Subtle Realm.

23rd September, 2021.

Due to some personal issues and Covid pandemic one could not visit Shri Badrinath ji for a few years though earlier one used to go there twice every year. It is said that if Shradh is performed for a person in Gaya or Badrinath ji then there is no need to do it every year. So both Gaya and Badrinath are, great places for performing such acts for our ancestors. 

Death is imminent, it visits every house, it is our permanent companion. Where there is life, there is death, where there is good there is bad too. Everything exists in pairs in perfect harmony in this creation. One who has come, must go and one who has left, must come back too. Out of the 16 rights done in our lives, last is the one done at the cremation ground, when the dead body is offered to the fire. Fire has a great quality, it converts what ever is offered to it, into its own form i.e. light. So in the last right, one converts one self from the physical body to effulgence or light of fire. thus one leaves the dual behind and becomes one with light. From oneness one came and into oneness one merges.

One reached Sri Badrinath ji, after a gap of few years. It was cold and higher mountain reaches were clad in snow. One went to stay at one's usual dharamshala whose panda ji is known for decades. It always feels like home coming, while visiting Sri Badri Vishaal ji. In the evening one met Pandit ji and made arrangements for doing some pujan for recently departed soul of one's mother and a friends father. Though regular tarpans could not be done for them as that is usually done after one year from date of death. But One did pray for the well being of departed dear one's on their journey after leaving the mortal world. 

Around 11'sh in the morning one went to Bardari Nath ji's temple to offer prayers for ancestors. Passing Tapt Kund (Hot water tank), one proceeded towards the ghat just before Kapalmochan area. Many pandits were sitting there performing various pujans of their yajmans. One went to one shop and bought the necessary items needed for doing tarpan. When one enquired about the money for the all things, shop keeper said no need to pay thinking that one is also a panda or something. But one told him that he has to take money for all the things being offered for poojan, to which he replied that he will take afterwards and asked to complete the pujan. One passed all the pandits sitting with their yajmans and and proceeded to a few meters away and sat on a big block lying by the stairs. Sky was clear and one could see a continuous stream of devotees crossing over the Alkananda bridge on the left hand side whiel Alaknanda flowing in from the right side between Nar and Narayan mountains. One set all the things in proper manner in front and did shodhan and poojan of the Gurus, Ganesha, Bhairon, Brhama, Vishnu, Mahesh, Sthan and Vastu devtas, Badri-Vishal, Gandharva, Yaksh, Kinner, Apsaras, Sidhas etc. After that one did Brihat tarpan of one's parampara. After that one offered prayers for the departed souls. The one thought of doing tarpan for one's father. 

The moment one started doing tarpan, suddenly a bull came to the tarpan place in front of that block on which one was sitting. There were some stones lying in front so it could not come over the block but could stand at a distance of about 2 feet away but it brought its face right where one was offering tarpan wth mudra for ancestors. One lovingly moved its face other side with one hand but it came back again, one again pushed its face other side but it did not budge from its place. It seemed like he was adamant and wanted to have whatever was being offered to pitras or ancestors. After trying to turn its face away few times, and seeing its fixation on having the tarpan material, one just bowed to him and told him that ' O Maharaj, I was trying to send tarpan to my ancestors but it seems that you want to take it yourself, so please take it and pass them on themselves to all the known and unknown ancestors or those for whom nobody has done anything after their departure form the world. So whatever sesame seeds, water etc was being offered to ancestors, it started licking that from ones hands. One thought how come a fully grown bull (Nandi ji) is interested in licking a spoon full of black sesame seeds from one hands so lovingly and without any reservation. One immediately thought that it must be some grace from above who took shape of him and came to take the tarpans to one's ancestors an others too. So one gave whatever flowers were also lying in the tray for poojan, which it merrily ate. Then one offered, arghya, Padya and Achaman to Nandi ji. Applied tilak on its forehead which it accepted happily. After that there was nothing there to offer, it turned its face towards Badrinarayan temple showing its back to one. Realizing that it is some grace descending at the moment, one did all the mantras done till then, one mala each. It took around 45 minutes to complete, thought that time it kept on standing with its back to me and face towards Lord's temple. When all the mantras were completed then it slowly walked off. Later on one also came to know that on the idol of Badrivishal ji there is an inscription of Nandi too (belief of Jain sampradaya). 

After that one was filled with emotions and returned to one's room and rested in the bed. During that period, one had many visions of one's ancestors. One realized that once , about 10 years back while doing havan in Badrivishal during Mahanisha, in 5 degree centigrade on the same place one had seen same bull standing at a distance of about 100 meters from where one was meditating after performing havan. It was about 2.30 at night. One thought may be it took ten years sadhana to remove the imperfections in one's self for that entity to travel 100 meters distance for blessing one with its presence. Thinking it that way one has no words but only humble gratitude. 

 After an hour, cell phone rang up, a friend called and asked what one is doing in Badrinath ji. As one explained the whole experience, it was conveyed that a common friend who left his body a few months back, came to his vision just now and asked him to inform that he should also be offered tarpan too from Badrinath ji. Since it was already evening and next day early morning one was going to Vasodhara, so one performed tarpan for him from there. Thus one realized that though the gross world itself is vast, but subtle world also is immense and it has its own ways and mechanisms. The subtle realm gets its work performed by us by giving hints to us through many channels........................Jai Badri Vishal........Om!.