Kailasapedia - User contributions [en]

June 18 2020

2021-05-13T08:02:32Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Additional Video(s) */

==Title==
Strength for the world after Coronavirus. ll Paramashivoham S-6 ll Paramashiva Bhava Darshan.ll

==Narration==
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, Jagatguru Mahasannidhanam, His Divine Holiness, Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam expounded on the Cosmic Principles [[Consciousness Muscles & Superpowers - Strength for the World After Coronavirus]]. His Divine Holiness (HDH) explained that Corona is not weapon. It is [[Shastra]], knowledge here to teach strong and powerful lessons to the world. HDH also received all delegates and blessed them with an intense initiation during the [[Courtyard Session]] with many revelations from [[Lord Kalabhairava]]. The [[Darshan]] for today was [[Paramashiva Bhava Darshan]].

Contributing to over [[108 Humanitarian Causes of SHRIKAILASA Uniting Nations]], [[KAILASA's Nithyananda Hindu University]] marks today as Season 6, Day 11 of [[Paramashivoham]]. One of the major highlights of KAILASA’s contributions through this convention is [[Power Manifestation]], today being 6 Powers of [[Third Eye]].

[[Sanyasis]] of the [[Nithyananda Order of Monks]] and initiated [[Acharyas]] worldwide, affiliated with the [[Department of Education of KAILASA]] conducted a series of seminars focusing on Truths of the [[Ishavasya Upanishad]], [[Keno Upanishad]], [[Brahma Sutras]] and [[Pure Questioning]], as revealed by HDH inspiring millions towards the [[Science of Hinduism]].

==Satsang==
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==Transcript==
18 JUNE 2020

