The Source of the Cosmos Sri ChakraSri ChakraSri ChakraSri ChakraSri Chakra

The Journal of the Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam, Rush, NY

Blossom 10 Petal 4August 2006

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All Saint’s Day

Dear Devotees,

People who regularly attend the temple will invariably notice at one time or another a person askingAiya a variation of the age-old question: “Why doesn’t God hear my prayers?”

Sometimes the question has to do with the person not being able to hear God, or God not answeringthe person. Whatever the exact wording, the issue always has to do with a communication gap between theworshiper and the deity.

Aiya often says that Devi is talking all the time to each and every one of us, but we are the ones whoare not listening. Sometimes it is due to our focus on our everyday lives, like keeping our doctor’sappointments, doing our homework, getting dinner on the table, taking the garbage out, and feeding the dog.Sometimes our spiritual hearing problem has to do with inner noise, or our repeated thinking about takingthe garbage out and feeding the dog.

A lot of the time, we don’t hear Devi because we’re analyzing the process too much instead of justworshiping her without a goal in mind. Am I saying this mantra correctly? I’ve been chanting this for twoweeks and it’s not doing anything! How come so-and-so can hear things and I can’t? I’m much older than her;this should be happening to me first!

The goal of our sadhana is to not have a goal. It is to surrender to Devi and do everything we can forHer without expecting or even hoping to get anything in return. It’s a lifestyle that we must re-train ourminds to comply with because in today’s modern world, everything has become a tool with which toachieve an end.

But this lifestyle is entirely possible, which is what this issue shows with stories about the miracles ofmodern-day saints. The mahans in the feature section this month have all transcended outer and innernoise, and have served God just for the sake of doing so. Their goals were not to achieve the levels they haveachieved, but to stay fervently concentrated on Devi forever. They have not only seen and heard Devi, theyhave become one with Her.

One could argue that these souls were born holy and were destined to be great right from thebeginning. This is true, but their destinies would not have been fulfilled without a focus that they, ashumans in this earthly birth, have had to train themselves to adopt. If they did not have to endure somekind of hardship and go through spiritual journeys (no matter how small or large), their teachings could notresonate so deeply with so many of us on a human level.

Another powerful group whose stories Aiya has been telling for years now are the Nayanmars, or 63Tamil saints. From this issue on, the Sri Chakra will be publishing one story each month to re-tell the tales ofdevotion that these souls have lived.

Please see their stories and enjoy the rest of this issue. Deepest thanks goes out to our contributors,Aiya, Kathy Allen, Venugopala Rao Ganji, Professor V. Krishnamurthy, Suhir Ponncchamy, and Dr.Somaskanda, who worked tirelessly to fill this issue. An extra special thanks to Soumitra Sengupta!

Feel free to send your feedback to sri_chakra_mag@srividya.org because we are desperate for some e-mail! We welcome any comments, suggestions, questions, discussion, pictures, offers to volunteer, oranything you feel like sending us. This is your magazine!

Sri Gurubhyo Namaha!The Sri Chakra staff

OurOurOurOurOurOurOurOurOurOurthoughtsthoughtsthoughtsthoughtsthoughtsthoughtsthoughtsthoughtsthoughtsthoughts

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Aiya and Amma performed pujato Guruji and Guru Garu, andthen had Sodasaupachara pujaperformed to them. Bhaktas thengot the chance to put flower petalson Aiya’s and Amma’s feet duringthe chanting of the DattatreyaStavam, Guru Stotram, and thesinging of bhajans. Selecteddevotees then personally got toexpress their feelings to Aiya andAmma, and some of the templechildren put on a small playabout the birth of Dattatreya.(Please visit www.srividya.orgfor more pictures).Past Month Events

Since the last issue...

Gurupoornima, July 10

Aadi Pooram and ChandiHomam, June 28

AAAAAugustugustugustugustugustNewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletNewsletterterterterter

Aiya bounced off the end of theMay festival with a lot of travel todifferent areas around New York.He first went to Toronto teach hismonthly Sunday class for thelocal children. He also performedtwo cremations in the first coupleof weeks in June, but was presentat the temple in mid-June for thePratyangira homam sponsoredby Mr. Subbarao, the chosensuccessor to Guruji in Devipuram.

Throughout the latter weekendsin June, Aiya spent a lot of time inNew Jersey and performed twoweddings and two private pujasthere. During the Gurupoornimaweekend on July 8, he performed alocal wedding and then took off toToronto for another kids class onthe 9th. He returned in time for theGurupoornima festivities andenjoyed an evening of bhajansafter the celebrations. Afterconducting Aadi Amavasya andAadi Puram in the last week ofJuly, Aiya left for Dallas, Texas fora housewarming puja on the 29th.

by Kamya Ramaswamy

Gurupoornima was organizedby the devotees from Hamiltonand London (in Canada), and ranfrom 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. onMonday July 10. The focus was onthe unity of the temple family, and the theme was the GuruParampara. Portraits of gurusfrom past and present adornedthe windowsill on the northside of the yajnashala, and fivenaga hoods stood tall behindAmma’s and Aiya’s seats at theeastern doors.

After they were welcomed in,

Aadi Amavasya, June 24by Abhi Somaskanda

The temple hosted about about50 people registered to have aSrardham done on behalf of theirdeceased fathers. Aadi Amavasyais a day that tarpanam is offeredto the paternal side of the family.Chitra purnami, celebrated earlierin the year, is for the maternalside.

