From Leela to Learning 4

The Soul’s Cry of Surrender

Abhang by Tulas Amma pg 124

O Lord, vast ocean of mercy, purifier of the fallen,
Grant me single-pointed love and devotion,
And free me—this very moment.

Unjust and weak, I have come to You for refuge;
Without You, I have no shelter anywhere.

There is no joy for me in worldly life,
And so I have surrendered to You;
Yet even this path of the Highest Truth
Feels unbearably hard.

In this world, blame and praise are intertwined;
Without inner peace, fear grips my heart.

I have no wealth to rely on, no one to lean upon;
Make me, the orphaned and ignorant creature, whole again.

I know neither detachment nor true wisdom—
Then what fruit can my life bear?
O All-powerful, ever-free One,
Look upon this way of living.

More than parents, You are to me,
O Vitthala, who lifts the child from bondage.

Without remembrance of You, I know nothing at all;
So keep me bound to You always.

The burden of past karma does not leave me;
It only grows heavier, bringing endless pain.

I have no home, no one to ask after my well-being;
Yet You, lover of devotees, save the helpless and the weak.

Ego and jealousy overpower me completely;
With hands on my head, my mind remains restless.

Helpless, weak, fallen, and fierce within—
Who but the Sadguru can protect me?

There is none more compassionate than the Guru in this world.
Seeing the unsupported, He runs forth in mercy.

I offer body, mind, and wealth at His feet,
Holding Him constantly in my heart;
Moved with compassion, He comes near
And grants His divine audience.

Seated within the heart, remembered within the mind,
Established in eternal bliss,
May the mind dwell joyfully in Nityananda—
The all-supporting One.

Leelā 4: Blindness and Sight — Grace Beyond Method

Sight Restored through Bhandāra and Service

A devotee once lost sight in one of his eyes. He consulted an eye specialist, who declared that the condition was beyond medical treatment and that there was no possibility of recovery. Distressed by this verdict, the devotee went to Baba and narrated his condition, praying earnestly for the restoration of his eyesight.

Baba did not respond directly to his plea. Instead, He instructed the devotee to arrange a Bhandāra as part of Bal Bhojan.

As the food was being prepared, Baba told the cook to serve food for five people on five banana leaves. Once the food was ready, Baba Himself took the five banana leaves and carried them outside Vaikunth Ashram, near the hot springs. He placed them under a tree.

The devotees watching were puzzled. Soon, five crows appeared and ate all the food placed on the leaves. Baba, who was observing from the steps of the Ashram, then turned to the devotee and said calmly,
“Return to your home. You shall get your eyesight.”

The devotee returned home. Within a few days, he fell seriously ill. He developed a high fever, and his eyes became red, inflamed, and began to water profusely. A doctor examined him and stated that, whatever the cause of the fever, there was still no possibility of regaining his eyesight.

After a few days, the fever subsided, but the inflammation of the eyes continued. He then went back to the same eye specialist. After examining him, the doctor exclaimed in surprise,
“I had thought your eyes were lost forever. But now I see that you have developed cataracts. Once operated upon, your eyesight can be restored.”

The surgery was performed, and within a few days, the devotee’s sight was restored. Wearing new glasses, he returned to Ganeshpuri and expressed his gratitude to Baba for curing him.

There was another instance where the eyesight of a young boy was restored.

When Bhagavan Nityananda was moving through South Karnataka, particularly the Padubidri–Mulki region, vast numbers of people were drawn to Him. They came not out of curiosity alone, but in deep distress—seeking solace from suffering, relief from illness, and answers to life’s pressing problems. Word had spread that an extraordinary being had appeared, one whose very presence brought peace and hope.

Bhagavan was often seen standing on a tree, a sight that itself defied ordinary understanding. From this elevated position, He remained utterly still, detached, and silent, while thousands gathered below Him. The crowd would call out repeatedly, “Deva, Deva,” pouring out their grief, fears, and ailments. Each cry was different, yet all were united by a single yearning—for grace.

In response, Bhagavan rarely spoke. Instead, He would pluck a single leaf from the tree on which He stood and throw it down toward a particular individual in the crowd. There was no announcement, no explanation, and no outward ritual. Yet the person to whom the leaf was directed instinctively knew it was meant for them and would receive it with faith and reverence.

