Tapasviji - A timeless Mystic

“…He was one of the great masters who are India’s truest wealth. Emerging in every generation, they have bulwarked their land against the fate of ancient Egypt and Babylonia” : Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi.

With these words Sri Yogananda the great Master, revealed the secret of the longevity of India’s ancient culture and spiritual wealth from immemorial times to the present. A Master once said that the greatest quality of Indians is that they have the privilege to be born in India / Bharata. This sacred land may be considered the landing grounds of almost all, if not all Avataric missions. Saints and seers have ever been found here in abundance in every age, clime and time. Its pure atmosphere lends to the inner efforts of all Godly aspirants and their presence in turn adds to the vibrations and richness of its sanctity.

This is the story of one such Mahatma (Great soul) whose life was / is a living miracle itself. I first heard about Him when he made his presence felt to a participant in a Quantam gazing session. He appeared before her, smiled and said “We finally meet!” A few days later an Uncle in my neighborhood offered me a book saying it would interest me. It was the biography of the same sage. His name – Tapasviji.

It is rare that a saint such as him would make his presence known to lesser mortals of the society, entrenched in worldliness. Masters such as him are often hidden away from the misunderstanding eyes of the world. Their lives defy every rule of nature and society that most ‘cultured and modern’ people pride in and are bound by. His presence amongst us is a further sign of his grace and saintliness.

Tapasviji was born in the Royal family of Patiala, Punjab, as Prince Krishna Singh in the year 1770.

Patiala Fort where Tapasviji was born as a Prince.

This was when the Mughals ruled India. He entered mahasamadhi in the year 1955, when the British had left independent India. Thus he lived a total of 185 years. His extra lease of life may astound most. But it was his knowledge of kayakalpa, which enabled him to rejuvenate his body on 3 different occasions giving him an extended life.

How he became a renunciant is an interesting story. Fed up of the political restlessness in his fathers kingdom, which kept the state in perpetual warlike situation, the young prince rode to Delhi to meet the Emperor in an effort to bring final peace to his state. Krishna Singh’s description of Delhi and Mughal architecture and science is most fascinating. He reveled how the Mughal engineers built garden which air conditioned the atmosphere giving cool during summers and warmth during severe winters.

When the young Prince met Emperor Bahadur Shah, he found him counting his beads and taking the name of the Lord. Hearing the young Prince’s plight the Emperor looked at him and said “Prince Krishna Singh, I am happy to have met you. You want my help to establish peace in your state. Your desire in commendable. I wish to tell you that my power of interference is negligible. My writ does not run far. You have no peace of mind. I too have no peace of mind. I now feel that devotion to God brings more happiness to man than possession of an empire. I say that a saint’s life is preferable to that of a King. I now bid you farewell. Peace be with you.”

These words had a profound effect of the young Prince. He rode back, not to his kingdom but towards Haridwar. The spirit of renunciation burning within him. He gave up all his costly jewels, clothing and his sword and tying it in a bundle he wrote a note and put it around his dear horse asking anyone who found these jewels to take the responsibility of caring for his horse. With this Krishna Singh gave up the world in pursuit of the Kingdom of God.

After his 3rd Kalpa treatment in 1937

His journey from that point unto his passing is awe inspiring and magical. Traveling from one holy city to another, from the plains of middle India to the inaccessible Himalayan regions, from western points of India to Burma in the east, Krishna Singh, now known by his renunciant name of Vishnudas encountered several incredible beings and animals – from Cobras who would come and try to disturb and communicate with him, some of who would spit fire; to tigers who would shapeshift into saints assuming such a form to keep people of the world from disturbing them.

Notwithstanding these encounters and difficulties, Vishnudas undertook the most severe penance and austerities with one pointed focus, sprinting on the path of his spiritual awareness to great heights. Many divine figures and saints would appear before him in response to his efforts. He earned the name Tapasviji due to the severity of the austerities he undertook. Once he took a vow to do khade-tapasya (standing austerity) whereby he would keep standing till he reached Brindavan from his current location near Patna. Furthermore he also kept his left raised up above his head. It took him 27 years to visit Brindavan as he travelled randomly as life guided him. Throughout these 27 years he kept standing, even doing his meditation and resting in a standing pose.

