Friday, June 16, 2017

Humble Request


Revered Manohar Das ji

All of you will be very pleased to know a that a compilation of motivational letters written by revered Baba Manohar Das ji (Venu Vinod Kunj, Vrindavan)is going to be published. The sweet form of spiritual rasa which revered Baba poured into these letters with his affectionate brush has been attained by us as ‘Madhur Patheya[1].’  We have been getting the closeness and holy company of revered Baba for the past more than 50 years. Although Baba was mainly connected to the parikar[2] of Venu Vinod Kunj but he had come into contact with and become extremely close to Bhaktimati Shri Usha Bahenji and her parikar since 1959-60. That is why he was known as ‘sabke priya sabke hitkari bhaiya,’ ‘saintly Bhaiya doing good to members of Bahenji’s parikar and loved by all of them. He would keep writing spiritually inspirational letters to us bahenas from time to time. You will get to read how we bahenas, detached from the mundane world, should meditate on the Divine in letters related to means and end .


 Sushila Bahen ji(Right) with Bhaktimati Usha Bahen ji

Some members of our inner circle of devotes, particularly Anil Bhatnagar, Vipin Aggarwal and Minaksh Aggarwal, insisted that Baba’s letters should be collected from everyone and published so that his showing us the path of attaining the Divine and satprerna, inspiration to realize the Ultimate Truth, is available to us throughout our life. Everyone got together and appealed to revered saint like Sushila Bahenji, who has been the right hand and the very life of Bhaktisvarupa[3] Usha Bahenji, to make this possible. She happily gave permission for the publication of these letters.



Shri Santosh Bahen ji

You will be surprised to know that Baba had written many letters addressed to revered Santosh Bahenji. [4]Reason being that whenever Baba would go to Maheshwar, Ambala and other places revered Bahenji would insist on his explaining the shlokas of Shri Krishna Karnamrita and serious verses steeped in Krishna’s lila, whose answers we will get to read as his beautiful interpretation in this book. Several years before she left the mundane world Santosh Bahenji had handed over the treasure to me. I had preserved this collection by putting the letters down in writing with my own hands. All this took place unknowingly. Similarly letters addressed to me were very large in number. I had selected some of these and noted them down in my diary. On getting an opportunity to get them published now I have done a favour to my younger brothers and sisters, members of the parikar. Never imagining that this was possible, I would just glance over them from time to time for inspiration to realize the ultimate truth.
Prem Piyush Dhara’ and Prem Sudha Dhara,’ two books on compilations of letters, have been published by Brajnidhi Prakashan. Similarly  ‘Prem Rasamrit Dhara,’ the third link in this chain, a new compilation of letters written by revered Baba Manohar Das ji is being published.
‘Prem Rasamrit Dhara has two parts

Pratham Pravah: Lila Anushilan[5]


Shri Venu Geet

Venu Gitam-During the priceless moments of sadhtana in his hut on Suraj Ghat while revered Baba meditated upon Venu Geet [6], he had done translation of the Sanskrit commentary written by eight acharyas in his own words. I got to acquire this translation from somewhere. In ‘Prem Rasamrit Dhara’ we have added the implied meaning of Venu Geet in understandable Hindi which has been given in the 21st chapter of the 10th canto of Srimad Bhagwat by Gita Press Gorakhpur, so that it can be understood by ordinary sadhakas. Therefore we are very grateful to the respected editor of Gita Press for having made this interpretation of the bhavas easily available for everybody.

2)Van Te Braj Aavat


Lord Krishna Returns Home at the Hour of Cowdust

When the cows have finished grazing, gopis relish the beauty of the Supreme Lover with thirsting eyes as He returns home at the hour of cowdust. Revered Baba had reflected upon and written about this lila and given the write up to me years ago.

