Religious Experiences in America

THE LEGEND OF BAJI PRABHU DESHPANDE:
It was during the days post-the slaying of the goliath Jehadi giant Afzal Khan. (And this is a story by itself, where Shivaji was induced into a treacherous parley by the giant Khan, who in actuality had other ideas. The giant 7 foot plus Khan’s plan was to stab Shivaji in a bear hug paraded as a friendly embrace. But Shivaji was a clever and cautious warrior over and above his daring nature. He had worn an armour beneath his robes and worn tiger claws in his hands. And in that very embrace, he disembowelled the giant Khan by tearing his stomach to shreds and had his entrails hanging out. The goliath Jehadi screamed in terror and ran trying to hold his intestines from falling out of his bloody abdomen; so the legend goes)

Coming back to the post-Afzal-Khan slaying, Shivaji and his men created “NAAK-MEIN-DUM” on Aurangazeb’s powerful forces and harried and tormented them relentlessly with their ferocious guerilla tactics. Unleashing fierce counter-terrorism backed by good intelligence, the Marathas were a succor to all those suffering Hindu innocents on whom Aurangazeb’s jehadi army rained callous terror without respite like a never-ending nightmare. And it was during these days that Shivaji and his men had based themselves at the Panhala fort. The Jehadi army of Aurangazeb came to know of this and immediately laid siege to the fort under the able command of general Siddi Johar. The siege lasted for many months and Siddi Johar was getting increasingly successful in cutting off vital supplies to the Panhala fort and thereby forcing Shivaji’s hand. He had to get out of there and he had to get out soon.

So, on a rainy full moon night, Shivaji set out with a select band of men and they split up into two groups. One was a decoy that was led by a man called Shiva Navi, who resembled Shivaji very closely and the other led by Shivaj and this group also consisted the valiant Baji and other brave Marathas. Shiva Navi’s group served as the perfect bait as Siddi Johar’s alert troups who had gotten wind of the escape plan through their network of informers. The Jehadis captured Shiva Navi to their undiminished glee but were terribly enraged when they discovered the subterfuge that it was Nakli-Shivaji. The promptly beheaded Shiva Navi (This valiant sacrfice by Shiva Navi for his master brought some much needed valuable time for the escaping Maratha warriors) and the Mugals immediately set in hot pursuit of the Asli-Shivaji.

A TORRID CHASE:
A 4000 plus strong Jehadi Mugal army ignited the chase while Shivaji and his men had already set up an electrifying pace on their horses. (the very picturization of this scene is inspiring for any true Hindu patriot and this is very much the stuff of high voltage movies). The Maratha warriors tore through the rainy night as they burnt up the miles on their horse backs, pushing their steeds to the limit. And then the horses had reached exhaustion point, the sweat lathering of their backs as they reached the Ghod Kind pass (to be renamed as Pavan Kind by Shivaji), a narrow opening which could let in only a few men at a time.

THE TOWERING STAND OF A MIGHTY WARRIOR: THE BATTLE OF PAVAN-KIND
This is where the legend began and Baji Prabhu volunteered to hold the pursuing Jehadis at the pass with a select band of Marathas, so that Shivaji could proceed on to the safety of Vishalgad fort. A reluctant Shivaji proceeded with a heavy heart with the rest of the band. It was agreed that three cannon shots would be fired as a signal to Baji and his men that Shivaji and his group had reached their destination safe and sound.

And here at Ghod Kind the brave Marathas faught like caged tigers to their fabulous war cry: HAR HAR MAHADEV. It was a bloody battle by all accounts. Baji and his men were vastly outnumbered, almost 1:100 ratio by the hysterical Jehadis baying for their blood. The Jehadis, in turn, were relentless as they attacked the narrow pass in wave after frenzied wave. But Baji Prabhu in the vanguard was like a granite boulder. Wielding two huge and very heavy swords, one in each hand, he almost singlehandedly repulsed the waves, using his body as a wall to prevent the Jehadis from getting through. And he paid a heavy price indeed for this and very soon his body was crisscrossed by grave injuries: sword cuts, spear thrusts. At times it seemed that he would buckle in to his injuries and pass out but with iron will summoned from the very depths of his soul, he stood firm and kept on fighting. Baji would not quit till he had heard the cannon shots.

ESCAPE COMPLETE
After what seemed like an eternity to Baji and his Marathas, the much awaited cannon-shots boomed from the distant Vishalgad. It was almost dawn and Baji was still on his feet but barely and that too in mortal danger because of his wounds. With another cry of HAR HAR MAHADEV, Baji’s’ men cleared the pass, carrying their wounded leader with them. And then the valiant Baji Prabhu Deshpande passed away with a smile on his face, secure in the knowledge that Shivaji had reached Vishalgad and in the process forever glorifying the annals of Maratha history and Hindu Bharath.

GHOD-KIND RENAMED TO PAVAN-KIND: BAJI BECOMES A MARATHA MARTYR.
Shivaji was with heavy heart when he came to know about the death of Baji, a soul-tugging emotion that he would hold on for the rest of his life. In Baji’s honour, he renamed the Ghod-kind pass as Pavan-Kind (Pavan meaning pure, purified by the blood of this great Maratha Hindu martyr.) For the rest of his life, Shivaji would also act as the guardian for Baji’s children. To this day, many Maharashtrians make that sacred pilgrimage on foot between Panhala and Vishalgad,