IX
The Famine Supervisor
In 1913, the State of Baroda was in the throes of a severe famine. Unprecedented drought and consequent failure of crops ravaged the entire state. Poverty and disease were rampant. Death stalked the streets. A sense of gloom and despair pervaded the atmosphere. As is usual on such occasions, the people of the lower strata of society suffered most.
To give succor to the starving thousands, the government set up relief camps in various places. Men and women were given work of excavation. The State had no need for any excavation; but it was considered bad policy to dole out money freely. Each man and woman had to do a certain prescribed fixed quantity of digging to earn wages. The maximum wage was three annas (nineteen paise).
The Vicious Cycle Markand Bhai was a supervisor in one of the relief camps at Jalia. In about a week he realized that eighty persons in every hundred could not do the required amount of work. If payment was made strictly according to the work turned out, the poor men and women would not get enough for food. Wanting enough food would weaken them with the result that the work turned out would be reduced still further. Less food meant more weakness, which produced less work, which earned lower wages resulting in still less work. This cycle was going on in most camps.
Duty to Man or Duty to State? Markand Bhai was moved with pity for the poor workers in his camp. But what could he do? On the one side, there was the duty to the State that employed him to dole out money in proportion to the work done. On the other the certainty that he was slowly driving the workers to death by starvation. In the conflict between the sense of duty and humanitarianism, the latter won. Measurements were very liberally made, and everyone got enough to keep body and soul together. But the books of account showing the amount of work and the sum of money paid out would not and could not tally. The shortage of work of 3000 persons gradually increased to alarming proportions. Somebody sent a complaint to head-quarters, and it was ordered that a sub-engineer should inspect the camp and check the excavation done with the money spent.
The supervisor felt sad. He left everything to Mother. If he were to be punished for helping Her children then he would gladly bear the punishment.
Maharani to the rescue
A few days before the arrival of the officer charged with the work of scrutinizing Markand Bhai's accounts of money and measurements, the Maharani of the state paid a visit to the Relief Camps. Everywhere she found the camps had not succeeded in ameliorating the condition of the poor. But in Markand Bhai's camp the story was different. There were fewer deaths, fewer cases of diseases. There was relatively better health among the workers. The laborers in that camp were almost joyful. Maharani expressed her appreciation and complimented the supervisor on his work. She said: " - I find that of all camps yours shows the best state of health among the workers. What do you want me to do for you? "These words need no solace for the supervisor. He feared that the state of his accounts was about to be exposed, and that he was likely to be reprimanded... so, with considerable trepidation he said, ``The poor workers in my camp are already grateful to your Highness." The royal visitor did not understand what was meant but she sensed that the supervisor was trying to convey something to her. "Be Plain", she said peremptorily. With a silent prayer to Mother, Markand Bhai said: "I have been very liberal in the matter of measurements," Breathlessly he waited for Maharani's reaction to his disclosure. It came soon enough, but not as the thunder bolt he had almost expected but as a sweet shower of ambrosia. She gave a smile of approbation and said graciously: “That ought to be so. You did right. After all, the whole scheme of the Relief Camps is to help the poor without making them idle." To Markand Bhai, it appeared his SREE MATHA, his SREE MAHA RAJNEE had herself come down as the Maharani of Baroda to save him from the unpleasant enquiry that had been ordered.
Fulfilment
Just at that time, the Chief Engineer and the Executive Engineer came to the camp, and saluted the Maharani. Her Highness told them how she had appreciated the work in that camp and how she wished that supervisors of other camps would do as Markand Bhai had done. The Chief Engineer knew well on which side his bread was buttered, and played up to Her Highness saying: "Your Highness, I have been constantly visiting the camps and I have always found this supervisor working satisfactorily. I have already recommended him for promotion."
What a metamorphosis, thought Markand Bhai, in official outlook, what wonderful transmutation of persona non grata into persona grata.
Needless to say, the order issued to a Sub-engineer to look into Markand Bhai's accounts was revoked forthwith.
Recalling the above experience in later years, Saint Mai Swarupa said: Be serving Mother's children; Mother will then be at your beck and call.
IX
The Good Samaritan
And His Reward Kurduwadi Junction on the Central Railway, about a hundred and eighty-five kilometers from Poona, looked bleak and deserted that night of the winter of 1916. Neon lights had not yet made their appearance. The few gaslights on the plat-forms gently hissed out a modicum of light and warmth that only served to emphasize the general gloom and chill.
There was a faint odor of fresh paint. The General Manager was expected to inspect the station the following day. A good deal of tidying had been done. Cobwebby corners had been swept clean, the walls had been white-washed, even the pillars had a new coat of paint. But all that spruce-ness lay smothered in darkness. The destitute homeless beggars accustomed to spend the night in obscure corners of the station had been shooed out. Not even a stray dog was on the premises.
The next train being a long way off, the officials on duty had retired into the sanctuary of their offices. Nothing moved. The stillness and the silence were almost forbidding. The gentle hissing of the burning gas, the flapping of an occasional bat's wings, the hoot of a distant owl, all served to make the prevailing silence eerie.
It was the small hours of the morning. A young handsome woman with a child in arms clasped to her bosom was huddled up on a bench within the circle of light shed by a gas lantern. No luggage, not even a small bag was with her. She was waiting for the Madras Mail. It was a long wait. The atmosphere was so cold, she was chilled to the marrow.
Two young railway employees who had casually strolled out of their cozy office room were agreeably surprised to see the fair passenger. Here, to their way of thinking, was a ready-made diversion from their drab routine, a god-sent escape from dull ennui. Keeping well out of the circle of light, they made a low guttural sound to make their presence known. Nothing happened. The woman did not even turn. She was as immobile as a figure carved out of stone. The youths were not discouraged. If she played possum, they would bring her to life. They whistled, they made osculatory noises and slowly but perceptibly reduced their distance from the woman. Still, she ignored them with the contempt they deserved. The mischievous pair thereupon, changed tactics and began to talk to each other in loud but obscene whispers. The women felt helpless. She could not stop the nuisance any more than she could fly. It was too late to leave the station and perhaps dangerous too. In utter desperation she shouted abuse at them. Her opponents were startled. The hot words belching form her mouth raised blisters on them. They realized they had bitten off more than they could chew. There was an impasse.
Just then, the child eased itself. The bench and the plat-form became dirty. There was no water anywhere. The amorous youths, smarting under the unexpected rebuff they had suffered at their quarry's hands clapped their hands for joy. They harangued her on the need for clean habit, jeered at her discomfiture, threatened to teach her a lesson for defiling Railway property and asked her to accompany them to the Station Master. The woman, who had reached the end of her tether, thought the presence of the Station Master would at least save her from the unwelcome attentions of her tormentors. So, she meekly followed.
The Mystery
In a short time, the procession filed back, headed by the Station Master who, with a deep sense of duty, had reluctantly stepped out into the biting chill from his snug and comfortable office. Little did the members of the procession know that a big surprise was in store for them. The bench and the platform were quite clean! The spot the woman and her accusers had left only a few minutes before, bore no trace of dirt! The young pair stared at the bench in stupefied disbelief and dismay. They sniffed the air and the faint reek of paint assailed their nostrils. The woman gazed at the spot she had been sitting on only a few minutes ago. The miracle she had been praying for had happened. She heaved a sigh of relief. The Station Master waited for some explanation from his subordinates, none was offered. Nodding his head in a significant way, he went back to his office, being loth to vent his spleen in the presence of a stranger. To this day the incident has remained a mystery to the participants in the drama.
