Shastriji Maharaj Parva - Day 5

A Quest for Hidden Treasure

Over the course of this week, we have collected gems of virtues from the life of our beloved Guru Shastriji Maharaj. Today, we will be focussing on an incredibly important day for our sanstha; the day Shastriji Maharaj left Vadtal for the establishment Bochasan vasi Akshar- Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. Looking closely at the events leading up to this incredible moment, we will learn two very special qualities of Shastriji Maharaj, which at first sight, seem difficult to see in one person! That is Shastriji Maharaj’s fearlessness and forgiveness. We will recall some Prasangs we have covered in the past, but with a different understanding this time round… 

A Fearless yet Forgiving Sant:

What does it mean to be fearless?

A fearless person is one who shows immense courage amidst difficulties, not surrendering to the problem, but bravely facing it.

What does it mean to be forgiving?

When a person is forgiving they consciously release any negative feelings for a person or group of people who may have harmed them. 

It now may seem that these two qualities are hard to have at the same time. How can someone be extremely bold and unflinching whilst also being soft enough to forgive someone instantly and happily. This shows that our Guru is someone unique and extraordinary and by becoming like him, we will also become extraordinary!

To understand the intensity and extremity of the difficulties Shastriji Maharaj faced, let’s look at a timeline of the opposition Shastriji Maharaj faced. Pay close attention to the order and detail of the events, they may come handy in collecting the first gem for fearlessness!

1. Persecution begins: Swamishri wished to stay in Vartal and spread the Akshar- Purushottam philosophy. Thus, he continuously gave discourses. He travelled to each village of the Gujarat region and spoke about Akshar-Purushottam. Once, Swamishri was in Vadodara, Swamishri sang kirtans and spoke on the differences between a true and a false sadhu. Several such false sadhus were nearby. They already bore a grudge against Swamishri. Convinced that Swamishri was referring to themselves in his discourses, these sadhus were angered. They decided to interrupt the assembly. They yelled, “Scoundrels! Sinners! At least now let us get some sleep!” They began to hurl abuse. Swamishri, however, continued with his discourses. The sadhus were now furious. They picked up bricks and started to throw them at the building adjacent to the mandir where the assembly was being held. The chaos that ensued awoke the neighbors.

1. A Whirlwind of opposition follows: Several sadhus would burn chilli powder near Swamishri’s assemblies. The unbearable fumes would choke devotees and make them get up from Swamishri’s discourses.Once, Nandkishoredas, a sadhu who disliked Swamishri, told his disciple to go fill up his large clay pot with drinking water. Then he instructed, “On your way back, when you pass by where everyone is sitting, fall over with the pot.” The disciple did as he was told. The pot broke into pieces. The devotees were drenched with water. Again, Swamishri’s assembly dispersed. Even then, Swamishri and the devotees remained undaunted.

1. Adverse times:The devotees met and decided that if trouble arose, they should take Swamishri away from Vartal. Staying there was no longer in Swamishri’s best interests. Everyone was sure that the wrathful sadhus would attempt something dreadful.Thus, all of Swamishri’s devotees gathered in Vartal on 12 November 1905 (Kartik Punam, Samvat 1962). They did not leave Swamishri alone for even a second. As a result, those who had plotted to harm him were unable to carry out their plans. They were angered even more and this time had a dreaded plan to poison Swami. The devotees pleaded to Swamishri, “Please do not go to the kitchen to eat.” “A sadhu must only eat in the common dining area. He cannot eat separately at his own asan.” Swamishri did not heed the devotees’ request. Today, Swamishri was breaking his Ekadashi fast of the day before. He went into the kitchen to have some khichdi. The devotees anxiously waited outside.As Swamishri was served khichdi, he smelled the pungent odour of a deadly poison coming from his food. He immediately understood the situation. Even then, how could he disrespect food that was offered to and sanctified by God? He ate a little and then got up to leave the kitchen. As he was walking out, he stumbled, feeling dizzy. Two devotees grabbed his arms and brought him safely back to his asan. His throat began to burn. The devotees brought ghee for him. After drinking a little, Swamishri assured them, “Nothing will happen to me. Do not worry.” The sadhus bitterly grumbled to themselves, “Nothing even happened to Yagnapurushdasji. He even digested the poison. Now we will have to devise another plan. This time, he should not escape.”The wicked sadhus came up with yet another plan, “When Shastri Yagnapurushdasji comes to eat, we will push him into the cooking fire. He will burn to ashes. Finally, we will rid ourselves of this obstacle.” Swamishri continued to eat in the kitchen. The following day, he entered the kitchen for lunch. Fifteen or so brave devotees accompanied him. They waited at the door. Nothing could be done to Swamishri in their presence.The sadhus shouted to them, “Leave this area at once.”“We will not move even an inch until Shastri Yagnapurushdasji finishes eating and comes out,” replied the devotees. The sadhus began to push the devotees away. The resulting commotion served as a perfect distraction. Five devotees sneaked in and carried Swamishri out of the kitchen. No one knew what happened. The scuffle continued. Finally, everyone realized that Yagnapurushdasji had already slipped out.