Everyone had a chance to makethree pindam balls each,consisting of banana, white flour,black sesame, ghee, and jaggery.After the balls were made, thegroup headed down to Kasi for

the ritual. Every person offeredthe three balls, a flower, and afruit into the Genesee river andthen performed abhishekam tothe Kasi lingam. Followingalankaram and a final arathi,everyone was served lunch.

Aiya also offered a plate ofseveral cooked curries and rice tothe deceased.

This year’s Aadi Pooram beganwith a Chandi Homam at 9am, ledby Aiya and Dr. Vishwanathan.The homam’s sponsors offered theelaborate ahuthis, which included13 cotton saris, one for eachchapter of the Chandi Path (DurgaSaptasasthi), along with coconuts,homa dravyam and athirumangalyam among otherofferings.

Vishnu Durga sat in front of thehoma kunda throughout themorning, presiding over theevent. During homam,abhishekam to Her commenced.Once the homam’s Bhairava baliwas given, everyone returned tothe yajnashala to offer at least 7different palaharam and foodstoVishnu Durga.

Traditionally, Aadi Pooram iscelebrated as the day Deviattained womanhood. Many alsocelebrate this day as the dayMahalakshmi was born in theform of Aandal.

Chandi Homams will be nowperformed on this festival everyyear.

by Abhi Somaskanda

Aiya and Amma welcomed with anaarathi

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In Two MonthsThe next issue of theSri Chakra Magazine

Devi willing, the next issue of the Sri Chakra Magazine will be up onthe temple’s website (www.srividya.org) at the beginning ofNovermber 2006. The next issue will focus on Balatripurasundari. Aspart of this year’s Navarathri festivities, the issue will include articleson Bala, Her sadhana, and Her worship.

If you are interested in writing articles or taking pictures, please e-mail us at sri_chakra_mag@srividya.org.

If you would like to contribute, the deadline for submissions(photographs and/or articles) is Friday, October 20. Please be a part ofthis effort. We look forward to seeing your contributions andsuggestions to help make this magazine the best it can be!

Sri Gurubhyo Namah!

The Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam ~ 6980 East River Road ~ Rush, NY 14543 ~ Phone: (585) 533 - 1970

Ganapathi Chaturthi, Aug 27

Vibhuthi Saivaite ImmersionCamp, Aug 5 - 12

Upcoming Events

Varalakshmi Vratham, Aug 4by Kamya Ramaswamy

Married women wereencouraged to participate in theVaralakshmi puja on the eveningof Friday August 4.Ladiesperformed puja to Varalakshmiherself (in the form of a gheedeepam) for the well-being oftheir households and spouses.With all ladies surrounding alarge lamp dressed as Devi, over50 women sponsored the event.Following the puja, women tiedthe thread, and had deliciousprasadam. Aiya and Amma alsoblessed every lady with vibhuthi,kumkuma, and a fruit.

The third year of the camp, ranfrom August 5-12. Childrenlearned Hindu cultural games,the Tamil prayer Sivapuranam,stories, crafts, cooking and otherarts. With a new facility forcampers, the camp rounded out atalmost 60 children. Paired withan outing, bhajans, dancing, andlearning, every camper leftwanting to add another week tothe camp!

by Abhi Somaskanda

Sharada Navaratri, Sept 22 - Oct 1

by sAbhi Somaskanda

This year’s Chaturthi happenedinside the yajnashala due toweather constraints. Along withoffering 1008 modakams into thefire, and abhisheka to the uttsavaGanapathi, devotees got to dotarpanam 3 times to a coconut-sized Vinayaka shaped out ofturmeric. This Ganapathi waslater washed into the river downat Kasi

After lunch, Aiya led bhajansuntil the evening procession ofuttsava Ganapathi. Afterwards,everyone enjoyed mahaprasadam and lively music.

by Kamya RamaswamyEight days following the

dvajarohanam (flag raising

ceremony) on September 15,Navaratri will begin. Thecelebrations this year will focuson Balatripurasundari and the 36Tattvas. Each day, the entireNavarathri malar will be chantedwith different variations on thepujas for every day of the festival.Abhishekams will happen dailyas they do on regular Saturdays.Different homams will beperformed throughout each day ofthe festival, with Aiya presidingas the main pujari. However,volunteers will be able toparticipate within each puja and/or homam.

Vijayadasami/Kedaragowribegins, Oct 1

by Kamya Ramaswamy

The last day of Navarathri isusually jam-packed with ChandiHomam at 5 am, abhishekam, theprocession of the Navaratrikalasam, and finally the Ratha,pulled by all the devotees.

In the evening, Kedaragowricommences. The Kedaragowricelebration is undertaken bywomen who wish to pray for thelongevity and well-being of theirhusbands. It commemorates thevratham and austerities Deviundertook to merge with Shiva.

Along with Kedara GowriVratham, which lasts for 21 days,October 2nd and 3rd are the finalrites of Navaratri. This includesDevi’s Kulurthi (“cooling down”),bringing down the flag,udvasanam of all the festival’s DigDevata kalsams, and Bhairavabali.

From top to bottom: Devotees sangbhajans alternating with theDattatreya Stavam; Devoteesreceived blessings as they offeredflower petals at Aiya and Amma’sfeet; A huge rainbow appearedafter a heavy downpour once thefestivities were over.

