DOWNMEMORYLANE WITHNISARGADATTAMAHARAJ

ShashikantDattatrayChawathe


Thepurposeofthisarticleisnottotalkaboutthephilosophy thatShriNisargadattamaharajpreachedinhissermons,butto revisitthesweetmemorieswhichIhaveofhimashisdisciple duringmyyoungage.Ihavealsoincludedinthisarticleafewof hisphotographsforthereadersbenefit. Finally,ImustsaythatIseemyselfasoneoftheprivileged discipleswhowerefortunatetoseeMaharajinhisworldly formandbenefitfromhisgemsofsermons. ShashikantDattatrayChawathe 26/11/2011 sdchawathe@gmail.com puzzleland.in


Iwasafifteenyearboyandahighschoolstudentintheyear1954 whenIwasfortunateenoughtovisitthemodestdwellingplaceof Maharajat10thKhetwadiinGirgaon,Mumbai,andgoupthestepsofa smallladderlikestaircasetothemezzaninefloorwheredisciplesused togathertolistentosermonsofMaharajandalsotosingdevotional prayerstotheaccompanimentofbrasspercussiontaals.Myfather ShriDattatrayGokulnathChawathewasalreadyadiscipleofMaharaj andonanauspiciousdayhetookmetotheabovesacredplace.After this,itbecamemyroutineactivitytovisitthisplacemostlyonSundays andtouchthelotusfeetofMaharajwithmyforehead. Thereusedtobeamorningsessionandaneveningsessionatthe aboveplace.Inthemorningsession,Maharajusedtoofferpujabefore thephotographsofhisGurushriSiddhaRameshwarMaharajandother deities.AdiscipleusedtochantfromthesacredbooksuchasDasbodha andotherdisciplesusedtoperformDhyanasittinginSahajasanawith theireyesfocusedonthetipoftheirnoseschantingtheGuruMantra withoutmovingtheirlipsandwithoutproducinganysound.After aboutonehourofthisDhyanaexercise,thereusedtobesingingof devotionalprayers.

Theeveningsessionusedtobeasermonsession.Adiscipleusedto chantacoupleoflinesfromthesacredbooksuchasEknathiBhagwat andMaharajusedtogointothedetailedanalysisofthemeaningof theselines.Heusedtogowellbeyondtheapparentmeaningandbring outvarioushiddenshadesandtheintricateinnerbeautyofthe significanceofthelinesinthesacredbook.Thiswasveryfarfromthe bookishunderstandingacasualreaderofsacredbooksmayhave. OtherlinesfromthesacredbookwouldthenfollowandandMaharaj wouldgooverthemofferingexplanationsnotheardbythedisciplesso farfromanyothersources.Afterthesermon,thereusedtobe devotionalprayers. IusedtoattendmostlyeveningsessiononSundays.OccasionallyIused toattendmorningsession.Myfatherwhenpresentusedtobethe disciplewhomMaharajchosetochantfromthesacredbooksinthe morningsessionoreveningsessionwhenMaharajusedtogive sermons.MyfatherhadamelodiousvoiceandMaharajwashappy askinghimtochantfromthesacredbooks.OncewhenIwasattending theeveningsession,Maharajwasinthemoodofexperimentingandto mysurpriseheaskedmetochantfromEknathiBhagwatwhilehegave thesermon.Iprobablydidagoodjob.Fromthatdayonwards,maharaj alwaysusedtoaskmetochantfromthesacredbookswheneverIwas presenteventhoughmyfatherwasalsoavailable.Thisdelightedmy fathertonoend. HereImustrecordaverytouchingandandsignificantfactabout Maharaj.HisconvictionoftheeternaltruthofthephraseTattwamsi

(Youarethat)wassostrongthatinthemorningsession,heusedto touchthefeetofthedisciplebeforeaskinghimtochantfromthe sacredbooks.ThiswastheperfectexampleofthehumilityofMaharaj. Thismostofthetimesembarrassedthedisciple. AndthenonabrightsunnymorningonaSunday,Maharajthoughtme fitforbeinghisofficialdisciplebygiftingmetheGurumantra.WhileI waschantingfromEknathiBhagwat,MaharajinterruptedmeandI accompaniedhimtothegroundfloorroomwhereHeaskedmetositin aSahajasanpositionwithmygazeconcentratingonthetipofmynose. ThenheveryslowlyutteredtheGurumantra.HeensuredthatIhave heardtheMantraclearlyandleftmeinthatSahajasanposition performingDhyan,theMantrareverberatinginmesoundlesswith everybreath.Idonotremembertheexactdateofthisincident. Probablyitwasintheyear1957buttheMantrabecamepartofmy personalitypermanentlythereafter. WewerefortunatetohaveMaharajholdingafulleveningsessionat our10ftx10ftroomatKakadwadi,Girgaon,Mumbai.Herepeatedthis againafteroneyear. Maharajneveraskedanydiscipletoshunhisworldlyresponsibilities. Heexpectedhisdisciplestodojusticetotheseresponsibilitieswithout mentallygettinginvolvedinthemlikethedewdropsonalotusleaf wherethedropsdonotsticktotheleaf.Afterthemorningprayer session,heusedtoattendtohissmallshopwhichstockedproducts suchasbetelleaves,betelnuts,tobacco,cigarettesetc.Sometimes,

someofususedtobepresentthereobservinghimsellingthesegoods nonchalantlytocustomerswhohadnoideaabouthisgreatness. In1963,IgraduatedinCivilEngineeringfromV.J.T.Institute,Mumbai. Myfatherandmotherhadeducatedmebysacrificingtheirworldly comforts.Maharajappreciatedthisverymuch.HeandshriBhainath Maharajdecidedtofelicitatemeonthisoccasion.Inaneveningsession Iwasgiftedanenvelopewithsomecashandteryleneshirtandpant pieces.Terylenewasinvogueatthattime.Inormallyworecotton ware.Butthiswasmyfirstsetofteryleneclothes. DuetosomereasonstherewasalongtimegapandIcouldnotvisit Maharajforalongtime.Thenonacertainday,myselfandmyfather attendedtheeveningsession.Ifoundgreatsolaceinagaintouchinghis feetwithmyforehead.Itwasalreadytoolatethen.Maharajwas sufferingfromtheailmentwhichwasnotcurable.Maharajappearedto becomeverysentimental.Tearswelledupinoureyes.Pointingafinger atmehesaidtodisciplesSeeIhadtoldthisboy,Carswillqueueupat thegateofyourhouse ThisiswhenIsawMaharajforthelasttime.IwasoutofMumbaiwhen hepassedawayandIcouldnotattendthefuneral.

HaveIlostMaharaj?No,TheGurumantrahasbecomeapermanent organofmybodyandIalwayshavethisconvictionofMaharajbeing alwaysthereforme.

 Firstfromleft:MyfatherD.G.chawathe

Firstfromright:Myself Secondfromright:MyfatherD.G.Chawathe SecondfromLeft:MymotherLakshmibaiChawathe Firstandthirdfromleft:Mysiblings

 Mysiblingsonbothsides

Secondrowfrombottom,Thirdfromright:ShriBhainathMaharaj Thirdrowfrombottom,Secondfromright:Myfather

 FunctionatMumbai,fourthfromright:Mymother

Maharajgiftedhispersonaltobaccoboxtomyfather.

 MaharajgiftedhispersonalCymbals(Taal)tomyfather.

CloserviewofTaalwiththenameofMaharajinscribed.