Old age and constant travelling were taking a toll on Shastriji Maharaj’s health, and he had fallen ill. Devotees insisted he rest in Sarangpur. Vaidyas (ayurvedic doctors) started treating him with medications and traditional therapies, but still the fever did not come down. The pain and suffering remained.
A sadhu asked, “Swamiji, what can we do to comfort you?”
“Oh, if Naranda were here, and if he could read the Bhaktachintamani then my fever would go down!” Shastriji Maharaj remarked.
‘Naranda’ was a favourite name used solely by Shastriji Maharaj for Swami Narayanswarupdasji (Pramukh Swami), who was in Atladra at the time. A devotee, who returned to Atladra from Sarangpur, told Pramukh Swami about this incident. Upon hearing this, Pramukh Swami was overcome with a flood of feelings, “Aren’t I fortunate? My guru remembers me in his illness! ... I should immediately reach there and serve him! He needs me now!”
Sarangpur was over two hundred kilometres away. There were no cars. Trains were infrequent and irregular. The image of his guru in need lingered on in his mind. Without delay, Pramukh Swami picked up his joli a cloth bag), convinced a sadhu to join him and ran to the station. The train was packed and the doors shut. If they missed that train, then they would be delayed by another day.
Soon the train slowly started to move. “My guru needs me!” thought Pramukh Swami. As the train picked up speed, he jumped up onto the last step and hung on the bar. He stood on the steps outside the door! He had to hold on tight as the train began to speed up. All the while it was raining heavily. Amid the lashing winds and heavy downpour, Pramukh Swami held onto the bar and to the image of his guru! Water dripped constantly from his body. It was worse than a roller coaster! After many hours, they reached Botad.
There, due to the rains, everything was
flooded. The ground had become soggy and muddy. The distance to Sarangpur was eight kilometres. Pramukh Swami was still determined. He encouraged the accompanying sadhu and started walking, carrying both their jolis. Their feet slipped in the swampy, thorny, muddy and rain-soaked ground! The road to Sarangpur, which normally took a couple of hours, turned into many hours of daring trials against nature!
Making their way through the dark night, they finally reached Sarangpur mandir.
Pramukh Swami went straight to his guru and perfomed several dandvats. Shastriji Maharaj was overwhelmed with joy. While embracing the cold, wet, and exhausted Narayanswarupdasji, he said, “Only Naranda would do such a thing to please me!”
To this day, Pramukh Swami recalls how his guru joyously smiled, when he read the Bhaktachintamani.
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