The Solution
As a matter of fact, there was no mystery at all. Markand Bhai had been standing on the same platform and had seen and heard everything that had happened between the fair passenger and the amorous pair. He was the Chief Officer of Barsi Municipality (Solapur District in the present state of Maharashtra) and was going on an official tour. He too was waiting for the Madras Mail. He was in a woolen suit and had a woolen muffler wrapped round the neck. He was, who had, using the muffler as a mop, cleaned the dirty spot, throwing away a costly and very necessary article of dress. It is doubtful if one man in a hundred million would have done that much to spare inconvenience to a total stranger. It is equally doubtful if one man in a hundred million would be vouchsafed with a direct vision of God.
Vision of Mother
A year after the incident narrated above, the Municipal Surat appointed Markand Bhai as Municipal Engineer. But as ill luck would have it, there came a direction from the that only officers deputed by the State should be appointed local authorities. Markand Bhai, therefore, resigned but to stay in Surat expecting some favorable replies and applications for appointment. None was received, he was disgusted.
Days dragged on. Still no job, the tedium of waiting became unbearable. Then came Dussehra celebrations. On the ninth day of Navratri there was the usual feast in the house, but Markand Bhai declined to take food. He went up to his room and sat before Mother's Picture bitterly complaining about his state. Suddenly, there was a peremptory knock on the front door. He had to go down to open the door as the other inmates were all busy with lunch. There stood the messenger from the Telegraphs Office with a message for him. It was an order of appointment! What a change it wrought. The nadir of dejection raised in a second to the acme of joyfulness!! He ran up to his room to weep out his gratitude to Mother. And what did he see? Mother actually stood before him and said " Now will you come down and eat ?" Only for a fleeting second were the Form and Voice seen and heard. The resultant divine ecstasy lasted for a long time.
Х
MAIJI - The Love Incarnate
As Markand Ji was in Government service he was liable to be transferred from place to place. Wherever he went, people asked him for guidance and help. He was kind to all without difference between high and low or rich and poor. He tolerated human weakness and was never vindictive. Some of his servants cheated him. some disobeyed and even ill-treated him; he could take such things in his stride without losing his equanimity.
Maiji and The Antisocial Elements
Incarnations, saints and savants the world over, have often been the target for the nefarious practices of unscrupulous and antisocial persons around them. Invariably, however, such malpractices have only added to the luster of the exalted Personages concerned. Saint Mai-Swarupa was no exception. His experiences, both before and after attainment of sainthood, with the ungodly and the lawless were many and interesting; the silent thief, the aggressive beggar, the arrogant ascetic, all pitted their guiles against him. A few instances are narrated below.
The Silent Thief
In 1924 at Ahmedabad a servant ran away with the gold bangles of Markand Bhai's wife. A few days after the theft, the thief was passing along the street in front of her erstwhile master's house and was recognized by the inmates-who shouted aloud and demanded that the miscreant should be chased and caught. Markand Bhai quietly said to his wife, "Don't worry, you have been wearing bangles for so many years. Now let that sister wear them and be happy". The words foreshadowed what Saint Mai-Swarupa later taught his disciples. To quote the Saint's own words: " Mai-ists should try their best to see as far as possible that they become the least responsible for any harassment or punishment of others. Vindictivity or avenging one's wrongs has no place in Mai-ism. If by snatching off what a Mai-ist can spare, someone becomes happy there is no Justification at least for vengeance".
I am reminded of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's words when the inmates of his ashram wanted action to be taken against thieves who had despoiled the sacred place. He said,"Leave them alone. They are misguided ignorant people. Sometimes your teeth suddenly bite your tongue. Do you knock out the teeth as a consequence?"
From Badshahi Lodge Poona where Markand Bhai was residing in 1930 several articles were stolen. The thief was apprehended by the police who identified the owner of the articles from the initials M.R.D. (Markand Ratanlal Dholakia) engraved on a Primus Stove. However, the culprit could not be prosecuted because the owner stoutly refused to sign a complaint. He told the policemen `` People have wrong notions. Am I not myself a thief of public money if I knock off my pay without giving the market value return for the pay? Judging from the absolute viewpoint you will find much bigger robbers in white robes: officers, business men, merchants, millowners, Zamindars and so many others. If you have more, you may at least not mind someone snatching away his absolute necessities. I think your wife would like this beautiful new stove. Let the man be happy, relieve him and you be happy with the stove" Needless to mention what transpired afterwards.
The two incidents described above happened before Maiji had become a Saint. One incident that took place after his attainment of Sainthood may also be briefly mentioned. At Mai Nivas (Santa Cruz West, Bombay) in 1949, one Friday, after the congregational worship was over, a thief was caught red-handed, by one of the devotees. Maiji simply told the misguided man ``Take away whatever you like from here". The man felt ashamed and left.
The Arrogant Ascetic
The ochre robe is ordinarily a sign of spiritual attainment and renunciation and for that reason deserves respect. There are however, exceptions to the rule. Sometimes a man dons ochre robe with the sole object of exploiting the unsuspecting public. There are also occasions where the robe is adopted prematurely. In such cases the wearer has not developed enough humility, cannot brook disrespect from others and is prone to be arrogant. In the arrogance, he betrays, perhaps not consciously, antisocial propensities.
One afternoon in 1950, loud chanting of "Hare Ram" was heard at the gates of Mai-Nivas. Maiji opened the door and in walked an elderly man followed by three younger men. All were clad in ochre robes. All had ashes smeared over the body. The senior man had a flowing white beard and gray knotted locks. A string of large beads circled his neck. The long staff he held had a trident at the end. The others-obviously disciples - were continually telling beads. On entering the hall, the elder man sat on the ground while the others stood beside him respectfully. Maiji looked at the uninvited guests with a trace of amusement and curiosity. Nobody spokes for a few seconds. Then the chief among the disciples looked at Maiji and said in a commanding voice: “Come on, prostrate. Be blessed". The host gently shook his head and said "I bow only to my mother, the Universal Mother. The man sitting on the floor sat erect. Fire flashed from his eyes. Placing a clenched hand on his heart as an appropriate gesture preparatory to a curse, he spat out the threat:” I can turn you into ashes in a minute". The disciples waited for the host's reaction. It came soon enough. Maiji folded his forearms across his chest and said with disconcerting frankness. "All right. Try. Go ahead. Turn me to ashes. How much time did you require!" The arrogant ascetic felt like a pricked balloon. He drooped his head and lapsed into silence. Maiji continued in the same vein, "If I were to ask Mother to turn you to ashes, She might have perhaps grant my prayer. But I am not that kind of man. Now, go away. Ply your trade elsewhere you have come to the wrong place".
It was about dusk. The newcomers had no place where they could go for the night. So, they entreated Maiji to let them spend the night in Mai Nivas. The request was readily granted by a condition that they should discard ochre and wear ordinary clothes during their stay.
The Selfish Servant
Once in Poona, a servant had the effrontery to appropriate for his own use some anti-mosquito coils sent by his master's son from Ahmedabad. The master did not take him to task, not only that; one night the master happened to see that one of the coils placed near the servant's bed had burnt out. Quietly without disturbing the sleeping servant the master lighted another coil and placed it near the spent coil before going to bed.
He loved all and served all to the best of his ability. Endowed with saintly qualities he was gradually blossoming into a full fledged saint. His mind worked on a large canvas comprising the whole world; the nucleus of a universal religion was taking shape.
The Aggressive Beggar
Maiji was a special Land Acquisition Officer in Poona in He was residing in Rasta Peth. Every day at lunch time, one particular beggar would appear in front of the bungalow and Maiji would give him a few chapattis. This was a daily occurrence; charity to the same person continued for over two years. Once there was a break in the routine for two days for reasons beyond Maiji's control. When, on the third day, Maji went to the front door with the chapattis, there stood the beggar with an angry scowl on his face. The fellow raised his voice and at the same time raised his stick. Shouting angrily “Where were you the last two days", he struck with the stick. The blow had been aimed at the head and had not the host involuntarily raised his hand very serious injury might have been caused . As it was, a few fingers were broken.
