The inscrutable ways of God

 A change from a macabre story of a few days back to a purely devotional one.

As Hema and her husband were silently watching TV at their Washington home, Hema broke the silence to say, “My cousin from Ernakulam rang me up to invite me for his son’s wedding. He insisted I should be present. It is eight years since I visited India and I have a vow to discharge at Guruvayoor temple. I undertook this vow when you were in the hospital with a serious respiratory problem in the initial stages of the pandemic. I wish to go for a week early next month.”

“You are past sixty and not so young. Still I have no objection. I am told these days the crowd in the temple is unmanageably large with a long queue somewhat like Tirupati. I am only concerned with your frequent pain in the knee and whether you can stand for long. Take good care,” her husband replied.

Hema could not visit the temple before the wedding. She was however assured by relatives at the wedding that the crowd at the temple was not large during this short lean season. Nevertheless, when she went there the next day there was a long queue moving at snail’s pace thro the rows of parallel railings that seemed endless. The jostling crowd of perspiring devotees and the continuous chatter all around would not allow her to focus her mind on the God. After every 15 minutes, the wicket gate opened to allow a small batch only to close again for another 15 minutes. She had come alone for a day to discharge her vow She was to catch the plane early next morning

She was incessantly praying “Guruvayurappa, please enable me to have a good darshan of you. I am afraid whether this heavy crowd would permit me to stand even for a few seconds before you to offer my prayers in peace. I have been waiting for this visit for several years and was made possible only through your grace. I don’t not know when my next visit to India will take place. Om Namo Narayana, please bestow Your Grace on me.”

The crowd slowly inched forward. She was at last nearing the main entrance. An elephant, a little yonder, was swinging its trunk and eating coconut leaves. While she was watching, a young girl of nine years in a green skirt up to ankle and a matching blouse suddenly appeared before Hema and gave her a plantain fruit telling “Keep this fruit, aunty: you will have a good darshan. Do not worry.”

‘So sweet of you, there is too much jostling by the crowd. Can I take the fruit when I come outside after the darshan lest it gets crushed? replied Hema.”

The girl replied with a bewitching smile “No, no, please keep it with you. You will see me again no doubt”

Even as Hema accepted it, the crowd pushed her inside the gate. Being short, she could not get a glimpse of the Lord like many others who tried by craning their necks at the point of entrance. She could just see the lamps shining inside. She was disappointed and her appeals to Him became more intense and passionate.

As she was approaching the point in the sanctum opposite the God, she saw the officials virtually pressurizing the pilgrims not to stand for even two seconds. It was then someone from behind pushed her and she tripped on the plantain that had fallen down and fell flat before the God.

 As she broke down into tears in embarrassment and at the hurdle, the officials nearby who saw her predicament stopped the pilgrims behind her till she found her feet and told her unbelieving ears” Please have a good darshan of the Lord without hurry.” They gave her some flowers and sandal paste even as she stood before Guruvayurappan to her hearts content. It was then she noticed to her great bewilderment, the Lord appeared to her decorated as a young girl in green skirt. With goosebumps all over the body,she rubbed her eyes only to see the same bewitching girl. The next moment she found Him to her great surprise as Balakrishna in His usual form.

She thanked the officials for their unusual gesture and moved away quickly. When she asked other pilgrims by her side outside the sanctum whether they saw God dressed as a young girl in green skirt, they looked at her quizzically and said that He was decorated only in the usual Balakrishna style with flute in His hand.

Confused with the differing version to what she saw. she rushed to the place where she met the girl only to find no trace of her. Then it struck Hema like a sledge hammer that God Himself had come to her in the form of a girl in green skirt and gave her the plantain, only to make her trip before Him as if in prostration and gave her extended time to have His darshan. The ways of God to show kindness to His devotees are indeed inscrutable.