Letters from Sri Ramanasramam 4

[Guest guest]

24th November, 1945

 

(4) MARRIAGES

 

Yesterday I wrote to you about Bhagavan talking

 

sometimes of the marriage festival of 'Father and Mother.'

 

Not only that, but whenever devotees bring newly wedded

 

couples in their family to pay homage at the lotus feet of Sri

 

Bhagavan, he blesses them with his wonted gracious smile;

 

he listens with interest to all the various incidents of the

 

marriage. If you observe Bhagavan's face on such occasions,

 

you can see the same amusement which our elders used to

 

show when they witnessed the dolls' marriages that we

 

performed in our childhood days.

 

 

 

Prabhavati got married not long ago. It must have been

 

about a year back. For about two years before her marriage

 

she was staying here. She is a girl from Maharashtra, goodlooking

 

and cultured. She wanted to be a great bhakta

 

(devotee) like Saint Meerabai and so used to sing and dance

 

and say that she would never marry, and she would don

 

ochre garments and behave like a naughty child before Sri

 

Bhagavan. Bhagavan knew that her naughtiness would not

 

leave her until she got married. At last somehow she did get

 

married. Immediately after that the bride and bridegroom

 

came in their wedding attire with their relatives and offerings

 

of fruits and flowers and bowed down before Bhagavan.

 

After a stay of two or three days she came one morning at

 

8 o'clock with her husband seeking Bhagavan's blessings before

 

leaving to set up home in her husband's place. Squirrels were

 

playing about Bhagavan's sofa and peacocks were wandering

 

outside the hall. There were not many people; it was calm and

 

quiet in the hall, the young man bowed down to Bhagavan

 

with awe and respect, took leave of him and stood waiting at

 

the side of the doorway. With downcast looks and bubbling

 

shyness and tearful eyes, the beloved child of the Ashram, while

 

waiting there for Bhagavan's permission, looked like Shakuntala

 

trying to tear herself away from the Kanva Ashram. Bhagavan

 

nodded his head in token of permission, and then she bowed

 

down to him. No sooner had she crossed the threshold than

 

Bhagavan remarked, looking at me, " It was only yesterday, she

 

had the chapter of Krishnavatar in Bhagavata copied out by

 

Sundaresa Iyer. " I said with delight, " When next she comes

 

here, she will come with a child in her arms. " Meanwhile she

 

began to sing a full-throated song full of devotion with voice as

 

sweet as a Kokila while going round the hall in pradakshina

 

(circumambulation). Bhagavan was evidently moved and like

 

Kanva Rishi himself, he said, " Do you hear the hymn from

 

Mukundamala? " My eyes were filled with tears.

 

I went out and gave her my blessings while she again

 

and again prostrated herself to Bhagavan; then I saw her

 

out of the Ashram and returned to the hall. I do not know if

 

you will consider this an exaggeration, but I may tell you

 

that the stories we have read in the Puranas are being reenacted

 

here and now before our very eyes.

 

~~~~~~~~~~