Soon there was a crowd. The police also came on the scene. The assailant was overpowered and disarmed. Everybody wanted to have the man prosecuted and punished. Maiji found it difficult to pacify them. With blood dripping from his fingers, he softly but firmly declined to sign a complaint. He said " My first religious requirement is to try my little to Love All ''. The eccentric beggar went away with that day's quota of chapattis.
XI
Domestic Life; Its Repercussions
Fragments of the saint's private life have been given in the previous chapters for the purpose of maintaining the continuity of narration. A few more details are described here, to help readers understand the difficulties Mai-Swarupa had to contend with, and to give a complete picture of the man and saint. It is by no means easy to separate the progress on the temporal side from that on the spiritual side.
The Dreamy Boy
Markand was an absentminded, dreamy sort of boy in primary school. He did not like to play with the boys of his age; he did not even know the names of the games his classmates played. He was unable to name the different articles of dress in a household. Names of ordinary cereals commonly used in homes were not known to the boy. When his teacher once asked him what he had eaten at breakfast Markand could not answer. he was always introspective and was, unknown to himself, paving the way for future spiritual attainment,
Family
Mention has been made in Chapter III of Markand Bhaile marriage to Smt. Dinwant Behen. A daughter and two sons were born to them. The daughter Smt. Bhakti Behen was married to Sri Arvind Buch, a lawyer in Baroda. The first son Sri Puranjan Bhai was an officer in a Bank in Ahmedabad and was living there with his wife, Smt. Ila Behen and their children. The second son Sri Lalit Ranjan Bhai was an officer in a firm in Rajkot and is living there with his wife Smt. Neela Behen and their children. All the children of the Saint and their spouses are Mai-ists.
Religious Texts
Till his twenty-fourth year Markand Bhai's favorite scripture was Saptashati. He often made experiments to prove the efficacy of repeating Saptashati. From 1909 he began to repeat Lalita Sahasra nama also. Sacred Texts of all religions interested him. There was progressive development of his religious outlook.
Parent's Demise
The period from 1925 to 1931 was one of great strain and sorrow for Markand Bhai. His mother Prabhalakshmi Devi passed away in 1925. Four years later, in 1929 his father Ratanlal Dholakia also shuffled off the mortal coils.
House Collapses
Markand Bhai's conception of God gradually underwent a change, from the Hindu Mataji to Universal Mother, from the aspect of Power to the aspect of Love. There was considerable opposition to the idea of 'one-ness' of all men from Orthodox Sanatanists of the day. Any little mishap happening to Markand Bhai was ascribed by them to the anger of Mataji, who, they said, disliked the now-fangled notion of Universality. In 1927 Gujarat was laid waste by a devastating flood. The house in Petlad which practically comprised Markand Bhai's entire earning collapsed along with several other houses. His detractors claimed that the disaster was the direct result of the new cult in derogation of the ancient Mataji cult. Of course, they were studiously reticent about the houses of Sanatanists that had shared the same fate. Markand Bhai stood like a rock. Come floods, come storm, come any calamity, he never for a moment wavered; in fact he was developing his ideas of Universality.
Markand Bhai was a loving husband and a fond father. On the wedding day of his daughter, he spent three hours with her imparting worldly and spiritual instructions.
Wife's Disagreement
He was first a religionist and then a householder. That mentality did not meet with the approval of his wife. As Maiji has stated several times, women are mostly possessive in nature. Each woman wants to be the central figure in her husband's life. If she is relegated to second place, even though the first place is given not to another individual but to God, she cannot tolerate the position. Markand Bhai however would not surrender his love of religion at any cost. To him a son's marriage was not as important as a Mother's function.
Naturally there was some unpleasantness in the family. The wife refused to take part in the religious function conducted by the husband. Once there was plague in Poona. After the scourge had ceased there was thanks-giving worship in Maiji's bungalow. There was a large gathering of devotees. But Maiji's wife declined to step out of her room.
One night Smt. Dinwant Behen had a dream in which Mother appeared and asked her to leave her husband free to do religious
work. The obstinate wife flatly refused. She became unbalanced and had to be admitted into the Yerwada Hospital. She passed away in 1959.
Maiji had great appreciation and love for his wife. This is what he has recorded : "Mai fully blessed the divine soul of wife. Were it not that she had her quiet peace loving nature would not have been possible for me to be and to do what I have been and what I have done."
Living Separately
After the declaration of Mai-ism in 1932 Maiji began to live separate from the family. In the residential house, He had two rooms, one for Mai and the other for himself, detached from the rest of the house where his wife and children stayed. But His religious activities did not permit him to throw away the family burden. He retained His responsibility to support the family financially, though He lived in his rooms with the minimum of attachment. He had to contend with all the disadvantages of a householder, with none of the advantages of a Saint. But his religion was to serve the public and not to be served or worshipped.
Beck-and-Call Mother
A devout distinguished and broadminded Christian Missionary, who could recognize divinity when he saw it, was travelling by train from Churchgate to Bandra. Saint Mai-Swarupa was in the same compartment. The two great religionists got acquainted and began to talk of religion and God. The missionary soon found that he was talking to a realized soul. During the talk Mal Swarupa happened to mention his book 'Mother's Message' and immediately the other asked for a copy. The Saint was not carrying any with him. His companion stated in all seriousness "Well, if you ask Mother, She would give you a copy". It was not
challenge; perhaps, it was partly challenge and partly appreciation. Mai-Swarup prayed and there fell in his lap three copies of the book.
In a later chapter entitled, “Mai Swarupa the Man '' some more details regarding the individuality of the Saint apart from the powers of a Realized soul will be mentioned.
XII
The Soparkars
Late Mr. Soparkar and Markand Bhai had been college mates and friends at Poona. The friendship continued even after one had become the boss and the other a subordinate.
Mrs. Tarabehen Soparkar was a very devout lady. In September 1931 she became seriously ill and was confined to bed. One day, she thought she heard someone chanting a verse from Saptshathi. She called out to her husband to go and see whether any Sadhu was anywhere in the vicinity. Soparkar obligingly went round the place and reported that there was nobody on the premises except himself and Markand Bhai who had just come. 'Oh', she cried out gladly.' He has come, has he? Then he must be the person whom I heard. Please bring him up.
Tarabehen looked at the visitor standing at the door and began to repeat slowly:
Durge Smrita Harasi Bheethimasesha Jantoh Swasthai Smritha Mathimatheeva Subham Dadasi Daridrya Duhkha Bhayaharini Ka Twadanya Sarvopakarakaranaya Sadardra Chittha
(Saptashati 4:17)
She then asked if he had not been reciting the sloka. Markand nodded affirmatively but added that he had been repeating the lines only mentally without even moving his lips.
It was his favorite stanza and he often used to recite it. It means: Oh Mother Durga, on remembering Thee, Thou art removing all types of fears from all sources. On remembering Thee with an established mind, mood and meditation, Thou art giving discrimination and the deciding intellect towards righteousness. Who is there except Thee to remove all misery and poverty? Thy heart is full of mercifulness to shower Thy Grace on Thy devotee.
It was felt that Markand Bhai's presence was a source of comfort to Tarabehen who was on the last lap of her life's journey. So Soparkar persuaded his friend to live in the house.