(00:14)
This message is directly from Maha Kalabhairava. Listen, whatever conscious lifestyle you developed, conscious muscles you built, conscious powers you acquired, accumulated till now, only that is going to be your strength in the post Corona world. Listen - All the conscious lifestyle, strengths you accumulated, like a, how much of ability to unclutch you developed, how much of powerful cognitions you built, how many hours a day you are able to keep yourself in a high state of consciousness, how many powers you are able to manifest consciously powerfully without self-doubt, self-hatred, self-denial, how much alive, life-involved you are; only these things are going to be your strength post Corona world.
(02:12)
Listen carefully, everything else you acquired is not going to be with you. Corona, as I said, is not weapon. It is shastra, knowledge. It is going to teach lessons, strong powerful lessons to the world. It’s not going to be weapon. It’s not going to kill the numbers like how you are made to believe or threatened. It may not even become world’s number one cause of death. Understand, but it is going to teach strong lessons to the world.
(03:31)
Listen, whatever you thought, you are thinking as your strength: your education, your career, your name and fame, your beauty; nothing is going to be your strength in post Corona world. Celebrities are losing their brand value, understand.
(04:06)
Money is not going to bring all the things it used to bring to you in pre pre-Corona world. In pre-Corona world, whatever you can get, buy through money, post Corona world you are not going to get that. Even if you have money, even if the money has a value, its ability to get things what you want is going to be lost drastically. If money can buy hundred items for you in pre-Corona world, in post-Corona world it can buy only maybe maximum two or three things. Means the utility of the money, the ability of money to get what you want is going to be dropped 97%.
(05:13)
Understand, I’m going to publish this video. I’m going to put this on record. Corona is not going to become number one cause of death in the world. That’s the first statement. Listen, number of deaths per year caused by cardiovascular diseases is something like 20.2 million, directly related to heart, around 20.2 millions per year. Corona is not going to kill that many number of people per year. Be very clear. It is not even going to be the world’s leading cause of death. That’s the first statement I am making. Second, but it is going to teach huge lessons to human beings. <<inaudible>> huge lessons to human beings. I made this statement the moment Corona pandemic started: Corona is not weapon to kill people. It is going to only teach lessons to people, strong lessons to people. It may not even become the number one cause of death per year. But it is going to change the world forever. It’s going to teach large number of lessons. I tell you, whatever you thought useful in your life, really will not be useful. All the great strategies you built in your life for things which you thought as a goal of your life will not fulfill the goals of your life anymore. Old world order is melting down. If you thought money is going to take you all over the world to different places, it’s going to help you to travel the world and see the world, you are fool. If you accumulated conscious power manifestation, that will help you and take you to the more places, and that will take you, make you travel all over the world and enjoy the world than any money. People with money are not going to be able to travel. Travel is not going to be easy for you. But people with powers are going to be traveling. Everywhere you are going to be invited. I tell you, my balasants, get ready to travel all over the world, not only manifestation,<<unclear>> people. Future is yours. Future is my Balasants world, I’m telling you. Not pride, not arrogance, simple statement. Understand I’m neither arrogant person nor humble person. I’m a simple straightforward person, village boy from Tiruvannamalai. A Hindu spiritual village boy. So understand, your money, your beauty, your education, your career, your awards, rewards, all achievements, nothing is going to have value in post Corona world. I’m making it very clear. It’s a message from Khalabavara listen.
(10:41)
Old world order is melting down. Understand every statement I am making. Corona is not going to become the leading cause of deaths in the world every year because Corona has not come to the world as a weapon to kill human beings. But it is going to teach large number of lessons. Money, even if it is able to retain its value, like a currency value, what is that ex.. that you exchange... even if the exchange value of the currency is retained, maintained artificially, its utility value in your life is going to drastically drop. Not just little bit, drastically. Even if the exchange rates are maintained artificially, money’s ability to get you what you want in your life, what has been taught to you as a pleasure, joy, security, whatever, whatever. What for you worked for money? You worked for money your whole life, your strategies for money, your plans for money - what for? Because you expect money will give you certain security, medical care and certain kind of a stability. It will buy you all the things which give you joy, pleasure, luxury, comfort, happiness, whatever you think you will get it through money. Money has lost its ability to buy all that for you. Even if you are a billionaire, you will not be able to travel as freely as it used to be in pre-Corona world. Your whole world is going to be reduced just to digital screens. Of course digital companies, the digital based products and companies are going to just shoot up the value. All digital based assets, products, everything is going to just go up, because the whole world is going to be reduced to the digital interaction. I tell you, whole world is going to be reduced to digital interactions. The whole, there is something going to evolve called new normal. Your money’s ability to buy, get what you think as pleasure is going to drop drastically more than 97%. Listen carefully, a power manifesting balasant is going to travel to more number of countries and places than a billionaire. In pre-Corona world, a power manifesting balasant can travel to the level of millionaire. Somebody has a million dollar, how much he can travel all over the world, that much a power manifesting balasant can travel. Now in post-Corona world, a power manifesting balasant will travel and meet people, do power demonstration, heal people, help people consciously to the level only billionaire can travel. That is why I told you, each power manifesting balasant is equivalent to billionaire. All these statements I made, each power manifesting balasant is equivalent to billionaire, all this will be proved as a truth post-Corona world.
(15:53)
I’m telling you: Only the conscious muscles you built, means power manifesting science, Consciousness, Consciousness based lifestyle, only these assets which you accumulated till now is going to be valuable and life supporting for you in the post Corona world.
(16:26)
The world is going to go through a huge shift. Many things which were valuable in pre-Corona world is going to be absolutely dust in post-Corona world. I don’t know how many of you know, top four airlines have declared bankruptcy. Top four airlines, because flying is not going to be same as it used to be in pre-Corona world. People are going to suddenly become rich and suddenly become poor. Anything you built digital based, you are going to be rich thousands times more. If you are today million dollar worth, a digital company, digital based company million dollar worth. you are just going to be billion dollars worth.
(17:35)
Understand, I am responsibly making every statement. I am responsible for the statements I am making now. Everytime when I decide I am responsible for the statement I am making, exactly that statement was proven true and it became reality. If it was a prophecy, prediction, it became reality properly on time. If it was a statement, it was established as a truth by many scientific researchers’ discoveries. Maybe in later days E is not equivalent to MC2 is not something I uttered a few years before. In 2002, just see my first video recorded Ananda Spurana Program in Tamil, 2002 February done in Erode. Go and see that video. If you know Tamil, you can understand. In that video I am saying E=MC2 is not the truth. From 2002, I am talking. And now recently scientists are saying, “Yes E=MC2 is not complete truth.” That something is missing. 2002, I said and now scientists are proving. Multiple research papers are coming out.
(19:11)
Listen, now mark my words. All digital assets are going to become thousand times more valuable. Real estate is going to literally crash. Wealthy people are going to become poor and poor people are going to become wealthy. This confused, not even logical, confused, terrorizing, horrible changes are going to happen. Even if you become wealthy, that wealth is not going to bring you what you want. I’m telling you Corona is going to teach straightforward simple truths ferociously.
(20:15)
Listen, it’s going to teach all the truths, the Spiritual truth, whatever is revealed by Paramashiva in Upanishads, all of that, the situation created by Corona is going to teach us. We are going to be taught all those truths in a simple but ferocious way, that’s it. Listen, each of my balasant is going to fly in chartered planes to do power demonstrations and heal people all over the world. Even billionaires will not be able to afford it. Understand I am recording all these statements and putting them in public because I am going to prove it in next few months. Maybe your parents can assist, come with you to wash your clothes and take care of you as your sevak’s, dasandari.
(21:25))
Listen carefully. The future is only for two products Consciousness based products, power manifestation, Consciousness based lifestyle, teachings. If you are able to teach consciousness based products by giving experience, you do power manifestations and you make them do the process, rasasiddham, and they do power manifestation. If you are able to do this, you have a future. Second, if your products are digital based you have a future. Only these two has a future. No one, nothing else has a future. I’m telling you, put it on, I’m putting it on record.
(22:22)
All the ideas of passport, visa is going to collapse. All the ideas of passport, visa is going to collapse because nobody will be able to travel. If somebody is able to, want to travel, the travel is going to be so costly, so highly, only needed on demand basis. No country will stop you visiting their country. No country will bother about passport. I tell you, if you are able to manifest one power, you have a universal passport. I guarantee all my balasants you have a universal passport which has access to any country. No country will stop you. Every country will welcome you. The idea of passport and visa, citizenship is going to be wiped out from planet Earth. Hey, all this Khalabaivara revealed. That is why, with so, so much of clarity I’m spelling it out and putting it on record.
(23:41)
I also know the people who have enmity towards me, the abuser kulnari gang regularly watches the satsang, classes, sessions, more than any of you and they record. I’m putting it on record and I’m going to record this and publish it. The idea of passport, visa, all this are going to be irrelevant, redundant.
(24:20)
Money is not going to get you the citizenship in the country you want, but if you learn one power manifestation, it will get you the citizenship, highest civilian award in any country you want. Just learn only one power manifestation. If you are able to demonstrate one power foolproof, you are universal citizen. I can get you citizenship in any country you want.
(24:49)
I will, there are tons of things which money cannot buy, is going to be available for people who built conscious powers, superconscious powers.
(25:28)
Focus your time, energy on just these two things: one power manifestation, means the Consciousness, spiritual consciousness, power manifesting based lifestyle and power manifestation. Second, if you have time and you want to do something socially with world, work in the digital platform. Only that has a future because the whole world’s contact with human beings and human beings' contact with the world is going to be drastically reduced, and 80% of the contact with human beings and the world is going to be digital. 80% of the experiences of the people with the human world is going to be digital. So, if you want money, work in the digital world. If you want life, work in the Consciousness world.
(26:40)
Hey, today morning only Khalabaivara showed Me clearly, how nicely last ten years, from 2010 He is preparing Me and the Sangha for the post-Corona world. Understand, only these two is going to have a value: one, Consciousness based products like power manifestation, or all other products which is going to increase Consciousness in you. Second digital. Whole world education, joys, pleasure, happiness, entertainment, everything is going to become digital. Even tourism is going to become digital. You will be given a digital tourist tour, that’s all. Everything is going to become digital. Even the medical world, lot is going to become digital. Augmented reality and virtual reality is going to become the new normal reality. Only these two is going to have the future: Consciousness based and digital.
(27:58)
Understand, large infrastructures built for human beings gathering is going to become absolutely useless, absolutely useless. Large cities are going to be absolutely useless. This culture of moving towards the city is drastically going to collapse. The reverse migration which is happening now in India is going to become a lifestyle. Heavily crowded cities are no more going to become the attraction point. They’re no more going to be the attraction point. Mega city concepts are dead. The future is going to be just island cities, small, small, small, small, small, small happy peaceful communities, settlements where the interacting with human beings is your choice, not a forced need of your day to day life. People are going to move and live in that kind of places where the interaction with other human beings is your choice, not the force or demand.
(29:33)
See, if you are living in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, just because you need to go to your job, every morning you need to get up from your home and move to your, go to your office. Societally, you are forced to interact with thousands of people. The risk of infection is thousands of times higher. So all these kind of infrastructures where human interaction is mandatory is going to lose its power over people, lose its glamour over people. Human interaction on voluntary based, only that kind of lifestyle is going to evolve. People are going to move more towards villages and, where if you want, you can meet people, if not, you don’t need to meet people. You don’t even need to see people. Exactly as I decided My lifestyle two years before. I told you, world has no other choice. Universe has no other choice other than to follow Me. You guys trolled Me and made fun of Me, just follow Me, OK? You trolled Me, you made fun of Me, enough, all that silly games, come on, now follow Me. Human interactions on need basis, lifestyle, that kind of settlement, that kind of environment, that kind of housing, that kind of a places is only going to become popular. The mandatory human interaction based, mandatory and unnecessary.
(31:52)
See, even if you have to work to earn salary, you may need to meet only your boss, only that is mandatory and few co-workers, handful, maybe five, six, but if you are living in a city like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, unnecessarily you need to meet thousands of people, see thousands of people, be among thousands of people during your travel and for multiple other reasons even though you don’t want. So all the unnecessary and non-mandatory human interaction based infrastructures are going to lose its power over people. People don’t want anymore mandatory human interaction based cities, places anymore.
(33:07)
Lot’s of new understanding about life, I should say, ancient, ancient understandings will be implemented now in life. All My devotees, whoever listens to My advice, focus your time, energy, talent, everything just in these two: building digital assets, digital based profession, Consciousness based lifestyle. Spend more time nicely building your body through yoga, building your conscious muscles, means ability to be without solid food. I tell you, feed your body with very good nutrients, vitamins, minerals, all in liquid form. Soon science will prove why I insist on liquid form and fasting, keeping yourself away from solid food.
(34:27)
Understand, listen carefully. If you’re physically active, working out, working in the fields and doing agriculture, construction work, physically active, solid food is good for you. If you are not physically active, you are only sitting wholel day, using your brain, heart, emotions, your other components of you other than your body, you are not physically active but you are active in the other ways, mentally, psychologically, emotionally, visually, creatively. If you are a that kind of person; ninety nine per cent of My disciples are that kind of people who are not physically active, who are not physically working, for you, liquid diet is the best lifestyle. You will become thousands times more creative. Your Consciousness will reach higher and higher state when you cut down solid food. I am not saying deny food. Give a very rich nutrients, vitamins, minerals, very rich food, healthy food to your body - liquid... liquid. Don’t eat solid. When you start giving as a liquid you will take very minimal because it is more like an Aushada. It’s not like a tasty, tasty. You will not eat for tongue, you will eat for body.
(36:23)
Shifting eating for health, not for taste, will be achieved in your life when you shift to the liquid diet from solid food. Less eating is the best way to live long. Thousands of researchers have come, now I, I’m showing you one article, thousands of researchers have proved eating less is the best way to live long. Practice more and more conscious lifestyle capabilities and powers. Listen, conscious lifestyle possibilities and powers, this is going to be your greatest asset and strength. Consciousness based possibilities means ability to do intense yoga and keep your body usable. See, My body is usable for me. What is My purpose? I need to sit twenty hours a day and teach: classes, programs, do the dial the Avatar calls, interact with people, initiate them, for that My body is perfectly ready. Twenty hours a day I can nicely sit in Padmasana and I don’t even need to move My body. I can just sit like this twenty hours a day, and do My work very highly completely focused on the subject I am talking. I can just download truths after truths after truths and go on be sharing with you twenty hours sitting like this per day. If you watch my 2002 classes, satsangs, discourses, sessions, you will see the same thing. No, not even backrest. At least now I have a backrest but I am not using it. I am not leaning on it. I stopped using... leaning on the backrest. Backrest is there as a symbol, as a respect but there’s a big gap between the backrest and My body, no back support. Backrest is not back support. You can see Me sitting in the same way in My first ASP, video recorded ASP in 2002, stabily like this for hours and now, literally forty two, I can sit like this for hours and go on doing My job, what I am expected to do, what I have committed to the world to do. Healthy body means twenty hours a day you should be able to do the job which you’re expected to do without tiredness, boredom, irritation, anything.
(40:04)
Build conscious mind means no violence. I tell you all, violence is nothing but iron deficiency. See, if you are feeling violent, if you are feeling angry, if you are feeling frustrated about anything, just take Neem juice everyday. Feeling violence, anger, frustrated, irritated is just iron deficiency. Do not support your anger. Do not feel somebody is reason for your anger. If you do false diagnosis you will never be healed.
(40:58)
Hey, all my balasants, at least you guys, listen to Me. At least you guys, listen to Me. If you are feeling angry, frustrated, violent about anything, be very clear, external reason is false. Internal reason, iron deficiency, leaky guts, these are the reason. Just take Neem juice. Take Haritaki. Take sesame seed balls. Sesame seed oil is an amazing healer. Supply the nutritions, minerals, vitamins, healthy food to your body organically naturally. All external reasons you show for your anger, violence, frustration is false. If you just take neem juice, if you just supply enough iron for your body, vitamins, minerals, suddenly you will see your anger, violence, frustration has no meaning. Do not stupidly lose your divine status. By acknowledging, logically cognizing external persons or situations as reason for your anger, violence, frustration. Hey, balasants, at least you guys, listen, I’m talking for you. This will be great help for you guys to remove the violence. Listen, early morning when you are the one becoming many is, that is what is waking-up state. See waking up is nothing but one becoming many. When one becomes many, it should always be pleasant - “I am becoming many to enjoy me.” If you have anger, violence, hatred towards somebody, you will become many only to hurt yourself. Then, you will, you will live a demonic life. Become many to enjoy yourself. You will live a blissful life like Paramashiva.
(43:49)
One real incident happened in my life. Once I was sitting with Arunagiri Yogishwara, my guru. Understand this is very important incident, listen carefully. Sit straight and listen carefully. I’ll describe as it is. One elderly person comes into the scene. Why I’m calling it as a scene you know, I always observed. Within the dvadashanta(Dvādaśānta (Sanskrit: द्वादशान्त), means Arunagiri Yogishwara gave me Darshan as a six feet form, normally. Sometimes He would look too big but six feet form is the normal form. I should say maybe six five, like that, that is the form. Twelve times of his size, his height like a twelve into six point five or six roughly. We can keep it as six, six into twelve. That many feet, seventy two feet. Within that seventy two feet, if somebody comes and seen by Me also and Him also, that person is from Kailasa. He can see us, we can see him. But once he moves from seventy two feet, no, he will not be seen by Me, but he will be seen only by Him, Arunagiri Yogishwara. And outsiders cannot see Him.
(45:38)
Listen carefully. That is Dvadashanta, His breathing space is so powerful, no outsider can see Him even when I’m sitting with Him, that is why the temple watchman Rajendran, Tiruvannamalai temple watchman Rajendran, he says: I used to see Swamiji will be sitting and talking alone in front of Arunagiri Yogishwara’s Jiva samadhi for long time, morning to evening, but I don’t know with whom He is talking. So ordinary people cannot see Him. When people walk into His breathing space, if they are from Kailasa, I can see them, they can see Me, they can see Him, all three can see each other. So one person like that, elderly person walked in, kept some edible items like a murukku, some, few items. So I was sitting with Arunagiri Yogishwara and listening to Him. He was talking something. After some time, very casually, and I had a very intimate relationship with Him. He is literally part of Me and I am part of Him, casually, without Him telling Me, instructing Me. This is the place where I used to usually sit with Him, exactly the place where I’m sitting, He used to sit and I sit the next step down. This is the place where we usually sit and have interactions.
(47:36)
Listen carefully now. Now let Me tell you. Casually, I took that murukku, some items and put it in My mouth and started eating. He was teaching something very powerful, and He uttered some mantras, very powerful sound, mantras, but I was trying to crush the murukku in My mouth. Because of the murukku sound I did not hear that mantra. So I just asked Him “ah ah”. Means to repeat the mantra. He is extremely sweet person. He became ferocious and said in Tamil “thingarada niruttu”. Literally My whole being was shaken. He told, “Thingarada niruttu”, it means, literal translation is “stop snacking”. That snacks, when you eat, that process is called “thingaradu” that which makes sound, the murukku and all that snacks, Indian snacks when you eat, it will make sound in the mouth. So, because of that sound, I missed some of the mantras He was uttering. Actually if you eat murukku, you will understand exactly what I am saying. The sound which your mo.., the sound which murukku makes inside your mouth, you will not be able to hear others talking. So I missed some syllables, some of the beeja mantras and asked Him “ah ah”. Means When I, i just said “ah ah”, it means I’m just asking Him to repeat. I missed the sound, so please repeat. He became so ferocious and very strong screaming voice “Thingarada niruttu”. Fortunately He has already blessed Me with the simple obedience, just My spontaneous reaction was I spat the whole thing, means I just vomited the, spat the whole thing, threw the whole thing out. And the next thing I did, I just picked up His finger and put it in My mouth to remove whatever is stuck in My mouth, to make sure it doesn’t go inside, it goes outside. So whatever... I took His finger and put it in My mouth to clean. Let all that go out. Let your instructions be absolutely executed by your Grace. I am here with absolute simple obedience. I did not think and do all these action. I just know simple obedience and no anger, no reaction, no fear, no violence, no resistance, nothing. Actually He was screaming, ferocious with Me. I was very romantic, the romance was My response for His ferociousness. Will you have a guts when some, even your mother or father screaming at you, you will, will you have the gut to pick up their hand and put it in your mouth and clean your teeth? Fortunately He has blessed Me with absolute, simple obedience. That simple obedience, I just spat the whole thing, whatever was in My mouth, and picked up His hand, put the finger and cleaned My teeth, whatever was deep inside, stuck. Two things happened. He just cooled down. His whole response to Me cooled down. Of course, surely, He is, He is Paramashiva, the whole space is different and He was tasting Me and all that I know. I, I’m telling you the, the exact as it happened. And the way He, then He took another hand and held My head with one hand. And actually I took the left hand, His left hand and put in My mouth to clean My mouth, to get the small, small bits out of whatever was stuck in My teeth. So He took his right hand and held My head and nicely cleaned, like just He did here, there and all thing came out and I spat the whole thing. It all happened, maybe the whole incident, I can say, ten minutes. He said: “I was just checking. I know for sure, you are in Oneness with Me”.
(53:36)
Understand, first I did not think, let Me swallow whatever I already put in My mouth. No. I made a big mess of taking it and put it in My mouth without asking His permission. Before He told. I did a mess, it's a big mess. I should not have taken His presence for granted, His teaching for granted, His initiation for granted. and just picked up, and put it in My mouth, it was a mess. big mess. And then when I missed the syllable, the sound beeja mantra, he was actually chanting few beeja mantra in between the instructions to initiate Me. And I missed the beeja mantra because of the murukku sound, karamura sound. When I asked Him “ah, ah, ah”, - when He became ferocious and gave the instruction, literally screamed “Thingarada niruttu”, I did not plan strategically, let Me just swallow whatever is in the mouth. No, simple obedience, just spat. Next, I have cleaned whatever is in the mouth. How much ever I tried to clean on My own, it will not be complete, so let Me take His help to execute His instructions, took the finger and put it in the mouth, absolute intimacy and romance. Note I am very clear He is ferocious for My good, He does not hate Me or He is angry with Me. Trust in your guru, he is not angry with you. He does not hate you. He is guru-disciple relationship. That is the basis for simple obedience. I just know he doesn’t hate Me. He is not angry with Me. He is just training Me. And the whole thing only opened up in Me as an intense love and romance, so I just picked up His hand, put it in My mouth and started cleaning My mouth, requesting Him to help Me to execute guruvak, His instruction. He was ferocious. His ferociousness invoked intense trust and romance in Me. That is the source of simple obedience, simple obedience. Not strategic, not thinking, “oh let me swallow this much, I will not put next hand in my mouth, next handful I will not put. I will not take more but whatever is in the mouth, let me swallow it.” No. Simple obedience. No justification, no anger, no violence, simple obedience. After cleaning My mouth, actually He held with right hand My head and with the left hand He cleaned. I could see very clearly everything just came out and I spat it out. He just hugged Me, that’s it.
(58:10)
I know the intense Oneness. I bless you all with this Oneness. Keeping Arunagiri Yogishwara as a witness. I am bringing that akashic record from past to present and making it happen with all of you. Let all of you experience this Oneness with Arunagiri Yogishwara. I am blessing all of you, everyone of you. Not just My Gurukul kids, I am blessing each one of you. With the grace and blessings of Arunagiri Yogishwara, let Mahadeva Paramashiva, I pray to Him, “Prabho manifest intense Oneness, sweet Oneness which you showered on Me. Let that past become present now and manifest, and manifest each one sitting with Me all over the world, each one sitting with Me all over the world manifest that same Oneness with you. Mahadeva, Prabho Paramashiva, Swami. That is the way I addressed him. I never addressed him as Paramashiva. I’ve not even addressed Him as Arunagiri Yogishwara. I addressed Him only as Swami. Now, I’m calling you the same, Sami, manifest, bless everyone with that same Oneness. Let that past become present. Let you manifest the same Oneness with all, all, all.
(1:01:13)
The most intimate world, largest number of times I used and you responded is Sami. I’m calling you with that same word Sami, manifest the same Oneness you gave Me to all.
(1:10:02)
Now you can all manifest powers now. Today I want you to manifest six powers, all third eye related, intensely focused. Listen carefully. Opening third eye with intense energy will raise, awaken multiple powers. So focus the six third eye powers today, and the solar eclipse day, I’m going to give a special Power manifestation mantra diksha. In Tamil we say “Vishakadi neenga manthiram”. Means the mantra and power manifestation initiation I am going to give to you on solar eclipse day, if you use them, you will be able to heal any of the poisonous biting. All the poisons will become powerless in front of you. With this mantra you can clear any poison. Listen, it's very powerful mantra. I initiate all of you and the procedure, both. So on that solar eclipse time I’ll be initiating all of you. With the time, date now the message will be put in the Facebook page. Please all of you share. Listen carefully, listen to this carefully. I told all My Gurukul balasants to read that article where a Chennai scientist claims connection between Covid-19 and solar eclipse.
(1:12:25)
See, I want to tell you few things. Few things which doctor K.L Sundar Krishna says, the scientist says. I’m going to support and acknowledge but that does not mean I am not supporting or acknowledging other points he makes. Other points he makes, I have no idea. I don’t know about it. So whatever is conforming with My experience, I’m going to support it. I’m going to explain it.
(1:13:07)
Listen one thing, listen to this. As he says that during the solar eclipse, that some energy transit, energy fusion, happening. Actually you can’t use the word transmission or fusion or fission. All those words have very less meaning and smaller definition. We should just say “energy happening” and leave it.
Listen carefully. There is an “energy happening” during the eclipse time and this virus kind of things does have the planetary interventions. Listen carefully. See, he says, “The virus has occurred from the upper atmosphere due to the interplanetary force variations. A new alignment in which the Earth has created a conducive atmosphere, for the first neutrons with no charge in nature are coming out of most sufficient energy from sun. Said Krishna adding, “They may have started nucleating with foreign absorbing material which could be nucleus of the biomolecule, bio nuclear interactions taken place in the upper atmosphere. The mutation of the bio molecular structure protein, might have been possible source of this virus.” This is the Sunder Krishna presentation. I want to all of you to read this article. First thing I am in awe and absolutely appreciate his clarity. I give My humble respects to his intelligence, his Sarasvatya, Pandithya, his knowledge, I bow down to his knowledge.
(1:15:35)
Many things he is saying, whatever I understood which is connecting and matching with my Shastra pramana, My knowledge about the cosmos from My enlightenment, Shastra Pramana and Apta Pramana, I will present it to all of you. Listen, whatever he says, I’ll read out once more these lines, “The virus has occurred”, I’m reading out the article published in Hindustan times, “the virus has occurred from the upper atmosphere due to the interplanetary force variation.” I agree with this absolutely and its truth. “A new alignment in which the Earth has created a conducive atmosphere.” That’s also true. “For the first neutrons with no charge in nature are coming out of most sufficent energy from the sun”, true, “they may have started nucleating with the foreign absorbing material which could be a nucleus of biomolecule, bio-nuclear interaction taken place in the upper atmosphere, the mutation of the biomolecular structure, protein, might have been possible source of this virus.”
(1:17:10)
Listen, whatever he said, I absolutely agree, it is true. I’m only adding one more point. I also project the link to that article [https://www.hindustantimes.com/tamil-nadu/chennai-based-scientist-claims-connection-between-covid-19-and-solar-eclipse/story-JTh5Q9co8D8lWSOWMkKaSI.html here], please read. Listen. See, normally if a male component, semen, and the female component, if they match, if they meet in some open place, it will not become a child, it will not become a life, it will not become a baby. But in a space, in a mother’s womb, when the male component and female component meet, life happens, that atmosphere, the space which makes the life happen is called Chit - Chidakasha. Listen carefully, Chit Chidakasha is the fifth dimension of the Universe. Actually, fifth dimension, but in the modern day scientists because they start telling time is the fourth and space is the fifth, sometimes I tell Chit as the sixth dimension for your understanding. But as for the cosmic reality the space is actually inside time itself. The time space is one and the same. It’s not separate in Hindu tradition. The Cosmos, in actual cosmos, time and space are the same dimension. So, length, breadth, depth, time, space, time space is fourth dimension, Chit is the fifth dimension, Chidakasha. Chidakasha is the space where the life is generated consciously. It is not dead mechanical chemical actions and reactions.
(1:19:13)
Listen, now whatever this scientist is describing, that is happening in a place where Chit is making it alive. That Chit is ParaShakti Mahamari. So, if we connect with ParaShakti Mahamari, She can completely heal the Coronavirus. She can heal the Coronavirus. Understand, this whole process which he is describing is not dead chemical, just ordinary chemistry process. It is happening in a place called Chit, Chidākāsha. Remember this example. All the male component, female component meeting does not become a child, baby, life. New life does not happen because for the new life to happen, both the male component, female component need to meet in a space called Chit, Consciousness. In that dimension they both meet, only then it becomes life, new life. Same way, what doctor Krishna says this process has happened. In Chit, that expression is Mahamari - Mahamari Parashakti Mahamari. If we connect with Her and pray to Her and request Her to heal us and the planet Earth. She is a conscious happening who listens to our prayers and responds to us. She is not just some dead, chemical process, no, conscious happening. She can decide and free us from Corona, liberate us from Corona. That is why I was insisting on Pacchai Pattini Vratham prayer to Mariamman. So, understand Chit, Consciousness is the space of Mahamari ParaShakti.
(1:22:09)
She can control, clean Corona if we can pray to Her, connect with Her through Pacchai Pattini Vratham and all other prayers. And I tell you, Mahamari worship in South, Jagannatha worship in Orissa, means East, Kalabhairava worship in North, all these are directly related to protecting ourself from this virus pandemics, diseases, this large killing epidemics pandemics kind of diseases. That whole worship, all these three worship is a science of protecting ourself from all pandemics, epidemics, this Coronavirus kind of mass killing diseases, mass killing diseases pandemics.
(1:23:32)
So, understand, I request all My disciples, follow your country’s laws, follow the rules and regulations of your country. I cannot interfere in your country’s rules, regulations, laws and I will not interfere also. Along with following your country’s laws, rules, regulations, if you can add and do Puja of these three worships as much as your country law allows: in the South Mahamayi Puja, the whole, all the four states has this Devi worship, that science, using Neem, Turmeric, Fire walking, fasting, all this used, in every village the name may be different, different, some places Muthumariamman, some places Mahamariamman, some places Chandanamariamman, some places Isakki Mariamman and some places Maha Kaliamman. In Andhra they do something called Bommaloo...Bonam… Bonam, Bonam festival and exactly the Bonam, the rituals and methods done in Andhra and Tamil Nadu, Poo choodal, Bhumithitthal, all that exactly the same methodology, same science, same methodology. The deity names are only different, same way the North Kalabhairava pooja and East Jagannatha’s worship, all of it follows the same science. Different local indigenious names and traditions. In Kerala they call it Velicha Padu. I request all the Hindus to do all these worships as much as possible to reduce the negative impact of Corona on life and livelihood, both. Bonalu, in Andhra also is same as the worship of Mariamman in Tamil Nadu. In Telangana Yellamma, Yellamma is in Tamil Nadu Ellaiamma. It is actually my mother’s mother’s family deity Yellamma. My mother’s mother’s name itself is Yellammal. Ellaiammal in Tamil and Yellamma in Andhra Bonalu festival Jatra. All these are direct science of healing the pandemics, epidemics, the Coronavirus kind of diseases. Bonalu involves the worship of Mother Goddess, Maisamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Beddamma, Dukkalamma, Angalamma, Poleramma, Mariamma, Nookalamma, all... Anyhow, please try to do all these pujas, rituals, worships as much as your country's laws and legalities allows, but wherever it is allowed, I will really encourage people to do all these worships. Any country ratha yatra is allowed, I request that countries Nithyananda Sangha to make Jagannath ratha yatra happen this year. Because in India, Jagannath ratha yatra, ratha yatra is stayed in Puri, I read the news. Whichever country your law allows, the rules are allowing, please inform Me, that country Nithyananda Sangha should conduct Jagannath ratha yatra this year because the traditions should not be lost. Wherever our Kailasa Nithyananda Sangha is there, please approach your government, any government gives permission, we should conduct ratha yatra this year, Jagannath ratha yatra. We can’t afford to stop the worship of Jagannatha. It is direct science of healing and protecting all of us from this pandemics and epidemics. So, in India it is not possible because the Supreme court has stayed the Jagannath rath yatra this year. All other country, our Nithyananda Sangha should try to approach your local government and get permission. Any country gets permission, inform Me, we should do ratha yatra in that country. Same way, any country gives permission for fire walking, inform Me. We should do Mariamman puja and do fire walking and let’s pray to the beings Gods of Kailasa to heal the world, protect all of us from the negative impacts of Corona on life and livelihood, both. With this please do the power manifestation. I will continue to initiate in further sessions and satsangs. Now you can all manifest third eye, remote viewing, body scanning, mind reading, Consciousness over matter, clairvoyance, all the six powers with this strong powerful initiation. With the grace of Arunagiri Yogishwara all of you can manifest powers.
(1:31:05)
So, now, with this, I bless you all. Let’s all radiate with Integrity, Authenticity, Responsibility, Enriching, Causing, Living Shuddhadvaitam, the State, Space, Powers, Being, Superconsciousness and Kailasa of Paramashiva. Paramashivoham, Om Nithyananda Parmashivoham, the eternal Bliss, Nithyananda. Thank you. Be Blissful.
(1:31:39)