One may wonder why such austerities are undertaken. Are they pleasing to God? Perhaps not! But the purpose of such efforts are to completely subdue the mind and senses and to grow over the awareness of oneself as the body or senses.

Once, in the Himalayan region he encountered another saintly figure who suggested that they journey together to the deeps of the hidden Himalayas from where they could use their joined strength of siddhis to make their way through the Himalayan portals towards Indraloka. It took them weeks to make their way through the most difficult terrain. Midway in their journey and extraordinary occurrence took place. A beautiful, celestial looking chariot drawn by four milk-white horses stopped near them. A Gandharva alighted from the chariot and made a supplication “O Mahatmas, my Pranams. Lord Indra has send me to take you both in my chariot into his presence. You can reach Indraloka by yourself but only with great difficulties. Sit in my chariot and I can swiftly take you to your destination.”  The saints accepted the offer and ascended the chariot. In a short while, an unexpected thing happened. Both saints felt giddy and became unconscious. When they came to, they found themselves back near the Badri shrine. The other saint realized the trick played on them by the celestial Gandharva being, who perhaps felt jealous or threatened by a mortal in human form entering their celestial kingdom and brought them back using his superior powers.

Tapasviji during his own travels encountered great saints. He met a 5000 year old saint who was born in Ayodhya during the time of Krishna. This saint learned from his Guru that Sri Krishna was God, and set forth to meet Him but unfortunately couldn’t as Sri Krishna had shifted to Dwaraka from Mathura. He explained the reason of his long life is that his diet included only milk and certain rare herbs and creepers called Soma-lata. Tapasviji met Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Goddess Kamakshi devi, who encourages him to give up his last possession that he had forgotten about – a diamond ring, which he had kept folded in his loin cloth as final security, when he first became a renunciant.

As he progressed on his path, his awareness grew deeper and He often had darshans Sri Krishna who would come to him in different forms and aid him and also to ask him to give up undertaking severe penance. He had the darshan of Lord Narayana and Lord Shiva. Guru Nanak also blessed him, as did Radha devi during his visit to the sacred Barsana. The Moon-Lord Chandra visited him and sage Narada took him along to the celestial worlds in the astral form.

In Alakapuri in the Himalayas, Tapasviji encountered Ashwathama, the disgraced hero from the Mahabharata war. Usually secluded, Ashwathama entertained the saint and also shared with him rare stories from the Mahabharata which according to him Sri Vyasa did not mention or had changed for reasons known best to him. With the help of Ashwathama, Tapasviji met Sri Parashurama, Sri Durvasa and Maharishi Parashara. Tapasviji also had the rare blessing of having darshans of Goddess Gangadevi.

Tapasviji, 1941

Having lived such a long life, Tapasviji encountered his Mother who had reincarnated into a new form and also his reincarnated son, who despite having his new parents instantly recognized Tapasviji as his own and clung to him begging him to keep him with him. Tapasviji accepted him as his disciple and named him Krishnadas. Krishnadas served him faithfully but when he was in his 30’s, he suddenly passed away.  With the passing of his dear disciple, Tapasviji was overwhelmed with sorrow. Sri Krishna appears before the saint and consoled him.

Other disciples found it odd that a saint of Tapasviji’s stature should be overcome by sorrow upon the passing of a disciple. Tapasviji explained,

“However great a saint maybe and even though people recognize him as sthitaprajna (One established in stillness/ calmness), his Jnanam (wisdom) is enveloped by the maya-shakti (illusion) of Eashwara (God). As such often a wise persons mind is clouded by some amount of delusion and he is moved by the notions of ‘I’ness. Though such state is temporary for a saint, during such times he too feels grief and attachment. Theoretically no embodied beings who take human birth in obedience to the laws of karma, can be fully free. Even an Avataar like Sri Rama suffered in grief for Sita and Lakshmana. Sri Krishna, a sarvajna (all-knowing) and master of Yoga, shed tears at the death of his father Vasudeva.

