44 - Kindness Towards Devotees

Lalubhai was a devotee of God. He lived in the city of Karanchi. He used to chant the name of God all the time. Even while passing through the market he would chant loudly ‘Maharaj! Swaminarayan!’

Once he was passing on a road chanting the name of God. He was not aware and had an accident. Lalubhai was hurt badly. People gathered there. Lalubhai had fainted.

People admitted Lalubhai in a hospital. Lalubhai had fractured his hands and legs. When he regained his consciousness, he asked, ‘Where am I?’

A patient, close by informed him, ‘You are in the hospital.’ Lalubhai did not like to stay in hospital. Doctor came to see him. Lalubhai requested, ‘I want to go home. I do not like here.’

Doctor consoled, ‘Lalubhai, you are hurt badly. You will have to stay here for a few days. After that you can go home.’ Lalubhai requested again, ‘Here, I am not able to worship God properly. Please, discharge me.’

Doctor said firmly, ‘You can not go home now. You will be discharged after few days.’ Lalubhai had deep reverence for Bapashri.

Whole day, He would remember Maharaj and Bapashri. He kept on calling loudly, ‘Maharaj! Bapa! Please come.’ The patient in the next bed scolded, ‘Why do you keep on calling Bapa?’ Remember God!’

Lalubhai confessed, ‘I am remembering God!’ And again called out, ‘Bapa, Please come.’ The patient reminded, ‘See! Again you have forgotten God and are calling out for Bapa.’

Lalubhai explained, ‘That Bapa is capable of healing me.’ The patient had a doubt, ‘May be he is hurt badly, therefore he has forgotten God.’

Lalubhai did not respond. He continued his prayer. Night set in.

Maharaj and Bapashri entered the hospital in their divine form. The patients were sleeping. Lalubhai was awake. He was praying. Looking at Maharaj and Bapashri he was ecstatic, ‘Wow! O Merciful! You are the most compassionate. You have had pity on me. You have obliged me by responding to my prayers. At last you have come.’

Maharaj and Bapashri smiled. Lalubhai complained, ‘Maharaj! Bapa! I do not like in the hospital at all.’ Bapa consoled, ‘That is why Maharaj and I have come here.’

Maharaj and Bapa removed the bandages from the body of Lalubhai. They gave a healing touch to his entire body with their hands. Lalubhai was perfectly all right. Maharaj and Bapa disappeared.

It was early morning. The patients woke up. They noticed that Lalubhai was sitting in the bed. He was reciting the name of God. A patient was shocked, ‘Are! Why did you remove your bandages?’ The other warned him, ‘Why are you sitting up? You will be in pain. The doctor would scold you.’

Lalubhai revealed, ‘Nothing will happen to me. I am perfectly all right.’ They inquired, ‘Till last night, you were in bandages. You were screaming for Bapa.’

Lalubhai informed, ‘my that Bapa had come in the night. He removed my bandages. He has healed me. Today, I will go home.’ The patients asked, ‘When did your Bapa arrive? The door was locked.’

Lalubhai explained, ‘He does not need a door to arrive.’ The patients asked, ‘From where did he enter? What kind of Bapa is he? He doesn’t even need a door to enter?’

Lalubhai answered, ‘There is a village called Baladiya in Kutchh. He lives there. His name is Abjibhai. He is my Bapa.’

A patient asked, ‘But how did he manage to come here?’ Lalubhai explained, ‘He is Anadimukta of God. He came here in his divine form. He healed me and disappeared.’ They were astonished.

The doctor came for a round. He scolded Lalubhai, ‘Aare, Lalubhai! Why are you sitting up? Your pain would worsen.’ Lalubhai and patients laughed.

The doctor asked, ‘Why have you removed the bandages? Who did this without asking me?’ Doctor called for his assistant. Lalubhai explained, ‘Nobody is responsible. God and His Anadimukta arrived to heal me. Now, I am perfectly all right. Please, discharge me. I would like to go home.’

Doctor examined Lalubhai. The body was completely healed. There was not a single wound. Lalubhai was perfectly all right. Doctor was shocked, ‘How are you healed in a single night?’

Lalubhai informed, ‘This is the miracle of Maharaj and Bapa.’ Doctor couldn’t believe, ‘This is impossible. You must be a great devotee of God. That is why such miracle has happened.’

Doctor bowed down to Lalubhai. Lalubhai said, ‘Bhai, please, get up. Bhagwan Swaminarayan and his Anadimukta Abjibhai has peformed this miracle.’

Again the doctor bowed down to Lalubhai came home chanting the name of God. Doctor became the devotee of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.

Difficult words:
To faint - To loose consciousness
Reverence - Great respect
Heal - To recover or regain health

Points to ponder:
- God and His Anadimuktas certainly respond to a prayer which has been performed whole- heartedly and destroys the pain.
- Anadimukta do not experience the barriers of time and place.

Exercise

Answer the following questions:
1. Who lived in the city of Karanchi? Whom did he remember all the time?
2. Why was Lalubhai admitted into the hospital?
3. What did the patients advice Lalubhai?
4. Who healed the injuries of Lalubhai? How?
5. What did the doctor feel impossible to happen?

Fill in the blanks:
1. ____________ was a devotee of God.
2. He used to chant the name of ___________ all the time.
3. People admitted __________ in a ________.
4. Lalubhai used to remember ___________ and ____________.
5. Maharaj and Bapa removed the __________ from the body of ___________.