One day, the teacher employed to give tuition to Soparkar's daughter happened to ask a saint of Pandharpur about the chances of recovery of his pupil's mother. "The patient's time is already up", was the reply; "But out of courtesy to a saintly person living in the house the lady is not taken away. The moment he leaves the house the patient will leave this world.” This strange prophecy was promptly communicated to the master of the house. Soparkar began to brood pensively over the information. He was neither sentimental nor superstitious. But this was a matter touching the life of his dear wife. In spite of his disbelief the thought flashed across his mind that disregard of the saints words might spell disaster. After much thought he came to the conclusion that a willing suspension of disbelief would be a wise precaution against the unhappy, though unlikely, event of the prediction coming true. Love for his wife triumphed over cold logic. He used his official position and friendship to insist that Markand Bhai should not leave the house on any pretext and that his official work should be done from the house,
A few days passed. Tarabehen was on her deathbed. Three eminent doctors from Bombay, Kirkee and Poona unanimously opined that the patient had but an hour more in this world. A number of relatives stood in the hall, silently and sorrow fully watching the inert body swathed in blankets, cheeks pallid, aves closed. The husband was a stricken man.
"When serious illness strikes, people call the doctor. It is automatic for most to rely on human professional knowledge and skill. But finally, when the attending physician gravely shakes his head, and says there is nothing more that medical science can do, then at last people cry out desperately to God” (Herbert Armstrong).
When the doctors left, Soparkar turned to Markand Bhai, and said in a voice hoarse with agony and despair:" Can't you do something? As the latter began to gently shake his head, the stricken man continued more in sorrow than in anger' Do what you can. I won't take no for an answer. Don't be diffident. Do something “Thereupon, just to console his friend Markand Bhai went and stood near the patient's head and began to pray. Tears rolled down his face and a drop fell into the patient's mouth. The result was marvelous. As if in answer to a given signal, changes began to take place in the motionless form. A gentle glow slowly suffused the cheeks dispelling the ghostly pallor, the pulse speeded up, there was a mild, ever so mild heave of the chest and the eyes slowly opened. Tarabehen looked at her guest and said in a low voice: " I saw Mother. She said if you promise to fast for a day, I would get an extension of life by a week. Won't you promise?" The promise was given forthwith and within minutes Mrs. Tarabehen Soparker sat up and drank milk. Gone was her illness. Gone was the misery of the husband, Gone was the gloom that had enveloped the house. It was as if she had never been ill.
Some called the incident a miracle. Others said it was luck.
Yet, others said the cure was due to the delayed action of the medicines given by the doctors. Armstrong would not have been wrong if in continuation of the passage quoted above he had said " And if God intervenes and cures the patient, very few are really grateful”!
On the morning of the seventh day Tarabehen had fever suddenly. The husband realized the significance. He knew his wife would go that day. The extended tenure of life would expire that evening. He broke down and became hysterical. After a long time, he became normal, thanks to the ministrations of Markand Bhai. In the afternoon a message came from the Secretariat asking for a confidential file. The papers were in his office under lock and key. They were so confidential that either he had to go or send somebody in whom he had absolute confidence. He could not think of leaving his wife. Markand Bhai was the only person he could trust, but sending him out of the house might be disastrous according to the prediction of the Pandarpur Saint. He was in a dilemma. Finally preferring to remain with his wife in her last moments, he sent his friend with very strict instructions not to tarry for a minute after handing over the papers.
Mrs. Tarabehen Soparkar breathed her last the moment Markand Bhai stepped out of the house.
XIII
Mother's Messengers
The Tarabehen episode focused Markand Bhai's attention on the need to glorify Mother. The strange string of events : a devotee actually hearing what was mentally repeated by another, the prophecy of the saint of Pandharpur and its fulfilment, one devotee's fast extending another devotee's life by a week, a patient dying, as soon as a guest steps out of the house, all these things neatly dovetailing with one another, led him to think that it was his duty to sing the glories of the Mother. The thought grew and became an obsession. He became half mad and had to take leave on medical grounds, though the doctors were not able to say what exactly the disease was.
Shortly thereafter, a peculiar phenomenon began to manifest itself. Voices without human agency began to be heard. The words: “God as Mother, Mother of all propitiable with Universal Love. Service, Devotion and Unconditional Cheerful Self Surrender", made themselves heard. Not only that. Markand Bhai began to see those words everywhere, wherever he turned, on the walls, on the doors, on the windows. Mother began to insist that he should install Her. He made several excuses : pleaded inefficiency, want of erudition, lack of funds for the work. All excuses were rejected and Mother threatened him with lifelong semi-lunacy if he did not promise to instal Her. There was no alternative. It was a case of Hobson's choice. The moment he gave the promise, he became normal.
However, no time had been fixed for the installation and the matter was not immediately attended to.
In later years Saint Mai-Swarupa used to tell His disciples that the first requirement of a spiritual aspirant is humility. Humility is the sine qua non for spiritual progress. He used to say Taraneko hamra jivan duhneki abhiman (if you are humble you are saved, If you are proud you sink). Long before attainment of sainthood he had this essential quality in abundance. That was the reason why he put off installing Mother even after the promise; in his humble modesty, he really felt he was not competent to do the installation. Mother would frequently remind him, but considering the heavy responsibility that a formal Installation would entail, Markand Bhai postponed doing it. Then came three messengers, one from Bombay, one from Shimoga (Mysore) and the third one from Calcutta, all three had received specific directions in dreams to proceed to Poona and deliver a message to a devotee living there. They were such staunch devotees that without pausing to question the authenticity of the command they simply started out in search of a person they had not even heard of. They fully believed that Mother would direct them to the right man.
(1) Vrajlal Parekh was a very staunch devotee of Mataji. One day he saw in a dream, a temple to which Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Parsis and others were going. He saw at the top of the temple a board bearing the inscription, "Mai Markand Temple". He also saw a written command to this effect “Go to Poona and tell my son to install me". Vrajlal knew the Founder and rightly understood that the message was meant to be conveyed to him. He promptly did so.
(2) The Second messenger from Calcutta was also a religious man. One night when he was staying at Nagpur he heard a Voice in his dream telling him: "Go to Poona and ask my son to install me". Without a moment's hesitation he went to Poona where after several unsuccessful attempts to get accommodation in various hotels and lodging houses finally he got a room in Gujarat Lodge. Though he managed to get accommodation there, how was he to know that he was so near his man? Weary, exhausted and almost beginning to doubt the wisdom of his hasty rush to Poona, he went to sleep. In his dream he heard someone tell him not to lose heart, and that the man he wanted to meet was in the front room. Immediately he jumped out of bed and peeped into the front room to verify his dream. There he saw a devotee pleading earnestly for his incompetency and humbly begging that a more suitable person might be asked to do the installation. The devotee was then sitting in a meditative trance. Not wanting to disturb a man in his meditation the messenger made enquiries from the nightwatchman of the lodge. The answer was "Can't tell you the gentlemen's name. Everybody calls him Kaka. He is a Govt. Officer. He goes to bed very late. I have seen light burning in his room till 2 or 3 in the morning. He gets up only by 9 o'clock”.
The man from Calcutta had a friend living a few miles away. He thought of visiting the friend and coming back by the time Kaka got up. So, he left by the early morning train to the nearest station. As ill luck would have it, there was some disturbance in the locality the previous day and the police were rounding up all newcomers with the result that our man was arrested on alighting from the train. His protestations of innocence were of no avail. Frightened, he thought of Kaka and began to repeat“Kaka Bachao' (Kaka save me). He was locked up for some time. The man was fervently and frantically repeating "Kaka Bachao'.
In the evening the police, quite contrary to their usual procedure, released him. Sad and unnerved, he went to sleep. The Voice, an Angry voice this time, asked him: "What, you did not have the time to do my bidding? Your repetition of Kaka bachao saved you. Go and pass my message at once". Early next morning he went to Poona and delivered the message. The recipient of the message asked the man his name. The other answered “My name has nothing to do with it. Kaka Bachao”.
(3) Mr. Anant lyer, a young man from Shimoga (Mysore) was the third messenger who was ordered in a dream to go to Poona and deliver the same message. Anant lyer reached the hotel and by chance (?), saw Markand Bhai in the dining room. Something seemed to tell Anant lyer that that was the man he had travelled for to meet. So, he made it bold to ask the other if he was not a devotee of Mother. An emphatic affirmative was the answer. And the message was delivered.