1. Leaving Vadtal: Everyone’s fears were now confirmed. They were convinced that it was unwise to keep Swamishri in Vartal. They explained the harsh reality to Swamishri. Swamishri, however, did not waver. He refused to leave Vartal. He said, “If this body perishes, so be it, but do not speak of leaving Vartal. Bhagatji Maharaj told me, ‘Even if they cut you into pieces, I will stitch you together, but you must never leave the doors of Vartal.’”Swamishri’s words perplexed the devotees. Fortunately, Krishnaji Ada arrived in Vartal on the morning of Punam. The devotees informed him of all that had taken place. Krishnaji Ada spoke with Swamishri in private. Again, Swamishri emphasized what Bhagatji Maharaj had said.Krishnaji Ada explained, “What you say is true. However, Shriji Maharaj has commanded in the Shikshapatri that one should act according to the circumstances at hand. Therefore, you must not stay here any longer.” Swamishri pondered over his words. He thought to himself, “Krishnaji Ada was blessed by Gunatitanand Swami. He is a great mukta from Akshardham. If he advises me to leave, Shriji Maharaj himself must also wish that I depart.

Then, Shastriji Maharaj bravely left Vadtal on the 13th of November 1905.

Discussion points: 

Shastriji Maharaj’s fearlessness:

Many of us have heard a lot about the struggles of Shastriji Maharaj, so much so that we do not really take it seriously enough because we have become immune to hearing about it. Let us now try to really understand what our Guru went through and what this means for us.

1. Lets put ourselves in Shastriji Maharaj’s position.
   • Think about the last time you sat in a sabha. It was most likely in a nice clean and warm classroom or in a beautiful haveli. Did you ever have to fear someone coming and throwing chilli powder in your eyes? Have you had to fear someone purposefully drenching you in water as you try to engage in your weekly sabha? 
   • I am sure the answer is a strong no. We will never have to face anything close to what Shastriji Maharaj faced but on the other hand, we get to enjoy a weekly chocolate prasad with interactive sabhas with games with our best mates. This makes it even harder for us to even understand what our Guru did. 
2. So, why is it important to think about what he did, when our times are so different?
   1. To answer this question- we need to think about why Shastriji Maharaj left Vadtal. 
   2. He was loved by Kothari Gordhandas & Acharya Maharaj.
   3. Himself, even though he was young, was a Sadguru in Vadtal.
   4. He was considered #1 in being most educated and scholarly, and also in saintliness in all of Vadtal. 
   5. He was an excellent kathakar.
   6. He had everything going for him in Vadtal, and no reason to change things. He knew that leaving Vadtal would mean he will lose everything, and risk his life, but he did it.
   7. So if it wasn’t for himself, clearly it was for us. Every moment that Shastrji Maharaj silently suffered in Vadtal and after he left Vadtal, was for us. So that generations to come could receive the bliss of true upasana. Doesn’t this mean we should do something for someone who essentially put his life at stake for us?
3. What can we do? The most important thing we can do is not forget about our Guru. We should make it a point to remember his fearlessness for us every day. There are two practical ways we can do this: 

Time for Gem collection!

• Think about what touches you the most from the exhausting opposition Shastriji Maharaj faced. It can be the fact that he was poisoned, or that there was chilli powder thrown in his sabha. Now, take a piece of paper and you could write, “Shastrji Maharaj took poison for me.” You could put this reminder in your room or in a special place in your house so that whenever you see it, you can remember how lucky we are to have a Guru that is ready to give his life for us. Alternatively, you could draw a timeline showing the course of events marking the opposition Shastriji Maharaj faced. Once you have done this, congratulations! You have collected your first gem: virtue of fearlessness.

• On the note of fearlessness, we can often get very anxious in our everyday lives. Be that because of an exam at school or due to any difficulties at home with family or even if you or someone else is ill. In these instances, we have to take inspiration from our Guru. Make it a point to think about how fearless he was in the face of struggles that did not end until he returned to Akshardham. Nothing was easy for him. So the least we can do it, look up to that mark and try to complain less if we are ever in a difficult situation. We are his lions and lionesses so we can brave any strorm!

Shastriji Maharaj’s forgiveness:

We have looked at how much Shastriji Maharaj had to courageously tolerate, so it would seem natural for us today to think that Shastriji Maharaj would have complained to authorities or police about the plots to kill his life. But, this was not the case.

When Swami was leaving Vadtal, Kishorebhai, a police officer asked Shastrji Maharaj to give the names of those who had tried to kill him so they could be put in a jail in Nadiad. Shastriji Maharaj immediately refused and said, ‘we do not wish to do such a thing, a sadhu must tolerate insults for the spread of satsang.’

This shows that Shastriji Maharaj had no desire of vengeance or retribution. He was able to forgive even the people who tried to kill him! Isn’t that extraordinary?!?!

So what does it feel like to forgive someone? Let’s have a look at this through an activity.

 

 

Activity: Unpacking the rucksack:

Time to collect the second gem!

Necessary items: 

1. A rucksack or any bag
2. Some books or items to collect around the house
3. It’s a family fun task so everyone can get involved but its equally impactful for you to do by yourself.

1. First, think about a time you have felt that someone has hurt you. Write down as many instances that come to mind and form a scale from 1-10 (10 being the highest) how bad it made you feel. Now tally up the total score for how bad you have felt.
2. After you have made this list, go around the house and start filling your rucksack where your score on the feeling bad test should be the number of books you collect. 
3. Now slowly your bag will feel heavy on your back or shoulder. 
4. After you’ve had a difficult time walking around. Come back and sit down.
5. Then, tell someone to take out each book one by one. The weight will decrease and you will feel better. 

After you have emptied your bag, you will feel lighter and relaxed. And as you catch your breath, you have received your second gem! You now know what it feels like to forgive someone. Your mind will be at peace and it will be easier to walk in the path of life. So forgiving someone is more of a service to ourselves than it is for the other person.