Voyage Within With Vimalajee

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 19

"SAMKRIT NA PANCH LAKSHANO CHHE: SAM,SAMDEV, NIRVED, ANUKAMPA AND AASTHA:"
(Equity,rushing towards Moksha-Purushartha, Detachment, compassion and Faith: These are Five characteristics of the SAMKRIT-the STATE of AWAKENING)
The next morning, after we completed our morning routine we were sitting in Champa Ba's open Verandah playing my Sitar. Deedi was listening to it along with others with her usual apt attention.
All of sudden, we saw climbing the upper steps of this small Ashram, a rare unusual simple Yogi, clad in loin Saffron Chaddar. Coming from the South, he was Bhadramuni about whom he had heard much. He was followed by Mataji Dhandeviji, Sri Lalbhai Somchand of Ahmadabad and some devotees of his Ashram-Srimad Rajchandra Ashram at Hampi, Karnataka.
Group of people, Deedi and I went there, saluted and received them all. Lal bhai introduced him to us and ourselves to him. It was a spontaneous sudden joyous occasion. The Ashram people extended their reverence ful hospitality to visitors.
In the evening we had special sitting of our Devotional music after the Ashram bhakti with Sri Bhadra Muni. Lalbhai insisted that I should render some of the songs of Srimadji and Anandaghanji, which I could do with overwhelming joy in this surcharged Atmosphere of the Saints on this Sacred Soil of Srimadji due to his grace only. It went till late night until the tired accompanying pilgrims devotees of Bhadra Muni wanted. However, there were no signs of tiring on silently listening Deedi and ecstatically Khanjari-playing Bhadra Muni. Dwelling in this divine joy of music we retired.
The next morning Bhadra Muni and his troop were to depart for another place of pilgrimage, which they had planned during that year Srimadji's Birth Centenary Year(1967).
Before their departure, there was a small discourse meet near Srimadji's "SiddhaShila" over there. Deedi was keen to listen to this Srimadji-dedicated new Yogi, while humble Bhadra Muni insisted that VIDUSHI VIMALA TAI only should speak and he will listen. A sweet toggle of humble insistence went on for a while. Ultimately Deedi's humbleness won and bhadra Muni had to speak. He also did so in utter humility speaking on Srimadji and Ghandiji. Deedi admired the same very much telling us later that he is really following the spirit of Srimadji. She has written a little in one of her letters to her inmates regarding this Idar Visit later. Bhadra Muni has also paid glowing tribute to Deedi at several places.
The same afternoon we also departed from Idar with Champa Ba's and Bhadra Muni-Mataji's inspiring encounters - Deedi went to Mt. Abu and I returned to Visnagar.
GREAT PLANNING OF SRIMADJI'S "SELECTED WORKS OF SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA":
There after, seeing my deep interest in Srimadji's rare Literary Heritage with its constant studies, Deedi could foresee one possibility. In course of our meeting at Mt. Abu and Ahmadabad, especially in 1968 April when I had resigned from the Principal ship of Visnagar College and was about to join Bapu's Gujarat Vidyapeeth as a senior U.G.C.Post Graduate Lecturer, we had thoughtfully and joyously planned to bring out Srimadji's world-lifting literature in form of a series of "SELECTED WORKS OF SRIMAD RAJCHANDRA JI", which learned Gandhi-Srimad dedicated Padmabhooshan Dr. Pandit Sukhlalji had also blessed. Acharya Gurdial Mallikji was also a source of inspiration for the same. Side by side with my teaching at A'bad Vidyapeeth and continuous studies under Dr. Pandit Sukhlalji, preparations were being worked out for this voluminous project. Deedi, during her ongoing Foreign tours kept this in her mind. In January 1970 I attended an inspiring retreat of Deedi at The Seashore of Chorwad, Saurashtra.
Before this treat in late 1969, after the Ahmadabad Communal Riots, where in this humble Self had worked as a SHANTI SAINIK, fearlessly moving in the nights along with Professor friend Dr. Harish Vyas and Sri Morarjibhai Desai