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First "Bhandara" and "Guru's passing away"
In the year 1930, Guru Maharaj celebrated the first Bhandara in "Etah" on the occassion of Basant
Panchami festival.
Earlier this Bhandara was always celebrated only in Fatehgarh. By the order of Mahatma Ji Maharaj the Bhandara this
year was celebrated in Etah. This year only a few individuals could assemble. Mahatma Ji Maharaj was Himself present
and all the events were completed under His guidance. On 14th August 1931, Respected Mahatma Ji Maharaj, who was
Guru Maharaj's soul, ended his physical journey; the grief that Guru Maharaj suffered at this is undescribable. He
did not cry openly, no sound of sorrow was heard outside His heart but internally He was burning with sadness for
a long period. His eyes used to be always moist with tears and He would rarely talk. However, the work that was
assigned to Him by Dada Guru was always completed to perfection. Propagation efforts improved. Mahatma Ji Maharaj
had very recently advised Guru Maharaj to publish His (Guru Maharaj's) thoughts in a magazine so that others could
know of it and benefit from it. Since then, Guru Maharaj, to comply with His Guru's order, always kept thinking about
publishing a monthly magazine.
* Birth of Sadhan
During Bhandara of year 1932 Guru Maharaj expressed His opinion about publishing "Sadhan" magazine, this
was much
appreciated by everyone with lots of happiness that now everyone will be able to read the invaluable preachings
and that it would be our stable wealth. Everyone also opined that this would give an opportunity to all such
literate individuals, who are inclined to gain spiritual knowledge, to read about it. Its only then that it was
decided to publish the magazine and in August 1933 "Sadhan" was first published.
That was the month of BhadraPad and birth day of Lord Krishna (Janmashtami). Guru Maharaj described
the importance
of that day and said that there are three Maha Ratri (Great Nights), first Shiva Ratri (Night of Shiva), second night
of Deepawali, and third the night of Shri Krishna Janmashtami. All these three nights are great! The rewards of
"keeping awake and worshiping" (Jagran) on these nights are also great. Mother Shree Laxmi Ji is pleased with those
who keep awake and worship in the night of Deepawali, and blesses them with wealth and glory. This is the night of
Mother Shree Laxmi Ji and hence only She is worshipped in Deepawali night. The second is Shivaratri. Shri Shiva Ji
is the "Giver of Knowledge" for the whole world, He is the Guru, whosoever keeps awake on this night and remembers
his Guru is blessed by Shri Shiva Ji and receives the light of knowledge. Hence, this night too is great and the
Presiding Lord of this night is Shri Vishvanath Mahadeva (Shri Shiva Ji).
The third great night is Shri Krishna Janmashtami, this is the eigth night of Krishna-Paksh of BhadraPad.
The nights
during this period are very dark. It is the season of rains, clouds hover in the sky, twinkling lights of stars too
are not visible. In such a dreadful night of deep darkness, while there was total want of knowledge, what to talk of
moon of knowledge not even small stars of knowledge were visible, an extremely treacherous king Kansha was ruling,
saints were languishing in jails and there was no mention of Power of God, in the midnight the Embodiment of Infinite
Knowledge and Delectation "Lord Krishna" took birth. Ever since He arrived on the earth, there was awakening of love
and happiness in the people, perfidious dispositions like Kansha were eliminated, and hence this great night brought
a special message of enlightenment (divya-gyan). Accordingly this night is considered more great. We all know that
Lord Krishna was an incarnation of delectation and endowed complete with all Sixteen forms of Energy. The world shall
never forget the knowledge imparted by Him and shall always remember Him.
That day a celebration was held and the birth day of "Sadhan Hindi Monthly Magazine" was celebrated in a
beautiful
function. Guru Maharaj did not own the printing press hence first 'Sadhan' was printed at "Bharat Bandhu Press,
Aligarh". From the second year of publication i.e. year 1934, the photograph of Mahatma Ji Maharaj used to be printed
on the first page; this practice was stopped later on. Later this magazine was published and printed in "Etah".
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The writings of Guru Maharaj worked like beacons of light in the darkness. People got awakened and those
who used to
consider spiritual knowledge as difficult to understand and belonging only to saints and sanyasis, they came to
understand that this is our knowledge and we need it. Life is a dead tree without this knowledge, which has no juicy
fruits, no cool shade, and hence can never give true happiness of life.
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