Anant lyer, who had some spiritual knowledge and ritualistic devotion, had a great desire to see Mother at least in a dream. He sought Markand Bhai's help. The latter agreed and took him to the Sheik Sulla Bridge for discussion. They sat there from 11p.m. to 4 a.m. talking about Mother. Afterwards Anant lyer went to sleep and he had a wonderful dream, in which Mother appeared and said, “You have wished to see me in your dream. Who was talking to you on the bridge? That was myself”. With tears of joy the young man ran to Markand Bhai and narrated his dream.
XIV
The Declaration
Mother became insistent. There was no escape; no further postponement was possible. Thereupon Markand Bhai began to stipulate terms.
He said " If I get a new hitherto untenanted house, if I enter it on a Friday, if I see a dazzling light that evening, if I receive a basket of sweets and fruits that day, if at 9.30 p.m. three girls and two men come unasked and press me to do the Installation, if Mother's picture is available in any shop at 10.30 p.m., if I am able to buy worshipping materials from a shop at 11 p.m. and if at 11.30 p.m. a hawker brings a beautiful garland befitting Mother, then I shall install Mother”.
Every one of these conditions were most wonderfully and accurately fulfilled one after another on the second day of September, nineteen hundred and thirty-two. Is there anything difficult for Mother who is Unmesha-nimishotpanna-vipanna bhuvanavali (281 Lalitasahasranama) - the creator and destroy of universes in the twinkling of an eye? When finally, a hawker of garlands began to cry his ware ‘Har. Har' at 11.30, Markand Bhai burst into tears and said "Mother, Thou hast caught me.
Couldst Thou not have found a better man to do Thy work?"
The five persons who had gone there uninvited encouraged him saying: "She would do Her own work. Who is more blessed than yourself? Why should you lose heart and courage? Where is the question of your worthiness or unworthiness, Sir, when She Herself has chosen you?"
Mai was formally installed at midnight on 2-9-1932. Markand Bhai said to his audience: "From today I am a Mai-ist; from today my religion is God as Mother, Mother of all, propitiable on living the life of Universal Love and Service with Devotion and Unconditional Cheerful Self-Surrender. Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad and every Founder of every religion are Mai's illustrious sons. From now, the Bible or Koran is as venerable and worship-able to me as the Geetha. I will continue to pray to God as I have prayed till now, with the same intensity of love and devotion in a Hindu Mandir, Zoroastrian Agora, Christian Church, Muhammadan Masjid, or an Israelite Synagogue. No more religious differences. Devotion to Mother is devotion to Mother's children. I am a changed religionist from today. I install Mai today. I declare Mai-ism today.”
News of the declaration soon spread. Educated people saw the rationalistic Universal spirit of the new religion. The Founder who was, the personification of Love, the embodiment of Service, the quintessence of Devotion and the exemplar of Surrender to Divine will soon begin to be known as Mai Swarupa, Mai Kaka and Mai Baba. His disciples addressed Him as Maiji.
XV
Mai-ism: What It Stands for?
Mai literally means mother. Mai of Mai-ism is the Final most God conceived as Mother. The principal tenets of Mai-ism are:
Universality, Motherhood of God, Love, Service, Devotion, an Unconditional, Cheerful Self-Surrender. Spiritual co-equal statue of man and woman follows as a necessary corollary. True, even religion claims to contain these Principles. But Mai-ism RELIGIONISES them. That is the difference. The difference is in the emphasis. Love and Service are more important in Maiism than attending temples, churches or mosques. You may be able to recite the Vedas, the Bible, the Quran or any other sacred text by rote, but by the standards set by Mai-ism, you will not be religious unless you live a practical life of Universal Love and Service to all irrespective of caste, creed, color or race. I venture to say no religion in the world has said that.
Universal Religion must have a Universal God. Such God cannot have His chosen people, temples, scriptures and pilgrimage-centers.
Universality to be effective must be the supreme quality of one's whole vision and integral outlook with a conviction about its highest value. Universality should not be the outcome of policy, a temporary acceptance for some specific object in view.
An incident in Mai-Swarupa's life illustrates the point. There was a long-standing dispute between Hindus and Muslims of Nasik over the location and construction of a mosque. Communalism was rampant. Both sides spewed poison. For fifteen long years there were continual riots and bickering. Those in authority could not resolve the dispute. In 1938 July, Maiji was at Nasik on official business. It was of course not part of his duties to patch up communal differences, but the humanitarian in him urged him to tackle the situation. On 8.7.1938, he settled the dispute in a few hours to the complete satisfaction of both parties. The aura of universal mindedness that surrounded the saint, the subtle emanation of universal Love from his face and the atmosphere of universal brotherhood diffused by his very presence created a complete feeling of confidence in both communities. That was Universality in action.
Next, let us take the conception of God as Mother. It is the common experience of daily life that a mother is pleased when her children are happy, and that particular child is dearest to her who exerts most for the well-being of the other children. When God is Mother and all are Her children, service by one child to another pleases Her. Practice feeling that you are a child; a child whom Mother could not but accept, however wicked. Be mother's child and Her lap shall be thrilling and throbbing to have you on it.
If God is Mother to you, then there is no meaning in the belief of pleasing Her with servile recitation of Her virtues in an intellectual manner. None acts that way with one's own mother. There is every right for a child to make demands on its mother. (Thus Sakama Bhakti is permitted in Mai-ism). You can always run to her with your problems, you can confess to Her all your follies and misdeeds fearlessly, you can always seek Her protection however wicked you are. But your right and claim on your Mother are proportionate to and based on your love, service and devotion to Her as your Mother.
Infinity is thought of, visualized and approached as Divine Mother with all living creatures as Her children. Mother is essentially the ocean of infinite Love and Mercy. She,Mother Mai is the only human mother raised to the power of infinity, to Godhood. Nothing less than God of all nations, all religions, all humanity, but conceived as Mother.
It has to be understood that there is no gender in the case of Mother; gender follows words and conceptions only. Mother is neither a woman nor a man nor any other thing. Mother is pure
consciousness. No gender should be finally attributed to Her except for fanning the flame of devotion. The common man is unable to meditate on God's Eternal and Indivisible Form. So some qualified from is necessary and in adopting a qualified form nothing can be more natural than a parental conception; and in as much as Father is Justice and Mother is Mercy, Motherhood of God is more acceptable.
I am reminded of the last words of His Holiness Pope John XXIII who passed away on 3.6.1963. They were "Mater Mea" (Mother Mine).
Universal Love and Service are the cornerstones of Maiism. Love all. Leave off everything else. Practice this and this alone. Service is but an application of love. Service concretizes love. Mai-ism religionizes Love. How far you are prepared to love and serve others counts much more than the richness of your offerings, correctness of pronunciation and strict adherence to scriptural details.
Once during Navratri celebrations in Ahmedabad, a relative of Mai-Swarupa had gone to the Bhadrakali temple with her eight-year-old child. The child got lost in the milling crowd; she did not know her way home, in despair she sat in a corner and began to weep. Devotees in their hundreds were shouting “Jai Jai Kali Mata Ki Jai”, paying scant attention to the forlorn child. One devotee, however, proved to be an exception. That altruist comforted the child with gentle words and managed to elicit her father's name and took her to her house, where in the meanwhile, a frantic futile search for the missing child had caused great alarm and grief. The parents were profuse in their thanks to the Good Samaritan. But the latter was not happy. He said: "I have lost the camel while saving the goat. I have broken my vow of having daily darshan of Bhadra Kali”. Mai Swarupa happened to be there. He consoled the devotee by saying: “Don't worry. You have done the right thing. Go home cheerfully. If you could not go to Mother because you were engaged in serving a helpless child of Mother, Mother will come to you.” That night the devotee had a dream in which Kali Matha gave him Darshan and blessed him. It is such service, in doing which, if need be, worship of God is neglected that Mai-ism extols and wants its adherents to do.
