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http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/maharshi-valmiki/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/maharshi-valmiki/#comments Tue, 15 Oct 2013 05:05:16 +0000 admin Articles Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=6377 Maharshi Valmiki, the author of the great Indian epic Ramayana, was a Hindu sage who lived around the beginning of the first millennium B.C. He is referred to as the ‘adikavi’, the original creator of the Hindu ‘sloka’ – a verse form in which most of the great epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, and […]

Maharshi Valmiki, the author of the great Indian epic Ramayana , was a Hindu sage who lived around the beginning of the first millennium B.C. He is referred to as the ‘adikavi’, the original creator of the Hindu ‘sloka’ – a verse form in which most of the great epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas , and other works are composed.

How Valmiki Got His Name

He was a Brahman by birth belonging to the lineage of Bhrigu. Fate consigned him to a family of robbers which brought him up. Accidental contact with the Saptarsis – the Seven Sages and with the sage Narada changed his life. By the repetition of Ramanama or the name of Ram, he attained the supreme state of a ‘maharshi’ or great sage. Since a ‘valmika’ or an anthill had grown over his body during his long period of austerities and poised state of penance, he came to be known as Valmiki.

The Epic Vision

When the mythical sage Narada came to his hermitage, Valmiki who received him with due honor, posed a question – who was an ideal man? The reply came from Narada in the form of Samkshepa Ramayana which formed the foundation on which the magnificent 24,000 verse edifice was built by Valmiki. Then, immersed deep into this story, Valmiki left for the river Tamasa with his disciple Bharadwaj. The pleasant and placid river reminded the seer of the mature and modest quality of his hero. He visualized a pure and pious man’s mind reflected in the deep waters. In the next instant he witnessed a heartless hunter mercilessly killing a male bird that was in love with its mate. The piteous wailing of the distressed female moved the heart of the sage so much that he spontaneously uttered a curse on the hunter. However, this curse came out of his mouth in the form of a ‘sloka’, a perfectly metrical composition, which surprised the sage himself: “No – You shall not command any respect in society for a long time as you have shot dead an innocent bird engrossed in love”. The sage had turned into a poet.

Lord Brahma’s Command

His powerful emotions found equally powerful medium for their manifestation. It was a spontaneous outburst of his inner voice motivated by divine will. When he returned to his hermitage, Brahma (the fourfaced God, the creator), appeared to him and commanded him to compose an epic poem on the story of Ram as he had heard it from the great sage Narada, in his newly discovered metre. He also gave him the boon of the visions of all the incidents and the revelation of all the secrets connected with the story. Accordingly, Valmiki composed the epic, named it The Ramayana – the way or the conduct or the lifestory of Ram – the story of Ram’s march in search of truth and righteousness.

A contemporary of the heroes of the Ramayana, Maharshi Valmiki gives very little information about himself since he was a sage who had completely dedicated his life to contemplation on God and service to humanity. History has no account of his life except that he figures briefly and modestly on two occasions in the course of the epic he wrote:

Valmiki’s Cameo in Ramayana

He is one of the first sages whose hermitage Ram visits along with his wife and brother on his way to Chitrakoot after leaving Ayuodhya. Valmiki welcomes them with love, affection and reverence and utters just one word ‘asyatam’ (be seated). He feels honored when Ram accepts his request and sits a while.

The other occasion is when Ram banishes Sita, it is Valmiki that shelters her and rears up her twin sons Luv and Kush. When they recite the epic poem in his royal court, Ram invites Valmiki and requests him to bring Sita along so she can prove her chastity before the elders and sages. Valmiki is offended yet keeps his composure and says Sita would comply with Ram’s wishes for he is her husband. While presenting Sita in the Mandapa (prayer hall) Valmiki utters words that highlight the penance and perseverance which Valmiki practiced his entire life.

In His Own Words

“I am the tenth son of the sage Prachetas. You belong to the great dynasty of Raghu. I do not remember to have uttered any lie so far in my life. I say that these two boys are your sons. I performed penance for thousands of years. I shall not accept the fruit of all my penance if there is any blemish in Maithili (Sita). I never entertained any ignoble thought, I never wronged any person, and I never spoke any vulgar word – I shall derive the benefit thereof only if Maithili is void of sin.”

A True Sage

Valmiki was truly a Maharshi. I Panduranga Rao describes Valmiki in these words: “He was purity, penance, benevolence and meditation personified and the sole object of his dedication and contemplation was Man, a man leaves his selfish existence and lives for others identifying himself with the composite culture of the cosmic creation.” The only work available of the great sage-poet, The Ramayana, has established the poet’s timeless fame.

Valmiki Jayanti is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Maharshi Valmiki is worshipped and prayed on this day. Shobha yatras, meetings and distribution of free food is arranged in many places. Many devotees also take out processions in honor of Maharshi Valmiki, and offer prayers to his portrait.
There are many Valmiki temples in India, Which are beautifully decorated with flowers and prayers are offered in them, number of incense being lighted fill the atmosphere with purity and happiness. Many devotees go to Lord Rama temples and recite verses from Ramayana in memory of Maharshi Valmiki.
Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. It provides the people of Rajasthan a respite from the monotony of daily life. The festival is not all about fun and frolic. This festival also has a great religious significance as well. Vaklmiki holds a significant position in Hindu mythology. He is Pracheta’s tenth baby. Moreover, he is believed to the author of Ramayana, the famous epic. This religious significance lends even more importance to the celebration of Maharishi Valmiki’s birthday.

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/sri-ramakrishna-paramhansa-short-biography/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/sri-ramakrishna-paramhansa-short-biography/#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:43:09 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=5870 Sri Ramakrishna was born on 18 February 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur about sixty miles northwest of Kolkata. His parents, Kshudiram Chattopadhyaya and Chandramani Devi, were poor but very pious and virtuous. As a child, Ramakrishna (his childhood name was Gadadhar) was dearly loved by the villagers. From early days, he was disinclined […]

Sri Ramakrishna was born on 18 February 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur about sixty miles northwest of Kolkata. His parents, Kshudiram Chattopadhyaya and Chandramani Devi, were poor but very pious and virtuous. As a child, Ramakrishna (his childhood name was Gadadhar) was dearly loved by the villagers. From early days, he was disinclined towards formal education and worldly affairs. He was, however, a talented boy, and could sing and paint well. He was fond of serving holy men and listening to their discourses. He was also very often found to be absorbed in spiritual moods. At the age of six, he experienced the first ecstasy while watching a flight of white cranes moving against the background of black clouds. This tendency to enter into ecstasy intensified with age. His father’s death when he was seven years old served only to deepen his introspection and increase his detachment from the world.

When Sri Ramakrishna was sixteen, his brother Ramkumar took him to Kolkata to assist him in his priestly profession. In 1855 the Kali Temple at Dakshineswar built by Rani Rasmani was consecrated and Ramkumar became the chief priest in that temple. When he died a few months later, Ramakrishna was appointed the priest. Ramakrishna developed intense devotion to Mother Kali and spent hours in loving adoration of her image, forgetting the rituals of priestly duties. His intense longing culminated in the vision of Mother Kali as boundless effulgence engulfing everything around him.

Sri Ramakrishna’s God-intoxicated state alarmed his relatives in Kamarpukur and they got him married to Saradamani, a girl from the neighbouring village of Jayrambati. Unaffected by the marriage, Sri Ramakrishna plunged into even more intense spiritual practices. Impelled by a strong inner urge to experience different aspects of God he followed, with the help of a series of Gurus, the various paths described in the Hindu scriptures, and realized God through each of them. The first teacher to appear at Dakshineswar (in 1861) was a remarkable woman known as Bhairavi Brahmani who was an advanced spiritual adept, well versed in scriptures. With her help Sri Ramakrishna practised various difficult disciplines of the Tantrik path, and attained success in all of them. Three years later came a wandering monk by name Totapuri, under whose guidance Sri Ramakrishna attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the highest spiritual experience mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. He remained in that state of non-dual existence for six months without the least awareness of even his own body. In this way, Sri Ramakrishna relived the entire range of spiritual experiences of more than three thousand years of Hindu religion.

With his unquenchable thirst for God, Sri Ramakrishna broke the frontiers of Hinduism, glided through the paths of Islam and Christianity, and attained the highest realization through each of them in a short span of time. He looked upon Jesus and Buddha as incarnations of God, and venerated the ten Sikh Gurus. He expressed the quintessence of his twelve-year-long spiritual realizations in a simple dictum: Yato mat, tato path “As many faiths, so many paths.” He now habitually lived in an exalted state of consciousness in which he saw God in all beings.

In 1872, his wife Sarada, now nineteen years old, came from the village to meet him. He received her cordially, and taught her how to attend to household duties and at the same time lead an intensely spiritual life. One night he worshipped her as the Divine Mother in his room at the Dakshineswar temple. Although Sarada continued to stay with him, they lived immaculately pure lives, and their marital relationship was purely spiritual. It should be mentioned here that Sri Ramakrishna had been ordained a Sannyasin (Hindu monk), and he observed the basic vows of a monk to perfection. But outwardly he lived like a lay man, humble, loving and with childlike simplicity. During Sri Ramakrishna’s stay at Dakshineswar, Rani Rasmani first acted as his patron. After her death, her son-in-law Mathur Nath Biswas took care of his needs.

Sri Ramakrishna’s name as an illumined saint began to spread. Mathur once convened an assembly of scholars, and they declared him to be not an ordinary human being but the Avatar of the Modern Age. In those days the socio-religious movement known as Brahmo Samaj, founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, was at the height of popularity in Bengal. Sri Ramakrishna came into contact with several leaders and members of Brahmo Samaj and exerted much influence on them. His teaching on harmony of religions attracted people belonging to different denominations, and Dakshineswar became a veritable Parliament of Religions.

As bees swarm around a fully blossomed flower, devotees now started coming to Sri Ramakrishna. He divided them into two categories. The first one consisted of householders. He taught them how to realize God while living in the world and discharging their family duties. The other more important category was a band of educated youths, mostly from the middle class families of Bengal, whom he trained to become monks and to be the torchbearers of his message to mankind. The foremost among them was Narendranath, who years later, as Swami Vivekananda, carried the universal message of Vedanta to different parts of the world, revitalized Hinduism, and awakened the soul of India.

Sri Ramakrishna did not write any book, nor did he deliver public lectures. Instead, he chose to speak in a simple language using parables and metaphors by way of illustration, drawn from the observation of nature and ordinary things of daily use. His conversations were charming and attracted the cultural elite of Bengal. These conversations were noted down by his disciple Mahendranath Gupta who published them in the form of a book, Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita in Bengali. Its English rendering, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, was released in 1942; it continues to be increasingly popular to this day on account of its universal appeal and relevance.

The intensity of his spiritual life and untiring spiritual ministration to the endless stream of seekers told on Sri Ramakrishna’s health. He developed cancer of the throat in 1885. He was shifted to a spacious suburban villa where his young disciples nursed him day and night. He instilled in them love for one another, and thus laid the foundation for the future monastic brotherhood known as Ramakrishna Math. In the small hours of 16 August 1886 Sri Ramakrishna gave up his physical body, uttering the name of the Divine Mother, and passed into Eternity.

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/tulasidas-goswami-author-of-the-great-ramacharita-manasa/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/tulasidas-goswami-author-of-the-great-ramacharita-manasa/#comments Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:50:58 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=5111 Tulsidas (also known as Goswami Tulsidas) was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama. A composer of several popular works, he is best known for being the author of the epic Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana in the vernacular Awadhi. Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime […]

Tulsidas (also known as Goswami Tulsidas) was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the god Rama. A composer of several popular works, he is best known for being the author of the epic Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana in the vernacular Awadhi. Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation of Valmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit. He is also considered to be the composer of the Hanuman Chalisa, a popular devotional hymn dedicated to Hanuman, the divine monkey helper and devotee of Rama. Tulsidas lived permanently and died in the city of Varanasi. The Tulsi Ghat in Varnasi is named after him. He founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of Hanuman.Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana. He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature. The impact of Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread and is seen to date in vernacular language, Ramlila plays, Hindustani classical music, popular music, and television series.

Tulsidas was born on the seventh day of the bright half of the lunar Hindu month Shraavana (July–August). Although as many as seven places are mentioned as his birth-place, most scholars identify the place with Rajapur (Chitrakuta), a village on the banks of the Yamuna river in modern-day Uttar Pradesh. His parents were Hulsi and Atmaram Dubey. Most sources identify him as a Saryupareen Brahmin of the Parashar Gotra (lineage), although some sources claim he was a Kanyakubja or Sanadhya Brahmin.

There is difference of opinion among biographers regarding the year of birth of Tulsidas. Many sources rely on Veni Madhav Das’ account in the Mula Gosain Charita, which gives the year of Tulsidas’ birth as Vikrami Samvat 1554 (1497 CE).These sources include Shivlal Pathak, popular editions of Ramcharitmanas (Gita Press, Naval Kishore Press and Venkateshvar Press), Edwin Greaves, Hanuman Prasad Poddar, Ramanand Sarasvati, Ayodhyanath Sharma, Ramchandra Shukla, Narayandas, and Rambhadracharya. A second group of biographers led by Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras and Sir George Grierson give the year as Vikram 1589 (1532 CE). These biographers include Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, Ramghulam Dwivedi, James Lochtefeld, Swami Sivananda and others. A third small group of authors which includes H. H. Wilson, Garse De Tasse and Krishnadatta Mishra gives the year as Vikram 1600 (1543 CE).

The year 1497 appears in most current-day biographies and in popular culture. Biographers who disagree with this year argue that it makes the life span of Tulsidas equal 126 years, which in their opinion is unlikely if not impossible. In contrast, Ramchandra Shukla says that an age of 126 is not impossible for Mahatmas (great souls) like Tulsidas. The Government of India and provincial governments celebrated the 500th birth anniversary of Tulsidas in the year 1997 CE, according to the year of Tulsidas’ birth in popular culture.

Legend goes that Tulsidas was born after staying in the womb for 12 months, he had all 32 teeth in his mouth at birth, his health and looks were like that of a five-year old boy, and he did not cry at the time of his birth but uttered Rama instead. He was therefore named Rambola (literally, he who uttered Rama), as Tulsidas himself states in Vinayapatrika. As per the Mula Gosain Charita, he was born under the Abhuktamula constellation, which according to Jyotisha (Hindu astrology) causes immediate danger to the life of the father. Due to the inauspicious events at the time of his birth, he was abandoned by his parents on the fourth night, sent away with Chuniya (some sources call her Muniya), a female servant of Hulsi. In his works Kavitavali and Vinayapatrika, Tulsidas attests to his parents abandoning him after birth due to an inauspicious astrological configuration.

Chuniya took the child to her village of Haripur and looked after him for five and a half years after which she died. Rambola was left to fend for himself as an impoverished orphan, and wandered from door to door begging for alms. It is believed that the goddess Parvati assumed the form of a Brahmin woman and fed Rambola every day.

According to the Mula Gosain Charita and some other works, Tulsidas was married to Ratnavali on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the Jyeshta month (May–June) in Vikram 1583 (1526 CE). Ratnavali was the daughter of Dinbandhu Pathak, a Brahmin of the Bharadwaja Gotra, who belonged to Mahewa village of Kaushambi district.They had a son named Tarak who died as a toddler. Once when Tulsidas had gone to a Hanuman temple, Ratnavali went to her father’s home with her brother. When Tulsidas came to know this, he swam across the Yamuna river in the night to meet his wife. Ratnavali chided Tulsidas for this, and remarked that if Tulsidas was even half as devoted to God as he was to her body of flesh and blood, he would have been redeemed. Tulsidas left her instantly and left for the holy city of Prayag. Here, he renounced the Grihastha (householder’s life) stage and became a Sadhu (Hindu ascetic).

Some authors consider the marriage episode of Tulsidas to be a later interpolation and maintain that he was a bachelor.They include Rambhadracharya, who interprets two verses in the Vinayapatrika and Hanuman Bahuka to mean that Tulsidas never married and was a Sadhu from childhood.

Tulsidas started composing poetry in Sanskrit in Varanasi on the Prahlada Ghat. Tradition holds that all the verses that he composed during the day, would get lost in the night. This happened daily for eight days. On the eighth night, Shiva – whose famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located in Varanasi – is believed to have ordered Tulsidas in a dream to compose poetry in the vernacular instead of Sanskrit. Tulsidas woke up and saw both Shiva and Parvati who blessed him. Shiva ordered Tulsidas to go to Ayodhya and compose poetry in Awadhi. Shiva also predicted that Tulsidas’ poetry would fructify like the Sama Veda. In the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas hints at having the Darshan of Shiva and Parvati in both dream and awakened state.

In the year Vikram 1631 (1575 CE), Tulsidas started composing the Ramcharitmanas in Ayodhya on Tuesday, Ramnavami day (ninth day of the bright half of the Chaitra month, which is the birthday of Rama). Tulsidas himself attests this date in the Ramcharitmanas. He composed the epic over two years, seven months and twenty-six days, and completed the work in Vikram 1633 (1577 CE) on the Vivaha Panchami day (fifth day of the bright half of the Margashirsha month, which commenrates the wedding of Rama and his wife Sita).

Tulsidas came to Varanasi and recited the Ramcharitmanas to Shiva (Vishwanath) and Parvati (Annapurna) at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. A popular legend goes that the Brahmins of Varanasi, who were critical of Tulsidas for having rendered the Sanskrit Ramayana in the vernacular, decided to test the worth of the work. A manuscript of the Ramcharitmanas was kept at the bottom of pile of Sanskrit scriptures in the sanctum sanctorum of the Vishvanath temple in the night, and the doors of the sanctum sanctorum were locked. In the morning when the doors were opened, the Ramcharitmanas was found at the top of the pile. The words “Satyam Shivam Sundara” (literally “truth, auspiciousness, beauty”) were inscribed on the manuscript with the signature of Shiva. The words were also heard by the people present.

Per traditional accounts, some Brahmins of Varanasi were still not satisfied, and sent two thieves to steal the manuscript. The thieves tried to break into the Ashram of Tulsidas, but were confronted by two guards with bows and arrows, of dark and fair complexion. The thieves had a change of heart and came to Tulsidas in the morning to ask who the two guards were. Believing that the two guards could be none other than Rama and Lakshmana, Tulsidas was aggrieved to know that they were guarding his home at night. He sent the manuscript of Ramcahritmanas to his friend Rai Todar Mal, the finance minister of Akbar, and donated all his money. The thieves were reformed and became devotees of Rama.

A criminal used to beg everyday with the call: ‘For the love of Ram, give me—a murderer—alms.’ Hearing the name of Ram, the delighted Tulsidas would cheerfully take him inside his house and give him food. This behaviour of Tulsi infuriated the orthodox brahmanas, who demanded an explanation. Tulsidas told them that the name ‘Ram’ had absolved the person concerned of all his offences. This attitude of Tulsi incensed the people further. In a fit of anger, they demanded that if the stone image of Nandi—the sacred bull in the temple of Shiva—would eat out of the hands of that murderer, then they would accept that he had been purified. A day was selected for this ritual, and to the consternation of the people, the Nandi image actually ate from the murderer’s hands. The brahmanas were thus compelled to eat humble pie. However, this did not settle matters. This event increased Tulsidas’s popularity even more and enraged the already defeated people afresh, triggering off more attacks and assaults. The troubled Tulsidas then turned to Hanuman for help. Hanuman appeared to him in a dream and asked him to appeal to Sri Ram. Thus was the Vinay-patrika born. It is a petition in the court of King Ram. Ganesh, Surya, Ganga, Yamuna, and others are propitiated first, just as the courtiers would be approached first. Then follows wonderful poetry soaked in bhakti:

He Hari! Kas na harahu bhram bhari; Jadyapi mrisha satya bhasai jabalagi nahin kripa tumhari.

O Hari, why do you not remove this heavy illusion of mine (that I see the world as real)? Even though the samsara is unreal, as long as your grace does not descend, it appears to be real.

Towards the end of his life Tulsidas suffered from very painful boils that affected his arms. At this time he wrote the Hanuman Bahuk, which begins with a verse in praise of Hanuman’s strength, glory, and virtue, and is followed by a prayer to relieve him of his unbearable arm pain. The disease was cured. He passed away in 1623 (1623 CE) at Asighat, Varanasi. One interesting incident in Tulsidas’s life is quite representative of his teachings. Once a woman, who happened to stay behind after Tulsidas had delivered a discourse, remarked during the course of conversation that her nose-ring had been given to her by her husband. Tulsidas immediately directed her mind deeper saying: ‘I understand that your husband has given you this lovely nose-ring, but who has given you this beautiful face?’

Ramacharitamanas (1574–1576), literally The Holy Lake of Acts of Rama, is the Awadhi rendering of the Ramayana narrative.
Dohavali (1581), literally Collection of Dohas, is a work consisting of 573 miscellaneous Doha and Sortha verses mainly in Braja with some verses in Awadhi.
Kavitavali or Kavitta Ramayan (1608–1614), literally Collection of Kavittas, is a Braja rendering of the Ramayana, composed entirely in metres of the Kavitta family – Kavitta, Savaiya, Ghanakshari and Chhappaya.
Gitavali, literally Collection of Songs, is a Braja rendering of the Ramayana in songs.
Krishna Gitavali or Krishnavali (1607), literally Collection of Songs to Krishna, is a collection of 61 songs in honor of Krishna in Braja.
Vinaya Patrika, literally Petition of Humility, is a Braja work consisting of 279 stanzas or hymns.

Barvai Ramayana (1612), literally The Ramayana in Barvai metre, is an abridged rendering of the Ramayana in Awadhi.
Parvati Mangal, literally The marriage of Parvati, is an Awadhi work of 164 verses describing the penance of Parvati and the marriage of Parvati and Shiva.
Janaki Mangal, literally The marriage of Sita, is an Awadhi work of 216 verses describing the episode of marriage of Sita and Rama from the Ramayana.
Ramalala Nahachhu, literally The Nahachhu ceremony of the child Rama, is an Awadhi work of 20 verses composed in the Sohar metre.
Ramagya Prashna, literally Querying the Will of Rama, is an Awadhi work related to both Ramayana and Jyotisha (astology).
Vairagya Sandipini (1612), literally Kindling of Detachment, is a philosophical work of 60 verses in Braja which describe the state of Jnana (realization) and Vairagya (dispassion), the nature and greatness of saints, and moral conduct.

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/sridhara-swamiji/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/sridhara-swamiji/#comments Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:13:25 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=4915 Swamiji’s father Narayanrao Deglurkar (Patki) and mother Mrs. Kamalabai Deglurkar were from Deglur, a taluka place in Maharashtra. They had 3 children, Trimbak, Godavari and Renuka. Govind died at an early age. The Deglurkar family was cursed by one Bramhan in the disguise of a cobra who was protecting them and was killed […]

A woman residing in the adjacent room was listening to this and highly impressed she told her husband Krishnmurty who was also very much a spiritual man to go to Swamiji and get his doubts cleared. He went to Swamiji and put in front of him The Bible, some Hindu religious books and asked some of his queries. Swamiji solved them immediately. Krishnamurty was very pleased. That night he had a Drushtant of his Guru Shree Raghvendra Swami of Mantralaya, who told him that Swamiji and he were the same and Krishnmurty should perform Swamiji’s seva, considering that he was serving Shree Raghvendra Swami himself. Swamiji by now had become very weak and was sleeping on the floor as he always did, but by now the rainy season had started and the floor was very damp and cold. Krishnmurty after the Drushtant went to Swamiji, told it and prayed him to accept his seva. Swamiji agreed and then Krishnmurty hired another very good room, the rent of which he paid for, for Swamiji. But Swamiji refused his offer of sleeping on a cot, so reluctantly he made a makeshift bed of rice plants on which Swamiji slept. Krishnmurty and his wife did all possible seva of Swamiji. Swamiji was on practically only water for 41 days! He just couldn’t eat anything else. After 41 days he started getting relief from his fever and also started eating a little amount fruits. During these days despite fever he never departed from his daily sadhana! He had now become well known in the town as everyone knew about the Drushtant to Krishnmurty and it was nothing but a miracle for them that a man could survive only on water for 41 days, so lot of people visited him and wanted to listen to him. As was Swamiji’s nature he never disappointed anyone. Some so called pundits from the town decided to test Swamiji and paid a visit, but as they saw him they realized their mistake and just offered sashtaang namaskaar and went away! Some of them used to bring milk and fruits for Swamiji afterwards.
A fter a month Krishnmurty himself took ill and his illness in no time assumed serious proportions. Even the doctors lost all the hopes. Swamiji being the kindest hearted person could never tolerate anyone’s agony except his own! He prayed Bhagwan Ram and went to Krishnmurty who the night before had the Drushtant of Shree Raghvendra Swami and Bhagwan Ram telling him that as he had served Swamiji he would be unharmed. When he saw Swamiji coming to him he was overjoyed. Swamiji just gave him aashirwad caressed him and told him that his seva had been accepted by the God and he will start feeling better from that day onwards. He really felt better right from that moment and became perfectly normal in very few days. Krishnmurty was transferred to Shimoga, and repeatedly requested Swamiji to come along, but following his old dictum he refused. In Sagar itself there was a rich man Venkatgiriappa who assured Krishnmurty that he would care for Swamiji, which Swamiji accepted. The fact was Venkat was a disciple of Shree Shivanand Swami, who had written him to bring Swamiji to his home and offer seva to him as he would for Shree Shivanand Swami! Venkat himself had reached a long distance on the spiritual path following his Guru’s orders to the core. He started Swamiji’s seva sparing nothing. He even used to feed Swamiji as Swamiji had been rendered terribly weak. Day and night Venkat did everything possible for Swamiji. Swamiji, knowing his devotion and authority stayed for 4 months at his place. Never before Swamiji had stayed, for this long at anybody’s. Now according to his dictum he decided to leave, but Venkat wouldn’t budge. So one night at 3 am Swamiji, sensing that all are asleep started to leave, but was seen by one of the clerks of Venkat who repeatedly cried and requested him not to go. Swamiji’s reply was simple, The God who has taken so much care of me here will do so anywhere, so don’t worry. My aashirwad is always with you. Tell Venkat this and ask him not to grieve. I am always with you and then he left. At Venkat’s home he was served by all but amongst those who served him absolutely wholeheartedly were Ganpati and Gopal Mrutguppe and Narayan Hegde. They were blessed by Swamiji. Afterwards they spread his preaching in this area a lot. Ganpati was chiefly responsible for raising and constantly improving the Varadpura aashram (A synonym for the place where great Saints live).
H e went to a Math where one Swami was staying. He had a bad temper and therefore none stayed with him. Swamiji decided to stay there to pacify him and stayed there for some months doing all the seva and at the same time not insulting the Swami even though he many times abused him. But looking at the way Swamiji maintained his demeanor in any situation this Swami also started curbing his anger. Swamiji’s job done, he now wanted to leave. The Swami wanted to visit some of his disciples and Swamiji asked if he could accompany him, to which he said yes. So off they went. On the way they met Anantappa, a disciple of Shree Shivanand who had told him about Swamiji. At the same time one family was keen to serve the Swami, taking this opportunity Swamiji started for Kodsadri.
O n the way to Kodsadri in the night, Swamiji was sitting under a tree in the dense forest. He felt something cold and slimy brushing his bare back. It was a Tiger! Swamiji was unmoved and thought that Shree Samarth was caring for him and preventing other animals from troubling him by sending the King of them to look after him! Such was his extreme faith in Shree Samarth. In the morning he reached a place called Chitramool. Here Shreemad Adya Shankaracharya had done his sadhana and was blessed by the Goddess Jagadamba in the 7 ^th century AD. There is a cave in which not only is Lord Ganesha (The elephant God) but it is said and many have experienced that great Saints of yesteryears also reside there. It is thus one of the most sacred places for the Hindus.
S wamiji decided that this was a very good place for his further sadhana and started it. For many days he drank only water and didn’t eat anything, so engrossed was he in the sadhana. One day a man came from nowhere and offered him some nuts and requested him to eat that. He did his sadhana for some months there and was highly pleased with the way things were going.
T he Swami of Sampekatti whom Swamiji had left now was craving for him as he had a Drushtant that if Swamiji again came to his Math, it will prosper. Swamiji knew his wish by intuition and met him but didn’t stay long there despite repeated requests. He then pushed off towards Banwasi where Shree Shivanand Swami’s disciple Shree Shankaranand was staying, who requested him to do his further sadhana there as he would like the total solitude there and there was a temple of a Goddess nearby also. Swamiji agreed and started his sadhana and seva. Here again he was touched by a poisonous serpent without doing any harm and Swamiji in fact caressed him! Suddenly Shree Shivanand sent a message that both of them should come to him at Shigehalli as he had decided to leave his mortal body. After they reached Shree Shivanand sat in samadhi and prepared to leave his body, but right then his Guru Shree Paramanand intervened and brought the leaving soul back to his body telling him that the destined time hadn’t come. Shree Shivanand knew the authority of Swamiji and loved him very much. They did the Chaturmas there only in a lonely place near the Math but away from human inhabitation, where the villagers had built a zopadi (Like a slum) for them. Anantappa also came there. Many people used to come there to listen to Swamiji and he also didn’t disappoint them, but after a while he felt that this was becoming a hindrance in his sadhana and wanted solitude. Knowing this Shree Shivanand decided to construct a cave for him in the nearby mountain, this was done by the disciples. Shree Shivanand had told him about Sahaj samadhi Yoga, Swamiji now got after knowing that fully and started his sadhana for it. This was Swamiji’s fondest way of learning. When he decided something had to be learnt he was utmost perseverant in gaining thorough knowledge of that, no matter how much of hard work it needed. After some time he was most of the times remained in meditation and found the ultimate bliss in it so much so that for days he used to remain in that state without eating or drinking. He didn’t know that this Yoga needed a lot of milk and yogurt. The effect was that he developed peptic ulcer, the pain of which was very severe. Shree Shivanand came to know about it and asked the disciples to provide it. Now the disciples and even the people of the town daily provided copious amounts of it, but Swamiji never liked to trouble others while on the contrary he was ever ready to help others by going to the extremes. So after a while he used to run away whenever people came for help. This naturally took its toll on his body which once was like a wrestler and was now reduced to just skin and bones. He couldn’t care less. He survived this ordeal probably only because we should be benefited in our lives!
S wamiji was the firm believer in non violence, again to an extreme. While walking he used to look down rather than in front so as to avoid the insects being crushed under his feet! Once he saw an earthworm being surrounded by ants ready to attack it. He at once took the worm and placed it far away from the ants. Shree Shivanand was observing and asked Swamiji, whether this was right as he was depriving the ants of their food, which was a sin and against the laws of the Nature. Swamiji replied at once that, everybody is born with his destiny, it was destined that the ants wouldn’t get this worm, that I would be instrumental in it and that the worm’s time of death had not yet come as yours had not come when you wanted to leave your body! Shree Shivanand laughed and said that nobody could beat him in the knowledge of the Vedas!
S wamiji always was aggrieved by the state of the poor. He wanted everyone on earth to lead a happy life and knew that unless they followed the Vedas it was not possible, so whosoever came to meet him he would start talking about the preaching in Vedas in simple language which they could understand. Shree Shivanand asked him, These ones don’t know a word about it, don’t do any sadhana or seva, what use it is telling them directly the Vedas? Swamiji said that by repeatedly listening to it at least some will start in that direction, otherwise the dooms day is not far.
S hree Shankaranand came to the Math for a routine festival of seven days (Hereinafter referred to as Saptah). On the seventh day Shree Shankaranand left his mortal body, he had wanted to spread the message of spiritualism along with Swamiji but destiny wanted Swamiji to stay in south India as per the orders of Shree Samarth.
B y now Swamiji had become very popular in Karnataka. Lots of people used to come daily for his Darshan. Even Shree Shivanand wanted him to head the Math, but Swamiji told him that he would never.
O n every Ramnavmi and Dasnavmi he felt an immense urge to be by the side of Shree Samarth, but Shree Shivanand also wanted him. He was every time caught in a quandary. After that Chaturmas of 1935 was over he finally decided to leave and asked for Shree Shivanand’s permission. Very thoughtfully but with sadness he said yes. Swamiji was overjoyed. Everyone came to know this and was sad but then offered their help as they knew that Swamiji in his state of health could not walk the whole distance. Somehow they convinced him to at least go by a vehicle to which he agreed after a long thought but refused to be escorted.
H e went to Hubli and was waiting for the train when the ticket collector started laughing at his langoti. Swamiji said, Okay, you think this is a jest and thats why you are laughing but if a jest you can not take a jest you should not make. The ticket collector was astonished that this person looking like a beggar was talking in fluent English! He asked for forgivance and left. If he had known that Swamiji had no formal education in English he probably would have gone in coma!
H e had no money to buy a ticket till Miraj on way to Sajjangad. So he had to let go one train. Suddenly some porters came and asked him where he wanted to go. They went and came back with a ticket to Miraj saying that they were originally from around Sajjangad and were very happy that this way they could offer some seva to Shree Samarth! The same thing happened at Miraj and this time a student gave him a ticket to Satara. From Satara he walked across to Sajjangad. During this whole journey he only drank water as he never used to keep a single penny with him!
F inally he entered Sajjangad. Throughout his walk from Satara to Sajjangad he was incessantly crying. He was absolutely overwhelmed by the thought that he was really seeing Sajjangad. Such was his devotion to Shree Samarth that on his way he was behaving like a child who has seen his mother after a long time. Crying and laughing at the asme time, leaping ahead to be in his mother’s lap. People around were astonished to see this man offering sashtaang namaskaar time and again, that too on the road!
I t was the day before Dasnavmi when Swamiji entered Sajjangad. He stood before Shree Samarth Samadhi, and then as usual they talked without a word being said. Then he sat in a corner in meditation for 3 consecutive days drinking only water and without food. In the festivies noone knew that he had come. After they were over somebody thought that this may be Swamiji and informed Gangutai who was like an elder sister to Swamiji. She immediately came and recognized him. The news spread and every body surrounded him with utmost happiness, after all they were seeing him after 5 years.
I n Shigehalli, Shree Shivanand now no more wanted to continue with his life, a feeling strengthened by Swamiji’s absence. He called his disciples, told them that he was finally leaving his mortal body, but not to worry as his soul would always be there and also that Swamiji would ultimately come back. He then left his body. Thousands of his disciples were highly aggrieved and were worried as to who would advise them now. Remembering Shree Shivanand’s words they sent a man to Sajjangad to request Swamiji to come back, but Swamiji said that the time had not yet come and wrote 25 mantras in Sanskrit for the disciples to follow the further path; which are still very reverently recited in the Shigehalli Math.
A t Sajjangad Swamiji now preferred now preferred to sit in front of the Samadhi all the time, doing meditation all the while. He had ultimately got the final bless. He knew that now by the blessings of Shree Samarthhe had gained that knowledge which every spiritual pursuer aspires for and had unified himself with Shree Samarth who himself was the Ultimate Soul. He also knew that despite this he had to continue with his mortal body till the destined time to leave it. Although for the rest of the world he was in Sagun sthiti he had attained the Nirrgun avastha! This he experienced and imbibed it thoroughly in his soul. He was now in total peace with himself and the surroundings. This pleasure can never be quantified by any measure! It is the treasure of only the Truly Knowledgeable!
H e still continued with the sadhana as Vedas tell that even after attaining the real, true knowledge there should be no breach in sadhana, or else there is a chance of your achievement evaporating quickly. He, on the orders of Shree Samarth now started writing books for the benefit of mankind. During this time he wrote:

S hree Ram Gaurav (Hail Shree Ram) – 200 mantras
S watm Nirupan (Reckoning the body and the soul) – 1000 mantras
B haktisar (The filtrate of worship)

H e always liked solitude. Once for 3 days he sat in meditation in a cave in the forest around Sajjangad. All searched all over but didn’t go to the dense forest. Then the head priest had a Drushtant of Shree Samarth who told him that Bhagwan Shreedhar Swami is in the cave, go, offer pooja and bring him back!
H e came back but he was very much aggrieved not only by the state in which people lived but by the way they led their lives also. He prayed Bhagwan Ram and Shree Samarth to have another reincarnation of them or else empower people like him for the benefit of the society. He knew that for his empowerment he would have to further do sadhana, putting tremendous efforts into it without any disturbance whatsoever. So he decided to go to the Himalayas for sadhana.
O ne day without informing anybody he left Sajjangad for Himalayas. When the people of Math came to know this they were shell shocked. Again the search began. Swamiji was taking bath some 20 miles away in Krishna River when the head priest saw him. He offered sashtaang namaskaar and told Swamiji that since he had left nobody had either taken food or water. Swamiji was pained to know this as he couldn’t bear others troubles. He decided to come back. After some days again the urge for futher sadhana came up but when he tried to walk he just could not lift his leg at all, despite the best of his efforts. He knew that Shree Samarth did not want him to go to the Himalayas at that time and had decided something else for him; therefore he dropped the idea forthwith, pending Shree Samarth’s orders. Now he spent time happily with the disciples in the Math, discussing and explaining finer aspects of the preaching of Vedas.
I n Shigehalli, the disciples of Shree Shivanand were desperately waiting for Swamiji. In the month of Shravan, 1939, Shree Narayan Maharaj from Harihar arranged for a Saptah at the very pious place for Hindus, Shreeyan. At this place Goddess Mohini had killed the devil named Bhasmasur. Thousands were expected for the Saptah. All thought that this was the right time for Swamiji to return back to Karnataka and further enlighten them. So a messenger was sent to Sajjangad to bring Swamiji back. But Swamiji was reluctant to leave Sajjangad and wanted to stay back to be in close proximity with Shree Samarth. He was now undecided about what to do, and therefore went to the Samadhi and sat there in meditation. Shree Samarth appeared before him and told him to go to Shreeyan as the people there were in great need of an authoritative spiritual personality. Now that he had the orders of his revered Guru, he didn’t waste time and immediately left for Shreeyan. This was informed to the people there and everyone was extremely happy and relieved. Throughout his journey he was welcomed in the manner in which a King is by his people and a King he was not only in the field of spiritualism but everything else also. Everywhere there were arcades with flowers and bouquets. Swamiji didn’t like this, but didn’t want to disappoint the people who were so happy with his return. Literally thousands thronged to have just a glimpse of him. He blessed all of them. In Shreeyan he was revered as a deity and people were bubbling with overflowing enthusiasm as he had finally come. The Saptah went very well with Swamiji everyday delivering a discourse. It was a pleasurable experience for both him and the people of Karnataka.
S wamiji now was persuaded by the disciples of Shree Shivanand to come to Shigehalli to which Swamiji readily agreed and went there. He was overwhelmed with emotions when he saw the Samadhi of Shree Shivanand. He knew that his wish had brought him there along with the orders of Shree Samarth. The building of the Samadhi was incomplete and the Math was in debt. Swamiji immediately called a meeting of the Trustees and gave them orders to get on with the job and not to be lax in their duties, he told the disciples also in no uncertain words that Shree Shivanand was responsible for the pleasures they were enjoying till now but if they showed apathy towards the work of the Math then his blessings will no more be with them and they all will have to face the consequences. This had the desired effect and all started working and within no time the things fell in place. Now Swamiji decided to continue with the writing of his books which he had started on Shree Samarth’s orders. He further added to his books, ‘Swatm Nirupan’ and ‘Bhaktisar’, translated ‘Swatm Nirupan’ in Kannada. He then wrote ‘Vivekoday’ (The beginning of Wisdom) in Marathi and translated that too in Kannada. Some further writings of these books remained, but Swamiji, knowing that now the Math was functioning routinely and well which he had assessed in the Chaturmas of 1940, now decided to leave as per his dictum of never staying at a place where he was revered and again as was his wont left without any body’s knowledge. The people of the Math again were in severe distress and went in search of him. They found him some distance away from Shirsi and again requested him to come back with everyone crying. Swamiji, if any thing couldn’t just see anyone’s grief, and therefore relented and went back. The Math celebrated his coming back with festivities spanning 21 days. Now Swamiji again started his work on his incomplete books. Every day people thronged to listen to him and as he had long ago mentally parted with his body and because basically he was very kind at heart, he delivered daily discourses for the people, ignoring the needs of his body as always. He never disallowed any body either young or old, men or women, rich or poor, in fact he was far more inclined towards the old, the women and the poor all of whom had to face a lot of difficulties daily. He advised all of them to understand the real soul inside them and get totally unified with it for everlasting happiness. The common men were very much impressed by his preaching in a language easy for them to understand and Swamiji purposefully took great care that he should tell the preaching of the Vedas in simple words and terminologies. He told them that they should stop worrying being very happy about their bodily grief or pleasures as the body was an illusion. If they could take grief and joy without batting a lid or in the same vein then no one could by any means make them unhappy. This in fact is the gist of the Vedas but made and put in simple terms. One of the priests didn’t like this simplification and started to have doubts about Swamiji’s intentions. But one day after going home he saw Swamiji in the photo of Shree Dattaguru and the very next moment he saw that Swamiji was Shree Dattaguru himself, this went on for quite a while and when he realized who Swamiji really was the cascading images stopped. He immediately went to Swamiji and asked for forgivance which was immediately granted!
S wamiji’s popularity had increased in Karnataka and Maharashtra also. Many people started coming to him and those who were really interested in following the path of spiritualism were blessed by him, not to say that others went empty handed, they also got aashirvad, which took care of many miseries in their lives.
H e started a school teaching Vedanta in Sanskrit. He also renovated many temples which were in a bad shape. He didn’t say no to anything which would spread the message of the Original Hindu religion (Hereinafter referred to as the Sanatan Dharma). He even asked a Kannada writer to write a drama and perform it also, which entertainingly conveyed the message that the path of pursuing Nirgun avastha was superior to that of Sagun avastha. This way the whole area was buzzing with the atmosphere of Sanatan Dharma and everybody was not only doing his job but doing it in the right way and in a way that would bring him and his family members, peace and happiness. Swamiji was happy, that he was able to follow the orders of his Guru.
E very now and then either messages or messengers came from Sajjangad, requesting him to come there, but as soon as this happened the people of Shigehalli literally cried and Swamiji couldn’t go! After all Shree Samarth himself had ordered him to go to the south and he being the Ultimate power in the universe, how could anything happen contrary to his wishes? To put it in a simple manner the people of Karnataka were luckier.
T he work of Shree Shivanand and Shree Shankaranand’s Samadhi was over and Swamiji established the Shivling at both the places ceremoniously. During this period his sadhana and discourses for the aspirants didn’t stop and it had to take its toll on his already weakened body which anyway always ran fever due all this hectic work and totally inadequate food, water and sleep. But Swamiji as was his wont paid scant attention to what was going on with his body, and was very happy with every moment of his life. But the disciples now realized that although Swamiji wouldn’t pay any attention to his body, it was their duty to do it. Dr. Hazare from Mumbai who was his disciple came down and requested him to come to Mumbai for further investigations and rest at his place, but Swamiji had become so weak that the other ones feared that his body may not sustain the journey, so they arranged for a spacious bungalow with beautiful natural surroundings at a nearby place where all the investigative facilities were also available. Swamiji spent the rest of the 2 months of Chaturmas there and started feeling that much better. In this period itself he had a Drushtant of Shree Samarth, telling him to formally become a Sanyasi. He immediately asked the people of Shigehalli to prepare for the ceremony on the auspicious day of Vijaya Dashami, the very day on which he had left Pune for Sajjangad! This was in 1942.
T housand flocked to Shigehalli to witness this once in a life time ceremony which took 3 days to complete. Shree Samarth had a motive behind this. Swamiji was off course doing the job allocated to him as per his orders but Shree Samarth wanted that he should follow the ritual of the Sanatan Dharma and thereby set an example for others. After becoming a Sanyasi, the person is formally accepted as the one who would strive for not only the spread of the correct Sanatan Dharma but also would preach it and practice his preaching, for the betterment of mankind. The intention was the upliftment of the poor and the downtrodden, to prevent their minds wavering from good thinking and working accordingly, to make them willingly enthusiastic about creating and maintaining happiness within and around themselves and to take them on the spiritual path ultimately so that they can attain the ultimate bliss. Swamiji was already doing this but the formal ceremony would further empower him in the ultimate cause of bliss to all which is the essence of Hindu philosophy. One part of the ceremony is to grant all the living freedom from fear. At this point Swamiji himself intuitively uttered 13 Mantras, which enlightened all those present there. On Shree Samarth’s orders he was given the title of ‘Shreemat Paramhans Parivrajakacharya Bhagwan Shreedhar Swami’. Now people started referring to him as ‘Bhagwan Shreedhar Swamiji’. The meaning of the word Bhagwan in Indian languages is The God! He was definitely the reincarnation of The God as his deeds until now and afterwards amply proved!
S wamiji now decided to complete the book, ‘Swatm Nirupan’. He needed at least some solitude to further write the book and that was impossible in the Math. Mr. Hegde suggested he write it in his bungalow and was very happy when Swamiji agreed. He then proceeded with the book and completed it. His disciple Nanjudayya by this time had translated many of Swamiji’s works. Then was the anniversary of Datt Guru which was the birthday of Swamiji also. This was the first one after Swamiji took sanyas, so the disciples wanted to celebrate it on a grand scale. It went on for 7 days in the presence of thousands of Swamiji’s disciples. One of the highlights was the Yakshgan, a Karnataka style of dramatized debate, in which the first actor puts forth his views in the form of poetry on the allotted subject and then the second one opposes it again in poetic form. This time the subject for debate was deliberately chosen as Charvak’s existentialism versus the Vedic preaching.
T he first actor put forth his view and almost convinced the audience, most of who were the followers of spiritualism, that the happiness and pleasures associated with day to day living and the material one were the ultimate. Now came the turn of the disciple of Swamiji, Ganpati Kademane. He first touched Swamiji’s feet, got his aashirvad and started talking without fear with the feeling that it wasn’t he but Swamiji who was talking through him as his mediator. He talked for more than 3 hours, all poetry and no prose! He said that the organic pleasures were short lived whereas what you get when you dissolve yourself in your own soul is continuous bliss. He quoted from Bhagwadgeeta that if you sacrifice everything you get immeasurable peace which naturally culminates in total bliss. It is up to you to decide whether you want temporary happiness or permanent bliss. It is so simple that it is anybody’s guess. The iron curtain of pride which emanates from lack of real knowledge can be torn apart by the sword of wisdom wielded judiciously with immense efforts made effortless by the blessings of the Guru. This yields the sweetest fruits of all, the permanent bliss. Mind well it isn’t something you work for and get it, but is the one which you get in appreciation of your sadhana, from the Guru. There was a deafening applause as he stopped and went to Swamiji and offered sashtaang namaskaar to him, who touched is head and gave aashirvad. The audience at once knew that it was Swamiji talking through him and hailed him thrice. After the discourse by Swamiji on the 7 ^th day all dispersed, having had an experience of their life time. Swamiji now decided to go Honnavar, the place of Shree Shankaranand.
O n the way he stopped at Karki, the place where his many disciples just forced him to stay for a while. He gave a discourse spanning 2 hours on how any man can, by employing proper sadhana can attain Moksha. He told them that one gets birth as a human being after many births as various animals. He can then by sadhana become a God. If he wisely decides to leave the pleasures of being a God he can finally attain Moksha. He explained it in a very simple language, for better understanding, which had become his own inimitable style. Even great pundits who were in the audience were highly impressed by Swamiji’s knowledge and his way of expression. After celebrating Das Navami there he went to Honnavar. On the way he stopped at Ram Teerth, where Bhagwan Ram and his Brother Laxman had come in search of Mother Seeta and had encountered a devil whom Ram had killed and as there was drought in that area then he had created a continuous never ending source of water which still flows even in severe drought, even after about thousands of years of its creation. During this whole journey for some months Swamiji because of the requests of the disciples had to stay at practically every place he went through. Again he could not disappoint the disciples for delivering discourses on Vedanta apart from performing his rigorous sadhana which was uninterrupted whatever the circumstances. Again he started to feel sick and needed rest. His staunch disciple who was very rich also, Mr. Manjnath Aiyer requested him to rest for a while at the well equipped farm house in his coffee plantation, taking this as Shree Samarth sent order he didn’t refuse as Shree Samarth had ordered him to go to the south and spread the message of spiritualism, Vedant and Sanatan Dharma for which he had to be physically fit, so off he went to the farm house in the big city of Chikmaglur. This house was made as if for Swamiji’s sadhana, situated on a hill top and surrounded by a forest of silver oaks. Swamiji wanted to spend the time here throughout the Chaturmas most of the time in solitude. Aiyer had made all the arrangements for his comfort, but that was the word to which Swamiji was allergic to. But not to disappoint his disciple he didn’t say anything, but continued his sadhana further. As there was no one to disturb him, he could spend any amount of time in solitude, in a state in which he was completely unified with the Ultimate soul wherein he used to be unaware of anything happening in the outside world, without eating or drinking anything (Hereinafter referred to as Sahaj Samadhi avastha), and to think that he had come there to rest! That is the way of the real Saints of spending there time on this mortal earth. Food and water are needed for the common man to survive whereas the great Saints like Swamiji can survive any length of time in Sahaj Samadhi avastha as that is there food, water and everything! That is a state where they get the utmost peace and bliss. They can survive in this state even after the end of the universe. Off course for achieving this state they have to climb and cross many a mountains of terrible hardships! In this period he wrote 3 collections of mantras in Sanskrit.

D attashtak (8 mantras on the preaching of Guru Datt)
D attprarthana (Prayer of Guru Datt)
V ighnavinashak stotra (Mantras to tackle calamities)

