Shrimahalakshmiswarup Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Anjali Mukul Gadgil lived joyfully in a very small space, giving it the vibrations of the sanctum sanctorum of a temple
We had been living with Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Anjali Gadgil at the Chennai Sevakendra for the past 7 years. Now, we have shifted to Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. The Chennai Sevakendra had become vibrant with energy, and the reason is Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Anjali Gadgil. I am sharing the teachings about the Sevakendra and the experiences we had while staying there.
When we think of a Sevakendra, we imagine a space with at least 2 rooms, or an apartment. However, when we actually saw this Sevakendra, it was smaller. In this tiny space, Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil, along with the four seekers travelling with her, used to live together. Initially, I wondered how can everyone fit in such a small space, how will satseva be done. Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil told me, “Instead of thinking of what we lack, let’s focus on how big a space God has given us. Sachchidanand Parabrahman (Dr) Athavale governs the Universe from His small room. God has given us such a big space. What more do we need ? The most important thing is that we should have a big heart. If our heart is big, we will not be limited by space”.
1. Realising that when we expand the limits of our mind, we can perform any task from anywhere
Initially, I thought the space was too small, but once we started living there, I realised that no matter how small the space, the work pace and the ability to work in that space was immense. I then realised what Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil had said, “If we expand the limit of our mind, we can perform any work from anywhere”.
2. A brief description of the Chennai Sevakendra
2A. Meeting room : Chennai Sevakendra has a meeting room measuring 12 ft x 12 ft. It has a large dining table measuring 4ft x 6ft. So, one can imagine how much space was left in the room.
The kitchen is only 6 ft x 3 ft. So, if one seeker was inside, the other had to wait outside or perform seva in coordination in that small space. Despite these challenges, in the past 7 years, none of us ever collided with each other, dropped anything, or spilled food. Thanks to the work routines set by Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil and Her mere presence, everything was managed smoothly.
2B. Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil’s room was small, but She remained happy and content : Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil’s room was very small. We can imagine how much space would be left in Her 10 x 10 sq ft room with a bed of 4 x 6 sq ft. With this, there were 2 small cupboards (2 ft x 2 ft), but there was only about 1 foot of space to open them. There was barely space to stand to open the cupboards, and only one cupboard could be opened at a time. If one accidentally tried to open the doors of both cupboards, they would get stuck in between. However, despite all these constraints, we never heard Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil complain that the space was insufficient or that it was inconvenient.
2C. If Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil’s seat in the meeting room moved even a bit, it would get difficult for Her to get up; yet, She never complained : In the meeting room, there was a refrigerator by the main door, and beside it was Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil’s room. Her chair was placed right between the refrigerator and the room’s door. If Her chair was even slightly moved to the side, there would be difficulty in opening the refrigerator door or allowing others to go into Her room. She had to adjust Her chair many times in a day, but we never heard Her complain. In fact, She would get up on Her own and adjust Her chair without a word.
3. Miraculous nature of the Chennai Sevakendra
The meeting room in the Chennai Sevakendra was very small. All the sevas related to sending material for the Ashram were done in this room. Despite the small space, we were able to perform numerous tasks such as Ashram-related sevas, many tours, and meeting esteemed guests. From these experiences, we learnt first-hand how real Divine work takes place and how there are no limits to such work.
3A. There was never a lack of space to store large boxes of material meant for the Ashram : Many times, we would receive large boxes of items such as video equipment, items of worship, or other supplies for the Ashram. These boxes would sometimes be 8 to 12, and they used to be large. Since there was no space outside, we would place them under the dining table in the meeting room. Despite this, we never once thought that there’s no space left, or we couldn’t do anything now, etc. On the contrary, we would often think whether the space increases as the materials increase ! And in those moments, we would remember Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil’s words, “Expand your heart, and God will take care of everything”.
3B. Never felt inconvenienced when guests came to meet Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil : Many esteemed guests would come to meet Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil at the Chennai Sevakendra. If three guests came at the same time, we would have to stand near the kitchen door or by the door of Her room or sit on small bamboo mats. Yet, due to Her grace, we never felt like we were constantly adjusting or accommodating guests.
