Call Him, Invite Him…Invoke Him…

Shivajirao Jadhav’s invitation was worded with care, and decorated with the colours of love. It reached the Divine hands and got acquiescence and thus ‘manifested’ The Divine Sojourn To Pune-Hadshi, eight years back, in October 2009.  On the glorious commemorative occasion of Bhagawan’s  most momentous Divine visit to Pune-Hadshi, let’s recap the blissful nostalgia through  Jullie Chaudhuri’s poetic lines.

‘Call Him, Invite Him…Invoke Him…’
‘If not Him…
…who else do you want to call…?’
This is what my Mother…
…always advised…
…as to how…
…one should pray to Beloved Bhagawan…
…the Bhakth Sakhaa…
…the Sakhaa…
…the closest friend, companion…comrade…
…the dearest associate, chum, pal, most intimate buddy…
…and confidante…
…the Supreme Beloved…
…of each devoted heart…of each soul…
…of each and every praan…

‘Let us,
Call Him, Invite Him…Invoke Him…’
Perhaps this is how…
…this most wondrous divine saga did begin,
Perchance such was the distinct intensity,
The stirring devotement of the Jadhav family,
Craving for the most enchantingly sacrosanct,
Presence of the One Almighty,
An ebulliently earnest desire that…
…God may in their home alight…
…and therein for a few days reside…
…so within reach and sight,
…granting glimpses of paradise,
Words of sublime honour, deep reverence and piety…
…swirled through the simple invite,
Steadfastly striving with bated breath,
Keen were they that their prayerful hope may…
…turn into rapturous delight…

So too the essence of Maharashtra…
…eternally resounds in adoration,
Of the Universal Life Force as Vitthala -
‘Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari…’
…is embedded in the core of Dehu and Alandi…

Once again particularly this province…
…this region…the soil and expanse…
…in the vicinity of Pune City…
…along with forceful fervent appeals…
…arising from its populace of innumerable…
…devout living beings…
…through the ether…
…transcendentally submitted at the Lotus Feet…
…their intense plea,
Parched hearts that beat…
…oh, so longingly…
…yearning for darshan…
…in expressions of bliss replete…

Ages had flown by…
The One Who had incarnated as Rama…
…as Krishna…
…worshipped wholeheartedly as Vitthala…
…adored as the ‘Fakir’ at Shirdi,
That Sovereign Personality…
Who declared that there was only One Creator…
…One Master Supreme for all of existence…
…for everyone…
Those sentiments of –
Sab Ka Malik Ek…
Shraddha and Saburi…
…echoes even today ever so lucidly…
That Source had chosen to advent,
As Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai…
…at Puttaparthi…

The All-Knowing Lord at Prasanthi…
…was aware of the feelings…
…that accompanied the invitation…
…He tendered gracious inclination…
…sweet affection and compassion…
…so becoming of His Glorious Manifestation…
Sai Krishna…Sai Rama…Sai Vitthala…
…acquiesced lovingly to this gentle persuasion…
…and accepted the impassioned petition…

Accordingly, the tarmac of Pune Airport…
…awaited in exhilarated anticipation,
Each particle of air remained still…
…in hushed expectation,
Wafting the news of the pending heavenly vision,|
To
 the leaves, the trees, the flowers…
…the ground…to the water droplets in the streams…
…lakes and rivers…
…the birds…animals…
…and so too…to the rays of the sun -
That Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai…
…the Beloved One…
…the Dearest of the dear…
…was soon to be here…!

Ah! Such is the delightful play…
…between Purusha and Prakriti,
…Shristi-Karta and Shristi,
Creator and Creation -

This ancient town did smilingly float and glide…
…transforming into a blushing bride…
…her inexplicable joy can never be estimated…
…nor ever surmised…

Then what of Hadshi…? 
Hadshi represented Nature…
Eternally affianced to the Cosmic Composer…
…resplendent in all her beauty and splendour,
The tread of Footsteps Divine…
…upon her earth was to be an everlasting award…
…caused simply by the depth of her regard…

…for her cherished Lord…

And thus at long last…
…on Wednesday, 28th October 2009…
…at 0940 hrs…
…Pune City received the ultimate blessed opportunity…
…to open her arms adoringly…
…as her Swami glided through her lanes…
…to Sri Sathya Sai Panduranga Kshetra – Hadshi…
…wholly content, satiated, joyful and happy…
…for magically becoming an eternal part of His Story,
A splendid tale woven in letters glistening gold so intricately…
…in a chapter dedicated to the Magnificent Advent distinctly…
…so indelibly blessed to dance upon the gilded pages of history…

(As the heart reminisces those days of sheer joy and bliss…the soul pleads for more glimpses of the Supreme Beloved…for who can ever say enough to being in the Presence of One so full of Pure Love…?)