Thus feeling of grief in a human breast under certain circumstances is the svabhava (nature) of the mind. However in case of wise men, this state will not last long unlike ordinary humans, for who such states can destroy their peace of mind for ages and even be carried forward to other incarnations. A mahapurusha who has never been affected by grief has never been born till now from the time of creation.”

Eventually near the end of his life, Sri Tapasviji moved to south India upon the advice of Sri Krishna to help and bless devotees in the south.  Like all great saints, he took upon himself the karma of his disciples and devotees and on 12^th October 1955, he suddenly got up from his bed where he had been lying sick unable to move and made his feeble body sit smartly in a padmasana pose to the astonishment of his attending disciples. Thereupon he deeply uttered Aum thrice and thus left his mortal coil.

The above is a brief sketch of the incredible life of this Princely saint, shared here to honor his presence on earth. Details can be read in the book Tapaswiji by T.S. Anantha Murthy.

Since many readers are keen to read about Tapasviji, a link for the pdf of this book is given below. (Thanks to Prem)

https://www.mediafire.com/file/51wuyzxnatrw7ld/Maharaj-_A_biography_of_Shriman_Tapasviji_Maharaj%252C_a_Mahatma_who_lived_for_185_Years_By_T._S._Anantha_Murthy.pdf/file

A small Divine desire

The beautiful Trayee, Brindavan - The Lords Abode

I was doing my duty in Swami’s residence area when a few students called me and handed me something with a smile on their face.  When I saw what I had received, I was thrilled to bits.

Every evening when Swami came out for darshan in Brindavan, He would ask one of us boys to open the darshan door for Him. Sometimes He would wait and interact with the boy to pour grace on Him in some way. These students, who managed the darshan audio from inside the residence premise, would quietly capture these blessed moments with their cameras. Later the lucky boy would receive this snap. Today it was my turn. As my fellow sevadal boys and a few students looked at the picture of Swami and me, someone remarked  “ Hey this looks like Krishna Arjuna!”

Something about that simple remark caught all my attention, and in rapid excitement my mind raced back many years ago when as a boy of 15 or 16 I had come here for my early darshans of Swami as a devotee. I did not know much about Swami and His work then. All I knew was He was Divinity.

This one early morning as I arrived for darshan and took my place in the last block , I noticed a young , very tall, European boy showing around something which excited him a great deal. His face was suffused with joy. As my turn came he showed me his photo. It was a picture of Him in a darshan. He was on one knee and Swami was standing next to him talking to him.  “ Look – look – like Krishna Arjuna!! Like Krishan Arjuna” the boy exclaimed in untold excitement in broken English. I couldn’t help but share his immense joy. 

The picture caught my young hearts imagination and a small divine desire began taking form. I too began wishing to have such a picture with Swami. Through that morning I kept thinking about it. I prayed deeply , earnestly asking God to please fulfill my wish of such a photo with Him. My worldly mind had its own doubts :

Do you think Swami has time for you? He has much important things to attend to. More over do you think you deserve such grace?

Ok Swami , even if not such a picture, please give me any picture of You and me.

Why should He do that? What have or can you ever do  for Him?

Swami perhaps I am not worthy but even if you give me an accidental group photo to help me celebrate my presence on earth with the Avataar, I will be very grateful….

Years passed. The passing time took away these memories and I forgot my zeal  and yearning for such a grace.

But He didn’t forget the prayers of a young heart.

He waited for the right time to grace me.

And now the proof of His grace was in my hands

: n

Mothering God

Ma Yashoda with Her Gopal

We all know the story of Putana, the demoness. She was known as the baby killer. Smearing her breasts with deadly poison, she would go around camouflaging a beautiful form of an elegant lady and mothering young babies she put them to death. King Kamsa who was always looking for ways to kill little Krishna, hired her services sending her to gokul to eliminate the Divine Child.