==Enrichment Content from the day==
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{{#hsimg:1|300| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=15DaSz69KEoQ0w-WGomcqWhrKNvGa1k8J}}

==Facebook Posts==
* https://www.facebook.com/srinithyananda.swami/posts/1661773390644320
* https://www.facebook.com/ParamahamsaNithyananda

==Photos Of The Day:==

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[[Category: 2020 | 20200618]][[Category: Facebook Posts]][[Category:Auto Uploaded Images]]

June 18 2020

2021-05-13T08:02:01Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Additional Video(s) */

==Title==
Strength for the world after Coronavirus. ll Paramashivoham S-6 ll Paramashiva Bhava Darshan.ll

==Narration==
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, Jagatguru Mahasannidhanam, His Divine Holiness, Bhagavan Nithyananda Paramashivam expounded on the Cosmic Principles [[Consciousness Muscles & Superpowers - Strength for the World After Coronavirus]]. His Divine Holiness (HDH) explained that Corona is not weapon. It is [[Shastra]], knowledge here to teach strong and powerful lessons to the world. HDH also received all delegates and blessed them with an intense initiation during the [[Courtyard Session]] with many revelations from [[Lord Kalabhairava]]. The [[Darshan]] for today was [[Paramashiva Bhava Darshan]].

Contributing to over [[108 Humanitarian Causes of SHRIKAILASA Uniting Nations]], [[KAILASA's Nithyananda Hindu University]] marks today as Season 6, Day 11 of [[Paramashivoham]]. One of the major highlights of KAILASA’s contributions through this convention is [[Power Manifestation]], today being 6 Powers of [[Third Eye]].

[[Sanyasis]] of the [[Nithyananda Order of Monks]] and initiated [[Acharyas]] worldwide, affiliated with the [[Department of Education of KAILASA]] conducted a series of seminars focusing on Truths of the [[Ishavasya Upanishad]], [[Keno Upanishad]], [[Brahma Sutras]] and [[Pure Questioning]], as revealed by HDH inspiring millions towards the [[Science of Hinduism]].

==Satsang==
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==Additional Video(s)==

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videoUrl=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb17OdiPp70&feature=emb_logo
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==Transcript==
18 JUNE 2020

