IDHAR UDHAR KI BAAT 83- DEEP CLEANSING Brig PS Gothra (Retd)

  

 हरि जुग जुग भगत उपाया पैज रखदा आया राम राजे ॥ हरणाखस दुसट हरि मारेया प्रहलाद तराया ॥ 

 (Lord has been protecting his devotees for ages. He saved Prahlad Bhakt and killed the evil Hiranyakashyap.)

     The warmth of the kirtan enveloped me like a mother’s embrace. It was as if time had slowed down, allowing me to dissolve into the serenity of the moment. But only a few minutes ago, my mind had been anything but serene.

    I had entered the Gurudwara with a long list of desires, carefully crafted in my mind, as if I were standing at the counter of a celestial wish-granting store. I wanted solutions, success, security. My heart was heavy with the weight of worldly cravings. But there was a problem—the queue was long, moving sluggishly. The impatience inside me began to build. “Why is everyone taking so much time?” I grumbled internally. “Do they not see others waiting?”

    Just then, I caught sight of an old man—bent, fragile, moving on his hands and knees. He had just paid his respects, and now, inch by inch, he was crawling his way out. His legs, it seemed, had long abandoned him. The moment struck me like a bolt of realization. Here I was, fussing over my unfulfilled wishes, while this man, unable to even stand upright, still bowed before the Almighty with nothing but gratitude. My wish list crumbled in my mind. It was replaced by an overwhelming sense of thankfulness. I had legs to walk. I had the strength to stand. And I had been given time—to be here, to feel this, to learn.

    The kirtan swelled, filling the sacred hall with divine resonance. My heartbeat began to sync with the rhythmic beats of the smaller drum of  tabla. The taps on the bigger drum felt like they were cleansing my soul, one vibration at a time. Without realizing, I had started humming along. The words of devotion wrapped around my mind and the vibrations from my humming started soothing my restless thoughts. The trance lasted until the final note faded, leaving behind a silence filled with contentment.

    As I turned to leave, I felt an invisible tug. Something, or maybe Someone, guided my steps toward the utensil washing area in the langar hall. Without a second thought, I rolled up my sleeves and joined the seva. The clinking of steel plates, the splashes of water, the warmth of shared service—every scrub felt like it was scrubbing away the layers of restlessness within me. For the next hour, I washed utensils, alongside strangers who felt like family, all connected by the simple yet profound act of selfless service.

   When I finally stepped out, my clothes were stained with soap and water, but my soul—it was sparkling clean.

    A silent prayer escaped my lips—Thank you, God, for guiding me toward a better way to spend my days. Retirement was not about waiting for time to pass. It was about using time to grow, to serve, to feel alive in ways that no worldly success could ever offer.

   And so, I walked back home, lighter than before, carrying not a list of desires, but a heart full of gratitude.

    Note :- I wonder if visiting the religious places is part of therapy to treat anxiety and depression.

 

#SpiritualJourney #DivineReflection #Gratitude #KirtanVibes #Seva #Sikhism #InnerPeace #HouseOfGod #Faith #SelfRealization #Gurudwara #SpiritualHealing #SoulCleansing #Mindfulness #Devotion