The Sweetest Water I Ever Drank

After two years of intense practice of Kriya Yoga, one night I had a dream. “Mother Ganga was waiting for me. I approached her, and we both were very happy to receive each other. She hugged and welcomed me and said, “Why did you take so long to come?”

I woke up the next morning with a strong desire to go to Rishikesh to see the Ganga again. The next day it was Diwali. Without wasting any time in organizing, I took the night bus to Rishikesh. I wanted to stay close to the Ganga. I got down from the bus at 3.30 am, a pitch-dark early morning. Where to go?

I looked around and saw an Ashram. I knocked at the door. I saw two people sleeping inside. One came hurriedly and opened the door. I asked, “Can I have one room, please?” He said “No”. I decided to wait for a while. The other person, sleeping beside him , suddenly got up and said, “Wait! We have rooms”.

I got a small room next to the Ganga Ghat. I quickly kept my bag in the room and went straight to the Ganga. It was 4 am. I was overwhelmed to see the Ganga. Happiness is a very small word to describe what I felt. It was still quite dark, and no one was around. In uncontrollable joy, I entered Ganga, and her touch made me one with her. With every dip, my inner self was surfacing up. It was an inexplicable feeling. I was lost in her, and my breath became so subtle that I did not feel its presence.

After the bath, I silently sat on the steps of the Ghat. I was in so much joy that I felt as if I could hug her from one end to another. Suddenly, I saw something floating towards me. I stood up to see clearly what kind of object it was and saw that it was a banana. I grabbed it and thought it might be a coincidence. In any case, I was happy to receive a gift from my Ganga.

I kept sitting at the Ghat for hours in bliss and joy. I realized it was 2 pm, and I was hungry. I wanted simple food. I went straight up to the dining hall of an Ashram nearby. A few devotee scholars were sitting around the table. They were reading Srimad Bhagavatam. I asked for food from them, and they said lunchtime was over. I was quiet.

One of them stood up, with a very strict-looking face, and said, “I will get you some food”. He went into the kitchen and put everything together, some dal, vegetables, and rice in a polybag, and gave it to me. I sat under the tree just outside the dining hall and ate it. It was a perfect and fully satisfying meal. I went back to those scholars again, and said, “Thank you for giving me the food, now can I sit with you to hear Bhagavat Katha?”

However, they said, “Mother, no females are allowed to sit with male scholars.” I said, “But you just called me mother”.  They said, “That is the rule”. After greeting them, I quietly returned to the Ganga.

I watched people travelling from different parts of the country to take a bath in the holy river, carrying their faith and beliefs in the Ganga, God, and Heaven. They worshipped and performed the rituals in different ways. It is beautiful to watch. Afterward, they throw rotten flowers, old books, and ashes, along with poly bags, into the Ganga.

I was angry and was about to say something to them, but suddenly I felt Ganga telling me to look at her. Despite how everyone treats her, she provides life to everyone, and she is not angry. My anger turned into empathy and love. I thanked God that I did not react in anger. I quietly picked up as much garbage as possible and threw it in the dustbin nearby.

I saw an old man quietly sweeping the Ghat, and no one bothered to notice his work. I offered my help to sweep the Gha,t, and he was happy to receive a little help.

The next day, I woke up and did my Kriya practice, and went to Ganga at 5 am. I sat quietly in the same place as the day before. Yes! I was expecting a gift again, also thinking how stupid I am.

Guess what? I again saw something floating towards me. From where it was coming, I had no idea. It was no longer a coincidence. The waves directed it towards me and did not get carried away by the wind in any other direction. I received it with much love.

In the afternoon, some kind of fear overtook me. The river looked very strong, big, and intimidating. I realized my smallness. I hesitated to enter Ganga. I was surprised how I managed it earlier. I felt the pain of separation.

I noticed small children selling flowers at the ghat looked like little Gods to me. They asked me to buy flowers. It was difficult to refuse them, instead, I bought some snacks and sweets and enjoyed myself with them. 

After a while, suddenly, they got up, removed their clothes, and jumped into the Ganga, swimming and having fun without a sign of fear. They were enjoying in the lap of my mother, and I was standing out of the water, due to my fear. Without wasting any more time, I also jumped into the Ganga. Swimming freely in the company of fearless beings, Oh! It was so wonderful! All my pain and fear were gone.

The next morning at 6 am, I went to my banana place. I had no doubts that my banana would come. I sat on the high stone and watched the Ganga carefully and said, “Mother, please don’t take a long time. Send me the gift now”.

I was sitting alert because I wanted to know where the banana was coming from. I saw something pop up from the middle of the Ganga. It was my banana, and it floated towards me.

I grabbed the banana with the authority that a child has on their parent’s property. I came back to Delhi but left my heart at Rishikesh.

Poem

Intense pain made me forget, 

Everything drops down from my head, 

Pain of separation broke down the wall, beyond hopes and fears,

I am certain the banana is near.