching the supreme state of Keval Gyan, this Soul would depart from this world, with only one more life before liberation.” Aho..! We bow in reverence to such enlightened saints in whose Yogbal we live and breathe!
Samagam at the Gyan Mandir, Rajkot
The Gyan Mandir in Rajkot invited Sri Guru to deliver the evening talk where, amongst a large gathering of devotees, she explained how we should remember the illustrious life of Param Krupalu Dev. Touching upon the teachings from Raj Granth, Sri Guru talked at length about the right ways a seeker can embrace Shrimadji’s Yogbal and pass on His legacy to the coming generations.
The journey towards liberation is incomplete without exploring one’s inner world through Sadhana. In this regard, Sri Guru emphasized the passages in Raj Granth which repeatedly point towards Dhyan as the doorway to a higher self-experience, as a powerful medium to spread Dharma. Concluding her talk, the Master asked the audience to prepare themselves for a short meditation. And in just 10 minutes, our Guru revealed more about the mysteries of Dhyan, than what she could from the 50-minute talk before!
The Journey to Vavaniya: Shrimadji’s Birthplace
On April 12, after an eventful day in Rajkot, SRM ventured to Vavaniya, a small village near Morbi that witnessed some unforgettable instances of Shrimadji’s life, including His virtuous childhood. As our first stop, we visited the spot where, at a tender age of seven, Shrimadji accessed his past 700 lives through Jaati Smaran Gyan. Today, a temple stands strong at the site of this unprecedented occurrence, quite aptly termed as Shrimad Rajchandra Gyan Mandir.
Using vivid illustrations engraved on the walls, it showcased the solemn event and its significance in molding Shrimadji’s journey to enlightenment. At this point, Sri Guru couldn’t help but discuss Param Krupalu Dev’s Yogbal that is felt more intensely at sacred places like these. As the discussion progressed, the Master fielded many questions from curious Sadhaks, and gave awe-inspiring answers.
Situated not too far from the Gyan Mandir, was Shrimad Rajchandra Janmabhuvan, a large temple campus symbolizing the birthplace of our Guru’s Guru. This was also the place where Shrimadji, while serving His ailing mother, penned the Apoorva Avsar Kaavya, the mystical poetry that conveys His passionate longing to attain the ultimate destiny. The energies of this place were so intoxicating that they compelled our Master to recite the Vairagya-filled verses of Apoorva Avsar, right here at the site of their inception..!
Remarkable is what comes to mind when describing this Dharma Yatra. Even between the major events, there were moments with Sri Guru that touched our hearts, empowered us with hope, instilled love for Higher in abundance, and inspired us to pursue the spiritual path with more awareness and vigor. Like the space of Rajkot and Vavaniya, we too aspire to absorb these memories in our hearts forever!