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Aficionados of carnatic music were treated to amusical extravaganza on the 6th of June, 2006 at theSri Rajarajeswari temple in Rush, New York. Theevening featured the legendary maestro, Dr.Balamurali Krishna, a musician/composer nonpareil, who has been entrancing connoisseurs ofmusic for more than 60 years. This peerless musicalcolossus with a deceptively diminutive figure and amischievous smile has a booming voice laced with athousand tonal warps and woofs and a majestictimbre.

Lasting close to 90 minutes, the concert more thanlived up to its expectations and kept the audiencespellbound. All but one of the compositions waschosen from his own rich repertoire.

The maestro commenced his concert with acaptivating composition “Amma Ananda Dhayini”

in Gambhira Natta. Although traditionally a virarasa pradhana raga, it sparkled with vinaya bhavaand devotional fervor.

The second composition, “Amba Mamava,” was adelightful swara mala in three ranjanis (Ranjam, SriRanjani, and Janaranjani). There was no elaboratedelineation of the ragas with alapana and neraval,but his seemless glide from one raga to the next wasan amazing feat be behold.

The third composition “Aaya Kalaigal,” inMohanam was the only song in Tamil. Mohanam is auniversal raga that has its equivalent scales inseveral cultures of the world. It is a mellifluousaudava raga with five swaras in both arohanam andavarohanam. It has elaborate and virtually limitlessscope for alapanas and swara prastharas. Dr.Balamurali Krishan’s exposition of this raga is

By Dr. A. Somaskanda

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always electrifying, as he playsmagic with kalpanaswaras inmyriad permutations andcombinations. Although thisrendition was somewhatabbreviated, it was neverthelessdelightful and heartwarming.

The most elaborate of hisrenditions was the fourthcomposition, “Charanam,” givingfull scope for alapana, neraval,and kalpanaswaras. It was set inraga Kamavarthini(Panthuvarali), a mela raga. Thisbrought to the fore the maestro’sincredible vocal dexterity. Violinwas equal to the task with soloversions and swara repartees inthis ornate raga. Tiptoeing behindthe maestro’s resonant voice, theviolin danced across the swarascale with a flurry of glissandos,capturing the essence of the raga.The rapport between the voiceand violin was uncanny.

I think the maestro’s piece deresistance, was his prosodicmasterpiece “Omkara Karini,” setin an incredibily lilting ragaLavangi that he himself createdout of four swaras (a svarantararaga). The scale for this raga is SaRi1 Ma1 Dha1 Sa (arohanam) andSa Dha1 Ma1 Ri1 Sa (avarohanam,omitting Gandharam (Ga),Panchamam (Pa), and Nishadam(Ni). This sahitya is a spinetingling rhapsody in praise ofDevi, the Universal Mother,wherein the bhaktha, in blissfulecstasy, describes the two faces ofDevi – one of roudra (rage), thatdestroys the ego, and the other ofabhayaka shubangi(auspiciousness and compassion).His voice rose in serpentine ascentthough three octaves toa crescendo and cascades down toa diminuendo with a thousanddazzling nuances that can only bepossible by this maestro. Tearswelled up in my eyes and I feltgoose bumps as his intonationsand variations seemingly spoke tothe Goddess.

His concluding kriti, precededby a short number in ragaPunnakavarali, and a delightfulTillana in Kathanakuthukalam,was “Dharma Samvarthini.” This

piece segued into a mangalam, theonly song not composed by Dr.Balamurali Krishna. It was in thecadent Madhyamavathi raga,which is a pentatonic scale withnumerous compositions and semi-classical numbers to its credit.

Veteran violinist VittalRamamurthy was outstanding inhis own right and a perfect spoilfor the maestro.

The ebullient mridangist,Ramakrishna, disciple of Ghatam-great,Vikku Vinayakaram,accompanied the maestro withverve, blinding speed, andadroitness. His thaniavarthanamwith its infinite rhythmicvariations was a treat to savor.

This concert will remain fresh inour memory for a long time tocome.

Above: Violinist Vittal RamamurthyBelow: Mridangist Ramakrishnaaccompanies Balamuralikrishna

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A Toronto devotee attended the Sri Kamakshitemple in Kanchipuram, one of the most ancienttemples in all of India. As she was going around thetemple with her family, a mysterious sannyasiappeared and seemed to be walking faster than all ofthem. He was very small and had a very peacefulexpression on his face. He smiled at them, passedthem as they circumambulated the temple, andentered the sanctum sanctorum through a back door.

The family later asked the priest of the temple toshow them that back door. He said he had beenworking there for 30 years, and the temple was 3500years old—there was no back door. After the familytold him what happened, he laughed and said AdiShankara, himself, had given them his darshanam!

Volunteers at the temple were setting up forevening puja during a minor festival day and foundthey didn’t have enough fruits for all the sannidhis.The new policy at the temple was to give everysannidhi a large fruit (like an apple or orange) and asmall fruit (like grapes or cherries). There were nosmall fruits left in the temple and the evening pujahad already begun.

Just when the volunteers thought it was Devi’swill to only have one fruit at each sannidhi this time,a female visitor who had just arrived from Torontowalked up to them and handed them a bag ofcherries! The volunteers were stunned!