The legend goes that Putana came to Gokul in a divinely beautiful form and entered the home of Nanda. Thinking of her as some Goddess in human form, Mother Yashoda offered her dear baby to her to be mothered. As soon as little Krishna sucked her breasts, Putana panicked realizing that her life was being sucked out. Try as she may, Krishna wouldn’t leave her. She ran out even assuming her hideous gigantic form, but Krishna sucked her life out. It is said that her form fell on an area of around 12 miles turning all to dust.. The villagers had to cut her body to cremate it. Surprisingly the smoke from the cremation was fragrant, because all her sins had been wiped out owing to her death at the hands of the Divine. This is the story known to all.

Yet there are some strange features here.

Krishna has millions of devotees over the ages. Many of these spent lifetimes in devotions, contemplation and singing His glories. Yet none have had the grace and privilege that this demoness had. She had the grace to see the Divine form, She had the greater grace of touching the divine form.. but above all she had the rarest privilege of mothering the divine baby. Such grace that is bestowed on the rarest souls! How did such a sinful creature get such grace? What is the mystery behind this?

The answer to this lies in the Vishnu Purana.

Eons ago when this very baby Krishna came to the court of King Bali as the baby sage Vamana; the daughter of the king by the name Ratnamala upon seeing the baby sage had an upsurge of maternal emotion. She was taken by the little divine form and yearned to play with him and relate with him and care for him in a motherly way. However later when this very baby sage took a gigantic form and covered with his 2 steps the world and the heavens and with his third step he pushed the noble King Bali down to the nether world, Ratnamala was aghast at the treatment meted out to her dear father and in her fury felt like killing the baby sage.

God always fulfills every sincere desire of His true devotees.

It was this very Ratnamala who was reborn as Putana the demoness. In getting an opportunity to mother Krishna and also kill Him, God was merely fulfilling the wish expressed by a true devotee in an earlier life. The devoted also say that Krishna didn’t have to kill her. Fact is when Putana saw baby Krishna, yet again her motherly instincts rose. She forgot herself and her purpose and in her emotion took the beautiful child in her arms to mother Him, completely unmindful of the fact that her breasts were smeared with poison. When Krishna gave her the satisfaction of feeding him, owing to her desire being fulfilled, she became free forever and hence had no more reason to live. Hence she dropped dead.

Strange yet beautiful are the ways of the Lord.

It is said that in the afterlife this demon Putana was awarded a place in Vaikuntha, the celestial Divine realm which was reserved for Mothers of the Divine like Yashoda, Devaki, Kaushalya, Eashwaramba, owing to the fact that she had Mothered God.

Krishna's Radha - Stories recounted by Swami's Students

It was 2004.... The odd semester of 2nd year M.B.A was on. Swami had blessed me to sit in the portico behind ganesha. As i was finishing the last few pages of Sri. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada's "Krshna", I heard the snapping of fingers from all directions, announcing the opening of the interview room door. I dextrously thrust the book aside.

The door opened gently, revealing the boundlessly beautiful form of our dearest Swami.  Indescribable feelings of joy welled up in my heart as He beckoned me to go inside the interview room.

Swami was seated on the chair. I sat at His feet, thanking Him for this priceless oppurtunity.

"Yemi samacharamu,  Swami asked sweetly.

Continuing the theme from the book's unfinished portion, I asked Swami about Radha's devotion towards Krishna. Swami, out of immense compassion, vividly recounted an episode which happened aeons ago, in the hallowed land of Brindavan. With every word that emanated in Swami's ringing voice, with every word that fell into my raptly attentive ears, indelible impressions of what divine love actually meant, formed and effortlessly lodged in my heart. It was a story of love, which was projected on the golden screen of Krishna's divine life.

