Spiritual experience that every seva is being performed by the grace of Shrikrushna (Part 1)

1. Picture of playing (performing seva) with the computer

1 A. Circumstances that led to drawing the picture

1. When a lady-seeker asked, ‘What bhav do you have while performing seva ?’, I replied that I have a bhav (Spiritual emotion) that, ‘We are all ignorant children of Shrikrushna sitting on His lap and playing with the computer. It is He who gets something done through us on the computer’

‘Last week I visited a lady-seeker’s house to perform the seva of the Almanac and Holy texts. She asked me, ‘What bhav do you have while performing seva ?’ I replied that I have a bhav that ‘We are ignorant children of Shrikrushna sitting on His lap and playing with the computer. We know nothing; yet, Shrikrushna gets something done through us and later, like a proud father, He says, ‘You have done a fine job !’

2. While drawing the picture, I realised that H.H. Dr Athavale (Sanatan’s source of inspiration) expects us to go from sagun (Materialized form of God) to nirgun (Non-materialized form of God)

Today, I was trying to draw a picture of the above mentioned incident; however, I was not able to do it appropriately. Then I used an entirely different method to draw. At that time, I realised that with balakbhav (Childlike Spiritual emotion), H.H. Dr Athavale expects me to go from sagun to nirgun.’

– Mrs Uma Ravichandran, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. (19.8.2012)

1 B. Special features of the picture

The natural state of the lady-seeker exhibiting balakbhav in the picture and who is performing seva while sitting in front of a computer is depicted through her dangling legs

‘The natural state of the lady-seeker in the picture exhibiting balakbhav and performing seva’ while sitting in front of a computer is depicted through her body-language. When we are in a natural state, the legs generally move freely. It is clear from the picture that the lady-seeker is dangling her legs and performing seva’ while remembering Shrikrushna. This also highlights that her body-awareness is less.’ – Mrs Anjali Gadgil, Sanatan Ashram, Ramnathi, Goa. (12.9.2012)

2. Taking shelter behind the Pitambar (Yellow silk dhoti) of Shrikrushna while facing a problem, difficult situation or a stranger or while giving a discourse

2 A. Special features of the picture

In this picture, the ladyseeker exhibiting balakbhav has obstinately pulled the end of Shrikrushna’s Pitambar and this shows her closeness with Him

‘In this picture, one end of the Pitambar, which the lady-seeker is holding, is too long, that is, reaching the ground. This shows that she has obstinately pulled it down from His shoulder. This depicts her closeness with Shrikrushna.’ – Mrs Anjali Gadgil, Sanatan Ashram, Ramnathi, Goa. (12.9.2012)

3. When a trustee of a temple told the lady-seeker to leave the temple, Shrikrushna took her to another house and got the prasar (Spread of Spirituality) done

3 A. Circumstances that led to drawing the picture

1. Trustee who permitted holding of the exhibition told the lady-seeker to leave the temple immediately

‘We (local seekers and I) got an opportunity to hold an exhibition of Sanatan Almanac, some English spiritual Holy texts and Tamil booklets in Mahakaleshwar temple in Santa Clara (USA) on 27.11.2012. The number of devotees visiting the temple was increasing. Most devotees liked the Almanac and said, “We will come back with money and purchase the Almanac”. However, some trustees complained that we were selling the products and the main gate of the temple was getting crowded. Therefore, the trustee who had permitted holding of the exhibition told us to leave the place, though he was well aware of the importance of the Almanac. So we left the place.

2. Another trustee assured us that he would make appropriate arrangements for holding the exhibition the next time

Another trustee apologised to us for the inconvenience caused and assured us that he would make appropriate arrangements for holding the exhibition the next time and he purchased two copies of the Almanac.

3. Though a five-minute visit was planned for giving the Almanac, due to the hospitality of the couple, we had to sit in their house for a longer time, and the couple made purchases worth 0

While leaving the temple, we contacted a person who wanted to purchase an Almanac and informed him that we would deliver it to his house. We had planned to leave his house within 5 minutes after the delivery; however, Shrikrushna had planned otherwise. He and his wife welcomed us to their house as if we were family members. We spoke for a long time. They purchased English Holy texts, booklets, Almanac and other items worth $100. Our total sale that day was $200. We were mute spectators to this prasar by Bhagawan Shrikrushna. Local seekers were trying to impart Chaitanya to maximum number of people through the Almanac, rather than merely increasing the collection through its sale.

3 B. Implied meaning of the picture

In this picture, when the trustee tells us to leave the temple, a seeker and I are standing outside the temple, shivering in the cold weather and crying, because we did not know what to do next. Since it was our firm conviction that Shrikrushna himself had compelled us to go out, we had no animosity against the said trustee. Watching us crying, Shrikrushna’s heart bled and His eyes too welled up with tears. He immediately embraced us and took us to a house, made us comfortable there and gave us a hot cup of tea. Till the tea was served, He did the prasar and compelled the couple to purchase English Holy texts and the Almanac totalling $100.’

– Mrs Uma Ravichandran, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. (29.11.2012)

Reference : Sanatan’s Holy Text ‘Pictures depicting Balakbhav (Part 2) (Pictures of Shrikrushṇa that provide messages on Dharma)’