SAMARPAN

I was sitting at the airport lounge and reading my favourite book; when an announcement was made for the further delay of my flight to Pune by another two hours, due to bad whether conditions. Monsoon had just arrived at Delhi and the flight services became the first victim of this late monsoon, as usual.

I had no option left but to wait at the airport. I was sure that my prospective client would understand the reason of such an unavoidable delay, which was actually beyond my control. I had planned to return to Delhi by the late evening flight, after meeting with the said client, but now it seems, I have to stay for a night at Pune Hotel.

I immediately conveyed this message to my Pune client and to my Boss at Gurgaon office, so that he was kept updated on my outdoor movements. Later, I told my wife also about the flight delay. Before I could speak to her, she asked me a question: “Have you reached Pune?” I replied to her in a very low voice: “No, I am still at Delhi-Airport, because my flight has been delayed”. After disconnecting the mobile, once again I started concentrating on my book.

I felt as if someone was watching me with very sharp eyes, when I lifted my head from the book, I saw one fair looking elderly person of foreign origin in a white ‘Kurta-pyjama’, standing opposite my chair and smiling. I immediately jumped to my feet and greeted the foreign guest with both my hands folded and said: “Namaste” and to my utmost surprise, he also responded by bowing his head and said: “Namaste.” After exchange of greetings, I offered him a chair next to me, which was vacant. He sat down and said with a broad smile: “Dhanayvaad.”

Few minutes later, I again looked at him and said: “Sir, are you alright?” Because, he was still staring at me and smiling, which made me upset, irritating and unnecessarily annoyed? He spoke to me in a very strong and deep voice: “I was wondering, the flight to Pune may get cancelled, so why don’t you go via Mumbai, because there are umpteen numbers of flights to Mumbai and sooner or later, one would definitely fly.”

I became suspicious, how he knew that I was going to Pune, and before I could think further, he satisfied my curiosity by offering his reply to my unanswered question: “I have heard you when you were talking to your wife; that’s how I came to know that you are also flying to Pune.”

Now I became very alert of his movements. Meanwhile I tried to concentrate on my book without any success. Thereafter, I was compelled to start my conversation with this old man who was sitting next to me but in spite of my very strong desire, I could not speak to him immediately, because he had by then closed both his eyes and was reciting shlokas in sanskrit.

He was reciting “Maha Mrityunjay Mantra”. And I was totally amazed, surprised and stunned to hear his clear, correct and right pronunciations of Mantras. After repeating the Mantra five times, he stopped, opened his sea-blue eyes, looked at me with a smile and asked - “Have I frightened you?” And before I could respond, he said again: “Don’t be afraid, nothing will happen to you, trust me.”

After long discussions of one and a half hours between us, I came to know that this old man was the owner of five billions US-Dollars company, based at New York City of USA, had come to India six months ago to take his daughter back home. But his daughter insisted him to visit the most beautiful places in India before returning to USA, which included: Dehradoon, Haridwar, Hemkunt sahib, Kochin, Kanyakumari, Lonawala, Mahabaleshwar, Nainital, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Shimla, Solan and Trivandrum. He came back from Rishikesh last night and that day morning he was going to Pune to meet his daughter, who was living in an Ashram there. He had bought a small house near Dehradoon where he was planning to spend rest of his life.

With regards to his company, he had divided his entire wealth in four equal parts; one part each goes to his wife, son and daughter respectively and the balance 25% of his share would be transferred to various religious Trusts in India in due course of time.

However, his daughter had refused to take her shares. That’s the reason why he was going to Pune, so that he could meet with her and request her to accept her share of wealth, as a token of his love and affection, which she could spend the way she wished.

Listening to his story, I was so stunned and turned like a statue that I could not speak a word to him. I was wondering whether this old man belonged to this world or he had come from heaven. I had never ever seen or heard someone giving his entire wealth to his family and Trusts and not keeping anything for himself.

Suddenly, the meaning of the word ‘SAMARPAN’ dawned on me and I realized its true meaning i.e. cent per cent Surrender to His Master.

Meanwhile, the announcement for the departure of Pune flight was made and we both started walking towards the Security-check.

With Prayers

Gurcharan