Did youDid youDid youDid youDid youknow?know?know?know?know?Did youDid youDid youDid youDid youknow?know?know?know?know?

* That many holy saints were often considered lunatics?* About 10 % of all sadhus in India are female and they are called sadhvis?* That many rishis and saints of previous yugas are still alive and practicing japam in hidden areas all

over India?* That amsams and rishis sometimes choose to be reborn in kali yuga because a little bit of japam now is

equal to thousands of years of penance in previous yugas?* Saints are not always naturally born, but are holy because they follow dharma and the truth at any

cost?* The defining characteristic of saints is that they have broken the boundary of third-dimensional

thought—this lets them see everyone the same and express great love and joy to all of God’s creations?* Saints always live simple lives and have conquered their emotions?* Many saints are responsible for breaking down the caste and gender barriers in traditional Hindu

society—Swami Dayananda and Vivekananda are two examples* Sadhus typically live off bhiksha provided by families, and spend most of their time in meditation

compiled by Kamya Ramaswamy

The stories of the devotees at the SriRajarajeswari Peetam create the veryessence of the temple’s soul. Aiya has verified all these talesfor theirauthenticity, and he urges devotees toshare their experiences for the benefit offuture generations. All identities will bekept in thestrictest confidentiality unlessotherwise informed.

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NaNaNaNaNayyyyyanmarsanmarsanmarsanmarsanmarsNaNaNaNaNayyyyyanmarsanmarsanmarsanmarsanmars

Thirunalaipovar (Nandanar)

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story per issue. This month’sstory per issue. This month’sstory per issue. This month’sstory per issue. This month’sstory per issue. This month’s

story focuses on Nandanar.story focuses on Nandanar.story focuses on Nandanar.story focuses on Nandanar.story focuses on Nandanar.august 2006

Born in Adanur on the banks of the river

Kolleedam as an untouchable, Nandanar could not

enter the temples nearby because of his caste. As a

great devotee of Shiva he prayed and yearned to be

able to visit Thiruppankoor, a Shiva temple about an

hour away from Chidambaram. When he inquired

about making the trip, the landlord Nandanar

worked for refused to allow him to go without

tilling 40 acres of land in one day. Nandanar prayed

to Lord Shiva that night and pleaded with him to

help fulfill his dream of visiting Shiva’s temple. By

the next day, Shiva himself tilled all 40 acres and

Nandanar’s landlord realized he was no ordinary

devotee of Shiva.

At Thiruppankoor, Nandanar realized he could

not go inside because of his caste, so he prayed every

day to see a vision of the Shivalingam inside the

temple. But Nandanar could not see the lingam

because Nandi, Shiva’s vahana, was blocking it.

Praying to Shiva again, Nandanar asked that Nandi

move aside so that he could see the lingam.

Amazingly, the Nandi moved aside, and even today,

he remains a few feet from the center!

Overwhelmed with gratitude and love, Nandanar

built Thiruppankoor its own temple tank.

During a public discourse, he heard about the

wonderous shrine at Chidambaram, regarded as one

of the most important Shivalayams. Passionately, he

desired to see Chidambaram, but let the days go by

out of fear of rejection. He kept saying he would

begin the journey the next day. The villagers nearby

thus named him Thirunalaipovaar (in Tamil, “he’ll

go tomorrow”).

Finally, Nandanar set off for Chidambaram. He

stood outside the gates of the Nataraja temple and

cried—even other devotees prayed to Nataraja to

have mercy on him. Because of his caste, he was

unable to cross the gates. Seeing His devotee’s

anguish, Nataraja came into all of the

Chidambaram priests’ dreams one night. He told the

priests to walk Nandanar through a sacrificial fire

the next morning, after bathing. Nandanar entered

the fire and was bathed by the flames until he

became golden. He emerged a Brahmin, wearing a

yajnopavitam (sacredthread). The Tillai Brahmins

carried him on a palanquin toward the Nataraja. He

placed his foot on the first step leading up to the

temple and, in front of everyone’s eye, he

disappeared!

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“WHENEVER AND WHEREVER A DECLINE OF

RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PREDOMINANCE OF

UNRIGHTEOUSNESS PREVAILS;

AT THAT TIME I MANIFEST MYSELF PERSONALLY...

FOR PROTECTION OF THE DEVOTEES AND THE

ANNIHILATION OF THE WICKED AND TO FULLY

ESTABLISH RIGHTEOUSNESS,

I APPEAR MILLENIUM AFTER MILLENIUM”

- BHAGAVAD GITA

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siddha psiddha psiddha psiddha psiddha purushaurushaurushaurushaurushasiddha psiddha psiddha psiddha psiddha purushaurushaurushaurushaurushaTHE DIVINITY OF SRI SESHADRI SWAMIGALTHE DIVINITY OF SRI SESHADRI SWAMIGAL

by Kamya Ramaswamy, with notes from Ms. Indhu

It is often said that special soulshave the ability, unlike the rest ofus, to choose their parents andfamily lineage. In the latter half ofthe 1800s, the family of KamakotiShastri was one of the fewsurviving bloodlines AdiShankara had chosen to inhabitKanchipuram more than 2000years prior. Again, this familywas chosen to raise the child whowould grow up to be one of themost endearing and unusualsages of Tamil Nadu.

