MukundRaiji’s Pragatya
Some say Mahaprabhuji’s uncle, Janardhan Bhattji gave the swaroop of MukundRaiji to Mahaprabhuji. Others firmly believe that Mahaprabhuji found MukundRaiji’s swaroop attached to his janoi when he was bathing in the waters of the Yamuna. One thing is clear though – Mahaprabhuji performed the seva of MukundRaiji when he went on his first Bharat yatra.
After Mahaprabhuji, Ramdasji and Gusainji performed the seva of MukundRaiji. After this, the swaroop of MukundRaiji was enshrined with Shrinathji’s swaroop in Nathdwara for several years. Then Giridharji took the swaroop to Varanasi. Currently, MukundRaiji is enshrined MukundRaiji in a beautiful temple called Gopal Mandir in Varanasi.
The essence of MukundRaiji’s Swaroop
Most texts say that MukundRaiji’s swaroop and leela are similar to that of Balkrishnalalji’s. But a close look at the swaroops of NavneetPriyaji and Balkrishnalalji help us understand the uniqueness of MukundRaiji’s swaroop.
MukundRaiji, NavneetPriyaji and Balkrishnalalji are all Bal swaroops. All these three swaroops depict Krishna’s infant form. Like children, Bal swaroops are easy to please and very forgiving. In all the three swaroops the left leg is folded and rests completely on the floor while the right leg is upright and folded.
NavneetPriyaji holds a ball of butter in his right hand and offers it to his bhaktas. Balkrishnalalji holds a laddoo either in one hand or in both of his hands. In some swaroops, Balkrishnalalji seems to offer the laddoo to his bhaktas while in other swaroops He looks as if He is about to eat it.
MukundRaiji too holds a laddoo in his right hand. But unlike NavneetPriyaji and Balkrishnalalji, MukundRaiji’s left palm does not rest completely on the floor. MukundRaiji’s fingertips alone touch the floor.
While Balkrishnalalji and Navneetpriyaji ask us to use our materialistic experiences to evolve spiritually, MukundRaiji message is more profound.
MukundRaiji’s message
MukundRaiji says, “Learn to detach yourself from your material world. Do not get so embroiled in it. For The joys and sorrows that you experience there are but fleeting. They will cloud your vision and lead you away from the true goals that you need to aspire for. Consciously reflect on such things when you serve me.
Is this how you want to spend the rest of your life? Will things remain the same all through your life? All the people that you are engaging with currently will leave you someday. I, Krishna, alone can lead you towards Moksha. And that should be the only goal that you should aspire for all through your life.
Yes. Do enjoy the pleasures of your worldly life. There is nothing wrong with doing so. Often you will value and savour the laddoos, the pleasures of your life only when you tossed about by the challenges that come your way. That is what life is all about. As you and I very well know.
I, MukundRaiji will always hold your hand firmly through all this. But you need to do your bit for me too. For I too yearn for your affection as much as you yearn for my grace. Just engage with me in some way or the other for some time at least. Every. Single. Day. Do this at your convenience and in a way that suits you best.
Feast your eyes on my swaroop and reflect on what I keep telling you. Repeatedly. Your ultimate goal in life should not be Ananda either. The only goal you should strive for is Mukti. Take all that comes your way in your stride with equanimity. For I am the cause and the effect too of all that happens to you and everyone else out there. Of course, you will struggle to maintain your balance. I am aware of that. At such times focus on my swaroop and Mukti for some time. And instead of getting embroiled in meaningless futile issues, you will find the strength to disengage yourself from such transient worldly things.
And when you get this much-needed clarity in your life you can steer your thoughts and emotions in the right direction – towards me. Yes, I know you know the meaning of Dharma.
I also know you have done your duty to the best of your ability. And I was with you when you grappled with Artha too. Yes, I know you lived through your life in as meaningful and responsible a manner as possible. And I also know you earned, spent and distributed your wealth wisely.
I ensured that Kama, love, was a part of your entire life. Kama did a good job and taught you the toughest lesson of all – that love can have many forms. You sobered up to the realities of life when you realized that love can have extremely ugly forms too. You took your time to imbibe all these life lessons. But you did learn too. And evolved into a better human being.
Now that you have crossed these three milestones of your life, it is time for you to focus on the most important goal of all – Mukti or Moksha. Your true goal in life should now be ‘freedom from the cycle of birth and death.’
Make it a point to detach yourself from your worldly life. If you do so consciously, every single day, reaching this realm of Moksha will prove to be easy. No. Moksha is not a destination for you to reach. It is a thought that needs to be nurtured. When you meditate on this thought every day, you will see your words and actions getting transformed for the better.
The negative clutter will get filtered out of your life automatically. This will improve the quality of your life and create space for my divinity in your soul. You are now ready to hand over the reins of your life in my hands. For you have realized that nothing was, is or ever will be in your hands anyway.
And when you surrender to me so completely, I will lead you towards Moksha. Through several lives, if need be. But I will see to it that you find a permanent place in my heart. For I, MukundRaiji liberate all my bhaktas from the cycle of birth and death.”
This is what makes MukundRaiji’s swaroop unique. While Balkrishnalalji and Navneetpriyaji ask us to strike a balance between our material and spiritual worlds, MukundRaiji asks us to strive for the loftiest goal of all – Mukti.
We live through our lives assuming we will live forever. We forge and break our bonds without thinking twice because we think we can undo, redo, forget, forgive and bury our mistakes at the right time in the distant future. Strangely enough, we also believe that we will find Mukti or Moksha towards the end of our lives. This is how we delude ourselves. The reality is that our lives may well end at this very moment too. And we may end up carrying forward all our accrued karma to our next birth.
MukundRaiji’s swaroop creates this awareness within us. Instead of duping ourselves, we learn to confront the reality. We focus on transforming the quality of each day that we are blessed with. And then we strive – consciously – to disengage ourselves from things that lead us away from the best and loftiest goal of all – Mukti. We just have to embark on this journey. MukundRaiji, in His infinite kindness, takes care of the rest. As usual.
Photos given by : Shri.Bhaveshji, Gupta Market, Malad West, Mumbai & Smt. & Sri. Yogeshji.
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