Editor’s Note: We feature below a few selections from Champaklal’s book Prarthana ane Udgaro, translated into English from Gujarati under the title Prayers and Aspirations by Sudha and Don Fisher. This book was first published by Sri Aurobindo Society on 2nd February, 1992 (ISBN 81-7060-061-8), just a few months before Champaklal’s passing.
These selections not only express the poet’s “inner being’s utterances,” but also serve as important reminders for all sincere aspirants. Walking on the Sunlit Path shown by the Mother and Sri Aurobindo requires one to fully rely on and put all one’s trust in the Mother’s Grace.
But before the selections, we bring for our readers a short biographical note on Champaklal (February 2, 1903 – May 9, 1992) from the last couple of pages of the book. This, we believe, adds a greater charm and significance to the author’s deepest aspirations and prayers which have found expression in the verses we have selected.
Since the note was written by the translators before Champaklal’s passing, the present tense was used. To avoid any confusion, we have taken the liberty of changing that into past tense. A few minor formatting revisions are made for the sake of online reading.
About Champaklal
Champaklal was born on 2.2. 1903 in Patan, Gujarat, India. During his first visit to the Ashram in 1921, when he prostrated himself before Sri Aurobindo with his palms around his feet, he lay there for one full hour. Then Sri Aurobindo placed his hand on his head and blessed him. When he got up he felt that he had nothing more to do in his life. There was an evident sense of having arrived.
In 1923 when a devotee, Punamchand, was coming to the Ashram from Patan, Sri Aurobindo asked him to bring Champaklal along with him. So he had the rare grace of being chosen by the Master himself.
In his book Champaklal Speaks, he writes:
“I had aspired always to be able to spend all my time and all my energy in the service of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. This aspiration got fulfilled in a number of ways, often to my utter surprise.”
“You know I came here with the object of God-realisation. Here I found the stress on Transformation. Very soon, however, both receded and Service took hold of my being entirely.”
~ Champaklal Speaks (Third Edition), 2002, p. 52
And it is through dedicated and loving service that he achieved God-realisation and prepared for transformation.
He was the personal attendant and confidante of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. His simple, straightforward nature, his utter obedience, his thirst for perfection in every detail in whatever work he undertook, brought him very close to his gurus.
The Mother called him ‘my lion’. He was always alert in his service and saw to it that people did not unnecessarily disturb Her or waste Her precious time. Due to his adoration and physical proximity to his gurus, he naturally imbibed many of their traits and even physical expressions. His service blossomed him into a spiritual painter, writer and poet.
Soon after the Mother left her body, he kept voluntary “maun” (silence) and stopped talking. But being identified with the consciousness of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, he spontaneously projected Their presence. His travels all over India and to many countries in Asia, Europe and America made a tremendous impact on all who came in contact with him, and helped greatly the Mother’s work.
All this had been achieved silently through his personality which radiated more and more of spiritual lustre and love.
It was touching to see how deeply he could feel the sorrows of others and became a beautiful, luminous instrument for divine compassion, generosity, grace and tenderness to flow out from him. He was a living inspiring example of being the Mother’s true child.
Working with him was a joy. Even to be with him was to be flooded with spiritual vibrations which lift one and bring one closer to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo . His very existence was for them, his whole being was tuned to them, and his only concern was to do their Will alone every moment.
When told that this book should contain an introduction about the author, he smiled in his unique childlike manner and sang,
Come, come, come to our home,
Our home is at the Mother’s feet.
That reveals in a subtle way his purpose of writing these prayers through which he invites all to his residence – the Mother’s Feet – Her Consciousness.
Also read:
Champaklal – The Epitome of Self-giving
“This is not poetry, it is not song either, these are only my inner being’s utterances. I have not written them, the Supreme Mother and Lord have made me write them. Whatever I have had to say I have said in these lines.”
~ Champaklal
Without Thy Grace
Without the Supreme Mother’s and Lord’s will, (2)
Nothing ever happens in the whole universe. (2),
In vain carries man the burden on his head, (3)
Without Your Grace, nothing ever happens. (3)
Even Your constant remembrance
can only come by Your Grace, (3),
By Your Grace alone it comes.
