This is a story when Shri Maharaj Ji used to stay with Mahabani Ji in Pratapgarh and how Shri Maharaj Ji tested Mahabani Ji's devotion on a cold winter night...
The festival of Diwali was round the corner. To celebrate it with Shri Maharaj Ji, almost 50 devotees from the nearby cities came over to Mahabani Ji’s house, unannounced. It just happened to get unusually cold that night. In those days people used to travel with a bedding (holdall) which consisted of a slim cotton mattress, pillows, sheets and a quilt. None of those devotees brought any bedding along with them. In addition to Shri Maharaj Ji, Mahabani Ji’s family had 6 people . They had a few spares quilts and mattresses but not enough accommodate a group of 50 devotees. To make everyone comfortable, Mahabani Ji’s family requested neighbors to let them borrow some spare quilts and mattresses and people doubled up inside the quilts and slept.
However, there was one devotee who could not find anything to lay down on and cover himself. So he just slept on a big reclining chair, covering himself with a woolen shawl that he had brought with him.
Mahabani Ji along with his wife and 2 small kids slept on one cot covered by one quilt.
Picture
Leela of Shri Maharajji and His dear devotee Shri Hanuman Prasad Mahabani
,In the middle of the night Shri Maharaj Ji stepped out of His room and saw that devotee, who was sleeping on a reclining chair and Mahabani Ji and his wife, sleeping on a cot under a quilt. Seeing this, Shri Maharaj Ji scolded Mahabani Ji for not ensuring that the guests were comfortable before making himself along with his family comfortable.
Without sparing a moment Mahabani Ji offered the cot, and quilt to the guests. He along with his kids huddled in one corner of the house in front of a fire in a big pan to keep everyone warm and stayed up all night.
In the morning Shri Maharaj Ji appreciated the sacrifice of Mahabani Ji and scolded the rest of people who showed up without any bedding in the dead of winter. Just as the host needs to think about the comfort of the guests, guests too need to think about not abusing the goodwill of the host.
Moral:
Reading this story some of you might even think this is a made up story, as Shri Maharaj Ji can't be so irrational that he scolded Mahabani Ji for such something that wasn't Mahabani Ji's fault! Mahabani Ji went out of his way to make the guests comfortable. It was Mahabani Ji's house and 4 people were sleeping on one cot under one quilt. They could not have been comfortable! and yet Shri Maharaj Ji scolded him!
Guru knows the level of one's surrender. Yet, sometimes He tests a devotee. Those tests are not a punishment. Remember that Guru does nothing except bestowing mercy.
संत हृदय नवनीत समाना । कहा कविन्ह पै कह न आना ।
निज परिताप द्रवइ नवनीता । पर दुख द्रवई सुसंत पुनीता ॥
sant hrday navaneet samaana । kaha kavinh pai kah na aana ।
nij paritaap dravi navaneeta । par dukh dravee susant puneeta ॥
"His heart is softer than butter. This is because butter melts when it is heated but a saint’s heart melts, with mercy, seeing the agonies of others."
A Guru behaves harshly with an extremely soft heart to uplift His disciples.
गुरू कुम्हार शिष कुंभ है, गढ़ि गढ़ि मारे खोट । भीतर हाथ सहारि दे, बाहर मारे चोट ।
gurū kumhāra śiṣa kuṃbha hai, gaḍha़i gaḍha़i māre khoṭa । bhītara hātha sahāri de, bāhara māre coṭa ।
“A Guru is like a potter, who keeps on hitting the exterior of the pot to shape it, yet He titillates softly the inside area to make the pot look good and smooth”. Precisely, the Guru sometimes seems hard outwardly, yet He focuses only on the fast spiritual progress of the devotee.
Shri Maharaj Ji is also an expert potter. He wanted to teach a few things.
1. Serve the devotees to attain divine grace quickly. Sacrificing self comfort to support a devotee, pleases God very quickly.
2. Never argue, object or rebel against Guru to attain His grace. Accept your faults humbly.
3. He put forth an example of sacrifice for others to follow and
4. He edified them also to be concerned about the comfort of the host just as the host takes care of the comfort for his guests.
-Banchary Didiji
Kripalu Kunj Ashram
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