Kamakoti Shastri was the headof the famed Sri Kamakshi templein Kanchipuram and had but onebiological child, a daughternamed Seshammal. His olderbrother, Chitambara Shastri, wasalso a priest but had four

children. The youngest, a girlnamed Maragatham, had the veryair of Devi, Herself. She was smartand beautiful, and she had anextremely close bond with heruncle, Kamakoti Shastri.Kamakoti unofficially assumedthe role of her adopted father.

His love for her was so greatthat he arranged her marriage toa young man named Varadarajar,who was handsome and decent.Years after they were married,however, the young couple foundthat they had no luck conceivingchildren.

Coming from a long line of SriVidya upasakas, the two prayedand undertook severe fasts andausterities for a baby. Even thedetached Kamakoti Shastri couldnot bear to see their suffering andquietly implored his Mother, SriKamakshi, to relieve them. Shetold Kamakoti to feedMaragatham the butter prasadamoffered to Her in puja. In due time,

Maragatham conceived and gavebirth to a son, Sesha, on SaturdayJanuary 22, 1870, during Hastanakshatram of Thai maasam.

Sesha enraptured the people ofhis village and grew up learningslokams with precision. His oldsoul shone through a young bodyin the extreme calm andconcentration he showed whileworshiping. On the way to thetemple one day, a street vendorgifted Sesha a small Krishnastatue. The next day, theshopkeeper ran to meet Sesha andhis mother and told them he hadsold a thousand of the samestatues that same day. He kissedSesha and called him “Thangakai” (golden hands).

Sesha’s future mimicked thedivinity of his childhood, but helearned detachment quickly. Hisfather, realizing his own untimelydeath, forewarned Sesha to carefor the family when he was still ateenager. Maragatham, now awidow, took Sesha to care for theaging Kamakoti Shastri until hispassing less than two years later.Unable to bear the demise of herhusband and father, Maragathamshouted, “Arunachalam” thricebefore she too passed.

From the moment he heard thesacred word on his mother’s lips,Seshadri was immersed indispassion and set out to find theholy land of Thiruvannamalai.His family tried to stop him and/or get him married, but hishoroscope said he was destined tobe a great yogi. He chanted themantras he learned fromchildhood without a break andrigorously performed SandhyaVandhanam every day.

His family worried about hislack of personal care and unkemptappearance, along with strangehabits like meditating in burialgrounds (this was highlyunbecoming to members of theBrahmin caste back then). Yet, hecontinued his sadhanaunperturbed.

On a trip to the Sri Kamakshitemple, he met his future guru,Balaji Swami and the connectionwas electric. He tirelessly servedBalaji Swami and discussed withhim endless spiritual topics. Itmarked the transformation ofSeshadri Swamigal from a boyinto a saint. Balaji Swamiinitiated the young man of 18 intosannyasm.

Reaching Thiruvannamalai wasnow the saint’s primary goal. Hisfamily tried to lock him up in aroom, convinced he had gone madwith the deaths of his loved ones.But when they looked out thewindow, there he was runningaway! His feats told them he wasnot insane, but a highly developedsoul that could not be restrained.

Upon arriving in Annamalai, heentered into the temple ofArunachaleshwar and Unnamalaiand simultaneously entered into astate of permanent bliss. The yearwas 1889 and Seshadri Swamigalwould stay in Arunachalam forthe next 40 years.

He was an individual withseveral striking peculiarities. Hisdynamic voice was sometimesheard singing the hymnscomposed by his grandfather,Kamakoti Shastri. He interactedlovingly with villagers andespecially small children butnever grew attached to anyone.

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He would wear rags and quicklydirty new clothes given to him toeschew the bonds of materialism.He rarely slept and ate little–thefood he did eat was often stale andfoul-smelling.

Shopkeepers would wait for himand invite him to toss the cashfrom their registers because itwas a guarantee that businesswould boom. Sick and ailingvillagers would take any remedyhe prescribed, even if it was ahandful of sand because it wouldbe an instant cure. A cot given tohim to sleep on largely wentignored and gathered dust untilthe giver begged him to at least siton it. After he did, the villagersgathered the dust and took ithome to use as an all-purposemedicine.

Some years after SeshadriSwamigal came to Annamalai, herealized the presence of anothergreat soul in the area. He told

some men at theArunachaleshwar temple to find aboy in the depths of the propertywho was doing intense penanceand to bring him above-ground.Behind a shivalingam in thetemple cellar, the men found ayoung boy who would later beknown as Ramana Maharshi, butwas now gravely injured by ratsand insects that had eaten hisbody. He did not know it becausehe was lost in tapas.

Seshadri Swamigal revived thechild with the same protection hegave to all his bhaktas. Hecomforted grieving parents withmore children, blessed prostituteswith financial security, and evenmade sour foods taste sweet withone touch. His oneness with theMother restored a blind boy’ssight, brought several people backfrom the brink of death, andinspired suffering in anyone whodared harm his students.

He taught them to never placeimportance on caste, for it wouldprevent focus on one’s sadhana.He advocated total concentrationand control of the five senses. Inthe late 1920s, he posed a questionto one of his students,Subalakshmi Ammal in his usualindirect style. He asked her if heshould build another house forhimself. She told him to go ahead,unaware that he was asking heropinion on whether it was timefor him to leave his body.

