ChaptersChapter 39Page 5,159

Chapter 39: No Drugs

1965Page 5,159 of 5,444
Shivendra hesitated for a fraction of a second, but then replied, "Yes." Baba was pleased and gave him some personal orders.
Almost 500 lovers crowded into Guruprasad for the special darshan function on Sunday, 6 June 1965 from 3:30 to 4:30 P.M. After the darshan was over, Baba's legs began shaking terribly. When the lovers departed, Eruch, Nariman, Pendu, Meherjee and Bhau lifted Baba into the wheelchair and took him to his room. Ginde examined him and advised him to remain lying in bed for some time. After one very strenuous darshan program, Baba had remarked to Ginde that the pain in his hip had been so great while giving darshan that even four injections of morphine of one-fourth grain each would not have relieved the pain.
Baba's health was so fragile it seemed that it really was the last darshan he would ever give. As Age noted, "Giving darshan for Baba meant taking upon himself the load of others' impressions and, in exchange, giving his love. But in doing that it was as if he received a blow each time someone bowed down to him — as they unloaded their bindings at his feet."
At 7:00 P.M. the film of Baba's May darshan was shown at Guruprasad. Baba came and saw half of it and then retired to his room.
Gokaran Shrivastava and his wife Urmila, 25, had come for the May darshan in Poona. Urmila, a first-class M.Sc. (master's degree in science) and a professor in a college, saw Baba for the first time and was completely "drenched" in his love. After returning home, she was in a state of bliss and intoxication for several days before regaining her normal state of mind. Urmila longed for Baba's darshan again, but could not have it because of the restrictions Baba placed on visitors.
Consequently, she went to another guru's ashram, remained there for three days and returned home. She wrote to Baba and asked for darshan. Baba allowed her to come on 6 June with her husband. Although this darshan had been arranged only for those who for some reason could not attend the previous darshan in May, Baba permitted the Shrivastavas to come.
After the program, Urmila discussed the incident with Bhau. She said, "I went to a guru for three days. The whole day he would give various discourses, and the singing of bhajans and readings was also going on. But nothing touched the heart; so I went back home.
"In May, though I had no chance to talk with Baba, seeing him I felt so happy that I cannot describe it! Going to this other guru made me feel so despondent that to live became a burden to me and, if Baba had not called me now, to continue living would have been difficult. The joy derived from Baba's silence cannot be derived from anyone else. Mere words cannot create it."
From then on, Urmila Shrivastava's head remained firmly bowed at Baba's feet.
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