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சக்தி விகடன் -
05 Apr, 2011
Part 1 & 2
Narsimha
Sastri a Brahmin from Andhra Pradesh on Kāsi
pilgrimage offered single-minded homage and worship to one Vinayaka
(statue) in Kāsi.
Then, a form (An apparition) resembling a child walked towards him and
entered his body. He was thinking of Vinayaka (Remover of obstacles)
until his return to his town close to Visakhapatnam. That year, his wife
gave birth to a baby boy.
In memory of Vinayaka in Kasi, he named the baby ‘Ganapathy.’
Until he was three years of age,
he knew only one thing: crying.
He never spoke. He was physically ill from the time of his birth.
According to the prevalent practice for cure, the father assented to the
application of branding (with hot metal) on a part of the body (of the
child). Since then his health improved. He was an intelligent child with
an extraordinary memory and excellence in studies. Soon he learned the
practice of Maṉaṉam
(contemplation). Before he was sixteen, he became a pundit in Sanskrit
and Telugu. At 18, he married.
Since he was well-versed in Sanskrit, Puranas, and Itihāsas, the life and
times of Tapasvins moved his mind and soul. When he delved deep into
Vedas, he was convinced that doing silent recitation of Mantras and
austerity would take his life to the highest state. He believed in
purifying the body, controlling the breath, internal recitation of
Mantras with stillness… will yield visualization of God. He performed
Pañcākṣara
Mantra Japam (Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya). Whenever he found time, he wrote the
Mantra (on paper umpteen times). Later, he became a teacher in a school.
He selected good students to improve the Sakthi of Bharath and inculcate
spiritual awakening (in them).
He became tired of being a teacher after three years; later, he came to
Tiruvannamalai (in pursuit of peace and tranquility). He sat near Niruti
Lingam, wrote poems on Aṇṇāmalaiyār and did Mantra Japam…to attain god.
Whatever he learnt in the past did not give him tranquillity. God did
not give him Darśan. His belief he would attain God was eroding.
He worried that millions of Japams did not give him a one-pointed
mind. It is not today but
tomorrow, revelation will come; that was his hope. It is not tomorrow
but in a few days realization will come. Time was flitting with nothing
to show. No spiritual
revelation. The Darśan of God by Dhruva, the spiritual experience gained
by Hanuman, Mokṣa (liberation) obtained by Sabari belonging to the
hunter tribe: Sastri was despondent, he got none of them.
The knowledge gained from learning was confusing to him. He took a long time to realize that human endeavour alone is just not enough to attain God. He took some time to realize peace begins where endeavour stops. He participated in a festival in Tiruvannamalai. He heard of one Bālaswāmy (the future Ramana Maharishi) in a mountain cave. He went to get a darśana of him. He was thinking, ‘I heard that a mere sight of him gives tranquility. Let me experience that.’ **
He experienced a feeling of change inside, when he saw Bālaswāmy in a
white loincloth sitting inside the cave. He was convinced, ‘This is
Ganapathy. I am not Ganapathy. Ganapathy is sitting here (before me).”
As is the practice he tapped the forehead with his knuckles in
Ganesha worship, uttered, ‘Suklām
Bharatharam Viṣṇum
sasivarnam saturbhujam prasaṉṉa
vathanam tyāyēt
sarva vignōpa
sānthayē’
and paid homage to Bālaswāmy. That Sanskrit Sloka was appropriate to
Bālaswāmy: The one dressed in white clothes; the omniscient, the
lotus-faced, the four-handed; the one who subdued the foursome Manas,
Buddhi, Siddhi, and Ahaṅkāram;
the one with a smiling face, the one who resolves all the karmas and
takes them (devotees) in the path of virtue, to such a personage, I
offer my homage (to Vinayaka).
This Sanskrit verse was so fitting to Bālaswāmy.
But, Ganapathy Sastri did not ask for anything from Bālaswāmy. He did
not speak with him. He returned home having had his Darśan. He thought
continued efforts of varied kinds will help attain God, and austerity
should be performed seriously.
