Bike Yatra and Pune

I was not having money to have food in the train. I just closed my eyes and sat quietly. One Marwadi family was sitting in front of me. They noticed that I did not had food from yesterday. One of them asked me, I said that I am pure vegetarian so I never take food in the train. They gave me home made food, and said we are Marwadi, pure vegetarian, please have a food.

I arrived in Pune on 5^th March, 2010.and got the bike from Sunil Mane. It was not in good condition; around seven thousand rupees were required for repairing. I met to different people on 5th 6^th and 7^th March, most of them opposed and laughed at me. One of my friends Vipul Shaha’s supported fully and helped me. His father said, we wanted to contribute for this noble cause. On 8^th March Umesh Sardar called me for lunch, and asked in detail about the Yatra. I told everything. He said we will look for sponsorship, but I opposed because I did not wanted sponsorship from anyone. On the same day Parag Potdar, a senior reporter called me, made a nice story and published in Lokmat on next day. I met to Shri Hemant joshi sir in the evening; he liked the project and wanted to help for it. Next day he called me in his office. He managed petrol expenses of the Yatra without any expectation. My friend Viraj Nikam took responsibility of repairing the bike. I met to Shri Mahesh Jivane in the evening at 10 pm. He gave very important tips for the Yatra and asked me to take photographs. I replied I am not having a camera. He managed a new camera for the Yatra. I met to Shri Babasaheb Purandare on 9^{th March}; he blessed me and asked from where are you starting this yatra? I replied it’s not decided, and then he said come to my home, have milk and start the Yatra, let “Mata Bhavani bless you and give a great success. 

Unexpected experience at a Hotel

I arrived at Hisar and went to a dharmashala, the manager asked for 100 rupees I gave the money and saw the room; it was too dirty, so I said I can’t stay there. He was very strange person; he started doing comments on me and was not ready to give the money. I requested but he returned only 45 rupees to me. A thought came in my mind, why I am suffering and finding good places to stay. I will stay in a Jungle or in a village. That day I wanted to wash my cloths and take proper rest so I was in the town.

I visited Hotel Pritam palace just for fun. It is a standard hotel, but the rooms are costly. The Manager showed me some rooms and showed the tariff card. My financial budget was too low so I decided to find some other hotel.  As I was leaving the hotel, the owner came inside.

He asked me that, are you unsatisfied about the hotel? I told him about my journey and said that the rooms are not affordable for me.  He requested me to sit, he enquired about my Yatra. He said, please stay in my hotel, and give whatever you want. I stayed there, the room was really nice. That day I washed all the cloths in the night and had nice sleep for four hours.  I paid 100 rupees as a rent. 

A great mantra from a strange Sadhu

It was too hot day in the month of March, I was travelling through Gujrat. Time was around 11 am, I did not want to drive, because of hit. I was finding a place to take rest for three hours. I saw a Hanuman temple and decided to stay there in the afternoon. I had not taken bath in the morning so did pranam from outside, but a thought came in my mind, if our mind is pure, we can go inside also. I could not take bath because, i couldn't find good facilities. So I decided to go inside the temple. I entered in the temple and saw an old Sadhu, with huge Jata (hairs), mustache and beard. His body was very weak, only bones. He was smoking Ganja.  He must be more than 80. I thought, what a bad person, became old but not have simple sense, smoking in temple. I wanted to move from there and stay at another place for the rest.

Suddenly he asked me, from where are you coming, where are you going?

It was really difficult and highly philosophical question! I thought for awhile and answered simply, I am from Pune, traveling on bike to serve the nation. He asked another question, Do you have aim? Kya tumhare pas lakshya hai?.  And he went on talking, he did not gave a chance to speak. He gave very important tips for my Yatra. He said find the truth!. Everyday all touches the truth, but find it where is the truth. People lies when saying truth always win. They do corruption and remind each other truth always wins. Go and find the truth, if you find it tell me where is truth? Think what truth is, why it is necessary and how it will win.

He was shouting at me sometime, his intention was the young generation. He said, when we were young we fought for freedom, but have we got freedom? No till today we are not independent. Just politicians changed, white went and black are ruling us. White were good as compare to the black. Today’s politicians are black but they think and listen to white only. They are ruled by foreigners till today. See how they behaves in the parliament, strange than mad people in the prison. They are smugglers, Gunda’s , dacoits, killers and raping to the nation. They are taking our nation backwards. They are madarchot, raping their own mother; they can’t understand the difference between their sisters. They are selling their sisters also. See the today’s picture and condition of our motherland. These bahanchod politicians will destroy the nation. They are mad, uneducated, not having sense, not having decision making power. They are sinner!

He said to me, you are also sinner, I said no Babaji, I am not, I have not done any bad things in my life. He said why you are lying. To whom you give your vote, you also helped to select these gunda’s , you knows the condition of motherland, what are you doing to change it. Eunuchs are better than you, at least they claps and asks for money. You are begging for justice, you are demanding good things in the nation, you are expecting good things in the nation and for that you are serving just for one year. It is not enough, fight against this sinners and make your mother happy. How you can see that someone is raping your mother?

