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MORARI BAPU
From
time to time, many great saints have adorned this very fortunate
and holy land of Bharat (India), and this nation once again has
been blessed with purity and divinity by the coming of Pujya
Morari Bapu.
Bapu was born on the 25th September 1946 in Talgajarda (a small
village near the port of Mahuva in the State of Gujarat, India),
to Prabhudas Bapu Hariyani and Savitri Ben Hariyani. Pujya Bapu
has six brothers and two sisters. From the very beginning young
Moraridas (Bapu) showed signs of extraordinary brilliance and
spent most of his childhood under the guidance of his
Grandmother often spending hours listening to folk tales of
traditional India.
At the age of five Bapu began learning the Ramayana (Ram Charit
Maanas) from his Grandfather and Guru, Tribhovan Das Dada. A
principled and learned scholar of the Ram Charit Maanas,
Tribhovandas Dada would teach five chowpais (couplets) to Bapu
each day who then had to memorize them with their meaning
throughout the day. The study of the Ram Charit Maanas would
take place on the site today known as Chitrakut Dham in
Talgajarda and has become a place of pilgrimage for thousands of
people. Both Bapu's grandparents were the guiding force behind
his upbringing and the most influential persons in his life in
his formative years. The nearest school was some 2km from
Talgajarda and Bapu would memorize chowpais from the Ram Charit
Maanas he had learnt earlier in the day as he walked to school,
often, singing to the trees and the plant life on his path. On
his return home Bapu had to recite back to Dadaji what he had
memorized.
At school, his teacher, Ram Shanker Bhatt, remembers Bapu as a
young boy who was "an introvert, quiet and an independent
student". The High School Headmaster, Narotamkaka Mehta, recalls
Bapu as being an intellectual student with an unusually high
regard for cultural and religious values and as "a good student
of the institution". Such was the relationship between the
teachers and their pupils that in the monsoon months when the
river Maalan between Talgajarda and Mahuva became waterlogged
and unpassable, Bapu and his school friends were encouraged not
to venture home. The teachers would, instead, accommodate the
young boys safe in their homes. Bapu often cites the journey to
and from school which he says played an instrumental role in
allowing him to sing and understand the depths of the Ram Charit
Maanas. Even today when Bapu is at home, he walks the path
between Mahuva and Talgajarda (now a proper road) where the
village folk join in and talk to him about the issues concerning
the village.
Born in the Vaishnav Sadhu Nimbarka Parampara (lineage), Bapu
was also encouraged via letters from his paternal great grand
father, Mahamandleshwar Vishnu Giriji Maharaj of "Kailas Ashram"
Rishikesh, on the banks of the Ganges, to be proficient in the
Bhagvat Gita and the Vedas. At the age of 12, Bapu began to
recite the Ram Charit Maanas by heart. Bapu recalls the
birthplace of his first recital where he made a small platform
out of mud and placed a portrait of Lord Ram and began to
decipher to a few herdsmen who had come to quench their thirst
in the evening. The shrine today is commemorated in Talgajarda
with a temple of Hanumanji Maharaj and named Ram Vaadi (meaning
Lord Ram's orchard).
As years went by, Pujya Bapu began to attract the attention of
the elder villagers who would test his knowledge of the Ram
Charit Maanas and on every occasion the young boy would leave
the elders stunned. On completing secondary school, He started a
teacher training course at Shahapur College in Junagarh. Bapu
today talks about his years in Junagarh where he would sit with
his mala (rosary) for hours on end and his room mate being
concerned would complete work on his behalf. Little wonder then
that Bapu jokes that he managed a Hat-Trick by failing his exams
three times. It was during this time that He spent his free time
to attend discourses by well known speakers and reading
scriptures or singing chowpais of the Ram Charit Maanas with
music.
On completing his teacher training course he returned to Mahuva
where he became a teacher at the J.Parekh High School teaching
various subjects including English. During his ten years as a
teacher, Bapu often took time off to listen to prominent
speakers and meeting some of India's most revered spiritual
leaders, among them Vinobha Bhave, Dongreji Maharaj, Punit
Maharaj and Krishna Murti. At the same time Bapu's interest in
Indian Literature and poetry grew fonder and he regularly
attended sessions on various literary subjects by high ranking
orators. Bapu often quotes some of the finest works by poets
such as the nationally recognized Indian poet, Zaverchand
Meghani, whose poem on Mahatma Gandhi inspired him tremendously.
