Prasang 32
An Unquenchable Thirst for Darshan
It was the monsoon season. A light drizzle fell steadily. A cool and gentle breeze spread across the surroundings on that Krishna Paksha (dark lunar fortnight) night. Shriji Maharaj was seated in a sabhā, and all the swamis were engrossed in listening to his nectar-like words. Among them, Gunatitanand Swami was completely absorbed in Shriji Maharaj’s darshan, like a Chakor bird [with intense love] fixates on the moon. After concluding the kathā, Shriji Maharaj proceeded to the darbār to do kathā to the women devotees. The swamis began dispersing, returning to their respective places.
Despite spending until midnight in Shriji Maharaj’s presence, Gunatitanand Swami’s thirst for darshan remained unquenched. Thus, he stood under the nevā (roof overhang) outside the student swamis’ room, eagerly awaiting Shriji Maharaj’s return. At that moment, Muktānand Swami stepped out of his room for some reason. Noticing a figure standing in the dark under the nevā, he inquired, “Who is standing there?”
Gunatitanand Swami humbly responded, “It is I, Gunatitanand.” Surprised, Muktānand Swami asked again, “Why are you standing here so late at night? Go and rest now.” With folded hands, Gunatitanand Swami respectfully replied, “Maharaj is still in the darbār, doing kathā to the women devotees. He will soon return to his resting place. I am standing here, longing for one more glimpse of his darshan.”
Hearing this, Muktānand Swami was left utterly astonished! He thought to himself, “What an incredibly devoted and faithful Sadhu! He has no concern for his body or sleep.
With this thought, he returned to his room to sleep. However, as he sat on his seat, he began contemplating, “This Sadhu has already mastered deep meditation in such a short time under my guidance. He constantly experiences the divine form of Shriji Maharaj within his heart. And yet, how intense is his eagerness for the darshan of Shriji Maharaj’s manifest form!” Lost in these reflections, Muktānand Swami spent the entire night awake.
Meanwhile, Gunatitanand Swami stood there for nearly two hours, partially drenched, his mind unwaveringly fixed on Maharaj’s darshan. Late that night, as Shriji Maharaj finally emerged from the darbār and walked towards the Akshar Ordi (his resting place), Gunatitanand Swami caught a brief yet radiant glimpse of his form in the darkness. Satisfied, he then left and rested under a tree outside the village.
Koṭi brahmānḍ ūḍe rommā re, Mūḷ ‘Akṣhar’ avatār;
Harivar ango-ang mahāltā, toy nīrkhyā palvār;
Ūbhā Akṣharbrahma bhīnjtā...
Even though infinite universes reside within each pore of Aksharbrahma, and even though Gunatitanand Swami had fully realized Shriji Maharaj within himself, his longing for the darshan of the pragat murti (manifest form) remained unparalleled! Gunatitanand Swami serves as the supreme example of how devotees should cherish the opportunity for the pratyaksh darshan of their Guru and Bhagwān.