He planned and carried them out. He realized that formal
education does not confer wisdom. Many Jñānis mention, ‘Forget what you
have
learnt.’ Tapasvins say didactic knowledge (Faustian knowledge) is of no use (for liberation).
Take leave of conventional book knowledge.
There
is a delay in understanding this principle.
People believe that more studies help gain more knowledge.
Faustian education relates to worldly (material) life. It helps increase wealth. We
take to power, prestige, accolades, victory… The material wealth, fame
and name do not offer final bliss
(நிறைவு).
Success does not guarantee peace. What comes after success? Chase after
another success or victory. What comes after praise? More praises? There
is no end to these. There
is no peace in success, victory, property, mundane happiness, everyday
conveniences, praise, position of authority… Where there is no peace,
there is no satisfaction.
What offers final bliss? Is it money, praise, marital bliss, progeny, or
authority? None of them. Peace comes from inside as a natural
phenomenon. You go after it. Consider what is preventing it and remove
that impediment. Just
having tens of millions of rupees does not bring peace. Having no money
is sorrow. Spending it is sorrow.
Striving to earn money is sorrow. Safeguarding the earned money
is sorrow. At all times and under all conditions, money is sorrow.
Worldly comforts come from having money. Worldly comforts do not bring
peace or tranquility.
The epicures, the ascetics, and the inquisitives go in search of peace. Ganapathy Sastri thought education would save him. He earned the title ‘Kāviya Kaṇḍar (Poet, Pundit).’ But it did not give him mental peace. He took many years to realize that education, effort… do not bring peace.
Suddenly, he got up from his Tapas (austerity). He walked towards the
mountain. He fell at and held the feet of Bālaswāmy thinking of, crying
for and attaining peace that escaped him.
''Education nurtured Ahaṅkāram
(ego,vanity).
My education did not guarantee peace. Knowledge made me haughty.
It never gave peace. If I
am not at peace with myself, how could God stay inside the roiling me?
How could I get Darśan of God? I indulge in Mantra
recitations. Yes, I count the Mantras, I chant. I become arrogant
thinking of the number of chants I accomplished. (You can’t reach God by
Mantras and Math.) I share my
hubris with others. My hubris is looking at me.
The numbers of chants are looking at me. Neither Mantra Japas nor
the numbers of chants are of any help. Therefore, I never received any
tranquility.''
“I have to discover who I am inside, giving up my hubris, and sitting in
peace and meditation. Dear
Satguru and repository of Spiritual Knowledge, please do me this favor.
I hold your legs fast.
Your every move (physiognomy) tells me that you attained peace
and tranquillity. Your face
is revealing. Your speech and eyes are telling. I have no peace inside.
That is why my perception, my speech, and my Guṇa
are not optimal. They cause me repugnance.”
‘Satguru, I surrendered to you. I hold your feet.
I am under your beneficial influence.
I have no I-ness left in me. Satguru, my ego is destroyed. I am
nothing. Please establish
tranquility in me,’ cried Sastri.
When they met, there were no others in the Virūpākṣi cave. A great peace
prevailed there. Sastri stood up, wiped his face and looked at
Bālaswāmy’s face; his eyes of mercy were looking at the eyes of the
poet-Pundit Sastri, saying in silence, ‘What is inside me is in your
inside.’ Bālaswāmy sent the Supreme Being inside him through his eyes to
the Supreme Being inside Sastri standing before him.
This is the most wonderful Dīkṣa
(Initiation)
by Sight. It is the thought that the Supreme Being is
omnipresent. That omniscience (as a Swing) sprang from the eyes of
Periyava, jumped over to the eyes of Sastri, touched and moved the
Supreme Being in Ganapathy Sastri with expansion of the mind. Peace took
residence in Sastri. Where is God? He is everywhere.
I am hiding the Being. I keep my eyes shut. My hubris tied me up
and threw me upside down. My arrogance has blocked and blinded my eyes.
It makes me sightless, speechless, senseless and bound to many
Faustian arts and crafts. Once these ties are cut asunder and the spirit
rises, the eternal presence of God (Inner Abider) becomes visible.
