To Bhagawaanji: A
Devotee's Floral Tribute
by C. L. Moza
Bhagawaan
Gopinath Ji was one of the greatest saints of the 20th century. It is
very difficult for a person like me to throw light on such a great Mahatma.
However, like the proverbial six blind persons who went to see the elephant, the
little that I have gathered about him from those who had been in touch with him
I state briefly as follows:
To start with, what may
seem a digression from the main theme, I would like to mention how I had the
good fortune of having a "darshana" of Bhagawaan Ji in the year 1951.
My home is situated at Sheli-Teingh, 2nd Bridge, Srinagar. In my neighbourhood,
there lived a saintly person senior to me in age. His name was Sh. Kanth Koul
Peshin. He used to spend most of his time in the company of saints. He visited
Hari-parbat daily from his childhood to the last days of his life. It was he who
motivated me to have Bhagawaan Ji's darshana. Those days, Bhagawaanji lived at
Reshi-Mohalla, Habba-Kadal. Motivating me, Sh. Kanth Koul revealed that one of
the members of his sister's family once went to Manigam, Ganderbal, Kashmir to
see Swami Kasha Kak Ji. As soon as the person in question entered the house of
Swami Ji, the latter addressed him thus : "Why have you come to me? You
have 'Muhatimim Darbar' at your home. He is the final sanctioning authority ;
there is nothing in my hands."
Long after Bhagawaanji
attained Maha Samadhi, I enquired about this from Shri Madhavjoo, one of the
senior devotees at the Srinagar Ashram. He confirmed what I had heard, and
revealed that it was he himself who had visited Swami Kasha Kak. He also
accepted in to having heard the saint pay glorious tributes to Bhagawaanji as a
great siddha.
I visited Bhagawaanji's
Ashram regularly at Srinagar as it was at a stone's throw from my house. I
sometimes got an opportunity to talk to Shri S. N. Fotedar occasionally. Once
Fotedarji revealed to me one of his own experiences about Bhagawaanji which I
consider worth mentioning. He said that it had occurred to his mind once, while
he was sitting in the company of the master, that almost all the great saints
have a spiritual halo encircling them, so he had thought what should be the
colour of the halo encircling Bhagawaanji. The same moment he saw a bluish halo
encircling Bhagawaanji. The halo stayed a few moments and then faded completely.
This experience of Sh. Foterdarji shows clearly that though Bhagawaanji looked
humble, he was a saint of high order, veritably a divine incaration.
Lastly, I may relate my
own experience. One morning, I had gone to the Srinagar Ashram situated at
Kharyar, Habba-Kadal. As I concentrated on Bhagawaanji's photograph lying close
to the marble statue of Bhagawaanji, I had a strange experience which may strike
the readers as incredible. I noticed a movement in Bhagawaanji's right eye. It
closed for a while and then opened again. The act of closing and opening of the
eye was felt to be slow by me. I could not believe my eyes and thought it to be
an optical illusion. I did not speak about the experience to anyone. There was a
great conflict in my mind for about two months as to the authenticity of the
experience. I could not understand whether what I had seen was a figment of my
own imagination or a spiritual miracle. I felt confounded and bewildered. Then
one evening, Bhagawaanji pulled me out of this muddle as I sincerely believe.
That evening when Arti was going on, some youngsters, not aware of Bhagawaanji's
spiritual eminence, indulged in gossip and laughter. When the Aarti was over, a
devotee, Shri. T. N. Raina, who lived close to the Ashram, conveyed to me his
displeasure over the behaviour of the youngsters. He was sitting very close to
me when the Aarti was on. He spoke to me thus, "These youngsters do not
realize the spiritual importance of this peeth. Sit here with a composed mind
sometime in the early morning ; you will witness strange spiritual chamatkars."
He said further that he had not revealed such things to anyone before. He
confided in me because he found me regular in my visits to the Ashram. This
dispelled the doubt that had lurked in my mind about the miracle I had
witnessed. I felt assured about the truth and authenticity of my experience, and
got convinced that Bhagawannji continues to be a living and vibrant force
despite the fact he has shed his mortal frame. Never afterwards did I have the
fortune to have such an experience again!
It is my fervent belief
that the mental agony that our community has been going through, since we left
our homes and hearths, shall come to an end before long through Bhagawaanji's
grace.
May Bhagawaanji shower his
blessings on us all - our country, our community and the devotees of the Ashram
!
[The author is one of
Bhagwaanji senior most devotees. A former Principal of higher Secondary School,
he is now living in Jammu]
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