(00:14)
This message is directly from Maha Kalabhairava. Listen, whatever conscious lifestyle you developed, conscious muscles you built, conscious powers you acquired, accumulated till now, only that is going to be your strength in the post Corona world. Listen - All the conscious lifestyle, strengths you accumulated, like a, how much of ability to unclutch you developed, how much of powerful cognitions you built, how many hours a day you are able to keep yourself in a high state of consciousness, how many powers you are able to manifest consciously powerfully without self-doubt, self-hatred, self-denial, how much alive, life-involved you are; only these things are going to be your strength post Corona world.
(02:12)
Listen carefully, everything else you acquired is not going to be with you. Corona, as I said, is not weapon. It is shastra, knowledge. It is going to teach lessons, strong powerful lessons to the world. It’s not going to be weapon. It’s not going to kill the numbers like how you are made to believe or threatened. It may not even become world’s number one cause of death. Understand, but it is going to teach strong lessons to the world.
(03:31)
Listen, whatever you thought, you are thinking as your strength: your education, your career, your name and fame, your beauty; nothing is going to be your strength in post Corona world. Celebrities are losing their brand value, understand.
(04:06)
Money is not going to bring all the things it used to bring to you in pre pre-Corona world. In pre-Corona world, whatever you can get, buy through money, post Corona world you are not going to get that. Even if you have money, even if the money has a value, its ability to get things what you want is going to be lost drastically. If money can buy hundred items for you in pre-Corona world, in post-Corona world it can buy only maybe maximum two or three things. Means the utility of the money, the ability of money to get what you want is going to be dropped 97%.
(05:13)
Understand, I’m going to publish this video. I’m going to put this on record. Corona is not going to become number one cause of death in the world. That’s the first statement. Listen, number of deaths per year caused by cardiovascular diseases is something like 20.2 million, directly related to heart, around 20.2 millions per year. Corona is not going to kill that many number of people per year. Be very clear. It is not even going to be the world’s leading cause of death. That’s the first statement I am making. Second, but it is going to teach huge lessons to human beings. <<inaudible>> huge lessons to human beings. I made this statement the moment Corona pandemic started: Corona is not weapon to kill people. It is going to only teach lessons to people, strong lessons to people. It may not even become the number one cause of death per year. But it is going to change the world forever. It’s going to teach large number of lessons. I tell you, whatever you thought useful in your life, really will not be useful. All the great strategies you built in your life for things which you thought as a goal of your life will not fulfill the goals of your life anymore. Old world order is melting down. If you thought money is going to take you all over the world to different places, it’s going to help you to travel the world and see the world, you are fool. If you accumulated conscious power manifestation, that will help you and take you to the more places, and that will take you, make you travel all over the world and enjoy the world than any money. People with money are not going to be able to travel. Travel is not going to be easy for you. But people with powers are going to be traveling. Everywhere you are going to be invited. I tell you, my balasants, get ready to travel all over the world, not only manifestation,<<unclear>> people. Future is yours. Future is my Balasants world, I’m telling you. Not pride, not arrogance, simple statement. Understand I’m neither arrogant person nor humble person. I’m a simple straightforward person, village boy from Tiruvannamalai. A Hindu spiritual village boy. So understand, your money, your beauty, your education, your career, your awards, rewards, all achievements, nothing is going to have value in post Corona world. I’m making it very clear. It’s a message from Khalabavara listen.
(10:41)
Old world order is melting down. Understand every statement I am making. Corona is not going to become the leading cause of deaths in the world every year because Corona has not come to the world as a weapon to kill human beings. But it is going to teach large number of lessons. Money, even if it is able to retain its value, like a currency value, what is that ex.. that you exchange... even if the exchange value of the currency is retained, maintained artificially, its utility value in your life is going to drastically drop. Not just little bit, drastically. Even if the exchange rates are maintained artificially, money’s ability to get you what you want in your life, what has been taught to you as a pleasure, joy, security, whatever, whatever. What for you worked for money? You worked for money your whole life, your strategies for money, your plans for money - what for? Because you expect money will give you certain security, medical care and certain kind of a stability. It will buy you all the things which give you joy, pleasure, luxury, comfort, happiness, whatever you think you will get it through money. Money has lost its ability to buy all that for you. Even if you are a billionaire, you will not be able to travel as freely as it used to be in pre-Corona world. Your whole world is going to be reduced just to digital screens. Of course digital companies, the digital based products and companies are going to just shoot up the value. All digital based assets, products, everything is going to just go up, because the whole world is going to be reduced to the digital interaction. I tell you, whole world is going to be reduced to digital interactions. The whole, there is something going to evolve called new normal. Your money’s ability to buy, get what you think as pleasure is going to drop drastically more than 97%. Listen carefully, a power manifesting balasant is going to travel to more number of countries and places than a billionaire. In pre-Corona world, a power manifesting balasant can travel to the level of millionaire. Somebody has a million dollar, how much he can travel all over the world, that much a power manifesting balasant can travel. Now in post-Corona world, a power manifesting balasant will travel and meet people, do power demonstration, heal people, help people consciously to the level only billionaire can travel. That is why I told you, each power manifesting balasant is equivalent to billionaire. All these statements I made, each power manifesting balasant is equivalent to billionaire, all this will be proved as a truth post-Corona world.
(15:53)
I’m telling you: Only the conscious muscles you built, means power manifesting science, Consciousness, Consciousness based lifestyle, only these assets which you accumulated till now is going to be valuable and life supporting for you in the post Corona world.
(16:26)
The world is going to go through a huge shift. Many things which were valuable in pre-Corona world is going to be absolutely dust in post-Corona world. I don’t know how many of you know, top four airlines have declared bankruptcy. Top four airlines, because flying is not going to be same as it used to be in pre-Corona world. People are going to suddenly become rich and suddenly become poor. Anything you built digital based, you are going to be rich thousands times more. If you are today million dollar worth, a digital company, digital based company million dollar worth. you are just going to be billion dollars worth.
(17:35)
Understand, I am responsibly making every statement. I am responsible for the statements I am making now. Everytime when I decide I am responsible for the statement I am making, exactly that statement was proven true and it became reality. If it was a prophecy, prediction, it became reality properly on time. If it was a statement, it was established as a truth by many scientific researchers’ discoveries. Maybe in later days E is not equivalent to MC2 is not something I uttered a few years before. In 2002, just see my first video recorded Ananda Spurana Program in Tamil, 2002 February done in Erode. Go and see that video. If you know Tamil, you can understand. In that video I am saying E=MC2 is not the truth. From 2002, I am talking. And now recently scientists are saying, “Yes E=MC2 is not complete truth.” That something is missing. 2002, I said and now scientists are proving. Multiple research papers are coming out.
(19:11)
Listen, now mark my words. All digital assets are going to become thousand times more valuable. Real estate is going to literally crash. Wealthy people are going to become poor and poor people are going to become wealthy. This confused, not even logical, confused, terrorizing, horrible changes are going to happen. Even if you become wealthy, that wealth is not going to bring you what you want. I’m telling you Corona is going to teach straightforward simple truths ferociously.
(20:15)
Listen, it’s going to teach all the truths, the Spiritual truth, whatever is revealed by Paramashiva in Upanishads, all of that, the situation created by Corona is going to teach us. We are going to be taught all those truths in a simple but ferocious way, that’s it. Listen, each of my balasant is going to fly in chartered planes to do power demonstrations and heal people all over the world. Even billionaires will not be able to afford it. Understand I am recording all these statements and putting them in public because I am going to prove it in next few months. Maybe your parents can assist, come with you to wash your clothes and take care of you as your sevak’s, dasandari.
(21:25))
Listen carefully. The future is only for two products Consciousness based products, power manifestation, Consciousness based lifestyle, teachings. If you are able to teach consciousness based products by giving experience, you do power manifestations and you make them do the process, rasasiddham, and they do power manifestation. If you are able to do this, you have a future. Second, if your products are digital based you have a future. Only these two has a future. No one, nothing else has a future. I’m telling you, put it on, I’m putting it on record.
(22:22)
All the ideas of passport, visa is going to collapse. All the ideas of passport, visa is going to collapse because nobody will be able to travel. If somebody is able to, want to travel, the travel is going to be so costly, so highly, only needed on demand basis. No country will stop you visiting their country. No country will bother about passport. I tell you, if you are able to manifest one power, you have a universal passport. I guarantee all my balasants you have a universal passport which has access to any country. No country will stop you. Every country will welcome you. The idea of passport and visa, citizenship is going to be wiped out from planet Earth. Hey, all this Khalabaivara revealed. That is why, with so, so much of clarity I’m spelling it out and putting it on record.
(23:41)
I also know the people who have enmity towards me, the abuser kulnari gang regularly watches the satsang, classes, sessions, more than any of you and they record. I’m putting it on record and I’m going to record this and publish it. The idea of passport, visa, all this are going to be irrelevant, redundant.
(24:20)
Money is not going to get you the citizenship in the country you want, but if you learn one power manifestation, it will get you the citizenship, highest civilian award in any country you want. Just learn only one power manifestation. If you are able to demonstrate one power foolproof, you are universal citizen. I can get you citizenship in any country you want.
(24:49)
I will, there are tons of things which money cannot buy, is going to be available for people who built conscious powers, superconscious powers.
(25:28)
Focus your time, energy on just these two things: one power manifestation, means the Consciousness, spiritual consciousness, power manifesting based lifestyle and power manifestation. Second, if you have time and you want to do something socially with world, work in the digital platform. Only that has a future because the whole world’s contact with human beings and human beings' contact with the world is going to be drastically reduced, and 80% of the contact with human beings and the world is going to be digital. 80% of the experiences of the people with the human world is going to be digital. So, if you want money, work in the digital world. If you want life, work in the Consciousness world.
(26:40)
Hey, today morning only Khalabaivara showed Me clearly, how nicely last ten years, from 2010 He is preparing Me and the Sangha for the post-Corona world. Understand, only these two is going to have a value: one, Consciousness based products like power manifestation, or all other products which is going to increase Consciousness in you. Second digital. Whole world education, joys, pleasure, happiness, entertainment, everything is going to become digital. Even tourism is going to become digital. You will be given a digital tourist tour, that’s all. Everything is going to become digital. Even the medical world, lot is going to become digital. Augmented reality and virtual reality is going to become the new normal reality. Only these two is going to have the future: Consciousness based and digital.
(27:58)
Understand, large infrastructures built for human beings gathering is going to become absolutely useless, absolutely useless. Large cities are going to be absolutely useless. This culture of moving towards the city is drastically going to collapse. The reverse migration which is happening now in India is going to become a lifestyle. Heavily crowded cities are no more going to become the attraction point. They’re no more going to be the attraction point. Mega city concepts are dead. The future is going to be just island cities, small, small, small, small, small, small happy peaceful communities, settlements where the interacting with human beings is your choice, not a forced need of your day to day life. People are going to move and live in that kind of places where the interaction with other human beings is your choice, not the force or demand.
(29:33)
See, if you are living in cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, just because you need to go to your job, every morning you need to get up from your home and move to your, go to your office. Societally, you are forced to interact with thousands of people. The risk of infection is thousands of times higher. So all these kind of infrastructures where human interaction is mandatory is going to lose its power over people, lose its glamour over people. Human interaction on voluntary based, only that kind of lifestyle is going to evolve. People are going to move more towards villages and, where if you want, you can meet people, if not, you don’t need to meet people. You don’t even need to see people. Exactly as I decided My lifestyle two years before. I told you, world has no other choice. Universe has no other choice other than to follow Me. You guys trolled Me and made fun of Me, just follow Me, OK? You trolled Me, you made fun of Me, enough, all that silly games, come on, now follow Me. Human interactions on need basis, lifestyle, that kind of settlement, that kind of environment, that kind of housing, that kind of a places is only going to become popular. The mandatory human interaction based, mandatory and unnecessary.
(31:52)
See, even if you have to work to earn salary, you may need to meet only your boss, only that is mandatory and few co-workers, handful, maybe five, six, but if you are living in a city like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta, unnecessarily you need to meet thousands of people, see thousands of people, be among thousands of people during your travel and for multiple other reasons even though you don’t want. So all the unnecessary and non-mandatory human interaction based infrastructures are going to lose its power over people. People don’t want anymore mandatory human interaction based cities, places anymore.
(33:07)
Lot’s of new understanding about life, I should say, ancient, ancient understandings will be implemented now in life. All My devotees, whoever listens to My advice, focus your time, energy, talent, everything just in these two: building digital assets, digital based profession, Consciousness based lifestyle. Spend more time nicely building your body through yoga, building your conscious muscles, means ability to be without solid food. I tell you, feed your body with very good nutrients, vitamins, minerals, all in liquid form. Soon science will prove why I insist on liquid form and fasting, keeping yourself away from solid food.
(34:27)
Understand, listen carefully. If you’re physically active, working out, working in the fields and doing agriculture, construction work, physically active, solid food is good for you. If you are not physically active, you are only sitting wholel day, using your brain, heart, emotions, your other components of you other than your body, you are not physically active but you are active in the other ways, mentally, psychologically, emotionally, visually, creatively. If you are a that kind of person; ninety nine per cent of My disciples are that kind of people who are not physically active, who are not physically working, for you, liquid diet is the best lifestyle. You will become thousands times more creative. Your Consciousness will reach higher and higher state when you cut down solid food. I am not saying deny food. Give a very rich nutrients, vitamins, minerals, very rich food, healthy food to your body - liquid... liquid. Don’t eat solid. When you start giving as a liquid you will take very minimal because it is more like an Aushada. It’s not like a tasty, tasty. You will not eat for tongue, you will eat for body.
(36:23)
Shifting eating for health, not for taste, will be achieved in your life when you shift to the liquid diet from solid food. Less eating is the best way to live long. Thousands of researchers have come, now I, I’m showing you one article, thousands of researchers have proved eating less is the best way to live long. Practice more and more conscious lifestyle capabilities and powers. Listen, conscious lifestyle possibilities and powers, this is going to be your greatest asset and strength. Consciousness based possibilities means ability to do intense yoga and keep your body usable. See, My body is usable for me. What is My purpose? I need to sit twenty hours a day and teach: classes, programs, do the dial the Avatar calls, interact with people, initiate them, for that My body is perfectly ready. Twenty hours a day I can nicely sit in Padmasana and I don’t even need to move My body. I can just sit like this twenty hours a day, and do My work very highly completely focused on the subject I am talking. I can just download truths after truths after truths and go on be sharing with you twenty hours sitting like this per day. If you watch my 2002 classes, satsangs, discourses, sessions, you will see the same thing. No, not even backrest. At least now I have a backrest but I am not using it. I am not leaning on it. I stopped using... leaning on the backrest. Backrest is there as a symbol, as a respect but there’s a big gap between the backrest and My body, no back support. Backrest is not back support. You can see Me sitting in the same way in My first ASP, video recorded ASP in 2002, stabily like this for hours and now, literally forty two, I can sit like this for hours and go on doing My job, what I am expected to do, what I have committed to the world to do. Healthy body means twenty hours a day you should be able to do the job which you’re expected to do without tiredness, boredom, irritation, anything.
(40:04)
Build conscious mind means no violence. I tell you all, violence is nothing but iron deficiency. See, if you are feeling violent, if you are feeling angry, if you are feeling frustrated about anything, just take Neem juice everyday. Feeling violence, anger, frustrated, irritated is just iron deficiency. Do not support your anger. Do not feel somebody is reason for your anger. If you do false diagnosis you will never be healed.
(40:58)
Hey, all my balasants, at least you guys, listen to Me. At least you guys, listen to Me. If you are feeling angry, frustrated, violent about anything, be very clear, external reason is false. Internal reason, iron deficiency, leaky guts, these are the reason. Just take Neem juice. Take Haritaki. Take sesame seed balls. Sesame seed oil is an amazing healer. Supply the nutritions, minerals, vitamins, healthy food to your body organically naturally. All external reasons you show for your anger, violence, frustration is false. If you just take neem juice, if you just supply enough iron for your body, vitamins, minerals, suddenly you will see your anger, violence, frustration has no meaning. Do not stupidly lose your divine status. By acknowledging, logically cognizing external persons or situations as reason for your anger, violence, frustration. Hey, balasants, at least you guys, listen, I’m talking for you. This will be great help for you guys to remove the violence. Listen, early morning when you are the one becoming many is, that is what is waking-up state. See waking up is nothing but one becoming many. When one becomes many, it should always be pleasant - “I am becoming many to enjoy me.” If you have anger, violence, hatred towards somebody, you will become many only to hurt yourself. Then, you will, you will live a demonic life. Become many to enjoy yourself. You will live a blissful life like Paramashiva.
(43:49)
One real incident happened in my life. Once I was sitting with Arunagiri Yogishwara, my guru. Understand this is very important incident, listen carefully. Sit straight and listen carefully. I’ll describe as it is. One elderly person comes into the scene. Why I’m calling it as a scene you know, I always observed. Within the dvadashanta(Dvādaśānta (Sanskrit: द्वादशान्त), means Arunagiri Yogishwara gave me Darshan as a six feet form, normally. Sometimes He would look too big but six feet form is the normal form. I should say maybe six five, like that, that is the form. Twelve times of his size, his height like a twelve into six point five or six roughly. We can keep it as six, six into twelve. That many feet, seventy two feet. Within that seventy two feet, if somebody comes and seen by Me also and Him also, that person is from Kailasa. He can see us, we can see him. But once he moves from seventy two feet, no, he will not be seen by Me, but he will be seen only by Him, Arunagiri Yogishwara. And outsiders cannot see Him.
(45:38)
Listen carefully. That is Dvadashanta, His breathing space is so powerful, no outsider can see Him even when I’m sitting with Him, that is why the temple watchman Rajendran, Tiruvannamalai temple watchman Rajendran, he says: I used to see Swamiji will be sitting and talking alone in front of Arunagiri Yogishwara’s Jiva samadhi for long time, morning to evening, but I don’t know with whom He is talking. So ordinary people cannot see Him. When people walk into His breathing space, if they are from Kailasa, I can see them, they can see Me, they can see Him, all three can see each other. So one person like that, elderly person walked in, kept some edible items like a murukku, some, few items. So I was sitting with Arunagiri Yogishwara and listening to Him. He was talking something. After some time, very casually, and I had a very intimate relationship with Him. He is literally part of Me and I am part of Him, casually, without Him telling Me, instructing Me. This is the place where I used to usually sit with Him, exactly the place where I’m sitting, He used to sit and I sit the next step down. This is the place where we usually sit and have interactions.
(47:36)
Listen carefully now. Now let Me tell you. Casually, I took that murukku, some items and put it in My mouth and started eating. He was teaching something very powerful, and He uttered some mantras, very powerful sound, mantras, but I was trying to crush the murukku in My mouth. Because of the murukku sound I did not hear that mantra. So I just asked Him “ah ah”. Means to repeat the mantra. He is extremely sweet person. He became ferocious and said in Tamil “thingarada niruttu”. Literally My whole being was shaken. He told, “Thingarada niruttu”, it means, literal translation is “stop snacking”. That snacks, when you eat, that process is called “thingaradu” that which makes sound, the murukku and all that snacks, Indian snacks when you eat, it will make sound in the mouth. So, because of that sound, I missed some of the mantras He was uttering. Actually if you eat murukku, you will understand exactly what I am saying. The sound which your mo.., the sound which murukku makes inside your mouth, you will not be able to hear others talking. So I missed some syllables, some of the beeja mantras and asked Him “ah ah”. Means When I, i just said “ah ah”, it means I’m just asking Him to repeat. I missed the sound, so please repeat. He became so ferocious and very strong screaming voice “Thingarada niruttu”. Fortunately He has already blessed Me with the simple obedience, just My spontaneous reaction was I spat the whole thing, means I just vomited the, spat the whole thing, threw the whole thing out. And the next thing I did, I just picked up His finger and put it in My mouth to remove whatever is stuck in My mouth, to make sure it doesn’t go inside, it goes outside. So whatever... I took His finger and put it in My mouth to clean. Let all that go out. Let your instructions be absolutely executed by your Grace. I am here with absolute simple obedience. I did not think and do all these action. I just know simple obedience and no anger, no reaction, no fear, no violence, no resistance, nothing. Actually He was screaming, ferocious with Me. I was very romantic, the romance was My response for His ferociousness. Will you have a guts when some, even your mother or father screaming at you, you will, will you have the gut to pick up their hand and put it in your mouth and clean your teeth? Fortunately He has blessed Me with absolute, simple obedience. That simple obedience, I just spat the whole thing, whatever was in My mouth, and picked up His hand, put the finger and cleaned My teeth, whatever was deep inside, stuck. Two things happened. He just cooled down. His whole response to Me cooled down. Of course, surely, He is, He is Paramashiva, the whole space is different and He was tasting Me and all that I know. I, I’m telling you the, the exact as it happened. And the way He, then He took another hand and held My head with one hand. And actually I took the left hand, His left hand and put in My mouth to clean My mouth, to get the small, small bits out of whatever was stuck in My teeth. So He took his right hand and held My head and nicely cleaned, like just He did here, there and all thing came out and I spat the whole thing. It all happened, maybe the whole incident, I can say, ten minutes. He said: “I was just checking. I know for sure, you are in Oneness with Me”.
(53:36)
Understand, first I did not think, let Me swallow whatever I already put in My mouth. No. I made a big mess of taking it and put it in My mouth without asking His permission. Before He told. I did a mess, it's a big mess. I should not have taken His presence for granted, His teaching for granted, His initiation for granted. and just picked up, and put it in My mouth, it was a mess. big mess. And then when I missed the syllable, the sound beeja mantra, he was actually chanting few beeja mantra in between the instructions to initiate Me. And I missed the beeja mantra because of the murukku sound, karamura sound. When I asked Him “ah, ah, ah”, - when He became ferocious and gave the instruction, literally screamed “Thingarada niruttu”, I did not plan strategically, let Me just swallow whatever is in the mouth. No, simple obedience, just spat. Next, I have cleaned whatever is in the mouth. How much ever I tried to clean on My own, it will not be complete, so let Me take His help to execute His instructions, took the finger and put it in the mouth, absolute intimacy and romance. Note I am very clear He is ferocious for My good, He does not hate Me or He is angry with Me. Trust in your guru, he is not angry with you. He does not hate you. He is guru-disciple relationship. That is the basis for simple obedience. I just know he doesn’t hate Me. He is not angry with Me. He is just training Me. And the whole thing only opened up in Me as an intense love and romance, so I just picked up His hand, put it in My mouth and started cleaning My mouth, requesting Him to help Me to execute guruvak, His instruction. He was ferocious. His ferociousness invoked intense trust and romance in Me. That is the source of simple obedience, simple obedience. Not strategic, not thinking, “oh let me swallow this much, I will not put next hand in my mouth, next handful I will not put. I will not take more but whatever is in the mouth, let me swallow it.” No. Simple obedience. No justification, no anger, no violence, simple obedience. After cleaning My mouth, actually He held with right hand My head and with the left hand He cleaned. I could see very clearly everything just came out and I spat it out. He just hugged Me, that’s it.
(58:10)
I know the intense Oneness. I bless you all with this Oneness. Keeping Arunagiri Yogishwara as a witness. I am bringing that akashic record from past to present and making it happen with all of you. Let all of you experience this Oneness with Arunagiri Yogishwara. I am blessing all of you, everyone of you. Not just My Gurukul kids, I am blessing each one of you. With the grace and blessings of Arunagiri Yogishwara, let Mahadeva Paramashiva, I pray to Him, “Prabho manifest intense Oneness, sweet Oneness which you showered on Me. Let that past become present now and manifest, and manifest each one sitting with Me all over the world, each one sitting with Me all over the world manifest that same Oneness with you. Mahadeva, Prabho Paramashiva, Swami. That is the way I addressed him. I never addressed him as Paramashiva. I’ve not even addressed Him as Arunagiri Yogishwara. I addressed Him only as Swami. Now, I’m calling you the same, Sami, manifest, bless everyone with that same Oneness. Let that past become present. Let you manifest the same Oneness with all, all, all.
(1:01:13)
The most intimate world, largest number of times I used and you responded is Sami. I’m calling you with that same word Sami, manifest the same Oneness you gave Me to all.
(1:10:02)
Now you can all manifest powers now. Today I want you to manifest six powers, all third eye related, intensely focused. Listen carefully. Opening third eye with intense energy will raise, awaken multiple powers. So focus the six third eye powers today, and the solar eclipse day, I’m going to give a special Power manifestation mantra diksha. In Tamil we say “Vishakadi neenga manthiram”. Means the mantra and power manifestation initiation I am going to give to you on solar eclipse day, if you use them, you will be able to heal any of the poisonous biting. All the poisons will become powerless in front of you. With this mantra you can clear any poison. Listen, it's very powerful mantra. I initiate all of you and the procedure, both. So on that solar eclipse time I’ll be initiating all of you. With the time, date now the message will be put in the Facebook page. Please all of you share. Listen carefully, listen to this carefully. I told all My Gurukul balasants to read that article where a Chennai scientist claims connection between Covid-19 and solar eclipse.
(1:12:25)
See, I want to tell you few things. Few things which doctor K.L Sundar Krishna says, the scientist says. I’m going to support and acknowledge but that does not mean I am not supporting or acknowledging other points he makes. Other points he makes, I have no idea. I don’t know about it. So whatever is conforming with My experience, I’m going to support it. I’m going to explain it.
(1:13:07)
Listen one thing, listen to this. As he says that during the solar eclipse, that some energy transit, energy fusion, happening. Actually you can’t use the word transmission or fusion or fission. All those words have very less meaning and smaller definition. We should just say “energy happening” and leave it.
Listen carefully. There is an “energy happening” during the eclipse time and this virus kind of things does have the planetary interventions. Listen carefully. See, he says, “The virus has occurred from the upper atmosphere due to the interplanetary force variations. A new alignment in which the Earth has created a conducive atmosphere, for the first neutrons with no charge in nature are coming out of most sufficient energy from sun. Said Krishna adding, “They may have started nucleating with foreign absorbing material which could be nucleus of the biomolecule, bio nuclear interactions taken place in the upper atmosphere. The mutation of the bio molecular structure protein, might have been possible source of this virus.” This is the Sunder Krishna presentation. I want to all of you to read this article. First thing I am in awe and absolutely appreciate his clarity. I give My humble respects to his intelligence, his Sarasvatya, Pandithya, his knowledge, I bow down to his knowledge.
(1:15:35)
Many things he is saying, whatever I understood which is connecting and matching with my Shastra pramana, My knowledge about the cosmos from My enlightenment, Shastra Pramana and Apta Pramana, I will present it to all of you. Listen, whatever he says, I’ll read out once more these lines, “The virus has occurred”, I’m reading out the article published in Hindustan times, “the virus has occurred from the upper atmosphere due to the interplanetary force variation.” I agree with this absolutely and its truth. “A new alignment in which the Earth has created a conducive atmosphere.” That’s also true. “For the first neutrons with no charge in nature are coming out of most sufficent energy from the sun”, true, “they may have started nucleating with the foreign absorbing material which could be a nucleus of biomolecule, bio-nuclear interaction taken place in the upper atmosphere, the mutation of the biomolecular structure, protein, might have been possible source of this virus.”
(1:17:10)
Listen, whatever he said, I absolutely agree, it is true. I’m only adding one more point. I also project the link to that article [https://www.hindustantimes.com/tamil-nadu/chennai-based-scientist-claims-connection-between-covid-19-and-solar-eclipse/story-JTh5Q9co8D8lWSOWMkKaSI.html here], please read. Listen. See, normally if a male component, semen, and the female component, if they match, if they meet in some open place, it will not become a child, it will not become a life, it will not become a baby. But in a space, in a mother’s womb, when the male component and female component meet, life happens, that atmosphere, the space which makes the life happen is called Chit - Chidakasha. Listen carefully, Chit Chidakasha is the fifth dimension of the Universe. Actually, fifth dimension, but in the modern day scientists because they start telling time is the fourth and space is the fifth, sometimes I tell Chit as the sixth dimension for your understanding. But as for the cosmic reality the space is actually inside time itself. The time space is one and the same. It’s not separate in Hindu tradition. The Cosmos, in actual cosmos, time and space are the same dimension. So, length, breadth, depth, time, space, time space is fourth dimension, Chit is the fifth dimension, Chidakasha. Chidakasha is the space where the life is generated consciously. It is not dead mechanical chemical actions and reactions.
(1:19:13)
Listen, now whatever this scientist is describing, that is happening in a place where Chit is making it alive. That Chit is ParaShakti Mahamari. So, if we connect with ParaShakti Mahamari, She can completely heal the Coronavirus. She can heal the Coronavirus. Understand, this whole process which he is describing is not dead chemical, just ordinary chemistry process. It is happening in a place called Chit, Chidākāsha. Remember this example. All the male component, female component meeting does not become a child, baby, life. New life does not happen because for the new life to happen, both the male component, female component need to meet in a space called Chit, Consciousness. In that dimension they both meet, only then it becomes life, new life. Same way, what doctor Krishna says this process has happened. In Chit, that expression is Mahamari - Mahamari Parashakti Mahamari. If we connect with Her and pray to Her and request Her to heal us and the planet Earth. She is a conscious happening who listens to our prayers and responds to us. She is not just some dead, chemical process, no, conscious happening. She can decide and free us from Corona, liberate us from Corona. That is why I was insisting on Pacchai Pattini Vratham prayer to Mariamman. So, understand Chit, Consciousness is the space of Mahamari ParaShakti.
(1:22:09)
She can control, clean Corona if we can pray to Her, connect with Her through Pacchai Pattini Vratham and all other prayers. And I tell you, Mahamari worship in South, Jagannatha worship in Orissa, means East, Kalabhairava worship in North, all these are directly related to protecting ourself from this virus pandemics, diseases, this large killing epidemics pandemics kind of diseases. That whole worship, all these three worship is a science of protecting ourself from all pandemics, epidemics, this Coronavirus kind of mass killing diseases, mass killing diseases pandemics.
(1:23:32)
So, understand, I request all My disciples, follow your country’s laws, follow the rules and regulations of your country. I cannot interfere in your country’s rules, regulations, laws and I will not interfere also. Along with following your country’s laws, rules, regulations, if you can add and do Puja of these three worships as much as your country law allows: in the South Mahamayi Puja, the whole, all the four states has this Devi worship, that science, using Neem, Turmeric, Fire walking, fasting, all this used, in every village the name may be different, different, some places Muthumariamman, some places Mahamariamman, some places Chandanamariamman, some places Isakki Mariamman and some places Maha Kaliamman. In Andhra they do something called Bommaloo...Bonam… Bonam, Bonam festival and exactly the Bonam, the rituals and methods done in Andhra and Tamil Nadu, Poo choodal, Bhumithitthal, all that exactly the same methodology, same science, same methodology. The deity names are only different, same way the North Kalabhairava pooja and East Jagannatha’s worship, all of it follows the same science. Different local indigenious names and traditions. In Kerala they call it Velicha Padu. I request all the Hindus to do all these worships as much as possible to reduce the negative impact of Corona on life and livelihood, both. Bonalu, in Andhra also is same as the worship of Mariamman in Tamil Nadu. In Telangana Yellamma, Yellamma is in Tamil Nadu Ellaiamma. It is actually my mother’s mother’s family deity Yellamma. My mother’s mother’s name itself is Yellammal. Ellaiammal in Tamil and Yellamma in Andhra Bonalu festival Jatra. All these are direct science of healing the pandemics, epidemics, the Coronavirus kind of diseases. Bonalu involves the worship of Mother Goddess, Maisamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Beddamma, Dukkalamma, Angalamma, Poleramma, Mariamma, Nookalamma, all... Anyhow, please try to do all these pujas, rituals, worships as much as your country's laws and legalities allows, but wherever it is allowed, I will really encourage people to do all these worships. Any country ratha yatra is allowed, I request that countries Nithyananda Sangha to make Jagannath ratha yatra happen this year. Because in India, Jagannath ratha yatra, ratha yatra is stayed in Puri, I read the news. Whichever country your law allows, the rules are allowing, please inform Me, that country Nithyananda Sangha should conduct Jagannath ratha yatra this year because the traditions should not be lost. Wherever our Kailasa Nithyananda Sangha is there, please approach your government, any government gives permission, we should conduct ratha yatra this year, Jagannath ratha yatra. We can’t afford to stop the worship of Jagannatha. It is direct science of healing and protecting all of us from this pandemics and epidemics. So, in India it is not possible because the Supreme court has stayed the Jagannath rath yatra this year. All other country, our Nithyananda Sangha should try to approach your local government and get permission. Any country gets permission, inform Me, we should do ratha yatra in that country. Same way, any country gives permission for fire walking, inform Me. We should do Mariamman puja and do fire walking and let’s pray to the beings Gods of Kailasa to heal the world, protect all of us from the negative impacts of Corona on life and livelihood, both. With this please do the power manifestation. I will continue to initiate in further sessions and satsangs. Now you can all manifest third eye, remote viewing, body scanning, mind reading, Consciousness over matter, clairvoyance, all the six powers with this strong powerful initiation. With the grace of Arunagiri Yogishwara all of you can manifest powers.
(1:31:05)
So, now, with this, I bless you all. Let’s all radiate with Integrity, Authenticity, Responsibility, Enriching, Causing, Living Shuddhadvaitam, the State, Space, Powers, Being, Superconsciousness and Kailasa of Paramashiva. Paramashivoham, Om Nithyananda Parmashivoham, the eternal Bliss, Nithyananda. Thank you. Be Blissful.
(1:31:39)

