Memories with Pramukh Swami Maharaj
— How he brought me to enter and stay in Satsang?
I consider myself very fortunate to be born in the family where my grandmother ‘s grandmother had samagam sukh of Shriji Maharaj in Gadhada and was a staunch devotee who followed all vartman very strictly. I have heard lots of stories from my baa, about how her baa used to follow Shriji Maharaj’s every agna, although some are faded .🤔
As it crossed different generations, Satsang got filtered because my grandmother was not married to satsangi, and neither her father was a satsangi. So carrying forward the legacy of Satsang was not up to the mark. Still, we managed to consider Bhagwan Swaminarayan as our istadev and visited kalupur mandir on big festivals and Ekadashi. We believed in Bhagwan Swaminarayan, and I still remember that I took my vartman and wore a kanthi by one of the sankhya yogi bai in Gadhada who was my Baa’s best childhood friend. Considering Bhagwan Swaminarayan as our ishtdev, we used to go everywhere, literally everywhere, let it be Ahmedabad gadi, vadtal gadi, or abjibapa(Vasna) or gurukul or any other sect of Swaminarayan sampraday. I have been to all different mandirs before I came to BAPS which was the only place that taught me upasna and true form of BRAHM and PARBRAHM.😇
Officially, in 2006 we entered BAPS when we started doing puja and followed no onion no garlic niyam. Although the seeds of it were already in the soil in 2001 on September 25th during the Murti Pratistha of Jivraj BAPS sanskardham (one of the areas in Ahmedabad )(Basically type c mandir).
પ્રમુખ સ્વામી મહારાજ સાથેનું એ પહેલું મિલન આંખની સામે આજે પણ એવું ને એવું જ છે જેમાં નાનામાં નાની વિગતો પણ, આજે મને યાદ આવે છે જે કૈક નીચે પ્રમાણે છે.
Being a high school Indian girl
I believed whatever we ask
In front of Bhagwan and sant
We get it instantly as gifts.
So with the greed of asking
For good grades in board exams
I went to the Murti Pratistha
In Jivraj BAPS sanskardham.Due to the limitation of space in the hall
We were standing on the stairs.
I was at 5th step from down.
When Pramukh Swami came
For the Murti Pratistha,
He was right there outside the door
Which was adjacent to the stairs,
That was only 5 feet distance
Between my fulfilling wishes and myself.So I started making wishes
As soon as I saw him coming.
He took out his chakhdi
That was my darshan of his feet.Due to a few other girls standing there,
Through the peeping here and there
That was my darshan of
His gatariyu and pagh.Despite being so humid and hot
There was breeze of coolness
Experienced in his presence
That was darshan of his serenity.Passing by, through all these chaos
We happen to look at each other
That was darshan of his eyes
Which showered blessings instantly.
I was certain that I am getting
Good grades now with no doubt.This was the day he decided
He is not letting me go
Despite of my tempers and
Efforts to leave him
For this worldly pleasures.
Being a teenager and tomboy kind of girl😉, I entered into Satsang by the constant sampark of two of the yuvati in Satellite mandir and their names are Jetaben and Maitriben. They always asked about me and talked with me to insist me for coming to mandir and made me attend many youth shibirs — indoors and outdoors, 2007 all India adhiveshan and various sevas in Satellite sanskardham that included kachra pota ni seva every Sunday during lunchtime of thakorji, PR escort ni seva in Ahmedabad shahibaug mandir, Decoration seva, parayan sevas, Navratri bhakti Parva and others where the learning started from various swami and sadguru swamis. Shibir, Sampark, and Seva — those are the roots of my Satsang which helped me sustain, otherwise, things were so odd during college times that I would have been no longer in Satsang. That reminds me of an incident that depicts my ignorance. I was given an opportunity to participate as a dancer in Mahila din of Baps 100 years celebration in 2007 which I missed as we had to live in the tent at the site of celebration and use the bathrooms that were made on the field and I was not at all ready to spend my 15 days like that, away from my parents and comforts of my home. So I gave an excuse for my sister’s wedding planning (which was in 15 days actually) and left after pleading the sanchalikas.
જીવની અવળાઈ એવી છે કે સત્પુરુષ ને રાજી કરવાની નાની મોટી સેવા હોય છે — જે દુર્લભ છતાં સહેજે મળે છે, તે પણ છોડી દે છે. That’s what my jiv did at that time.🤦♀️
After the official entry, I have had a darshan of Pramukh Swami in a wheelchair in 2007 when I did PR escort Seva and also had Harikrishna Maharaj prasad during that time, perks of seva I would say.😜
After moving to the USA in 2009, I have been able to participate in different sevas through these 10 years and all credit goes to Maharaj swami that he kept on giving me opportunities and buddhi so I won’t let it go without utilizing it. Just to name a few — Harikrishna Maharaj padhramnis in California, decoration, samaiyas, zone leader, PR Seva, hindolas, making prasadi items for Pramukh Swami. I am blessed to have that sukh of offering bhakti to swamibapa as well in different forms. All these helped me to progress my Jodan with Bapa and Sanstha.😍
Sharing one of the bhakti prasadi pictures in which many have contributed. It is a lifetime memory for me.🥰
Next darshan was in 2014 in Robinsville with little Moksh in my hand at 1:30 am and that was epic as we got to do darshan so closely that —
“અંતર માં એ ચબ્બી એવી તો મઢાઈ છે કે સમયની ધૂળના એક પણ અવશેષ તેના પર દીઠા નથી.”
2014 darshan sukh in Robinsville will remain always extraordinary and worth remembering in any place and any time.
To summarize, I have made many grave mistakes in life, but those were forgiven by swamibapa. Since he held my hand in 2001, he has never left me.
Because of him, I am alive and he is keeping me in satsang where I can try to be better nirvasnik satsangi day by day as he keeps on giving opportunities to make him raji through Mahant Swami Maharaj now.
The bond I share with him is right below in the link and one thing I always say to Swami bapa —
“ You and I are always connected no matter what.”
