Bhaktaratno

In the village of Nenpur in Mahemadābād Tālukā (District), there lived a devoted bhakta of Shriji Maharaj, Devji Bhagat. He lived a life of detachment from his physical self. Both he and his wife, Kankubā, were completely immersed in the bhakti of Shriji Maharaj day and night. They had only one son, who, by Shriji Maharaj’s grace, was blessed with nirāvaran drashti (divine vision). Sitting at home, he would witness Shriji Maharaj’s divine acts and constantly meditate upon his murti in his heart.

In Samvat 1876 (1819 AD), when their son turned twenty years old, proposals for his marriage started arriving. However, Devji Bhagat and Kankubā had only one heartfelt prayer to Shriji Maharaj. They said, “O Maharaj! Let our son belong solely to you. Please bless him so that he remains detached from māyā [worldly affairs].”

As if responding to their inner plea, Shriji Maharaj suddenly took their son to Akshardham. Typically, when an only son passes away at a young age, parents are left devastated, often losing their sanity in grief. But Devji Bhagat and Kankubā remained steadfast, believing, “Our son has now been permanently placed in Shriji Maharaj’s sevā.”

Understanding that relatives and villagers would come to mourn, which might lead them to weep unnecessarily, Devji Bhagat reasoned, “Instead of grieving, wouldn’t it be better to engage in bhajan and bhakti of Bhagwān?”

He told his wife, “I will go to the farm, and you go to Gadhadā. Take a pot of ghee from our buffaloes and prepare a meal for Shriji Maharaj and the swamis. I will simply make and eat dry rotlās in the field. This way, we can peacefully continue our bhakti towards Bhagwān.”

They locked their home and went their separate ways - Devji Bhagat to the fields and Kankubā towards Gadhadā. Seeing their locked home, relatives and villagers who had come to offer condolences had no choice but to return.

When Kankubā reached Gadhadā, she bowed at Shriji Maharaj’s feet.

Shriji Maharaj asked, “Is Patel happy?”

She replied, “Maharaj! He was happy before, but now he is even happier.”

Shriji Maharaj, knowing everything, wanted to highlight their deep faith and samjan to the assembly, so he asked, “What happened? Tell us.”

With absolute composure, Kankubā narrated the passing of their son. Hearing this, the entire sabhā was astonished.

Shriji Maharaj then said, “Look at this devotee’s understanding! His only young son has passed away, yet he has sent a pot of ghee to prepare a meal for the swamis and me. Meanwhile, in this darbār, the grief over five-year-old Hirubā’s (Pānchubā’s daughter) passing has not subsided, and even my meal was stopped. But Hirubā was simply fulfilling her past-life’s resolve to serve me a meal. She was reborn, served me a meal, and then returned to Akshardham.”

Upon hearing Shriji Maharaj’s words, everyone in the darbār realized their mistake and understood that there was no reason to grieve. Life inevitably brings joys and sorrows, but if we accept Bhagwān as the sarva kartā (all-doer) and our eternal well-wisher, we will find inner peace and remain steadfast in Satsang.

Devji Bhagat and Kankubā’s profound understanding deeply impressed everyone. This very understanding earned Devji Bhagat a place among the sacred names in Shriji Maharaj’s mālā. If we, too, cultivate such supreme samjan, we can find a place among the beads (mankā) of Shriji Maharaj’s mālā as well!