==Enrichment Content from the day==
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{{#hsimg:1|300| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=15DaSz69KEoQ0w-WGomcqWhrKNvGa1k8J}}

==Facebook Posts==
* https://www.facebook.com/srinithyananda.swami/posts/1661773390644320
* https://www.facebook.com/ParamahamsaNithyananda

==Photos Of The Day:==

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[[Category: 2020 | 20200618]][[Category: Facebook Posts]][[Category:Auto Uploaded Images]]

June 17 2004 - Uttarkashi

2021-05-09T03:39:23Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Photos */

==Titile==
Himalayas yatra || Uttarkashi || 17 Jun 2004

==Narration==
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism (SPH) led a group of most fortunate beings on the first Himalayan Yatra after the declaration of expanding the Mission of KAILASA to the International forum. In June 2004, the fortnight long yatra happened (commencing on 12 June 2004). The photographs have been uploaded in parts across several pages (some dated and some undated). Any one who participated in this yatra and wishes to share your yatra memories, is welcome to do so. We will publish precious details from it and enrich the world more on this historic yatra. On this day (17 June 2004), The SPH delivers a discourse to the delegates in Uttarkashi just before ascending further on the Himalayan Ghats.

==Title:==
When You See Without Words, You See the Whole (Isha Upanishad Verse 3, Himalaya Yatra, 17 June 2004)

==Description:==
In this casual session during the Himalayan Yatra in June 2004, after a visit to Gomukh, the origin of River Ganga Ma, HDH expands on the meaning of the 3rd Verse of the Isha Upanishad. In this session, HE reveals the aim of the verse addressing all types of people - the intellectual, emotional, and being level people. HE reveals the profound truth - using words to label anything - is what prevents us from experiencing Oneness with the whole. HE expounds on the importance of not adding words as a frame for everything you perceive and instead experiencing it as it is. He reveals, if this one sutra is understood all conflicts can disappear. This powerful verse has the key for the heart, head and soul. HE reveals powerful techniques for all people. In the graceful Himalayas He reveals anything you try even once, Himalaya helps you thousands times.

==Link to Video:==
{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b34QKqfKjM
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==Title==
Be in Nithya Ananda || Part 1 || Himalaya Yatra || 17 June 2004

==Description==
Name Of The Convention : Himalaya Yatra
Session on: Questions & Answers
Date : 17 June 2004
Venue : Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India
Title: Be in Nithya Ananda Part 1

In this video, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism HDH #Nithyananda Paramashivam speaks to delegates of the Himalayan Yatra. In this questions & answers session at the feet of the sacred Himalayas, HDH talks about the divine connection to the Cosmic Niythananda of which He is only an expression, the thread of the universal cloth that connects us all and to which we are all connected at all the time. From the spiritual technique of wandering to the benefit of chanting mantras to predictions for India in 2020, HDH shares precious wisdom with his devotees in a mystic setting, making them experience first-hand the rare and supreme connection with an Enlightened Master.

The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism Jagatguru Mahasannidhanam His Divine Holiness Nithyananda Paramashivam (HDH) is the reviver of #KAILASA - the ancient enlightened civilization and the great cosmic borderless Hindu nation. Revered as the incarnation of Paramashiva - the primordial Hindu Divinity, HDH has a following of 2 billion Hindus worldwide with de facto spiritual embassies in over 150 countries. He has worked untiringly for over 26 years for the revival of Kailasa, for global peace and to give super conscious breakthrough to humanity. He has survived the worst persecution of multiple assassination attempts on person and on character by anti-Hindu elements. He is collecting, organising, preserving, time capsuling, decoding, spreading and reviving 20 Million source books of Hinduism and the 64 sacred arts & sciences like Ayurveda, music, dance, sculpting, astrology, vastu and much more. Close to 20,000 hours of HDH’s timeless talks have been recorded till date (Sep 2020), which are a treasure trove of powerful cognitions to solve individual and global problems of any kind.

==Link to Video: ==

{{#evu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnPP9sfb5JQ&feature=youtu.be

|alignment=center }}

==Title==
Be in Nithya Ananda || Part 2 || Himalaya Yatra || 17 June 2004

==Description==
Name Of The Convention : Himalaya Yatra
Session on: Questions & Answers
Date : 17 June 2004
Venue : Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India
Title: Be in Nithya Ananda Part 2

In this video, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism HDH #Nithyananda Paramashivam speaks to delegates of the Himalayan Yatra. In this questions & answers session at the feet of the sacred Himalayas, HDH talks about the divine connection to the Cosmic Nithyananda of which He is only an expression, the thread of the universal cloth that connects us all and to which we are all connected at all the time. From the spiritual technique of wandering to the benefit of chanting mantras to predictions for India in 2020, HDH shares precious wisdom with his devotees in a mystic setting, making them experience first-hand the rare and supreme connection with an Enlightened Master.

The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism Jagatguru Mahasannidhanam His Divine Holiness Nithyananda Paramashivam (HDH) is the reviver of #KAILASA - the ancient enlightened civilization and the great cosmic borderless Hindu nation. Revered as the incarnation of Paramashiva - the primordial Hindu Divinity, HDH has a following of 2 billion Hindus worldwide with de facto spiritual embassies in over 150 countries. He has worked untiringly for over 26 years for the revival of Kailasa, for global peace and to give super conscious breakthrough to humanity. He has survived the worst persecution of multiple assassination attempts on person and on character by anti-Hindu elements. He is collecting, organising, preserving, time capsuling, decoding, spreading and reviving 20 Million source books of Hinduism and the 64 sacred arts & sciences like Ayurveda, music, dance, sculpting, astrology, vastu and much more. Close to 20,000 hours of HDH’s timeless talks have been recorded till date (Sep 2020), which are a treasure trove of powerful cognitions to solve individual and global problems of any kind.