The devotee would take the leaf home, boil it in water, and administer the decoction to the afflicted person. Time and again, the illness would subside, and the person would be cured. To onlookers, it appeared miraculous; to the devotee, it was Bhagavan’s direct intervention. These healings drew even more people toward Him, strengthening faith and hope among those who suffered.

Among those who came seeking grace was a young man who was blind. Whenever he heard that Bhagavan had arrived in the area, he would go and stand patiently among the crowd, waiting for something to happen. But despite repeated visits, his turn never came. Bhagavan appeared not to notice him at all. Disappointed and disheartened, the youth slowly began to lose hope.

Yet, for one last time, he resolved to approach Bhagavan again. On this occasion, he waited silently until most of the people had dispersed. When the crowd thinned, Bhagavan suddenly jumped down from the tree, plucked a fistful of grass from the ground, and walked straight up to the young man. Without uttering a single word, He gently rubbed the grass over the boy’s eyes.

Nothing happened immediately.

Though disappointed, the youth left with a strange inner peace, consoled by the thought that Bhagavan had finally noticed him and acknowledged his presence. When he returned home, his mother waited anxiously for good news. All he could tell her was that Bhagavan had at last turned His attention toward him. With a heavy heart, he retired for the night.

The next morning, upon waking, the boy was astonished to discover that he could see faintly. Overwhelmed, he rushed to his mother to share the news. In the days that followed, his vision continued to improve steadily, and slowly but surely, he regained his eyesight.

Learning from the Leelā

What appeared outwardly as a delayed response was, in truth, perfect timing. Through this Leelā, Bhagavan revealed that grace is not bound by expectation or urgency. It flows according to a higher wisdom—often testing patience, deepening surrender, and affirming that when the time is right, the Guru’s touch alone is enough.

This Leelā teaches us that Bhagavan’s grace is never arbitrary, delayed, or denied. What appears to the seeker as neglect or postponement is often a process of inner preparation. The blind youth’s repeated waiting was not ignored; it was silently shaping patience, humility, and surrender.

Bhagavan did not respond to cries or crowds, nor was He moved by urgency or expectation. His grace flowed according to the right time (Vel) and divine order, not according to human insistence. When the moment was ripe, a single, simple act—without words, ritual, or display—became sufficient for transformation.

The Leelā also reveals that the medium is never important. A leaf, a fistful of grass, or even a silent touch becomes powerful only because it carries the Sankalpa and Shakti of the Sadguru. Healing does not come from the object, but from the consciousness that operates through it.

Most importantly, this Leelā reminds us that true faith does not demand immediate results. Even when nothing seemed to happen, the youth carried no complaint—only gratitude that he had been noticed. That inner acceptance itself became the doorway for grace to unfold naturally and completely.

Thus, this Leelā reassures the seeker that the Guru sees everything, even when He appears distant, and that His compassion works quietly, unfailingly, and always for the highest good.

Bhagavan spoke of Vel, Kal, and Yog not as philosophy, but as living forces governing destiny—and how Guru Krupa alone can move within them.

1. Kal – Destiny (That which must happen)

Kal is the already-written portion of life.
Birth, death, certain karmic consequences—these are not negotiable.

Bhagavan often indicated:

“Kal ko koi taal nahin sakta”(No one can escape destiny.)

This is why:

A person may be virtuous yet suffer
Another may be careless yet prosper for a while

Kal is the storehouse of past karmas ripening into experience.

But Bhagavan was very clear about one thing:

Kal is powerful, but it is not supreme.

2. Vel – The Right Time

Even destiny does not act randomly.

Vel is when Kal is allowed to fructify.

A fruit may be destined to fall, but:

It will fall only when ripe
Not a moment before, not a moment later

This is why Bhagavan would often:

Delay help
Appear indifferent
Or suddenly intervene at the exact last moment

To us it feels cruel or mysterious.
To Bhagavan, it is simply Vel.

Many devotees experienced this:

Help came after the surrender was complete
Relief came when resistance dropped
Grace appeared when the ego stepped aside

3. Yog – The Meeting Point (Divine Arrangement)

Now comes the most subtle and beautiful aspect.