Even if you do not believe in the very existence of God, if you try your best to love and serve all, you are a Mai-ist, because you are revering Mai in one of Her aspects: Conscience. Once a big city was submerged in water due to heavy floods. There was considerable danger to life and property. Officials were unable to cope with the work of rescue and salvage. The proprietor of a circus put his men, elephants and horses into the work; he himself directed the operations without stopping for food or rest though occasionally he had recourse to a flask of gin he had in his hip pocket. Hundreds of lives were saved by him. That man had no religion; he seldom offered prayers. Newspapers carrying banner headlines about the floods and relief work, while praising the circus man for his timely help, could not desist from having a dig at the man for his weakness for alcohol. According to the standards of Mai-ism that circus proprietor has a better claim to be called a religionist than one who knows and recites his scriptures without break but does not lift a little finger to help the man in distress.
Devotion: Bhakti yoga is pre-eminently suited to this age. There is no suffering that cannot be alleviated by devotion. We come across in the biography of saints and bhaktas very many instances of relief from distress. There is practically nothing that a true devotee cannot accomplish.
Mai-Swarupa once said that if Religion had to be defined in one word, that word would be sharanagathi which means Unconditional, Cheerful, Self-Surrender. Joseph Headley, a noted religious writer of England wrote in the World Religion Congress Report (Eighth report) “Unconditional, Cheerful Self-Surrender mentioned by Mai-Swarupa signifies the necessity for every human being to merge his personal selfhood within the Divine Will, and manifest the same in that greater conscious field of Universality''.
Guru: Everyone needs a spiritual mentor. This seed has been recognized by religious Savants the world over. Mai Swarupa makes a slight departure from the usually accepted notions. According to Him your guru need not be perfect; it is often impossible to get a perfect guru. Anyone who is spiritually your superior can be your guru provided he has your spiritual welfare at heart and you confide in him whole-heartedly.
The importance of Guru-Shishya relationship is seen from the division into three trios of all the major principles. Maiji declares : "Mai-ism reduces everything into three trios; (1) Humanity, Love and Service; (2)Mother, Devotion and Self Surrender and (3) God, Guru and Disciple. Take up any trio and fire on! Mother speed you! No handicap of what to eat, when to bathe, whom not to touch, which temple, which river, which pilgrimage-place, which saint, which priest etc.”. It can be seen that the first trio suits even atheists.
Symbol of Mai-ism: The Swastika is the symbol chosen by the Master. The arm drawn down from the right-hand end of the horizontal represents Universal Love; the other arms, reckoned clockwise, represent Service, Devotion and Surrender respectively. The horizontal denotes Universal mindedness and the vertical stands for coequal status of man and woman.
Regarding Advaitism, Mai-ism says it is a stage of consciousness and not an independent path by itself. Although the supremacy of 'I am God' is not denied, the world will be happier by being taught, Thou art God'. Mai-ism is not so much for God above or God within, as for God around, God who will be ever with us while we render service with love.
Some criticism : It has been said by some that there is no need for a separate religion to propagate these principles, Some have said that Mai-ism has a Hindu colour. Regarding the first objection, if every religion contains all these principles there was no need for Islam when Christianity was there; there was no need for Christianity when Zoroastrianism was there. The same could be said of every religion except the very first. The need for Universality in practical life, the need for religionization of Love and Service, the NEED was there when Mai insisted that Mai-ism should be declared.
The answer to the second objection of Mai-ism having a Hindu color is this: If you want to explain sweetness to a man who does not know anything about it, you have to have some illustration like sugar or honey. Similarly to churn out the essence of religiosity in a practical manner Mai-Swarupa had to have a vehicle. The majority of persons around the Saint were Hindus and, therefore, He chose Hinduism as a vehicle. Let me give you another analogy. If you want to add saffron to a preparation of rice and milk, you can't do it by simply putting in the saffron. First you have to mix the saffron in a little liquid separately and then pour the same into the rice and milk preparation. In the same way Mai-Swarupa found it necessary to prepare a segregated group of Mai-ists to be later mixed with the bulk of humanity and as stated already, those around Him consisted mostly of Hindus. Time and time again has Maiji stated that if people of other religions come in large numbers (There are some Christian-Mai-ists and some Zoroastrian-Mai-ists at present) to attend congregational prayers; only general prayers would and should be offered. Such a general prayer has been incorporated in 'Mai-ism' which is the Founder's Magnum Opus. Another general prayer was prepared by Revered Sister Mrs. Dorothy Dean and was accepted by Maiji.
Aims of Mai-ism: Mai-ism aims at reconciling and unifying all religions. Its object is to create a federation of religions. It acts as the centripetal force making all religions to converge on one central point of agreement. Mai-Swarupa wanted universal minded persons of all religions to meet, discuss and produce a text book of religion acceptable to all. He envisaged the creation of a Universal Saints' Order for upholding the Highest Common Factor of all religions. Mai-ism does not insist that its adherents should renounce the religion into which they were born. As pointed out by Ernest Kirk in his illuminating book "The World's Need and Mai-ism", "Mai-ism brings to all religions something in the heart of them all that is real and enduring".
Revered Mai-Swarupa 'has prepared a Mai-ism Chart, a wonderful geometrical figure consisting of annular rings with spaces between them, each ring representing some phase of the spiritual aspirant's progress. The path of the aspirant has been divided into three Zones, the Morality Zone, the Religiosity Zone and the Spirituality Zone and after all the Zones are passed the aspirant reaches Mai's Supreme Sphere. The beauty of the chart lies in the fact that all the twelve major religions are given their places on the annular rings, and the adherent of each religion is shown as passing through the three Zones mentioned above, before he reaches the Sphere of the Universal and Finalmost God, Mai. The chart and its explanation of over hundred pages have been printed at the earnest request of some of His disciples. The chart alone would suffice to show how all-embracing Mai-ism is.
XVI
Sisters' Socials and Convocations
The stress and strain Mai-Swarupa had to endure before and during the Declaration of Mai-ism described in Chapter XIV, took their toll. He felt exhausted and was unable to do anything for three days. On the third night He had a strange though pleasant dream in which He saw a spacious lawn where innumerable ladies of various religions were holding discussions. Maiji interpreted this to mean that Mother wanted a congregation of ladies belonging to different religions. It was by no means easy to bring about such a gathering. There was little or no encouragement from any quarter. Some people plainly discouraged Him.
No matter what the odds, however, Maiji carried on undaunted and, to the astonishment of all, a Sisters' Social of over three hundred ladies of different religions was held in Poona on 9 October 1932. Mrs. E.T. Choudhari of Bengal presided. Men and boys were not admitted into the hall where the Social was held. The event was acclaimed by all as a 'Mother's Miracle'.
After a fairly long time during which Maiji was engaged in propagating Mai-ism in Ahmedabad and other places, the second Sisters' Social was held in Madras on 1 October 1949.
Calicut was the venue of the third Sisters' Social which took place on 8 October 1954.
The fourth of the series was held in Shimizu city in Japan on 20 May 1955 with Rev. Sister Yoshiko Nakano in the chair.
On 4th October 1957, the next Sisters' Social was held in Trichur.
The place chosen for the sixth Social was Trivandrum where the function was held on 24th October 1958.
Sisters' Socials were limited to one day and only women could participate in them. With a view to enlarge the scope of the movement, Maiji decided to hold Mai Convocations lasting for three days one of which would be allotted to ladies exclusively. Three Convocations have so far been held: the first at Trichur from 30th September to 2nd October 1960; the second at Ernakulam from 7th October to 9th October 1962 and the third at Secunderabad from 15th to 17th October 1972.