3C. Despite insufficient space to sleep, we never felt that way due to Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil’s grace : At night, two seekers would sleep near the dining table, one would sleep with his head touching the refrigerator and the feet under the table, and one seeker would sleep in the room. Despite the limited space, we never felt discomfort due to Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil’s grace. Instead, we would feel as if this Sevakendra was like a palace. Her words, “Expand your mind, and space won’t matter”, resonated with us constantly.
Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil never once let us feel that the Sevakendra was small or lacked space. Even though She was facing all these challenges, we never felt it in Her words or actions. Therefore, we too never felt any inconvenience.
3D. Even after long tours and carrying loads of material, we could arrange all materials in the Sevakendra within 10-15 minutes : Since the Chennai Sevakendra was very small, everything had a designated place. No matter how long the tour or the material we brought back, after unloading the vehicle, we would quickly put everything in its place within 10-15 minutes, all due to Shri Guru’s grace. We never ran out of space, nor did we ever say that there’s no room inside. This seemed like a miracle to us.
If God chooses to act, there are no limits. On the other hand, we often waste our time before starting work, thinking, ‘How will it happen ? What will happen ?’ From these experiences, I learnt how Divine work really takes place. An Avatar (Incarnation) has no limits of space because the entire Universe is theirs.
4. In the future, only three Gurus of Sanatan will be remembered by everyone, and their places
Just as in the Ramayana or Mahabharata, we read that ‘Shriram lived here, Shrikrishna lived here’, when we visit the respective places we feel deeply moved and say, ‘O’ ! Shriram lived here, or Shrikrishna lived here’. Sanatan’s seekers as well as many devout Hindus and well-wishers, have great love and respect for the three Gurus of Sanatan. In the future, we will hear people say, ‘Sachchidananda Parabrahman (Dr) Athavale stayed here, Shrisatshakti (Mrs) Binda Singbal stayed here, and Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Anjali Gadgil stayed here’. Later, only three Gurus of Sanatan will be remembered and thus, the places where they lived will remain in everyone’s memory forever.
5. Gratitude
Through the grace of the three Gurus, I was blessed to live at the Chennai Sevakendra and experience precious moments. I am deeply grateful to the three Gurus for giving me the opportunity to express these experiences, even in my broken words.
– Mr Snehal Manohar Raut (Spiritual level 62%), Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. (4.12.2023)
Spiritual experiences about the Sevakendra
1. Saints and seekers visiting Chennai Sevakendra and while leaving it, they felt as if they had visited a temple : This year Maharshi advised us – ‘Considering the current circumstances, you can now move the Sevakendra to Kanchipuram’. After finding a place in Kanchipuram, we decided to shift. While we were residing at the Chennai Sevakendra, we hadn’t realised its true significance. However, after we shifted, many Saints and seekers visited the place, and all of them had a beautiful spiritual experience. They reported feeling as if they had entered a temple upon entering the room of Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil.
The vibrations of energy and fragrance, which one typically experiences in the sanctum of a temple, were felt in that room as well. So far 5 Saints and 12 seekers have experienced this.
This is when we realised that despite the space being so small, we were never inconvenienced here. Even when a lot of material came in, it always got arranged perfectly. If we had looked at the Sevakendra only as a physical space, we would have encountered difficulties. But because of Shrichitshakti (Mrs) Gadgil’s presence, it had transformed into a temple. And when it became a temple, how could there be any obstacles ?
2. Increase in settlements near Chennai Sevakendra : Where there is a temple, settlements naturally come up around it. There are many temples, around which settlements were built later. The Deity of the temple doesn’t call the people, yet they are drawn to the place on their own. We experienced something similar with the Chennai Sevakendra. When we first moved there, there weren’t many shops or amenities nearby. But slowly, the population began to grow around it. Today, there is nothing that is not available here. All kinds of shops, vegetable vendors, banks, etc., are now available in its vicinity.
– Mr Snehal Manohar Raut (4.12.2023)