Dīkṣa
= Giving Wisdom and Removing Impurities. Initiation by a Guru. Sanskrit
Dīkṣa
= Sanskrit
root dā ("to
give") plus kṣi ("to
destroy") Give Wisdom and Destroy Malams- impuirities.
The eye (sight) of the Pervader (இறைவன்
=Iṛaivaṉ)
falls on and strikes you. The omnipresent Inner Abider (Supreme Being)
embraces you with attentive love. Iṛai
(இறை)
is a Divine Entity that comes between you and me, stands in our midst,
occupies the heart, mind and soul of all. No one attempts to apprehend
it. The Seer, looking at the Supreme Being in you makes you see Him by
pointing It out to you. He is ready to point Him to you. For you to see
Him, you must have certain requirements. You need humility. You must
have a longing for Him. You need a genuine desire to see him.
The Pundit (Ganapathy Sastri) felt that longing and burning desire. Though he composed
poems and attained loftiness, he lacked peace and tranquility. Knowing
only a Satguru can bring them, he held Bālaswāmy’s feet fast and cried,
resulting in the dawn of peace in Sastri.
Who is this Guru? Who is sitting before me?
With those thoughts in the mind Sastri looked at Bālaswāmy. It
was a sight unknown to him before. This is Ramaṇam.
Since it is full of joy, it is Ramaṇam.
He is not ordinary. He is Ramaṇar.
Srīramaṇar.
He is ordinary Srīramaṇar.
He is Bhagavan. He is a great Tapasvi.
Because of the benefit of his austerity over many births, he has with
ease held the Supreme Being in him. He is
Ṛṣi.
Mahaṛṣi.
Kāviya
Kāṇḍa
Ganapathy Sastri celebrated him as Bhagavan Srīramaṇar. That word ‘Srīramaṇar,’
given to the youth Venkatraman from Tirucchuzi, came to be regarded as
the proper appellation (to Bālaswāmy). Since then the people instead of
calling him Sāmy,
Ayyā…called
him SriRamaṇa
Mahaṛṣi.
As the Himalayas wear the cool clouds on its crown, Satyam (Truth)
sported a name for itself: SriRamaṇa
Mahaṛṣi.
All his devotees are the luckiest people. They call him by his loftiest
name.
Let us get Darśan.
Images: K. Rajasekharan
Sakti Vikatan
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05 Apr, 2011
Part 2
Kānchi
Mahān:
The deity of mercy
The list of beneficiaries who received Mahāperiyava’s grace got longer.
His grace and mercy fell on all as a rain-shower. Those who soaked in
the ‘Rain of Mercy’ have great respect and love for him. This is an
episode illustrating that attitude of reverence.
Tirumathi (Ms.) Jyoti Venakatachalam was the chief minister of Kerala in
1980. T.V. Visvanathan was
the official in the minister’s administration. In late December, he had
quotidian fever and loss of his weight. Blood tests and x-rays were
done.
He was taken to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital specialists.
A lung specialist examined him.
The physician-in-chief declared, “The upper lobe of the left lung had
early signs of cancer.”
That diagnosis was revealed to the chief minister Ms. Jyoti
Venkatachalam. Concerned, she ordered to take him to Chennai hospital
where good treatment would be available. He was admitted in Government
General Hospital, under the care of famous Dr. K.V. Krishnaswamy, who
examined him.
He said, “There is no indication of lung cancer. But there is a collapse
of part of the lung in the upper lobe. We should examine it further. “
Meanwhile, Swaminathan consulted with Dr. Cherian. He saw multiple
x-rays (done at various angles) and showed on his face some anxiety.
“There is cancer in the upper lobe of the left lung. An immediate
operation is mandatory. There has been a lapse of four to five months
since onset. Don’t waste any more time.”
Pity his soul! Swaminathan did not know what to do. In march 1981,
he went to New Delhi, where he tried to get a second opinion. A famous
doctor Gopinath examined his lungs and concurred with Dr. Krishnaswamy
saying, “There is a pressure on the upper lobe.” He advised taking
medications for three months and get a follow-up x-rays of the chest. He
told him not to worry.