In a subsequent celebration,Swamigal’s bhaktas wished toperform abhishekam on him,despite his protests. He knew histime was near and wished tospend his last days in peace. Butto appease them, he told themthey could do whatever theywanted except for putting wateron his head. They intended tofollow their guru’s wishes but intheir overzealousness got caughtup in the abhishekam until potsand pots of water had beenpoured on Swamigal’s entirebody. Soon after, the fever brokeout.

Swamigal was feverish for 40days straight, sometimes walkingaround like normal but lookingweak and wane. He would frolicabout as usual in the rain,sometimes slipping in the mudand unable to get up, but refusinganyone’s help. He also refused tobe bedridden and only stayedinside when he no longer had thestrength to move. Scores ofdoctors came from far and wide,but could do nothing when Devihad decided to bring Her son backto his rightful place.

On Friday January 4, 1929,Seshadri Swamigal lay still withpeace on his face. He attainedMaha Samadhi at the exact timewhen the planets were identicalto the moment of his birth 59years ago. He was buried wherehis ashram stands today and stillmakes appearances in certaindevotees. Those who visitThiruvannamalai will surely feelhis presence.

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Descriptions of a Jivan-mukta(self-realized person) aboundprofusely in advaitic literature.They actually cover a widespectrum. Here is an interestingdescription from Shivananda-lahari (#81), which is relevant inthe context of this article:

Oh Lord! To spend some time inoffering archanas to Your lotusfeet, to spend some time indhyana and samadhi and inprostrations to You, to spendsome time in listening to storiesabout You, to spend again sometime in viewing Your beautifulForms and in prayerful stotras tothem–Whoever thus spends histime and enjoys the beatificimmersement in You, is he notalready a Jivan-mukta?

I have a personal experience ofseeing the Kanchi Mahaswamigal(1894-1994) in such a jivan-muktastage around 1989. I was visitingthe Kanchi Mutt for a dharshan ofthe three Acharyas. It was anevening (around 7 p.m.) when theKamakshi deity of Kanchipuramwas having the 10-day annualfestival and that was the day ofthe “Kudirai-vAhanaM” (i.e., thedeity would be taken in aprocession seated on thepalanquin riding a horse).

And it appears before the deityis taken round the town for theprocession, they had the habit ofbringing the palanquin to the gateof the Kanchi Mutt so that theMahaswamigal could have adarshan of the deity. And thus theprocession appeared at the gate ofthe Mutt.

Being totally unaware of theday’s routine, I was just minglingand conversing with a few

persons inside the Mutt hoping tobe able to see the Mahaswamigalin due course. But suddenly Iheard a bustle of movement;every one was rushing to the gate.And then I knew something washappening there and I also movedwith the crowd. Lo and behold!The sight that I saw there wasscintillating.

The Mahaswamigal hadproblems of vision those days.Maybe he could see very little at adistance. So he was there standingat the gate, in fact on the roadnear the gate, almost very nearthe palanquin of the divine deity.Heavy searchlights were beingfocused on the deity for theAcharya to see Her clearly. Ofcourse, She had been decorated tothe fullest, what with gold,diamond, pearl, ruby andemerald. And what an abundanceof flowers of all colours on Her!

The Acharya was standing onthe ground with his handscupped over his eyes for him tosee clearly. Perhaps on one sidethe lights were blinding his eyes.He was straining hard to have avision of the majesty of the deitythat was presented before him. Hewas moving his head this sideand that side to optimize his view.

Everyone was silent. It wasdifficult to decide, for usspectators, whether the Acharyawas there to have dharshan ofKamakshi or whether Kamakshiwas there to have a dharshan ofthe Acharya! This serene silenceand the drama of theMahaswamigal slapping hischeeks in traditional token of hishaving dharshan of the Goddesscontinued for probably a full fourkkkk k

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E-mail: profvk@yahoo.comby Professor V. Krishnamurthy

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or five minutes or so. And at lasthe turned to walk inside the muttand the disciples led him on.

I came back to earth realizingjust then that I had beenwitnessing all along a divinescene which I can never forget!Mark Ye, all devotees! What greatnecessity was there for this Jivan-mukta to have a dharshan of thedeity with such great difficulty?And what did he achieve? Butthat is the characteristic of aJivan-mukta!

But don’t think that a Jivan-mukta is just only a spectacle forus, ordinary mortals. This Jivan-mukta, the KanchiMahaswamigal, was so simple,humble, profound, enlightened,compassionate, scholarly and fullof Grace that he naturally andeffortlessly touched the hearts of

men and women, prince andpauper, around the world.

Through a major part of his lifehe talked to us masses in millionways and was never tired oftelling us to mend our ways,telling us how and why. Hislessons to us are known to fill upvolumes. I am reproducing justone of those million lessons in thefollowing paragraphs, purely as asample and a homage. Being asummary of a speech of his onmodern ways of education, it isjust a drop of honey certainly,from the ocean of his divinecounsel.

He traces the modern erosion inmoral values to our moving awayfrom the Gurukula system ofeducation. It is the Gurukulasystem, he says, that takes oneaway from the pressures and

diversions of the so-calledcivilised urban life andenvironment. It protects one fromthe distractions that invade acelibate discipline.

The insistence that the sishyashould reside with the Guru allthe time ensures that he imbibesnot only the oral teachings of theGuru but has the fullestopportunity of a totalapprenticeship in the practice of adisciplined life. And most of all,the humility that one learns andabsorbs as a part of his ownbehaviour is the greatest asset forone’s education.

