Remembering Late Revered Swami Gokulanandaji Maharajji...
nitik...@accenture.com
Remembering Late Revered Swami Gokulanandaji Maharajji...
This is for the first time I am using this platform to share my thoughts/ experiences with the devotees of thakur maa sawamiji. Though Somesh maharajji (Br. MUKTACHAITANYA) and Bharatji and other contributors have always encouraged the new joiners like me to contribute and not to feel intimated; somehow, hesitation precedes determination and hence, no contribution. I am not a member of any other Web group and do not feel comfortable participating in the world of unknown identities. The only reason behind joining the group is that it belongs to Ramakrishna Mission, strengthened further by the fact Somesh Maharajji has introduced a rigorous process of identifying individuals so that this medium could not be misused.
Nevertheless, dormant members like me benefit greatly by this medium as it gives us a reason to think of God amidst daily chores!
Today, what has compelled me to come out of my cocoon is the memories of a great spiritual soul -- Late Shri Swami Gokulananda Maharajji.
On April 12, 2007, a public meeting was held at New Delhi ashram to pay tribute to our great teacher and guide. The august gathering itself spoke volumes about the popularity, reach and affection of maharaj ji for the people and vice versa.
But being in the crucial position of heading the centre in one of the most demanding and crucial centers, was he restricted to who’s who of India and abroad? The answer is a big NO; some very ordinary people like me will vouch for the fact that he was there for all and for everything; be it spiritual progress or problems related to personal or professional lives. His broad outlook carried forward the message of Thakur, Maa and Swami ji and he never ever despised household devotees or householders’ life and struggle. According to him, spirituality and ideals are for everyone, including householder devotees.
Today, when’s he is no more in his mortal body, I usually get nostalgic about how he influenced our lives in a positive way. If I reminisce about the precious time spent under his guidance, it’s not from the perspective of sharing my personal experience but to highlight how great and kind he was to all the devotees.
Though his grace only, I got the opportunity to spend some time with my Guruji Srimat Swami Gahananandaji Maharajji, that too in my hometown – Himachal Pradesh. Through divine grace, a great devotee had opened up a center along the lines of the Ramakrishna Mission and Math and my guru maharaji had kindly consented to visit that place and give diksha to devotees. In spite of my saying that getting a week’s leave will be difficult for me, Gokulananda Maharajji insisted that I should not lose out on such an important opportunity being a Himachali myself and that too when my guru maharajji is gracing the occasion. It was at his insistence that I accompanied the devotees from Delhi and not to mention that I will cherish throughout my life the moments I could spend in the company of my guruji. I had also got the rarest of rare opportunity to cook/arrange breakfast for him (which in actuality was a disaster as my guru sister and I had no clue about cooking; not even dal moth). Nevertheless, we definitely got blessed. And all this happened because Gokulananda Maharajji was the force behind the whole thing.
Maharajji also blessed me with the opportunity to be part of Youth Day celebrations to act as one of the participants for a spiritual program to be telecast on DD. Behind the scene story is that I had such a bad cough during the program recording that the shooting had to be stopped in between. Remorse, grief and embarrassment overcame me but maharaji never ever lost his composure and gave me dry amla to eat and repeated jai maa, jai maa, jai maa. Would anyone believe that maharajiji who was so particular about arrangements in all walks of life and would be displeased with mismanagement did not mention about this episode even once? He seemed pleased as ever with me and blessed me.
I have read in books that monks give opportunity to devotees to serve them, which brings good to devotees. Being a young married working couple with limited resources and means, maharajji still found out a way by which we could be of some service to him. He asked for a day when my husband would be on leave and could take him to someone’s place. What could be a greater thing than this for us? But the very next moment, a thought flashed through my mind, how could maharaji sit in the car, which is used by ordinary people like us. Then an idea struck me. Fortunately, we had got a set of huge towels which were orange in color and quite big in size. I unwrapped the towels and covered one of the seats with the towel, where maharjji was supposed to sit. When my husband returned home, he conveyed maharajji’s happiness and blessings to me as he particularly noticed my insignificant arrangement and very much appreciated it.
The most of memorable moments were when he visited our house. We had recently purchased a new house (through home loan, of course) and named it Maa Kutir. In this small house, we have a small thakur ghar. When we shared this with maharajji, he was very happy and we extended our invitation to him. Without batting an eyelid, he simply asked when and our response was whenever it suits him. Having visited some gathering at devotees’ houses, we had done some financial calculations in mind and thought of some means how we will arrange things, which maharajji would want for him and his devotees. But, maharaji ji simply said only I will come. He simply knew what we could afford and how much we could arrange. A good planner and organizer he was, he immediately chalked out the plan from early morning till afternoon – spanning the houses of 3 devotees. He gave us the time when he should be picked up and dropped back.