==Link to Video: ==

{{#evu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CxWtvuo8JE&feature=youtu.be

|alignment=center }}

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[[Category: 2004 | 20040617]] [[Category: ISHA UPANISHAD]]

June 15 2004 - Himalayan Yatra - Delhi and Rishikesh

2021-05-09T02:20:13Z

{| class="wikitable" style="width:25%; clear:right; float:right; background:#ffffff; margin: 0 0 0.25em 0.5em; font-size:90%"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;background:#653438;color:#ffffff;" |'''Mataji Vibhutananda Puri'''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Birth||Unknown
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Date of Leaving the Body||26 January 1995
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Location of Samadhi||Opposite the Ishanya Lingam (one of the eight Shiva Lingams consecrated in the eight cardinal directions around the sacred Arunachala Hill
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Teaching||Hindu traditions of Vedanta, Tantra, Sri Vidya
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Other Names||Kuppammal, Brahma Yogini
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Place of Teaching ||Tiruvannamalai, State of Tamilnadu, South India (birthplace of His Divine Holiness)
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Guru||Isakki Swamigal
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Location||Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Associated Kingdom||Kailasa Paramparagatha Adi Arunachala Sarvajnapeetha Samrajyam
|-

|}

Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri is one of the esteemed, and powerful enlightened beings who birthed and directly facilitated the Supreme Happening of Superconsciousness into the physical form of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism (SPH). As an answer to the prayers of billions of people on Planet Earth, this one single Realized Soul was blessed by Paramashiva to spearhead His own Physical Manifestation, from the cosmic plane into the realm of the relative frequency, for the benefit of each and every living being. Therefore, Mataji is the celebrated soul of the Cosmos itself- not just humans but all the gods and goddesses and other celestial beings who have witnessed her selfless tapas (penance) and thyaga (sacrifice).

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1mLmMetmKjPkzpgw3X5Y145bgRMCbL-yV}}
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==Descent of Brahma Yogini==

From His abode in Kailasa, where Paramashiva resides with His consort. He called forth the most obedient of the 1064 yoginis, who was the manifestation of Parashakti's own blood which fell on the grounds of Planet Earth and became the woman known as Brama Yogini. For thousands of years, she demonstrated her impregnable chastity and Yogic power through intense penance. Having proven her capacity Paramashiva chose her to play a crucial role in His next happening on the Planet Earth. He commanded her as follows:

“O auspicious goddess! Go to the kshetra of all kshetras in Tiruvannamalai, where I originally manifested as the Column of light and start preparing for my descent! There, lives the family in which I have chosen to be born. On the eve of the Mahadeva Ashtami, I will enter into the atmosphere of Earth as the greatest unseen positive nuclear explosion on the Arunachaleshwara Linga. I will then be absorbed into the Mahakalabhairava Deity who resides on the banks of the Brahma Teertham. This form will be too powerful for neither any human being, nor godly being to handle and will surely incinerate them much before being embedded within their womb. Only you, O sinless and chaste, are capable enough to take my form and cool it in the Brahma Teertham.

With the power of all the River Goddesses, Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri who emerge from the Earth as the Brahma Teertham and who all flow around me in my form as Arunachala, my most intense, plenipotentiary portion, the parama-amśa bhāga, will cool down.Then you can take me to the womb of Ma Lokanayaki, daughter of Raju Mudaliar and wife of Sri Arunachalam and allow My form to enter in her womb.

Recognizing you as the supreme and the one who facilitated My Happening on the Planet, all over the World of Bhu your form will be worshipped and cherished. Go now and do not forget the purpose with which I sent you!

When commanded by the Lord thus, Brahma Yogini accepted it with the words, ‘Yes ! That will be done’.

After circumambulating Him once and prostrating her body at His feet, she went down to the earth, took birth as the one who would be known as Mata Vibhutananda Puri, and executed His orders.

In the physical plane the birth Brahma Yogini was a miraculous feat, which confounded all who heard the story. For years , her mother was unable to conceive a child. She sought out the blessings of the enlightened being, Seshadri Swamigal from Tiruvannamalai, who was the illumined contemporary of Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi. In his enlightened state of consciousness, nothing of the outer world affected him in any way. Therefore, Seshadri Swamigal used to always sit in an area full of trash. Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri’s mother humbly approached Seshadri Swamigal in this place and requested his blessings for her to conceive a child. The great Mahapurusha simply placed a handful of the dust from where he was sitting into the devoted lady’s hands. She swallowed the handful of dirt whole, and it metamorphosed into sweet molasses in her mouth.

Within three days of her consuming the dirt, the mother returned to Seshadri Swamigal’s place to inform him that the doctors told her she was carrying and offered her gratitude. Seshadri Swamigal blessed her and declared in Tamil, “Yes, Father is going to come so to prepare him, Mother will come!”

Thus, the divine female child who was born from the mud of trash, termed as “kuppa” in Tamil, was named “Kuppammal”

===References===

#The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism revealed the divine birth of Brahma Yogini, who was lovingly referred as Kuppammal, in the talk "Powers of Kala Tattva" given on 8 October 2020.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/October_08_2020
#In the talk, "Swamiji’s Leela, His Life is The Greatest Strong Nuclear Force Positive Explosion" given on 4 March 2020, SPH unveils the procedure of His Divine Happening of His birth in the human form on 2 January 1978. In this pre-planned Happening, the great enlightened soul, Brahma Yogini or Vibhutananda Puri, played a crucial role to manifest the Supreme Consciousness and bring the formlessness into form. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/March_04_2020
#On 9 November 2016, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism revealed how He sent His gurus ahead of Him for the divine purpose of preparing for His Advent and ensuring the perfect manifestation of Paramashiva through His body. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/November_09_2016

==Life as Kuppammal==
Upon assuming the form Kuppammal, Devi Parashakti Herself guided Brahma Yogini to execute her divine mandate, to ready the preparations and birth Paramashiva in the human form. At a young age, Kuppammal had the darshan of Parashakti as Sri Rajarajeshwari, which initiated her into the path of the Shakta sampradaya, the worship of the divine feminine consciousness. She was later on formally initiated and guided in this path by Isakki Swamigal who saw her in her most authentic form and called her by the name "Brahma Yogini". After having her children and raising them, Kupammal started continuously practicing the life of sanyas. She received formal initiation (received the kavi) into sanyas from Hamsananda Puri

Kuppammal lived as a powerful goddess on Planet Earth. Knowing the true purpose of her life, at a young age, she seized control of her reproductive system and did not physically mature. When her family forced her to get married, she willed her body to release only the necessary ovum for her to give birth to four children and did not have a menstrual cycle in between. She was diagnosed with blood cancer at an old age but as the purpose of her life was not fulfilled she did not succumb to the grave illness and healed herself entirely from it. Today, living as a witness to the Yogini, her grandson, Deepak, recalls the mystical and uncanny experience of living with Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri and the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism during His childhood.

Early on in the life of Brahma Yogini, as she lived as Kuppammal, she was closely associated with the paternal grandmother of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, Anusuyammal. Mata Vibhutananda Puri founded “Apithakuchambal Tiruppugazh Mathar Sabhai”, an all-women entity through which she upkept the ecosystem of Tiruvannamalai, singing and spreading the Ultimate Truths in the sacred Tiruppugazh verses extolling the Glory of The Divine, authored by Saint Arunagirinathar in the 15 century. Anusuyammal was the vice president of this organization. The team was supported by the enthusiastic people of Tiruvannamalai who gathered in large numbers for her public group concerts. She also raised funds door to door and prepared food from the collected funds and served anna daan - free food - for the people. This women only sangha took responsibility to care for the welfare of women in Tiruvannamalai and therefore had a crucial role in maintaining the enlightenment eco-system of Tiruvannamalai such that it would be prepared and ready for the Advent of The Avatar.

===References===

#On 30 January 2016, SPH reveals that Hamsananda Puri gave sanyas initiation to Vibhutananda Puri in the talk titled, "Constant Prayer for Enlightenment" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_30_2016
#On 15 October 2019, in the talk titled, "Guru's Love Grounds and Raises You in Integrity, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism revealed Anusuyammmal and Kuppammal's join movement called the "Apitha Kuchamba Tiruppagazh Mathar Sabha" to promote Shakta Tradition as vice president and president respectively https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/October_15_2019
#For the talk titled, "Gender Identification: The Primal Detoxification" SPH reveals the details of the nature of Kuppammal, who was the most graceful woman according to SPH due to the integrity her body expressed in the state of Oneness with Paramashiva. Her body listened to her command, and even her menstruation was entirely under her will. Due to the sheer power of her integrity, she never suffered and was able to express deeper powers of consciousness through her body. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/November_04_2018
#In the talk titled, "Kundalini Awakening Is Not Brainwashing, It Is Heartwashing!" SPH reveals how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri did not have a menstrual cycle at all during her lifetime. When she willed to have children, she commanded her body to make it happen but at all other times she did not have the cycle. This complete control over her body was an expression of the Superconscious state which she radiated. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/December_24_2019

==First Chaturmasya observed by SPH arranged by Mataji Vibhutananda Puri==
In accordance to the plan executed by Brahma Yogini, on 2nd January 1978, as the most compassionate answer to the prayers of billions on Planet Earth, the Paramashiva, supreme consciousness, descended into the human form as the second child of the second son of Anusuya Ammal, Sri Arunachalam, and the daughter of Raju Mudaliar, Ma Lokanayaki.

Not even a year into the Supreme Manifestation of Paramashiva, Kuppammal conducted the first test of the divinity expressing through the divine young child who was named Rajashekaran. She put a rudraksha mala into a box of jewels owned by Dhankotti Ammal and showed the box to test which ornament the newborn incarnation will choose. Without even a moment of lapse, the young Avatar pulled on the rudraksha mala and chose the rudraksha mala, the favorite of Shiva, as His first possession.

On 17 July 1981, after the divine manifestation of the lovable and joyful Lord Ganesha through the young Avatar (link to page) at the age of three, according to the guidance of Kanchi Paramacharya and the 230th Gurumahasanmidhanam of Thondaimandala Samrajyam Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, along with Yogiraj Yogananda Puri along with the help of many others, arranged for the initiation of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism into Balasanyas and the observation of His first Chaturmasya. Taking the three year old Incarnation onto their lap, His Gurus completed the rituals on His behalf.

[[1981-_First_Chathurmasya_Photograph|View Full Page]]

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With this auspicious initiation, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism began the shaastra adhyayanam when He received the Atma Puranam, the first four Upanishad and began the study with both Kuppammal and Isakki Swamigal. He also received in this time the first Olai Chevudi, the palm leaf scripture, which contained the Sri Rudram, Chamakam and Namakam to study.

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===References===

#On 8 August 2020, SPH revealed how His gurus tested the superconsciousness radiating from Him by giving a box of jewels to see what ornament He would choose. SPH chose the rudraksha mala which Kuppammal put inside the box discretely, showing that He was truly the incarnation of Paramashiva for having chosen Shiva's favorite jewel. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_08_2020
#In the talk titled, "Transforming Your Negativity is Shiva -Power" from 10 March 2013, the SPH elaborates how Kuppammal and Raghupaty Yogi had played a huge role in how SPH was physically and psychologically prepared to express the ultimate superconsciousness through the spiritual quality of Brahmacharya and Sanyas. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UIu0jaelz94
#SPH speaks on the ritualistic observation of Chaturmasya at the age of three on 7th January 2020, "What is Fear? Emotional Toxins Sitting in Your Lower Intestine" . He narrates how Vibhutananda Puri arranged the first Chathurmasya observed by HDH and His Gurus kept Him on their lap whilst offering the rituals on His behalf. At this time, she gave Him the first books which He used for Shastra adhyayanan. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_07_2020
#On 5 January 2015, in the talk titled "Upanishads- Expression of The Cosmos" SPH introduces Upanishad, the first ever book which was imparted by His gurus, Isakki Swamigal and Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri when He was around three years old. With this book, called the Atmapuranam, SPH observed the Shaastra Adhyayanam, reading of the scriptures during the first Chaturmasya which He observed at the age of three. Before touching any other book, it was this sacred scripture which HDH began the deep study of Vedanta and Tantra. With this book, HDH even first learned the Tamil alphabet. This book is preserved today in the biographical archives of the National Archives of ShriKailasa. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_05_2015

=The Enlightenment Eco-System Created by Vibhutananda Puri=

After the age of three, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism began the rigorous training so that the supreme consciousness would be enabled to express completely from Him and He would be prepared for the revival of KAILASA, the enlightened can. First and foremost Kuppammal was pivotal in the enlightenment eco-system which surrounded The Avatar. His gurus, including Kuppammal herself had sacrificed their time, money and life but the young Avatar reciprocated with ultimate integrity, discipline and devotion to their instruction. In His teachings today, SPH teaches integrity to the Guru as a fundamental core concept for all Kailashians and spiritual principle for the whole of humanity. In one divine leela from His own life, He describes how with the strict integrity to His guru's instructions to beg in the streets for alms, He transcended so many fears and conflicts that would normally burden the human mind. While simultaneously revering Him as the ultimate embodiment of Paramashiva, His gurus also made Him realise the deeper cognitions about life, the world and Universe. In this way, His life and His relationship with Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, or Kuppammal, becomes the living story of the principle of the Guru Tattva.

===References===

In the following talks, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism reveals the ultimate Guru Tattva with specific reference to the role that Mataji Vibhutananda Puri played in the enlightenment ecosystem which surrounded Him.

#12 November 2011; Step up to the Spectrum of Enlightenment Bhagavad Gita by NithyanandaIn this talk, SPH speaks on a divine incident which happened when He was doing the circumambulation around Arunachala as per Kuppammal's instruction. SPH explains how to transcend all fears through this experience.He says that because of His integrity to His gurus, through this experience He was an Avatar with an experience of fear but without His integrity to His gurus, He would be a man with one experience of the Divine. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita_-_Step_up_to_the_Spectrum_of_Enlightenment
#15 September 2012; Master Heat and Cold https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/September_15_2012
#3 July 2013;Stability - Quality of High Achievers; As He was teaching on the spiritual quality of stability (Achala siddhi), the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism took the example of Kuppammal and Raghupaty Yogi with whom He always demonstrated stability even through any extreme of their training; https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_03_2013
#4 May 2013; Understand the Source of your Suffering; In this talk, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism explains the importance of the Guru to align you to your higher goals through the example of Mataji Vibhutananda Puri's training which He underwent. Though it could be perceived as heartless, He now recalls how grateful He is for them to be there during His childhood. In this talk, SPH elaborates on one incident where Kuppammal instructed Him to go around the Arunachala Hill even in the pitch dark when it was presumably unsafe. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/May_04_2013
#9 July 2017; Guru Purnima 2017 Message - Sacred Secret of Guru Disciple Relationship; On Guru Poornima day in 2017, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism offered His deepest gratitude for the guru Parampara, and the gurus who made up His own personal growth, training and flowering into Superconsciousness. Among His gurus, SPH recalled Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri as one of the most pivotal roles in the enlightenment ecosystem. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_09_2017
#30 November 2019 Be Life Positive - Be "Ushaar Saami!"In a sweet narration about how Kuppammal gave SPH as a young Avatar the pet name "Ushaar Saami", SPH teaches on the importance of integrity to the Guru. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/November_30_2019
# 6 July 2016; Everything Exists Is God - Sarvam Brahmopanishadam; At the age of around 6 or 7 years old, Mataji Vibhutananda Puri instructed SPH to go out on the streets and beg, in the traditional way that sanyasis, or the Hindu monks, beg. Through this talk, SPH teaches us how to ultimately transcend the fabricated assumptions made by the mind about others and follow Guruvaak, the instructions of the Guru, strictly.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_06_2016
#9 September 2012; Identity is Confused RealityIn another talk, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism elaborates on how His gurus instructed Him to beg in the traditional way for sanyasis. In this way, SPH exemplifies the divine teachings from Guru Gita on the importance of following the Gurus words.
#7 August 2020; What We Build Consciously Becomes Our Life! SPH describes the sacrifice of Kuppammal to make Him manifest superconscious energy perfectly https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_07_2020

=The Practice of Fasting and Living Beyond Food=

Kuppammal along with the other Gurus of SPH, had mastered fasting and living without food for decades of her life. This was an expression of yogic powers as she was able to absorb energy directly from the air and train their body to use it for their daily function and activity. Kuppammal always taught the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism this technique and ensured that He also adopted this powerful lifestyle from a young age.