The tough life of the Gurukularesidency is the surest way oftaming one’s ego, if not of totallyeradicating it. In addition, everybit of learning had a basis or abackground of Divinity associated

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with it either as part of traditionor as part of the learning itself,and this certainly helps toconfront and counter thearrogance of scholarship and theaham-kâra that creep in.

On the other hand, the greatestill of the system of present-dayeducation is a syllabus that hasno human or cultural valuesdove-tailed into it. Actually themodern fashion has dichotomizedlearning and behaviour. One mayor may not profess what he learnsbut in both cases one’s behaviourhas come to mean something thatis independent of the learningamassed; so completelyindependent that the incidence ofcrime and misbehaviour is farhigher among the educated urbanpopulation than among the ruraluneducated. It is clear that wehave been miseducating ratherthan educating!

The Mahaswamigal thereforerecommends, in fact stronglyinsists, that, as a minimumprogramme:

As many ‘educated’ people aspossible should go through theprocess of Gurukula residentshipfor some period in their active life.

The traditional sastras shouldbe learnt mostly through theGurukula system.

The Gurukula locations should,as far as possible, be away fromthe din and dust of the ‘pollution’of modern civilization.

The disciples who go for wholetime Gurukula system should besupported lavishly by stipends,without however being pollutedby the sin of affluence. Towardsthis objective they should bewholly involved in putting inphysical labour towardsmaintaining the system and in‘begging’ their Bikshâ, at times.

While scholars of the varioussubjects should be ready to dosome bit of sacrifice to give theirtime and energy to make theschemes of Gurukula systemwork, it is the responsibility of thegeneral public to see that thosescholars who are prepared tospend their time as gurus in these

gurukulas should be more thanadequately compensated for theirdedication and effort.

These pockets of gurukulasshould be spread across thecountry in hundreds, nay,thousands, of rural locations andin some sense the gurus of theseplaces need not be permanent forlife. They may work in ‘secular’jobs elsewhere but they maycome and go just as we indentforeign professors for specific jobsin specific educationalinstitutions.

While the Gurukula system willcertainly not be a substitute forthe modern system of education,in due course of time it shouldprove to be a good supplement towhatever educational system thatis in vogue for ‘secular’ purposes;in fact the course of history mustbe shaped in such a manner aswould eradicate this disease ofseparating the ‘secular’ purposefrom the value-orientededucation.

Though these gurukulas may bein distinct pockets of physicallocations, they must be operatedin such a way that in the course ofprobably half-a-century or sothey must have become part ofthe life-style of the country. Just asduring the time of war somecountries insist that all theircitizens should have gone througha specific period of service in themilitary, so also we should be ableto insist that every ‘educated’citizen should have gone throughthe Gurukula at least for one ortwo years in their life either as aguru or a sishya!

You can see how the Acharya‘descends,’ for our sake, from hisJivan-mukta heights to ourmundane level and talks to us inour own language on ourproblems, for our benefit. Ourbenefit was his concern and thatis the unexplainable greatness ofJivan-muktas like theMahaswamigal, for whom, whatwe see as jagat, is actuallyBrahman, because, they ‘arealways in Brahman’ — *brahmani testhitAH* (B.G. V – 19).

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Sri Sathya Sai Baba isone of the most reveredspiritual Masters oftoday’s world, who hasmillions of followersspread all over thecontinents. Born on 23rd

November 1926 in atiny hamlet Puttaparthiin Andhra Pradesh inthe South of India, Babaor Swami as Hisdevotees affectionatelycall him, never set footin the Western world.

Yet, Baba’s simple,practical, relevant andspiritually powerfulteachings, which areuniversal in nature andaimed at uniting themankind, have beenpositively impactingvarying faiths and racesalike for the last sixdecades.

KKKKKaliyugaliyugaliyugaliyugaliyuga Aa Aa Aa Aa Avvvvvaaaaatttttar:ar:ar:ar:ar:Sri SaSri SaSri SaSri SaSri Sathythythythythya Saia Saia Saia Saia SaiBabaBabaBabaBabaBaba

KKKKKaliyugaliyugaliyugaliyugaliyuga Aa Aa Aa Aa Avvvvvaaaaatttttar:ar:ar:ar:ar:Sri SaSri SaSri SaSri SaSri Sathythythythythya Saia Saia Saia Saia SaiBabaBabaBabaBabaBababy Venugopala Rao Ganji

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Through His timeless anduniversal message of love, Baba isquietly transforming the worldby re-establishing in everydayliving the eternal human valuesof...

Truth (Sathya)Righteousness (Dharma)Peace (Shanthi)Love (Prema) andNon-violence (Ahimsa)

The pursuit of Truth will lead toRighteous conduct, Righteousconduct promotes Peace; Peaceenables one to Love, and Love isGod. Baba exhorts us to Live inLove.

Baba says:

I have come to light the lamp ofLove in your hearts, to see that itshines day by day with addedluster. I have not come on anymission of publicity for any sector creed or cause, nor have I cometo collect followers for mydoctrine. I have come to tell you ofthe Universal unitary faith, thepath of Love. Believe that allHearts are motivated by the oneand only God, that all names in alllanguages and all forms man canconceive, denote the one and onlyGod. Cultivate the attitude ofoneness between people of allcreeds, all countries and allcontinents. This is the message ofLove I bring.