Increasingly Bapu's quest and thirst for Ram Katha (The story of
Lord Ram) began to take precedence and he would sit in the Ram
Vaadi in Talgajarda singing the Ram Charit Maanas and
interpreting their meanings to the villagers. Bapu's
extraordinary command and oratory style quickly gathered crowds
and the first ever Ram Charit Maanas Maas Parayan ( a month long
discourse on the Ram Charit Maanas) was organized at the Ram
Temple in Talgajarda in the Chaitra Month of 1960. People from
nearby towns and villages packed the small temple to listen to
Bapu whose popularity quickly spread and subsequently led to a
number of month long discourses.
The first Navaan Parayan (nine day discourse) was held in
Gaandilaa in Gujarat in the presence of Pujya Ramfardasji
Maharaj (a respected and revered saint from Gujarat) in May
1966. Morari Bapu's name and command of the Ram Charit Maanas
and his heart rending narrations brought people from all over
India in their thousands to listen to his Ram Katha often
overwhelming listeners and organizers alike. This was the
beginning of a reawakening of large numbers,in particular, of
young men and women listening to Ram Katha. The era of listening
to Ram Katha in large numbers had begun in India and lovingly he
became known as "Bapu" (meaning Father) and the first ever
recital by Bapu outside India was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1976
when He was merely 30. This was the beginning of Pujya Bapu's
untiring quest to bring about a new upliftment and commonality
amongst all living beings not only in India but throughout the
world. A deep sense of pride in one's own religion once again
reawakened peoples' beliefs and at the same time learning to
accept and tolerate other faiths. From 1960 to date Pujya Bapu
has recited Ram Katha throughout India including places of
pilgrimages at the heights Kedarnath, Badrinath and Gangotri in
the Himalayas. In 1984 preceding a nine day recital in
Bhavnagar, Gujarat, Bapu resided within the compounds of
Bhavnagar Jail to impart a spiritual message to the prisoners
and prison authorities alike. Today thousands flock to listen to
Pujya Bapu's benevolent message from the Ram Charit Maanas. Soon
Bapu was to enlighten people living not just in India and Africa
but in various parts of the world including the U.K. and the
U.S.A
He moves among people continuously, where in his everyday life
one can see a conglomeration of ideals that are the basis of a
good social structure, and on the other side, smoothly
harmonized spiritual practices, devoid of all harshness that so
often creep up on the austere aspirants. This way of living a
life, called Dharma, has been a very stable source of
inspiration to people from all walks of life, both in India and
abroad. His entire living is to bring many different branches
and sects of religion (even of other faiths), different parts of
this nation with variety of languages, and the different levels
of society with a panorama of cultural variation to a common
ground of undivided understanding. He shows a way of uniting not
just one nation, but the whole of human race, while, at the same
time preserving their individual fragrances. He expressly calls
out to the humanity for love and respect for each other, because
that is the only way to save the whole world from disaster and
complete ruin.
People who have seen him for the last forty years say, that, he
lives each principle or ideal for a length of time, realizes its
worth, only then he wishes for those who listen to the Katha, to
take his words not just on their face-value, but, suggests that
they should see for themselves if the teachings are applicable
to their problems and livable in their own lives. He looks on
life as a whole, in all its variety of aspects, from a different
level, and uses his extraordinary vision and insight, seeped in
love, to look for an optimal solution in each situation that
presents itself to him. In and through all his actions, a
watchful and trained eye can see him staying above the waves of
involvement, as a lotus rising above the waters and blooming for
the sun, seemingly without any effort on its part. Perhaps, the
most striking and realistic feature of a meeting with him is the
calmness of mind and a song of inner joy, that is so often felt
by so many. Even without indulging in any conversation, sorrow
is forgotten. A wave of peace and purity is felt immediately.
Love is his medium of teaching. Those who have the good fortune
to watch him at close quarters, having done so for decades, are
established in their salutation of him as an embodiment of pure
love and deep compassion for.
Shree Sitaram Seva Trust (UK) under the auspices of Hanumanji
Maharaj was graced with organizing the Setubandh Ram Katha on
board the Cunard Princess, a Mediterranean flagship, to enable
the sea world with the opportunity to listen to a Ram Katha.
