A Remembrance

This is the letter I wrote last year when my Maternal Grandfather Passed away... Now when a year passed after he left us... I am posting this letter so that This Tribute to him will always be remembered...

Jai Shree Krishna….                                                                                                           13^th April ‘11

Dear Mamajis,

The moment I heard the sad demise of Nanaji the world stood still. Never in my wildest dream had I ever thought about it. That time I decided that I will write his memories with me to share my sorrow with you….

In the loving memory of Pujya and Priya Nanaji,

“Karmanye vadhikaraste maa faleshu kadachana”

He was the man who followed and taught this custom whole of his life to everyone. A man who had ‘Narayan’ not only in his name but also in his living.

Some things have always made home in my mind. His words have always inspired me every time I talked to him in person or on phone. But I never thanked him for it, but today I understand what I missed. He was always an experimenter and a great human being. Whenever I met him, he called me “Shubham seth Mundada”. I myself have tried to pronounce it in his style, but never got it right; he had his own way after all. Sadly I would never hear such words anymore. I will always have that emptiness in my name and in me.

On phone whenever I called and said pranam he blessed with only one blessing ‘mauj karo’. And that is what we always did under his supervision. We lived very well with him.

Every time he had something new to share, every time a new story about his past, he always had a moral in his words. But it seems that I have lost that ocean of knowledge and experience with him. One life is not enough to follow his lessons. He really was a friend, philosopher and a guide to everyone.

My mentor Dr. Navneetji Toshniwal never calls me Shubham, he always calls my ‘Bihaniji’. He said that I resemble to my Nanaji in many ways, his speaking accent, his sitting style, his way of interpreting things. But I never dared to compare myself to such a great person, whose greatness I now know after he passed away. I would serve the purpose of my birth even if I be equal to an ounce of him.

I was around 3 years old when my grandfather Shri. Satyanarayanji Mundada passed away. I barely knew him. But since then I have aways seen Raja in Nanaji, that had I had my grandfather with me, he would be just like how my Nanaji is with his grandchildren. This was one of the reason I often visited sailu. But day before yesterday, I lost both my Nanaji and Dadaji together.

I have more often seen him in my mother’s teachings. Not a year back he spoke to me a very important thing that I will cherish all my life. “He said that never bring hatred for your parents for even a moment, because they have always given you the 100% of what they could have. They have given you this life that’s the real gift. If something is wrong it means that you were unable to learn from your parents.” Such a simple thing but so hard to understand.

He was always very anxious if I got my choice of food whenever I visited sailu. “maal-taal banao re” but henceforth I would lack that kind essence in every food.

I know it is not possible to write down everything about him, he was way beyond the boundaries of words. I cannot console anyone because I myself am under grief. But yes through this small remembrance I can share my sorrow with you all. Take care is what I can just write; you all are elders than me, not only in age but also in understanding.  Forgive if I said something outside my capacity. Now it’s you where I see him. I hope my voice reaches to him.

Pranam to Naniji, both Mamaji and Mamiji, my very dear Avi Bhaiya-Bhabhi and Madhu Bhaiya-Bhabhi. and Jai Shree Krishna to Gaurav, Dhannu and Palak. May he be with us all…


Shubham G. Mundada