Eminent persons of established name and fame-Swamijis, poets, writers, scholars, professors, judges, journalists participated in the functions. It would be invidious to name only some of them and it is a trifle too difficult to mention all the names.
XVII
Mai-Prapathi Sulabha
In the small hours of the night towards the close of 1932, there was a knock at Maiji's door. The saint himself opened the door. The caller, a man of some social standing, was known to the saint. Without spending time on preliminaries the visitor mentioned the object of his untimely visit. He was in trouble. Somebody was about to institute legal proceedings against him. Some playful overtures he had made to a woman were the basis for the proposed legal action. Much dirty linen would be washed in public. The man had expressed regret, but the other side would not relent. Then he got the idea that such matters could be squared up by hard cash. Having unsuccessfully tapped a few others for raising funds, he had at last approached Maiji. Time was short; the next day they might go to court.
"I don't have money with me", Maiji told him," But since you have come to Mother in a penitent mood, I will move Her to save you. Do you agree to my terms?” The miserable man with the sword of Democles hanging over him agreed, eagerly.
The visitor was made to lie on the carpet at the Lotus Feet of Mai, repeating certain mantras. He was not allowed to leave the place for three days, nor was he given food. A friend keeping watch over the activities of the opposite camp reported that the filing of the case had been delayed, because the man had suddenly developed fever. Maiji boldly sent word to him that his fever would not subside until and unless he gave up the idea of going to court, because his intended victim had surrendered to Mai.
It was 8 p.m. on the fourth day. Maiji had to leave in an hour by the nine O'clock train for Dharwar. He was unhappy that no progress had been made in the matter he had undertaken. Just when He was beginning to despair, three persons walked in, a young man with fever just down, his wife and his mother. There was no need for introductions. Obviously, they were the persons trying to drag the other man into court. Without giving the newcomers time to air their grievances, Maiji addressed them in sweet words : “ I have no time. All of you prostrate to Mai. Forgive and forget the past. Mai will make you all happy. Take this Prasad”. The Prasad was Rs. 25/- taken from his own purse. The matter was thus settled.
Maiji often used to say Mai is Prapathi Sulabha - easily accessible to those who surrender to Her.
The saint rushed to the railway station fully knowing that He was late. But so was the train. He was happy to find that the second class compartment He entered was empty. He could commune with Mother without let or hindrance.
When the train reached Belgaum, a large number of passengers, women and men, unknown to one another and to Maiji, entered the compartment to join the worship of Mai. Flowers,
with garlands and sweets were procured somehow and offered Mai. The occasion was hailed as extraordinary and unprecedented by one and all.
During the tour mentioned above, Maiji had to go to Gada where also several devotees and admirers attended worship at His place in the Koshtagi Chawl. In the course of His religious talk Maiji happened to say that Mai was the mother of even Lord Krishna. Thereupon a great devotee of Krishna courteously challenged the speaker to prove the statement. The saint's arguments failed to convince the devotee. Nor were quotations from Harivamsa and Kurmapurana, where Vishnu and Brahman are described as praising the Mother, of any avail. (The writer is reminded of Krishna's advice to Arjuna to pray to Mother in chapter 23 of Bhishma Parva and of Yudhishtira praying to Mother in chapter 6 of Virata parva in Mahabharata). Finally, Maiji advised the man to pray to Krishna and Mai to resolve the doubt. That night the Krishna devotee had a dream. On the shore of a large lake stood a beautiful lady of divine aspect scattering grains into the water. Three turtles swam eagerly, eating the grains. Each turtle had a name inscribed on its back. The names were Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. All his doubts thus cleared, the devotee ran to Maiji and told Him what had happened. (Mother is Samsayaghni - no. 173 in Lalitha-sahasranama-the dispeller of doubts). Maiji smiled and said;'' Krishna the player of Brindavan is a child of Mai. Krishna conceived as Universal God is Mai.``
XVIII
Early Religious Friends and Acquaintances
Maiji's earliest religious friend was T.N. Koppikar, a retired forest officer of Dharwar. Quite casually, Koppikar happened to meet Maiji at the travelers’ bungalow at Dharwar during the latter’s official tour mentioned in the previous chapter. Being a religious
man,the ex-forest officer felt a strong affinity to the saintly personage in the bungalow. Drawn by invisible ropes he visited the saint thrice in the course of a few hours. The acquaintance soon ripened into affection. Maiji initiated Koppikar into Mai-ism.
Koppikar happened to speak about Maiji in very glowing terms when he met the great Muslim saint Peersaheb Abdul Khadir Chisti of Bagalkot. Not believing all that Koppikar had said, Peer Saheb wanted to test Maiji. He wrote, “Will you come to my liquor house?". Maiji used the same mystic language in His reply: "Surely, without fail. Please inform me when the wine and server are ready”. Before long the two saints met, and during a happy exchange of views they reached a stage of trance at the end of which Peersaheb began to repeat Mai, Mai' and Maiji 'Al Rahman, Al Rahman'. They were lifelong friends till Peer Saheb passed away on 6 February, 1959.
Tammanna Shastri From Dharwar Maiji proceeded to Hubli, where a strange experience was awaiting Him the very day of His arrival. Tammanna Shastri, a great devotee of Sri Rama was on his deathbed. For days he had not tasted food, Suddenly he felt inspired and called his disciple V.L.Baddi to his side and said: “A very highly religious officer has come today. Bring him here. Don't fail. My blessings go with you." Baddi was, naturally, a trifle puzzled about the master's command, but he set out to do his duty. By carefully checking the day's arrivals he could decide that Maiji was the person his master wanted to see. “But a man in western dress!” thought the rather confused disciple,” What would master want to see him for?” Anyway, he delivered the message, and requested to be informed what time would suit Maiji to go to Shastriji. Maiji said he would go at once. Several devotees and disciples of Shastriji saw the warm embrace of two great men, who had not known each other. Maiji persuaded his host to take some food. All were happy.
Swami Siddharudha
At Hubli, Swami Siddharudha, one of the greatest living saints of the day, was delivering speeches on religion every evening. Many persons would assemble in an enclosed lawn and punctually at the same hour every evening Swamiji would begin his discourse.
One evening, a few days after the visit to Tammanna Shastri, Maiji thought of listening to Siddharudhaji's sermon and hired a tonga. The tonga man was strongly of the opinion that Maiji would not be able to enter the enclosure as the gates would surely be closed by the time they reached the place. But Maiji assured the cart-man that Swamiji would wait for him. The tonga reached its destination forty minutes late, but the gates had not been closed. Not only that; Swami Siddharudha loudly proclaimed to the audience: “See there he is coming. Close the gates after he is in”. All had been wondering why Swamiji was delaying his discourse, and now they wondered how he knew about the coming of the last visitor. After the usual religious talk Swamiji took Maiji to his place.
That was in 1932. Twelve years later, Maiji was again in Hubli. One day, his car got damaged when actually running on the road. The saint thought of taking some rest while the vehicle was being repaired. Strangely enough, people guided Him to the very same house, where in 1932 Siddharudhaji had taken in (Swamiji had already passed away a few years before). the place He sat, the chair He occupied, were all the same. Man felt the Spirit of Siddharudha Ji had arranged the whole affair.