O ne morning when he was meditating before dawn Bhagwan Ram told him that although he had so fervently dedicated himself for the reinforcement of Sanatan Dharma, it may not be possible. Swamiji asked the reason and Bhagwan Ram said that it was none of his fault or any shortcoming in his sadhana but the time for that hadn’t yet come. Swamiji offered sashtaang namaskaar and Bhagwan Ram disappeared. Now Swamiji’s goal was clear. If Sanatan dharma was to be reinforced later it didn’t in any way mean that he should not show the correct path of acquiring Moksha to those who really aspired for it and to improve the state of the poor and downtrodden in the society and thus the society itself. He dedicated his whole remaining life exactly doing that with all his might. He created incessant sources of water in the draught prone areas, provided food and clothes to the needy, opened schools where knowledge was given free of cost and even sometimes interfering with destiny saved the lives of almost dead ones or put life back in to those who were already dead (He did this part of his service to all only for those whose death might have severely affected the lives of the posterity or would have rendered many others dead). He decided to celebrate the anniversary of Guru Datt there which was arranged by Aiyer. It was done on the mountain Chandra Dronagiri. When Laxman was injured in the war with the devil Ravan, Hanuman had carried the whole mountain Dronagiri from Himalayas to Lanka where Laxman was lying in an unconscious state as the herbs on Dronagiri had the required medicine! Some part of the mountain had fallen off there and hence the name Chandra Dronagiri. There is a temple Guru Datt on the mountain and the celebrations took place there. Swamiji was very happy that it was done there as Shree Samarth was a reincarnation of Hanuman himself. In the mountain there is a cave where it is believed that Guru Datt appears before the Saints and blesses them. Swamiji went in the cave and Guru Datt did appear himself and blessed him! On Guru Datt’s orders he stayed in the cave for a day and after that left for Manglore.
T his city has the temple of Mother Manglai who it is said that recreated this city which was destroyed by a cyclone in the Arabian sea, the banks on which it is situated. Swamiji was taken by the people of Manglore to the temple in a procession. Mother Manglai was very eager to meet her child, Swamiji. When they met again the oft repeated dialogue for a long time without a word being said occurred between her and Swamiji. Neither he nor the mother wanted to part, but had to as the disciples were waiting for Swamiji. So with a heavy heart the Mother Goddess permitted him to leave for the benefit of the people. The Gods Goddesses and Saints never want to leave each other but they know that they have to as the people for whose upliftment the Saints are born will be deprived of that and the whole purpose of their birth will be defeated. Swamiji then stayed in Manglore for some days again blessing the needy and teaching them the correct way of leading and living life. His body continued to suffer because of the hectic work and one Mr. Shene who was very rich realized this as Hegde had and requested Swamiji to rest at his farm house named Kadriguda. Although Mr. Shene was very rich he, his family members and even his workers were terribly distressed all the time and had almost lost the peace of their mind. When Swamiji came there he asked Shene if this farm was earlier a crematory, as he was seeing a population of ghosts in that area. When Shene said yes, Swamiji knew the cause of their unhappiness and blessed even the ghosts and relieved them of their agony, on which all the ghosts offered sashtaang namaskaar to Swamiji and disappeared, never to reappear on the earth again. Such was Swamiji’s authority! The root cause of their distress gone the Shenes were suddenly very happy indeed! Swamiji also liked this place and it became a favorite of him for doing sadhana. He even stayed during some of the Chaturmasas there.
O ne day he had a Drushtant of world famous Shree Venkatesha of Tirupati, one of the most revered Gods in India asking him to come to Tirupati. He immediately left and on reaching Tirupati, sat in the temple where immediately Shree Venkatesha himself came in the disguise of an old Bramhan and asked Swamiji if he was Shreedhar Narayan Patki from Deglur. Swamiji knew who it was and offered sashtaang namaskaar to him. Shree Venkatesha wrote something in his book and after blessing Swamiji left. No one understood what was going on. Swamiji explained the whole thing and told the people that his mother had come there and had prayed for getting something (Hereinafter referred to as Navas) and the God himself had come to notify it! He stayed there for some days and when he was leaving by some intuition he looked back and there was the giant sized Shree Venkatesha giving him aashirvad. Swamiji was overwhelmed and till the time the temple was visible continuously looked back to imbibe Shree Venkatesha in his soul. Till he reached Manglore he was almost in a trance. On the way he also had a very satisfying dialogue with the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Math, who is supposed to be an ultimate authority on Sanatan dharma. He celebrated Das Navmi and Ram Navmi in Manglore.
S wamiji had always desired to go to Rameshwar from where Bhagwan Ram had built a bridge of stones with the help of Hanuman’s monkey army, across the Indian ocean to Lanka where the devil Ravan had kept mother Seeta in captivity. Bhagwan Ram had also established a linga of sand there. This is one of the most sacred places for Hindus. He reached Rameshwar and him and the others accompanying him saw the famous sunset over the ocean. Swamiji told them that the way the Sun rises and sets without disturbing the nature’s laws and without any break, the universe also is formed and then destroyed and this cycle also continuous without any break. Shree Samarth had established a temple of Hanuman at Rameshwar. Swamiji very reverently visited it, offered prayers and stayed there for a while, when the priest came he at once knew the authority of Swamiji and requested him to stay there for a few more days which was seconded by many accompanying him. Swamiji also wanted the same and camped in the Hanuman temple spreading the message, teaching and preaching of Shree Samarth. When he felt the job was done he started his way back.
H e stopped at Tanjavar where Shree Samarth’s disciple Bheemswami had set up a Math. There are many yet unpublished works of Shree Samarth in the Math which Swamiji read and as he had photogenic memory instantly remembered them. There are some original pictures of Shree Samarth drawn during his life time and other unique works of art. Swamiji was very happy to be there. He explained to the people of the Math the similarity in art and yoga. He said that in both you have to control your body and mind and see the reflection of your soul in your mind which should be as transparent and clear as a mirror. Swamiji had described the essence of abstract painting before it had started! Chaturmas was to begin and Swamiji decided to celebrate it in Kadriguda. Once, an old disciple asked Swamiji to explain the inticacies of Saint Hood to him. Swamiji told him that one who can win over his worldly desires and knows how to maintain the peace of mind can become a Saint provided that he also knows the meaninglessness of the worldly pleasures. Only a peaceful mind can unify with the soul residing inside the body. When this state becomes ethereal he gets the real peace and bliss. This then makes him eligible for achieving Saint Hood, as he has wisdom but has the knowledge that it should be used with a kind heart for giving solace to the people and not the dry knowledge which is utilized for unnecessary and harmful debates over petty issues. Your wisdom should turn your intellect towards the soul and not away from it. If this happens the other way round then there is no chance of even nearing Saint Hood although the world may hail you as a highly intelligent man! On every 11 ^th day of the month Swamiji used to keep fast according to Hindu tradition (Now after so many years even modern medicine is recommending it!), and he didn’t drink water also on that day. The next day he used to break the fast by having a glass of milk. So this time on the 12 ^th day a glass of milk was kept in front of him without disturbing him as he was in Sahaj Samadhi avastha. After a while a disciple went to fetch the glass and saw that a dog was drinking it and Swamiji was looking at the dog with utmost love. The fellow tried to shove that dog away but Swamiji stopped him, saying that God is in everybody, so let him drink! When the dog went Swamiji started burping as if he had himself drunk not only a glass but liters of milk. He was very kind to every living being. Once he saw that Shene’s fruit garden was full of oranges and some monkeys were looking forward to eating them but were prevented by Shene’s guards. He told Shene that these were the same ones who had helped Bhagwan Ram in winning the war against Ravan and they should be satisfied with which Shene removed the guards and the monkeys enjoyed their fruits. Shene for this obedience was rewarded with even greater yield of fruits in the same season! That year the winter was very cold and the disciples sleeping outside Swamiji’s room one night were literally shivering. Swamiji realizing this got up, put his warm clothes on them and himself went into the cave where it was much colder. He had so much empathy for others and was so caring about every one. His whole life is full of such anecdotes.
A fter the Chaturmas was over Swamiji went to Shigehalli. By this time a number of his disciples to Swamiji’s satisfaction had done a lot of progress in spiritualism and they were not only from Karnataka but from all over India. To some of them Swamiji asked to go back to their native places and start spreading the message of Sanatan dharma and of Shree Samarth which the disciples felt an honor and did just what was told. Swamiji then went on a tour of the holy places in Karnataka. At many of these he found that the Gods or the Saints had left as these places had lost the holiness because of the wrong doings of the people staying there or they had become commercial ones with merchants looting the worshippers, a state which favored the invasion of the evil spirits as a result of which the sadhana and wishes of the pious were going in vain. With the arrival of Swamiji all this disappeared and the piety of these places was restored. It became a routine for him to bless the evil spirits also so that they would never come back and disturb the worshippers. This tour took quite a while to end and seeing the despicable state of affairs he again decided to go to the Himalayas for further sadhana to benefit the mankind. Right at that moment the God Badrinarayan of Badrikedar in Himalaya appeared before him and told him to go to Badrikedar. Swamiji was very happy that now even the Gods wanted him to come to their land, the Himalayas!
H e first went to Sajjangad for the blessings of Shree Samarth got the nod of his approval and then he started his journey to Badrikedar crossing the whole of north India and then along the holy river Ganga (Wrongly spelt as Ganges) through the Himalaya where he visited many of the holy places en route to the destination. Even in the extreme cold of the Himalaya he wore only his langoti and never stopped his routine of daily sadhana and 3 times bath in the subzero temperature and even much colder waters of the river! He finally reached the temple of Badrinarayan at the first sight of which he offered sashtaang namaskaar and then entered it. At the entrance itself there is the sculpture of Hanuman erected by Shree Samarth. From that moment onwards he was almost in Sahaj sadhana avastha. He stood in front of Badrinarayan who was his Guru as a Sanyasi and went into a trance and then began their dialogue without words. He immediately wrote 2 collections of mantras in Sanskrit in praise of Badrinarayan. He decided to celebrate Chaturmas there only. He was given a room just across the river which separated it from the temple, so that he could see the God from his room anytime. During these 4 months he spent he spent most of his time in solitude doing incessant sadhana, for which he had longed so much and was therefore very happy as his wish was fulfilled by none other than Badrinarayan himself. Now with the advent of winter the cold worsened and became unbearable as Badrikedar is at the height of 13 thousand feet. Many of the sanyasis left as is the practice there but Swamiji didn’t go and even started to offer his own belongings which the Sajjangad people had given him to them. He left Badrikedar only when the Chaturmas was over, i.e. on Vijayadashmi. After trekking his way back through the Himalayas he visited many holy places in north India and then started for his journey to the Girnar Mountains in Gujarat, a western state in India .
N ear Junagadh there are 4 mountains surrounding one steep one on which are located the replicas of Guru Datt’s footwear (Hereinafter referred to as Padukas). This is a very important place of worshippers of Guru Datt. One has to climb more than a thousand steep stairs to have a darshan of them. Swamiji climbed the mountain, reached the Padukas and sat there in Sahaj Samadhi avastha. Guru Datt appeared before him and blessed him. Then started their dialogue without words, for hours. Swamiji then offered sashtaang namaskaar and climbed down. In Junagadh he was requested by the erstwhile King to stay at his palace and the people also forced him for that as it was the only place which could accommodate thousands for his discourses. Swamiji had to agree and stayed there for a few days preaching Vedanta. One day he had a Drushtant of Guru Datt asking him to bless a young army officer who was disenchanted with life, Mr. Bhaskar. Swamiji blessed him and asked him to go to Sajjangad for further sadhana. He later on became an authority on Shree Samarth’s preaching and came to be known as Bhaskarbua Ramdasi.
T here was a lady in the town who was also a great authority in spiritualism and used to be in Sahaj Samadhi avastha all the time. Unaware of the surroundings she most of the times walked across the streets without any clothes. For her nothing else but only the bliss mattered, no matter whether the clothes were on or not. But the people despised this and later on started troubling her. Swamiji heard of this and went to meet her. She never listened to anyone but she also instantaneously knew Swamiji’s authority and willingly listened. He told her that even the greatest of the Saints or even the Gods when they adopted human shape, had to abide by the rules of the society, and the rule was that no one can roam around nude. To the surprise of the people she immediately agreed and started wearing clothes. She afterwards became the disciple of Swamiji and worshipped Narsi Mehta, the great Saint of the same town. In this manner wherever he went he guided everyone and showed them the correct path. The people of Junagadh as others everywhere requested him to stay there only, even the King did but Swamiji refused and then went to Porbandar. This was the city where Bhagwan Krishna had his baptism in his Guru Sandipani’s ashram. He had his education there with his very poor friend Sudama, a friendship which has become folklore in Hinduism. Swamiji gladly stayed there for a few days and now started for the Capital city of Krishna’s kingdom, Dwarka.
H e stayed at the Shankaracharya Math in Dwarka for 1 month during which he visited all the temples and places where Bhagwan Krishna had stayed. The main temple is extremely beautiful with its dome about 150 feet in height, and the peak made of gold. He visited the palace of Krishna which is on the island in the sea called as Bet Dwarka. That time there was an epidemic of malaria in Dwarka and Swamiji also suffered from it but got alright soon due to the caring and nursing done by the disciples in the Math. The situation on the newly formed India – Pakistan border made Swamiji very unhappy as a literal human carnage was going on there. He was even angry with the Gods for having allowed this and put it on paper in the form of a 16 mantra poem, asking Ram to stop it or empower him to do that. It did stop after a while. This despicable carnage of human lives further convinced him that unless Sanatan dharma was reestablished humans will continue to behave like animals or even worse than that. Fed up with all this he decided to go back to Maharashtra, his native state. He wanted to visit another holy place, Narsobachi wadi. Here the great Saint Nrusinh Saraswati had done sadhana for 12 years which has made this place free of sins. In the temple there are Padukas of him. This was one of the places of the existence of Guru Datt, and Swamiji being born on the very day Guru Datt was born, had always had immense pleasure in doing sadhana in his presence. So he continued his sadhana with vigorous enthusiasm despite the fact that many people had started visiting him for blessings and as always not to disappoint anyone he had to deliver daily discourses. Right at that time, the people of the town started hearing some strange sounds of crying animals around the temple which was unforeseen. This went on for a while and fearing about the unknown they asked Swamiji about the meaning of this. Swamiji told them that when such things happen around so pious a place it signifies that the whole country would have to undergo a tumultuous phase. People’s fear was now magnified with this prophecy and they asked him can it be stopped. Swamiji said that just as a man can’t change his destiny till he attains the Parbramha the country is also no exception to this. His prophecy did come true as Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and in the riots that followed, many of the houses in the town were also destroyed. Swamiji was thoroughly disgruntled with this and now wanted to go back to the place he loved most, where he felt utmost peace as he did nowhere, Sajjangad. When he went there he was very happy as were the other disciples. They requested him to celebrate his arrival by arranging continuous Ramnam Jap for 7 days and culminate it with his discourse. It was to his liking and therefore for 7 days Sajjangad was drowned in the name of Bhagwan Ram. In his discourse he told that continuous Ramnam Jap increased the divinity of that place, it also washes the minds of the people of all the sins and makes it crystal clear for further sadhana to succeed which culminates in attaining fullest concentration that is needed to acquire Sahaj Samadhi avastha and unification with the Parbramha. This is the easiest method in spiritualism, which can be followed anywhere, anytime almost all the time one is awake, even while doing the daily work and by anyone who has the requisite faith.
E very one from Manglore wanted that Swamiji should celebrate this years? Dasnavmi there. So Swamiji asked for Shree Samarth’s permission and on getting it went to Manglore for the celebrations. Being very kind at heart he could not see anyone’s grief and therefore used to give them sacred water from the daily pooja (Hereinafter referred to as Teerth) which relieved them of all their grief! Seeing this some of the young men thought that he was using some unfair means or fooling the people. They blatantly asked him about this, Swamiji smiled and told them that these people are suffering because of their lack of real knowledge which can’t be imparted immediately, but to tear away the darkness surrounding them, which is the cause of their lack of knowledge and unhappiness I just give them the teerth which not only reduces their sufferings but there is a chance that at least some of them would follow the correct path of spiritualism and that would lead to resurrection of the Sanatan dharma, which is the only way of freeing the mankind of all the grief. The youth realized that this was no deception, on the contrary their perception was horribly mistaken and offered sashtaang namaskaar, on which Swamiji blessed them too!
S wamiji now wanted to visit his native place, Deglur. He reached there and went to the home of his ancestors. Immediately a big evil spirit who was one of his ancestors appeared before him. During his life time he was very miserly and even after death never left that place watching over the property, money, gold and what not, so that no one, not even his posterity should spend it! Swamiji knowing this threw teerth on him upon which there was a sudden change in his attitude and he requested Swamiji to enlighten him. Swamiji told him that he had not come to take anything away as he was a sanyasi but had come to relieve him of his evil mind. No body till now has achieved happiness through money and nobody will ever. The organic pleasures are the real diseases and property brings over calamity. These diseases and calamities are responsible for everybody’s sufferings. If you want to achieve real happiness you just have to look deep inside you where the soul is and where the real bliss resides. Creation is certain to lead to destruction and thence to unending grief and sorrow. Your soul is free from all this. It neither is born nor does it die. It is omnipresent and thus is present within you also. It is the only form which continuously emanates happiness. Once you realize this you will also be freed from this vicious cycle of birth, death, unreal happiness but real grief. All the material which you think gives pleasure originates from the earthen elements and goes back to them when destroyed, the earlier you realize this sooner will you attain Moksha. I have come here to do just that! The evil spirit and the audience who couldn’t see it but could feel its presence due to Swamiji’s authority were stunned that when Swamiji finished talking the evil spirit vanished into thin air and the audience lost its perception! Swamiji’s job done, he now started for Indur Bodhan Math where Shree Samarth’s disciple Uddhav Swami had resided 300 years ago. Nearby there is a place called Sarangpur. This area was under the Nizam (A Muslim King). Some years ago it underwent a very severe draught, when the Nizam ordered all the Brahmins in the area to pray for rains and threatened that if it did not rain he would impose lifelong imprisonment for them. All the Bramhans stood in the dried lake for days together praying all the while, still it didn’t rain. Shree Samarth then appeared there and threw his sacred cloth on a huge stone after carving the outlines of Hanuman on it. He asked them to pray Hanuman now and took his cloth away. Where the outlines of Hanuman were there, now appeared a beautiful sculpture of Hanuman! He then disappeared. When the first prayers were over, it immediately started raining torrentially! Swamiji stayed there for 4 days and continuously sat in the presence of Hanuman’s sculpture. After their usual dialogue, he left and went to Hyderabad . He visited many places on the request of the disciples, but specially spent some more time in the Math where he used to go frequently with his mother and where he first time in his life had seen Shree Samarth’s portrait and prayed. He was extremely happy to be there once again. Then he decided to go to Shree Shail Mountain , where there is one of the 12 very sacred Lingas of Shree Shankar. He did sadhana for some days there and then he got a letter from Aiyer requesting him to bless his son on his Threading ceremony at Chikmanglur. By this time wherever he went the place would be full of thousands of people, eagerly wanting to listen to him and have his aashirvad and blessings. He was very fluent in the local language Kannada and people just flocked for his discourses. All the time all the while it used to be a big congregation of people joyously celebrating just because Swamiji was present there. He was revered as a deity. He didn’t want it but didn’t want to disappoint them also. He used to take this opportunity to spread the message of Shree Samarth and Sanatan dharma. Chaturmas was approaching and one of the disciples who owned a huge property and a very good bungalow, ideal for sadhana, pleaded with him to celebrate it there. Swamiji never wanted to be amongst the riches, but it used to so happen that only they had the right kind of premises for his further sadhana and therefore keeping in mind the larger interests of the society and seeing that all the rich who pleaded with him were really doing sadhana as per his instructions he was convinced that it wasn’t wrong to be there after all but at the same time he always used to see to it that no poor would go empty handed from that place and he used to give his affirmation to the rich only on the condition that they would look after the poor and the downtrodden even after he had left which they religiously did. So this year’s Chaturmas was celebrated at this disciple’s place, Kalale. After that he went to many big cities of Karnataka, spreading the message of Shree Samarth and Sanatan dharma.
T hen he went to the town of Shimoga , on the banks of the river Bhadrawati where there is the ashram of Shankaracharya where he stayed. Mr. Kadappa from the ashram was blessed by Swamiji and he and other disciples established Shreedharashram. Swamiji had become very popular in Karnataka for his unparalleled authority in the field of spiritualism and his love and affection for the poor and downtrodden, whose sufferings he had relieved with his divine powers. In Shimoga a procession of Swamiji was taken out on a highly decorated elephant, which was the privilege of only the Kings at that time! People revered him as they would a deity and the Gods also knew that he had by then surpassed their powers also! Such were his powers that whosoever came in contact with him, even for a while could easily attain Sahaj Samadhi avastha! When he thought that his job at Shimoga was done despite repeated pleadings of the people he left for Sagar, comforting them by telling that he would be just nearby. In Sagar the people who were earlier blessed by him there were eagerly waiting for him and just at his sight all started crying, Swamiji knew the reason and told them that as they were following the right path in the way he had advised them to, they had nothing to worry for and although he wasn’t bodily absent his mind was constantly with them and would be whenever they remembered him. All were happy and decided to celebrate the Datt Jayanti there, to which Swamiji agreed. The celebrations went on for 7 days and thousands of poor got food which was made available for 24 hours by the people of Sagar. Swamiji was very happy that his disciples had imbibed the right things. The same things happened at the next stopover, Shigehalli where the disciples of Shree Shivanand, as told by himself when he left his mortal body were waiting all these years for Swamiji for further directions and those words being the Saint’s words even the Gods had to listen and follow them whereby Swamiji’s arrival there was on the cards and the disciples were joyous that Swamiji had finally come, and they would now get the correct advise for their further sadhana, which Swamiji did gladly. The celebrations of Das Navmi were arranged for at Sagar and after it was over Swamiji decided to leave for Sajjangad, knowing that the Math was in the proper hands. On the way he stopped at Sankeshwar where one Mr. Manolikar who had his legs paralysed was thoroughly disenchanted with life and was just waiting for his moment of death as the doctors also had told him that nothing could be done. When he came to know about Swamiji and just to have a Darshan of a Saint before death he just dragged his body across the road to Swamiji who instantly knew what had gone wrong and just gave him the Teerth and gave him aashirvad telling him that he would be alright within a month! He did start walking before that month was over! He lived for more than 40 years after that without any problems! He devoted all his time for Swamiji’s seva as he and all the others knew that without Swamiji’s blessings he was all but gone. Throughout his life Swamiji did this for the really needy who were suffering through no fault of their own. And everyone thus blessed didn’t prove him wrong as they served for the cause of Sanatan dharma, the preaching of Shree Samarth and Swamiji for their lifetime. It is this greatness of the real Saints of knowing who the right person to be blessed is and who should be left with his destiny. Not everyone is destined to be blessed by the Saints like Swamiji, though one can even if he is not destined by proving through his deeds afterwards that he is willing to improve. Swamiji then didn’t hesitate to bless them also! This was yet another example of his kind heartedness.
S wamiji reached Sajjangad in the spring of 1950. When people came to know about this they as usual thronged there to have his Darshan and to listen to his discourses. Swamiji was happy, but the flow of the disciples didn’t stop at all and with the hectic schedule demanded by it worsened Swamiji’s health. He in fact had come to Sajjangad to spend time not only near the Samadhi of Shree Samarth but that too in solitude, which was now impossible. He firmly decided to leave Sajjangad and as usual, fearing that nobody would allow him to do so he left without informing any one at the wee hours of the morning after gaining the nod of approval from Shree Samarth. Again the search for him started and after quite a while he was found by one disciple walking briskly. He offered sashtaang namaskaar to Swamiji and requested him to come back, but Swamiji said that now that was impossible and he was looking for a good place where he could do his sadhana in solitude. They were disappointed but requested him that they themselves would look for a good place for his sadhana in solitude, so that the people of Sajjangad would at least know where he was and consult him in times of need and his sadhana would also be done undisturbed, to which Swamiji agreed. The disciples then consulted other authorities and suggested Swamiji the sacred place of the great Saint Shreepad Shree Vallabh, Kuravpur, which Swamiji was only too glad to accept. On the way he was offered food at one place where another great Saint Shree Vasudevanand Saraswati also had accepted the same. The owner was very much overwhelmed and told Swamiji with heavy emotions that he was the luckiest person on the earth as two of the greatest Saints he had known had accepted food at his place. Swamiji was also very happy to know this and considered it as a good omen for his solitude and further sadhana. When he saw the Samadhi of Shreepad Shree Vallabh he went into sahaj Samadhi avastha. Then he started his sadhana in solitude as he had wanted. He was finally glad that he had found the right place and the right atmosphere for his sadhana. He was happily spending the time according to his wishes after a long while.
I n the path of spiritualism the persons doing sadhana have to face some unforeseen obstacles put by evil spirits which distract him from his chosen path or can even destroy him. He himself has to be a great authority to tackle them and not destroy them but show them also the right path by which they won’t be able to trouble anyone else. Or the sadhana has to be done under the direct guidance of the Guru where these spirits don’t dare to trouble them. One such person doing sadhana was troubled by an evil spirit and he was so much affected that he used to be either unconscious or cry very loudly when awake. Swamiji knew the reason and put Teerth on him and told him that the day after he would take care of the evil spirit. This one was a pundit in his prior life who had mastered all the 4 Vedas but unfortunately he became very proud of this and started challenging the authority of the more knowledgeable than him, which is against the essence of the Hindu philosophy and that was the reason behind his becoming an evil spirit. The next day Swamiji knew when he would attack that person and went there exactly at that time with his Kubdi and Teerth. The spirit appeared and Swamiji started talking to him. The spirit had to tell him the truth and said that as he had to be born as an evil spirit despite his knowledge of the Vedas, he wouldn’t allow anyone there to do sadhana and force them to be swayed from their path so that they would also meet the same fate. Swamiji hit him on his head with his Kubdi 4 times and asked him if he wanted to continue doing the same or wanted Moksha. The spirit offered sashtaang namaskaar to Swamiji and prayed for Moksha. Swamiji threw the Teerth on his body upon which he immediately attained Moksha. He gave Moksha to many of the evil spirits infesting Kuravpur.
O ne day a man named Keshavdas from Narsobachi wadi came to Swamiji. He was a worshipper of the God Narsinh and was also known to be very cruel and had a bad temper. Datt Guru had sent him to Swamiji. Swamiji peeped into his past and saw that he had killed 40 tigers in his previous birth and probably due to that he had that much cruelty in him. Swamiji lived with him for some days eating only fruits and water and imparting knowledge to him. Then Swamiji ate only the extremely sour neem leaves and water for another few days while continuing to impart further knowledge. Keshavdas was finally convinced that his way of living was like an animal and pleaded with Swamiji to bless him, which Swamiji did as Guru Datt himself had sent him. Afterwards Keshavdas became so kind that no one could guess how much cruel he was. Swamiji always did things so that even the evil in the society could be transformed to utilizable spiritualism.
T he disciples at Sajjangad wanted that a building be built there in the name of Swamiji. They sent a messenger to Swamiji to get his permission, Swamiji didn’t want anything like this but when the disciples said that in this way he could always be Shree Samarth and that Shree Samarth would also have liked that, he found it very difficult to refuse. Overjoyed he replied in the affirmative and then when the construction started it was completed within no time as every disciple contributed in a manner as if there was some competition to be won. This building is still thee at Sajjangad and is known as, ‘Shreedhar Kuti’ (The home of Swamiji).
H e celebrated this years’ Chaturmas at Kuravpur. From there he went to another sacred place for Hindus, Uttar (North) Kashi in the Himalayas. There were many people doing sadhana there but there state was pitiable as there was no one to help. Swamiji sent a message to Mr. Aiyer to help these people for their continuous sadhana. Aiyer immediately sent his people with the required money and Swamiji could help them in the entire manner he wanted to. All of those doing sadhana thanked Swamiji for this generosity, but Swamiji told them that it was Aiyer to be thanked and not him. His honesty was impregnable. He stayed there for 4 months and then left for Haridwar where he told the others accompanying him that he wanted to do further sadhana in solitude with only Bhagwan Ram with him, at Bhagwan Ram’s capital city Ayodhya. He also told them not to worry about him as he would be taken care of by Bhagwan Ram himself and asked them to return to Sajjangad to do sadhana in Shreedhar Kuti. It was almost like an order so nobody argued and with a very heavy heart left for Sajjangad. Swamiji stayed at Haridwar for some days doing sadhana and then left for Ayodhya all alone. His joy and enthusiasm were overflowing as he was going to meet his Guru’s Guru, Bhagwan Ram at his own capital, Ayodhya.
H e reached Ayodhya and one Bramhan took him to an ashram where he got a room to stay. He had decided to go to the temple of Bhagwan Ram after doing intense sadhana for 2 months; therefore he offered sashtaang namaskaar to the Ram Mandir itself. Then he started doing sadhana in total solitude almost always remaining in the sahaj Samadhi avastha. He ate only sprouted wheat and gram. After 2 months were over he went to the Ram Mandir where the head priest was a Marathi person. He knew the authority of Swamiji and made all the arrangements for his stay there. Swamiji was overwhelmed with emotions when he first offered prayers to Bhagwan Ram, after which they had their usual dialogue in solitude. Then he decided to follow the orders of Bhagwan Ram and stayed there for 4 months of the Chaturmas, sitting on the banks of the sacred river Sharyu in Sahaj Samadhi avastha all the time except for the daily chores. He was extremely happy that finally he did get the desired solitude and that too near Bhagwan Ram! He said to himself what else could I have asked for? This was probably the happiest time he spent after being blessed by Shree Samarth and knew that without his blessings this would never have happened. At the same time he was pained at the state in which the temple was. As usual his disciples were sending money orders in his name, as the seva, which he didn’t like but couldn’t disappoint his disciples also, so he used to spend the money at other places on the poor. Here he asked the head priest to utilize the money for the renovation of the temple. In those four months the temple literally shed its looks and seemed to be built as if it was built just now. A second floor was added to the existing one, rooms were built for people coming for sadhana, was properly ventilated with ceiling fans and a garden was created. Everyone was astonished that this man looking like a beggar could do so much in so short a time. Only the priest knew the reality and also what Swamiji was capable of. During this period he wrote Shreeram Mantra Raj Stotram, a collection of 20 mantras which were peculiar in the sense that the first letter of each mantra when read in sequence was nothing but the Trayodashakshari Mantra! This is included in Shreedhar Stotravali, a collection of mantras by Swamiji. When the Chaturmas was over Swamiji sat in front of Bhagwan Ram in sahaj Samadhi avastha and knowing what was going on between him and Bhagwan Ram the head priest ordered to stop even the pooja, the Ramnam Jap and asked all to maintain pin drop silence! After a long time when their unspoken dialogue ended he came out of the trance and blessed all who by now had offered sashtaang namaskaar not only to Bhagwan Ram but to Swamiji also. He then asked the priest to serve meals with sweets to one and all. Totally happy with the way things had gone over the last 6 months in Ayodhya and enjoying the absolute bliss gained by the proximity to Bhagwan Ram he left Ayodhya for Banaras or Kashi as is popularly known, a place which the Hindus consider as the holiest of all the places on the banks of the holy river Ganga. There is a temple of Bhagwan Shiva in Kashi which Swamiji immediately visited on arrival. For the next few days he stayed there only in sahaj Samadhi avastha. He was on only milk and fruits. Swamiji’s popularity had spread here also and people started to flock at his place for Darshan and blessings.
E very one wanted him to celebrate the Datt Jayanti at Kashi. He had no reason to refuse and the celebrations went on wildly and happily in one of the oldest of the temples of Guru Datt. The next day one Bramhan Pundit, Mr. Govindrao Vaijapurkar came for his Darshan and his blessings. Mr. Vaijapurkar was also Editor of a well known Hindi newsletter. When anyone saw him he could immediately recognize that he was blessed by the Goddess of knowledge, ‘Saraswati’. He published most of Swamiji’s works in Hindi. Despite being thoroughly knowledgeable he still used to be very much in awe of Swamiji. He was very polite, devoid of pride or hatred and very loving and caring in nature. When he first saw Swamiji he was overwhelmed with emotions and tears of indescribable joy flowed incessantly. Swamiji caressed him and told him that he had come to Kashi only to bless him! Then he showered him with his choicest blessings with which he blessed very few. Mr. Vaijapurkar’s family is one of the prominent ones from north India , who are responsible for spreading Shree Samrth’s and Swamiji’s message, for rejuvenating the Sanatan dharma and for relieving the peoples’ sufferings by doing all this as a seva to Swamiji.
T raditionally all the sanyasis visiting Kashi also visit the land of Veda Vyas (The author of the great epic Mahabharata), Swamiji also visited it and gladly imbibed the whole pious atmosphere. Mr. Vaijapurkar made all the requisite arrangements and then requested Swamiji to celebrate this years? Dasnavmi at Kashi to which Swamiji happily agreed to, with a view that very few in north knew about Shree Samarth and his preaching and this was a golden opportunity to do just that. As always the celebrations went on very well because of the organizing skills and the respect Mr. Vaijapurkar commanded as a Pundit in Kashi, for 7 days and on the seventh day Swamiji delivered his discourse. The gist of it is as follows:
I f we want to know about culture and the morals of our society we should study all the aspects of the Sanatan dharma we should also know about our ancestors. While studying these things you will come to know that they considered all humans as a part of their own family, they were dedicated towards their goal, the society and the nation and hence they could easily accept the principle of secularism. Our Sanatan dharma is not a restricted one for anybody, it is for all. It sends across the message of truth, happiness and peace. Our ancestors always did sadhana for following the religion and protecting it. There were two types of great people who did this. One type was of the warriors i.e. the Kings and the other was that of the spiritual preachers i.e. the Saints. Without the combined efforts of them this nation would have been vanquished a long back. Our philosophy tells that the Saints were a few steps ahead of the Kings as they had the power to control the emotions of the society at crucial times apart from having other powers as well. They also had the ultimate knowledge which could empower the Kings to attain Moksha after their job of protection was over. There are so many examples of this in our history. Saint Vasishth and Bhagwan Ram, Shree Krishna and Arjuna, so on and so forth. If you just look back 300 years there were Shree Samarth and Shivaji Maharaj who freed the nation from the cruel Mughal Kingdom and reestablished the Sanatan dharma with the advice of Shree Samarth who was his Guru and he sought his advice all the time, behaved accordingly and hence succeeded in his job. Shree Samarth’s preaching was the base on which Shivaji built the empire for the benefit of the society again according to Shree Samarth’s wishes. Shree Samarth had established a total of 1100 Math throughout India . During his times there was total destruction of the Sanatan dharma, the society and the nation was also on the verge of the same. Therefore Shree Samarth took along with him all types of people from all sects and started his monumental work of resurrection of all of these. Shree Samarth knew that he would need the help of Shivaji in this task and Shivaji being his disciple was only too willing to do whatever he asked for. Shivaji also knew and all the politicians running the country should also know this, that without the spiritual powers blessings their service to the nation would go waste, provided they really want to serve the nation! Shree Samarth told the people that it wasn’t difficult to follow his preaching if they just observed some basic things like, continuity in the work which may require constant travels, wisdom, trying without complaint, tremendous confidence, alertness, forgivance, peace, simple living, no boasting, power and above all worship of Bhagwan Ram! People of that time did that and reaped the harvest. Therefore any Math of Shree Samarth’s is not only a place where only spiritualism would be preached but it was a big school of producing idealistic patriots also! He was so prudent that knowing that the times were difficult and too much of cruelty could no longer be tolerated he had ordered the disciples to store weapons under the replicas of Hanuman in temples! He wasn’t a blind follower of anything only because it was preached, he knew how and when to change the interpretation of the preaching. Off course he could do that only because he was such a great authority that even the Gods accepted his ways! They had to as the true Guru is always above any God!
S wamiji celebrated the Dasnavmi in Kashi and during this period he wrote a collection of 180 mantras. He also wrote two books in Hindi. He wrote a letter to the disciples in Sajjangad which was so good that it was later on published as a separate book! Such was his mastery over the language and the Vedas that he wrote many books in a very short span.
T he disciples at Sajjangad decided to take the Padukas of Shree Samarth to Badrinath so that the people of the north would have a Darshan of them and there will be spread of the teaching and preaching of Shree Samarth. The Padukas reached Haridwar via Delhi . Everywhere thousands thronged to have the Darshan of the Padukas. At Haridwar it almost reached a feverish pitch. Then they were taken to Badrinath where all people of Badrinath and from the surrounding areas came to have Darshan. They knew that the statue of Hanuman in the temple was erected by Shree Samarth 300 years ago and therefore had special affection for his Padukas. After 4 days the Padukas were decided to be taken to Kashi. Swamiji wanted that there should an unforeseen welcome accorded to the Padukas of his Guru. A committee was formed by Mr. Vaijapurkar comprising of the Pundits and the rich having inclination towards spiritualism to look after the celebrations as per Swamiji’s wishes. When the Padukas arrived they were mobbed by the devotees and the whole of Kashi reverberated with the continuous chants of Ramnam and Jai, Jai Raghuveer Samarth! With great reverence the Padukas were kept in the Ram temple, where Swamiji went and had the Darshan of the Padukas and immediately went in to trance and had their usual dialogue. For the next few days discourses of renowned pundits were arranged for the devotees, explaining to them the works of Shree Samarth. Swamiji delivered his discourse in chaste Hindi so that the local people could understand it better. He said, Shree Samarth is the third reincarnation of the deity of Kashi, Lord Shiva, who is revered by all the Hindus all over the world. Lord Shiva who himself revered Bhagwan Ram, expressed himself as Hanuman to serve Bhagwan Ram and Shree Samarth is the reincarnation of Hanuman. The combination of Lord Krishna and Arjuna reappeared in the 17 ^th century as Shree Samarth and King Shivaji. Shree Samarth was born on the birthday of Bhagwan Ram. He knew the reason of his birth and hence had started his sadhana right from his childhood during which time he was constantly accompanied by Hanuman. 4 days after his threading ceremony he was blessed by Bhagwan Ram who appeared in front of him and gave his golden clothes to Shree Samarth. During the marriage of Hindus some mantras are chanted and the Bramhim priest who is conducting the ceremony loudly says, ‘Sawdhaan’ (Beware of what is happening) at the end of each mantra. Nobody in history had paid any attention to this word and the meaning of it, but Shree Samarth realized it and left the ceremony as marriage would have defeated the very purpose of his birth. After that he moved across the whole of the country and then did a highly demanding and hectic sadhana for 12 years. He lived for 37 years afterwards, every moment of which he totally devoted to the building up of the Nation and spreading the message of Sanatan dharma. He was different from other Saints in the matter of patriotism. He firmly believed that unless the country was freed from the outsiders’ clutches it won’t progress and the dharma would also meet the same fate. Therefore he blessed literally millions of disciples and told them that they should not only pursue spiritualism but should answer the sword with a sword, which would not be a sin as it was being used for the protection of the country, which in Hindu philosophy is greater than even the Heaven! Due to the incarnation of Shree Samarth only the Sanatan dharma has survived otherwise it would have been long back destroyed by the outsiders. Except for the disciples of Shree Samarth nobody knew this and they were literally stunned to have this knowledge and again the whole of Kashi reverberated with the chants of, ‘Jai, Jai Raghuveer Samarth’!
T hen the Padukas were taken to many places in north India for the enlightenment of the people. Chaturmas had arrived and Swamiji decided to spend this time in total solitude and keeping complete mum (Hereinafter referred to as Maun). This gave him the required period and the peace around him for his further sadhana. But the condition of the disciples was pitiful as they constantly looked for his advice which was not forthcoming. People of Karnataka had also reached Kashi by this time and were disappointed that Swamiji was keeping Maun. As always Swamiji knew this and to relieve them of their agony came out of his solitude and blessed them. He stayed for 13 months in Kashi and during this period blessed innumerable people which helped these people in numerous ways. Many miraculous things happened with them after they were blessed by Swamiji. But Swamiji told them that these miracles could occur only because they had really imbibed the message he had given them and they had tremendous love and affection for not only him but for the God also. The God tests the disciples with his own ways and despite any type and amount of sufferings, if he finds that the love and affection of that person towards him has not changed he himself prefers to serve the disciples! So in effect the so called miracles are done on the basis of one’s own love and affection and dedication towards the Guru or the God rather than the other way round! This was something unheard of for the disciples and their devotion towards Swamiji increased by many folds as he was refusing to take the credit of the miracles done by him and was on the contrary accrediting them of it!
B y now the people of Karnataka were becoming restless and wanted Swamiji to come back as soon as possible. So Swamiji told the disciples at Kashi that after the completion of the Chaturmas he would leave which in turn disappointed them! Everybody wanted Swamiji to be near them for all the time! He consoled them and particularly Mr. Vaijapurkar, who had just put himself at Swamiji’s feet and done more than what he could have done during the 13 months. It is another thing that he considered himself the luckiest person on the earth for having had this opportunity to serve Swamiji. He delivered his parting speech to all,
T he uninterrupted sadhana for attaining the Parbramha is the correct way of following the dharma. The aim of following the dharma is to be in a continuous state of happiness and peace which gives rise to eternal bliss. This can be achieved by totally ignoring the inviting but short lived material pleasures. If one doesn’t fall prey to the easily attainable yet more readily evaporative pleasures and happiness which are illusions then one can have little hindrance in one’s sadhana and the outcome of it. One should always strive for achieving the Ultimate truth which is nothing but the fact that this universe and whatever happens therein is nothing but an illusion and should also try and go further to gain the real knowledge that is associated with the Parbramha. Everyone should therefore try to look inside him always to find the real me which is the soul, which in turn is an expression of the Parbramha. The sadhana should be directed towards dissolving the feelings of the body, the soul, then become unified with the Parbramha and then by further sadhana try to see and go beyond that where you will attain Moksha, by virtue of which you will be freed of the painful cycle of birth and death.
T o commemorate Swamiji’s stay at Kashi the disciples built a beautiful ashram, ‘Shreedhar Sphoorty Nivas’.
S wamiji then left for Sajjangad via Alahabad, another sacred place for the Hindus. He reached Sajjangad where his arrival was celebrated as a festival would be. He then went to the newly built Shreedhar Kuti.
D as Navmi was approaching and Swamiji instructed all that it should be celebrated with in the best possible manner, which was followed to the core by everybody.
B ecause of the incessant requests of the disciples in Karnataka, Swamiji now decided to go to Manglore. Sajjangad people were disappointed but Swamiji told that they had Shree Samarth with them whereas in Karnataka there was no one. He faced this problem of leaving behind disappointed people throughout his life but some way or the other he could manage to convince them. Everywhere it was like a mother consoling the sons that she would be available whenever they remembered her! The corollary is that Swamiji’s love and affection towards his disciples and all others was motherly to say the least!
O n his way to Manglore he went for bath in the river Krishna along with one of the disciples Dr. Valimbe who was very heftily built but almost completely drowned in the river and Swamiji who was so slightly built just swam across and lifted him and took him to the shore and saved his life! The people watching were astonished and knew that nothing was impossible for Swamiji!
I n 1953 Swamiji took the opportunity to visit the Shankaracharya of the Shrungeri Math. This is the Math established by the Adya (First) Shankaracharya, who was responsible for the resurrection of the Sanatan dharma which was at the time was almost on the point of disintegration. He met the Shankaracharya of the Math and the one before him and the three of them had a very satisfying discussion on not only Vedanta but also on what should be done in the present circumstances to prevent the people from their wrong doings so that they can pursue the right path and get eternal bliss. The present Shankaracharya had arranged for a Maha Yadnya (A highly religious ritual which is performed for the betterment of the people by only those who are renowned authorities). Swamiji took part in it and along with the Shankaracharyas delivered discourses for the enlightenment of the people who had gathered in uncountable numbers. Swamiji and the Shankaracharyas were very happy with this fruitful experience.
S wamiji then arrived in Honnavar. 5 miles away from Honnavar, there is a steep mountainous ridge, in deep forest infested with tigers and other wild animals. This is known there as the temple of the Goddess of Forest. Many disciples had earlier wanted to construct a proper temple of the Goddess but the Goddess every time gave Drushtant to the people wanting to build a temple that she didn’t want it and she would allow it only on the request of the real authority on spiritualism. Swamiji on being told this went to the place and sat there in sahaj Samadhi avastha and had his usual dialogue with the Goddess and requested her for the construction the temple and some buildings for the disciples to do sadhana, now the Goddess agreed readily! The people were overjoyed and immediately all the constructions started and were completed within no time. For the money which was required for the constructions Swamiji himself went to many of the rich people who were also disciples of the Goddess and the money stated overflowing. Once he was going to such person and the vehicle slipped and turned upside down and fell on Swamiji. Swamiji knew that it was destined and also that if he himself didn’t take the brunt of the accident the other disciples would be killed so he made the vehicle fall on himself! He was seriously hurt but was happy that others escaped unscathed! The people wanted to admit him in the best possible hospital but he refused as always and continued his sadhana and work and became alright within 15 days! Thousands had rushed to the place after hearing of the accident, he sent them back saying that he would be unharmed and not to worry. Great Saints always take the destined mishaps upon themselves so that the disciples are spared. Swamiji was not only a great Saint but one of the greatest of all time!
S wamiji was requested by some of the disciples to visit the capital of the great King Vikramaditya, which he did and when he entered the city he found that the temples were in a very shabby condition and as a result the people inhabiting the city were suffering. He told them to renovate the temples and do daily pooja and sadhana there upon which the sufferings would automatically vanish. Swamiji did this at many places to relieve the people of their sufferings and told those who were not doing sadhana to do it and to those who were already doing it he guided them further on the right path for their progress. The intent was only the benefit of the people and nothing else. If anything it was the resurrection of the Sanatan dharma and the upliftment of the society at large! He consistently told the disciples that continuous sadhana is a must as a single breach in that would immediately bring them back to square one. The intent of this advice; again the same. He also used to oft repeat that once you don’t forget this and follow it rigorously you will never be left short of anything and above all you would attain Moksha very soon indeed! Such was his demeanor that people followed him word to word.
C haturmas was round the corner and this time the people of Varadpur, a beautiful place near Sagar pleaded and almost forced him to celebrate it there only (This was in the year 1954). Swamiji readily agreed as this was the place where the great Saint Agasti and the creator of Mahabharata, Veda Vyas had stayed for some time, thousands of years ago. Veda Vyas had established a temple of Goddess Durga there which was now in a worn out stage, so Swamiji got it renovated. On the back side is a mountainous stretch and a plateau on which the disciples had built a room (Hereinafter referred to as Shikhar Kuti) for Swamiji’s stay. It was a chronic draught prone area, but the disciples whose joy knew no bounds as Swamiji was staying there for 4 months literally carried on their back huge containers of water, climbing up the steep mountain.
