Is God (Shri Sadguru) restricted to one place?

Just when I was thinking of what should be the next topic for my blog, an official visit to Bhubaneswar, gave the answer.

Bhubaneswar, historically was often depicted as Ekamra Khetra (Temple City), a beautiful and very clean city. They seem to have taken the ‘Swach Bharat’ campaign by our honourable PM, very seriously. The results could be seen on the ground.

Anyways, I have been to this place on 3-4 occasions earlier, as well. However, thoughts of one of my earlier visit kept coming back, and made me write this blog.

It was around same time in year 2016, I was in Bhubaneswar, along with my team for a Radiology conference. We were participating in the conference as an exhibitor and thus were in Bhubaneswar for 5 days. The hotel was little far, from the conference area and thus we had hired a Taxi for 5 days to take us from hotel to conference and back, every day. Our driver, Suresh (Name changed) was a simple young man in his early forties, married with two kids. He was little shy and didn’t talk much on the first day. However, slowly he became friendly. More so, when he realised that we are from Maharashtra and stay very close to Shirdi. During our interaction, he shared, he visits Shirdi every year along with his family, to take blessings of P. Pu. Shri Sai Baba. This is quite normal as thousands of devotees of Shri Sai Baba visit Shirdi, on regular basis. However, during our conversations, he also spoke about his financial condition, which was quite serious as he was finding it difficult, to make the ends meet. As a result, he was unable to fulfil even small demands of his children. Nonetheless, he was very upbeat of the fact that, he makes sure that he visits  Shirdi along with his family every year without fail!

This had made me think then and even today, it’s an important topic to ponder upon, as we see lakhs of devotees visiting these places of worship, whether its temple, shrine, Mosque or church, very regularly…

Does God reside only in the idol inside temples? Does the idol get the status of God, because of the shape or is it because of the place???

I am sure, it’s not because of the shape, else we would have not found so many temples where we just find a piece of stone without any specific shape, worshiped as God. And I am sure, it can’t be place either, else we would have not found so many new temples, mushrooming every month. No doubt, there are some ancient temples, like Jyotirlingas which are famous because of the place they are situated at and also some are famous even though we do not see any specific idol there. One classic example is the shrine of Mai Vaishno devi, where we find idol in the shape of three natural rock formations called the Pindies. There are no statues or idols inside the Cave, still Lakhs of devotes throng to Vishno devi shrine, every year, battling sever climate and undertaking 12-14 Kms long trek in the mountains. Baring few such temples, or may be including these temples as well, does God reside only in these temples (places)???

Definitely, not!!! God is omnipresent. That means he is everywhere. The truth is that, all actions and energies belong to the one supreme power, who is wholly present everywhere, is not confined by frontiers and not bound by hindrances, is indivisible and immutable. He fills the universe both with His presence and His power.

P. Pu. Shri Kaka Maharaj, always say “Don’t look for God only in temples, he is everywhere, not outside, but he is their inside all of us”. Over last 40 years he is preaching this very thought of omnipresent God and ways to realise existence of God inside us. He does not deny the importance of place of worship, but he does not like people to restrict themselves to the place of worship either. In fact, he wants us to see God in every living being (and even non-living) and respect everyone as part of God. But for seeing the God in every living being, it is important to realise existence of God inside us first, and for this, one needs to practice chanting of holy Naam (Name of God).

In Bhagvad Geeta Shri Krishna says;

परी तयापाशी पांडवा। मी हरपला गिवसावा।
जेथ नामघोषण बरवा। करीती ते माझे॥

(“मन्नामाचा घोष जिथे चालतो तिथे मी असतो.”)

Lord Krishna Says, “You will find me at place where my name is being called”

My Sadguru, Shri Kaka Maharaj says, “It’s time we understand and accept that God (Supreme power) is present everywhere and start appreciating every creation of God with same love and respect.” Shri Kaka Maharaj further says, “Service to mankind is service to God. Instead of visiting temples and places of pilgrimage, spend that time and money for people who are in need. Every money spend on these needy people will take you a step closer to realise the true God.”

It was on the last day of the tour in 2016, with blessings of my Sadguru, I explained the same thing to my driver. I made him understand that Shri Sai Baba is with him all the time, everywhere, and he need not visit Shirdi every year to take his blessings. Rather save that money for the future of his young kids or spend it on bringing smile on their faces. The money spend on the trip to Shirdi every year, instead can buy better education for his children and if possible he could also give some share of these savings to someone who is more needy.

Before leaving Bhubaneshwar, I gave him tight handshake and prayed to my Shri Sadguru to help him make sense of, whatever I told him.

We forget that every living being is the creation of God, if we make them happy, we make God happy and will ultimately receive his grace. I recollect one story told by Shri Sadguru during one of his discourse about the king who to get divine grace of Lord Shiva, had asked everyone in his kingdom to pour milk on the Shiv Linga, so that entire Garbhagriha (Place in the temple, which is made to house the main deity) is filled with milk. However, in spite of wholesome contribution of milk from every individual in the Kingdom, the Garbhagriha didn’t get filled. It’s only after one old woman pours a small glass of milk, that Garbhagriha gets filled with milk. After enquiring more about the woman, the King finds that, before bringing a cup of milk for God, that lady had fed kids who were craving for milk and it was because of this noble act, Lord Shiva became happy and thus the Garbhagriha got filled with milk after her contribution. This clearly shows, that even God is happy when we make his children happy. And more importantly, it is acceptable to Lord, even if we feed the needy before offering him anything.

Anyways, it was after a month or so in 2016, I got a call from my driver, saying that he had decided not to visit Shirdi every year and instead save that money for good food and better education.

// Jai Sairam//

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