It will be interesting to know how this little Prayer Book was born. A Christian priest who knew Gujarati very well and was very friendly with Shri Mota, one day asked him – “ Just as we have our Bible, have you any one book which gives manifestations of the Almighty?”
Shri Mota replied—“Well, I will tell you tomorrow.” Then in a miraculous spiritual feat, Shri Mota sat for this whole night and wrote this Prayer Book—“Tuj Charne” – in Gujarati. The next day when they met, Shri Mota gave this Prayer Book to his friend, the Christian priest. He was overjoyed, when he read it.
Shri Hemantkumar Nilkanth, Shri Mota’s first and foremost devotee and a very close and affectionate elderly friend of mine, has very ably rendered “Tuj Charne” into English under the title “At Thy Lotus feet”. This is its fourth edition, which we are very happy to present to the reader. Besides this book, he has translated “Manane” of Shri Mota under the title “To The Mind” and his “Jivan Sangram” under the title “Life’s Struggle.” He has also translated “Parasleela” (Gujarati book written by Shri Indukumar Desai ably dipicting (depicting) life-incidents of Shri Mota) into English under the title of “Fragrance of a Saint.”
We record here our feeling of thankful appreciation to him for his significant service to Shri Mota’s literature.
Our sincere thanks are due to Shri Chimanlal Vallabhbhai Patel (Keriwala) (C. V. Patel) of WOLVER HAMPTON (ENGLAND), but for whose generous voluntary offer of meeting the entire publication expenses this edition would not have seen the light of day. We appreciate and thank him sincerely for this fine token of his love and appreciation for Shri Mota’s literature. We are quite sure that as in the past, this book will be an unfailing source of solace and strength to every aspirant of the spiritual path,
We are deeply grateful to Shrimati Jyotibahen S. Patel and Mr. H. D. Barai of Messrs. Light Publications for the prompt, efficient attention and service devotion. We are also deeply grateful to Shri Indukumar Desai who volunteered with sprit of service for the exacting task of proof the reading.
We would like to declare solemnly before our readers that anything which is earned either through the sale of this book or by any other source will be utilized for the uplift of the down-trodden people of distant small villages under our Special Scheme of Rural Development Programme.
HARI OM ASHRAM
NADIAD- SURAT
DATE: 20-6-1983