But now the destined spot and hour were close;
Unknowing she had neared her nameless goal.
For though a dress of blind and devious chance
Is laid upon the work of all-wise Fate,
Our acts interpret an omniscient Force
That dwells in the compelling stuff of things,
And nothing happens in the cosmic play
But at its time and its foreseen place.
-- Sri Aurobindo in “Savitri” Book 5, Canto 1
The year of my destiny arrived in 1950 and the “destined spot and hour were close”, the date was May 1st 1950, the place- Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondichery. I knew very little about the Ashram, since I was from Gujarat. Someone gave me a letter of introduction to a well-known Gujarati ashramite. Very significantly, I reached Pondicherry on my birthday on May 1st 1950, having no idea of the special significance of birthdays in the ashram. I found myself joining the Prosperity queue in the ashram. Thus without knowing anything about the Mother, my first darshan of Her was on my Birthday! I consider this day to be the day of rebirth and my true day of birth.
On another occasion too, after some years, on my Birthday I eagerly awaited and prepared joyously to go for Mother’s darshan. A velvety bedspread and specially imported perfume Je Reviens by Worth was my gift on this occasion. At the last moment, my little daughter also insisted on taking some offering to the Mother. In my business, I used to receive many tiny sample phials of perfume. My little girl filled her hands with those small bottles and happily we went to the Mother.
The Mother received us graciously, showered her love and blessings on me and asked which books I would like to have. I replied, “Mother, I have not yet read the books you gave me last time.” After receiving my birthday card and bouquet I felt inwardly that the Mother had given me what I needed. She turned to my daughter and gave her full attention.
She asked, “What have you brought?” The child opened her hands. “Oooh… with a voice full of joyous wonder the Mother said, “You have brought Worth perfume! Do you know the history of their manufacturer?” She caressed my daughter and son. I was overcome with the sweetness of it all. My mind observed that the velvety bedspread and big bottle of perfume did not get such appreciation from the Mother as the handful of sample phials. Mysterious are the ways of The Divine! The Mother went on to tell the children the whole story of the firm that manufactured the perfume. She opened all these small capsules of perfume that very day. Later she must have mentioned how much she liked the perfume, because the same day Dyuman went to the market and bought all the available bottles of this particular perfume.
Whenever I went to the Mother I would lovingly look in The Mother’s eyes and drink in her smile. For me they represent Bliss, Ananda, and Transcendental Joy. It is more precious than the whole Brahmananda. After coming to Singapore, I did not have physical darshan of The Mother again, but my children lived in the Ashram and my daughter made it her permanent home. There is a constant inner and outer contact with the Ashram. All the people connected with the ashram who visit Singapore, invariably became my guests. My body lives in Singapore, but my soul has always remained in Pondicherry. It is an inestimable honour to be counted as one of The Mother’s children and to serve The Mother in whatever way it is possible from a distance.
But who can show to thee Truth’s glorious face
Our human words can only shadow her.
To thought she is an unthinkable rapture of light,
To speech, a marvel inexpressible.
O Death, if thou couldst touch the Truth supreme
Thou wouldst grow suddenly wise and cease to be.
If our souls could see and love and clasp God’s Truth,
Its infinite radiance would seize our hearts,
Our being in God’s image be remade
And earthly life become the life divine.
- Sri Aurobindo in Savitri, Book 10, Canto 4
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