25,000 rupees was a significant amount of money back in 1981. That was the amount of the fine with which Ashish Doiphode was slapped. He was raving mad at his wife and mother. For it was they, who had talked him into taking time off from his office work for 3 days.

Ashish and his family lived with his parents in Karad, a town about a 2-hour drive from Pune, Maharashtra, in western India. He ran a carting and commissioning agency, mainly sugar and fertilizer carting. He was an ambitious man, always in a hurry, and never stayed in one place for very long. 

The family was on top of the world when they returned home on the morning of the 29th of January. The past 3 days were magical. On the morning of the 26th of January, they were initiated by Sadguru Mama at Shri Nrusinha Wadi, a place of pilgrimage near Karad, blessed by the presence of ‘Bhagvan Shriman Narasimha Saraswati Swami Maharaj’ (incarnation of Lord Dattatreya). That same evening, the family went to the nearby town of Sangli, to attend the Punyatithi celebrations of His Holiness Sadguru Shree Gulavani Maharaj. It was a busy, but wonderful 2 days. The family was so engrossed in the program, that even a man like Ashish, whose mind was always occupied with his business was lost in the magic of the atmosphere!

All happiness, however, came crashing down soon after they returned home. Ashish called up his accountant to check on the business and learned of the unfortunate incident related to his business. While the family was away in Nrusinha Wadi, wagons carrying fertilizer had arrived in Karad to be received by Ashish’s company. Since no one was present to pick up the consignment, Ashish was slapped with a huge fine!

“Mom, you are responsible for this disaster! You talked me into coming with you and neglecting the business for 3 days. Now see what has happened. We are ruined! ‘If we practice paramartha, He takes care of our prapancha’ – isn’t that what you keep telling me? Then, how come this happened?” Ashish’s mother tried to keep her cool. “Calm down, please. Have complete faith in Him. There will be a way out.” Ashish was beyond frustrated. “Right, Mom …. as if a magic wand is going to appear.” Tired of arguing, he finally sat down with his head in his hands.

The clock struck 12 noon and things started changing unexpectedly. All of a sudden, a divine fragrance started spreading throughout the house. There was a knock at the door. It was a telegram from the fertilizer factory. Expecting some new problem, Ashish took the telegram. As he started reading it, he was in tears. Unable to speak, he just handed it to Anuradha, his wife. It said ‘Fertilizer shipment was sent to you without prior notice. It’s our fault. We are taking the responsibility of paying the fine which may have been charged to you.’ The telegram had come from the Managing Director (MD) himself.

As he calmed down, Ashish tried to make sense of the telegram. A lot of shipments must have been going out from the fertilizer factory. It was highly unlikely the MD himself would know about every shipment. And almost impossible to know the details of one specific case – let alone sending a telegram, and accepting responsibility for the fine!

In a matter of hours, the family had undergone a tsunami of emotions. They were dumbstruck, wondering how this all happened! But the question wasn’t really necessary. They all knew the answer in their hearts. It was the grace of Sadguru Mama. It was He, who had saved them from a great loss. That day, they all learned an important lesson. Practice your sadhana every day and have complete faith in Him. He is ever kind. He will take care of you – not only in your spiritual but also in your daily lives.

Originally published in Pail Meruchya Shikhari ed.1 in 1988 by Shree Vamanraj Prakashan (SVP 2) authored by / compiled by Sadguru P P Shree Dada. Refer to story number 15 authored by Mrs. Anuradha Doiphode on page number 252. Paraphrased in English by the SMF Project X team.

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(Sanskrit version)

व्यापारसङ्कटात् रक्षितः|

पञ्चविंशतिसहस्राणि रूप्यकाणि इति अयं अतिमूल्यवान् धनराशिः आसीत् एकाशीत्यधिक-ऊनविंशतितमे ख्रिस्ताब्दे | आशिष डोईफोडे महोदयः तावद्धनराशिना दण्डितः आसीत् | सः भार्यां जननीं च आक्रन्दन् आसीत् | यतः ताभ्यमेव सः कार्यालयात् त्रिदिवसात्मकं विरामसमयम् आदातुं विवशीकृतः | आशिषः तस्य पितृभ्यां सह कराडग्रामे वसति स्म | कराडग्रामं पश्चिमभारते महाराष्ट्रराज्ये पुण्यपत्तनतः द्विहोरात्मके यानचालनान्तरे वर्त‍ते | आशिषस्य वस्तुवहनवस्तुविक्रयस्य व्यापारः आसीत्, मुख्यतः शर्कराकुणपयोः वहनस्य | सः उत्साही मनुष्यः क्षिप्रगामी वेगवान् च | सः कदापि एकस्मिन्नेव स्थाने दीर्घकालपर्यन्तं न तिष्ठति स्म इति तस्य स्वभावः|

त‍त् कुटुम्बं जनवरीमास‍स्य ऊनत्रिंशद्दिने प्रातः गृहं प्रत्यावृत्तं तदा त‍त् आन‍न्दस्य सर्वोच्चस्तरे रूढमासीत् | गताः त्रयो दिवसाः अद्भुताः आसन् | जनवरीमास‍स्य षड्विंशतितमे दिने प्रभाते ते नृसिंहवाटिकाक्षेत्रे सद्गुरुमामामहाराजेण अनुगृहीताः अभवन् | नृसिंहवाटिका इति भगवतां श्रीमन्नृसिंहसरस्वतीस्वामिमहाराजाणां सङ्गेन/वासेन पावितं कराडग्रामस्य निकटवर्ति तीर्थक्षेत्रमस्ति | तस्मिन्नेव दिवसे सायंकाले आशिषस्य कुटुम्बं समीपे सांगलीपुरे परमपूज्यश्रीगुळवणीमहाराजाणां पुण्यतिथिमहोत्सवे सम्मिलितुं गतम् | तत् अतीव व्यस्तं किन्तु दिव्यं दिवसद्वयम् आसीत् | आशिषस्य कुटुम्बं तस्मिन् कार्यक्रमे इयत् संरतमासीत् यत् सर्वदा व्यापारविचारमग्नः आशिषः अपि तस्य वातावरणस्य मायायां मुग्धः अभवत् |