S wamiji spent all the 4 months in complete Maun. The disciples used to continuously do sadhana and as a part of it read many books written by Shree Samarth, which used to make Swamiji highly emotional. Being in Maun he didn’t talk anything but sometimes used to write his thoughts which conveyed the message of his being aggrieved at the state of affairs of the people of India and the rulers. He wrote that for this sorry state of affairs both are responsible. The governance of India represented that of the universe and unfortunately those who were ruling India were the most unwise, greedy, selfish and undeserving people whose purpose of ruling the Nation was only to make money by any means, most of the times by unfair and corrupt. As a result of this the evil spirits in the universe also have gained in power and there is total chaos reining all over. The only way to get over this was the resurrection of the Sanatan dharma which had the power to rectify all this. He was furious with the politicians and their wrong doings, which dismayed his disciples as they had all the time experienced only the cool, unruffled, perseverant, uncomplaining and highly tolerant Swamiji. It wasn’t their fault as they failed to recognize that Swamiji’s anger was on account of the sufferings of the people which were thrust upon them by the powers that be. After all he was the disciple of Shree Samarth and like his Guru was different from the other Saints!
V aradpur and especially the place where Swamiji was staying were full of natural bounty. It was really a picturesque place. For long Swamiji had desired to build an ashram at a place suitable for teaching and preaching all the aspects of the Sanatan dharma and during his 4 months’ stay there he got an intuition that this was it. For an auspicious beginning to have it done there he asked the disciples to erect the Religious Flag (Hereinafter referred to as the Dharma Dhwaj) upon which the disciples prepared a big silver flag. A huge 100 feet high tower (Hereinafter referred to as the Sharma Stambh) was built and the Dharma Dhwaj was ceremoniously hoisted over it. He had the best of times during the Chaturmas at Varadpur as the place offered him the best that nature could give anyone and the people knowingly never disturbed him in his solitude or Maun. After all, not for nothing that he had selected this place for establishing the ashram. Here he wrote a book, ‘Aryan culture’ which had 500 pages and the text contained the basics of Sanatan dharma, Hindu culture, the aim of the human life and the cause of it, the importance of the Vedas, critical evaluation of the so called and the real happiness and the non existent grief, the power of spiritualism and how to bring about the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden in the whole world and how to convince the so called rich that the real riches lie in the mind and not in the money! This is considered to be one of his most important works. The next year’s Chaturmas was spent in Mr. Shene’s farm house. Then Swamiji had the urge to go to Sajjangad and have Darshan of his Guru and spend some time with him and do sadhana at his feet. So off he went to Sajjangad, where he could not do the sadhana as he wanted as the people now left him alone very sparingly and there used to be a continuous flow of them urging him to guide them. He also ungrudgingly did it as he believed that service to the people was service to the God himself.
O n the request of Mr. Vaijapurkar, Swamiji decided to celebrate the Chaturmas of the year 1957 at Kashi. Mr. Vaijapurkar and Mrs. Savitribai Bhagwat made the finest possible arrangements for Swamiji. At the completion of the Chaturmas Swamiji wanted that the poor should be served high quality food for at least 7 days, which was immediately arranged for by Mr. Vaijapurkar. Because of the efforts of Mr. Vaijapurkar even in the absence of Swamiji Shree Samarth’s and his preaching had become very popular in the area around Kashi and as always thousands flocked to have his Darshan and to listen to his discourses. A Saptah of discourses by the Pundits of Kashi was arranged and Swamiji was made the Chairperson for all of the 7 days at the end of which he gave his speech which so much impressed the Pundits and all that his popularity spread all over the north and to Ayodhya, the Capital of Bhagwan Ram, Swamiji’s Guru’s Guru.
S wamiji then went to Prayag where the three holy rivers, Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati converge. He stayed at the supine Hanuman temple established be Shree Samarth. He was invited by one of the best Sanskrit schools there to deliver his discourse. The subject was regarding the origin of the Vedas. He told the students and their teachers that the Vedas are nothing but the poetic expression of the feeling of the God by the great Saints. Once you lose the bodily feelings and cross the kingdom of the so called life, you land in to the heavenly kingdom of the Gods where everything which is the strongest possible imaginable, is done effortlessly with the greatest possible vision which is invisible to all but the chosen few who deservedly know it through their own untiring sadhana. It is for you to understand thus that the Vedas thence were never written or told by the Gods as there was no need for it as the Gods who have this tremendous power to conceal their huge work could spell them through the chosen few great Saints. The people were never explained in such a simple language the origin of the Vedas and the mystery surrounding it and also why the Vedas are said to be written by no one but are the gifts of the God. Only a great Saint who himself can write Vedas without even knowing them could have told this as he intuitively would be able to feel it and who better than Swamiji to do this!
S wamiji left Prayag for Maharashtra and went to the holy place of Nasik where Bhagwan Ram had stayed in the area called ‘Panchwati’, a place where there are 5 big banyan trees. He stayed at his disciple, Dr. Keshavrao Mule’s house. Then he went to Takli where Shree Samarth had done his sadhana for 12 years. Here Shree Samarth had made a replica of Hanuman out of cow dung and most of the times stood on one leg doing his sadhana for 12 years. The said temple of Hanuman is still there and the disciples religiously visit this place regularly. The disciples around the area had come to know of Swamiji’s stay and as always had thronged to listen to him and get his blessings.
F rom there he went to the bungalow of one of his staunch disciples, Mr. Prithviraj Bhalerao at Lonavala which is atop the Sahyadri plateau from where the great Deccan plateau begins. It is a very beautiful place, full of nature’s gifts. Here he wrote the book, ‘Shree Datt Karunarnav’ containing 157 mantras in Sanskrit. It describes Guru Datt’s empathy towards the mankind which in fact is the essence of the Vedas. This book has proved very beneficial for the sadhana of many a disciple.
T hen Swamiji left for Mumbai on the pleadings of many of his disciples. All Mumbai seemed to be basking in the glory of this great Saint. All the media covered Swamiji’s programmes throughout his stay. Swamiji didn’t like it but acceded to it when he came to know that it was the wish of his disciples and the media men had also become his followers! It went to such an extent that a huge procession of him was arranged with all the elaborate arrangements was taken out through most parts of the mega city where literally millions gathered to have his Darshan. He delivered many discourses for the benefit of one and all.
H e now felt the time had come for him to return to Sajjangad for the celebrations of Dasnavmi. By this time Swamiji literally had no time to enjoy the bliss of sahaj Samadhi avasha as most of his time was consumed by the people visiting him. Swamiji wasn’t bothered as his job of spreading the message of the Sanatan Dharma and of Shree Samarth was being done.
H e dicided to celebrate the Ramnavmi of 1958, at Jamb, the place of birth of Shree Samarth. The disciples arranged for everything and the celebrations which were attended by almost all of the disciples of Shree Samarth from the area and his own birth place were seen to be believed. Swamiji was extremely pleased that he could do it at his Guru’s birth place which for long had remained neglected. Then he tracked through Karmataka and via Belgaum reached Sajjangad again. On the eve of the 350 ^th birth anniversary of Shree Samarth a conference of disciples of Shree Samarth and Swamiji was organized, which was presided over by Swamiji in which it was decided that all of those who wanted the benefit of the society and to put a new lease of life in to it should choose a place anywhere in India and start building ashrams for the said purpose. Swamiji for him decided that he would move around the whole of India and do this job. He started his whirl wind tour with Chennai, Rameshwar and Thiruvanantpuram from where he went to Kanyakumari for the Chaturmas.
K anyakumari is the southernmost point of the Indian Peninsula , where the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal merges in to the Indian Ocean. Many great Saints had done their sadhana there. The great Saint Vidyaranya was one of them and the rock on which he did his sadhana was chosen by the world famous Swami Vivekananda for his own sadhana. It is one of the most sacred places in India . Swamiji celebrated the Chaturmas in complete solitude and consuming only milk. He used to be always in his sahaj Samadhi avastha and was very happy to have spent the time there where those great Saints of the yesteryears had spent theirs.
O n the rock on which Swami Vivekananda had done his sadhana now stands a grand memorial to him, built in marble for which almost the whole of India had contributed irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Immediately after completing his Chaturmas, Swamiji went to the Vivekananda rock memorial and again did his sadhana there for three days in total solitude and without eating or drinking anything. This place now stands as an icon for the Hindu devotees and why not as three of the greatest Saints of India had done their sadhana there.
H e then proceeded to Chennai where he stayed for 8 days and for the convenience of the devotees delivered his discourses in chaste English! Then he went to Mumbai on the pleadings of many of his disciples there.
S wamiji’s 51 ^st birth anniversary was approaching and the disciples wanted to celebrate it on a grand scale. The problem was, the disciples knew that as his birth anniversary was on Datt Jayanti he wouldn’t agree to it. Somehow they gathered courage and asked him. He after much persuasion agreed but on conditions. He said that it should not be a separate celebration, it should be called as Shree Datt Shreedhar Jayanti, nobody should any point of time forget that it is the celebration of the Datt Jayanti and finally that it would be just for the names sake as you are so much for it and should remember it that I don’t like such things at all. If you promise to follow it word to word then you can proceed and be happy with that, the disciples had no way but to say yes, yet they were happy that Swamiji had acceded to their demands may be on conditions. They formed a committee named Shreedhar philosophy circle which was to oversee all the arrangements. One of the famous persons of Mumbai who was Swamiji’s disciples Mr. Kane was appointed the president and started working vigorously for the success of the celebrations. A very big pendal was erected with a 6 feet high statue of Shree Samarth and that of Guru Datt. Thousands of his disciples and the people of Karnataka and from Sajjangad came for the celebrations. Swamiji delivered his discourses twice a day on Vedanta and Upanishads. The rush of people so much increased that the pendal used to overflow and the committee had to erect another one, which they gladly did. All of them believed in Swamiji’s preaching that the real disciple of the Guru is the one who hands over the load of all the happiness and grief emanating form the daily deeds of the body and mind to the Guru and always remains glued to his inner self which is the soul and also that he never considers any work which he has to do for disciples like him or for the needy people as a burden. At the endof the celebrations a big procession of Swamiji was taken out through Dadar, the biggest suburb of Mumbai. The celebrations thus were done on the grandest possible scale as the disciples had wanted. Swamiji gave the sacred coconut to every one and told them that they should never lose their happiness, come what may as all is an illusion?
T here is a place named Kanakeshwar on one of the mountains near Mumbai where there is a temple of Lord Shiva and the folklore has it that the water in the lake beside it will turn in to the sacred water of the river Ganga. As such the water was very dirty at that time. One of Swamiji’s disciples, Gurupad wanted Swamiji to come over there and he immediately agreed. After his usual dialogue with the Lord Shiva Swamiji went to the lake and touched the water and lo and behold the dirty water immediately turned into the cleanest possible one, very sweet in taste and having a typical flavour of the water of the river Ganga! This miracle solved the problem of drinking water for the people staying on the mountain for whom getting drinking water was the greatest problem of their daily life. To date the water of the lake still maintains these properties!
S wamiji had again taxed his fragile body too much and the disciples now pleaded with him to rest for at least a month, but Swamiji agreed for 10 days after a long thought. Knowing this one Mr. Natu, who was a Government servant and knew nothing about Swamiji came from no where and straight way handed over the keys of his spacious bungalow to Mr. Kane for Swamiji’s stay! This is how the Gods take care of there real disciples! After the rest Swamiji went to the Mauniram temple where his discourses were arranged on the request of the people of Girgaon, another big suburb of Mumbai. He told the people that everybody should strive for getting closer to the God sparing no effort. One should not shy away from it even if it requires the ultimate sacrifice as the fruits of it also will be ultimate! The soul is a witness to every thing happening in one’s life, even each inspiration and expiration. Being unaware of this we do so many things in a wrong way which leads to sufferings. Once you become aware of it the bliss is yours for the taking. We do our work according our perception of good or bad which may not be necessarily be the case always, therefore it is advisable to make friends with the knowledgeable who can guide you on the right path. Once you know the real wrongs and right things then pursuance of spiritualism becomes that much easier. The people used to get the real message from his speeches as he used to take special care to make the difficult things look easier and deliver them in a language which even an illiterate could easily understand. He deliverd his speeches spreading the message of Sanatan dharma and of Shree Samarth all over Mumbai and by blessing many a people reduced their daily sufferings and did a great job of diverting the people from their wrong methods to the correct ones so that their lives would become happier. The work in Mumbai done to his satisfaction, he moved on to the southern Maharashtra city of Solapur .
I t was decided to celebrate the 350 ^th Anniversary of the birth of Shree Samarth in 1959 at Solapur. All the arrangements were made by the disciples of Shree Samarth and Swamiji. The Padukas of Shree Samarth arrived from Sajjangad. A massive procession of the Padukas was taken out, with the Padukas kept in front of a huge portrait of Shree Samarth which was 7 feet in height. Thousands walked the whole distance during the procession. Then the programmes of the celebrations started, the main part of which was the discourse of Swamiji in the evening. He told the disciples about the childhood of Shree Samarth and how right from that tender age he was worrying about the world and its inhabitants and working for reducing the sufferings of the people so that the world can be a happy place for their dwelling. Then Swamiji used to elaborate on the preaching of Shree Samarth. After the celebrations were over to Swamiji’s satisfaction, he was invited to Gangapur for the celebrations of the 500 ^th year of the Samadhi of Shree Nrusinh Saraswati. Hundreds of authorities on spiritualism from all over India had gathered there for the celebrations. Swamiji delivered his speeches explaining to the disciples what was meant by ‘Awadhoot’, the name by which Guru Datt was known. He said that the one who vanquishes the ancestry of birth and the grief of death is called the ‘Awadhoot’. The greatest of them all has been Guru Datt. When the knowledgeable decides to part with even the knowledge itself, he gets the opportunity to get closer to science. Conversion of knowledge in to science is possible for only an ‘Awadhoot’. Nobody can attain Moksha unless he attains this stage. The proximity to body, life, soul, knowledge and even the Parbramha has to be left behind for the gain of the ultimate happiness of Moksha.
H e tracked down to Gulbarga afterwards and visited the school where he had been a student for a while. He delivered a speech to the students and the teachers on the finer aspects of the imparting and gaining of knowledge. Then via Solapur he reached Sajjangad.
D asnavmi was celebrated that year at Sajjangad under the leadership of Swamiji. Then he went to Bramhanal where there are two samdhis of Guru and disciple. The astonishing thing about these is that during one of the festivals of Lord Shiva ‘Mahashivratri’, the Samadhi of the Guru sways horizontally in response to the worship of the disciple. But for last many years this had ceased to happen as the place was infested with evil spirits and therefore the Guru and the disciple had left the place. Knowing that Swamiji had come to Bramhanal, the residents requested him to restore the old tradition. Swamiji knowing the reason went there and on the night of Mahashivratri he sprinkled Teerth on both the samadhis and told the Guru and the disciple that now that the evil spirits had left for ever with his arrival they were welcome again at their abode. Thousands of people were there with Swamiji and as soon as Swamiji said this the people were astounded and happy at the same time because the Samadhi of the Guru had started swaying vigorously in response to the worship of the disciple! This was a miracle for the people but for Swamiji this was just a simple case of restoration of the piousness of the place, bringing back the Guru and the disciple and freeing the evil spirits for their Moksha for establishment and strengthening of the belief of the people in the Sanatan dharma. He then returned back to Sajjangad after having Darshan of Guru Datt at Narsobachi Wadi.
A ccording to Swamiji’s wish the 350 ^th anniversary of the birth of Shree Samarth was being celebrated all over India and the people of the capital, Delhi also didn’t lag behind and celebrated it on a grand scale. The famous industrialist Birla and the Governor of Punjab, Kakasaheb Gadgil took the responsibility of all the arrangements. They pleaded with Swamiji to come to Delhi and enlighten the people. Swamiji accepted the invitation and went to Delhi along with the Padukas of Shree Samarth. Here also thousands attended his discourses and went enriched with the knowledge imparted to them by Swamiji.
S wamiji then decided to go to Kurukshetra, where the great war of Mahbharata was fought on the occasion of the complete solar eclipse. He did sadhana there for 4 days and then left for Gwalior where he stayed for 5 days and then in Indore he stayed for 3 days giving speeches on Shree Samarth’s preaching and the Sanatan dharma. There after he visited many places in the north India and came back to Sajjangad. Swamiji was very happy that his tour was successful in the sense that he was able to spread the message of Shree Samarth and the Sanatan dharma.
T he last phase of the celebrations of the 350 ^th anniversary of the birth of Shree Samarth was to be celebrated at Sajjangad. Apart from the other programmes there was the Jap of the Trayodashakshari Mantra for 130 million times! The programmes went on for 10 days. Swamiji was happy that he could do all this with the blessings of Shree Samarth and could repay his Guru in some form whatever he had got from him (Called as Gurudadakshina in Hinduism), in the sense that Shree Samarth had always desired that as many number of people as possible should follow the preaching of the Vedas and the Sanatan dharma and Swamiji had succeeded to a certain extent in doing this. For this reason during this whole time he spent most of the period in sahaj Samadhi avastha near Shree Samarth’s Samadhi. This is the beauty of the relationship between the Guru and the disciple. Both are happy when the other one is! The yearlong celebrations all over India ended at Sajjangad in grandeur.
O n the request of some of the disciples Swamiji went to Ratnagiri. Apart from his usual speeches to enlighten the disciples his main aim in coming to Ratnagiri was to meet another great Saint, Swami Swaroopanand, whom he met at Pawas and both of them shared their views on spiritualism and how it should be implemented for the benefit of the society. From there Swamiji came back to Sajjangad.
H e had decided to celebrate the Chaturmas at Sajjangad. On the occasion of the full moon day dedicated to Guru, Swamiji did pooja of Shree Samarth’s Samadhi. He was in complete solitude and total Maun. For food he took only cow milk and fruits. One of the disciples, Dr. Bhave had sent a cow who was named Mokshalxmi by Swamiji himself and who accomapanied him till her last breath. After the 4 months were over he came out of the solitude and the Maun. He decided to celebrate the Datt Jayanti at Hyderabad on the repeated requests of the disciples there. About 5 thousands of disciples from Maharashtra and Karnatakahad gathered for the celebrations. Swamiji used to deliver his discourses on Upanishadas in the morning. The celebrations were a grand success and the disciples remembered it for their lifetime.
T he Goddess Renuka of Mahurgad was the one worshipped by Swamiji’s family; he therefore decided to visit the temple at Mahurgad. He along with the disciples climbed up the mountain and reached the temple where Swamiji and the Goddess had their usual dialogue without words! The Goddess wanted to accompany him wherever he went, but that being impossible Swamiji had to console her and she very grudgingly agreed to stay back! He then went to Hyderabad where he unviled the statue of Venkat Ramana. Then he visited Shree Shailam which is one of the 12 holiest of places of Lord Shiva. It is surrounded by dense forests and Swamiji without the knowledge of anyone went inside the forest and roamed there without food or water for 8 days in a state of unification with the Parbramha and enjoying the bliss of it. The disciples went mad and searched for him day and night but couldn’t find him. He appeared after 8 days and the bliss he had enjoyed was amply evident on his face. Very grudgingly he had to leave for Hyderabad on the pleadings of the disciples, who feared that once again he may disappear in to the forest.
S hree Samarth had written his most famous book the Dasbodh 300 years ago and to commemorate this occasion the disciples decided that there would be appropriate celebrations with Swamiji’s consent. It was decided to erect the statues of Shree Samarth and his disciple who wrote what Shree Samarth dictated, Kalyan Swami at Shivthar Ghal (A ridge in the mountain) where Shree Samarth used to do his Sadhana. The statues were prepared by Swamiji’s disciples and the whole arrangements were made by Dr. Bhave. Swamiji unveiled the statues and asked the disciples to renovate the other structures too, which was done immediately. Every body including Swamiji was happy that Shivthar Ghal had now a decent look and had been given a new appearance which Shree Samarth also would have liked.
T hen Swamiji went to Takli where Shree Samarth had done his initial sadhana for 12 years, and laid the foundation stone for construction of a big temple there.
S wamiji had decided to celebrate the Dasnavmi at Belgaum . The beginning was as always on a grand scale but suddenly the Maharashtra – Karnataka border issue erupted like a volcano and its shadow darkened the celebrations or so it seemed. Then a miracle happened. One of the Officers deputed to defuse the crisis had a Drushtant telling him to keep all the possible bandobast for the celebrations and provide for all the other necessary arrangements also. With this all the Government machinery also took part in the celebrations and not only Dasnavmi went off very well but the crisis was also defused shortly. People knew that all this was done by Swamiji himself! After that Swamiji attended the threading ceremony of the son of Mr. Shene at Manglore and celebrated the Shankaracharya and Nrusinha Jayanti at Varadpur and then left for Sajjangad where he completed his book, ‘Arya Sanskriti’.
T he disciples wanted to do Ramnam Jap for 130 million times while Swamiji was at Sajjangad. Swamiji told them that 50 disciples would do it for 2 years and that he himself would remain in total solitude and keep Maun for 2 years’ period. The Ramnam Jap was completed in 8 months’ time and during that period Swamiji wrote a book, ‘Moksha Sandesh’ (Message for Moksha) and Powada of Moksha (Message of Moksha in the folk poetry form). This was during the years 1959 and 1960. After Swamiji’s solitude was over, he came out of the Shreedhar Kuti and the disciples celebrated in joy but soon he took ill with some disease of the Kidneys. He was advised total rest so he went to Pune and stayed in Mr. Prithviraj Bhalerao’s bungalow for one and a half months. There, another great Saint, Gulwani Maharaj used to come and meet him frequently and they used to have very satisfying discussions on spiritualism, but as the news of his stay in Pune spread disiples from all over started pouring in and Swamiji couldn’t get the required rest, so he was taken to the bungalow of an Industrialist, Mr. Mafatlal where his accompanying disciples didn’t allow any one to meet him except the treating doctors. Despite this he didn’t feel any better and finally it was decided to take him to Bangalore but there also the same thing continued as disciples thronged in and Swamiji being the kindest person never disappointed them which naturally took a heavy toll on his already declining health. He was then persuaded by Mr. Shene from Mangalore to stay in his farm house where he had stayed earlier and had felt better. Swamiji agreed and went to Kadriguda part of the city where the farm house was. There was a big well here and Swamiji earlier had swum in it and had felt better. He did the same this time too and after a few days he really felt good. All the disciples rejoiced Swamiji’s return to good health and from that period onwards this well and Swamiji had a special relationship, in that whenever he took ill he went there, swum in it and felt better. The happiest one was Mr. Shene. Swamiji celebrated the Chaturmas at the farm house and then left for the Shreedharashrama at Varadpur for the celebrations of Datt Jayanti.
P eople from Kashi had come for the celebrations and they requested Swamiji to enlighten them with some message, upon which he wrote a book in Hindi, Anand Tatva Meemansa (The philosophy of Happiness) in which he said that the universe has originated from the base of happiness which then spread by various ways and routes. The creation was at a slow pace and therefore the disappearance will also be at the same pace. By one’s own experiences one should try to get bliss by knowing each aspect of the real happiness.
I n the next 4 months Swamiji wrote continuously in Marathi and Hindi. One Mr. Premdas from northern India heard about Swamiji’s authority and came to Varadpur to get his difficulties solved. Here is a gist of the answers Swamiji gave to his questions,
H ow and where to pursue spiritualism and what is the gain from it?
S piritualism is nothing but the constant search for the real thing inside you (The soul). You should always be engaged in this. There is no constraint or restraint of time or place for it. Bliss and Parbramaha is the gain out of it!
W hich is the best time in life to succeed in this search?
T ime is not the limiting factor but the acquisition of real knowledge is. Whenever one is disenchanted with the unreal things in this life and gets the real knowledge and wisdom, he can pursue spiritualism and that is the time when one can get the bliss without much Hassels.
I t is said that after proper sadhana one gets to know the real me inside him, kindly elaborate on this.
F irstly the Guru shows you the way for sadhana. But all said and done most of those following this path in the beginning start with the search for their soul and not the Parbramha. When they get control over their organic and material desires they are in a position to control their mind and when they are totally disenchanted with this their mind becomes ripe for the sowing of the seeds of knowledge which leads to enlightenment which in turn leads to the viewing of the self lit soul in which dissolve the mind and the feelings leaving the body intact to perform its duties. This stage where the bodily feelings are no more dictating the terms and the being is always in a state of constant happiness and bliss is the stage of the knowledge of the real me!
S wamiji have you attained the ultimate real knowledge?
K nowledge is nothing but constant remembrance of the self and the soul by consciously and then subconsciously through one’s own feelings. Now when a knowledgeable is always in the state of innermost happiness and bliss will he need the help of anything including words to express that state? It is up to you to decide whether I have attained the ultimate real knowledge or not!
P remdas had toured all over India but he had never met anyone who could satisfactorily answer his queries and that too with utmost modesty and humility, and now that he had found one he was ecstatic and asked for Swamiji’s blessings and became his disciple. There were innumerable others like him.
S hree Samarth’s Padukas arrived at Varadpur. Swamiji did the first grand pooja and then it was a never before seen celebration at the Varadpur ashram till the Padukas were there.
I n 1962 Swamiji decided to spend his time in solitude for the forthcoming 2 years. In the meanwhile from Nashik Dr. Keshavrao Mule had come for Swamiji’s Darshan. He requested Swamiji to allow him to publish a monthly which he wanted to name as ‘Shreedhar Sandesh’ (The message of Swamiji), after much persuasion Swamiji agreed to the name as he never wanted his name to be given to anything!
D uring this period he wrote a Sanskrit book ‘Mumukshu Sakh:’ which contained advice to the disciples for pursuance of the path of spiritualism and had 759 mantras. After 2 years he came out of his solitude and gave Darshan to thousands who had gathered for the very purpose. He explained to them the importace of solitude. He said, In solitude your whole mindset changes. You feel that you have to achieve something more and then more and more. Being alone he has the best chance to deeply peep inside his own self to find out the real him hidden behind many curtains of the body and the mind. The deeper inside you go the sooner you get to know what you are looking for. Then he realizes that the real him is nothing but the Parbramha himself and he then remains in that indescribable state of happiness and bliss.
S wamiji then went to Kadigadde, a sacred place where thousands of years ago another great sage Durwas had established a Shivling. The priest there was also a worshipper of Bhagwan Ram and immediately knowing Swamiji’s authority he asked his doubts to Swamiji. He said that although he was doing Ramnam Jap but yet was unhappy in his journey on the sacred path. Swamiji told him that during his sadhana although his body is unaware of the surroundings his mind was constantly aware of it and therefore was always wavering. He gave him a simple example that during his meals if his mind was not in a state to enjoy the meal he would never enjoy it even if it was the best food available on earth, in the same way during sadhana he needed to enjoy the sadhana itself by controlling his mind and making it concentrate on the Ramnam which would give him immense happiness. He should not bother about what is visible and even what is veiled under it and should totally devote himself to the sadhana in which he should all the while try to search for the real thing inside him. That is what is lacking in his sadhana and therefore he was unhappy. He subtly told him which should be remembered by one and all on this path of spiritualism that just enacting your part on this path as if this was a drama would lead you nowhere, as in a drama once it is over you again become the unreal you which you unfortunately perceive as the real one.
T hereafter via Varadpur he arrived at Sajjangad.
T here is a big dam on the river Koyna near Karad. Ever since the building of the dam the whole area has become highly prone to earthquakes. In one of the biggest ones of them more than a thousand people were killed. Scientists tried to explain it on the basis of some scientific reasoning but in vain. When everything failed to even locate the cause of the constantly quaking earth the people and the scientists lost their faith in their own patience and knowledge and approached Swamiji for advice. The chief engineer himself came to fetch Swamiji to the dam site.
S wamiji after visiting the dam first took bath in it. Then he went into his sahaj Samadhi avastha and immediately came to know the cause of the frequent earthquakes. He told all the concerned that all the temples of Gods and Goddesses immersed in the dam water were not at all remembered by anyone, which should be rectified by building atleast one temple signifying the Goddess of water who should be worshipped daily atleast by appointing one priest. Then he said that you people have forgotten that this is the land where Shree Samarth and his great disciple King Shivaji lived just 300 years ago, therefore erect their statues on either side of the dam. The Government officers promised to do as he said and after Swamiji was convinced that they would really keep their promise he left for Sajjangad. Thereafter there has been a significant reduction in the number of earthquakes and the intensity of those occurring is highly insignificant. The scientists had earlier feared that because of the high frequency and intensity of the quakes the dam would give way sooner or later. Almost 40 years since Swamiji visited the place and the officers really did what he had advised and after Swamiji himself established a temple of Hanuman to prevent any mishap from occurring at that site, not a single quake has been able to claim human life or destroy property. It even withstood the great quake of Latur in the 1990s. It is very sad that the people have forgotten what Swamiji did for them but any way he never expected anyone to repay in any kind.
F rom their Swamiji left for Mumbai on the pleadings of the disciples and stayed there at Mr. Kane’s bungalow. Then he took a whirlwind tour wherein he visited many places for the spread of the message of Bhagwan Ram and Shree Samarth. He finally went to Takli where Shree Samarth had done his sadhana and found that the cave in which Shree Samarth used to spend most of his time was in a bad shape and ordered his disciples to start the renovation work which was duly done.
S wamiji decided to celebrate this year’s Chaturmas in the Himalayas. He reached Haridwar via Delhi. Thousands of his disciples had gathered to listen to him and get his blessings. He as usual didn’t disappoint anyone. This is the nicety of the Hindu philosophy. The great Saints do their sadhana with the greatest efforts, despite the fact that they already have reached the ultimate in spiritualism. Their sole aim is to guide their disciples on the correct path and as far as possible without disturbing the balance of nature relieve them of their miseries and agonies. They never spare a moment when it comes to imparting the real knowledge which they themselves have acquired through most difficult sadhana. On top of this it is done without any expectation except that the disciple will follow the given path, do sadhana himself and get the real knowledge for his own benefit. For this reason the Guru is thought to be even more selfless than the mother. It is then dependent upon the disciple to correctly follow the advised path. Swamiji did this relentlessly throughout his life span after getting the blessings of Shree Samarth.
I n Haridwar Swamiji entered one cave which was of the Nath Sect. He told the disciples that now he would show them some of the asanas of Yoga on the orders of the originator of the Sect, Saint Gorakshanath, and he did that with consummate ease. The disciples were astonished as they had never seen Swamiji doing these asanas before and here he was doing the most difficult ones of them without fuss and with a minimum of effort.
S wamiji then went to Kedarnath via Hrishikesh, Devprayag and Rudraprayag. He used to bathe in the waters of the holy rivers, Alaknanda and Mandakini which were ice cool and he was walking the whole mountainous terrain which was very tiresome for his age, so the disciples requested him to ride on a horse but he refused as there were other disciples who were almost his age who were walking. When they also accepted to ride on the horse for the sake of Swamiji then only he rode the horse. At Kedarnath Swamiji did pooja and gave the sanyasis doing sadhana there whatever things they wanted.
H e then left for Badrinath where he had decided to celebrate the Chaturmas of 1965. For his pooja of Badrinath thousands of sanyasis had gathered to see this unforeseen sight of Parbramha himself offering his pooja to the God. He instructed his disciples to provide food daily to all the sanyasis during the four ensuing months which was promptly arranged for and done. Then he started his Chaturmas in total solitude and complete Maun. During this period he used to get up at 3 am, do the morning chores, from 4 – 9 am he used to be in sahaj Samadhi avastha. Thereafter he used to philosophize on the religious books till noon, have bath and sit in meditation for 2 hours. Then he took his meal consisting of some flour, milk, fruirs and locally available eatable roots. Again he used to have bath and then from evening till midnight he used to be in sahaj Samadhi avastha. This routine he followed rigorously day in and day out! He used to rest for only 3 hours during which also he used to continuously do Ramnam Jap! His innermost desire was to follow this kind of routine throughout his life but then noone would have had any contact with him, and he was born for the upliftment of the people who were suffering, which wouldn’t have been possible with that routine, so he kept the period of Chaturmas for himself and devoted the remaining 8 months for the people. The routine he so liked was also not for himself as he didn’t need that for he was already the Parbramha, but was for getting that divine extra power and energy which he could utilize for the betterment of the society!
A fter coming out of the solitude at the end of the Chaturmas, Swamiji left for Kashi. Thousands of his disciples were present to welcome him and the whole of the railway station area reverberated with the chants of ‘Jai Jai Raghuveer Samarth’. On the request of the disciples Swamiji agreed to stay at the ‘Shreedhar Niwas’, the ashram named after him and looked after by his disciple, Mrs. Savitriakka Bhagwat in Kashi for 3 months. Before going there he first took the Darshan of the Kashi Vishweshwar where as always he had his usual dialogue with the deity. Hundreds used to throng the ashram to get his Darshan and blessings. One of them asked him whether any man by doing continuous sadhana go near the God and further that, can he become God himself. Swamiji answered him, If the sadhana is done without any expectation the person starts looking deep inside him. The next step is the cleansing of the mind which leads to the person searching for the real happiness. This search yields the original light of the soul which is the key to the Parbramha himself. On further continuous sadhana there is unification with the Parbramha which is a step further than being the God. This probably was the simplest explanation of all the expressions of the Vedas, Upanishadas and the Shruti.
T hen he went to Prayag where he went to have a bath in the holy congruence of the three rivers. He was surrounded by three bramhans who without knowing who he was demanded some money upon which Swamiji gave them all that he had and was left with only his langoti! Here in the ashram the devotees were anxiously waiting for him. One of them was a rich man who had brought a lot of wealth for completion of Swamiji’s work of spreading the message of Shree Samarth and that of the Sanatan dharma. The moment before Swamiji had given all he had and the very next moment he was presented with thousands of times more in terms of wealth. This is the beauty of spiritualism. Off course he didn’t touch it as always but on the repeated requests of the man accepted it for the work he had undertaken and told the disciples to disburse it to the needy. Then he left for Mumbai and stayed there for 3 days. During this whole period, right from the beginning of Chaturmas he had maintained complete Maun.
S wamiji then decided to spend the next 3 months in the temple of Kanakeshwar. He used to write his messages to the disciples who used to come to seek for his blessings as he was in Maun. The celebrations of Ramnavmi went off as per his directions which gave great pleasure to everyone. He then came out of his solitude and Maun to have the Darshan of Shree Samarth for which he left for Sajjangad and the whole of his stay there around the Samadhi of Shree Samarth where he used to get the ultimate bliss. In the Hindu spiritualism even if the disciple becomes an authority he is still like a child when he is alongside his Guru and pays utmost respect and reverence to the Guru. This in no way belittles the disciple but gives him further knowledge and the power needed to guide his own followers on the right track.
S wamiji decided that he would celebrate the next Chaturmas at Hoshangabad, on the banks of the holy river Narmada. One of his disciples had a beautiful bungalow at a vantage point by ther river side and Swamiji approved of that place. During that period the Shankaracharya of Shrungeri Math was in Hoshangabad and as he knew the authority of Swamiji he used to tell the audiences during his speeches that the Human form of Parbramha was there in their city in the form of Swamiji and they should atleast once get his Darshan! When people heard this from the holiest authority of Hindu religion they literally overcrowded Swamiji’s place to have his Darshan. Swamiji this time had decided to spend 7 months in solitude and Maun. Therefore the disciples were eagerly waiting for the day of Datt Jayanti when the stipulated time would be over. On Datt Jayanti Swamiji came out of the bungalow and proceeded to the stage in a sort of auditorium specially built for this occasion. The disciples pleaded with him to break his Maun there only and advise them. He agreed and delivered his discourse in which he told the disciples the gist of spiritualism.
H e said, We the humans are ourselves responsible for the various kinds of happiness and grief that we experience. These are all the outcome of our deeds. If you do a good thing you will be rewarded for it and if you do a bad one you will be punished for it. The mind always forces the body to employ the easiest way to get to the desired aim which invariably leads to misdeeds. One has to constantly remember this and resist the natural inclination of the mind for short cuts and rather employ the seemingly tedious but ultimately fruitful correct and the wise path. The way we build dams and utilize the water, we should build a wall in our minds which will prevent the thoughts from flowing all over and instead utilize the power of the pooled thoughts for good deeds. If you don’t do that you are definite to drown in your own thoughts and the misdeeds emanating from them. The final commandment of the Indian philosophy is, your mind is responsible for your final destination, either hell or heaven and Moksha. It is for you to decide what you want and behave accordingly. Just watch the mother of a child throwing tantrums and the way she satisfies him and you will know how to conquer the tantrums of your mind!
Y our mind always is after the so called happiness, which is either material or is from the organic pleasures. It is similar to ants surrounding the sugar. The human mind doesn’t realize that what it perceives as sugar is in fact a poison. There are two types of mind. One is the one I have already told you. The other one realizes that all these so called pleasures and happiness are short lasting and it shouldn’t go in for those, rather it should resist it to attain real happiness and bliss. Once you are able to convert your mindset from the first one to the second you are endowed with the power not only to achieve bliss for yourself but you can guide others also on the path you have followed and be a cause for their bliss too. If your mind fails in this endevour unfortunately you are certain to be born again and remain in the vicious cycle of birth and death. But if you have succeeded in conquering your mind, you can get the bliss at will, neither grief nor happiness will affect you and hence you will always be in a state of the mind which is free from the defragmenting forces like lust, anger and desire. Then even if for others you may seem to be doing everything, in fact you are doing them without employing a single grain of your minds energy. You indeed are in unification with the Parbramha and if your sadhana is complete you can be in sahaj Samadhi avastha at will. In short your mind is the epicenter of the Parbramha and whatever you are doing is done by your body even without your knowledge, such is the great power of a mind of Saints who are oblivious of everything else but the Parbramha which can be attained by you also.
T he disciples pleaded with him to bless them by giving his own Padukas to them which will be a constant source of guidance to them, to which Swamiji agreed and now they are there and the disciples have constructed a Shreedharashram in which they are kept and the disciples from the nearby area can come, worship them and get their difficulties solved.
O nce while he was going to the river Narmada for his bath he heard some body calling him in a very distressed voice. He immediately went and saw a man who was so ill that his hutment was filled with a peculiar foul smell. The man prayed Swamiji to relieve him of his agony either by giving him death or by curing his illness. Swamiji instantly threw the sacred Teerth on his whole body and within no time not only the smell disappeared but the man started to feel better. He then got up and touched Swamiji’s feet. Swamiji told him that now as Bhagwan Ram had given him a new lease of life he should do the Ramnam Jap, till his last breath. Even Swamiji’s staunch disciples were awe struck at what they saw! Here was a man almost dead, ready to fall prey to decomposition and to the vultures, which were literally hovering around and within minutes Swamiji had metamormposed him, so to say! Everyone hailed Swamiji thrice, to which Swamiji’s reply was, they should instead say Jai Jai Raghuveer Samarth! The disciples did that with renewed vigour.
A fter some period Swamiji decided to leave for Mumbai via Nagpur. In Mumbai one of the most famous and versatile personalities Maharashtra has ever produced, Mr. P.K. Atre who was a thorough materialist and abhorred the spiritualists on seeing Swamiji immediately touched his feet and asked for his blessings! Not only that but he requested Swamiji to give away prizes to actors from his drama company!
T hen he went to Sajjangad via Pune and Baneshwar, the same route which he had traversed during his first visit to Sajjangad. He first took bath and then sat in front of the samadhi of Shree Samarth for 3 hours. He got the permission from Shree Samarth to go to Varadpur and spend the next 5 years in solitude. Then he decided to leave for Varadpur in 4 days time. When this news spread the disciples poured in to Sajjangad to have his Darshan. One of his favourite disciples requested him to explain to all about solitude. Swamiji told them that sanyasis have no allocated work except doing continuous sadhana and always remain in unification with the Parbramha. The very meaning of sanyas is the sacrifice of everything except the Parbramha. When you are always in unification with the Parbramha you are in solitude, whether you are in the midst of the people or not. You can also say that the knowledge that there is no other truth than Parbramha is also nothing but solitude.
Y ou can do sadhana by doing work, by reading or by thinking. The best way is to do it by sacrificing everything. It allows you to always remain in sahaj Samadhi avastha. This can be done anywhere as I have already told you and even in the midst of people, but for me it is better that I remain away from everyone just bodily so that you don’t have to bother about me!
O n the 4 ^th day he left for Varadpur after having the Darshan of Shree Samarth’s Samadhi, Rampanchaytan and Hanuman. On the way he stopped at Jejuri and did pooja of the God Khandoba. Then he went off to Varadpur.
V aradpur is near the river Sharawati. Bhagwan Vyas who has written Mahabharata had done his sadhana here. The Shreedharashrama here is on one of the plateaus spanning 32 acres. The buildings of the ashrama are on the plateau and there is the big building known as the Shikharkuti. Madhyakuti, Teerthkuti, Shikharkuti and New Shreedharashrama together are known as the Shreedharashrama. In front of that is the 100 feet high tower with the silver religious flag. The nature has donated its bounties in the surroundings of Shreedharashrama by both hands, which enables the sadhana to be done in the best possible manner. The proceedings of the ashrama are looked after by the Shreedhar Seva Mahamandala, a trust formed by the disciples of Swamiji. They were preparing the ashrama for Swamiji’s long lasting solitude.
S wamiji started his total solitude and on the 13 ^th of January 1967. As per his instructions all the religious festivals were celebrated with great enthusiasm. Those were further bolstered by the effervescence of the 25 students of the Sanskrit school of the ashrama.
D uring this period the disciples pleaded with him to deliver his discourses which could be taped on a tape recorder brought by one of the disciples, for the benefit of all and of the posterity. Swamiji agreed and delivered 4 lectures on the essence of Guru, while sitting in the Teerthkuti. The recording was done outside, the tapes are available and the sound is very clear despite the fact that there was no mike available!
A fter the recording was over Mr. Godse pleaded with him to talk to him and Swamiji agreed. Here is how the dialogue went:
S wamiji when will we be able to have your Darshan?
I have been ordered by Bhagwan Ram and Shree Samarth to do sadhana in solitude so that the power acquired thus will be useful for the betterment of the society. Therefore, not only to follow the orders of them but also for the outcome of it I will spend most of my time in meditation and in sahaj Samadhi avastha.
S wamiji how much time will we have to wait till then?
I have been told by them (Bhagwan Ram and Shree Samarth) that they will themselves tell me the time when I should come out of the solitude. I have prayed to them that it should come early and you also do the same. To rectify the present day tragic social system they have ordered me to do this, and it being their intention I think it won’t take much of time. But the people have committed so many wrongs that to nullify the effects of them not only me but others also may have to give their lives for this cause. All of you also do the same things whatever I am doing in solitude. God bless you all.
O n the western side of Shreedhar Teerth a large ashram was built. Underneath this structure a meditation hall was built for the further stay of Swamiji. He went there on the day of Guru Paurnima of 1969. From there he delivered a speech in Kannada for the thousands of disciples who had gathered to listen to him.
P alnitkar Guruji had become very weak and severely ill. On knowing this Swamiji asked the disciples to bring him to the ashram and serve him. The disciples took utmost care of him knowing his importance in Swamiji’s life. He was there for 6 months when he ultimately succumbed to the destiny.
T wo of the American followers of Swamiji, Michael and Ulrich came to stay in the ashram for a year and swamiji used to advise them on telephone they had specially brought. After their visa period was over they had to leave the ashram with a heavy heart, but they promised Swamiji that they would spread his message in the U.S.
A bout 100 cows were maintained in the Shreedharashrama whose milk used to be sufficient for the consumption of the disciples. Dr. Bhave had sent a cow who was unlike others in the sense that she was extremely calm and never threw any tantrums as the other animals are apt to do, therefore Swamiji always drank her milk and used it for the purpose of his own daily pooja. This cow was really different from others. She used to sit at the entrance of the cave when Swamiji was inside doing sadhana. After Swamiji’s arrival outside the cave she used to sit beside him wherever he went.
D uring his solitude the disciples used to celebrate the Dasnavmi, Ramnavmi, Guru Paurnima and other festivals and on these occasions Swamiji used to deliver speeches on various aspects of spiritualism and advice the disciples to remain on the correct path to attain their ultimate aim. He had told the disciples that they should never worship anyone who is not worth it and not insult those who are worthy of worship. The disciples as always followed it to the core. At the end of each discourse he used to bless them and ask them to work for making the Sanatan dharma the religion of the whole world not by force but by conviction.
S wamiji had by now spent almost six and a half years in solitude most of the times remaining in sahaj Samadhi avastha. In the later part of this period he stopped eating any food and sustained himself only on milk. The disciples pleaded with him to have some food but he quietly refused telling them that eating wasn’t most essential thing but eternal happiness was. Those trying to persue this path have to be light weight, so to say as extra fat hampers your efforts for Samadhi avastha. One disciple said that as he was suffering from peptic ulcer he needed to eat frequently to which Swamiji’s answer was that the body will have to suffer from the diseases it was destined to but when I have lost the feeling of my body I no longer suffer from it! He also quietly refused the requests of the disciples for treatment saying that it would put impediments in his Samadhi avastha.
W henever he had horribly painful attacks of the ulcer he used to go in to the highest level of sahaj Samadhi in which state he had no perception of his bodily feelings. Some of the times he used to be in that state for more than 12 hours.
O n the eve of the first day of the Hindu new year of 1973 Swamiji called most of his chosen disciples to Varadpur. He ordered them to stay in the ashram till the Ramnavmi. As wanted by Swamiji the disciples did Ramnam Jap every morning and do combined recital of Ramraksha in the evening for 14 days sitting infront of the cave where Swamiji was staying. The Ramnavmi was celebrated as always but as Swamiji was in solitude everone felt his absence and went not totally satisfied. Then Swamiji asked his disciples to stay back till Hanuman Jayanti. After those celebrations were over one of his disciples Mr. Kane asked him for how many days he wanted them to stay back. Swamiji said it was just a matter of 3 days.
O n the first day of the second half of the first month of the Hindu calendar, Swamiji started having more pain due to his ulcer. The disciples again pleaded for bringing a doctor, but Swamiji again refused and told them that Shree Samarth had told that the bodily pains should be considered as pleasures. He enquired what day was the next one and when told about that he knew that it was a day for very auspicious things, but didn’t tell it to anyone. Then as usual he took bath thrice, had a little milk and rested for a while in the night and spent the rest of the time in sahaj Samadhi avastha.
S wamiji got up the next morning at 5 am. After the morning chores he sat in meditation for a while. He came out of the meditation room at 8 am. The disciples requested him to have some milk, to which he agreed and again sat in meditation. That time the whole atmosphere was totally different than at any time in Varadpur. The nature was unbelievably quiet, Moxlaxmi was wandering around the place where Swamiji was meditating and all the disciples watching Swamiji were just wondering about what was to follow. Swamiji in sitting position and in meditation twice said ‘Om, Om’ and then from the upper side of his body through the head he made his soul leave his body to be eternally unified with the Parbramha. Despite this his posture didn’t change nor did his facial expressions. In fact the aura around his face became brighter for a while. This was at 9 am. on 19 ^th April 1973.
A fter a while his neck bent on the right side and the disciples observing this called for the doctors in the ashram who declared that Swamiji had attained the Ultimate Samadhi. On hearing this all hell broke loose over the ashram. The news spread like a wild fire as it was announced over the All India Radio and Swamiji’s disciples from all over the world started for Varadpur.
H is body was placed on a specially made bed of very soft flowers. The disciples who had come from all the corners of the world for the last Darshan of Swamiji were passing by the bed, paying their tributes to Swamiji yet not crying as it would have been against the preaching of Swamiji and as they also knew that Swamiji had just left his body but in the form of Parbramha he would be eternally available for any advice or guidance. But all said and done everyone was extremely aggrieved as was evident from their efforts to pull back their tears.
A s Swamiji was a Sanyasi it was decided to place his body in the Earth’s core. A beautiful cave 9 feet in depth and of 64 square meters in opening was carved. It was thoroughly cleaned with all the waters of the pious rivers and the Teerth. Swamiji’s body was bathed in the waters of Ganga. Then he was wrapped up in the shawl of Shree Samarth brought from Sajjangad. During all this time the Bramhans were chanting mantras from the Vedas and Upanishadas. Then his body was lowered in the cave and everyone again took Darshan. Around his body were sprayed all the types of scented material used for pooja. Then the opening was closed by the chosen disciples with a very heavy heart. Floral tributes were then placed on the Samadhi by the disciples, which almost made a mountain of it. After offering Sashtaang Namaskaar all the disciples left with an empty mind and heavy heart.