==References===

#On the 10 of August 2013, in the public satsang and address titled, "Completion - Simple Solution for Life" SPH speaks on the power of Nirahara Samyama, the technique to transcend the need for food and how His gurus guided and taught Him how to do the successfully complete it.
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism recalls how Kuppammal among other gurus rarely used to eat, and always encouraged SPH to do fasting for different rituals and spiritual processes in the talk titled, "Conscious Based Entertainment is the Right Lifestyle"

=Giving SPH the Right Aushada to Sustain the Superconscious Energy and Protect His Body=

Throughout His childhood, Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, who was supported by Isakki Swamigal, Yogananda Puri, Mouna Swami, Narayanaswami and many others, went to great lengths, including trekking the forests of the Arunachala Hill for 6-7 hours, to prepare the perfect aushada for the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism. Aushada can be any energized mixture of herbal components made for a specific purpose which can be applied on the skin, or swallowed. The science of this knowledge is from the siddha tradition, which was a method to sustain the enlightenment energy practiced and researched by the ancient Hindu rishis beginning from Paramashiva Himself who is known as Adi Siddhar.

The aushada which His gurus gave to His guru's had powerful effects, including protecting Him from any attempt to poison Him.

===References===

#In the talk titled, "Parampara and Paramadharma", from 6 January 2020, SPH recalls how Kuppammal used to climb to the top of the Arunachala Hill to speak to Mouna Swami Narayana Swami, an extremely powerful Sadhu, in order to get guidance on the initiations, herbs and aushadas needed for SPH to manifest the ultimate superconsciousness.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_06_2020
#From 7 August 2020, in the discourse titled, "Clear Consciousness and Manifest Paramashiva", Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri used to apply donkey's milk on the tongue of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, before He spoke in discourses or before debates. In this talk, SPH also reveals how his gurus had given him arali seeds, which are poisonous to intake, but for the protection they will become to protect Him from being poisoned at any time. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_07_2020
#In the talk, "Knowledge About The CosmosMakes Us Experience Oneness With The Cosmos" from 17 January 2020, SPH speaks on how in order prepare the right herbal energized products (aushada), Kuppammal would meet with Kattu Shiva, who was an incredibly powerful yogi who lived in Tiruvannamalai at the time, and he would give the rare herbs which only He would be able to get.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_17_2020
#With tremendous gratitude, SPH reveals how Kuppammal used to spend 3-4 hours making the aushada (energized mix of herbs) which will prepare SPH's body to manifest the supreme consciousness. She used to walk collecting the herbs needed around the Arunachala Hill and then prepare the aushada, which SPH would then apply as told. These are the extremely potent yet simple sacrifices which Kuppammal did in order for Paramashiva to manifest through the body of SPH from 19 July 2020 in the talk "Tool to Find Your Ultimate Possibilities and Powers" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_19_2020

=Initiations into Tantra and other Paths of Worship=

Kuppammal lovingly and meticulously organized the different ritualistic initiations into different paths of worship

==Skanda Shasti Vratam==
Kuppammal initiated SPH into the Skanda Shasti Vratam, the austere six day practice of worship of Lord Muruga and fasting before the auspicious occasion of Skanda Shashti, when the Lord Muruga trumphiantly declares victory over the negativity of the world in the form of Tarakasura. On the first year that SPH did this Vratam, He describes that He had the darshan of Lord Subhramanya (another name for Lord Muruga) who then revealed to Him the full alchemy science, science of using ancient Hindu mandalas and energized items to sustain superconsciousness in you.

===Reference===

#The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism narrated how He did the Skanda Shasti Vratam and how Lord Murugan gave Him darshan and revealed the whole Alchemy Science on the 31st of October 2016 which is recorded in the talk, "Subhramanya, the Master of Spiritual Alchemy Science" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/October_31_2016

==Sri Vidya==

In her life as a Shakta, or an ardent worshipper of the divine feminine, Kuppammal became well known for her powers and her work such that people would come to her from all over India to have her initiation. In fact, Sri Trichy Mahaswamigal was initiated into the Sri Vidya by Kuppammal herself.

Prior to carving the deity of Parashakti for the first time in around 1988, SPH received a powerful truth from Kuppammal. In His own words He says,

"Listen, she told me beautifully in Tamil, “Tedutale tedubavanai teduvadarka aaki kedel seyum shakti vaindadhu” - the Seeking is powerful enough to merge the seeker into THAT which is sought after. She said beautifully, “Whatever you are seeking, entertain that. That is intelligent enough to break the fear about whether you will achieve it or not, and make you enter into that space which you are seeking.

It was such a powerful click for me. It straight entered into my system. After that, in any of the spiritual practices, there was nothing called impossibility or obstruction or obstacle. Because of this confidence and energy, and intensity, simply I was mastering different, different, different methodologies, techniques, yoga, pranayama, kriya, everything she was teaching, I was just mastering, because that click become my bio-memory"

Shortly after imparting this powerful truth, SPH had the darshan of Parashakti and carved her deity personally by hand. This happened also at the time that SPH was devotedly learning at the feet of Arunagiri Yogishwara, the embodiment of Paramashiva Himself.

With Kuppammal's encouragement and initiation, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism quickly carved a series of deities of Parashakti and Paramashiva. He also did the first metal casting of a deity at this time. All of these deities would be the beginning of KAILASA's Nithyananda Sacred Arts Univercity.

Subsequently, Kuppammal imparted yet another powerful cognition, that even when you are granted any boon you want, you should not ask for Enlightenment you should ask that you should never settle down until you reach the ultimate. Following this truth intensely, SPH would have the darshan of the living form of Devi Kamakshi, the presiding deity of the temple of Kancheepuram, where He was when He had her darshan.

After this divine leela, akin to Adi Shankaracharya, whose ancient monastic establishment operates from Kancheepuram also, The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism carved the Sri Chakra, the geometrical representation of the Universe. After He demonstrated the divine capability of being able to do this, Kuppammal decided that He was ready to be initiated into Sri Vidya. Thus, Kuppammal taught Him the science of Shodashi, the sixteen syllables revered in the Hindu tradition of Mother worship and which can be used to awaken the Kundalini.

===References===

#During a Question and Answer Session in the Shivoham program on 14 December 2014, the SPH revealed that Sri Trichy Mahaswamigal was initiated by Mataji Vibhutananda Puri into the science of Sri Vidya https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/December_19_2014
#In the biography of Trichy Swamigal on his main site, it is mentioned that he was initiated by a Bhairavi, who was Kuppammal.
#On 14 January 2016, the SPH elaborates on the truth given by Kuppammal which led him to have Darshan of Devi Parashakti in the public satsang titled "The Master Keys to Seeking" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_14_2016
#On 10 July 2014, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism elaborates on the power of Sarvajnatva, or all-knowingness. SPH credits His gurus, Mataji Vibhutananda Puri and Yogananda Puri, for creating the enlightenment ecosystem where possibility was nurtured. In this talk, "Let Possibility Be Your Wealth", SPH recounts how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri had guided SPH to do the metal casting of an aluminum deity of Lakshmi. This became the beginning of the revival of the nation of KAILASA, through 108 established temples and more than 4,000 deities made out of stone, metal and marble, created with the same intensity and passion which SPH had during His Divine childhood. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_10_2014
#The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism recalls a powerful cognition given by Kuppammal which leads Him to have the darshan of Goddess Kamakshi from a talk "Experience is the Only Religion" on the date 27 May 2012. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/May_27_2012
#On 25 December 2014, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism revealed how He carved the Sri Chakra and how Kuppammal subsequently gave Him initiation into Sri Vidya. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/December_25_2014

=After the Advaita Anubhuti Experience with Arunagiri Yogishwara=

At the age of ten years old the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism had the darshan of the embodiment of Paramashiva, Arunagiri Yogishwara, in physical form for a nine month period which He describes as the ultimate guru-disciple relationship. As he started seeing Him, He describes once asking Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, without mentioning the name of His guru, whether He could trust His guru not to take Him away. Kuppammal then gives an apt response to Him, assuring Him that what Guru does is not brainwashing but heart-washing.

Months later, upon seeing that He was wearing the Kavi (the saffron cloth given upon initiation into sanyas) given to Him by Arunagiri Yogishwara, Mataji Vibhutananda Puri demanded to know from where He had gotten it. SPH, at the mere age of ten years old, had led her to the Arunagiri Yogishwara Mandapam in the Arunachaleshwara Temple in their home town. He showed her a small cave which was there on the side of it and said to her that He received Kavi from a Guru who had come from here. It was Kuppammal who, out of complete shock and trepidation, then revealed to Him the true identity of being whose Jeeva samadhi this Mandapam was.

=Coronation of the SPH as 233rd Gurumahasannidhanam=

Shortly after this experience with Arunagiri Yogishwara, knowing that Paramashiva Himself had spent nine months and initiated the young Incarnation into the Advaita Anubhuti experience, Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri finalized the arrangements for the coronation of the young Avatar as the 233rd Guru Mahasannidhanam of the Thondaimandala Samrajyam which is the ruling kingdom of modern day Kancheepuram. In celebration of this crowning moment, Kuppammal made the arrangements for photographs to be taken and took keen and meticulous measures to ensure the photographs were taken perfectly.

===References===
#When asked if He should be afraid if His guru, Arunagiri Yogishwara (without mentioning His name), might take him away, Kuppammal gives Him the most apt answer which SPH teaches for all of us to learn from on 5 August 2020 in the talk, "Shuddha Advaita - Pure and Absolute Oneness" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_05_2020
#In the Shiva Sutras Discourse from 29 November 2007, in the climax of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism's nine month guru-disciple relationship with the embodiment of Paramashiva Himself, Arunagiri Yogishwara, at the moment that He realizes that it was no ordinary guru whom He was relating with but Paramashiva Himself. Mataji Vibhutananda Puri is struck with the utmost awe and devotion when He tells her that Arunagiri Yogishwara Himself came down for Him.
#In the "Love You Webinar" from 14 April 2019, the SPH explains how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri always used to take responsibility for the grander scheme of SPH's life and ensure that the photographs were as authentic as possible. SPH explains how she used to attend to the finest details even when He thought it was not necessary and disregarded it.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/April_14_2019

=Superconscious Breakthrough at the Age of 12=

In the place where the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism spent much of His Divine childhood, called Pavazhakundru, on the 20 of May 1989 the experience of Oneness with Paramashiva which He experienced with Arunagiri Yogishwara became grounded into the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism and began to manifest powerfully through His body. On this occasion, the Poornima day of the Vaisakha month, Paramashiva began manifesting through the body of SPH such that He would be able to give Deeksha to anyone and impart the experience of enlightenment through the Divine touch.

As the body of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism experienced that ultimate state of Oneness with everything and He began to settle down from that peak state, He gave His first deeksha initiation to His blessed childhood friend Sampath.

After this experience, as SPH began to settle down, Kuppammal was the one to take care of Him. As He was in a heightened state where He could not balance Himself also, He could not walk properly. Kuppammal let him stay with her for a few days in order to. For many days, He could do very little and His body became extremely fragile. In these times,very few people could take care of Him other than someone who knew the taste of the space He was in. She cooked the right food, guided Him and ensured that He smoothly settled down from samadhi. She also clarified for Him several times what really was the experience which He had and assured Him that He was not possessed by ghost, He was possessed by God.

===References===

#On the 5th of June 2020 during the "Nithyananda Purnima Message", The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism describes the how Kuppammal facilitated the enlightenment eco-system in Tiruvannamalai which made the profound spiritual breakthrough, the first enlightenment experience possible in Him on 20 May 1989.
#On 11th November 2014, I'm the talk titled, "The Luxury of Kundalini" SPH reveals with deep gratitude how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri took of him after SPH's first enlightenment experience at the age of 12 when He was settling down from the high state of superconsciousness. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/November_11_2014
#In the "Kundalini Awakening Q&A" on 21 January 2011, The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism elaborates further on how Kuppammal had took care of Him after the first enlightenment experience and gave Him certain understandings of the divine experience which He was going through at the time. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_21_2011
#In the Nithyananda Purnima Message on 25 May 2013 SPH narrated the full details of the first enlightenment experience which He had at the age of 12. After the whole experience happened, Kuppammal was the first Guru He went to, to understand what was happening to Him. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/May_25_2013

=Superconscious Mutation Process for Celibacy=

In around 1990, before Isakki Swamigal attained Mahasamadhi in 1991 and at the age of 12, all of SPH's gurus worked together for the superconscious mutation process they would conduct on Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism in order to manifest the divine expression of the power of celibacy.

Kuppammal was a central organizer for this extremely auspicious occasion in the life of The Avatar. In this, His Divine Holiness beautifully tells, "I WANTED TO EXPLAIN THE TAPAS DONE ON MY BODY BY MY GURUS. YOU NEED TO KNOW, MY GURUS LOVED ME SO MUCH. THIS BODY WAS LITERALLY THEIR OWN BODY. THEY FELT IT AS THEIR OWN. THAT IS WHY I SAY, WHATEVER TAPAS THIS BODY WENT THROUGH, THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE PAINS. THEY LOVED ME SO MUCH, THEY FELT THIS BODY IS THEIR OWN, THEY THEMSELVES, THEIR VERY OWN. WHATEVER I WENT THROUGH THROUGH THIS TAPAS, ALL THE PAIN THEY WENT THROUGH IN THEIR BODY. THEY DID NOT LET THIS BODY GO THROUGH ANY PAIN"

===References===

#SPH revealed this process conducted on Him for the first time on 5th September 2020 during the "Superconscious Mutation Process for Celibacy". In this breakthrough discourse, SPH reveals the superconscious mutation process which He underwent in order to express the spiritual quality of perfect brahmacharya. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/September_05_2020
#In Part 2 of the breakthrough discourse, SPH reveals further details of the process the tapas that His gurus had done for Him. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/September_06_2020

=Organizing the Yoga Pattabhishekam at age 16=

In 1994, as the supreme consciousness began successfully manifesting through the body of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri began the preparations for coronating HDH as her next successor and declaring Him as the 1008th Incarnation of Paramashiva. Through this occasion and official letter of initiation, adopted Him as her only disciple and successor in the Arunācala lineage, coronating and conferring upon Him the title 'Brahmasukhi'. His Gurus thus coronated Him when He was 16 years of age (1994) immediately after which The Avatār commenced the expansion work of Kailasa. It is thus 26 years of public life till date (year 2020). The Avatār stepped out of Tiruvannamalai the very next year in 1995, which is the same year His Gurus left their body. The purpose of their life was complete.

