Travelling throughout India, Nilkanth Varni came to Bhatvadar in Gujarat in 1799. Seeing such a divine child yogi at his doorstep, Nagpal Varu, a devout man, told his wife, “Let us give our guest some milk and sugar.” In no time, honey-sweet milk was brought. Varni drank the lovingly offered milk and stood up to continue his travels. “Oh yogi!” Nagpal Varu stopped him, “It is already evening. Please have dinner at our house and continue your journey in the morning.” Seeing Nagpal’s true devotion, Varni decided to stay; he had another reason to stay as well but no one would understand it right away.
That night, Varni had rotlo, milk, shaak, and butter. Due to Nagpal’s loving insistence, Varni ate a little more than usual. Just then, Nagpal’s young daughter, Jashuba, came along. She sat down and asked Varni to have just a little bit more for dinner. When Varni gently replied with a ‘no’, Jashuba, in her sweet childish voice, said, “So, when Bapu asked, you ate and now when I’m asking, you won’t take anything?” Her love brought a smile to Nilkanth Varni’s face. He had half a rotlo more. Jashuba was happier than ever. Pleased by her devotion and love, Varni said to her, “Jashuba! One day, you will become a queen.”
26 years passed by. It was the year 1825. Nilkanth Varni was now known as ‘Shriji Maharaj’ and used to stay mainly at Dada Khachar’s home in Gadhada. Dada Khachar was not really willing to get married. However, Maharaj himself had found him a wife and he was going to join Dada’s wedding procession with all the sadhus and devotees. So Dada Khachar agreed to get married. There was just one little problem. Some people from Dada’s society were objecting. “The girl is from a lower class than Dada, so he cannot get married,” they complained. Maharaj answered them instantly, “Nagpal Varu is my bhakta. Therefore, he is greater than even the highest class in society.”
So the engagement took place and the wedding was planned. Maharaj himself sent Jashuba clothes and jewellery for the wedding. Nagpal Varu was a little concerned and wrote to Maharaj, “Our part of the country is rocky and water is not easy to find; nor am I very well-off. Please do not bring too many people to the wedding.” But Shriji Maharaj eased his concerns with this reply: “Varundev himself will become present in the groundwater and it will never run out. Do not harbour the slightest bit of worry.”
Maha vad 10 of 1825 was the special day chosen for the wedding. Just as Krishna had driven the chariot of Arjun, Shriji Maharaj drove the ‘chariot’ of his great devotee Dada Khachar. The procession soon arrived in Bhatvadar. Maharaj touched the ground with a stick and ordered people to begin digging at that place. At just 20 feet, they hit an underground stream of water. It gushed out sweet water and everyone’s worries disappeared.
The wedding was celebrated with great fanfare. Maharaj gifted both the bride and groom great gifts. He gave Dada a gold chain and Jashuba a Rs. 300 gold necklace. To both of them, Maharaj gave special blessings. The very next year, Jashuba gave birth to a son. Maharaj named him ‘Bawa Khachar’. Sometimes Bawa Khachar would crawl to where Maharaj was seated and hold Maharaj’s chair to stand up. Maharaj would offer his feet and Bawa would curiously suck on Maharaj’s big toe! Sometimes when Maharaj would sit to do puja, Bawa would come to perform pradakshinas. Seeing all of this, everyone would smile and be overcome by Bawa’s great fortune.
This was how Shriji Maharaj was. Simple people achieved greatness by his contact. His love for his devotees was extraordinary – he did not just care for their happiness in the afterlife; he looked after their happiness on Earth as well.