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/samartha-ramadas/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/samartha-ramadas/#comments Mon, 09 Jul 2012 04:31:02 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=4895 In a place called Bedar in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, a son was born to a couple highly devoted to God. He was named Narayana. He grew up as a naughty boy, neglecting his studies and quarrelling with other children. At the age of eight years, he lost his father. His mother, Rama Devi, […]

I n a place called Bedar in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, a son was born to a couple highly devoted to God. He was named Narayana. He grew up as a naughty boy, neglecting his studies and quarrelling with other children. At the age of eight years, he lost his father. His mother, Rama Devi, found it hard to control her mischievous and delinquent son. Her relatives and neighbours advised her to get him married so that he might realise his responsibilities and change for the better. Although the boy was only 13 years old and too young for marriage, his mother yielded to the persuasions of others and arranged for his marriage. At the time of the wedding a screen of thick cloth hung in between the bride and the bridegroom, according to the prevailing custom. The purohits removed the curtain to hand over the Mangala soothram (the sacred and auspicious thread of wedlock) to the bridegroom for him to tie around the brideâ€™s neck. Lo and behold! the bridegroom had disappeared behind the curtain without anybodyâ€™s notice. A thorough search was made to trace him out, but in vain. So, the marriage could not be performed.

The boy Narayana, who had escaped from the marriage hall, ultimately reached a place called Nasik near the source of the sacred river Godavari. He stayed there for some time and then moved to a nearby mountain called â€˜Chitrakootaâ€™ which is considered holy, because Sri Rama lived there for nearly 12 years. There he selected an exquisitely beautiful spot by name panchavati. The boy was enraptured by the grandeur of the scenery of the place, and its sanctity, associated with the stay of Sri Rama there during his exile. It sent thrills of ecstasy in him. He was always immersed in the contemplation of Sri Rama.

What was the cause for the naughty boy turning into a pious young man? A part from the fact that his latent good samskaaras (accumulated tendencies) were aroused by the sudden shock of the prospect of being saddled with the heavy responsibilities of married life, the boy during his journey to Nasik, entered a famous Hanuman temple enroute, and wholeheartedly prayed to the deity to bless him with all the noble qualities for which Hanuman was renowned. And he had an indication of his prayer being answered by way of a gentle spiritual vibration in the direction of the boy.

After 12 years of intense penance at Panchavati, Narayana gained the three fold realisation of Sri Rama as did Hanuman, namely, when he had body consciousness, he was the servant and Rama the master, when he was conscious of his being a Jiva (individual soul) he was part of Rama (Visishtaadvaita) and when he was aware of his being the Atma, he and Rama were one (Advaitha).

After this realisation, he returned to Nasik from Panchavati. While there, he came to know that the country was in the grip of a severe famine. Then he began to reflect that to spend his time thinking of only his own liberation, when all his countrymen were suffering due to famine, amounted to extreme selfishness. So he coined the slogan, “Dil me Raam, Haath me Kaam” (i. e. Rama in the heart, and work in the hand), and entered the arena of social service with all his energy and zeal, giving to himself and his band of dedicated workers mottoes such as “Maanava seva (service to man) is Madhava seva(Service to God). Graama seva (Service to Villages) is Rama seva (Service to Rama)”. He filled the tank of his heart with the holy water of Rama nam (Rama’s name) which flowed through the top of his hands to quench the thirst of the multitudes of his village.

Proceeding thus from village to village doing social work, coupled with chanting of Ramaâ€™s name, Narayana finally reached Rameswaram at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. From there he went to the pilgrim centres of Tirupati (Where he had the darshan of Lord Venkateswara) and Hampi (Where he worshipped Lord Viroopaksha). Ultimately he returned to Nasik. On the way to Nasik, he saw saint Tukaram, who was singing the glories of Rama. So melodiously that a large number of people, including Shivaji, the ruler of Maharashtra were attracted to him. As Shivaji listened to Tukaram, and told him about his decision to give up his kingdom and to devote himself fully and whole heatedly to the pursuits of the spiritual path, Tukaram admonished Shivaji for his narrow minded view of spirituality and exhorted him to consider duty as God and work as worship. Thereupon Shivaji prayed to Tukaram to give him initiation. Tukaram declined saying, “Ramadas is your Guru, not I, so you have to receive initiation only from him”. Rather disappointed, Shivaji returned to his capital.

Ramadas appeared before Shivaji with his usual call for alms, “Bhavati Bhiksham Dehi”. Shivaji realised that the guru is God, so he wrote something on a piece of paper and deposited it reverentially in the alms bag of Ramadas. “For the relief of hunger, how can paper suffice?” asked Ramadas. Shivaji prayed that the paper may be read. The paper recorded a gift of the entire kingdom and all that Shivaji owned to the Guru. Ramadas replied, “No, my Dharma is Dharmabodha the teaching of Dharma, instructing the people in the right way of life, Kshatriyas like you must follow the dharma of ruling the land, ensuring peace and content to the millions under your care.”

Since Ramadas had the extraordinary capacity to do many great things, he came to be known as Samartha Ramadas, the appellation Samartha meaning a man of versatile skills. There is an episode in his life which describes the context in which the title of Samartha was conferred on him. He used to dress himself and move about like kodandapaani (Rama armed with his bows and arrows). Once when he was walking along the banks of the Godavari in this dress, some brahmins who were taking bath there questioned him whether he belonged to the community of koyas (Hunters belonging to a hill tribe were called koyas). Ramadas told them that he was Ramadas (A servant of Rama) and not a Koya. Thereupon they questioned him why he was dressed and equipped with bow and arrows like Rama if he was only a servant of Rama. They heckled him saying, “What is the use of merely trying to imitate Kodandapani in appearance only? Are you capable of wielding the bow and arrows as Rama did?” Just then a bird was flying fast at a great height across the sky above their heads. The brahmins pointed the bird to Ramadas and asked him whether he could shoot that bird. With Ramaâ€™s name on his lips, Ramadas immediately aimed an arrow at the flying bird and brought it down right in front of the Brahmins. Seeing the dead bird, the Brahmins accused Ramadas saying, “There is no harmony of thought, word and deed in you and therefore you are dhuraatma (a wicked person). You chant Ramaâ€™s name and at the same time you have committed the sin of killing an innocent bird, to show of your skills.” When Ramadas replied that he shot the bird at their instances only, they remonstrated saying, “If we ask you to eat grass, will you do so ? Donâ€™t you have your own independent thinking or discrimination?” Then Ramadas gently replied, “Sirs, past is past. Kindly tell me what I should do now?” They asked him to repent for his sin. Ramadas promptly closed his eyes and prayed to God Wholeheartedly, repenting for his sin and asking for his forgiveness. Then he opened his eye and pointed out to the brahmins that the dead bird had not regained life inspite of his repentance. The brahmins said reprovingly, “What a madcap you are! Repentance can not undo what you have done; but its purpose is to enable you to make up your mind not to repeat such misdeeds in future”. “That is no repentance in my humble view” countered Ramadas, “God and his name are so powerful that if we pray sincerely, His Grace will bring the bird back to life.” So saying he picked up the dead bird, hugged it to his bosom, and with tears flowing down his cheeks he wholeheartedly prayed, “O Rama, if I have been chanting your name with all my mind, heart and soul and if it is a fact that I have killed this bird out of ignorance and not with an intent to kill, may your Grace either revive this dead bird or take away my life also along with that of the bird”. As he concluded his prayer, the bird fluttered in his hands. Then he opened his eyes, thanked the almighty and released the bird into the sky. Astonished at this miracle, the brahmins exclaimed in one voice, “Revered sir, forgive us for not recognising your greatness. Since you have the capacity to kill a flying bird with a single arrow and also the capacity to revive the dead bird, you will hereafter be known by the worthily name of Samartha Ramadas.”

After this, Ramadas visited Pandaripuram where he was an eye witness to the ideal way in which a man by name Pundarika served his parents as veritable Gods, making lord Panduranga Himself wait in front of his house standing on a pair of bricks till he completed his service to his parents.

Then he visited Shivaji and gave him three things as moments to guide him in his royal duties, one, a coconut to remind him that just as our intention in buying a coconut is to consume the white kernel inside, so also the purpose of owning and administering the kingdom is that the king himself should lead a satwic life and also to ensure that the satwic quality prevails in his kingdom; second, a handful of earth to remind the king and through him his subjects about the sanctity of Bharath, their motherland; third, a pair of bricks to symbolise that just as bricks are used to construct houses for the safety of the inmates the king should use his powers to protect the people and promote their welfare and progress.

At this time, the memory of Pundarika’s devoted service to his parents at Pandaripuram was revived in Ramadasâ€™ mind and he hastened back home with the idea of serving his aged mother. When he reached home, his old mother could not recognise him, particularly because of his long beard and strange dress. He told her that he was her son, Narayana, who was popularly known as Samartha Ramadas. Thereupon, his mother exclaimed ecstatically, “O my dear son, I have been hearing so much about Samartha Ramadas and have been eager to see him for a long time. But I never knew that it is the popular name of my son, Narayana. I am proud of you and thank the Lord for making me the mother of such a great one. My life is fulfilled.” So saying, she breathed her last on her sonâ€™s lap.

Ramadas duly performed the obsequies of his mother. Shortly thereafter, he heard about Siviajiâ€™s death in A.D. 1680. (just six years after he was coronated by Ramadas in A.D. 1614). He went to the kings capital installed Shivajiâ€™s son as the king and blessed him so that he might rule the kingdom, following the foot steps of his noble father.

Samartha Ramadas, while a boy, was going through the bazar reading books. Some one reprimanded him for reading while he was walking. He said that Ramadas could read when he reached school. But Ramadas replied, “For me, the entire world appears as a school which I must attend throughout life. I do not see any difference between the school where I learn some lessons and the world where I learn other lessons.”

Once Ramadas wailed “O lord! You are mighty, all-powerful, all-knowing; I am alone, helpless, orphaned and poor.” Then the Lord interrupted the self condemnation and said, “No, how can you name yourself poor, helpless and orphaned? I am with you, in you and showering My Grace. The only orphan in the universe is Myself for I have no guardian, no means of support, nobody to fall back upon. I am the anaatha (orphan); all else are Sa-naatha (with lord), for I am their Naatha (Lord).”

Once when Samartha Ramadas was moving about the countryside with his disciples, those behind him saw a fine field full of juicy sugarcane and entered it and started pulling out the cane and munching it with great relish. The owner of the field was naturally enraged at their behaviour and at the loss to which they were subjecting him, he fell upon them with a stout cane. Later Shivaji offered himself to attend personally to the guru during his ceremonial bath. When Ramadas undressed, Shivaji was shocked to find broad red marks indicating that he had been beaten. Such was the sensitive sympathy of the great saint towards his disciples. Ramadas was requested to inflict on him any punishment he liked. But Ramadas accepted that the wrong was committed by his disciples, that they should not have allowed the cane to attract them into theft.

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/chandrashekarendra-saraswati-kanchi-kamakoti-peetam/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/chandrashekarendra-saraswati-kanchi-kamakoti-peetam/#comments Mon, 09 Jul 2012 04:29:19 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=4893 Jagadguru Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal was born on May 20, 1894 in Villupuram & died on January 8, 1994 in Kanchi mutt, or the Sage of Kanchi was the 68th Jagadguru in the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. He is usually referred to as Paramacharya or MahaSwami or Maha Periyavaal. Maha Periyavaal was born under Anuradha star according […]

Jagadguru Chandrashekarendra Saraswati Swamigal was born on May 20, 1894 in Villupuram & died on January 8, 1994 in Kanchi mutt, or the Sage of Kanchi was the 68th Jagadguru in the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. He is usually referred to as Paramacharya or MahaSwami or Maha Periyavaal.

Maha Periyavaal was born under Anuradha star according to the Hindu calendar, into a Kannadiga Smartha Hoysala Karnataka Brahmin family in Viluppuram, South Arcot District, Tamil Nadu as Swaminatha. He was the second son of Subramanya Sastri, a District Education Officer. The child was named Swaminatha, after the family deity, Lord Swaminatha of Swamimalai, near Kumbakonam. Swaminatha began his early education at the Arcot American Mission High School at Tindivanam, where his father was working. He was an exceptional student and excelled in several subjects. In 1905, his parents performed his Upanayanam, a Vedic ceremony which qualifies a Brahmin boy to begin his Vedic studies under an accomplished teacher.

During the childhood of the Acharya, his father consulted an astrologer who, upon studying the boy’s horoscope, is said to have been so stunned that he prostrated himself before the boy exclaiming that “One day the whole world will fall at his feet.” In 1906, the 66th Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham performed the annual Chaturmasyam (a forty-day annual ritual performed by Hindu ascetics while remaining in one place), in a village near Tindivanam in Tamil Nadu. This was Swaminathan’s first exposure to the Math and its Acharya. Later, Swaminathan accompanied his father whenever he visited the Math where the Acharya was deeply impressed by the young boy.

In the first week of February 1907, the Kanchi Kamakoti Math had informed Subramanya Sastrigal that Swaminathan’s first cousin (son of his mother’s sister) was to be installed as the 67th Peetathipathi. The presiding Acharya was then suffering from smallpox and had the premonition that he might not live long. He had, therefore, administered upadesa to his disciple Lakshminathan before he died. Sastrigal being away in Trichinopoly on duty arranged for the departure of Swaminathan with his mother to Kanchipuram. The boy and his mother started for Kalavai (where Lakshminathan was camping) to console his aunt who, while also being a widow, had just given up her only son to be an ascetic.

The 67th Acharya also died, after reigning for a brief seven days as the head of the Math. Swaminathan was immediately installed as the 68th head of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam on February 13, 1907, the second day of the Tamil month of Masi, Prabhava year. He was given Sanyasa Asramam at the early age of 13 and was named Chandrasekharendra Saraswati. On May 9, 1907 his “Pattabishekam” as the 68th Peetathipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam was performed at the Kumbakonam Math. Devotees including Shivaji Maharaja of Tanjavur, government officials and pundits participated in the event.

Even though there was not enough property in the mutt to be administered, the court considering the benefit of the mutt, ordered the mutt to be administered under the “Guardian and Wards Act”. Sri C.H.Venkataramana Iyer, an illustrious personality from Kolinjivadi (Colinjivadi) village near Coimbatore was appointed as guardian by the court. The administration of the mutt was under guardianship from 1911 to May,1915. On the day of Sankara Jayanthi in the year 1915, Swamigal took over the administration of the mutt on the completion of his 21 st year. The administration of the mutt was taken over in name, but the actual work was taken care of by an agent, one Sri Pasupathi Iyer. He was an able administrator who volunteered to do the job without compensation and hailed from Thirupathiripuliyur. Sri Swamigal does not sign any document, instead Sri Mukham stamp is placed on documents.

Maha Periyavaal spent several years in the study of the scriptures and dharma shastras and acquainted himself with his role as the Head of the Math. He soon gained the reverence and respect of the devotees and people around him. To millions of devotees he was simply “Periyava”—the revered one or Maha-Periyava. “Periyava” in Tamil means a great person, and conveys endearment, reverence, and devotion. “Mahaswami” and “Paramacharya” are his other well-known appellations.

Maha Periyavaal was the head of the Mutt for eighty-seven years. During this period, the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam acquired new strength as an institution that propagated ?ankara’s teachings. The devotion, fervour, and intensity with which the Paramacharya practiced what ?ankara had taught are considered to be unparalleled by his devotees. Throughout his life, the focus of his concern and activities was rejuvenating Veda adhyayana, the Dharma Sasthras, and the age-old tradition, which had suffered decline. “Veda rakshanam” was his very life breath, and he referred to this in most of his talks.

Remaining active throughout his life, the sage of Kanchi twice undertook pilgrimages on foot from Rameshwaram in the far south of the Indian peninsula to Benares in the North.

Providing support through Veda Patashalas (schools teaching Vedic lore) through the Veda Rakshana Nidhi which he founded and honouring Vedic scholars, he reinvigorated Vedic studies in India. He organised regular sadhas (‘conferences’) which included discussions on arts and culture—these led to a renewed interest in Vedic religion, Dharma sasthras, and the Sanskrit language. His long tenure as Pitadhipathi is considered by many to have been the Golden Era of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. He attained Mukti (died) on January 8, 1994 and was succeeded by Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal.

Periyava stressed the importance of a Guru in one’s life. He repeatedly preached about the importance of following the Dharmic path. His various discourses are available in a volume of books called ‘Deivathin Kural’ (Voice of the Divine) which have been compiled by R. Ganapathi, a devotee of Periyava. These books are available both in Tamil and English. A condensed form of these books is also available in English. These are available in any branch of the Kanchi math. He was a pure Gnani – (Sanskrit – he knew every thing happening in the world). He had proved this several times. So many devotee’s mentioning this in there experience accounts for this. His advice to Paul Brunton is a classic example. He treated all religions equally and with respect. He guided the devotees by spiritual means.

Though Periyavaa did not get directly into politics, he was interested in the happenings. At Nellichery in Palakkad (Present Day Kerala), Rajaji and Mahatma Gandhi met the Acharya in a cow shed. It was a practice in the mutt to wear silk clothes. But Acharya was the first one to do away with them and shifted to Khadi robes at Rameshwaram. He requested his devotees to do away with foreign/ non natural clothes some time earlier at Trichy. The day India became free, he gave the Maithreem Bhajata song, which was later to be sung at the UN by M S Subbulakshmi. He gave a speech on the significance of the flag and the Dharma chakra in it on that day.

Periyava’s charm invited the rich and the poor, the old and the young alike to be his devotees. Some of his famous devotees include, their highness the King and Queen of Nepal, the Queen Mother of Greece, the Dalai Lama, M. S. Subbulakshmi, Subramanian Swamy ,Indira Gandhi, R. Venkatraman and Atal Bihari Vajpayee among others. To the Acharya, the VIPs and the common man were one and the same. There were thousands of personal experiences to lakhs of his devotees, who still revere him, and pray to him as a messenger of the Supreme or an ultimate Guru.

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/swami-sivananda%e2%80%94a-modern-sage/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/swami-sivananda%e2%80%94a-modern-sage/#comments Tue, 24 May 2011 14:30:30 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=3885 “With the mind harmonised by Yoga he sees the Self abiding in all beings and all beings in the Self; he sees the same everywhere.”Bhagavad Gita (VI. 29). Such a Divine Seer was the great Master, His Holiness Sri Swami Sivananda. A study of his life will reveal to us the experiences of a man […]

“With the mind harmonised by Yoga he sees the Self abiding in all beings and all beings in the Self; he sees the same everywhere.”Bhagavad Gita (VI. 29).
Such a Divine Seer was the great Master, His Holiness Sri Swami Sivananda. A study of his
life will reveal to us the experiences of a man who rests in Universal Consciousness.
THE EARLY YEARS
Kuppuswami was his name. He was born on the 8th of September, 1887, in Pattamadai, near
Tirunelveli in the Tamil Nadu state of South India.
The future Swami Sivananda was born into a family of saintly people. His father, Vengu
Iyer, was a great soul who performed daily worship and became immersed in the bliss of
communion with the Lord.
Piety and goodness flowed from father to son. Each morning the little boy, Kuppu, would go
to the garden and fetch flowers and Bael leaves for his father’s Siva Worship. Kuppu would listen attentively to Vengu Iyerâ€™s Vedic recitations and scriptural readings, and would join his parents in their prayers and Kirtan.
From childhood, Kuppuswami displayed selfless tendencies. If his mother gave him a cake
or sweetmeat, he would at once rush to find friends to share the delicacy. He rejoiced in giving. He distributed snacks to servants, to cats and dogs, crows and sparrows. Kuppuswami took beggars into the house and fed them. But Kuppuswamiâ€™s greatest pleasure was in serving Sadhus and Sannyasins.