XIX
Mother's Lodge and After
Towards the end of February 1933, Maiji was camping at Belgaum. The craze of the place at the time was a Sannyasin-a devotee of Sri Ganesh - who was attracting large crowds by his ability to predict a man's future by merely looking at him. Maiji was persuaded by His disciples to meet the prodigy. As usual there was a large gathering of people eagerly waiting to know what the future held in store for them. The sage would move his eyes from top to toe of each person, speak a few words and pass on to the next. As soon as Maiji joined the crowd, the sannyasin saw him, stretched out his right-hand palm down and hooked his forefinger as a signal to move forward. When the Land-Acquisition Officer in trousers, neck-tie and shoes drew near, the Oracle said, "You are the Founder of a new religion. If you wait I shall tell you more after I have finished with the others” . Maiji waited without displaying the amazement he really felt. There was a long talk in the end. The Mahatma predicted among other things that within a month his visitor would start a new institution.
Soon after his return to Poona Maiji's followers and admirers earnestly pressed him to open a religious center for spreading Mai-ism. When accordingly, arrangements were being made for starting a Mother's Lodge, opposition reared its ugly head. In this world of conflicting views and tastes, any undertaking, no matter how exalted it is, is sure to have some opponents. An influential man of Poona hated the idea of the Mother's Lodge and began to do propaganda against Mai-ism. The man became mentally unbalanced and had to be carried to the mental hospital on 27.3.1933, the very day on which the Mother's Lodge was formally inaugurated. Thus, Belgaum Sannyasin's prediction came true. Immediately in the wake of the inauguration, occurred some miraculous instances of Mai's Grace : two of them are mentioned below.
The Divine Door-Keeper. A Parsi lady who had played an important part in the Sisters' Social at Poona on 9.10.32, was in serious trouble. Her brother whom she loved dearly was a wastrel always running into debts and sponging on her. She had tried in vain to reform him. One day he asked her for Rs.5007. Fearing that he would squander the money she was reluctant to hand over cash to him, but she offered to pay off his creditors. Thereupon the man flew into a rage and stormed out. hurling his Parthian shaft that she would read of his death in the morrow's papers. The lady was terrified. She could not run after the man. In her distress she thought of Maiji and at once rushed to his bungalow. There she found a majestic lady of divine aspect standing guard at the door; she told the visitor, “My son is having a nap, don’t disturb him. Your brother will return in an hour and a half”. So, the distressed lady went back to her house. And the truant brother returned as prophesied by the Door-keeper.
Madras Devotee's Acquittal. Another devotee had an almost identical experience; only this time it was a dream. A staunch Mai-devotee was prosecuted for a crime he had not committed. He was so unnerved that he decided to go to Poona and explain matters to Maiji. He was a resident of Madras, had neither seen Maiji nor visited Poona; but he was a good Mai-ist keeping in touch with the Saint through letters. The night after he decided to visit Maiji, he had a very vivid dream wherein he saw Maji sleeping in a room and Mother walking about. When the accused devotee entered the room, Mother said: “Don't disturb him. He is fast asleep after a bitter weeping, you may go; you will be acquitted". The devotee promptly wrote to Maiji about the strange dream and requested directions. The saint wrote back asking for a detailed description of the room, the arrangement of the furniture, the colour of the counterpane, the number of mattresses and pillows etc. The dream had been so vivid that the devotee could give an exact description of the room. Maiji assured him in the next letter that there was no need for him to visit Poona and that he had only to continue to pray. The man was tried and acquitted.
XX
All - Faiths Conference
In June 1933, the sponsors of the All-Faiths Conference at Nasik invited Maiji to Speak on 'God as Mother'. His Holiness Dr. Kurtakoti Sankaracharya presided. It was a gathering of great men of various religions. Two incidents happened there which proved to all who had gathered there that Maiji was not an ordinary religionist but one who had realized God.
Mother's Picture is too heavy.
Due to unexpected heavy rains, the road from the Nasik Road Railway Station to the Conference Hall had become unfit for motor traffic. All had to walk. Maiji's bags were carried by volunteers. One of them offered to carry Mother's Picture which Maiji had in his hand. The latter said; “|| doubt if Mother would let anyone else carry Her. She is obstinate in some matters. You can try". The young boy of twenty could not lift the picture. Maiji had to carry It all the way.
Photographer's defeat
Maiji wanted a few card-size pictures taken from the picture he carried and called a photographer. The latter tried six times but could not get a negative. This inexplicable failure of an expert Photographer, accustomed to take good pictures of even moving objects, to copy a simple picture created a sensation. Concealing his discomfiture, the artist requested Maiji to pray for his success in the next attempt. Maiji prayed; a good picture was the result.
There was a sequel to the incident. A few years later an eminent doctor in charge of a hospital, who was inclined to be an agnostic though he was in sympathy with the principles of Mother's Lodge, came to know of the incident of the photographer at Nasik. He immediately approached Maiji accompanied by a photographer to see if the report he had heard could be verified. Again the Picture refused to be photographed in spite of best efforts.
The scientific brain of the doctor refused to surrender. He said " If at any time, by any photographer, in any place, it is impossible to get the picture, that will prove that there is a higher power which baffles all human attempts' '. Maiji humorously replied: “That is all right. But excuses why the picture could not be photographed will never be wanting. It should be enough if you make your best efforts and you fail to have the photograph. If you insist that every occasion out of hundreds of photographs should be impossible, you tie down Mother to obedience and delimit Her unlimited supremacy over physical laws. You are ordering Her to obey your commands. She may or may not permit the picture being photographed, but the onus must be on you to explain why it was not photographed with all your possible care and precaution".
XXI
Phool Chunan Ko Jayre Meri Maiya
Poona was scourged by a virulent outbreak of plague in 1933. Despite determined efforts by the department of Health, mortality continued to mount. People left the city in large numbers.
Maiji had his residence in Tadiwala Road. A pious woman living next door to Maiji had a dream one night. She heard Mother telling her that all persons who would attend Mai-Worship at her
a neighbor’s place would escape the epidemic. The next morning, he told Maiji about it. The saint suggested it might well be the result of her intense desire to attend the worship. She was of wurse welcome but all who would like to join could not be accommodated in the limited space available. The woman was hurt at the saint's interpretation of her dream. In a tone of distress tinged with anger, she pointed out: “Dreams are not your monopoly sir, I have seen-actually seen-Mother going out of your house into the garden, She does so every morning at about 5am Mother is living in your place, and my dream cannot be as unreal as you make it”. Maiji stared at the visitor. She stood her ground firmly but respectfully. Uprightness was evident on her face.
As Maiji was in the habit of going to bed very late and waking up very late, he asked his servant to watch out for the opening of the front door at dawn. Next morning, the man saw to his utter amazement, the front door being unlatched by invisible hands. The door opened and closed quietly. Nobody was to be seen anywhere. When the matter was reported to Maiji, he took an additional precaution the following night. He locked the door from inside and kept the key. The next morning the saint was roused from sleep by the servant's shouts. The lock had been broken and the doors were swinging freely on the hinges. Maiji rushed out and was just in time to see Mother disappearing with a bunch of flowers. “Bagan me Phool Chunan Ko Jayre Meri Maiya", sang Maiji in great delight. (In the garden, flowers to pluck, goes my Mother).
The lady's dream was obeyed. All were allowed to join the worship Several persons attended and all of them were saved from the pestilence.
Vachan Siddhi
Two residents of Surat were in great trouble. Their brother was missing. All their attempts to trace him were futile. Finally they went to a pious woman, a devotee of Mai, for help and advice. She gave them a tip.“ Go to Poona, and see Rev. Mai Swarupa. He is very hospitable and would offer you tea or food. Refuse to take anything until he says," You will find your brother”. The brothers made good use of advice. Maiji was a little annoyed when they insisted they would take food only if He said the five words." You will find your brother”. In the end He yielded and said "All right, you will find your brother. Now come and take food”. The brothers took lunch and left. That evening Maiji received a telegram that the missing brother had been found. This is an example of Vachan Siddhi, Mai's Grace of fulfilling Her devotee's word.
Jai Mai. Jai Mai Jai Markand Mai.