Day and night is then lived only in Your presence, (4)
Only in Your presence, in Your presence only, (4)
Ma… Ma… Ma… Ma… in Your presence alone.
The Grace of the Gracious One
The Compassionate Mother’s Grace descended, (2)
At a tender age the Mother called me, (2)
Always had I yearned
for the Mother’s remembrance and service, (2)
And hoped for living a life in that manner.
I experienced then the boundless Grace
of the Gracious Mother, (2)
And felt it every moment, (3)
I experienced then the infinite Grace
of the Gracious Mother, (1)
And felt it continuously.
To help all was my heart’s tendency (3)
That service I offered at the Divine Mother’s and Lord’s Feet (4)
At Their Feet, at Their Feet, at Their Feet.
Ma… Ma… Ma… Ma….
O mind, repeat Thou the Mother’s name
This name makes all auspicious
And changes all that is undesired.
Whatever You Do
Whatever you do, do with full feeling and total interest,
Put all your heart and energy in it,
Do it with sincerity. (2)
Put all your force in it, put all your force in it. (2)
Whatever work comes your way,
whatever work may come your way,
Do it with sincerity, do it with transparency,
Do it with love, do it with love.
Whatever work comes your way,
whatever work may come your way, (2)
Submit it all to Her, (2)
Lay it at Her feet alone. (3)
Offer it all at Her feet, (3)
Place it all at Her feet, at Her feet.
Success or failure is Hers, is Hers alone (2)
What seems to us a failure
Is not a failure, is not a failure at all.
This is Compassionate Mother’s infinite Grace,
infinite Grace. (2)
Live this truth within, live within.
It will give you happiness, peace, bliss. (2)
The Compassionate Mother will grant you,
the Compassionate Mother will grant you.
The Compassionate Mother is showering Her Grace
Showering Her Grace all the time and always, (2)
She is showering Her Grace continuously.
Never forget this, forget it not.
This is the only way, one way alone,
For obtaining joy, peace and bliss. (2)
Do not seek hither and thither in vain, don’t look in vain (2)
Take refuge at the Mother’s feet, at Her feet alone, (5)
Ma… Ma… Ma… Ma…
Take refuge in the Mother, only in Her, (5)
In Her alone, (2)
Ma… Ma… Ma… Ma… Ma… Ma… Ma…
Seek refuge in the Mother alone.
Full Grace
With examples and arguments,
all these secrets cannot be understood,
Can’t be understood, these secrets cannot be understood, (2)
Even with a lot of discussions, nothing happens,
Nothing happens,
Nothing at all is understood, nothing at all is understood.
Nothing happens, nothing happens,
Despite much reading and reflection
Nothing happens, nothing happens,
Nothing comes, nothing comes.
When the full Grace descends, then alone the
understanding comes,
Then only everything comes, everything comes.
Gracious Mother, Gracious Mother, Gracious Mother,
Shower Your Grace, day and night shower Your Grace,
Day and night shower Your Grace.
Day and Night Grace
It is shaping me, I am being shaped, (2)
It is guiding me, I am being guided, (2)
It is making me fly, I am flying, (2)
Higher and higher, higher and higher, (2)
The sky is rumbling, the sky is rumbling, (3)
The inner being is resounding,
the inner being is resounding,
The inner being is dancing, the inner being is dancing, (2)
That which is unbelievable, (3)
Is always happening. (2)
Everywhere, everywhere, Your Force is experienced, (2)
Is experienced.
There is experience of Your Grace alone on all (2)
Abundant Grace is pouring, (2)
Is being poured, is being poured, (2)
By Thy Grace alone, this experience
Becomes concrete, becomes concrete, becomes concrete. (2)
O …Ma, O …Ma, O …Ma, O …Ma,
Be gracious, be gracious, (3)
Day and night be gracious, day and night be gracious.
O …Ma, O …Ma, O …Ma, O …Ma,
Day and night be gracious. (2)
Mother’s Message for Champaklal on his birthday in 1964
Champaklal, my dear child
A big step has been taken, a great change has taken place, the presence of your Soul is clearly felt not only in what you do—which is steadily progressing—but in what you are.
This is a decisive year for you, heralding the realisation. With my love and blessings.
2 February 1964, CWM, Vol. 18, p. 198