In his teens, Kuppuswami enjoyed physical exercise. He took keen interest in exercising on
the parallel and horizontal bars, much to the displeasure of his parents. Even before the rest of the household awoke, Kuppuswami would slip away for his physical exercises.
“I have to confess,” he once said, with a reminiscent twinkle in his eyes, â€œthat many a time I used to place a pillow on my bed and cover it up carefully with a blanket to give the appearance of my innocent self sleeping soundly.”

EDUCATION
Kuppuswami completed his general education in his teens. On passing the Intermediate
Examination in 1905, he entered the Tanjore Medical Institute, where he worked like one
possessed. He utilised his leisure hours studying medical books of every description. After two years of study of medicine he possessed the knowledge of a fifth year student. Because of this, he was freely admitted into the operation theater and dissecting room in the very first year. Professors, finding him to be intelligent, industrious and promising, took him into their confidence and engaged him as their assistant. Kuppuswami utilised this privilege diligently to acquire knowledge of surgery. He always kept a notebook and pencil in his pocket to note details of experiments or record useful thoughts.

A JOURNALIST
When Kuppuswami was half way through his medical course, his father died and his mother
fell ill. The family was thrown into difficult circumstances. To support himself, Dr. Kuppuswami started a medical journal â€œAMBROSIAâ€. He served as editor and initial financier for the journal. The first issue came out in 1909 as a 32-page monthly.
Kuppuswami himself wrote many articles under different pseudonyms. He received articles
on the ancient system of Indian medicine from Ayurvedic physicians. Though the journal was in English, he reserved a few pages for prescriptions in Tamil.
Through his journal, Kuppuswami strove to dispel peopleâ€™s ignorance in matters of
personal hygiene and public health. He laid the emphasis not on remedial prescriptions, but on health building and disease prevention. Health, hygiene and dietetics received special notice. Readers felt a significant spiritual touch in the pages of Ambrosia.
The magazine gained in popularity. Income remained low, but Kuppuswami was able to
give money to his aged mother Parvati Ammal. Maintaining a journal was difficult. Literacy level was low, readers few and advertisements were not many. Even a full-page display in Ambrosia fetched only Rs. 3/-. Kuppuswami had no assistant. He, himself, was editor, manager and dispatcher. The journal ran for four years.
In 1913, Dr. Kuppuswami was presented with an appealing opportunity for service.
Thousands of Indian workers on the rubber plantations in Malaysia were living in deplorable

THE EARLY YEARS
conditions with little medical attention. Dr. Kuppuswami decided to cross the seas to serve the needy. At a farewell party, the young doctor told friends: â€œBook knowledge will not take us far. I studied anatomy. I dissected the human body. But I could not find the Atman (Soul) within (the human body)!”The Atman can be seen only when the ego is destroyed”, interjected a friend.
“True” agreed Kuppuswami, “And selfless service is the most potent weapon to thin out the
ego. Every day I shall do some charitable act. Side by side I shall think of God with a yearning heart.”

DOCTOR IN MALAYSIA
Arriving in Malaysia, Dr. Kuppuswami met the manager of the rubber estate, which had its
own hospital. He asked the young Doctor, “Can you manage a hospital all by yourself?” Back came the reply: “Yes, I can manage even three hospitals”. He was appointed at once to the Senawang Estate Hospital. Dr. Kuppuswami had to dispense medicines, keep accounts and attend to patients.
In his work, Dr. Kuppuswami was methodical, painstaking and conscientious. He exhorted his
helpers to keep the place clean, because cleanliness was the greatest medicine the hospital could offer. Medical history sheets, temperature charts, admission cards and other documents were kept current and complete.Dr. Kuppuswami had a private practice as well. There were many doctors in Malaysia, but few were sympathetic to the patients. Generally, they ran after rich clients. Dr. Kuppuswami sought out the poor who needed his services the most. Other doctors charged fees for a mere consultation.
Dr. Kuppuswami gave pocket money to his patients to cover their immediate expenses on discharge from hospital. He cheered patients with his humour and spoke encouraging words to raise their spirits. At once, sick persons felt greatly relieved. The doctorâ€™s merciful glance, his sweet words, the earnestness of his voice, the soft tones, the one-pointed attention with which he spoke to a suffering person together produced such a tremendous impression that the sufferer forgot his worries, in the security and love of the doctorâ€™s company.
Dr. Kuppuswami always prayed while attending patients. Every Friday he held a prayer
meeting in the hospital, at the end of which he distributed the Lordâ€™s Prasad. Then he toured the wards, stopping at the bedside of those who lay too ill to attend the prayer, putting a little Prasad into their mouth with his own hand.
Dr. Kuppuswami would wait patiently in the cottage of a helpless, afflicted person during
the night and leave the place only when the patient was relieved of suffering. His life in the Malaysian States was highly inspiring and elevating. In charity he was like Karna of old. Like a banyan tree which gives shelter to anyone and everyone, he would refuse none who came to him for any help.

SWAMI SIVANANDAâ€”A MODERN SAGE
PREPARATION FOR SANNYASA
Religious tendencies and instincts slowly developed in the young doctor. He sought the
company of Sannyasins and Sadhus and began to study religious books. His shelves were filled with books on philosophy and a variety of other subjects. He was a voracious reader and would often sit up late with his books.
Such was his devotion to Sannyasins and Yogis that if one was passing his station he would
hasten to him with rich presents. He often kept them with him for a number of days and sent them to their destination with due respect, securing for them first-class train tickets.
Abundant charity, sympathy, mercy and service of the poor became his prominent traits and
it is these traits that helped his spiritual growth and sustained his spiritual life.

RENUNCIATION
Service of humanity, study of spiritual literature, association with saintly souls and
devotional practices at homeâ€”all these brought about a gradual change in the doctorâ€™s outlook on life. They purified his heart and turned his mind inward. Kuppuswami became more introspective.
He wrote at the time: â€œIs there not a higher mission in life than the daily round of official duties, eating and drinking? Is there not any higher form of eternal happiness than these transitory and illusory pleasures? How uncertain is life here! How insecure is existence on the earth-planeâ€”with various kinds of diseases, anxieties, worries, fears and disappointments! The world of names and forms is constantly changing. Time is fleeting. All hopes of happiness in this world terminate in pain, despair and sorrow.â€
Everywhere around him the doctor found people distressed, physically and mentally. His
heart bled for the poor, the sick and the suffering. The human tragedy rent the doctorâ€™s heart.
In the hospital, Dr. Kuppuswami had to battle with human pain. Though he healed some,
many died before his eyes. Death remained an eternal mystery to him.
At this critical point in his life, there came to him an itinerant Sannyasin. Staying with him for a few days, the Sannyasin fell ill, only to be nursed back to health by the doctor. The Sannyasin became captivated by the loving treatment, and presented Kuppuswami with valuable books. One was the â€œJiva-Brahma Aikya Vedanta Rahasyamâ€ by Cuddapah Satchidananda Swami. This was Kuppuswamiâ€™s first lesson in Vedanta and the positive aspects of life on the earth plane. The real aim of human life became apparent.
Kuppuswami developed an ardent desire to tread the path of the wise and unlock the realms
of immortality. This desire grew in intensity until in 1923, the spiritual sparks which Kuppuswami had nurtured coalesced and burst into a burning flame. As though struck by lightening, worldly desires left him. Materialistic civilisation was impotent and disgusted him. He spurned wealth, position, titles, status and the world that could offer no lasting solution to suffering. He had reached a stage where he could no longer perform his duties in the hospital. He left his job, gave away belongings, and left the shores of Malaysia.

PREPARATION FOR SANNYASA
With God as his guide, carrying no possessions, the erstwhile doctor began his Parivrajaka
(wandering) life. He passed through village after village. Kuppuswami had no experience of begging. He who always gave could not easily bring himself to ask. He would go to a village house, quietly approach a man and whisper into his ears, â€œI am a Madrasi Brahmin. I am hungry. Can you give me some food?â€ Those whom he approached thus were surprised, for his noble countenance gave him away. Sometimes a hospitable man took him in and served him good food. After eating, Kuppuswami would bow low to his hosts and pray that God might bless them and then go on his way. He would not visit the same house again. Sometimes a pious family would request him to stay on, but Kuppuswami would slip out to the next village for fear he should prove to be a burden on the good folk.
Bareheaded, barefooted and scantily clothed, the novice wandered on. At times he had to go
without food and walk mile after tiresome mile. Forced by hunger, he would then eat the wild figs and Amalaka fruits fallen from wayside trees. Often he would sleep on the earth underneath these trees.
Parivrajaka life (the life of an itinerant monk) helped Kuppuswami to develop forbearance,
equal vision, and serenity of outlook in pleasure and pain.

INITIATION
In his wanderings, Kuppuswami came to know about Rishikesh, an obscure place in the
Himalayas little known to the outside world save for the few who hungered for God-realisation. He felt that this was the place he was thirsting for, a place where he could do intense Sadhana and Tapas. Arriving in Rishikesh on the 8th of May, 1924 the young pilgrim was charmed by the magnificent heights of the lofty mountains and the cool refreshing waters of the holy Ganga. On the 1st of June, as he was taking a bath in the Ganga there came His Holiness Sri Swami Vishwananda Saraswati, who belonged to the Sringeri Math of Sri Sankaracharya. The novice and the monk were attracted to each other. The novice saw a Guru in the monk and the monk saw a disciple in the novice. Swami Vishwanandaji took Kuppuswami to his Kutir. After resting a while, Kuppuswami went to Kalikamliwala Kshetra (an alms-house for Sannyasins). Alms were refused him as he was
not a Sannyasi. As he retraced his steps, Swami Vishwanandaji again met him. After exchanging a few words, Kuppuswami was initiated into the Sannyasa order by His Holiness Sri Swami Vishwanandaji. (The religious rite of Viraja Homa was done later by Sri Swami Vishnudevanandaji Maharaj at Kailash Ashram.) He cast off his secular Dhoti and put on the Gerua cloth (traditional orange cloth of the Sannyasin) presented by the Guru. He was taught the secrets of Kaivalya (liberation) and the mysteries of the Mahavakyas (great sentences). The former Dr. Kuppuswami became Swami Sivananda Saraswati of the Sankaracharya order.

SWAMI SIVANANDAâ€”A MODERN SAGE
Asked whether he would follow Swami Vishwananda to Haridwar and Benares, Swami Sivananda decided to stay, and plunged himself into Sadhana. The Guru wrote to him giving instructions about Sannyasa. Further light comes from Swamijiâ€™s own autobiography:
â€œIn search of a Guru I reached Rishikesh and prayed to the Lord for His grace. There are
many egotistic students who say: â€˜I need no Guru. God is my Guruâ€™. They change their own robes and live independently. When difficulties and troubles confront them, they are bewildered. I do not like violations of the rules and regulations of the scriptures, sages and saints. When there is a change of heart, there should be an external change also. The glory and the liberty of a Sannyasi can hardly be imagined by the timid and the weak.â€œA personal Guru is necessary in the beginning. He alone can show you the path to attain God, the Guru of Gurus, and obviate the snares and pitfalls on your path. Self-realisation is a
transcendental experience. You can march in the spiritual path only by placing implicit faith in the
words of sages who have realised the Truth and attained knowledge of the Self.
â€œWearing the ochre-coloured cloth is very necessary for one who has a changed mind. Due
to the force of habit, when the senses move among the sense-objects, the moment you look at the
coloured cloth that you wear, it will remind you that you are a Sannyasin. It will give you a kick and
save you from vicious actions. It has got its own glory and advantages. Only a real Sannyasin can
cut off all connections and ties and completely get rid of attachment. His friends and relatives will
not trouble him. The robe is of great service when one appears on the platform for preaching. It has
got its own sanctity in the minds of Hindus. Common people will easily receive the ideas from a
Sannyasin. Some hypocrites say: â€˜We have given colouring to our minds. We need not change the
clothes.â€™ I do not believe these men. Even the famous Mandana Misra, Avatara of Brahma who
fought with Sri Sankara, became a Sannyasin. The great Rishi Yajnavalkya became a Sannyasin.
Only those who have cravings, passions and attachments who are timid, dread to change the cloth,
and thus bring forth false, ingenious, unsound arguments.â€
SADHANA
Swamiji took his abode near Lakshman Jhula. Being a Sannyasin, he wanted to abstain from
worldly activity but found he was powerless to resist the temptation to go to the bedside of sick
Mahatmas in the neighbourhood. In him the spirit of service burned brighter than ever. Walking
through the gullies of Lakshmanjhula, Sivananda saw many Sadhus suffering from extreme cold
and malnutrition, with frequent attacks of fever and dysentery. Swamiji could not bear to see the
helpless plight of those holy men, but he had no money for the necessary diet and medicines.
A thought flashed in Swamijiâ€™s mind that money itself was not evil. It could be put to good
use as much as bad. And he remembered his savings in the insurance company. A lawyer friend
helped him to salvage about Rs. 5000/-. Vowing not to touch any for his personal needs, he put it
into a Post Office Savings account. Thus equipped, Swamiji started his daily pilgrimage to the huts
of sick Mahatmas. Mere food and medicine are not all, he would also disperse a word of cheer,
encouragement and a splash of delightful humour. Without a word Swamiji would take aside the
sick manâ€™s soiled clothes and they would be back in their place in a few hours, washed and neatly
folded. He would not leave the water pot unfilled, nor the floor unswept.

INITIATION
One of the Mahatmas in the neighbourhood, Swami Kalikananda, watched with interest the
service that the doctor from Malaysia rendered the Sadhus. The opportunity, he thought, should not
be lost.
He approached Swamiji with a proposal to run a charitable dispensary. Satya Sevashram
Dispensary came into being. Housed in a small room a few yards to the north of the Lakshmanjhula
bridge, the dispensary lay at the entrance to the popular pedestrian route used by pilgrims to the
famous Himalayan shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath. It was a unique location to reach the
maximum number of pilgrims, Sadhus and people of the surrounding villages.
One evening a pilgrim enroute to Badrinath came to see him. Later it occurred to Swamiji
that he should have given a different medicine which would have been more helpful. The thought
filled his mind that he had not done his utmost. So, early the next morning, even before the dawn, he
took the medicine and started at a steady uphill run to catch up with the traveller. When he reached
the next halt, he found that the pilgrim was an even earlier riser and had already proceeded on his
way.
Undaunted, Swamiji pressed on until he caught up with the pilgrim near the fifth mile and
there gave him the precious medicine.
Swamijiâ€™s persistent interest was to fill the entire day with good turns. Service was his
motto.
â€œEver be on the look-out for an opportunity to serve; never miss a chance. You must be like
a watch-dog, alert and keen to grasp at once any possibility that presents itself of being useful… you
must create opportunities to do something for others. Do not wait for a chance but create means of
making yourself useful and helpful. Do it in whatever way you are particularly suited by
temperament, talent and natural disposition.
â€œOn rare occasions you must even be aggressive in your service. Sometimes helpless
persons in need of aid will foolishly refuse it. In such cases do the required service in spite of their
hesitation.
â€œService is â€˜love in expressionâ€™. This coupled with a strong positive desire for universal
weal, becomes an effective and higher sort of service. By generating a current of helpful and
healing vibration, it will contribute to common welfare in a subtle but powerful way especially if
you use the power of prayer.â€
Swamiji himself was very emphatic in his convictions about the efficacy of prayer that is
earnest and genuine. He once said, â€œPrayer has tremendous influence. It can do anything, provided
you are sincere. It is heard at once and responded to. Do it in the daily struggle of life and realise for
yourself its high efficacy. Pray in any way you like. Become as simple as a child. Have no
cunningness or crookedness. Then you will get everything.â€
From the very beginning, Swamiji followed his own innate tendency with regard to
Sadhana. He imitated none in this respect, service being a natural part of his nature. He attended to
the needs of the sick Sadhus with added zeal; for him work itself was worship. Deep meditation,
austerities such as fasting, standing in the ice cold waters of the Ganga during the early hours of the
morningâ€”all of these he combined with his daily round of service to the sick and needy mendicants
and Sadhus.
SAMADHI
As Swamiji advanced further in the practice of meditation he would deny himself all food,
company and talk. He plunged deeper and deeper into Samadhi (superconscious state) and kept
himself within closed doors for many days at a stretch. His fellow-Sadhus were awedâ€”they
wondered what he was made of. Not a dayâ€™s relaxation did he permit himself.
â€œI paid special attention to simple living, high thinking, light food, deep study, silent
meditation and regular prayers. I loved seclusion and observed the vow of silence. I did not like
company and idle talk. From the Rama Ashram library in Muni-ki-Reti I used to get some books,
and devoted some time to study every day. Rest and relaxation gave me enough strength to carry on
intense Sadhana. I moved closely with some holy men but I never indulged in discussion and
debates. Self-analysis and introspection were my guide. I spent time in meditation and practised
various kinds of Yogas in my Sadhana, and my experiences have all come out in many books as
advice to aspirants. It was usual for even great mystics to keep their rare knowledge as a secret and
teach only a chosen few, but I quickly sent out my thoughts and experiences to help the world and
struggling seekers after Truth.â€
Swamijiâ€™s original and extraordinary Sadhana culminated ultimately in the grand
experience of merging in the Divine, and being freed once and for all from all limitations and
fetters. When questioned about the salient features of his inner life he said, â€œI made deep meditation
the keynote of my Sadhana. I had no obstruction within or without. This leads to the ultimate
experience.â€
Swamiji used to keep a small pocket notebookâ€”â€œThe Whipâ€â€”in which he would record
what he wanted to remind himself of. It gives a glimpse of the intense and integral austerities that he
practised in those days.
â€œMore time (eight hours) should be spent in meditation and meditation alone, even 12, 16
hours daily. Even study and medical treatment should be given up for some timeâ€”pure meditation
alone.
â€œWinter must be utilised. That is the best time for meditation. For a month or fifteen days
leave Swarg Ashram (the place he was living) without informing anybody. Take two clothes and
one blanket. Roam about along the banks of the Ganga canal. Live on begging from house to house.
Do not talk with the villagers. Observe vow of silence on these days.â€
To keep the bodily functions in a state of health, Sivananda religiously maintained his daily
routine of Asanas, Pranayama and other Hatha Yogic Kriyas. This he supplemented with a little
physical exercise, mostly running. He often repaired to a lonely part of Swarg Ashram, past the
bend of the river, and sprinted vigorously a good mile or two.

SADHANA
Regular Pranayama conferred on Swamiji inexhaustible energy, a phenomenal memory and
a powerful voice. It also helped him to bring about rapid healing in his patients through
transmission of Prana Shakti to the diseased parts. In his later Tapasya period, when he became an
expert in this art of psychic healing, Sivananda always insisted on shampooing the patientsâ€™ legs
after administering medicine.
Sivananda maintained a rigorous routine. He used to be up at 4 a.m. and plunging into the
icy Ganga, stand waist-deep in the holy river and commence his Japa, continuing it till sunrise. Only
after invoking the Deity through the sun and worshipping It would he clamber out of the cold
waters. Returning to his Kutir, Swamiji would go into meditation. At 9 a.m. when he came out,
there would be some sick persons waiting for him. After attending on them, he would take a quick
bath. Then he would cover his head and go to the Kshetra (where food was distributed) by an
unfrequented pathway, to avoid crowd and gossip, and return with his Bhiksha with the least
possible delay, again unnoticed. Even while he walked thus, Sivananda kept himself busy with
mental Japa or a variety of Pranayama.
Leaving his own Bhiksha in his Kutir, Swamiji would then go out to distribute special food
to the Lakshmanjhula Sadhus. After this service, he would return to his Kutir and take food.
In the afternoons, Swamiji often would cross the river by boat to get to the Rama Ashram
library. (During the rainy season, when the river flooded and the boats stopped, he was compelled to
take the long route via the Lakshmanjhula bridge). Sitting there, Sivananda would pore over the
books and take notes. He always kept a dictionary by his side to look up the meaning of difficult
words. Of the many books he read his favourites were the Upanishads, the Vivekachudamani, the
Bhagavad Gita, the Bhagavata, the Yoga Vashishta and the Avadhuta Gita. Vedanta was his
delight. Swamiji allotted time in the day for recording his thoughts, ideas and experiences, but since
most of the little money he had was spent on the sick, this posed a few difficulties. Needing paper
for writing, it was necessary to search waste heaps for discarded sheets and used envelopes. There
were times, Swamiji could not get ink. Even when both paper and ink were available he would often
have to give up writing after dusk for want of a light. Either there would be no oil in the lantern, or
no match to light it.
Once a devotee gave Sivananda Rs. 5/- and begged him to use it to buy milk for himself.
Swamiji had different ideas. He felt the money was a direct gift from God Himself. His jottings
were waiting and Sivananda at once used the money to have his first pamphlet printed. Its name was
â€œBrahma Vidyaâ€. It was immediately distributed to all who came to him. Readers liked the
pamphlet so much that they urged Swamiji to give more of his ideas and volunteered to print them.
This led to a second tract, â€œThe Metaphysics of the Inner Manâ€ and a third and a fourth.
At first Swamiji did not know any publishers, but he had a novel way of getting his early
articles published. When he had written an inspiring article in his home-made â€œnotebookâ€ he would
send it to â€œThe Postmaster, Madrasâ€ (or Lucknow or Calcutta) with a covering note saying: â€œThese
are the thoughts that occurred to me yesterday. I think they are inspiring. So please have a small
leaflet printed. You can distribute them. Print as many as you like but please send me 100 copies.â€
One postmaster sent the 100 copies with a note: â€œI admire your confidence!â€ As Sivananda
became more widely known, publishers sought him.
On days when too many callers posed a threat to his spiritual routine Sivananda would
disappear into the rocky ledges along the Ganga and the bushy forests on the Manikoot hill slopes.
A favourite spot was a rock almost midstream where the current was strong. On many evenings
Swamiji went there for his meditations. He used to hide himself in the hollow angular cut of the
rock, and after sunset, steal back to his Kutir.
Sivanandaâ€™s meditation became very intense. Gradually he increased the time spent in daily
meditation and, in due course, he began to meditate for eight hours a day… and then, when winter
came, for twelve and sixteen hours. For some time he even gave up study and medical service and
engaged himself solely in pure meditation. In meditation he churned his own soul. Truth began to
manifest.
The daily visit to the Kshetra interrupted this meditation practice. Sivananda therefore
arranged with the Kshetra authorities to let him have four or five daysâ€™ ration of cooked Rotis, at a
time. Each day at meal time, he powdered the stale and dry Rotis and mixing that powder with the
Ganga water, ate the paste and quickly returned to his meditation.
There was not one idle moment in Swamijiâ€™s life. Time was precious. Not a single minute
was to be wasted. Swamiji stuck to a definite routine for the day. This practice he recommended to
people in all walks of life, so as to maintain serenity and eliminate all aimlessness and distraction.
Many who came into personal contact with Swamiji were inspired by his example and
adopted this course of using every moment profitably. There is no doubt that it changed their lives
for the better. Assiduously cultivated, it wrought astonishing results. Swamiji felt that one should
cultivate the same jealous parsimony with regard to time as displayed by the vigilant individual
who exclaimed: â€œAlas! I have just lost one golden hour set with sixty diamondsâ€. This great
emphasis laid by Swami Sivananda on the conservation and profitable utilisation of time resulted in
the use of the Spiritual Diary. It will act as an effective â€œCerberusâ€ to keep guard over the elusive
factor of â€œTimeâ€ by keeping out the thievesâ€”idleness, aimlessness and procrastination. Referring
to the incalculable benefits of maintaining the diary, Swamiji stated, â€œThere is no other best friend
and faithful teacher or Guru than your diary. It will teach you the value of time and you will be able
to know how much time you are spending for worthy purposes. If you maintain a daily diary
properly, without any fault in any of the items, you will not like to waste a single minute. Then alone
will you understand the value of time and how it slips away.â€
In his valuable work â€œSure Ways for Success in Life,â€ Swamiji writes: â€œTime is indeed most
precious. It can never come back. It is rolling on with tremendous speed. When the bell rings,
remember that you are approaching death. When the clock strikes, bear in mind that one hour is cut
off from the span of your life.â€
â€œLife is short and time is fleeting. Arise, awake, realise the Selfâ€â€”these are terse maxims
which Swamiji never failed to present to those who sought his guidance. To one who spoke of
â€œturning over a new leafâ€ on some date in the near future, Swamiji spiritedly exclaimed, â€œDonâ€™t say
that. Tomorrow is for fools, it will never come. Days, months, years, even life itself will pass away.
Exert yourself from this very second.â€

SEVA YATRA
On September 9, 1950 Swami Sivananda set out, with a band of disciples, on a two-month
tour of India and Sri Lanka, to bring new hope into the lives of millions.
The tour was a Seva Yatra, a service tour, to disseminate spiritual knowledge, to spread the
glory Of the Lordâ€™s Name, to awaken the masses from the slumber of ignorance and to teach the
younger generation the methods to maintain a high standard of health through the practice of
Asanas, Pranayama and Yogic Kriyas. Swamiji wanted to make personal contact with students who
had been corresponding with him for years, and were thirsting for his Darshan.
He enjoyed every moment of the 61 days. In his own words, he â€œbathed again and again in
the ocean of the multitudesâ€™ devotion to the Lordâ€. He rejoiced heartily that the Almighty gave him
an excellent chance to serve Him and His children by undertaking the tour.
Only a day before he started from Rishikesh, Sivananda entered his 64th year, but he felt
like one half his age. He had so much zest for living. He valued life greatly as a rare opportunity to
serve the Lord.
During the tour, Swamiji travelled 8,000 miles by train, plane and steamer, horse-drawn
carriage and bullock cart. He addressed public meetings and press conferences, broadcast radio
talks, offered worship at sacred Tirthas (pilgrimage places), and himself received worship and
conducted Satsangas in the homes of devotees. Wherever he went, he carried with him a liberal
supply of spiritual literature for free distribution.
At almost every railway station enroute hundreds of people came to have his Darshan, and
wherever the train halted he conducted Kirtan on the railway station platform. Even as the train
entered the station the loudspeakers fitted onto the Tourist Car filled the place with his recorded
Kirtans and songs and attracted a crowd. Leaflets and pamphlets were distributed.
Swamiji was joyously greeted by large crowds, and often the platform itself was converted
into a Satsanga hall. He proceeded immediately to shower his welcomes with spiritual advice and
would sing his â€œSong of Instructionsâ€:
Radhe Govinda Bhajo Radhe Govinda
Radhe Govinda Bhajo Sita Govinda
Hari bolo, bolo bhai Radhe Govinda
Hare Krishna Hare Ram Radhe Govinda
Get up at 4 a.m. Brahmamuhurta
Get up at 4 a.m. Japo Ram Ram
Get up at 4 a.m. do Brahma Vichar
Get up at 4 a.m. enquire â€œWho am I?â€
Get up at 4 a.m. practise Yogabhyas
Observe Mauna daily for two hours
Fast on Ekadasi, take milk and fruits
Study daily one chapter of Gita
Do regular charity, one-tenth income
Rely on your own self, give up servants,
Do Kirtan at night, have Satsanga
Speak the truth at all costs, preserve Veerya
Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara, observe Brahmacharya
Ahimsa Paramo Dharma, love one and all.
Never hurt othersâ€™ feelings, be kind to all
Control anger, develop divine love
Keep daily spiritual diary, you will evolve quickly.
(Hare Krishna Hare Ram…)
The audience repeated it enthusiastically. Then he said: â€œThis song is not only for repetition.
You have to practice the instructions. Then only will you realise the benefitsâ€. In his very first
speech in Westernised Sri Lanka, Swamiji struck a new note in his discourse: â€œYou admire the little
electric lamp on your table; have you learnt to admire the sun who sheds light on the whole
universe?
â€œYou admire a bottle of French perfume; have you learnt to admire the scent of rose and
jasmine?
â€œYou admire the paintings of artists and the little toys made by craftsmen; have you ever
thought of the beautiful creation of the Lord, this earth itself which is only an infinitesimal part of
His creation?
â€œYou glorify the little man who digs a small swimming pool. Can you glorify the Lord
enough for His creation of oceans, lakes and rivers?
â€œYou deify the sculptor who carves some figure on stones. You deify the scientist for his
superficial knowledge of the inner human mechanism. Think of the exquisite creation of Godâ€”the
human being. Can all the scientists in the world make Man?
â€œThe intelligence with which the scientists have invented so many things is itself a spark of
the Divine. Man is a drop in the ocean of consciousness. His ego is a point in the limitless Truth of
Existence…â€
Wherever he went, Sivananda stressed the essential unity of religions.
At one stop he began running high fever. The next programme was about to be abandoned.
But Swamiji insisted, â€œWe must go on. Start immediately.â€ When they reached the destination,
Swamijiâ€™s fever vanished. The Master offered an explanation, â€œIt was the feverish anxiety of these
thousands of devotees awaiting me that manifested itself in me as fever. Now that I am in their
midst, I share their joy and the fever has left.â€

DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE
The habit of giving was ingrained in him. When Sivananda advanced in his spiritual
practices and tapped the mine of spiritual wisdom at greater and ever greater depths, he shared the
wealth of his spiritual experience with others through conversation, lectures, letters, leaflets and
articles in periodicals.
Pilgrims who met Swamiji began to correspond with him when they returned home. Others
who read his tracts wrote to him. Sivananda replied to those letters and gave spiritual advice.
Swami Sivananda considered the gift of knowledge, as the greatest gift.
For this, Swamiji felt the printing press to be more important than the platform. What was
heard might be forgotten in a day, but recorded knowledge would be of lasting benefit.
Everyone who wrote a letter to Swamiji or sent the smallest donation got some leaflet or
pamphlet. Whenever Sivananda went out on tour, he made it a point to have spiritual literature
printed for free distribution.
But Swamiji was not quite content with this method of leaflet distribution. With the growing
of the Society, he felt that something must be mailed regularly to his correspondents. In September,
1938 was born â€œThe Divine Lifeâ€ the monthly magazine of the Divine Life Society.
Then in 1939, Sivananda got his first book published. â€œPractice of Yogaâ€”Vol Iâ€ was
printed in Madras. For more than two decades, Swamiji had to have his books printed by outside
presses. Even after the Ashram press was started, it could not at first cope with all the production
jobs that he wanted undertaken.
Swamiji attached so much importance to this work of dissemination of spiritual knowledge
that even when there was a financial crisis in the Ashram, he refused to slow down the tempo of
work on the publication side. He was willing to shut down the kitchen, but not the press. â€œWe can all
go to the Kshetra and live on almsâ€ he would say, â€œbut the Jnana Yajna must go onâ€.
The speed with which Sivananda brought out books was phenomenal. Generally he worked
on three or four volumes at a time. Between his first publication in 1939 and his Mahasamadhi in
1963, he wrote over three hundred books. They included commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita, the
Principal Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, Patanjaliâ€™s Yoga Sutras, Sandilya Bhakti Sutras and
Naradaâ€™s Bhakti Sutras; scores of books on the practice of Yoga and Vedanta, and many volumes
on health and vigour.
Questioned as to how he found time to write so much with his tight daily routine, Swamiji
told a disciple:
â€œYou should allot one hour to each subject every day or once in two days. Then in six
months, you are amazed with the progress you have made in all these works.
â€œThere should be a system and method first arranged in your mind. Then the action proceeds
smoothly.â€
Swamiji had an extremely facile pen. Effortlessly, sentences became paragraphs,
paragraphs turned into pamphlets and pamphlets into books.
Ashram workers sometimes delayed the return of the manuscript notebooks entrusted to
them for typing. Swamiji had to use more and more notebooks. He kept some in the writing room
and some in the office, so that any moment he would be able to write. He kept several pens ready.
He kept a pair of spectacles in the writing room, another in the almirah, a third in the office. No time
should be lost in searching for them, work was of paramount importance. He kept several
flashlights tooâ€”one near the bed, one near his writing desk, one near the easy chair on which he
rested. Even at dead of night, if a good thought came, it must at once be recorded. It must not be lost
to the world.
Sometimes Swamiji did the typing himself. The entire book â€œSure Ways for Success in Life
and God-realisationâ€ was typed by him directly onto a machine without draft. For Sivananda,
moments of inspiration were not interspersed with moments of depression. It was all a chain of
inspired moments for him. His knowledge welled up from within. His difficulty was that he did not
find time to express all his thoughts. Once he said to a student: â€œI cannot stop writing. I will write till
I become blind. If I become blind, I will dictate and somebody will write for me. Thus I will
continue my mission of dissemination of spiritual knowledge till the end of my life.â€
Sivananda did not look to grammatical perfection or high literacy standard. His main
concern was to disseminate as much spiritual knowledge in as short a time as possible. â€œI believe in
maximum spiritual good to the public in a short space of timeâ€ wrote the Master, in a letter to his
disciple.
Sivananda wrote to serve. The pen was his weapon, and he used it lovingly. He did not
criticise; only coaxed. He wrote with both spiritual depth and intellectual persuasion. He did not
condemn the scientific mind of the Space Age, but interpreted Patanjali Maharshi and Bhagavan
Krishna in the spirit of the Age of Science.
He used every form of literary expression to convey his point to the reader. Poetry and
drama, letter and essay, story and parable, aphorism and lectureâ€”all media were adopted by him to
spread knowledge of Divine Life.
Swamijiâ€™s style was aphoristic and his language simple. His writings were lucid, sparkling
and pure like a mountain stream springing from a mighty rock.
To the earnest spiritual aspirant who asked, â€œWhat should I do now? When I get up
tomorrow morning, what do you actually want me to do?â€ To such a Sadhaka, Sivanandaâ€™s books
were like manna dropping from heaven. They were 100% practical.

