Amazingly Unique! (Dr. Keshav Narsikar)
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Dr. Keshav Narsikar
I have had the privilege of Bapu’s company during my college days. I hail from 1972 SSC batch (SSC in 11th grade). At that time, I used to live in the Government Colony. I completed my schooling from New English High School and then took admission in Ramnarayan Ruia College for FYJC. That time, there were three classrooms for FYJC. Almost at the end of the year, in the circle right in front of Ruia at the corner of DP, I was introduced to Bapu. Bapu had completed his schooling from Shirodkar High school and then had taken admission at Ruia. However, he was in a different classroom. I don’t remember exactly, but I think, Dr. Shirish Datar (at that time, he would travel from Dombivali) had introduced me to him. Shirish was a scholarly boy. He would perpetually stand first in the class. At that time, we had a special group of about 5-6 people. Normally, we would not mingle with people from outside that group. Even during those days, no would fail to notice Bapu’s charismatic smile and unusual maturity.
The results for inter science were out in the month of June 1974. I managed to get a seat for Medicine at Topiwala National Medical College, aka; Nair Hospital. Bapu, Dr. Shirish Datar, Dr. Rita Nichnaki (She was Gehani then) and I were in the same class. Those three were in the same batch for Batch A practicals. We all used to be together for lectures though. The portion for Medical was vast. It was imperative to study hard. Those three were quite famous for being intelligent and studious. Bapu’s personality in those days was also equally impressive. During free time, Bapu used to be perpetually surrounded by boys and girls, at times in the canteen, at other times, in the common room and otherwise, even in the college corridor. We used to have a Marathi Literature Club in college. The Club used to organize several events. Bapu would definitely take part in most of them. Bapu would take part in storytelling with much enthusiasm. Bapu, with his one look would enthrall and capture the attention of the audience as smoothly and effortlessly as a Horse rider would take charge of the Horse soon after mounting it. We all experience it today. Bapu used to imitate people extremely well. He would tell us stories. In one such program, Bapu had narrated the story of how he had gone walking to the temple of “Goddess Saptashrungi” at Vani. He had also told us how the Goddess had met him during his journey as an old woman.
Having a telephone connection at every household was a rarity in those days, let alone a four wheeler. Bapu’s financial condition was extraordinary. He had everything such as Servants, Chauffer, Telephone, and Refrigerator even during those days. His father had his own consulting in Parel Village. He was famous for being an ace doctor with a great ability to diagnose the ailments. They all lived in Parel Village at the time.
Our Heads Of the Department (HOD) for medicine were Guruvarya Dr. V. V. Shanbhag and Dr. V. R. Joshi. Both were highly skilled doctors and moreover, they were quite disciplined. They could not tolerate anything but perfection in work. Everyone was quite scared (out of sheer respect) of Shanbhag Sir. Our Bapu was the most favorite student of Shanbhag Sir. Bapu provided a lot of comfort to both of them through his service and disciplined way of life. Bapu would stay in the ward for hours together by the side of a serious patient. He would take care of the patient. He would speak to the relatives of the patient. He would ensure that the patients and the relatives’ sorrows and pains would be alleviated. The surprising thing is that he would do this in spite of having studied for 18 hours a day. One subject would have several prescribed text books. An ordinary student would get totally exhausted reading just one of the books. Bapu would, however, have everything ready with all the cross references from all of these books. Besides this, he would behave respectfully and lovingly with nursing and other administrative staff. Overall, everyone would be delighted to have Bapu in the ward. Even today, nurses such as Sister Purohit, Sister Pandaji narrate stories from those days with much reverence.
Dr. Shirish Datar has the real treasure of memories with him. Both of them were roommates for their MD. Sharp intelligence and great friendship! One cannot tell how Shirish understood the godliness in Bapu but right from the first meeting, Shirish belonged to Bapu. Right from the beginning, he began to take Bapu’s advice before doing anything, be it big or trivial thing. Right from the year 1972, it almost became his discipline to “do and behave as told by Bapu”. He let go of all his likes and dislikes in whatever that Bapu said and recommended. After he became a pediatrician, he permanently let go off his thought of relocating to a far off place. “Open a hospital at Karjat.” He opened it there. Today, in this world, Dr. Shirish Datar is famous as a service oriented, ace child specialist.
