If one desires something with full passion, the universe conspires to make it come true. That adage turned true for me. I don't know when my soul's journey with Guruji started nor will I ever come to know. It is unfathomable. But in this life my journey with Guruji started when I was in my teens.
Back in 2011, my parents began visiting Bade Mandir at the insistence of my paternal aunt. My parents, in turn, insisted my elder sister and I accompany them to visit Bade Mandir at least once. Our household worshipped and venerated all deities but had never devotionally connected to any guru. It was thus hard for us to understand our parents' persistence, and we didn't do as they wanted.
But if something is fated it can't be overruled. So it happened that one night I had
darshan of Guruji. The following morning, I narrated my dream to my mother, describing a man with a fully shaven head who had visited our home. At that point, we did not have a
swaroop of Guruji in our house, so I couldn't have identified Him. My mother's eyes widened and she exclaimed that I had darshan of Guruji. As I narrated my dream, my body shook with vibrations. However, I treated this incident as of no value.
My parents became ardent devotees and visited the Mandir regularly. My sister and I remained disinterested. As months went by, our parents succeeded in taking us to Bade Mandir. On my very first visit, I felt like a blind man who had magically got his vision back. The ambience of the Mandir was peaceful and a unique vibration reverberated within my body, calming me thoroughly. When we returned to our house, my outlook had changed. I felt a deep longing within me had found its aim. My sister was unmoved.
Never in my naïve self, did I ever wish for anything from Guruji. I was happy whenever I got a chance to pay a visit to the Mandir, accompanying my mother there. As time went by, Guruji's blessings became evident.
One day when I was in the 11
th standard, I caught a terrible throat infection. I wasn't able to utter a single word and was communicating by writing on paper chits. In this condition, I had to go to school to give an exam. Upon reaching the school grounds, I saw the morning assembly was about to be conducted. Short in height, I would have to stand at front and recite the morning prayers. How would I do that? My mind was troubled. A voice echoed inside: "
Guruji meher kariye." At that instant, the message came that our section would not be attending the assembly as the class teacher had to complete her syllabus. It was an eye-opener: I understood that Guruji took care of even the minutest troubles.
Guruji guides me after graduation
My school and college life went on smoothly with the grace of Guruji. He made sure I had the best faculty and that I graduated with flying colours.
After graduation, like every other clueless youth I was unsure about my career choice. Weak in Mathematics, I did not want to pursue a career that involved that subject. After whiling away time, I took admission in a Masters course in Political Science in 2019. I rapidly lost interest. Never in my life had I been afraid of studying; but during three months of this course, I detested even opening a book. As internal exams approached and I prepared, an inner voice kept saying: Leave it. A week before my exam, I dropped out of the program. It was the 30
th of September 2019.
As devotees we know that our vision is limited, but Guruji sees beyond. Despite opting out of the course, I remained riven with doubts about if I had done the right thing or not. Seeing me troubled, my father suggested I join shorthand classes. I could then get into a government job, which had the benefit of providing job security. Within 24 hours, I had located a great institute that taught stenography. I enrolled and my classes went smoothly.
I applied for the national-level exam that recruits stenographers for the central government, the SSC (Staff Selection Commission) Stenographer Exam. The exam is in two phases, with a computer-based test and a skill test for shorthand (for two grades, D requiring a skill level of 80 words per minute, and C, of 100 words per minute). Learning shorthand requires patience and persistence. Patience was something which I lacked. But Guruji made sure that I did not lose my patience and helped me complete this course.
By the end of January 2020, Covid-19 restrictions were in place and my exam got postponed to December. I had not put in hard work but when the results came, I had passed the Grade D skill test. I was overjoyed—but there was a twist. The final merit list did not have my name. I was heartbroken, but consoled myself that it was just my first attempt.
By this time, I had already given the SSC exam for the year 2021 with as little preparation as before. With the earlier result staring me in the face, I knew I would flunk this attempt too. And I did not clear it. My patience was running low and the age limit to apply for the Grade C exam was approaching. My parents were worried as I was torturing myself over the fact that I wouldn't be able to secure a job while my school and college friends were already working in MNCs.