Fight, “ladhane se hak milta hai, mangne se bhik milta hai” . You have to fight against your own brothers, against your own family, because they are troubling your mother. Think what I am saying.

He was just going on; he said I am angry at your generation, not you. At least you are doing something, do it, you will come back. When you will return from this journey, return as a fire, give light as a sun, otherwise don’t return. Don’t show your mouth to the motherland, you are not able to live in this nation. I am not disturbing you, but think on my thoughts, and take a right decision.

Sometime he was very soft, sometime more than fire. After half an hour he said, go and think for some time. He gave food to me. There was some rice in a plate for him; he cut it into six same pieces, because we were six people there including him. He distributed the rice to everyone and ate one piece, and then I realized the secret of his weak body. If a group of people comes there at the time of his lunch, what will happen? He may get a food just like a Prasad.

I went and took rest for half an hour, came back to the temple, and wanted to move. He again ordered sit down. I sat, I was not having courage to say no. he talked for some time and said; now I will give you a very powerful mantra. Suddenly my mind changed. Till now he was ok, but when he spoke about mantra I became negative. Actually it was my perception. My mind disturbed, I started thinking what I will do with mantra? And he said you have to chant this mantra everyday at least three to eleven times. Then I thought I don’t want this mantra. I wanted to tell him, Babji I don’t want any mantra; just give your blessings, it’s enough for me.

He said, sit quietly, actually I was not talking anything, I was just thinking negatively about the mantra. For ten to fifteen minutes both of we were silent. Nobody spoke anything. Later I thought what is the problem to listen the mantra? Chanting is next thing. I sat quietly, kept quit, and became thought less, peaceful. And suddenly the Sadhu said, “Mere desh ko sukhi karana hai, mai kya karu”? This is the mantra for you. Chant it every day you will get the answer in this journey. Follow the answer you will become happy and will get whatever you want. Do it regularly, and he said, now go! You will be successful in this journey, but remember its nothing to make your nation happy.

Give your best at the beginning- Learning from a monkey.

I was returning to Bhopal from Sanchi. There is a hilly area on the way. So many monkeys were running here and there, few dogs were chasing them. Because of the fear all monkeys were running very fast. Suddenly one monkey directly came in front of my bike and the front side of the gear (Rod) stuck in his body. He was pulled with the bike for some time and little part of the flesh came out. All this happened within a minute only.

I felt pity and stopped my vehicle; I wanted to give water to the monkey. Suddenly the monkey jumped towards me and started running behind my bike. I started bike and drove fast. Within that time one dog started following to the monkey. The monkey turned back and with full power attacked on the dog and the dog ran away.  

A thought came in my mind if the monkey would have used his full power at the beginning, the accident could have been avoided.

Generally we give our best in critical situations only, we never use our full potential at the beginning. 

Few minutes with Sadhanatai Baba Amte

I visited Anandvan, had Zunka Bhakri for lunch and visited different departments in the Ashram. I met to Sadhanatai Amte, she asked few questions about the yatra. I explained the purpose. She was reading a newspaper, she read something about politics and started discussion on politics. She said, if you want to see the change in the country, politics should be changed. We should have young people in the politics. She talked about ten minutes with me. She told about Baba Amte’s Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, and blessed me for the venture.  

Experiencing God every moment

What is God?

The question was in my mind before starting my bike Yatra across the Bharat. I got answer that all the positive thoughts within us, best people around us, self confidence and pure vision is the God. All good qualities, satisfaction, great joy, utmost state of real happiness is the God. God is also the supernatural power in this universe.

During my bike Yatra I never became unsatisfied, never got angry, I never became tired, never got fatigue, never felt bad, never experienced any negative thing, even I enjoyed all negative things happened to me.

I was extremely happy during this period, I enjoyed everything and as per my understanding this is the experience of God! I have not seen God, but I am sure I have experienced the God!

Doctor sahab, dhokri bimar hai, dawai de do!

I visited a small village in MP, as I was roaming in the village, one person called me  and said loudly, “Dhokri ko  Zada Laga, Davai de do”. I could not understood what he was saying, but I went there, he showed an old lady and said, bimar hai davai de do. I  saw the patient, she was not serious. I gave a tablet from my first aid box and told them that I am not a doctor.

It was around six in the evening. he thought that I am a doctor. Because there was a bag on my bike and I had a little good cloths than them.

They misunderstood me as a Doctor. 

Some children were playing with the roti in the hand that was their dinner. Only roti with a green chilly, even the people who were talking with me were having Bhakri in their hand. No plates, no glass nothing. Only roti and green chilly was the menu of their dinner.

They asked me about my food, I said I had it just now. It was their tradition to share the food if someone comes at the time of dinner. I tasted little Bhakri. I was finding a place to stay. They requested me to stay there.  I was also finding a place to stay. I stayed there, he gave a Khat (Choupai) to sleep. I enjoyed the night with the Adiwasi villagers.