Image-Reflection

Bolava Vitthal Pahava Vitthal । Karava Vitthal Jeevabhav ॥

(Loose translation: Speak of Vitthal, see Vitthal and make Vitthal your life.)

The following recollection about Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar beautifully illustrates the essence of Saint Tukaram Maharaj’s hymn (mentioned above): How to make Vitthal play in this world.

Once, Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar wrote a letter to Kakuma from the home of a Bengali couple in Ludhiana. The wife, Renu Tai, had never met Kakuma in person, but she had heard so much about Kakuma’s love for Shri Krishna from Tai Godbole, and was very keen on meeting her.

Hearing all this praise about his beloved disciple, his Ma, Baba was overjoyed. 

The following is a translated extract of the letter that Baba wrote to Kakuma after this interaction:

Ma, your Mukunda and Renu’s Gopal. Your Mukunda is very sweet. He says, “Tell me, which one of my forms (swaroop) do you like more?”

Look, he is trying to trick me. But I am not the student of some plain guru. If he is one thing then my Gurumaye has made me ten times as much.

I said, “I don’t like either of you. I like my Kakuma only. I like you because you are with my Kakuma. If you left her and went somewhere else, then I don’t like you at all.”

Then I said to him, “Arey Deva, trying to fool me, are you? There’s no way that I would fall for that. I am yours only na? I know all your colors. You have all these colors because my Ma is here. Deva, without my Ma, tell me, would you have been able to come to Mumbai as Mukunda? Because of Ma, I got you. 

Before, you were my god, but now, my Ma has made you my brother, see? Once you were my everything. But now, I have become your everything. My Ma’s gift to me.”

He listened to everything quietly, then said, “Okay then, I became yours, but do you know that Ma loves me more than you?”

Is that true? You love him more than me? I don’t think so. Tell me, whatever the truth is. I don’t believe Mukunda. He’s playing me. Now when I come, I will first ask you this exact question. You will tell me the truth na? Otherwise, will you also take Mukunda’s side and answer me. Ma, don’t do that. Tell me the truth, whether you like me or Mukunda more.

Look how nervous and jittery he became as soon as I said I would ask you. He seems to have a plan to fool you. 

Arey! He’s crying!

“Na, na my sweet boy (raja), Mukunda, Deva, please don’t cry. Calm down. No my dearest, Ma loves you the most, okay? More than me. Please don’t cry.”

Now, Ma, love and shower him with more affection, okay?

“My young, handsome, devda, bubda, chhakula.¹ My sweet, young Kanhoba. You are the sweetest. You are only the best, Deva. You didn’t understand my joke? You just started crying. Arey, I am only here because of you, na? Without you, would I have even gotten Ma? I am only happy because of you. Content because of you. Can I tell you a truth? All of my happiness is you only, my dear boy. I wouldn’t be able to live without you. I would have never been able to see Ma. My Gopala, you are the truth. I am a lie/liar. You are the embodiment of love. I am lowly and poor. You are my friend, my sweet boy, my son, my father. You are all of this to me. Without you, I would’ve never been born.”

Ma, listen, Ma, my Mukunda is doing well na? He eats na?

Tell me Ma, apparently you were upset/angry with him on Monday. You didn’t give him any milk! Ma, please don’t do that. He’s my young boy.

Deva, today I am going to your home. Do you have any message for Yashoda Maiya, Nanda Baba or anyone else?

Yes, Yes, I’ll tell him, I’ll tell them that Ma has kept you very happy. 

What?! I should just tell them to come to Mumbai? Okay, I’ll them to go to Ma’s home. 

Okay, should I go now?

Saint Baba Maharaj Arvikar’s gopi-bhav is made known to us because of Kakuma’s pure heartedness in/through this story. We are so lucky to have this. This beautiful interaction captures some of what Baba explains in his Divyamritdhara. 

Jethe Dev Tithe Bhakta Bhaktaapashi Dev । Jaan Ekamev Bhed Nahi ॥

Kana Techi Bhoomi Bhoomiroopi Kana ।Bhasathayi Guna Guni Bhasa ॥

(Loose translation: Where there is god, there is bhakta; God is by his bhaktas. Only one consciousness; no difference. The speck is his land; the speck has the form of the land. At the place of the appearance there are virtues; It is virtuous appearance.)

In this way, the river of devotional bliss overflows into a stream which takes on the shape and form of the divine. And the same river also creates a another form, that of the bhakta, that of a wave. 

The bhakta and god eventually meet in the very river of devotional bliss. This keeps happening. The verse (ovi) above explains that because the body is overwhelmed/enchanted by the bliss awakened in the soul (aatmaroop), an urge coming from the devotee’s contentment from love, creates/manifests a form of the lord.

It also said that in order to talk about the greatness of a true devotee, is to describe how an image views its own reflection (bhakta and the lord). In a sense, this is true, but there is really no difference between them. We look at our reflections out of love and a desire to see ourselves.

Out of love, the bhakta is born. And the same devotional bliss begins to accumulate again, and the then the lord manifests. It is so that we can be the ones to experience our devotional bliss, that the lord becomes sagun or takes form. 

¹Terms of endearment