MA DEVAKI'S DIARY BHAVAN Ma Devaki's Diary RAMSURATKUMAR YOGI 1 YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR BHAVAN MA DEVAKI'S DIARY BHAVAN RAMSURATKUMAR YOGI YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR BHAVAN April 2009 – December 2015 2 MA DEVAKI'S DIARY We are presenting excerpts from Ma Devaki's Diary, which appeared in the monthly magazine of the Ashram 'Saranagatam'. These excerpts were already present on the website of the Yogi Ramsuratkumar Bhavan; however it has seemed useful to put them together in the form of a book. BHAVAN This book will be completed each time a new part of Ma's diary will be published. Gaura Krishna April 19th, 2009 We are very thankful to Smt. Nivedita Ramesh for having correctedRAMSURATKUMAR typing errors. YOGI Yogi Ramsuratkumar Bhavan - Gaura Krishna Yogi Ramsuratkumar Bhavan, Royal road, Calebasses, Mauritius http://pages.intnet.mu/ramsurat/ [email protected] 3 MA DEVAKI'S DIARY BHAVAN RAMSURATKUMAR YOGI 4 MA DEVAKI'S DIARY September 22nd, 1991 Satsang at Sannadhi street By Bhagavan’s grace, on January 15, 1991,BHAVAN we, the Sudama sisters, took a small room for rent in a lane opposite to Ramanashram in Ramana Nagar. Bhagavan named it as Sudama and blessed it, by setting His Holy Feet in it. Almost every weekend and also every possible holiday, I had been coming from Salem to Tiruvannamalai to have Darshan of Bhagavan. There was such a strong pull and I could never resist it! There were times, I had to go back with not so much as a glimpse of Him even at a distance! Because, as I understood later, when Bhagavan was busy with some people doing some important RAMSURATKUMARwork on them, He would not permit the presence of certain others there. But every time, the very thought of Tiruvannamalai and His “possible” Darshan itself was enough to keep me at it, which of course YOGIeventually led to my looking for a permanent residence somewhere in Tiruvannamalai. That’s how we found this title “Sudama”. This itself was a miracle that we could find this room at all, opposite to “KRUPA” where Bhagavan was a frequent visitor in those days. 5 MA DEVAKI'S DIARY As usual, the four of us landed at Sudama the previous night, on our weekend visit. The next day was Sunday, the 22nd September 1991, and we reached around 9.30a.m. Sri. B.N, a popular writer and his wife were there. A little later, a famous playback Music Director came to visit Bhagavan. All of us were seated in two rows opposite to each other in that small veranda. Bhagavan was doing some intense work on them, mostly smoking and looking at them penetratingly, but now and then switching His glances over swiftly from one to the other. We, for our part, kept on singing His Name, whenever He gestured to us. After some time,BHAVAN Bhagavan asked the Music Director to sing the song he had composed in Tamil a year back, “(tamil word)” the meaning of which is: “Oh, how blessed is this life! How privileged am I to remember Even if for a fleeting moment Grandpa Koti Swami, Mayee Ma That splendid Sun of Jnana — Ramana And Yogi Ramsuratkumar Life’s purpose gained, RAMSURATKUMARWhat more do i need?” Bhagavan gestured to us to join him and we were all YOGIsinging together the same song for an hour. By then, a huge crowd had collected outside to see the Music Director. There was such commotion there and people began to bang on the grill gate, jostling each other, just to have a glimpse of the Musician, their matinee idol. The music director was visibly embarrassed – “How could 6 MA DEVAKI'S DIARY these people want to see poor me when the benevolent Divinity is seated here right before them for all the beneficence!” was the kind of countenance his face had. The boy at the gate was unable to manage the crowd. Then, Bhagavan commanded the writer B.N to go outside and see the crowd, promising Darshan of their matinee idol. As Mr. B.N started to appeal to the people with persuasive talks and gestures, Bhagavan began to smile. He also asked Music Director to go outside and give “Darshan” to his fans. When both Mr B.N. and Mr. I became busy, Bhagavan began to enjoy the whole show. He even danced with his hands sometimes, toBHAVAN our singing. Meanwhile, Mr. I had to autograph quite a few books, papers, notebooks etc. He finished everything as quickly as possible and returned to his seat with Mr. B.N. By now Bhagavan was dancing in tune with our singing more expressly, His face constantly beaming. Now and then, He would put a piece of sugar candy into His mouth and also distribute, but only to some people there, every time he took out piece, hope would stir our hearts, only to end in playful disappointment, minutes