Never give up: Two toffees and two tests taken multiple times
I was very troubled. But I surrendered to Guruji and resolved to clear the exam for a Grade C stenographer. For this, my third attempt, I left no stone unturned. When the results for the 2022 exam came, I had cleared both the grades, C and D, and obtained a cumulative score of 151 out of 200. I was content, but did not let my guard down and prepared for the skill test.
My skill test was scheduled on a Wednesday in January 2023 in two shifts: the first shift for Grade D and the second for Grade C. Before appearing for this exam, I went to Bade Mandir on Monday with my parents to seek Guruji's blessings. In the parking area, my mother and I boarded the shuttle bus together. In that shuttle, a devotee distributed two
paan-flavoured toffees to all the passengers. Having sought Guruji's blessings and getting two toffees as
prasad strengthened my belief that I would clear the exam without any hindrance.
On the day of the exam, I took one toffee each for both shifts. For the first Grade D exam, dictation took place in the exam hall. The examiner's voice was muffled and candidates faced difficulty in transcribing the text. In the second shift, the dictation was easy to transcribe. I was confident that even though I would not be able to pass the Grade C exam, I would surely clear Grade D.
Man proposes and God disposes. There were protests against the SSC for issues faced by the aspirants, and the skill test was considered invalid. My patience was again being tested. We were notified of a re-test that was scheduled for mid-February, 2023, on a Thursday. On the Monday before that, my parents and I went to Bade Mandir to seek Guruji's blessings. While waiting for a shuttle in the Mandir parking area, I boarded the shuttle I had a month ago, with the same devotee in the driving seat. This time too, he gave me and the other
sangat two paan-flavoured toffees each. Surely this was no coincidence!
Cut to the day of the exam. Again, I had toffee prasad for the first and second shift exams. The dictation round went without any issues; but during the typing test, there was a glitch. Computer terminals displayed the number of typed words as zero. We were irate and nervous at seeing our hard work going down the drain. However, when the staff at the exam centre assured us that everyone's typed word count had been recorded, I was reasonably happy with my attempt. A few days later, I suddenly received a message from a friend that the skill test had been held invalid. We were notified that it would be taken again.
The third exam was conducted in April of 2023. We followed the same routine: going to the Mandir to seek Guruji's blessings. To my utter surprise and surely as a manifestation of Guruji's grace, I again boarded the same shuttle which had the same person driving it and again, I received two paan-flavoured toffees! I couldn't believe it. A beautiful white butterfly too got inside the shuttle. It circled around all the passengers in the car and later rested at a corner of the windshield. While deboarding the shuttle, I was a bit teary eyed and shared farewell greetings with the devotee who drove us to the Mandir, still figuring out what magic had occurred. I showed the two paan toffees to my mother, who herself was in disbelief.
Then came the examination day. My third attempt for the skill test was scheduled on 26th April. I again followed the practice of having a toffee before the shifts. My belief, grown manifold, was that Guruji had taken the steering wheel and would make me clear this exam. The result for the exam came on 14
th July. As I frantically went through process of finding out the result online and even as my faith said I had cleared this exam, I began silently hymning Guruji's
mantra jaap. In situations like these, surrender comes naturally. When I typed my name in the search tab, I just uttered "Jai Guruji" and clicked Enter. With Guruji's grace, my name popped up. I couldn't believe it. I ran to my parents, who had supported me throughout my struggle. They couldn't control their happiness. It is true that the third time's the charm.
The following day we visited Bade Mandir to have darshan of Guruji, the sole power who could make my dream come true, to convey our heartfelt thanks. It was the most joyous moment for my entire family.
Guruji really takes your
pariksha (test), and it is our duty as a student to never ever give up. Patience and faith are the two most vital things one must practice to truly become His student. It is difficult but not impossible. Please try to leave everything in His hands and surrender to Him. You will see Guruji's meher then. It is boundless.
A devotee
October 2025