Savitri was looking at the Shivalinga admiringly. Very small but so attractive, its marble white shining beauty, divine curving… the idol kept on the desk casually beside her son’s laptop.
Savitri asked her son, how he got this nice shiva? Son replied, “Oh no, it’s not my collection, the flat owner might have forgotten to take it away, when I rented this apartment I found it here, I like it very much, what a small piece of marble white sparkling serenity.”
Savitri, her husband and daughter, had just arrived in this city, some two thousand kilometres away from their home. Her son got a new job here a couple of months back. He rented this spacious apartment on the seventh floor and was repeatedly asking his parents to come spend the long festival holidays together. He also arranged a visit to the famous Shiva mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain, some two hundred km away.
NEXT DAY
In the evening, the son and Sanatan returned from the market with a bagful of grocery and a big packet of samosa and asked Savitri to serve it; Samosa’s being the favourite of Savitri. Hurriedly she entered the kitchen, opened the pack and greedily bit a piece and suddenly the vision of the Shivalinga appeared before her mind’s eyes last night when she saw the idol for the first time.
She seldom offered foodstuffs as a ritual and this evening also, when her son said he would bring samosas she made an offer that it will first go to the shiva idol. But as soon as she saw the mouthwatering samosa she forgot her promise and instead she ate the samosa first.
Now who to blame, the aroma of the hot samosa, or the greedy tongue? From mid night, Savitri started vomiting with high temperature and was shaking violently.
NEXT THREE DAYS
Morning broke with rising nightmare. More the temperature, more the urge for vomiting. Bed, floor, wall, were all smeared with undigested food and pieces of samosa. Sanatan, at intervals, gave some medicines for anti- vomiting and temperature reducing and that worked around noon. Savitri became fit and insisted on helping her daughter in preparing lunch.
At lunch, she partook a good amount of food despite her condition. Soon she started vomiting with high fever and shivering. It was an anxious night. In the morning, a doctor was consulted who declined to pay a visit, instead advised to bring the patient over for hospitalisation.
Savitri strongly protested any hospital admission. The doctor suggested various blood tests to rule out Covid, Dengue, Malaria! Going through the reports, the doctor was alarmed and said, “Bring the patient immediately and admit her. It's a serious case.”
Sanatan, was unable to decide and stood frowning.
The son took charge and said politely, “Since Covid, Dengue, Malaria reports are negative kindly allow for treatment from home.”
The doctor prescribed medicines for three days and cautioned not to delay in admission; it coud turn very risky.
Three days passed and the situation remained the same, no cure was visible. Sanatan and son, in the next room, were discussing anxiously – what next? Sanatan feared, they were delaying; Savitri should be hospitalised.
Savitri, though very sick, noticed their anxious discussion and difference of opinion, and asked her daughter to call her spiritual guru. Her guru was travelling to the Himalayas. Technology at its best! Savitri spoke to him, narrating the grave situation in brief and prayed for his esteemed blessings.
There was a long pause then the guru said, “Make immediate arrangement and leave this place. Reach home first, then next move could be thought of according to the situation; but quit this place as early as possible.
Sanatan had no idea – how could they reach home? Marathon two nights train journey covering two thousand km., a sick Savitri and a whole nation under the grip of festivities. Availability of travel tickets! Savitri felt her fever again rising.
ANOTHER TWO DAYS PASSED
The situation worsened. Savitri in a semi-conscious state, refused to eat anything.
In the afternoon, Sanatan and his son reached the doctor’s consultation chamber to report Savitri’s health condition. but the doctor scolded them for not admitting her. Son said quickly, with folded hands, “Mom’s vomiting has stopped, a remarkable improvement, though the temperature returns frequently… please consider another three days to treat her keeping at home.’”The doctor then hesitantly scribbled – continue two days.
On returning they found Savitri again with a high temperature. Sanatan now determined - any which way we can, we are to take her back home, but how?
STRANGE HAPPENINGS STARTED BREWING
Later in the evening, when Sanatan was rubbing Savitri’s icy cold feet, his son suddenly rushed in with exciting and strange news:four tickets were available to their home city,
Sanatan asked his son to book the tickets right away. Net banking lets you down at the most crucial times. That is exactly what was happening. After quite a struggle the tickets were finally booked.
The son carried the white Shivalinga with him smilingly declared, “I always carry this shiva wherever I go.”
And then came the phone call from Savitri’s Guru enquiring of their safe arrival and about Savitri’s illness. Savitri was so excited she forgot her illness or even the aeroplane journey. Instead, she began talking about the white Shivalinga, that her son carries with him and brought in here to their home. Her guru listened to the shiva episode in detail, then said, “oh! God, now I understand. So this is the reason for all your sufferings, why you four fell prey to such suffering physically, mentally and financially. You don’t know? Didn’t you ever read about it? See or read that no family keeps a white Shivalinga in their home. It’s forbidden, it destroys everything, brings in all the suffering, and terrible incidents happen. There are exceptions, for only those who follow methodically, strictly abiding by the process of worshipping, rituals carried out with utmost care and devotion; they are the only ones entitled to do that.”
“Tell Sanatan to go out with the linga immediately and place it somewhere beneath a pipal tree there on the bank of the Ganges. He must also chant the forgiveness hymn while putting the idol down and bring some holy water from the Ganges and pour on the linga. Later sprinkle the water drops on yourself and others and everywhere. “
Savitri was about to say something more, but the guru said, “Stop talking and do what I say.” and hung up.
Sanatan set out, under the dark, for the riverbank and the pipal tree not too far from their home. He placed the glittering marble white small linga with the prayer and returned home with a bottle of water from the Ganges. The night passed so peacefully. In the morning, out of intense curiosity - whether his assumption was right or not, Sanatan reached the riverbank where he had placed secretly the beautiful linga at night.
He found the white shivalinga had disappeared. It was there no more. Mysterious happening!
Bio.
Satyajit Mukherjee likes the simple things of life which are a general source of love and joy to him. He roams, travels, paddles (cycle), and treks – in addition to drawing and writing. Though he focuses big, his frame is small: fifty years of spiritual drawing practice, joy of achievement through SVD (Sree Vidya Drawing) such as slokas of Ishopanishad, Shiva-mahimna Stotram, Sree Gita - Purushattoma Yoga (published). At present he is working on drawings of all 700 slokas of the Sreemad Bhagavat Gita. He was a librarian.
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