This story, a prized posession from the museum of my recollections, runs as follows:

It is a scripturally undocumented incident, when Krishna returns to Brindavan, years after his departure to Mathura. Krishna goes to the banks of river Yamuna and sees Radha, seated under a lush green tree, totally immersed in joyfull contemplation....Eyes half closed!

Krishna approaches radha and calls out her name, in a love-filled nostalgic voice. Radha opens her eyes, which feast on the charming form of her beloved krishna. Her calm countenance, her moist eyes conveyed the deep love, she had nurtured for Krishna in her tender heart.

"Radha, I have come back"

Radha gets up from her posture, rushes towards the stream and gathers the cystal clear, cool waters of Yamuna in her palms....comes close to the pole star of her life, Krishna and says, "My dearest lord ! the King of my heart, When you are present in every single drop of these waters, when you are present in every leaf on this tree, when you pervade every atom of this creation, where is the question of you returning back. You were always with me."

Krishna answers, "Radha, I am immensely pleased with you. Ask for whatever you want and it shall be granted."

It was a blank cheque.

"Krishna, I dont need anything, I am contented."

After repeated persuassions for a prayer, Krishna finally said, "I know You must be yearning for my love... Pray for my love, it shall be granted."

With a meaningfull glance and a slight smile, Radha answered, "Krishna ! I wouldnt pray for even that. Because I love you unconditionally and it doesnt matter whether i am reciprocated in love or not.... I am eternally yours!"

Hearing this, Krishna sank to his knees, held Radha's hands close to his heart and said,

"For the first time, the Creator is fully on the recieving end from his creation."

What purity ! What selflessness ! What joyful contentment ! A matchless story of magical love..

The interview ended.. I was struck by the sheer uniqueness of the story and was totally oblivious of anything else as bhajan, arathi, study hours, night bell, karacharakritamva, followed in unbelievable speed!

I retired to the D-floor terrace and started reminiscing about the story under the canopy of glittering stars....The sequence of the monologue which ensued in my mind was:

"The gopikas, especially Radha, was so hurt when Krishna left mathura....Years later, how come she achieved such purity and selflessness in love, which made her life an endless festival and a celebration of divine romance? As i stared into the skies, a convincing answer seemed to be whispered into my ears....

......BECAUSE HER FEELINGS WERE DIRECTED TOWARDS ME.......

The alchemist nature of God's personality is such that even the baser feelings of attachment, when directed towards Him get sublimated into noble feelings of divine love. Such exalted devotion, that even Yuga's later, the Lord speaks of her Love for Him and the world takes their names together!

How inexplicably fortunate are we, to have come into the fold of His divine presence and experience His sweet Love !!! How immeasurably lucky are we, to be blessed with the prized identity of being called His property. 

In the battle din of life, by making Him the "be all and end all" of our hearts and weaving His thoughts on the fabric of the day, Such Divine Love will surely be OURS too...naturally !!

Lots of love,

Bharath !

(Recounted By Amitabh Das Gupta)

As always, whenever i read something on this portal, i am always reminded of some other similar episode from Parthi. I recollect Swami mentioning about the last days of Radha on earth.

Since she had chosen not to marry (being eternally married to the Lord), she was an outcast in the society of those days. She was not welcome into any village due to this stigma. She spent her time on the banks of the Yamuna. As she lied down during her last moments on earth, she thought of Sri Krishna. Very soon, HE was there next to her. HE held her head on HIS lap as she approached her last moments. 
"What is it that you desire?", HE asked Radha. 
"I wish to listen to the melody of your flute again", she replied. 
(Swami said "How can HE get the flute there? HE was coming in directly from Kurukshetra".) But, Krishna plucked a grass from the shore and it soon turned into a flute. HE played the flute for her. As she listened to this beautiful melody, the life left her body. Krishna stopped playing.

Swami said that she died on HIS lap. And, from that day, Krishna never played on the flute ever again.