परन्तु एषः सकलः आन‍न्दः तेषां गृहागमनान‍न्तरं शीघ्रमेव भ्रष्टः अभवत् | आशिषः व्यापारं परीक्षितुं स्वीयं लेखापालमाह्वयत् | तस्मात् सः व्यापारविषयिकीं दुर्दैवपूर्णां घटनामवागच्छत् | यदा तस्य कुटुम्बं नृसिंहवाटिकायामासीत् तदा कुणपपूर्णानि वाहनानि कराडग्रामे समागतानि | तानि आशिषस्य संस्थया परिग्रहीतव्यानि आसन् | किन्तु यतः तानि परिग्रहीतुं कोऽपि न अविद्यत, अतः आशिषः महता करेण दण्डितः आसीत् !

“अम्ब त्वमेव अस्याः विपत्तेः कारणभूता असि | त्वमेव माम् आत्मना सह आगन्तुं व्यापारं च त्रिदिवसपर्यन्तम् उपेक्षितुं विवशम् अकरोः| अधुना पश्य किं घटितम् | वयं सर्वथा विपन्नाः! ‘यदि परमार्थः क्रियते अस्माभिः तर्हि स्वयं सद्गुरुः अस्माकं प्रपञ्चस्य भारं वहति’ – इदमेव त्वं मां सत‍तं कथयसि नु? तर्हि किमर्थम् एवं घटितम् ?” आशिषस्य माता शान्ता स्थातुं प्रायत‍त | “कृपया शान्तो भव | सद्गुरुदेवे पूर्णां श्रद्धां निधेहि |” आशिषः अत्यन्तं कुपितः आसीत् | “बाढमम्ब… यथा किमपि ऐन्द्रजालमेव प्रादुर्भविष्यत् अस्ति |” कलहेन म्लानः सः हस्तयोः मस्तकं गृहीत्वा उपाविशत् | द्वादशवादनसमयः अभवत् त‍था सर्वम् अनपेक्षितप्रकारेण परिवर्तनम् आरब्धम् | अकस्मादेव दिव्यः सुगन्धः गृहे सर्वत्र प्रसृतः| द्वारे कोऽपि समागतः| सः कुणपयन्त्रशालायाः टेलिग्रामः/तन्त्रीवार्ता आसीत् | कामपि नवीनां समस्यामपेक्षमाणः आशिषः टेलिग्रामम् अपठत् | यथा सः अपठत् त‍था अश्रुपूर्णः अभवत् | वक्तुमशक्नुवन् सः तद् भार्याम् अनुराधाम् अयच्छत् | त‍त्र उक्तम् ‘कुणपवाहनं भवते पूर्वसङ्केतं विनैव प्रेषितमासीत् | सः अस्माकं दोषः| अतः भवता देयस्य दण्डस्य दायित्वं वयं गृह्णीमः|’ सः टेलिग्रामः स्वयं महाधीक्षकात् (Managing Director) समागतः आसीत् |

आशिषः शान्तो भूत्वा टेलिग्रमस्य अर्थं निश्चेतुमयत‍त | कुणपयन्त्रालयात् बहवः व्यवहाराः नित्यमेव भवेयुः| इदं तु अतीव अस्वाभाविकं यत् महाधीक्षकः प्रत्येकं व्यवहारं जानीयात् | त‍था च एकं विशिष्टं प्रसङ्गं सविस्तरं जानीयात् इति अशक्यप्रायम्, टेलिग्रामप्रेषणं दायित्वस्वीकरणं तु दूरमेव !

लघुसमये एव आशिषस्य कुटुम्बं भावनानां कल्लोलान् अनुभवत् आसीत् | इदानीं कथमेवमभवत् इति चिन्तयन्तः ते मूकाः आसन् | परन्तु सा शङ्का आवश्यकी नासीत् | ते सर्वेऽपि स्वहृदये उत्तरमजान‍न् | इयं सद्गुरोः मामामहाराजस्य कृपा आसीत् | तेन एव ते महतः हानेः रक्षिताः आसन् | तस्मिन् दिवसे तैः महत्तवपूर्णः पाठः पठितः| प्रतिदिनं साधना कर्तव्या त‍था सद्गुरौ पूर्णः विश्वासः निधेयः| सः परमकारुणिकः अस्ति | सः युष्माकं पालनं करिष्यति – न केवलं पारमार्थिके पथि अपि तु दैनिके व्यवहारे अपि |

अयं लेख: मूलत: पैल मेरुच्या शिखरी ed १, १९८८ श्रीवामनराज प्रकाशनेन (प्रकाशन क्रमाङ्कः २) प्रकाशित: | लेखक:/सङ्कलक: – सद्गुरु प.पू.श्री दादा | कृपया २५२ पृष्ठे सौ. अनुराधा डोईफोडेमहोदयया लिखिता कथा क्रमाङ्कः १५ विलोक्यताम् | अनुवाद:  SMF Project X team.