How would he have managed this phenomenon at that tender age of “belonging to someone else?” It could have been possible only because of the relationship and ties from his previous births, right? Even though he might not have had the relationship of a “Sadguru-Follower” or “God-Devotee” with Bapu, to be able to identify that “Bapu is my true well-wisher” required Shirish to have immense spiritual knowledge and understanding. Most importantly, this “True Well-wisher” cared and had concern for the entire human race. Otherwise, who would turn towards Ayurveda in spite of having completed MD and having gathered focused experience in rheumatology? Impossible! If one were to look at the current state of the field of medicine, one would realize that it is the era of new innovations and discoveries. However, in a country like India, an ordinary citizen possibly cannot afford these latest treatments and medications. A country such as India, needs, for the routine health issues, an alternate medicinal branch. Sometimes, I feel that whatever Bapu will bring to us in the coming years in the field of Medicine might have its base in Ayurveda. I remember Bapu saying sometime back that the years to come would belong to Ayurveda.
Bapu learnt Ayurveda from Vaidya Antarkar. To be able to learn all of this after completing MD and especially just when he was ready to embark on a lucrative practice, is phenomenal. Amazingly unique! Is there a difference between the treatments a needy patient gets as opposed to the one that’s imperative to be proctored? The advancement of science is amazing. However, it is just for people in Pune-Mumbai. In Bapu’s service for the nation in future, he would bring about endeavors that would be appropriate and needy for this country. The roots of those endeavors would be firmly planted in Ayurveda.
Bapu used to tell us his thoughts just the way he narrates them now. For example, “When you serve physically challenged, visually challenged people, it is not they who should be grateful to you. In fact, it must be you who should be grateful to them for being able to provide you with an opportunity. By providing your service, you would be certainly destroying your own bad destiny.” Now, when his old friends meet, he says, even today, “Back then I used to say the same thing that I am saying now. The only difference is that now, you look at me through a different set of eye glasses. That is why you realize it. Back then, you did not.”
Bapu never let go off, “His high class likes, his extremely high morals, values and his great objectives.” In fact, he kept fighting against the odds to establish all of these. When we were in college, we would crack many jokes and would have a laugh riot. However, in Bapu’s company, there would never be a situation when someone let go off decency or talked something that was shallow and disrespectful.
In that college environment, amongst boys and girls, we would pull each other’s’ legs quite a bit. Bapu would also participate in all of that with much enthusiasm. In such an atmosphere, at that age, one could lose one’s decency easily. When one talked about teachers, the boys and girls in a class, or for that matter while talking about nurses, patients, their ailments, and one could easily lose decency. However, it would never happen in Bapu’s parlance. It was not limited to that, in his presence, no one could even dare talk like that. Should Bapu sense that one was crossing one’s limit, Bapu would effortlessly change the topic. At times, he would express his displeasure quite apparently. Before he began his endeavor of setting up the Maryadamarg, he practiced the precise thing at that tender age. He advocated the same thing and he made others follow the same Maryadamarg.
Therefore, in spite of him being my college mate, I had immense respect for him. Mutual respect of this kind is a rare phenomenon amongst young adults of the same age. The second important thing was that if Bapu pulled someone’s leg, the person would enjoy it doubly. No one would get offended by his jokes on them. In fact, they would probably enjoy them more. One such day, I was studying in Nair’s library. I think it was in the year 1976 or 77. It was evening. It was pouring outside. There was thundering and also lightening. We were very few of us in the library. Bapu came near me and sat down. He said, “Do you want to capture and overpower a ghost? It’s a simple thing. It would hardly take one hour. But, let it be. It’s not meant for people like us.” Today, I am not able to recollect the situation or circumstances then. However, when I recollect my memories of Bapu then, I am reminded of this incident. I did not understand the meaning of whatever he said then. Even today, I do not understand it. When the time is opportune, Bapu would definitely let me know, I am sure.