By: A Arun Kumar


Related Posts -

Giridhari

Mothering God

Bharata or Rama

Mothering God - Gopal Ma

The lives we live

Mothering God - Harbans Ma

Love for God can take different forms and God returns His love to His children in a unique variety of ways. The scriptures say that it is God Himself who has taken each individual form to experience the varieties of His infinite nature through the course of life and self realisation.. thus no two souls will have the same experiences in their path towards God. The Love and Bliss felt by each will have its own sweet uniqueness..

As a child, once when in a neighboring aunts house, i heard my Mom and aunt speak about a certain lady who lived at a distance from our place. Even though i was more busy playing games i overheard a few things  - one, that this lady was quite old and a bit on the heavier side, so could hardly walk well; second, she had a child who always stuck to her wherever she went. The child was a handful; the little thing would insist that this lady take him along everywhere. He seemed to be about a  year and a half or two years old yet was demanding enough to insist that this lady carry him everywhere she went. He had many childish demands and would expect this lady to fulfill them.. no one else should.

I would have forgotten all this quickly but for the fact that i sensed a certain amount of reverence and awe these women showed while talking about this matter. This was no idle gossip. Curious, i went up to mom and asked her what was about this lady.. why couldn't she discipline this child? I myself was about 10 -11 years old then and  never troubled my parents and knowing that this lady was old and i was concerned for her.

My mom understood at my intent and explained that this was no ordinary relation.. it was extraordinary. The women, old as she was, had asked for this 'trouble' and despite the problems she faced, she couldn't live without these troubles.

The child on the other hand was no ordinary child either. He was Gopal.

Mom went quite hoping i'd understand. 

I didn't. 

I just sensed the reverence with which she said this, so i asked if i knew the child and if i had seen Him in the neighborhood? Mom replied that i knew the child. This Gopal was baby Krishna.

I let that sink in. She further explained that this lady named Harbans Ma, who lived about 50 meters away from our house; was a great devotee of God. She had quietly undertaken several spiritual disciplines at the end of which she had received this divine boon.

I was stunned to say the least and of all the questions i could ask, i remember asking if she would take me to see the baby and if he was still blue in color. She replied, sadly yet gently, that no one could see Him save Harbans Ma. He was invisible to the eyes of other souls. In fact many considered this whole thing a sham and even spoke ill of her. But a few souls believed that she was a true saint.

We didnt speak after that. These facts were perhaps too much for me to take, but i remember being greatly troubled by them. In a months time i returned to my boarding school for half a year. All through i thought of this women and the child. Certain features about this incredible story amazed me.

Firstly it was hard to believe that a saintly lady of this caliber was living amongst us. I always thoughts true saints to belong to the distant unknown past and all that there was left in this modern 21st century were their fake versions. It seemed highly odd that this incredible soul lived in such an ordinary place amongst ordinary people.

Secondly i was troubled at the thought that if this lady, who lived a life just like any other ordinary human, could reach such heights didnt that mean that each one of us was capable of the same? But as i looked at the lives most of us lived i did not see anything there which would take us to higher goals. Now my parents were pious people. They worshiped God in our house everyday. Every morning we children woke to my fathers voice of Veda chanting in a fashion that he had learned from his Gurukul. He was the only person i knew who would meditate. Yet i knew that it required extraordinary effort to realise God, and i didnt know anyone else who was making such efforts. It made me look at our lives and feel that something big was lacking. It made me restless.

Finally something about the relation of this sweet old lady and a little mischievous child stirred my heart. Of the two, i, a boy of eleven, would relate more with that old lady and mentally experience what it would be like to have a sweet little Krishna play around and trouble you. I always loved little children and this added to my yearning.

Somewhere it struck me as to what a fool i had been. Having heard that the child couldnt been seen by anyone i had just given up, not ever thinking to go meet Harbans Ma. But now i was thousands of miles away. So i waited patiently for my next vacations. Amongst the first things i did when i reached home was to ask mom to take me to her. My mother sadly mentioned that Harbans Ma was no more.