Emphasizing that all religionsare facets of the same Truth, Babaproclaims, “Let the different faithsexist, let them flourish... Respectthe difference between the faithsand recognize them, so long asthey do not extinguish the flameof Unity.” He often reminds us allthat,

There is only ONE religion; thereligion of Love

There is only ONE language; thelanguage of the Heart

There is only ONE race, the raceof Humanity

There is only ONE God and He isOmnipresent.

As a child, Sri Sathya Sai Babademonstrated the divine qualitiesof compassion, wisdom,generosity, the desire to serveothers and great respect forelders. He also displayedincredible miraculous powers beit materializing sacred ash(Vibhuti), a diamond, reviving thedead, transcending space andtime or defying all physical laws.

He could quote extensively fromand comprehensively discuss thespiritual texts without everhaving studied them; nor had heany formal higher education or aGuru. He established his spiritualheadquarters (ashram) known asPrashanthi Nilayam (The Abodeof the Highest Peace) atPuttaparthi.

On October 29, 1940, at the ageof 14, he declared to his familyand to the people of his villagethat his mission was to bringabout the spiritual regeneration ofhumanity by demonstrating andteaching the highest principles oftruth, righteous conduct, peace,and divine love.

His mission was furtheramplified in a letter he wrote tohis brother in 1947. “I have atask,” he said, “to foster allmankind and ensure for all ofthem lives full of bliss. I have avow: to lead all who stray awayfrom the straight path again intogoodness and save them. I amattached to a work that I love: Toremove the sufferings of the poorand grant them what they lack.”

By exhorting “Love All—ServeAll, Help Ever—Hurt Never,”which is the quintessence of theHoly Scriptures, Baba prescribesand urges mankind to take upService (seva) activities toameliorate the downtrodden, thedispossessed and the forlorn,recognizing the God in them.

“My Life is My Message,” saysBaba who lives by precept.

Perhaps never before in thehistory of mankind were suchgigantic humanitarian andselfless activities initiated andsuccessfully accomplished, thanby Baba in his lifetime. Theseendeavours incurred stupendous

costs and were inconceivable evenfor governments. Of theinnumerable humanitarianprojects/activities, Baba made itpossible to:

* Establish scores of schools,colleges and a university namedSri Sathya Sai Institute of HigherLearning (1981), where educationis provided totally free fromKindergarten to Post-Graduation.Baba says, “Education is for themind and therefore, should begiven free.”

* Execute mammoth ongoingdrinking water supply projectscosting over $150 million. Thereare about three in Andhra

Pradesh (1995 & 2000), one inTamil Nadu (2004) and currentlyin Karnataka, catering tothousands of parched villageswith free drinking water. Babasays, “Water is needed forsurvival, and therefore should beprovided free.”

* Build scores of clinics andhospitals—and notably twoSuper Specialty Hospitals inPuttaparthi (1995) and Bangalore(2000)—operating on state-of-theart technology, where all thetreatment includingtransplantation of kidneys, and

ANDHRA WATER SUPPLY PROJECTOne of Sathya Sai Baba’s greatestservice projects has been hisamazing ongoing project to supplyfresh drinking water to remotevillages in rural India. The people ofthese impoverished villages had formany years been without drinkablewater until 1995 when Swami beganconstruction on this massiveundertaking.

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open heart surgeries areperformed free. Baba says,“Health is needed for well-beingof the body and therefore shouldbe given free.”

* Establish over 5000 SaiCentres throughout the world toserve all spiritual seekers, wheremembership is offered freeregardless of religion, creedor race or gender. This is tohelp people realize theirinnate divinity throughspiritual, educational andservice activitiespromoting human valuesand encouraging people toundertake charitable tasksto reach out tocommunities everywhere.Baba says, “Spirit of Loveis Spirituality.”

* Lay special emphasison Education in HumanValues (EHV) to beimparted in all schoolsintegrating with thecurriculum to build strong moralcharacter in children who will bethe citizens of tomorrow. Over140 countries world-wideaccepted to implement this aim.Baba says, “The end of Educationis Character.”

* Initiate Village Service,serving hundreds of the poorest ofthe poor, providing them withfree housing, food, and furtherproviding them with someregular income. Baba says,“Grama Seva is Rama Seva”–Service to mankind is Service tothe Lord.

* Encouraged students anddevotees to form teams ofvolunteers called Messengers ofSri Sathya Sai to undertakedisaster relief work whereverthere is a need (GujaratEarthquake, Tsunami relief, etc.),who serve silently with love.Baba says, “Hands that serve are

holier than the lips that pray.”

Through His inspirationaldiscourses and writings,Sathya Sai Baba has offered averitable ocean of knowledgeand guidance on all aspects ofspiritual, religious, social,economic, and value-orientedliving. He has often repeatedthat it is not necessary todrink the whole ocean toknow its taste, that it is notnecessary to read allscriptures to live a life of joy,peace, and love; it is enough toput into practice one aspect ofspiritual teaching.

Baba has given His life,selflessly and

magnanimously, to the service ofmankind. His formula for worldpeace:

If there is righteousness in theheart, there will be beauty in thecharacter.

If there is beauty in thecharacter, there will be harmonyin the home.

If there is harmony in the home,there will be order in the nation.

When there is order in thenation, there will be peace in theworld.

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Sri Gurubhyo NamahSri Gurubhyo Namah