Swaminathan had limitless
devotion to Periyava and remembered Periyava’s affection for him. He was
upset at hearing differing opinions from a multiplicity of doctors. He
regretted that he did not surrender to Periya in the beginning.
He believed strongly that his devotion to Periyava will save him.
Then, Maha Periyava camped at the border of Karnataka-Maharashtra border
and offered his blessings to the devotees.
On behalf of Swaminathan, his close friend and supreme devotee Joshi
told Periyava about Swaminathan’s worries about his health.
Thereafter, Maha Periyava observed absolute silence for a few hours.
Then the Tejas (effulgence) on his visage enveloped everyone with
wonder. Some were even
afraid to witness the radiance on his body.
A few hours later, Periyava came out of his silent interlude. He called
Joshi and Kaṇṇaṇ
to come near him and reassured them with mercy and firmness saying,
“Nothing bad will happen to him.”
Joshi called Swaminathan on the phone and narrated to him about
Periyava’s pronouncement. He was joyous and had a renewed sense of
purpose at hearing the exact words of Periyava.
From that day onwards, the evening fever abated.
The tiredness, fatigue, and anxiety on his face gradually left
him. He stopped losing weight. His face showed a new glow.
From the month of May, his body felt weak. Incessant cough,
fever…affected him. A
doctor examined the old x-rays and the medical records, took more images
with newer machines.
The specialist’s long face revealed his unhappiness.
In the x-rays, a new shadow appeared on the upper lobe. The
doctor opined, “The disease progressed to the second stage and he was
not physically fit to undergo operation. The treatment in the final
stages would be only palliative for pain. He wrote a note to the chief
minister. He mentioned there may be a danger to life in three months.
The chief minister Jyoti Venkatachalam felt compassion towards his
assistant. Consulting with a senior specialist in All India Institute of
Medical Sciences, the chief minister got him admitted in the Railway
hospital in Chennai. There the doctors declared that he was in heart
failure.
Swaminathan was trembling in fear.
He told Joshi about his condition and asked him to supplicate to
Periyava on his behalf. In
compliance with his request, Joshi pleaded with Periyava, “I ask you
Swamy, please confer ‘Māṅgalya
Bhikṣai’
to the wife of Swaminathan.” Saying it Joshi sobbed and shook.
Māṅgalya
Bhikṣai’
= offer or conservation of marriage badge or medallion (Assurance
against widowhood for the patient’s wife)
Sensing devotee’s dangerous predicament, Mahāperiyava observed silence
for few minutes and left for a ritual bath. The Joshi couple stood aside
in a state of devotion and fear.
He got into a tub brimming with water and stood there. He called Joshi
to come near him and asked him to narrate Swaminathan’s medical history.
He immersed himself once and got up saying, ‘he will face no danger.’
‘For him, this is a new life.’ He uttered this in the manner of
commandment and blessings.
Joshi informed Swaminathan and asked him to stay strong and brave.
The readings of test results with modern techniques and new instruments,
the opinions and prognostications by the physicians declared he will
live only for three months and discouraged him. How could he stay
courageous?
For the next two weeks, tests were done. Once Periyava declared ‘New
Birth,’ is there another word against his divine words?
Those words were bearing fruits. A new development surprised
everybody. The New Delhi’s
later image showed complete resolution (disappearance) of the shadow
found in the earlier image in Thiruvananthapuram.
A new set of unexpected findings was discovered in Delhi’s
investigations. From the time of birth, Swaminathan’s base of the nose
had a little crookedness. That prevented discharge of nasal secretions,
which went into the lungs, causing the shadow.
The specialists interpreted it wrongly as cancer.
In Thiruvananthapuram hospital, he had ‘an operation’ and made a
complete recovery. The prognostication by specialists in the premier
hospital for a three-month life was squarely disproven by his devotion
to Periyava, and his return back to health.
When he went for Darśan of
Periyava, he told Kaṇṇaṇ with laughter, “Swaminathan is here, did you
see him? Cancer, this and that, they scared him stiff.”
Once Periyava casts his eye of mercy, what else do you need?
Darśan will continue.