Fond memories of bliss – Part 5
Long back, one night, we were asleep. Sri Swamiji was lying on the cot and I was sleeping on the floor beside Him. It was past midnight when suddenly Sri Sri Swamiji woke up and started walking across the hall. The sound of His footsteps awoke me. I sat up and watched as Sri Sri Swamiji paced up and down, with his hands holding his stomach. His very countenance said that He was in great pain.
Slowly I asked Him, ‘Swamiji! What happened? You seem to have a stomach-ache.’ Sri Swamiji replied in the affirmative. I was surprised by this, because He seemed quite alright a few hours back, and even as he called it a day. I told Him that I shall talk to our physician and rush out to get some pills.
Sri Swamiji stopped me and asked me to get back to sleep and not worry about it. I could not bear to see him writhing in pain. I thought of all possible reasons. “Swamiji, even your supper was light. What could be the cause of the pain?’, I asked, confounded.
I noticed a streak of smile on Sri Swamiji’s face even amidst such deep pain. He said, ‘You can’t understand this now. Time will answer you. Have a good night!’
Obeying the Master’s orders, I went back to sleep. I was not aware how long that night did He patiently bear the pain. The next day, he was fine and soon this incident totally got off my memory.
One day, a lady came to have the darshan of Sri Swamiji. As she prostrated to Sri Swamiji, she wept uncontrollably and expressed her thanks. With tears rolling down her eyes, she said, ‘Swamiji! When I had my earlier darshan, I told you of the severe, unbearable stomach ache that I had. Then, You immediately took an apple in Your hands, kept it for some time, and gave it to me. I partook of that Prasad and to the wonder of the wonders, my hitherto incurable stomach ache disappeared into nowhere!’
As she narrated this moving incident, Sri Swamiji looked at me and gave a smile.
Just then, it flashed to this human mind of mine that this was the reason He had undergone that scathing pain the other night. In order to ratify my surmise, I checked it with Him again. Sri Swamiji simply nodded with a radiant smile!
