Sant Milan Samaroh

A nostalgic Parivar Milan, a musical Bhajan Sandhya and a hallowed Sant Milan Samaroh marked the celebration of Pujya Bhaishri’s 45th birthday in Mumbai.

The Parivar Milan took place at the Sannyaas Ashram, Vile Parle between 2 to 4.30 P.M. Representatives from various parts of the country like Meerat, Delhi, Pune, Surat, Bharuch, Nanded, Nagpur, Rajkot, Porbandar, Vyara, Kutch, etc. participated in this get together and exchanged notes on their experiences while undertaking different activities in their respective areas. They also presented the plans for the activities to be taken up during the coming year. A couple from Zambia had also come down to Mumbai specifically for this occasion. Parivar members sang songs praising Pujya Bhaishri and praying for his long and fruitful life. Pujya Jagdishji maharaj of Nanded graced this occasion and blessed everyone. He also attended the Sant Milan Samaroh.

It was an exceptional experience that awaited the invitees at the Bhaidas hall, Vile-Parle, where the musical Bhajan Sandhya of Falguni Pathak, Nilesh Thakkar and their troupe created a highly surcharged devotional atmosphere with their melodious bhajans like ‘Radhe Radhe japo chale aayenge Bihari’,’Chhoti chhoti gaiya, chhote chhote gwal baal, chhote se hamare Madan Gopal Lal’, ‘Shrinaathji ne paaraniyaamaa podhaavo’, ‘Radha dhoondh rahi kisine mera Shyam dekha?’, ‘Vhala Vaishnava Golok jaavu sahel chhe’, etc.

Following the musical experience, an audiovisual documentary on the activities at the Sandipani Vidyaniketan in the last year was screened. The Mangaldeep was then lighted to begin the process of felicitating Pujya Bhaishri and wishing him sound health and longevity. Thereafter the audience had the privilege of listening to the enlightening talks of Pujya Brahmachariji of Haridwar, Pujya Baa and Pujya Bhaishri.

Our Rishikumar of the Sandipani Vidyaniketan, Vipul Vegda also rendered a beautiful speech in Sanskrit.

Pujya Brahmachariji felicitated Bhaishri on his birthday conveying his and the good wishes of Pujya Muniji. Further on as if answering to the question of Radhaji in the song ‘Radha dhoondh rahi kisine mera Shyam dekha?’ he said “Pujya Bhaishri ke roop me vahi chhaliya to hai”! He said Pujya Bhaishri was the personification of Indian culture. His position in the history of Indian cultural hierarchy is next to Shri Adi Shankaracharyaji. He is like a lamp which has lit innumerable other lamps. May God grant him a very long life and may his activities spread and blossom like fragrant flowers.

Answering to the felicitations, Pujya Bhaishri said that the birthday provided us with an opportunity to take stock of one’s progress on the path of spiritual enlightenment. In order to achieve this we should be ever vigilant otherwise we face the danger of meeting with fatal accidents. Explaining this point further he said that the separation of the soul (spiritual awareness) from our body (physical existence) was similar to committing suicide.

The body that God has gifted us is our boat. This world is the sea that we have to cross without being wetted by its waters. Sadguru is our navigator. God has also blessed us with favourable conditions in the form of the flowing stream of Katha-sarita. Inspite of all these facilities, if we do not reach our destiny, if we do not make necessary efforts on our part, then surely we are failing God and causing him great pain. God can rightfully say that we are committing suicide. Viewing life in this light it would appear that most of the people living today are committing suicide, since very few people live a really awakened life.

Since people are not aware of their spiritual existence, they identify progress with only material gains and achievements. This leads them to live a harried life and hence we find that peace and joy are missing from people’s lives. Everyone is running after the illusory golden deer of Ramayan as they are prodded to do so by their greed for material gains. Just as Sita (false devotion to God) prodded Ram to run after the golden deer was the false one so also man’s devotion to God is superficial while in reality what he seeks is material benefits. The only true solution to this tragic situation lies in our Samarpan or dedication to God. Only He can open our eyes to our true spiritual self and ensure our emancipation.

In the end, Pujya Bhaishri blessed everyone and invited the audience to participate in the Navratri celebrations at the Sandipani Vidyaniketan in Porbandar.