Unpredictable challenges and mysterious workings of Grace

by Shri Surendranath Jauhar, the founder of Delhi Ashram

Detailed plans and instructions for the construction of sri Aurobindo’s shrine were certainly received from the Mother. But it baffled me and made me most uneasy. I never had any knowledge or experience of such a delicate assignment.

Next morning when I was just washing and wiping the Meditation Hall which was my Sunday routine, a gentleman entered with devotion and a smiling face. It was a surprise. I embraced him and made him sit. He had come for the first time to the ashram. I asked him as to how he had come here. He spontaneously said that he had been longing to see me in my Ashram life, and just sat beside me in meditation with closed eyes.

He was a friend working in the Central Public Works Department. I always loved and respected him on account of his devotion to work, integrity and nobility. His name was Poonam Chand.

He continued sitting in the Meditation Hall with his body erect in meditation for over two hours. This surprised me further. When he came out of the meditation I asked him where he had learnt this art of meditation, as I could never imagine or conceive that a Government servant especially in the C. P. W. D. could be devoted to Tapasya, Mediation and Samadhi. He told me that he was doing meditation for several hours everyday in his house and he was a very early riser. I was so happy to know all this.

Now I told him that he had been sent by the Divine to solve my problem and showed him the plans and the drawings of the shrine which has been received from the Mother. He at once said that it was his job as he was responsible for executing all the marble monuments in Delhi. He assured me that he would take the responsibility and would execute the construction of the shrine from the beginning to the end. What a magic and miracle.

He took away all the plans and straight off called the proper people from Makana near Jaipur, Rajasthan, who were doing this kind of marble monument work and who were in his confidence and were completely under his influence. He gave them complete instructions and directions and settled all the charges, terms and time of delivery etc.

The arrangement was so perfect that within three months all the fabricated pieces for the complete shrine were received in the trucks along with the technicians to assemble the shrine on the spot. The shrine was assembled within a month under the direction and supervision of Rai Sahib Pooran Chand.

The cube in the centre was very heavy. This was lifted by a crane with the help of the expert and skilled labourers, who were arranged from the Supreme Court building under construction.

When the shrine was completely ready, just by chance I noticed that the symbols of Sri Aurobindo on all the four sides of the cube were wrongly carved. It shocked me seriously. Now the cube could not be lifted and the symbols could not be re-carved because the cube had gone two feet deep in the ground and strongly fixed in cement concrete. I felt that all the efforts had gone waste as the cube had in any case to be changed which was a difficult and terrible job. I could not reconcile myself as to how it could be done.

Next morning I explained this to Rai Sahib Pooran Chand and he comforted me and assured that the cube will be broken into pieces and dug out and the new cube with correct and authentic symbols will be got carved at Makrana again.

The distressed condition of my mind and the cry of my heart reached the Mother. Just at that time when we were discussing all this on the spot in animation, quite miraculously a lengthy telegram was received from the Mother saying that the Relics will be placed under the cube and not over the cube under the Lotus as was previously directed. Now all the anxiety and unhappiness was dissolved as the cube had in any case to be broken and taken out to place the Relics under the same.

The order and instructions for the new cube were given which was made again at Makrana with the correct symbols. The cube was received quite promptly and was placed in the Shrine with the Relics underneath.

With this, the second phase of the Divine Battle was over. But it looks that this battle is eternal till the consciousness undergoes a change.