Later, soon after I passed MBBS, due to service, then because of my consulting practice, I became distant not only from college but also from Mumbai. In those days, it was a herculean task to travel to Vashi. I did not meet him from the year 1978 till 1997. However, Bapu had his focus and attention on me and on all my activities during that time. In the year 1997, he told me how he once went o Vashi and observed all that I was doing there. He did not stop at that, he went on to tell me the details such as the amount of consulting I charged my patients then. He also told me how I refuse to proctor a shot on a patient in spite of the patient’s insistence for an injection. My son was born premature. He was in an incubator for 3 weeks. He gave me those details and informed me that he looked over my well-being. He appeared in my wife’s dream and convinced her that he looked over our well-being.
I was an average student in college (Bapu please pardon me. I am not able to write further before I narrate this about myself). In one’s life several things, the good ones and the bad ones keep happening. One needs to decide which ones to choose from those and which ones to be discarded. Unfortunately, I did not have the acumen to decide between the two. Cigarettes, Mawa and occasional drinking had begun while I was in college. After relocating to Vashi this only aggravated. My consulting practice was flourishing. While consulting, drinking became a daily feature along with Cigarettes and Mawa. I used to think about giving it all up but never got down to executing it. Along with all of those things, I began to think superficially. I became callous. I became overly critical of people and their situations. In short, my down fall had begun at an alarming rate. In the midst of all this, I came to know that Bapu had become a Sadguru and that he delivered discourses. Before this, I had not gone for anyone’s discourse. I had never attended a Satsang. I had not begun following any Sadguru.
However, on hearing this news, only one thought sprung up in my mind. “This is my Bapu’s discourse! Has Bapu become this famous? I must go there.” This is the way Bapu pulled me towards him. I experienced a real miracle from here on. Bapu’s discourse had such power, such compassion that it penetrated right into my heart. In the next few months that followed these vices soon withered away from my life. Most importantly, all those who used to come home to invite me over drinks, automatically stopped coming home. I did not tell them anything. Who would have done this? Indeed, it was my Bapu. He did not give me any medicine. He did not offer me any advice. There was no institution involved. I have not seen a bigger miracle than this ever. Today, I see several brothers sinking into their vices. I feel like telling them the same thing, with a certain feeling, please do come to Bapu. Nothing is impossible for him. He saved a sinned person like me.
I could not write all of this thinking about my perceived social status. I used to worry about people talking. I used to worry about all that Shraddhavans from our Sanstha would say about me. Today, I wonder, how complicated is this mind! I never felt ashamed to do all of these things in front of so many people, then why am I embarrassed to talk about it now? As a doctor, it is my duty to rid people of such addictions and vices but doctors like me become addicted. We are the crème de la crème of society. They say, that doctors are the ideals of society. Such addictions and vices get much more recognition due to people like us. Several homes are destroyed due to such addictions and vices. We have created this sin, is it not?
Bapu provides the much needed shelter and support for everyone. By burning his midnight oil, Bapu is now bringing everyone on the righteous path.
Another important thing is that wherever Bapu used to be, he would be there full heartedly. Let him be with anyone, he would be there fully. Now all of us understand that at the same time, Bapu is always with everyone. I never understood it then. Obviously, it does not mean that he did not have that power at that time. In fact, it only means that I was incapable of recognizing his power at that time. Otherwise, in those days, while Bapu was still in college, how could Shreekrishnashastri Inamdar have written “Aniruddha Kavach” by referring to Bapu as “Purnavtar”? Or at the time of Bapu’s birth, how could Sushilabai have said, “After many days once again Shri Krishna is born.” I am writing this only to provide an answer to new Shraddhavans as a response to their questions, “When did Bapu get this power? Did he follow a particular penance after he became a doctor?” The only answer I know is that Bapu is the Purnavtar of this Paramatma. He has naturally, effortlessly brought these powers with him right from the time of his birth. In order for the Godliness to prevail in a Human life, he has embodied a human body. Bapu’s behavior is idealistic. Worshipping him is to look at his Godliness and to make sincere attempts to inculcate some of those traits in oneself. This is what Bapu likes as well! Bapu is always eager to accept such a worship from us Shraddhavans.
|| Hari Om || || Shri Ram || || Ambadnya ||
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