The Guru Maharaj
In
Hindu philosophy, the role of the Guru is supreme. The one who leads you to
enlightenment, guides you, elevates you. The
Guru Paduka Stotram defines the Guru
as one who protects you in this river of life from the hungry crocodiles out to
devour you.Truly.
I
have had many Gurus over the ages, in personal and professional life.
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| Guru- the benign guide |
He
loved cracking jokes that made no sense (in other words, PJs). And he would be
the only one laughing at these jokes. The comical, rotund Maharaj reminded me
of an oversized teddy bear whom no one took seriously.
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| He was a phenomenon to behold |
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| The sweet almost did me in |
I
suspect that AS Maharaj knew all along what was going on, and just called me to
test whether I would be able to control my self in front of him. That I could
do well, true to form, because I was not new either to drink or to the antics
of Maharajas.
Why
was he my Guru? Not because I followed him much, but because in a cynical world
of forcibly celibate and frustrated “Maharajas”, he was innocent and benevolent,
and protective towards us poor chaps provided we had committed no serious breaches.
And unlike some of the other “Maharajas” I saw, he was immune to the lures of
the skin or riches (if you know what I mean). At least, he lived up to the
principles he propounded, his only weakness being a bit of good food. He was
well fed and well nourished (to use medical terminology) and it showed on his
gleaming face and rounded body.
I
saw once him after my internship, when I broke the compulsory 6 month housemanship
bond at the hospital. He was suitably
pained and aggrieved, because he was the old world type, to whom commitment
meant a lot. I felt bad, and a bit guilty, but I had my career and better plans
ahead, and the hospital atmosphere did not exactly make me feel at home. So it
was a with a bittersweet feeling that we said “goodbye”.
And
this bitterness truly reflected, even many years later. When I last saw him ten
years back, having gone to see a friend admitted at that hospital, I dropped
into his office, but he did not even respond to my greetings. We had shared a
rather amicable relationship during my internship days, but I guess all strained
relationships do not heal, even with time. I felt sad, but it’s probably a natural thing that all things
must pass (isn’t that what the Beatles taught us?)
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| All things must truly pass away |
Today,
AS Maharaj may or may not be in this world anymore, but here's my heartfelt pronam (salutations) to him, ages down the line.
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| Pronam |
When people whom we hold in esteem, or people to whom we are close emotionally, break away, it's heartbreaking. I too have had similar experiences in my life. There could be multiple reasons why such a break happened, some known, some unknown. It's better to let things pass, as you rightly said. We must move on.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are correct, moving on is the rule of life
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