Gurudev Ke Saath

Author(s): Gurdial Mallikji, Pratap J Tolia, Sumitra P Toliya
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

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"Inconsistency" was the reply given.
"And what is your greatest weakness?"
"The same".
The seeker of life does not clinch to anything. Does not hold grip of anything. He grips God. He maintains readiness to improve own perspective. The virtue of harmony, of unity that was in Gurudev's life, was in that sense that he used to clinch to his clear vision, but when he used to get further advance vision, he proceeded forward leaving previous vision. He remained anxious to accept version of others, to be in unity (unified spirit) with others. After getting such an experience, he as if used to get changed.
Once at the age of 16, he was observing sunrise standing on the terrace of his home at Calcutta. He realized: "This is only Ravi, The Sun, While I am also RAVI, even INDRA, even THAKUR...... All in all, All 'encompassing......." and at once as if his life was changed. He comes down from the terrace; he embarrasses the chair, the tree, fruit-flowers, road-labourers of Calcutta - each and everyone. He never sees distance and difference anywhere. One unprecedented ecstasy has come. A wonderful love arises.
Moreover he wished that in spite of day long accomplishment of teaching, writing, music, joy, silence, meditation etc., the ROUTINE DUTY remains incomplete, because nobody's Service was included in it! For this reason he stressed importance of service of Adivasi Santhals at par strictly equal to studying in Santiniketan! When we sit aside a sick person, serve him pressing his head, at that time his pain becomes our pain, our unity takes place with his sorrows. Don't we sing for this reason only following. Gandhiji that --
"VAISHNAVA JAN TO TENE RE KAHIE, JE PID PARAI JANE RE!" (One who knows the sorrows of others is a true Vaishnava)
Thus unity with others seems to be important wish of Gurudev.
After presenting a little of my understanding about Gurudev's aspirations, I shall conclude with some deliberation about his last wish, which is consisted in one of his songs, which is going to be rendered here in the end today. In the month of April in 1941, before his death, Gurudev was conducting rehearsals of "The Post Office" play in Santiniketan. Amidst ongoing rehearsal training which he was imparting, all of a sudden he stopped, went on humming and wrote down a song. Thereafter by calling Shri Shantidev Ghosh, by teaching it to him and by getting written the same in notation got sealed in an envelope and said:
"SING THIS SONG ON THE DAY OF MY PASSING AWAY!"
Thereafter on 7th August 1941 at 12:35 noon, Gurudev's life came to standstill. That day all got assembled in the Dhyan Mandir in Santiniketan - full of tears!
That song "SHAMUKHE SHANTI PARABAR" was being sung.
Gurudev is going across on the other shore but he is in joy. Life should be full of joy, no? Life should be full of joy - even while dying also. He tells in the song to the saviour of his boat of life:
"I am going across from this shore to that shore. You have remained my saviour, Boat_Driver for the whole of life. You only are my eternal companion. Let my life's journey, which has commenced from today, take me and reach unto you. Let your Mercy and Pardon only be the permanent life-stuff of the Voyage of mine....... assimilate me in you, in your vast universe, O Life-Boat Saviour!" *
* (Published earlier in Gujarati: "Gujarat-Samachar" 18.8.1960 & 'Vaishnava Jan', August 1970.)
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