later! There was such joy all around! Suddenly, one child very spontaneously voiced out what some of us were feeling but dared toRAMSURATKUMAR express!! “Swami, you did not give me even one piece!” Bhagavan burst into peals of laughter and all of us joined too in the complaint as well as the laughter. YOGIEven then, some of us had no chance at all as He continued His leela in the same fashion. The writer had brought a collection of songs with sketches appropriate to their themes, even the previous night and had been with Bhagavan from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. already! So they had 7 MA DEVAKI'S DIARY been up the whole night yet He looked fresh and cheerful and the atmosphere seemed electrified! Bhagavan had been showing special attention to one lady for some days. Whenever she came, she was made to sit opposite to Him and given the fan. Once He even took her inside with Mr. B. And gave them lunch, when we three were seated outside, hungry, thirsty and tired, staring at the closed wooden door even while singing. So that day, when we were all sitting together with Him in the veranda, I began to think and pray “Bhagavan, please make my next janma at least, better. Let meBHAVAN be close to you.” Immediately, he commanded Mr. I to sing his song once again where he would state, “Those who think of Yogi Ramsuratkumar even for a moment, will not have to be born ever again.” Bhagavan looked at me laughed. He also gave me some kind glances which sent me floating in the clouds! After sometime, He gave leave to every group there and now only the four of us were left. Bhagavan was playing with the flower garland he was wearing. All of a sudden He would remove it and keep it down. After a few minutes,RAMSURATKUMAR He would take it and put it on Himself. Soon again He would put it down, only to wear it again after a few minutes! This went on quite a few times. YOGISuddenly it flashed across my mind! Only yesterday I was telling a friend, “Just as we string varieties of flowers into malas and decorate Him, Bhagavan strings varieties of people, events and Leelas into malas, adorns Himself with them and enjoys His own beauty!" Was it possible that He not only heard it but in appreciation of 8 MA DEVAKI'S DIARY the Truth it symbolized pointedly, was also demonstrating His Eternal Leela of creation, protection and destruction? I looked up and found Him smiling with a hand raised in benediction. What a beautiful gift of assurance! My eyes filled with tears of gratitude. We had taken some chappathies, sabji and milk, which he took and kept near Himself. Then I gathered some courage and asked hesitantly. D: Bhagavan, what’s the Mantra for Koti archanai at Ramji Ashram? BHAVAN Bhagavan (laughing): what you people are singing now. (tamil title)(that’s it). D: What should be the date for Koti archanai? Bhagavan: They usually hold it with Jayanti. D (Hesitantly): we cannot take leave from the college at that time. So I asked M & Y rather if they could keep Koti archanai during summer holidays. But they said, “It’s not doneRAMSURATKUMAR that way here. But whatever Bhagavan says, we will follow.” YOGIBhagavan : (quickly and emphatically) Oh, this beggar says nothing. You can tell them that. D: Bhagavan, The Divya Padukas there, are not in good condition. Can I arrange to take them to Madras and set them right? 9 MA DEVAKI'S DIARY Bhagavan: No. They will themselves take care of it. You don’t take up the responsibility. Sometime passed in silence. Now, we were also mentally preparing for Bhagavan’s gesture of dismissal. When it finally came, one sister in our group prayed loudly while prostrating “Please save from my own defects.” Bhagavan nodded, smiling and gave her an apple. When she crossed the gate with the fruit BHAVANin hand, one monkey from the roof, came to the very edge of the sunshade, looked down with its head sticking out and began to pull her sari with its monkey-grip. Thoroughly frightened, she started to scream and tried to run inside, when Bhagavan came on the spot in one jump and struck the sari with a sweep of His hand, freeing it at once from the monkey. He asked all of us to wait inside, returned to His seat, took His stick in hand, went out and chased away the monkeys. Then I remembered the lines, “(words in Tamil)" (Don’t you dare seize me. Oh Enmity! Beware, here comes charging, my Lord’s Spear) and exclaimedRAMSURATKUMAR spontaneously “how symbolic!” Immediately Bhagavan gave me a sharp penetrating glance and in benediction, He raised His hand with the YOGIstick and stood still for a few seconds, looking every bit like Thiruchendur Lord Muruga, we all stood overwhelmed with folded hands.