Harbans Ma though a householder, did have a disciple by the name Sahu. Mother took me to her. I was at a loss of words and didnt know what to ask so i sat quietly. But observing the gentle nature of the disciple it was easy to make out what an elevated soul Harbans Ma had been. But here is what little i learned of this extraordinary soul who mothered God.

Harbans Ma was a great devotee. Once in a state of devotion she locked herself inside a room for 3 days refusing to get into the world unless she met the Divine. God answered her prayers for not only did she glimpse Him, but he took the form of this little child Krishna and was ever visible to her.

This Krishna was just as sweet and naughty as the Bhagavadam mentions Him to be. He wouldnt let Harbans Ma do her household work but would keep playing around her, demanding attention, making her run around doing all sorts of errands for him. Often she would get tired and even angry and scold Him. The child would then weep and eventually fall asleep. She would feel sorry but the next moment the child would be at His mischievous best.. Whenever she stepped out, the Baby insisted on coming along. He also insisted that she carry him. Although invisible to others, Harbans Ma could apparently feel the weight of the child and would feel tired when she reached her destination. Other women in whose house she would come to, stated that physically she showed signs of exhaustion of having carried a baby. Despite this even when she would sit on the floor to talk to these ladies, the Baby would often come up from behind and jump on her back, playing with her, demanding attention, asking her to now leave and return home.

While doing chores of the house the Baby would ever be playing around. When cutting vegetables she would set aside a few vegetables for the Baby to play with. At night the Baby would sleep alongside her always.

The yogi's and rishi's realise God in a variety of ways. I had always read that God elevated such worthy souls to His level and how their lives were filled with Bliss, love and wisdom, until at one time they merged in Him. But this was such a unique case where the Impersonal God took on a personal form for the sake of one devotee and lived with her to bless her with joy. What a mysterious and joyous grace! However this was all i could remember or find about Harbans Ma. Not much else is known by anyone else.

With passing time i forgot all this and as i grew i even doubted many of the things that i remembered. But a few days back i had gone to dakshineshwar for Guru Poornima. There i picked a book about the lives of a few people who happened to live around the time of Sri Ramamkrishna Paramahansa. Amongst them was this lady named Gopal Ma who, incredibly, underwent the same experiences as Harbans Ma. Despite having lived in a remote place over a century ago, some devotee had had the sense and wisdom to record a few details of her life. Reading about her life (which i will mention in the next note) gave me a good understanding of such spiritual experience.

I realised that along with names like Ma Yashoda, Kaushalya, Devaki, Eashwaramba, Mary there are many other names of whom the world might never know. I wonder how many of such souls have graced the earth,  hidden from worldly eyes, yet ever awake in the Divine.

Related Posts ~

Mothering God - Gopal Ma

Giridhaari

Mothering God

Krishna's Radha

Lord Krishna and Ustad Bismillah Khan

Who is Sri Sathya Sai? - Early recognition.

                                                        

Circa 1949

Traveling to Puttaparthi was an arduous affair back in the 40's and 50's. Only a handful of people had heard of the Divine boy of Puttaparthi who called Himself Sai Baba. Even the name Shirdi Sai was unheard of in those regions back then. So how did the Divine light spread?A rose will emanate its fragrance no matter how deep in the forest it buds.

A group of seekers arrived late to the old mandir one evening, having missed one of their bus. A certain lady amongst them being very tired, sought out a well in the village where she could quench her thirst. She was a very devoted soul and did not know much of Swami. Swami was then just about 19 - 20 years old. Having quenched her thirst she walked back towards the mandir to have her first darshans. Swami in anticipation of this devoted soul was already standing outside the mandir. He had made the efforts to dress himself up that day by wearing a parrot green colored gown ( wow!).