As thakurji’s wish would be, our house in the apartment is on 6th floor and that day, lifts in our bock just refused to work at all. When they arrived, I informed my husband and asked what now? And, even before we could think of anything, maharajiji started climbing the stairs without complaining or frowning even once. Slowly and steadily, when he reached the 6th floor, I was standing outside the house to welcome him by showering flower petals on him. All I saw, a smiling face who showed childlike enthusiasm in getting such welcome.
He was panting profusely but after claming down within few minutes, he headed towards the thakur ghar and prayed for a while. Very lovingly, he took out a plate from his ochre jhola in which various flowers smeared with sandal paste were arranged nicely and he the offered pushpanjali to Thakur maa swamiji and various collection of gods, we had underneath (which he found very amusing).
He had a very simple breakfast and he never criticized anything. In fact, seeing that I had brought out a new set of kettle and cups (which I had got as a diwali gift from my office), he showed his delight in the fact that I especially used it for the first time for maharajji. So much so that he asked me to pour him another cup of tea and prepare a piece of bread. And then blessed again and again and departed. Next day, he called me up to say that he had routine check up due and thanks to faulty lift, his heart tests have come perfectly normal and he asked me to convey the same to my husband.
His childlike innocence could charm anyone. One day, he asked me you seem to have lost weight, how did you do that because I also desperately need to knock off few kilos.
And once, when I asked him what I should get for him, his response was “a good detergent”. Reason, his detergent “Surf” affects the color of the clothes and fades the ochre color. Where would you get to see such simplicity?
On several occasions, he would call us to remind that there’s a Gita class and we should come to attend that. How great of him to bring devotees’ mind to god. And though, I was not a regular to his Gita classes but anyone who would have attended even one class could swear that he was a blessed orator who would simplify any lesson including Gita to make us understand its teaching and relevance in our lives through parables. And yes, he would definitely make a mental note of absentees and ask them the reason in the next visit for not making it to the class. What a remarkable memory he possessed! Anyone would be spellbound.
This shows the ease with which anyone could approach him and talk to him was unparallel. How else would you explain anyone and everyone approaching him with anything under the sun and getting warmth and love?
I firmly believe that he came from thakurji and went back to him. I will always miss him but, I also know that he is always keeping watch over us as a fatherly figure and will always bless us.
Jai thakur maa swamiji,
Nitika, Abhishek
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shashank....@gmail.com
Thanks for bringing to light the aspects of Late Revered Swami
Gokulanandaji Maharaj which only the very near ones perhaps knew.
I would request you not to deprive us by allowing hesitation to
precede determination. Please conitnue posting. This is perhaps one of
the best that I have read.
Regards
Shashank
> Guruji Srimat Swami Gahananandaji Maharajji, that too in my hometown -
> from early morning till afternoon - spanning the houses of 3 devotees.
> <mailto:nitika.b...@accenture.com>
>
> This message is for the designated recipient only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise private information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Any other use of the email by you is prohibited.
>
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anil mahato
Respected Br. Soumesh Maharaj and dear devotees of Holy Trinity,
I feel tempted to add some thing more about Most Revered Swami Gokulanandaji Maharaj:-
Every thing happens on the will of Lord. Rev. Swami Gokulanandaji Maharaj was in the platform of RK Order for some special works for the well being of huminity. After joining the order, he was entrusted to teach the human value with reference to Thakur, Ma and Swami at the prestigous institute of Belur Vidya Mandir. Thereafter, he was assigned to uplift the khasi people at Cherapunji RK Mission. There he learnt Khasi language and translated Kathamrit in Khali Language and wrote money other booklets in khali language. The Christian Missionary people wanted to kill him and they had tried by planting Bomb in his residence, throwing arrow and using chaku and talwar but all in vain, because, Sri Sri Thakur was behind him and He protected him from all evils. Once his jeep in which he was travelling fell into a gorge of about 150 feet deep, but the jeep was hanged in a tree and he was saved by the passerby people. He loved one and all like father, mother, brother and what not.
As Swami Vivekananda had said "The this body is old and unable to work more for the cause of huminity, hence he wanted to cast this body and take rebirth in many living beings to encourage the people to do tyag and seva for the uplift of the whole huminity" similarly on fulfilling the assigned task given by Sri Sri Thakur, Most Rev. Swami Gokulanandaji Maharaj left us for doing more more important works for the huminity. He will continuously inspire us all.
Jai Thakur, Jai Maa and Jai Swamiji
Yours ever
Anil Kumar Mahato
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manisha khuller
shree hari'hthank you anilji for sharing.. these are some good pieces which may not be known to all (like myself)much regardsm
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