Chapter 53 - Shree Hari eager to meet Ramanand Swami

Shri Hari’s eagerness to meet Ramanand Swami. 

Suvrat said:- 

O king, staying him with the group of the sages, there passed the month of Chaitra; but still the Master did not come to Lojpur. 1. 

Then worried and depressed Shri Hari, whose mind was carried away by desire to see the Master, disappointedly decided to go to Bhujnagar (Bhuj). 2. 

The celibate, very eager to see the Master, saluting Muktananda Muni the head of the group of the sages, thus said: 3. 

O great sage, why is it that our loving Master did not yet arrive to Lojpur? The limit of two-three months set by you has already passed. 4. 

Whether my ill luck is an obstruction in his arrival, otherwise as he is the Master of all, many more, and moves at his own will, why would he not have come here? 5. 

So, now, I myself will go to him now. Please allow me to go to Bhujnagarat his place. 6. 

Hearing these words and seeing that he is set to go, the wise Muktananda a satisfied him and said: 7. 

‘Our Master will certainly come in dark fortnight of the month of Vaishakha; at that time you will have an opportunity to see him. 8. 

O great ascetic, your body has shrunk due to hard penance; hence you are not fit to travel up to there now. So please stay here happily, and don’t hurry. 9. 

Bhujnagar is very far from here and on the way there is a large creek of the sea; and it is difficult to cross. So, please stay here happily in our group of sages. 10. 

Do not be disappointed at all. Now I will write a detailed letter about you and send it to the Master. 11. 

Afterwards you go ahead in accordance with his reply O the wisest one, do not be in a hurry now. 12. 

Moreover, to go there without his permission, before him, your purpose may not be served rightfully. Hence please do not go now.’ 13. 

Muktanand’s letter to Ramanand about Shri Hari’s arrival. 

Suvrat said:-

Thus pacified by him, the best of the celibate, stayed there only. Then sitting aside, sage Muktanand wrote a letter to his Master. 14. 

‘May it be well with our Master, the Sadguru, whose feet are ever resorted by numerous clusters of virtues, and by the highest super-human powers, and divine faculties, and one who has adopted human form by his own will; who is the joy of the (people of) Bhujnagar; I bow to him, the lord. 15. 

O Lord by your grace only, we, staying in Lojnagar, fully devoted ourselves to your lotus feet, are enjoying highest bliss, and herewith we express our reverence to your lordship. We are staying here, and following your commands. Now, kindly give attention to the purpose of writing this letter. 16. 

Here in our hermitage, one yogi of very high order has come from Kaushal province. He is penance-incarnate. Though his body has become shrinked, he looks very bright and gleaming. 17. 

He is famous by name Nilakantha; renounced completely like Nilakantha – Shiva himself; he is like friend of Nilakantha (peacock), a black cloud desired by all; he has conquered and taken away pride of the enemy of Nilakantha (Shiva) the cupid, just by glance! 18. 

Wearing garments of an ascetic, the exalted soul, constantly remains in the state of super-consciousness. His eyes are steady with eyelashes unmoved; organs firmly set. He has no belongings with him. He is noble at heart. 19.

He has stepped down from childhood age and stepped onto 20 years of age. He has visited sacred places such as Pulashram. His hair is soft, curly, short and beautiful; his speech is clear, soft and sweet. 20. 

He cannot bear the slightest smell of women; his mind is void of pride and jealousy. He has no desire in his heart whatsoever except Lord Krishna. 21. 

He wears old bark of tree and deer skin as garment and always has threaded beads (for chanting) in his hand. His actions are agreeable and honest. Staying here in Lojpur, he teaches the sages of their duties just like a guru does. But still he stayed as a disciple of our sages! 22. 

Sometimes he takes a little tasteless food, at other times he eats some fruit or leaves, or sometimes takes water only, sometimes even on air also (he lives alive and active). 23. 

Sometimes he eats whatever he gets as Bhiksha (from householders) and on other days lives on whatever he gets unasked for. Sometimes he eats only in the evening and sometimes he passes his days by observing fast for three days. Thus he keeps himself engaged in rigorous austerities, which are difficult for men to do. 24. 

He really likes to stay under tree in all six seasons. And For him, staying in a mansion is like staying in jail! 25. 

In hot season in the afternoon under the burning sun, he stays near five-fold fire. In rainy season, he sleeps on stony surface in open, in winter he stays in cold water. Thus he is withering away his body in these ways! 26. 

Where is his age of childhood, appropriate to play, and where this unbelievable, very rare state of a perfect Yogi. We all get surprised to see his superhuman qualities and are unable even to guess who this divine soul is! 27. 

Before the fire-like glow of his intense penance, glitter of our hard austerities looks like tiny lamp in the presence of the sun shining in the middle of the sky, with its thousands and thousands of rays. 28. 

Knowing all the skills of yoga, one becomes his student. Not a single human is able to stand before him in all these skills. 29. 

We cannot imagine how much and when he may have learnt the Shastras in detail, from his great Guru. No scholar in this city of Lojpur is able to challenge him. 30. 

Even to his small question, those learned men’s intellect get mutilated by their defensive arguments and become weak, they become non-plus in replying. Also the assembly was stunned. 31. 

And on the other side, any doubts asked by those well-read, learned scholars, he immediately answers it explaining in various ways just as you do with details of reasoning. At that moment we guess him to be God himself! 32. 

Sitting in meditation in steady posture, when the mind of the sages go off track to some worldly objects, he knows it (even being at distance) like the all-knowing Supreme Being residing within. 33. 

His heart is not pierced by the arrows of the harsh words of wicked people; as though shielded by highest tolerance, it has become as strong as thunderbolt! 34. 

The moment he perceives slightest suffering of others, his heart melts. Even a particle of that tenderness cannot be equaled by the soft lotus bud, butter or Shirisha flower! 35. 

Goodness, chastity par excellence, is seen in this great sage, by my own eyes, never heard of in the territory of sages, except your lordship, the one and only Guru of the people. 36. 

Observing all his super human qualities and deeds, I feel in my mind that to test our determination and faith, whether your Mastership have come here (in his disguise)! 37. 

His heart is very eager to see your good-self, therefore he was just prepared to go from here to see you; but I stopped him from doing so. Now shall I send him there or not? Please write back to me. 38. 

Thus I have written this letter to inform you about these happenings of Nilkantha Varni according to my own thought. Reading it, please answer at your earliest. 39. 

Now this much I have written what more is needed to write to wise persons like you? Kindly be gracious to me forever. 40. 

Suvrat said:- 

writing such letter, he said to the celibate, I have written a letter to the Master to inform him about your trueness; you also write to him. 41. 

Reading your letter, the Master will come immediately. Thus said by Muktananda, the wise celibate began to write a letter. 42. 

Sitting aside, keeping paper on board beside his chest, taking pen in his right hand, bending his neck, he started to write in beautiful characters. 43.

Thus ends the fifty-third chapter entitled ‘Narration of the Letter written by Muktanand’ in the first Prakarana of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 53