This benevolent Katha was to mark the beginning of Pujya Bapu's
long-standing inner wish for peace in the universe. In 1992, an
International katha was staged in New York to mark Bapu's thirty
years of recitations with a variety of exhibitions and partaking
events. This was followed by Pujya Bapu circumambulating (Parikramaa)
the United Nations Building in New York and The White House in
Washington praying for World Peace.
In July 1994 Pujya Bapu's "Sambhav" Ram Katha brought religious
leaders from various faiths on one platform in London and the
entire Katha was televised live on satellite T.V.
In 1994, a Parikrama (circumambulation) of the world with the
Ram Charit Maanas on the "Pushpak Ram Katha" was organized by
the Shree Sadguru Seva Foundation USA At the time of giving the
dates for this Katha Pujya Bapu was unaware that the start date
(13th August 1994) was also the birthday of Goswami Tulsidas,
the author of the Ram Charit Maanas. This must have been the
wish of Lord Shiv (who had certified Goswami Tulsidaji's Ram
Charit Maanas) and Hanuman ji Maharaj (the constant listener of
Ram Katha) to be able to listen to Ram Katha by a much loved and
revered sant with the intention of the divine chowpais reaching
every part of the world. For the very first time a Ram Katha
with 250 people on board a specially refitted plane was recited
at the height of 37,000 feet in different time zones crossing
international boundaries, during the day or night and
overwhelming all aviation and immigration regulations. The
Pushpak (Plane) took off from New York with overnight stops in
Los Angeles (USA), Honolulu (stopover), Nadi (Fiji), Auckland
(New Zealand), Singapore, Mumbai (India), Nairobi (Kenya),
London (England), and Toronto (Canada).
1996 marked Pujya Bapu's 50th Birthday and also his 500th katha.
The Gujarat City of Baroda was graced with organizing the 500th
Katha during the Chaitra Navraatri (the first nine days of the
month of Chaitra) in March of that year.
From 9th August to 19th August 1997, Pujya Bapu recited from the
Ram Charit Manas in the most sacred of abodes at Manasarovar
"Lake of the Mind" at the foot of Mount Kailas in the Himalayas.
Manasarovar is a natural lake at 15,500 feet above sea level
which is the source of the River Saryu which flows in Ayodhya
(India ) and the origin of Ram Katha by Lord Shiva. Those
privileged enough to accompany Pujya Bapu to listen to Ram Katha
at Manasarovar were blessed with Pujya Bapu's words and
experience the greatest episode of their lifetime. Again, Pujya
Bapu's love and respect for the Ram Charit Manas and it's status
in resolving all miseries was recited in the most sacred abode.
The Maanas-Kailas Yatra (Pilgrimage) commenced on 26th July 1997
and concluded on 26th August 1997 taking the two hundred
pilgrims during the holy Hindu Shraavan Month from Lhasa to
Maansarovar. Eleven pilgrims undertook a three day
circumambulation (Parikramaa) of the Mount Kailas where Lord
Shiv resided with his consort Goddess Parvati. A time-capsule
containing Pujya Bapu's personal items, the Shree Ram Charit
Manas and Srimad Bhagvat Gita scriptures, various books,
photographs, artifacts and documents, was also be laid by Pujya
Bapu to commemorate the Yatra and the Katha at Manasarovar.
During the Katha, Pujya Bapu together with the pilgrims also
celebrated the 500th Jayanti (birthday) of Goswami Tulsidas, the
author and composer of the Shri Ramcharitmaanas on Sunday 10th
August 1997, India's 50th Independence Day on Friday the 15th
August 1997 and Rakshaa Bandhan (tying an auspicious band by the
Guru on the Shisya or sister on the brother wishing them a
blissful year) and Purnima (full moon) on Monday the 18th August
1997.
The Manas - kailas Yatra is a focal point for all those who
aspire to reach this sacred abode and for all those who were
unable to join. Over the past 38 years Pujya Bapu has undertaken
Ram Charit Maanas pilgrimages in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kenya,
Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada,
UK, USA, in the air around the world and at sea but Maanasarovar
is considered to be the most important recital ever to take
place.
On Full Moon in July of every year is "Guru Purnima", the most
important day for all shishyas (disciples) to pay homage to
their respective Guru (teacher). As usual, every year on Guru
Purnima thousands gather to listen to and pay their respects to
Pujya Morari Bapu in Talgajarda. This is the most important day
in the Guru - Shisya Paramparaa and people from all over the
world converge at Chitrakut Dham, Talgajarda to listen to Pujya
Bapu's divine message. |
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