Guru Finds the Disciple

For most of my life, I carried a certain arrogance — mocking Gurus, dismissing the idea of surrender, and believing that knowledge and skills alone would carry me through. But as the years unfolded, I realized that despite all my learning, I was unable to truly apply it in life. The absence of a Guru — the guiding light — left me wandering in circles.

At 50, during a tough phases of my life, neighbouring lady advised me to read Shree Gajanan Vijay Granth. Something within me softened. I accepted her thought wholeheartedly, surrendered, and began reading with devotion. Since than I regularly read one Adhyaya daily.

Yesterday, I completed the final adhyaya. As the words flowed, I couldn’t help but wonder — had I been born 200 years earlier, perhaps I would have been blessed to see Shree Gajanan Maharaj in person. That thought carried both longing and regret: regret for being late in surrender, late in applying wisdom, late in bowing to the eternal truth.

Yet, the divine has its own ways.

This morning, after offering prayers to Shree ShaniDev and Shree Mahadev at the temple, I was greeted by a young man — unfamiliar, radiant, with a smile that lingered in my heart. Dressed in simple modern attire, he folded his hands and said Namaskar. I also reciprocated. While driving towards office, a thought struck me: Was this Shree Gajanan Maharaj himself?

I know many of the devotees who regularly visit the temple during morning hours — familiar faces I see often — but I had never seen this person before. His sudden presence felt unusual, almost symbolic, as if he had appeared only for me.

Perhaps it was just a stranger. Perhaps it was a divine play. But in that moment, I felt forgiven. I felt seen. I felt that my apology had reached to all Gurus I once mocked.

The scriptures say the Guru is not bound by time or form. He appears when the disciple is ready. Maybe I was late by 200 years, but not too late to be embraced. Jai Shree Gajanan Maharaj