Page 60 - Amrit Varta - Issue Feb. 2023 - English

48 MA ANANDAMAYEE AMRIT VARTA Vol. 27, No.1, February2023

on the top of the head adorned with a crescent moon and a symbol of River
Ganga flowing down. A trident in one hand, a damru (drum) on the other hand
and a garland of flowers (symbolic of the serpent) around Her neck. Ma is
sitting motionless with closed eyes and everyone there are singing kirtan.
Guneeta’da arrived and with closed eyes Ma said in Hindi, “Guneeta, Shivji has
arrived in your Bhâgwat.” We cannot see when our eyes are closed, but Ma had
seen Guneeta’di. The week long Bhâgwat Saptâh celebration is continuing but
in between Gita Jayanti celebration has also commenced.
There is an incident about Gita Jayanti. In the year 1944, Ma is in Vindhyachal
Ashram. One day a lady (wife of Shri Devnarayanji) came for Ma’s darshan and
on seeing Ma’s divine form, was inspired to worship Ma. Her Gurudev was
Shree Shree Gopal Thakur of Allahabad. Omniscient Ma agreed and told her to
inform her Guru about it. As a messenger the lady informs her Gurudev in
Allahabad about Ma. Perplexed ShriGopal Thakur rushes to meet Ma, has
darshan, and immediately decides – Ma is Herself the living Gita, I will
celebrate my Gita Jayanti function in front of Her. And hence Gita Jayanti
was first started in Vindhyachal Ashram in Ma’s presence by ShriGopal Thakur.
Every year after that Shree Gopal Thakur used to celebrate Gita Jayanti in
Ma’s presence, wherever Ma was during that period. He himself used to conduct
the Puja on Ma by placing Ma’s Âsan right in front of his âsan. And the final
offering or oblation (ârghya) was placed on Ma’s lotus feet and also on
ShriKrishna’s image. He was a self-composed singer and also sang Rabindra-
Sangeet. So after the Puja he sang the ârti and heart rendering songs too. Gita
Jayanti is a four days festival commencing from Shukla-Ashtami in the month
of Agrâhan. The complete Gita is read in three parts with six chapters each on
the first three days. On the fourth day the whole Gita is read and then Puja and
yagna is held.
This time after the completion of Gita Jayanti, the afternoon session of
the Bhâgwat-Pâth commenced. Ma was seated on a white bed while the
Kanyapeeth girls and elder sisters sat nearby. The Hall was jam-packed with
devotees and spectators engrossed in the divine nectar filled exposition of the
Bhâgwat-Kathâ. I too sat at a remote corner and hearing and enjoying the divine
atmosphere. I suddenly saw Ma beckoning me to come near. I somehow crossed
the sitting crowd and went near Ma. Ma pulled me and said quietly, “Father has
arrived in GangaMa’s Ashram. You go near him and pay your obeisance. Inform
him to have morning tiffin at Kanyapeeth, afternoon prasâd at Annapurna
Mandir, night prasâd at Kanyapeeth and finally to take rest in the night in