Yog is not “luck.”
It is divine orchestration.

Yog is:

Meeting the Guru
Being present at the right place
Hearing one sentence that changes life
Missing a train that saves you
Losing something that frees you

Bhagavan showed again and again:

What looks accidental is actually Yog.

Yog is where:

Kal (destiny)
Vel (timing)
And Ishwara’s will
meet quietly.

4. Where Guru Krupa Stands

This is the heart of Bhagavan’s teaching.

Bhagavan said—sometimes directly, sometimes through Leela:

Kal can be reduced, Vel can be softened, Yog can be created—by Guru Krupa.

The Guru does not:

Destroy destiny
Or violate cosmic law

Instead, the Guru:

Changes the intensity
Shifts the experience
Transforms suffering into learning
Turns punishment into purification

5. Why Bhagavan Emphasised Acceptance

Bhagavan never encouraged:

Complaints
Questioning fate
Or bargaining with God

He encouraged:

Surrender
Silence
Trust

Because when the devotee accepts Kal and Vel,
Yog automatically improves.

Resistance tightens destiny.
Surrender loosens it.

6. The Hidden Teaching

The deepest layer—often missed—is this:

When ego dissolves,

Kal loses its teeth,

Vel becomes effortless,

Yog becomes continuous

A Jnani lives outside Kal.
A Bhakta lives protected within Kal.

Bhagavan stood beyond all three, yet moved within them for devotees.

7. Why This Teaching Matters for Householders

Bhagavan knew most devotees were grihasthas.

So this teaching reassures:

Do your dharma
Accept what comes
Hold the Guru in the heart
Do not panic due to the delay
Do not assume abandonment

If something has not happened:

Either Vel has not arrived
Or Bhagavan is protecting you from a worse Yog

8. One Line Summary

If I were to compress Bhagavan’s teaching into one sentence, it would be:

“Kal bhogna hai,

Vel ka intezaar hai,

lekin Guru saath ho to Yog bigadta nahin.”

Thus,

This Leelā is significant because:

Baba did not touch the eyes
Baba did not promise immediate relief
Baba worked through an apparent worsening of the condition

The devotee passed through illness, fear, and medical contradiction before healing occurred.

Antarārtha -the Hidden wisdom

a) Grace may first manifest as a crisis

The fever and inflammation were not a setback but a reordering process. Baba transformed an “incurable” condition into a treatable one.

This shows that:

Grace does not always heal directly—it may restructure destiny.

b) Service precedes cure

The act of Bhandāra and feeding was not symbolic charity. It dissolved self-centred pleading into selfless action.

The crows are not incidental:

In Indic understanding, feeding crows is linked to pitṛ-krupā and karmic release
Baba redirected the devotee’s suffering into a karmic resolution

c) Baba never bypasses an order

Even here, healing came through surgery, not magic. Baba corrected the inner and outer conditions so that ordinary means could function.

शरणागतीची आर्त हाक

प्रभो हे दयाघना । पतितपावना ।
अनन्यभक्ति प्रेम देत । सुटवी या क्षणा ॥१॥

अन्यायी अबळा । शरण आली प्रभूला ।
तुझविण आश्रय नाही । कोठेही मजला ॥२॥

संसारी नाही सुख मज । म्हणूनि शरण आले तुज ।
त्याहूनि हा परमार्थ । बहु कठीण बा ॥३॥

निंद्य वंद्य दोन्हीही । मिश्र असे या जगी ।
शांतता नसता मज । वाटते भीती ॥४॥

आधार नाही धनाचा । आश्रय नाही कुणाचा ।
मी अनाथ करी सनाथ । मूढ पशूला ॥५॥

वैराग्य ज्ञानही नेणे । असुनी काय फल होणे ।
सर्वशक्त नित्यमुक्त । पाह हे जीणे ॥६॥

आईबापाहुनी बा । मज तू अधिक गा ।
बालकासी बंधनातुनी । उचली विठोबा ॥७॥

तुझिया स्मरणाविणे । मी काहीच नेणे ।
यासाठी बंधनी मज । नित्य ठेवणे ॥८॥

प्रारब्ध भोग हा मज । नाही सुटत ।
अधिकाधिक होताची । बहु कष्ट वाटत ॥९॥