Dvitiya Pravah-Madhur Patheya
The compilation written by revered Baba(approximately 108 letters) is presented in front of all of you as Madhur Patheya. In the beginning we have letters addressed to revered Krishna Anuragini Sanosh Bahenji, the beloved of Krishna; all of them are relishable and laden with the rasa of lila. Thereafter we have letters written to respected Darshan Bahenji, Usha Bahenji and Vijay Bhaiya. Revered Baba has acquainted us with bhajan pranali, the method of confidential bhajana which is useful for sadhakas leading a totally detached life. Revered Baba has watered the sadhaka with his ras amrit as per the level of the spiritual aspirant.


Naam Smarana, Chanting God's Name

For sadhakas leading a detached life Baba has poured the nectar of spiritual instructions which is beyond moh maya or attachment to the mundane world, wherein the aspirant has to do austere spiritual practice and constant Naam Smarana/Smaran by chanting God’s Name in the mind.

The loving message that Baba gave to householders who took care of their families was that they should seek the refuge of chanting God’s Name by constant naam smarana which was capable enough of making them attain their spiritual goal. There was no need for them to undertake any austere sadhana or spiritual practice.

At times when Baba would feel that we were inattentive (on the spiritual path) we were even scolded sweetly.

Finally I do hope that all sadhakas, right from the ordinary to higher levels, and viraktas or those detached from worldly affairs will certainly benefit on relishing this Madhur Patheya. Furthermore, I hope that they will strive to walk on the path to spiritual self-realization, shown by revered Baba.


'Prem Rasamrit Dhara'

First of all I am extremely grateful to our highly revered Bahenji Sushri Sushila Sharma who obliged us by agreeing to have revered Baba’s letters brought out in this compilation ‘Prem Rasamrit Dhara’ as a publisher.


Shri Radha-Krishna

I pray to the Yugal Sarkar (Shri Radha-Krishna) that they keep her in good health so that she can give us satprerna, inspiration to realize the Ultimate Truth and guide us on the path to union with the Divine. Staying under her protection, we brothers and sisters are  progressing on the spiritual path.


Bottom: Dr Santosh Gupta (Centre)

Moreover, I am grateful to all those who have given me their respective letters to be published and to those brothers and sisters who have helped in completion of this task in whichever way. Although all of them have been close to Shri Manohar Das ji and recipients of revered Baba’s mercy but even then I wish that Baba’s causeless mercy and affectionate grace keeps being showered on them along with me for all times to come.

Spiritually inclined intellectuals should kindly correct any shortcomings which have been overlooked in this compilation.

Rasikjan Kripakankshini [7]
Dr Santosh Gupta
M.A.Ph.d (HIS)
Retired Principle
Rajkiya Mahavidyalaya, Hodal Haryana
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[1] Patheya: sweet provisions for our spiritual’s journey
[2] Parikar: inner circle of devotees
[3] Bhaktisvarupa: embodiment of bhakti
[4] Santosh Bahenji: The waters of Jhelum abound with love tales of Laila Majnu and Shiri Farhad. Born in a Sikh family of these environs of Kashmir and impressed by Gandhi's principles, Santosh Bahenji, daughter of an affluent father, got Shaligramji from a sage when she was very young. Longing for Krishna In 1942, she came to the holy site of Vrindavan at the tender age of 19 and met great saints like Sri Sri Maharaj ji, Bobo ji & Sushila Bahenji who influenced her life. Sarla Bahenji was her constant companion. 

'Sri Krishna Anuragini Santosh Bahenji' was published in 2005 and showcases her experiences with Shri Bihari ji, Vrindavan, Yamunja ji, the Yugal Sarkar of Saint Ushaji and the parikar in Vrindavan. She left for Gaulok on 3rd August 2004.

[5] Lila Anushilan: in pursuit of Lord Krishna’s lila or divine play
[6] Venu Geet: The Venu Geet or Song of Lord Krishna's Flute Play is a compilation of 20 shlokas in the tenth canto of Shrimad Bha gwat. Shri Manohar Baba's moving commentary on Venu Geet in 'Prem Rasamrit Dhara' helps us imbibe the essence of Krishna's message given by the song of his flute play.

[7] Rasikjan Kripakankshini: desiring the favour of Rasikas

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