________________
DECEMBER 2014
PRABUDDH JEEVAN
37
- Gurbani singer. I asked him but don't you sing any other songs? Film songs, love songs, folk songs?' - He smiled gently and said 'Shabad ke baad aur kuch bhi gaana mushkil hai.” I pleaded and requested him to sing for me and he eventually relented singing right in the middle of the airport - 'Simro, simar simar sukh pao' and another Guru centric song in Punjabi. The term 'Shabad' refers to the divine essence - therefore Shabad is God and God is Shabad.Listening to him, I had tears of gratitude for my Guru... my masters. And last week on my trip to Delhi, I met Anurag Gupta, a friend who has had a 180 degree transformation since Babaji came into his life (Baba ji is Neem karoli Baba). The Anurag I knew of over the last 15 years was an egoistic, strong headed and ambitious man who wished to possess all that that our five senses would desire. He would go to all lengths to acquire
them - occasionally through dubious means. And now the same man was sitting opposite me with a sense of contentment never seen before on his face. Taking his newly started tea business from strength to strength and keeping the long gone Baba ji alive with him every minute of the day. He wakes to him, offer him the first tea of the day and his very name fills his heart. His advice to me - "Resh abhi bhi bahut sawaal uthte hain tum main... ab tum Guru se pyar karo, sirf unka naam lo...aur saare calculation chhod do" (Stop asking questions to God, instead just love God.) ".....dhai akshar prem ke, padhe jo pandit hoy" And thus i conclude - Be it Krishna, Be it Ram, Rahim or Jesus; Mahavir or Buddha, Param Kripalu Dev or Jai Gurudev, let us all soak in this soft soft place hidden way below our hard exteriors; to which we can open and allow the divine to touch us in the way that only HE/SHE can.
Reshma Jain The Narrators Tel: +91 9920951074
MAHASATI DHARNI
Translated by PUSHPA PARIKH
It was early morning and the sweet sonorus sound afraid in this lonely place. The intention of the chariof birds had started informing people about arrival of oteer was not good. He tried to move near the queen. the sun. One chariot was passing through the forest. The queen was surprised at the movement of the chariQueen Dharini of the king Dadhivahan of Kaushambioteer. The queen could realise the intention of the chariand her young daughter Vasumati were in the chariot. oteer, so she addressed the charioteer in very harsh They were being rescued to a safer place to save them words, Please be away from me. Stop there and there from the enemy soldiers. Whole night the
only. Don't move an inch also. We have trusted horses had kept running & were tired so the
AGAM
you and now you are behaving like this? Incharioteer stopped at a lonely place.
stead of saving us you are behaving in this Both the ladies were still very much fright- KATHA way? You are like my brother and for Vasumati ened and worried. The king of Kaushambi
you are like her father. Please be away from was defeated in the war. The charioteer was success- us. ful in rescuing the two ladies but still he was worried The charioteer did not listen to her and tried to catch about the safely of the two ladies.
hold of her. The next moment only the queen took out Dharini asked, why have you stopped?' The chari- the dagger from her waist and killed herself before he oteer for the first time saw the queen's beautiful face. could do anything to her. She was a very beautiful and brave lady. She was a Vasumati shouted and lamented over her mother's pius lady. The charioteer was stunned at seeing her death. The charioteer was now stunned and the whole beautiful face. Dharini again asked him why he had atmosphere appreared very sad. Dharini died on her stopped?
own to save her celibacy.Her face was full of pureness. The charioteer realised and said that the horses in the Jain Agam (the religious books) Sati Dharini is were tired. The main reason was that he had fallen in praised a lot. Her daughter Vasumati is said to have love with the queen. The queen again and again re- become a sadhviji (lady saint) under Shraman Bhagwan quested him to go still further away to a safer place but Mahavir and is said to have reached the highest stage. he did not listen. Both the ladies were looking very much She was then known as sadhvi Chandanbala.