TRAINING OF DISCIPLES
â€œTo be a Guru you must have a command from God,â€ says Swami Sivananda in his â€œVoice
of the Himalayasâ€. Did he have a command from God then? Judging from the supreme sacrifice he
made in leaving behind the comforts of the world for a hard life of service and renunciation, it
appeared so. In one of his poems, Master gives a clear hint that he had received Godâ€™s injunction:
â€œI heard a Voice from Within, â€˜Siva, wake up and fill the cup of your life with this nectar.
Share it with all. I shall give you strength, energy, power and wisdom.â€™ I obeyed His command. He
did fill the cup and I shared it with all.â€ As a teacher, Sivananda enjoyed the distinct advantage of
knowing his subject well. He was a past-master in the Science of the Self, an adept in the spiritual
techniques which he taught his students. He was moved by a sense of commitment to the task that
God had entrusted to him. This personal involvement made him take an almost paternal care of his
disciples.
When a student failed to show at classes Sivananda chided him: â€œWith all the physical
ailments that I have, I get up at 3 a.m., finish my morning work and remain waiting for the bell to
ring. As soon as I hear the bell, I rush to the Bhajan Hall. I sometimes get giddy while walking. So I
am carrying a walking stick even though I do not use itâ€. The gentle admonition had the desired
effect and the student began to be more regular.
Swamiji never said, â€œI am your Guruâ€. Occasionally he used to say, â€œYou are my discipleâ€,
or â€œHe is my discipleâ€, and to his early disciples he wrote: â€œI have accepted you as my beloved
disciple, I shall serve you and guide youâ€. When he said: â€œI have accepted you as my beloved
disciple,â€ the disciple felt that he had a claim over Swamiji and could write to him more freely. That
is what Swamiji wanted. The Guru/disciple relationship was for the disciples, not for him.
Sivananda thus inspired his students by the force of his own personal example. His life was
an open book, all could see him humble, simple, serving, praying, singing Kirtan, bathing in the
Ganga, prostrating to everyone, remembering God always, cheerful all the time, not attaching
importance to worldly happenings and living in the spirit of the â€œTat Tvam Asiâ€ Mahavakya (â€œThou
Art Thatâ€â€”one of the â€œGreat Phrasesâ€ of Vedanta). His students learnt many things just by
observing their Master.
He often told people: â€œI know no rest. I am always alert and occupied. You should try to
look upon life in this mannerâ€”as an eternal student. Be ever on the look-out for learning something
new each day, even each hour. Be like meâ€”an intellectual scout. You can learn something from
everyone. Everything in this universe has some lesson to give to one who is receptive. Do not pass
by any experience lightly but draw instruction and inspiration. Extract something from everything
and treasure it up in your mind.â€
Swamiji often stated that there is no miraculous short-cut or magical formula for
concentration. It comes naturally to the man who makes it a practice to do even the smallest act with
attention and interest. To execute little tasks in a slovenly and careless manner renders the mind
weak and causes it to lose all acumen and capacity for concentration. Never would he utter any
word in a loud tone indicative of anger or even annoyance. If a situation required a hard word, then
the most he was capable of was a reprimand followed at once by a pleasant joke, like candy
administered close upon a dose of medicine.
Then there was the method of encouragement. If Swamiji found an individual making
earnest efforts to improve, he at once gave his attention to him, encouraged him and gave him
strength to carry on the inner battle with greater vigour. His method had the power to uplift
struggling spiritual aspirants.
Sometimes Sivananda would shock disciples into spiritual wakefulness, into realising their
follies. It was a bitter method which the compassionate Master used but sparingly to whip the mind
of the aspirant onto the right path. During this period, or when Swamiji appeared indifferent to a
disciple, the Sadhaka was left in a mental furnace. But once through it, he emerged purified.
There was one Swami in the Ashram who was a heavy smoker. One day he did not have
cigarettes. His brain did not function! Swamiji noticed this, so he at once gave money to another
Ashramite to purchase a packet of cigarettes. When this was brought he instructed that the packet
should be put beneath the Swamiâ€™s pillow in his absence.
Some felt that Swami Sivananda was encouraging this Swami against his own principles.
But, when the man came to know how Swamiji had gone out of his way to fulfil his cravings he felt
ashamed and automatically gave it up. Obviously Swamiji was not unaware of the great and urgent
need for a spiritual aspirant to practice self-control.
The most fascinating method which Swamiji employed was to work on the Sadhakaâ€™s
mental plane. A time came when the disciple began to feel that the Guru was actively manipulating
his very thoughts, leading him step by step. This was the most important phase in the Sadhakaâ€™s
spiritual evolution. The more the disciple surrendered his mind to the Guru, the more actively did
the Master operate on it. This was Swami Sivanandaâ€™s subtlest method of influencing his disciples.
With Swamijiâ€™s several methods operating on him, the experience of the disciple was
sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter; sometimes laden with bliss, sometimes maddening; sometimes
shocking, sometimes thrilling. But, he knew that what the Master did was for his own ultimate
good. The first Annual Report of the Divine Life Trust Society gives an interesting account of the
ways in which resident-seekers were trained by Swamiji himself:
â€œSeven full-time aspirants who have renounced the world and who are treading the path of
Nivritti Marga (renunciation) were admitted in the year 1936. A beginner is trained in all branches
of Yoga under the direct guidance of Swami Sivananda. Here there is a great field for aspirants for
purifying the heart through service to many Sadhus and Sannyasins, sick people and others. This is
a wonderful field for developing mercy, cosmic love, tolerance, adaptability, Atma-Bhava and
various other virtues. Young people should combine service and meditation. A practical knowledge
of selfless public service in all branches is an essential qualification for every aspirant. Sometimes
one may have to do cooking, washing, and other work also when he lives alone in seclusion.
Aspirants who come to Swamiji for practising Kundalini Yoga and awakening the Kundalini are
stunned when they are posted to serve the sick and other aged people. They show wry faces in the
beginning, later realise the importance of service.
â€œWhen the heart is purified by the prescribed methods, the Kundalini is awakened. The
aspirants learn and practice Asanas, Pranayama, Mudras and Bandhas, concentration and
meditation. Sri Swamiji clears their doubts and explains the knotty points in Yoga and Vedanta
philosophy. He gives the essence in a few sentences.
â€œSri Swamiji trains the aspirants according to their temperament, capacity and taste. He
does not administer the same medicine to all, as some do. A Vedantic student gets lessons in
Vedanta; a student of Raja Yoga is given lessons in Raja Yoga; a Bhakta is trained in the path of
devotion. Those who are advanced in meditation are not given any kind of work at all, but plunge
themselves in deep meditation only. Every aspirant is trained in first aid, nursing of sick persons,
dispensing, compounding of mixtures etc. Common meditation is held in the Rama Ashram
premises at 4 a.m. Short lectures in Gita and Upanishads and practical Sadhana and meditation are
given by Sri Swamiji at the end. Outsiders also join this function.â€
Sivananda gave Sannyasa liberally. In Indiaâ€™s religious history, no other saint ever turned so
many into monks. Swamiji gave Sannyasa to men and to women. He gave the ochre robe to older
people with a few years left to live and to teenagers about to start their adult life. He gave Sannyasa
to Indians and to foreigners. He gave Sannyasa in person and by post. To some who had worldly
responsibilities still to discharge, he gave mental Sannyasa. Sivananda coloured their mind. He told
them to live in the world, but be not of it. Swamiji wanted â€œFiery young men, brave, dispassionate
and wise, with iron will and ferro-concrete body and nerves, who can pulverise the Himalayas, and
sip the waters of the ocean, who can devour death like a pickle, and swim across the Pacific, who
can uproot Mount Everest, who can swallow a bag of fire! Glory to young Sannyasins who have
dared to defy the worldly temptations and embrace Sannyasa…â€
Sometimes it happened that a person who was initiated by Swamiji swerved from the path
and behaved in a manner which brought disgrace to the Order. At other times, a Sannyasi threw
away his Gerua cloth and went back to the world and married. People criticised Sivananda for
initiating too many youthful Sannyasins. One person asked the Master: â€œAre you sure that these
young initiates have really understood the duties of this Ashrama and that they will adhere to the
principles?â€ He went on to cite examples of young Sannyasins going astray. Sivananda laughed
gently. â€œWhy! I myself can give you many examples of this typeâ€. Then Swamiji added seriously:
â€œYet, they are worthy of your veneration. For, at least one day they were Sannyasins. They had the
courage to throw up their hands and say, â€˜I renounce the pleasures of the three worlds.â€™ They had the
boldness and daring to stand up against the greatest forces of Nature, the forces that maintain this
Samsaraâ€”those of self-preservation and procreation. They stand there as the masters of Nature…
Because one man had failed to live up to Sannyasa you should not think that the Order itself is
unsuitable for the youth. As a matter of fact you will find that most of the noteworthy Sannyasins
renounced the world while they were youthful. What can an old man achieve? It is mock-Sannyasa
if he embraces the holy order.â€
To casual visitors, Sivananda often gave spiritual instruction in tablet form. Such advice
was rarely forgotten. For instance, if the visitor was an engineer, Swamiji advised him to build the
Bridge of Immortality; if an auditor, to audit his own Antahkarana and have a stock-taking of the
Vrittis and Vasanas; if a doctor, to do the â€œEgo-dechtomyâ€ operation on his ego. Sivananda asked
the businessman to do business with God, the military officer to fight the â€œinner battleâ€. He asked
the mothers to give their children God Liver Oil; and if he saw a puzzled look on their face, hastened
to explain, â€œSri Ram, Sri Ram…. Sri Ram is God Liver Oilâ€. Swamiji did not treat all people alike;
he did not give the same pill to all patients.

THE PERSONALITY OF SIVANANDA
Swami Sivananda was about six feet tall, with a shining copper red complexion. He had
broad shoulders and long arms. His head and face were clean shaven. His countenance was
child-like. No guile, no gall in it. His eyes sparkled.
In the simplicity of a monk, Sivananda seemed like a monarch. He was a picture of serenity
and youth. Swamiji had a vibrant, powerful voice. Often at a meeting, he would gently push aside
the microphone, saying, â€œI donâ€™t need itâ€. His stentorian voice could reach an audience of thousands
without the need for amplification.
His walking made no sound. There was poise in his every move. When he spoke, the flow of
language was steady and natural, and tongue-slips were conspicuous by their absence. His
appearance was quite simple… no colourful marks on the forehead, no matted locks or flowing
beard, no rosaries round his neck, no beads, bangles or earrings… just enough clothing to protect his
person from the weather and to ensure decency in society.
So it happened that one day in 1956, an elderly lady walked into the Ashram office to have
Darshan of â€œSwamijiâ€. Sivananda greeted her with an Om and folded palms, showed her a seat, and
made kind enquiries about her health and her Yatra (pilgrimage). When he resumed his work, the
lady quietly walked out. Near the dispensary she asked an Ashramite, â€œWhere is Swamiji? When
can I see him?â€ â€œSwamiji is in the office. Arenâ€™t you coming from there?â€ said the Ashramite,
visibly amused. â€œThat man with a coat and spectacles, sitting there? Is he Swamiji? I thought he was
only the Ashram manager!â€ With tears in her eyes, the old lady went back and prostrated at the
Masterâ€™s feet.
Master never assumed manners or put on airs. He spoke to everyone, referred to everyone in
terms of respect. Swamiji always tried to greet a person in the latterâ€™s mother tongue. He was
always eager to please people and put them at ease. Thus, besides Tamil, English, Hindi and Malay,
which he knew well, he learnt words of greeting, proverbs, poems and songs in many languages, all
of which he used to advantage in his contacts with people.
It was a habit with the Master to carry three bags wherever he went. One would contain
spiritual literature, another fruits and sweets, and the third medicines and utility articles like
candles, matchbox, scissors, thread and needles.
Another form of service which Swamiji strongly recommended was prayer. Prayer was not
so much praying for yourself (not even for your salvation) but it was recommended as a form of
service, of charity. So to prayâ€”not only for the peace of all in a general sense, but in a specific
senseâ€”was part of his life.
Swamiji always insisted on his disciples praying for all. At Satsanga and other times he
would often ask all to pray for someone who was sick, or for the peace of the departed soul of
someone who had died, or for someone whose birthday it was. Then he himself would conduct the
congregational chanting of the Lordâ€™s Names and conclude with a two-minute silent meditation and
prayer. This prayer has literally wrought miracles.
Swamiji had great faith in healing through prayer and through utterance of the Lordâ€™s
Name. He called it Namapathy.
In the early days another service was performed by the Ashram. Swamiji had great faith in
the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra:
Om tryambakam yajamahe
sugandhim pustivardhanam
Urvarukamiva bandhanan
mrityor mukshiya mamritat.
â€œWe worship the Three-Eyed One, fragrant (with energy), increasing strength and
prosperity (of those who adore Him); may I (we) be freed from death for (the sake of) immortality,
as a cucumber is freed from its hold (of bondage to the creeper).â€
This wards off all kinds of accidents, bestows health and long life and ultimately confers
immortality. This prayer was not confined to human beings. An injured dog or monkey would
invariably invoke from him the Maha-Mrityunjaya Mantra. Even a dead lizard on Swamijiâ€™s path
would earn this Mantra for the peace of the soul. To Swamiji all beings were equal and prayer
universal.
Sivanandaâ€™s compassion was not confined to beings on the earth plane. On January 13,
1949, he confronted the Ashramites with a suggestion: â€œFrom now, the first of every month will be
observed here as the All Soulsâ€™ Day. We should offer special prayers for the peace of all departed
souls.â€ Swamiji said: â€œWhen you pray for the health, happiness and peace of others, you become a
channel for the flow of divine grace. The water that is collected in a pond may become dirty
sometime or the other, but the water that flows along a pipeline never does, because it is flowing all
the time. So, if one continues to be the channel for the flow of divine grace, oneâ€™s heart is always
pure and filled with divine graceâ€.
This is the beautiful and soul-elevating Universal Prayer which he composed:
O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love!
Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.
Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.
Thou art Satchidananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute).
Thou art the Indweller of all beings.
Grant us an understanding heart,
Equal vision, balanced mind,
Faith, devotion and wisdom.
Grant us inner spiritual strength
To resist temptations and to control the mind.
Free us from egoism, lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy.
Fill our hearts with divine virtues.
Let us behold Thee in all these names and forms.
Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms.
Let us ever remember Thee.
Let us ever sing Thy glories.
Let Thy Name be ever on our lips.
Let us abide in Thee for ever and ever.
Sivananda was a man of unrestrained and spontaneous generosity. Just as he gave himself to
others, he gave a myriad of things too; money, food, clothes, books, flowersâ€”whatever offerings
the devotees brought himâ€”found their way to others. Swamiji acted as a centre for collection and
redistribution. He knew who needed what and always made sure that the right gift reached the right
person.
Once it was decided that instead of Swami Sivananda, he should have been called Swami
Givananda (Give-Ananda)â€”he who rejoices in giving. He knew that the supply came from the
Source, and to the Source it returned. Material considerations of accounting did not bother him at
all. He proved in his own life that in such generosity there was no bankruptcy. He used to say very
often, â€œGiving has never made a person poor.â€
The Master often bought fruits, peanuts and ice-cream from roadside vendors. The pilgrim
who lost his purse, the convict just released from jail, the penniless Sadhu needing a blanket, the
poor student wanting money for his school feesâ€”all of them found a ready helper in Swamiji. And
the Master gave without embarrassing the recipient. What mattered more than the money was the
heart. Sivananda had a large heart.
The Master believed in a life of hardship and endurance. When on tour, as soon as he
stepped down from the train, Swamiji immediately, without waiting for a coolie and without giving
a chance to his devotees, would carry his bedding or trunk on his own head and come out of the
station. â€œRely on your own self,â€ he would say. â€œBe humble. Do not be puffed up with pride of
Gurudomâ€. Often he told students his formula for Realisation which he called, â€œSB40â€ (standing
for â€œshoe beating 40â€). â€œWhen people glorify me, especially on birthdays, I return to my Kutir and I
beat myself with a shoe. As I do it I say to myself, â€˜What are you? You wretched
flesh-blood-excreta made body? Do you want garlands? Can you not wear torn clothes? Do you
think that you are great? Do you want to be prostrated to? Here, take these garlandsâ€™.â€
Experience was Sivanandaâ€™s greatest Guru. From every experience that he passed through
and saw others pass through, Swamiji drew the lesson.

THE PERSONALITY OF SIVANANDA
Renunciation was the key to the Masterâ€™s personality. To Swamiji, renunciation meant
renunciation of the ego, of â€œIâ€ and â€œmineâ€. It meant giving up of attachment. True renunciation
belonged to the mind.
His view of renunciation, no torturing of the body was involved. On the contrary, Swamiji
took pains to keep his body always healthy so that it could be put to efficient use in the service of
Godâ€™s children. In the early years of his mission, Sivananda used to go for a long evening walk. In
the winter months, he used to play Badminton in the Ashram itself. When work increased, he could
not find sufficient time for these. So he got a tennis ball and racket and played against the wall for a
few minutes whenever he felt the need for relaxation. After those few minutes, Swamiji would be
ready again for another spell of work. As he grew old, the Master did some simple exercises in the
bed itself. He never missed his Asanas and Pranayama. These things kept his body fit for work.
Talking to a visitor in the Ashram one day, Swamiji showed him his many notebooks, pens,
watches. â€œPeople think that a Sannyasin should not have this or use that,â€ he said, â€œBut I have no
such notion. Service is the thing. Work, work and work for the welfare of humanity. Keep the
instrumentsâ€”body and the mindâ€”in a fit and healthy condition for the work. I am a different
Sannyasin. I like to serve. People imagine that a Sannyasin should always be grave and should
always sit like this (here, Swamiji actually closed his eyes and sat erect) and thus give the
impression to them that he is a Jivanmukta (liberated soul). But I am of a different type. Work
should be your meditation. That is my methodâ€. With regard to work too, Sivananda was guided by
certain principles. D.I.N. was the first, DO IT NOW. When Sivananda wished to do a thing, he
would do it straightaway.
Swamiji was the greatest and perhaps the only recent exemplar of Vibhuti Yoga (the Yoga
dealing with the glories and the manifestations of the Lord) as described in the 10th chapter of the
Bhagavad Gita. Those who heard his inspiring lectures, could not fail to notice how he laid the
greatest emphasis on this practice. He exalted it, putting it on a par with Raja, Bhakti, Karma and
Jnana Yogas. It is a dynamic Jnana-Bhakti Yoga. To the list of Vibhutis (glories or manifestations)
given by Lord Krishna in the Gita, Swamiji added quite a few of his own. He sang the Song of
Vibhuti Yoga.
Soham Soham Soham Soham
Om Om Om Om Om Om Om Om Om Om
I am neither mind nor body, immortal Self I am
I am witness of three states,
I am knowledge absolute
I am fragrance in jasmine, beauty in flowers
I am coolness in the ice, flavour in the coffee
I am greenness in the leaf, hue in the rainbow
I am taste bud in the tongue, essence in the orange
I am mind of all minds, Prana of all Pranas
I am Soul of all souls, Self of all selves
I am Atman in all beings, apple of all eyes
I am Sun of all suns, Light of all lights.
I am that I am, I am that I am,
I am that I am, I am that I am.
An American philosopher, Dr. Thompson, asked Sivananda a straight question: â€œHave you
seen God, Swamiji?â€ â€œI see nothing but Godâ€: replied the Master, â€œin the food I take, in the water I
drink, in the people I greet, in the animals I meetâ€”and in you, Dr. Thompson, I see nothing but
Godâ€.
By his constant eagerness to serve all and to relieve the suffering of all, Swamiji won the
hearts of all. He became spiritually one with the whole of Mankind, constantly radiating supreme
joy, peace, life and light. In his very presence, therefore, people enjoyed healing vibrations and
peace-giving light emanations. His very look elevated, transformed and sublimated everything it
alighted on.
Godliness waited around him; the darkness of atheism, worldliness and undivine elements
vanished from the heart which the light of his grace penetrated. Meditation had imparted lustre to
his countenance, power to his eyes and an irresistible magnetism to his entire personality. His aura
was such that people who approached him with a hundred complaints were silenced and enmity fled
his very presence. He demonstrated wonderful miracles through his soul-elevating divine songs in a
day when fashion reigned supreme and educated people were shy to repeat Godâ€™s Name.
Listening to Swamiji was the remedy that many people needed. They began to sing the
Divine Name. Swamiji was such an embodiment of supreme devotion to the lotus-feet of the Lord
that anyone who came into contact with him received the waves of devotion in spite of himself.
To recruit everyone with the least inclination and lesser qualification into his fold and to
transform everyone into a saintly personality without the rigours of austerity or regimented life of
Sadhana, is a miracle of the highest order. To sit in his simple Kutir on the banks of the Ganga in a
corner of the Himalayas and to spread the light of divine knowledge to the four corners of the world
is the greatest miracle.

UNIVERSALITY OF TEACHINGS
Swamiji recognised that through the English language he could reach the maximum number
of people throughout the world. He thought, talked, wrote and sang in English. (Not only
Westerners benefited from this, but also the modern Indian youth who had lost touch with their
culture and religion in their desire to emulate Western civilisation. On reading Swamijiâ€™s books
they were reawakened to their spiritual heritage.) The rational questioning minds of both
Westerners and Western-oriented Indians were won over by Swamiji, who adjusted his approach to
the exact level of every person he met.
Christ was as much honoured at the Sivananda Ashram as Krishna. At Christmas,
Europeans were requested by Sivananda to stage the event of Christâ€™s birth. Another method
adopted by Swamiji was the holding of â€œSadhana Weeksâ€. During the Easter and Christmas
holidays he gathered at the Ashram earnest seekers after God, who came from all parts of the
country to undergo intensive training in the various spiritual practices. An elaborate programme of
Sadhana including Japa, meditation, Likhita Japa (Mantra-writing), Yoga Asanas, observance of

THE PERSONALITY OF SIVANANDA
Mauna and selfless serviceâ€”was drawn up. Lectures by Swamiji himself and senior aspirants were
arranged to give a good-theoretical background to sustain the spirit created by the week-long
training. Participants returned from Rishikesh infinitely richer for coming.
THE LAST DAYS
â€œAll who want Sannyasa should take initiation on the next Sivaratri day.â€ This
pronouncement was made by Swamiji at an evening Satsanga early in 1963. In view of his
increasingly frequent references to his Mahasamadhi, many saw this invitation as a sign of his
imminent passingâ€”particularly when he added, â€œWho knows what may happen next Sivaratri?â€
Swamiji, who had always kept spending and giving, teaching his disciples and residents of
the Ashram to trust in God and to give and give and give, suddenly began to manifest a different
attitude. He started an economy driveâ€”a thing unheard of for himâ€”slashing Ashram expenditures
and talking of taking more care.
Early in May Swamiji began a rigorous session of tape-recordings. Each morning he would
read from his books and printed sheets, forcefully and inspiringlyâ€”his voice ringing with authority
and sincerityâ€”while a disciple recorded. He did this for hours, unmindful of the strain. Every few
days he would ask â€œHow much matter have I given?â€ or, â€œHow long will it run?â€ Once during these
sessions he said: â€œThe sight is getting dim; take whatever you want now. The hearing is getting dull;
tell whatever you want to tell, now itself. The tongue is getting inarticulate; ask whatever you want
to askâ€.
â€œHappiness comes when the individual merges in Godâ€, this was the last sentence
dictated. The peerless teacher had summed up his teachings in that one sentence. And he was soon
to practice what he preached. He was to merge in God, totally, within weeks of the above utterance.
On July 12, a devotee named Devaki Kutty gave a paper and pen to Swamiji. The master
wrote: â€œRemember. Forgetâ€. The pad was raised to enable him to write more, but he gestured so as
to say, â€œThat is sufficientâ€. Handing it back to the lady he said, â€œRemember you are Devi… and not
Devaki Kutty.â€ First a piece of written Upadesh, and then a verbal explanation of that Upadesh to
ensure correct understanding. It was the Masterâ€™s way of love heaped upon love!
On the evening of July 14th he developed a fever. For some time he had difficulty in
swallowing even a few mouthfuls of water. His disciples wanted to give him barley water, as was
the usual practice, but he insisted on Ganga water. It was brought to him and he had no difficulty in
swallowing half a glassful: and with that he departed from the body. It was 11:15 p.m.
The time that Sivananda chose to merge with the Supreme proved to be a holy Muhurta of
extreme auspiciousness. It presented an exalted planetary position on the last limit of Uttarayana
and just before the commencement of the â€œSouthern Pathâ€. An expert horologist, who was also a
capable astrologer, had mentioned only upon the morning of that fateful Sunday that around
midnight there was going to be such an unparalleled and auspicious planetary conjunction that any
Yogi who was getting ready to depart would never wish to miss it. The prediction proved correct
and Sivananda chose that moment.
Swamijiâ€™s body was placed in the lotus posture. Dazed and tearful disciples and devotees
softly chanted the Maha Mantra on the verandah of his Kutir, while one by one the Ashramites went
in, to bow before the beloved form in silence.
The next morning, through the newspapers and radio, the world learnt of the Mahasamadhi
of this great saint. Messages of sympathy and condolence from all over the world kept the post
office working at full pressure. The residents of Rishikesh streamed into the Ashram. All the
following day and far into the night devotees came from everywhere for the last Darshan.
Sivananda lives still. He lives in his books, he lives in his disciples, he lives in the very
atmosphere of his own Ashram in Rishikesh.
Sivananda was a prince among men, a jewel among saints. Service and love were the
weapons with which he conquered human hearts. His humility and his love endeared him to all.
Did Sivananda create a new religion? No. Did he build a new Church? No. Did he evolve a
new code of conduct and morals, behaviour? No. Did he prescribe new rules and rituals? No.
Sivananda helped the Hindu to be a better Hindu, the Christian to be a better Christian, the
Parsi to be a better Parsi, the Muslim to be a better Muslim. Hindus, Christians, Muslims,
Parsisâ€”all loved him. All claimed him as their own.
Swami Sivananda did not go on global tours, but students, devotees and admirers flocked to
him from everywhere. He did not deliver long sermons, but thousands of doubters were
transformed by a mere word or phrase that fell from his lips or was seen in his books.
There was a power in Sivanandaâ€”in his thoughts, in his words, in his deeds. It was the
power of Truth. It was the power of Purity. It was the power of Service and Love. It was the power
of God, the power which lies hidden in everyone, but which Sivananda manifested in its full
majesty.
Sivanandaâ€™s life was a moving panorama of success through struggle, of noble attainment
through selfless effort. The sageâ€™s life is a pointer and an assurance. It points the way to supreme
blessedness and assures success to those who would care to follow his lead. It has a message to offer
strife-ridden humanityâ€”amessage of service and love, of hope and courage and burning optimism.
A message for today.

THE LAST DAYS
1st June 1947.
Blessed aspirants,
Be true. Be sincere. Be earnest. Be vigilant. Be hungry. Be thirsty. Equip yourself with four.
I shall give you the bread of eternal life. I shall give you the nectar of immortality. I shall
clothe you with the garment of everlasting Peace. I shall give you rest. I shall comfort you. I shall
cheer you up. I shall take care of your body and soul.
Doubt not. Delay not. Tarry not. Leave your bag and be. Ye come to me. Be quick.
18th January 1946.
To raise the fallen, to lead the blind, to share what I have with others, to bring solace to the
afflicted, to cheer up the suffering are my ideals.
To have perfect faith in God, to love my neighbour as my own Self, to love God with all my
heart and soul, to protect cows, animals, women, and children are my aims.
My watchword is Love. My goal is Sahaja Samadhi Avastha or the natural, continuous,
Superconscious State.
Sivananda

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/brief-life-sketch-of-sri-ramanujacharya/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/brief-life-sketch-of-sri-ramanujacharya/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2011 05:50:13 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=3841 Sri Ramanuja (1017 – 1137 CE), the most important philosopher-saint of Sri Vaishnavam and one of the most dynamic characters of Hinduism. He was a philosophical as well as a social reformer, displaying a catholicity that was nearly unparalleled in Hindu religious history before him. He revitalized Indian philosophy and popular religion so much that […]

Sri Ramanuja (1017 – 1137 CE), the most important philosopher-saint of Sri Vaishnavam and one of the most dynamic characters of Hinduism. He was a philosophical as well as a social reformer, displaying a catholicity that was nearly unparalleled in Hindu religious history before him. He revitalized Indian philosophy and popular religion so much that nearly every aspect of Hinduism has been influenced by his work. His life and works show a truly unique personality, combining contemplative insight, logical acumen, catholicity, charismatic energy, and selfless dedication to God.

The less known fact even among Srivaishnavas about this well known Acharya by whose name Srivaishnava philosophy is called ‘Ramanuja Darsanam’ and who is hailed as “Sri Vaishnava Siddhanta Nirdhaarana Saarva bouma” is that he was a ‘Vadama’ by birth.(Authority :” Periya Thrumudi Adaivu, Pazhanadai Vilakkam and Visishtaadvaita Catechism” – quoted in GLE)

HIS AVATARA AND EARLY DAYS

Ilaya Perumal was born to Kesava Perumal Somayaji Dikhsitar and Kanthimathi Ammal at Sriperumpudur. Just as Sage Vasishta on seeing the brilliance in the face of the child named him as Lakshmana saying “Lakshmano Lakshmi Sampannaha”, Periya Thiru malai Nambi struck by the Tejas of the child, named him after Lakshmana as Ilaya Perumal. (PPM) aka Ilayalwar.

(meaning) It is the same who was Adhisesha first, Lakshmana after and Balarama in the third who is born as Sri Ramanuja in the Kali yuga. This Kaschit is taken by our Poorva Acharyas as referring to Ramanuja (PPM)

HIS BIRTH::CHITRAI- TIRUVADHIRAI)

His date of birth is placed differently by different authorities.As per PPM, he was born in Kaliyuga year 4119 which corresponds to1017 AD. PPM fixes even the exact date as 13th April 1017 AD, interms of English Calendar.

PRA, though notes the year as 4118 Kali , maintains the year as 1017 AD only and gives additional information that the Rasi was Karkataka and the time of birth was exactly at noon.

VAC, MKS and MSR also agree on the year 1017. PTA gives a few more details like the Yogam being Ayushman, Karanam being Bhadra, Gotra being Harita, Saakha being Yajus, Sutra being Apasthambha and Sect being Vadama ( Vide p.45 of GLE).

PPM and ATA mention the year as Pingala, month Chitrai and the constellation Tiruvadirai. PPM adds that it was a Sukla Paksha Panchami, a Friday.

It will be for the Research minded scholars to piece together all these details to arrive at the correct date, time etc.

” Long, long afterwards, the Lord himself will come down on earth as a Tridanda Sannyasin, to restore the good law. At that time heretics and men of perverted intellects will confuse the minds of the people. Aasuric Saastraas, based upon fallacious arguments and various schools of thought, very attractive and almost indistinguishable from the Vedanta, will turn away mens’ hearts from Vishnu and cause them to forget His glory. That glorious incarnation will, through the good fortune of the Lord’s devotees, come down upon earth, to explain and amplify the teachings of the great Sage Baadaraayana and the divine singer of the Gita. The holy one would compose a Bhaashya on the Vyaasa Sutras, to save men from the confusion and despair caused by spurious doctrines and lead them to the True faith” ( Vide p.44 of GLE)

While still a boy , he lost his father and was living with his mother at Kanchipuram under the protection of one ‘Tiruk kachi Nambi’ This Nambi was believed to converse and was on ‘speaking terms’ with Lord Varadaraja in the Archa form.

EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF SRI RAMANUJA

(1) Within 16 years of age, he had mastered all the Vedas and Sastras. At age 17, he married Rakshakaambaal ( Tanjammal, in Tamil) (PPM)

(2) Ilaya Perumal was placed under the Advaitic Sannyasi called YADAVA PRAKASA at Tirupput kuzhi for training in Advaita Purva Paksha Sastra of Vedanta. Once during this period, Alavandar who desired nominating Ilaya Perumal to succeed himself visited Tirupput kuzhi, met with him but had no opportunity to speak to him and had to return to Srirangam.

Very many occasions arose when the Saivite Guru clashed with Ilaya Perumal when the Guru misinterpreted Vedantic statements. Ilaya Perumal fearlessly pointed out the errors in the Guru’s interpretations and corrected him. This enraged the Guru. Fearing that one day, Ilaya Perumal would demolish Advaita philosophy, he plotted to kill Ilaya Perumal by drowning him in Ganga while on a pilgrimage tour of the country with his disciples.

Learning of the design through one Govinda, another disciple who was also related to him, Ilaya Perumal slipped out into the forest at dead of night. Miraculously, an aged hunter couple appeared and guided him. As Ilaya Perumal who was in a trance, opened his eyes, he found himself at the outskirts of Kanchipuram and the couple had disappeared. He realized that it was Lord Varadaraja and Perundevi Thayar who had come in the guise of the hunter couple. He stayed at Kanchi for a while to assist Tiruk Kachi Nambi in his daily chores of service to Lord Varadaraja.

(3) News came that Alavandar was very sick and he desired to meet with Ilaya Perumal. Just as Tirukkachi Nambi and Ilaya Perumal arrived, they saw the funeral procession of Alavandar. During the last rites, they noticed that three fingers of Alavandar remained folded signifying three of his last unfulfilled wishes. As Ilaya Perumal swore

( i ) that he would write a commentary on Veda Vyasa’s Brahma Sutra ( ii ) that he would perpetuate the memory of Vyasa and Parasara and ( iii ) that he would strive to propagate Visishtadvaita on the lines of the 4000 holy collects of Alwars, the fingers unfolded one by one automatically and stretched out to normal position signifying that these were his last wishes. Since he could not meet with Alavandar, he returned to Kanchi without even going into the temple at Srirangam (PPM)

(4) Tirukkachi Nambi obtained from Lord Varadaraja the famous ‘ Six Words ‘ and passed them on to Ilayalwar. The six words provided the guidelines for Ilayalwar to follow. They were:-

( i ) that Lord Narayana is the Paramatma. (ii ) that the individual souls were different from Paramatma. (iii) that Prapatti is the means to attain salvation. (iv) that the last remembrance of the Lord on the part of the departingÂ Â Â Â soul was not necessary. (v) that Moksha can be obtained only on laying off the mortal coilsÂ Â Â Â (Videha Mukti) & (vi) that Ilaya Perumal should take refuge at the feet of Periya Nambi.

Accordingly, he met with Periya Nambi at Madurantakam , where under the shade of Vakula tree Periya Nambi performed Pancha Samskara to him. As he was initiated into the esoteric of Dvaya Mantra at Madurantakam, the place came to be known as “Dvayam Vilaindha Tiruppathi” (PPM) Both returned to Srirangam and did Kalakshepams on Brahma Sutra etc. for sometime. It was at this time that Lord Ranganatha called him “Nammudaiyavar” (He is ours).(PPM)

(5) Ilaya Perumals was not a happy married life. His wife never understood either his greatness nor appreciated his catholicity and always acted on her own wavelength and there was no compatibility as between them. Several instances are cited wherein the lady ensconced in her own in her own pet ideas of being holy or otherwise showed scant respect to Bhagavatas and this greatly annoyed Ilayalwar. When he was about 30 years of age, Ilayalwar took Sannyas with the name of ‘Ramanuja Muni’. He was the king among Sannyasis. Hence, he is called ‘ Yati Rajar’- a honorific invested by Lord Devaathi Rajan.

(6) The seat of Acharya at Srirangam was lying vacant without a successor to take over. He was prevailed upon to assume charge. But, before doing so, he wanted to equip himself with the secrets of the three great Mantras. For this purpose, he approached one ” Tiruk Koshtiyur Nambi” who made him come several times before actually instructing him. He cautioned Ramanuja that he should not give out the secrets to all and sundry and if he did so, he would go to hell.

Immediately on receiving the instructions, Ramanuja climbed up to the top of the steeple of the temple and proclaimed to the large gathering of his disciples assembled there the purport of the instruction.

The popular belief that he gave out the Mantras is not correct; What he actually gave out was that he had found out the way to attain Moksha through the three great Mantras and invited those who sincerely wished to follow him and get initiated. Also, he did not advise all and sundry as assumed by some. By the time of this episode, he had already gathered a huge following of disciples who congregated at the main entrance to the temple and he was thus addressing his own disciples (as explained in a separate posting in this series). This is another less known fact about the well known Acharya Tirukkoshtiyur Nambi was so enraged and demanded an explanation. Ramanuja replied that he did not give out the secrets and even if he had transgressed the specific warning of the Guru, only he himself would go to hell but the multitude of humanity that listened to his clarion ‘ wake – up’ call would be saved spiritually. The Guru was overwhelmed by this reply . Embracing Ramanuja appreciating his broad mindedness, he called him ‘Emperumanar’- ” O! My lord” and declared that Srivaishnavism would thenceforward be known as ” Ramanuja Darsanam”- ‘ the light of Ramanuja’

(7) Yadava prakasa, his old Guru had by then returned to Kanchi, became Ramanuja’s disciple assuming the name of ‘Govinda Yogi’

(8) Ramanuja used to go round the streets for his Biksha. An evil minded fellow had mixed poison in the biksha. His wife while serving the biksha fell at Ramanujas feet with tears in her eyes. Ramanuja understood that there was something wrong. When the Sishyas sorted out the biksha for cooking, they found out that poison was mixed with it. Ramanuja went on a fast with a view to cleanse the mind of the evil-doer. On hearing this, Tirukkoshtiyur Nambi rushed all the way to Srirangam. When Ramanuja heard of the coming of his Guru, he rushed to the banks of River Kaveri to receive him. It was the height of summer. Ramanuja ran towards him in the hot Sun to receive him and fell at his feet on the burning sands on the banks of river Kaveri. Nambi did not ask him to get up. Such was his Acharya Bhakti. At that time , Kidambi Aachaan, who was nearby told Nambi ” Your action (in not asking Ramanuja to get up) is worse than the poison mixed in the bikshai”. Such was the Acharya bhakti of Ramanujas Sishya !(Like master, like pupil !). Tirukkoshtiyur Nambi exclaimed, ” After all, now I can cast off my physical body since I have found one who would take the greatest care of Ramanuja”

(9) Ramanuja traveled throughout the country spreading the message of Visishtadvaita. Once a votary of the ‘ illusion theory’ Yagna Murthi by name confronted him for 16 days in endless arguments and counter arguments. Finally, he accepted defeat and became a disciple of Ramanuja assuming the name of ‘Arulala Perumal Emperumanar’ and wrote ‘Gnana Saram and Prameya Saram’.

(10) One of the most important disciples who was totally devoted to Ramanuja was Kuresan also known as ‘ Kurattalwan’. Once, Kuresan participated in the shradda ceremony performed for his mother by the famous Tiruvarangathu Amudanar. This Amudanar was in charge of the Srirangam temple. When Amudanar inquired what Kuresan desired as reward for his participation, Kuresan replied that the administration of the temple should be handed over to Ramanuja. Amudanar, who had already known the greatness of Ramanuja was only too glad to hand over the key to Ramanuja. It is this Tiruvarangattu Amudanar who subsequently wrote the Ramanuja Noorrantadhi of 108 verses which was included in the holy collects to make up the total of 4,000.

(11) After Mastering the Bodhaayana Vritti of Sage Vyaasa, he wrote several works like Vedanta Sangraham explaining the various viewpoints of Sankara, Yadhava, Bhaskara and others, Vedanta Deepam, Geetha Bashyam etc.

(12) During Panguni Uttram, he did Prapatti before the Divya Dhampathi in Serthi and submitted his famous Gadhyatrayam (comprising Saranagathi Gadhyam, Sriranga Gadhyam and Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam ),

(14) While he was on his Sancharam, it is believed that the Lord himself appeared before him at Tiruk Kurum Kudi as a Srivaishnava got Samasrayanam from Udaiyavar (PPM)

(15) When he visited Saraswati Peetam, Goddess Saraswati was so impressed with his commentary on Brahma Sutram that she named it “Sri Bhashyam” and conferred on him the title of “Bhashyakaarar”. It must be noted that while the other commentaries are known by the names of their authors like ‘Sankara Bashyam’ written by Aadhi Sankara, the commentary of Ramanuja is always referred to with the venerable honorific ‘Sri’ denoting its unsurpassed quality and clarity and known as ‘ Sri Bashyam’ (PPM)

(16) When he visited Tirumala, a miracle happened. Some argued that the Lord of Tirumalai was Saiva param. It is surprising that such a claim should have arisen about the Lord who had been worshipped as Lord Vishnu by all the Alwars and Acharyas besides Elango Adigal and other Tamil Pulavars for several centuries. This was because the Lord had earlier entrusted His insignia to a King called Tondamaan. (SAA p.57-58). The Lord desired to take back from Tondamaan, these insignia viz., Sankhu, Tiruvaazhi, Soolam, Damarukam etc. They were placed in the Sannidhi the previous night. And, when the doors were opened the next morning, the Lord gave Darshan adorning all his insignia (PPM). Ramanuja was hailed as ” Appanukku Sangaazhi Alittha Perumaal” Poet Arunagiri himself sang clearing all doubts in this regard saying “Ulageenra Pachai umaiyanan, Vada Venkadathil Uraibhavan, Uyar Sanga Chakra kara Thalan”

(17) Ramanuja “was the greatest synoptic thinker which the world ever produced to systematize Visishtadvaitic philosophy, faithfully interpreting the ancient knowledge in tune with the letter and spirit of the text in the light of revelation and experience tested by stern logic”- [- Hon’ble Justice K.S.Krishnaswami Iyengar of the High Court of Judicture, Madras in his foreword to Desika Prabahandam( P.31) published by Lifco Associates, Madras- 3rd Edition, 1982. ]

(18) His magnum opus is his wonderful commentary on Vedavyasa’s Brahma Sutram and a simpler commentary thereon called Vedanta Saram. Kuresan was very helpful in publishing his works. Thus, he fulfilled his FIRST PROMISE to Alavandar. It is this Kuresan (aka) Sri Vatsanka Misra who wrote the famous Pancha Sthava consisting of Athi Maanusha Sthava, Sri Sthava, Varadaraja Sthava, Vaikunta Sthava and Sundarabaahu Sthava.

(19) He asked Kuresan to name his two sons after Veda Vyasa and Parasara and thus fulfilled his SECOND PROMISE to Alavandar. It was this Parasara Bhattar who subsequently wrote the famous commentary on Vishnu Sahasra Nama as ordained by Ramanuja.

(20) Another disciple of Ramanuja was Pillaan. Once, when Ramanuja was alone mentally reciting a particular hymn of Tiruvoimozhi, Pillaan entered his room and inquired if he was meditating on a particular hymn. And, it was indeed the one Ramanuja was actually meditating on!. Ramanuja decided that Pillaan was the person best suited to write a commentary on Tiruvoimozhi. As ordered, he wrote the famous ‘AARAAYIRAPPADI’ (the commentary known as the 6000 Padi also known as Bhagavad Vishayam) and called Pillaan as ‘Tirukkurugai Piraan’ after the name of Nammalwar. He was also known as Kurugesar and Braathru Thozhappar. Thus, he fulfilled his THIRD PROMISE to Alavandar. He was one of the Sri Bhashya ubhaya Simhasana Adhipathis.(PPM)

(21) Kulothunga Chola was a staunch devotee of Siva. He commanded Ramanuja to come to his court with a view to enlisting his support to establish the superiority of Siva over all other deities. (including Vishnu ). If the support was not forthcoming, the king was planning to kill Ramanuja. Sensing the danger, Kuresa went to the court disguised as Ramanuja along with another disciple called Periya Nambi. The king ordered him to sign a document to the effect that ‘Siva is the greatest’. Kuresa added that ‘ Sivam was no doubt great but Dronam was greater than Sivam’- both expressions referring to units of measurement. The enraged king ordered both of them to be blinded when he came to know that he was Kuresa who was impersonating Ramanuja. Periya Nambi was tortured to death while Kuresa survived. Kuresa, though he himself was blinded, was happy that he had saved Ramanuja. It is this Kulothunga who is reported to have thrown away the idol of Govindaraja in the sea. Ramanuja recovered it and had it installed at Tirupati.

(22) While on an itinerary, Ramanuja noticed an officer of state, by name Danur daasa, a hunter by birth was over -concerned and over- protective about the beauty of his wife who was walking along on the hot sands on the banks of the river Kaveri. Ramanuja offered to show him something more beautiful than his wife and took him to the proximity of the image of Lord Ranganatha. Danur daasa was enraptured by the charm of the Lord and became a disciple of Ramanuja assuming the name of ‘ Uranga Villi Daasar’. Ramanuja never entertained any caste distinctions and was conferring his benedictions even on the lowliest of the lowly whom he called ‘Tiruk Kulattar’.

(23) Ramanuja went to Tiru narayana puram in search of white clay paste used for applying caste marks by Vaishnavites. The idol of the temple there had been taken away by the muslim invaders and was being used at play as a doll by the muslim princess in Delhi. Ramanuja went to Delhi and when he endearingly called ‘ Come on! My dear child ‘Selva Pillaiye Vaarum’, the idol miraculously came onto his lap. Ramanuja reinstalled it in the temple.

(24) Once some kids were playing on the road pretending to construct a temple, installing an idol of the Lord, offering fruits and flowers etc all the time using the dust on the road for the purpose. They offered some mud as prasadam to Ramanuja who was passing along , he received it with due respect. He remembered in this connection the words of Poigai Alwar who said that the Lord took whatever name and form his sincere devotees wished and in the instant case though the kids were only playing, they sincerely believed in what they were doing.

(25) Another disciple of Ramanuja was Vaduga Nambi who put the sandals of his Guru along with those of the Lord. When questioned, he replied that the Acharya’s sandals were for him as holy as those of the Lord. When Lord Ranganatha was coming on his rounds on the streets of Srirangam, Vaduga Nambi remarked that the eyes that had seen the charm in the eyes of Ramanuja would not be able to appreciate the beauty of the eyes of even the Lord.-‘En Amudinai Kanda Kangal Marronrinai Kaanaave.’ Such was his devotion to his Acharya.

(26) Ramanuja arranged to make a lifelike idol of himself and embracing it invested it with his powers and had it installed in Tirumalai at Tirupati. The only temple consecrated in Tirumalai , other than that of Lord Venkateswara, is that of Ramanuja.(SAA p.58) The Archa moorthi of Ramanuja known as “Thaan Ugantha Tirumeni” was installed in Tirunarayanapuram.

(27) Once, when he visited Tondanoor in Hoysala State, he happened to meet a Jain king called Devarayan. His daughter was possessed by a demon and none could get rid of her predicament. When Ramanuja’s SriPaada Theertham ( water consecrated by association with his feet) was sprinkled on her,she was cured of the devil. The King pleaded to be accepted as Ramanujas Sishya. Ramanuja accepted and named him “Vishnu Vardhana”.

(28) Ramanuja nominated 74 Acharyas to succeed him. It is he who instituted the 13 day “iyal oshti in Srirangam.” (PPM)

HIS ASCENT TO PARAMAPADAM

With his head on the lap of Embar and his feet on the lap of Vaduga Nambi, Ramanuja breathed his last in 1137 AD listening to the recitation of the Divya Prabandam.

Born in PINGALA year, he left for his heavenly abode also in PINGALA year that followed 120 years from the year of his Avatara. Thus, he lived TWO full cycles of Tamil years after his birth

PLV places the date in Saaka era 1009, Pingala, in the month of Magha, the 10 th day of Sukla Paksha under the constellation of Tiruvadirai and at noon ( as in the time of his birth).

TKG notes that Lord Ranganatha and Periya Piraatti bathed and purified themselves as relatives do.

PTA, however, states that he lived for 128 years and died in the year Durmati in the month of Vaisaka.

Again, Research scholars may fin ways to piece together all these information to arrive at the correct date.

His physical body is preserved even today in a sitting posture in the Sannidhi (Sanctum Sanctorum) dedicated to him on the southwest corner on the fifth round within the Srirangam temple as ordered by Lord Ranganatha himself.

The whole world is aghast at the feat of preservation of the mummies of Egypt and the body of St. .Xavier in Goa in India and make so much fuss about them.

Even some Srivaishnavas are not aware that here in Srirangam. their holiest place hailed as ‘ Bhuloka Vaikuntam’ ( Heaven on Earth) lies preserved the body of Sri Ramanuja in all its pristine state unostentatiously, without any fanfare or publicity and without using any of the chemical preservatives employed by the Egyptian and Goan models.

Swami Desika in Sloka 10 of his Yathiraja Saptadhi pays obeisance to Bhagavad Ramanuja thus before proceeding with his eulogy.

(meaning) I beseech Sri Ramanuja whose Srisookthis claimed the acclaim of the Lord and adorned the Upanishads to kindly accept my Pranams. There is another famous Sloka which says :-

(meaning) I bow to that Sri Ramanuja, the great Yogi who became the very soul of Vedas, Upanishads and other Sutras.

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/brief-life-sketch-of-adi-jagadguru-shankaracharya/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/brief-life-sketch-of-adi-jagadguru-shankaracharya/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2011 05:45:25 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=3836 Request to Lord Shiva About 2500 years ago, when the spiritualization of the people greatly reduced, all the Gods and the Rishis went to Kailash and pleaded with Lord Shiva to revive the world. Lord Shiva agreed with their request and informed that he will be born in this world. Lord Brahma, Indra and others […]

Request to Lord Shiva
About 2500 years ago, when the spiritualization of the people greatly reduced, all the Gods and the Rishis went to Kailash and pleaded with Lord Shiva to revive the world. Lord Shiva agreed with their request and informed that he will be born in this world. Lord Brahma, Indra and others also agreed to be born in this world to help Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva Blessed for a Son
Kaladi Sivaguru, Aryambal In , Kerala, a learned Brahmin, by the name of and his wife, Aryambal,spent their life in pooja and in giving alms to poor and in other good deeds. This childless couple went to Trichur and performed puja for 48 days to Lord Shiva (Lord Vadakkunathan) and prayed for a son. Lord Shiva melted in their devotion and appeared before them and blessed them a son who is extremely intelligent.

Shankara is born â€¦
And Shankara was born on Vaishakh Shukla Panchami in Punarvasu Nakshatra, Yudhishthir Samvat 2631, Kali Samvat 2593, that is 16 April 509 B.C. at Kaladi village in Kerala.

Kanaka Dhara Stotram
On a Dwadasi day Sankara happened to go to the house of a very poor lady for alms for his guru. She gave the only Amla fruit she had to Sankara as she could not send a Brahmachari empty handed. Sankara was moved by her selflessness and prayed to Goddess Lakshmi in a sloka called On completion of this stotram, Goddess Lakshmi appeared in person and showered gold coins on the poor lady’s house.

Sanyasa at age of 8
To complete his mission,Sankara wanted to become Sanyasi, but mother did not allow him. One day when Sankara was taking bath, a crocodile caught hold of his leg. Sankara called out to his mother. Aryambal came running and she cried for help. Sri Sankara told his mother that his life was nearing to an end, but if he became a Sanyasi, he could start a new life as a sannyasi. Thus Sri Sankara took Sanyasa when he was only eight years old on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi 2639 i.e. 16 October 502 B.C.

Became Shishya of Govinda Pada
Sri Sankara went in the search of a Guru to be formally initiated as a Sanyasi. At the banks of the river Narmada, he found the river gushing forth into floods. By using his powers, he encapsulated the river in his Kamandal and released it in the banks of the river. Sri Govinda Pada saw this, marveled at Sri Sankara doing, took him on as a Shishya on Phalgun Shukla 2, 2640, i.e. 23 January, 500 B.C.

Learns Principle of Oneness
Sri Govinda Pada taught various Vedas to Sri Sankara. He also taught about Advaita, the principle that every one in this world is the manifestation of God and that God and Atman are one and the same. He advises Sri Sankara to go out in the world and spread this truth throughout the country.

Padma Pada Real Disciple of Sri Sankara
Sri Sankara went to Kasi and by that time, he had a lot of disciples. One of them, Sanandhyaya, was drying the clothes of his Guru and suddenly Sri Sankara called him to the other bank of the river as he needed the clothes urgently. Sanandhyaya, little realising that he would drown, starts walking into the river. However, the Grace of his Guru resulted in a lotus materializing wherever he was keeping his foot. When asked as to how did he cross the river, he says that when his Guru calls, he is not to worry about anything. Sri Sankara named

Lord Shiva meets Sri Sankara
Once, in Kasi, when Sri Sankara was going to the Vishwanath
Temple, his path was blocked by an “untouchable” who was
accompanied by his wife and 4 dogs. The disciples of Sri Sankara shouted at him to make way, and to keep a distance. The untouchable smiled and said, “”According to your principle of Advaita, all the Jivatma are same as God. How am I different from your Paramacharya? How can I go away from myself?” Sri Sankara understood that it was Lord Shiva himself who had come along with His escort and the four Vedas. He prostrated before the Lord and wrote “Manisha Panchakam”

Meeting with Vyasa Rishi
When Shri Sankara was 16, a very old Brahmin of ill health started arguments with him about Brahmasutra bashyam which Shri Sankara had written. The arguments continued for days together. He understood that the old man was none other than Vyasa Rishi, who was the creator of Brahmasutra. Vyasa Rishi said “I fully agree with your bashyam and I wanted to establish that yours is correct. I bless that you should live another 16 years and you should spread this Advaita throughout the country.”

Meeting with Mandana Mishra
Sri Sankara learnt that there was a great learned person by the name Mandana Mishra who lived in Mahishmati and who followed the Karma Mimaamsa method of devotion. Sri Sankara arrived at his house and found his house was closed and Mandana Mishra was carrying out some rituals inside his house. Sri Sankara entered the house by using his powers. Mandana Mishra became very angry and shouted at Sri Sankara. But Sri Sankara smiled and explained the uselessness of such rituals.

Sharda Peeth Formed
In their travels, they reached Sringeri in Karnataka, which is on the banks of Tungabadra. While Sri Sankara and Mandana Mishra were walking, Sarasawani did not move and stood fixed in the sands of Tungabadra. Sri Sankara created a seat for her for spreading the Advaita. This seat is today called the or the Seat of Sharada. This was the first Mutt installed on Kartik Krishna 13, 2648 i.e. 25 Sep 493 B.C. by Sri Sankara, with the direction that the head of the Mutt will be called Sankaracharya.

Last rites of mother performed
When Sri Sankara was in Sringeri, he divined by his superior powers that his mother was in her deathbed, and as per his promise while taking Sanyas that he would be by her side while she breathes her last, he reached Kaladi and paid his last respects to the old lady. Sri Sankara prayed to Lord Venkateswara who appeared in person and blessed Aryambal. As per the principles Sanyasi does not have the right to do the last rites, but he carried the body of Aryambal and put her in the pyre himself.

Totaka Ashtakam
One of the disciples of Sri Sankara, Giri, while listening to the discourses never asked anything. Disciples thought that Giri was a dumb idiot and did not know anything. One day, on Shravan Shukla Saptami, 2653, i.e. 11 Jul 488 B.C., Sri Sankara was waiting for Giri to arrive. Ultimately, Giri turned up and burst forth into eight slokas which had never been heard by the disciples earlier. These were the creation of Giri. These slokas are called “Totaka ashtakam”. Giri was named as Trotak by Sri Sankara.

Hastaamalak
Sankara went all over the country and taught Advaita. He revived a number of temples and established a number of Yantras in these temples to spread the blessings of Para-Shakti. During his travels, he arrived at Mukambi, in Karnataka. A poor Brahmin came to Sri Sankara with his deaf and dumb son Ashwin Shukla Ekadashi 2654, i.e. Sep 1, 487 B.C. on Sri Sankara asked the boy, “who are you?”. The dumb and deaf child, for the first time, opened his mouth and explained, “The body is not me, it is the Paramatma who is me.” Sri Sankara was pleased with his answer and he gave an amla fruit and named this boy as (Hasta means hand and Amalak means amala). He became one of the principle disciples of Sri Sankara.

Satyam is Advaita
Sri Sankara visited Thiruvidaimarudur in Tanjore district of Tamilnadu, which is a great religious place of Lord Shiva. The learned Saivites of the temple informed Sri Sankara that Lord Shiva is the creator, they are his creatures, and that they were not one with the Lord ? They did not agree with the Advaita principle . Sri Sankara asked them to enter the temple. As they entered, their was a thunderous statement “Satyam is Advaita”. This was repeated thrice and it was also followed by a hand which came out of the Linga which conformed the truth. All accepted the principle of Advaita. Even today, there is a Sankara Mutt at Thiruvaimarudur and there is a linga with a hand materialising out of it.

Srisaila, in Andhra, is called Mallikarjunam as Lord Shiva resides under a Marutha Tree which has also got Jasmine creepers on this tree. Sri Sankara visited this tree and became ecstatic on seeing the linga at the foot of this tree. His happiness flowed like the waves of a flood and became a sloka called Sivanandalahiri
Lord Narasimha savesâ€¦
Near Srisailam, there is a forest called Hatakeshwaram. Sri Sankara did penance here for many days. During this time, a Kapalika, by name Kirakashan appeared before him. He asked Sri Sankara that he should give his body as a human sacrifice to Lord Shiva. Sri Sankara agreed happily. Kirakashan was about to cut off Sri Sankara’s head when Lord Narasimha appeared in the form of a lion and killed Kirakashan.
Rejuvenation of Badrinarayan temple
Sri Sankara completed his travels and went to Badrinath. Lord Vishnu appeared before him and told that his sculpture in Alaknanda river should be taken out and a temple should be built for it. This temple is called Badrinarayan temple and is one of the important religious places for Hindus.

And Shankar, only at the age of 32, on Kartik full moon day in Samvat 2663, i.e. 26 Oct 477 B.C. left for Kailash to merge with the One and only One called Shiva.

http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/madhwa-navami-a-brief-life-sketch-of-madhwacharya/ http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/madhwa-navami-a-brief-life-sketch-of-madhwacharya/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:32:16 +0000 admin Biographies of Saints and Seers http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/?p=3506 Hindu religion has produced several prominent saints and philosophers in the post era of Lord Sri Krishna, out of which three great spiritual personalities are in the forefront. They are Sri Sankaracharya who advocated Advaita Philosophy, Sri Ramaanujaachaarya who advocated Visishtaadvaita philosophy and Sri Madhwacharya who advocated Dvaita Philosophy. All the three are together known […]

Hindu religion has produced several prominent saints and philosophers in the post era of Lord Sri Krishna, out of which three great spiritual personalities are in the forefront. They are Sri Sankaracharya who advocated Advaita Philosophy, Sri Ramaanujaachaarya who advocated Visishtaadvaita philosophy and Sri Madhwacharya who advocated Dvaita Philosophy. All the three are together known as the trinity of Aachaaryas. These three great Saints who have taken the glory of Hindu spirituality to new heights have left a marked influence on the Hindu religion with their doctrines.

Sri Madhwa Navami is associated with Sri Madhwacharya one of the greatest Hindu Saints and Philosophers who was the founder and exponent of Dvaita Philosophy. He was not only a great Saint and Philosopher; he was and is strongly believed and considered as the third incarnation of the Wind God (Lord Vayu) known as Mukhya Prana. Other two earlier in this lineage are Lord Hanuman in Treta Yuga and Sri Bheemasena in Dwapara Yuga. It is said that Sri Madhvacharya during his life time had openly identified himself as an incarnation of Lord Vayu which was evidenced by several miracles performed by him right from his childhood days.

Sri Madhvacharya known as Vasudeva during his childhood was born around 800 years back in a small village presently known as Pajaka Kshetra about 10 km from the temple town of Udupi near Mangalore in Karnataka State. He was born in a family of Shivalli Brahmins and was the son of Madhyageha Bhatta. Born in 1238 AD Sri Madhvacharya lived for 79 years and left this world on the 9th day of bright fortnight (Navami thithi) in the lunar month Magha Masam that falls two days after the Ratha Sapthami festival.

A child prodigy, with divine qualities, Sri Madhvacharya was well known for his authority, knowledge and extempore oratory skills, on the subject. During his period he had defeated many of his opponents with his authenticated arguments. Robust in physique and health Sri Madhvacharya was a multifaceted personality also known for his mystic powers. At the age of twelve Sri Madhvacharya left his home to become an ascetic and took up the Sanyasa Deeksha under the guidance of Sri Achyuta Preksha Theertha his Sanyasa Guru. He was named as Poornapragna after attaining Sanyasa Deeksha. Very soon he became the head of the Mutt and came to be known as Ananda Theertha and later as Madhvacharya by which name he became very popular.

During his life Sri Madhvacharya wrote explanatory notes (commentaries) on Upanishads, Bhagavat Geeta, Brahma Sutras, Mahabharata and Bhagavatha Purana besides scripting several other original works on his doctrines. SuMadhva Vijaya a biography of Sri Ananda Theertha written by Sri Narayana Panditacharya son of Sri Trivikrama Panditacharya eulogized the glory of Sri Madhvacharya and his accomplishments which is said to have been composed during Sri Madhvacharyaâ€™s life time itself. Sri Vayu Sthuthi composed by Sri Trivikrama Panditacharya is a very popular script on Lord Hanuman whose lineage is Sri Madhvacharya.

Sri Madhvacharya was instrumental in establishing the famous temple of Lord Sri Krishna at Udupi and installed the idol of Sri Bala Krishna that was said to have been worshipped by Rukmini Devi the prime consort of Lord Sri Krishna during Dwapara Yuga. At the time of installation Sri Madhvacharya spontaneously composed a prayer in glory of Lord Sri Krishna that became popular as Dwaadasanama Sthothram. Procuring of the idol was a miracle and forethought of Sri Madhvacharya. Not only he installed the idol of Lord Sri Krishna but also appointed eight of his prime disciples to take forward his legacies and to have continuity to the worship of the Lord by rotation. Even today this practice of rotation of worshiping and administering the Sri Krishna Mutt at Udupi known as Paryaya is in vogue that takes place once in two years.

These eight prime disciples appointed by Sri Madhvacharya were, Sri Hrishikesha Theertha, Sri Narasimha Theertha, Sri Janardhana Theertha, Sri Upendra Theertha, Sri Vamana Theertha, Sri Vishnu Theertha, Sri Rama Theertha and Sri Adhokshaja Theertha. These eight Pontiffs later established their own mutts called as Ashta Matas of Udupi. These eight mutts are named after the surrounding villages where they originally resided. These Mutts are Palimar Mutt, Adamaru Mutt, Krishnapura Mutt, Puttige Mutt, Shirur Mutt, Sode Mutt, Kaniyoor Mutt, and Pejavara Mutt. Apart from the above Sri Padmanabha Theertha and Sri Narahari Theertha were also his prime disciples.

In the post era of Sri Madhvacharya several great, noble and divine Saints have descended and established several mutts across the country propagating the Tattvavada, the doctrine of Sri Madhvacharya. To name a few are Sri Madhava Theertharu, Sri Akshobhya Theertharu, Sri Jaya Theertharu (Teeka Rayaru), Sri SriPaada Rayaru, Sri Vyasa Rayaru, Sri Vadi Raja Theertharu, Sri Raghottama Theertharu, Sri Raghavendra Theertharu (Mantralaya Guru Sarvabhouma). Madhva Mutts established by these saints are Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt at Mantralayam, Sri Uttaradhi Mutt and Sri Vyasaraya Mutt, to name a few.

Though Aacharya Sri Madhwa is to be revered and worshipped everyday, two specific days are earmarked in Hindu Lunar calendar for his specific worship. They are, Sri Madhwa Jayanthi falling on Vijayadasami day in the month of Aaswayuja Masam that is said to be the day on which he was born. The other is Sri Madhva Navami falling on the 9th day of Lunar month of Magha Masam during the bright fortnight. It is said that it was on this day in the year 1317 AD, Sri Madhvacharya while teaching his disciples at Udupi Sri Anantheshwara Temple, suddenly a heap of flowers were showered on him and he disappeared from that heap of flowers not to be seen later. It is considered as the day he entered the Badarikasrama. It is strongly believed among his followers that Sri Madhvacharya is still present even today in Northern Himalayas (Greater Badari) continuing his spiritual pursuit with Sage Sri Vedavyasa but beyond ordinary vision.

Special celebrations are held across the country on the eve of Sri Madhva Navami at all the Madhva related temples and mutts participated by large gathering of Madhva followers.

To learn, to understand and to write about Sri Madhvacharya, perhaps one life time is not adequate.