As soon as the lady saw Him, in utter ecstasy she cried "Oh! My dear King of Yogis!" and fell unconscious in the courtyard. Other devotees came around her making efforts to revive her. As she regained consciousness in deep devotion she said "Where were you hiding all these days?" Saying so she ran towards Swami to hold Him. Swami hid behind a curtain in the bhajan hall. She searched him restlessly everywhere crying " Krsna, Krsna" and fell down unconscious. Swami immediately came out running and sprinkled water on her face and applied vibhuti. He asked other ladies to fan her.

Whenever she would revive she would run around seeking Swami and fall down calling "Krsna, krsna". Seeing all this her embarrassed husband got angry. He scolded her for behaving like a mad person and asked her to keep quite. Swami told him " Nayana (Dear to the Eye), do not scold!  It is Sthala mahatva ( influence of this holy place ). Some people get influenced like this as soon as they get here." The husband agreed that there must be some power in this mandir which was making her behave thus.

The whole night the lady kept awake calling on Krsna. In the morning she told another lady attending on her "Amma, this person is GopalaKrsna. Do not be deceived thinking that He is a human being. I could see Him fanning me and applying vibhuti to me the whole of yesterday night. Did you not see Him?" Fact is none had seen Him though all of them had slept in the same mandir hall.

Next day when they were about to leave, Swami called the husband aside and told him " Please do not trouble her. She is not going to live more then fifteen days. She cannot get rid of her madness for Krsna. This is her last birth."

Later it was learned that the lady had passed away peacefully as Swami had predicted.

Two college boys from Madras set out for puttaparthi. They both were Sadhakas and had received a dream where a Divine figure had asked them to proceed to Puttaparthi. They travelled and located this place with great difficulty.

As they reached the village, one of the inmates of the mandir, as if anticipating their coming , directed them to take a bath in the river before entering the mandir. Accordingly they searched for the river.  To their astonishment, they saw two divine feet with bejewelled anklets, leading them with enchanting sounds.

They found the river and took a bath and then began washing their clothes.  They had a vision of Panduranga in form of a small boy. He would clutch His pitambara  and move away to avoid the splashing of water as they washed their clothes and would then playfully come close when there as no splashing.

The boys began wondering about the mahatva ( significance ) of this place. As they walked back the divine bejewelled feet appeared again to lead them towards the mandir and then disappeared.

By this time, Swam dressed in beautiful clothes was waiting in the hall to welcome them. As soon as they saw Swami, they dropped their washed wet clothes and rushed towards Swami, hugged Him, praised Him and wept. Other devotees gathered around watching these boys. Swami stood there smiling gently trying to free Himself but did not succeed.

One of the boys said " You thief, avoiding everybody You have come to this place! By wearing Kasaya vastra ( Ocher robes ) You are concealing divinity. Krsna, Gopala, why have you grown such hair on Your head? Your hair resembles that of Shiva, You are dressed like Krsna and look majestic like Rama. Whom do we take you to be? I cannot be without you. Krsna, Krsna, how fortunate are we to see You in human form!"

Turning towards other devotees he said " Believe my words, Do not leave Him. If you leave Him , you may not get Him again. He is Madhava ( Krsna ). He is fooling you by acting like Manava ( Human ). Do not waste this golden opportunity. Fulfill your lives. I know Him well!"  The boys kept praising Him and shedding anandasru ( tears of bliss ). Seeing them other devotees also started weeping. Swami smiling mischievously made small of the matter saying " What is this? This fellow is mad. Why do you weep?"

Before the boys arrived, Swami had foretold the ashram inmates that He was anxiously waiting for two great Vedantin devotees who would be arriving that day. So the devotees knew Swami was joking to lighten the mood.  The devotees stood there watching the boys weep in devotion. Swami consoled them lovingly.  He asked devotees to get food and ate with the boys in the same plate. He then spoke with them separately for long before sending them home the next day.

If you'd like to read more please read the wonderful book ' Sri Sathya Sai Anandadayi'

Related Posts :

Our Eternal Swami

On the spiritual path

Sri Sathya Sai and the stars of the world

A Sai dream and Service