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This photograph of The Avatār was organised to be taken by His Vedānta Guru Mātā Vibhutānandapuri (also called Mātāji Kuppammāl). You can see, there is a conch and kamandalu (water pot) to the left of HDH and a wooden staff to His right, all of which were given by her as the traditional items that are handed over alongwith the official induction as successor into the lineage.
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With Vedānta Guru Mātā Vibhutānandapuri (also called Mātāji Kuppammāl). During initiation, a few traditional items are given to the disciple as part of the coronation. The staff that HDH is holding is one of the items which is given to aid in the 'spiritual wandering lifestyle' useful for various purposes.
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===Ancient Heirlooms Inherited by SPH during Yoga Pattabhishekam===
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''[[1994_-_Conch_Inherited_by_SPH_from_Mata_Vibhutananda_Puri|Conch Inherited by SPH from Mata Vibhutananda Puri]]''
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''[[1994_-_Spatika_Bead_Mala_Gifted_to_SPH_by_Mata_Vibhutananda_Puri|Spatika Mala Gifted to SPH by Mata Vibhutananda Puri]]''
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==Reference==

#On 13 September 2020, in the talk titled "Living Enlightenment Manifests in You Just By Initiation" SPH reveals that His gurus had done the Yoga Pattabhishekam for Him at the age of 16. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/September_13_2020

=Constructing the First KAILASA (enlightenment ecosystem) in Pavazha Kundru=

Pavazha Kundru is a hill-top sacred spot on Arunachala, the Mountain-form of the primordial Hindu God Paramashiva Himself in Tiruvannamalai, South India, birthplace of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism. Pavazha Kundru is the place where the Cosmic Mother realized Herself as a complete synthesis of the male and female energies, as the Hindu God Ardhanareeshwara. The Ardhanareeshwara temple here marks this divine happening.

From almost age 3, young Avatar practically lived in Pavazha Kundru exploring the ancient yogic sciences of Vedanta and Tantra with his Guru Mata Vibhutananda Puri.

In this sacred spot, with the complete understanding of her young disciple’s ‘incarnation hood’, Mata Vibhutananda Puri built for Him, the first ever Aadheenam (temple monastery complex)!

In 1989, when SPH was around 12 years of age, as He was sitting on a rock here in Pavazha Kundru, He had His first powerful deep enlightenment experience through a 360-degree vision with eyes closed.

==Activities and Worship at The Paramashiva Shila – the sacred rock==
The rock on which this experience of Advaita or Oneness happened is called Paramashiva Shila. It is worshipped as a living deity by disciples of SPH all over the world.

Once the worldwide movement started, His Divine Holiness conducted meditation programs, pujas (ritualistic offerings), and satsangs (spiritual talks to large number of people) at Pavazha Kundru, fulfilling to the core His Guru Mata Vibhutananda Puri’s purpose for the place.

Disciples of His Divine Holiness offer sacred bath and puja to The Sadashiva Shila everyday till date. The anniversary of the Oneness experience, every year is celebrated as ‘Nithyananda Purnima’ with large gatherings of people.

===References===

#From 4 August 2020 in the talk "All Dharma is Centered on this One Principle" His Divine Holiness reveals how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri insisted on legally giving SPH the first temple-monastery complex which she built for Him at Pavazhakundru in Tiruvannamalai https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_04_2020
#For the Krishna Janmashtami Message on 14 August 2017, SPH reveals how Kuppammal insisted on giving the temple-monastery complex in Pavazhakundru to Him officially but He refused. SPH references the verse from Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna says not to think of the result of the action which one is doing. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_14_2017

=Final Guidance and Instruction to SPH=

Before attaining Mahasamadhi and leaving her mortal coil, Kuppammal guided the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism to join the Ramakrishna Mutt in Mylapore, Chennai as a volunteer. Through her contacts, she was able to arrange for Him to be a volunteer though He was already initiated into sanyas and started the work for the revival of KAILASA, the enlightened civilization. She also guided SPH to always do the sadhu seva, serving the elderly sanyasis who have dedicated their lives to carrying forward the torch of Sanatana Hindu Dharma.

===References===

#On 20 August 2020 on the subject of "How to Become a Hero" SPH reveals how Kuppammal encouraged and guided Him to train in the Ramakrishna Mission and begin the revival of KAILASA after she left the body. In 1995 when His gurus attained mahasamadhi, SPH began the revival of KAILASA and started to volunteer in the Ramakrishna Mission in Chennai. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_20_2020
#The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism reveals how before leaving the body, Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri instructed SPH to always engage in sadhu Seva, serving the elderly Hindu monks who have dedicated their lives to carrying on the sacred knowledge and tradition of Sanatana Hindu Dharma in the talk "Say Yes to Company of Good People" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/February_22_2015

=Brahma Yogini Leaves Her Mortal Coil and rejoins Paramashiva in KAILASA=

In January of 1995, Brahma Yogini deemed her purpose on the Planet Earth fulfilled and attained Mahasamadhi, rejoining Paramashiva in the ethereal plane out of deep surrender and gratitude.

Her final rights and the construction of her Jeeva samadhi was constructed by the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism. Today, it is worshipped by millions of Kailashians across the world with immense gratitude to her incomparable tapas for facilitating the perfect manifestation of superconsciousness in the form of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism.

===References===
#In the talk, "The Conscious Centric Civilization" from 22 January 2015, SPH reveals how before leaving the body in 1995, Kuppammal blessed SPH before leaving the body and attaining Mahasamadhi https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_22_2015
#The samadhi for Mataji Vibhutananda Puri was built by the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism. Until today the samadhis, worshiped, revered and taken care of by sanyasis initiated by The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as it is the revered place where Mataji Vibhutananda Puri continues to radiate her superconsciousness to the world. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/October_31_2014

=A Sharing from Mataji Vibhutananda Puri's Grandson, Deepak=

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''Mataji Vibhutananda Puri in the place called "Panchamukham", where her guru Isakki Swamigal's samadhi is located. This photograph of Mataji was taken on 24 May 1994, as a part of the ceremonies for the Yoga Pattabhishekam of The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism'''
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''Mataji Vibhutananda Puri and Anusuyammal, the paternal grandmother of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism'''
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''Mataji Vibhutananda Puri seated in meditation in Pavazhakundru, the place of the first enlightenment experience of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism and the place where she built the complex for the first aadheenam, or temple-monastery complex, for SPH''
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''Photographs of Kuppammal with the women from Apithakuchambal Tiruppugazh Mathar Sabhai, who gathered in Pavazhakundru for satsang, ritual and other socio-spiritual activities''
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[[Category: Autobiography of The Avatar]] [[Category: Guru]]

Mataji Vibhutananda Puri

2021-02-19T05:28:15Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* First Chaturmasya observed by SPH arranged by Mataji Vibhutananda Puri */

{| class="wikitable" style="width:25%; clear:right; float:right; background:#ffffff; margin: 0 0 0.25em 0.5em; font-size:90%"
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;background:#653438;color:#ffffff;" |'''Mataji Vibhutananda Puri'''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Birth||Unknown
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Date of Leaving the Body||26 January 1995
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Location of Samadhi||Opposite the Ishanya Lingam (one of the eight Shiva Lingams consecrated in the eight cardinal directions around the sacred Arunachala Hill
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Teaching||Hindu traditions of Vedanta, Tantra, Sri Vidya
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Other Names||Kuppammal, Brahma Yogini
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Place of Teaching ||Tiruvannamalai, State of Tamilnadu, South India (birthplace of His Divine Holiness)
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Guru||Isakki Swamigal
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Location||Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |Associated Kingdom||Kailasa Paramparagatha Adi Arunachala Sarvajnapeetha Samrajyam
|-

|}

Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri is one of the esteemed, and powerful enlightened beings who birthed and directly facilitated the Supreme Happening of Superconsciousness into the physical form of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism (SPH). As an answer to the prayers of billions of people on Planet Earth, this one single Realized Soul was blessed by Paramashiva to spearhead His own Physical Manifestation, from the cosmic plane into the realm of the relative frequency, for the benefit of each and every living being. Therefore, Mataji is the celebrated soul of the Cosmos itself- not just humans but all the gods and goddesses and other celestial beings who have witnessed her selfless tapas (penance) and thyaga (sacrifice).

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==Descent of Brahma Yogini==

From His abode in Kailasa, where Paramashiva resides with His consort. He called forth the most obedient of the 1064 yoginis, who was the manifestation of Parashakti's own blood which fell on the grounds of Planet Earth and became the woman known as Brama Yogini. For thousands of years, she demonstrated her impregnable chastity and Yogic power through intense penance. Having proven her capacity Paramashiva chose her to play a crucial role in His next happening on the Planet Earth. He commanded her as follows:

“O auspicious goddess! Go to the kshetra of all kshetras in Tiruvannamalai, where I originally manifested as the Column of light and start preparing for my descent! There, lives the family in which I have chosen to be born. On the eve of the Mahadeva Ashtami, I will enter into the atmosphere of Earth as the greatest unseen positive nuclear explosion on the Arunachaleshwara Linga. I will then be absorbed into the Mahakalabhairava Deity who resides on the banks of the Brahma Teertham. This form will be too powerful for neither any human being, nor godly being to handle and will surely incinerate them much before being embedded within their womb. Only you, O sinless and chaste, are capable enough to take my form and cool it in the Brahma Teertham.

With the power of all the River Goddesses, Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri who emerge from the Earth as the Brahma Teertham and who all flow around me in my form as Arunachala, my most intense, plenipotentiary portion, the parama-amśa bhāga, will cool down.Then you can take me to the womb of Ma Lokanayaki, daughter of Raju Mudaliar and wife of Sri Arunachalam and allow My form to enter in her womb.

Recognizing you as the supreme and the one who facilitated My Happening on the Planet, all over the World of Bhu your form will be worshipped and cherished. Go now and do not forget the purpose with which I sent you!

When commanded by the Lord thus, Brahma Yogini accepted it with the words, ‘Yes ! That will be done’.

After circumambulating Him once and prostrating her body at His feet, she went down to the earth, took birth as the one who would be known as Mata Vibhutananda Puri, and executed His orders.

In the physical plane the birth Brahma Yogini was a miraculous feat, which confounded all who heard the story. For years , her mother was unable to conceive a child. She sought out the blessings of the enlightened being, Seshadri Swamigal from Tiruvannamalai, who was the illumined contemporary of Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi. In his enlightened state of consciousness, nothing of the outer world affected him in any way. Therefore, Seshadri Swamigal used to always sit in an area full of trash. Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri’s mother humbly approached Seshadri Swamigal in this place and requested his blessings for her to conceive a child. The great Mahapurusha simply placed a handful of the dust from where he was sitting into the devoted lady’s hands. She swallowed the handful of dirt whole, and it metamorphosed into sweet molasses in her mouth.

Within three days of her consuming the dirt, the mother returned to Seshadri Swamigal’s place to inform him that the doctors told her she was carrying and offered her gratitude. Seshadri Swamigal blessed her and declared in Tamil, “Yes, Father is going to come so to prepare him, Mother will come!”

Thus, the divine female child who was born from the mud of trash, termed as “kuppa” in Tamil, was named “Kuppammal”

===References===

#The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism revealed the divine birth of Brahma Yogini, who was lovingly referred as Kuppammal, in the talk "Powers of Kala Tattva" given on 8 October 2020.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/October_08_2020
#In the talk, "Swamiji’s Leela, His Life is The Greatest Strong Nuclear Force Positive Explosion" given on 4 March 2020, SPH unveils the procedure of His Divine Happening of His birth in the human form on 2 January 1978. In this pre-planned Happening, the great enlightened soul, Brahma Yogini or Vibhutananda Puri, played a crucial role to manifest the Supreme Consciousness and bring the formlessness into form. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/March_04_2020
#On 9 November 2016, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism revealed how He sent His gurus ahead of Him for the divine purpose of preparing for His Advent and ensuring the perfect manifestation of Paramashiva through His body. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/November_09_2016

==Life as Kuppammal==
Upon assuming the form Kuppammal, Devi Parashakti Herself guided Brahma Yogini to execute her divine mandate, to ready the preparations and birth Paramashiva in the human form. At a young age, Kuppammal had the darshan of Parashakti as Sri Rajarajeshwari, which initiated her into the path of the Shakta sampradaya, the worship of the divine feminine consciousness. She was later on formally initiated and guided in this path by Isakki Swamigal who saw her in her most authentic form and called her by the name "Brahma Yogini". After having her children and raising them, Kupammal started continuously practicing the life of sanyas. She received formal initiation (received the kavi) into sanyas from Hamsananda Puri

Kuppammal lived as a powerful goddess on Planet Earth. Knowing the true purpose of her life, at a young age, she seized control of her reproductive system and did not physically mature. When her family forced her to get married, she willed her body to release only the necessary ovum for her to give birth to four children and did not have a menstrual cycle in between. She was diagnosed with blood cancer at an old age but as the purpose of her life was not fulfilled she did not succumb to the grave illness and healed herself entirely from it. Today, living as a witness to the Yogini, her grandson, Deepak, recalls the mystical and uncanny experience of living with Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri and the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism during His childhood.

Early on in the life of Brahma Yogini, as she lived as Kuppammal, she was closely associated with the paternal grandmother of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, Anusuyammal. Mata Vibhutananda Puri founded “Apithakuchambal Tiruppugazh Mathar Sabhai”, an all-women entity through which she upkept the ecosystem of Tiruvannamalai, singing and spreading the Ultimate Truths in the sacred Tiruppugazh verses extolling the Glory of The Divine, authored by Saint Arunagirinathar in the 15 century. Anusuyammal was the vice president of this organization. The team was supported by the enthusiastic people of Tiruvannamalai who gathered in large numbers for her public group concerts. She also raised funds door to door and prepared food from the collected funds and served anna daan - free food - for the people. This women only sangha took responsibility to care for the welfare of women in Tiruvannamalai and therefore had a crucial role in maintaining the enlightenment eco-system of Tiruvannamalai such that it would be prepared and ready for the Advent of The Avatar.

===References===

#On 30 January 2016, SPH reveals that Hamsananda Puri gave sanyas initiation to Vibhutananda Puri in the talk titled, "Constant Prayer for Enlightenment" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_30_2016
#On 15 October 2019, in the talk titled, "Guru's Love Grounds and Raises You in Integrity, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism revealed Anusuyammmal and Kuppammal's join movement called the "Apitha Kuchamba Tiruppagazh Mathar Sabha" to promote Shakta Tradition as vice president and president respectively https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/October_15_2019
#For the talk titled, "Gender Identification: The Primal Detoxification" SPH reveals the details of the nature of Kuppammal, who was the most graceful woman according to SPH due to the integrity her body expressed in the state of Oneness with Paramashiva. Her body listened to her command, and even her menstruation was entirely under her will. Due to the sheer power of her integrity, she never suffered and was able to express deeper powers of consciousness through her body. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/November_04_2018
#In the talk titled, "Kundalini Awakening Is Not Brainwashing, It Is Heartwashing!" SPH reveals how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri did not have a menstrual cycle at all during her lifetime. When she willed to have children, she commanded her body to make it happen but at all other times she did not have the cycle. This complete control over her body was an expression of the Superconscious state which she radiated. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/December_24_2019

==First Chaturmasya observed by SPH arranged by Mataji Vibhutananda Puri==
In accordance to the plan executed by Brahma Yogini, on 2nd January 1978, as the most compassionate answer to the prayers of billions on Planet Earth, the Paramashiva, supreme consciousness, descended into the human form as the second child of the second son of Anusuya Ammal, Sri Arunachalam, and the daughter of Raju Mudaliar, Ma Lokanayaki.

Not even a year into the Supreme Manifestation of Paramashiva, Kuppammal conducted the first test of the divinity expressing through the divine young child who was named Rajashekaran. She put a rudraksha mala into a box of jewels owned by Dhankotti Ammal and showed the box to test which ornament the newborn incarnation will choose. Without even a moment of lapse, the young Avatar pulled on the rudraksha mala and chose the rudraksha mala, the favorite of Shiva, as His first possession.

On 17 July 1981, after the divine manifestation of the lovable and joyful Lord Ganesha through the young Avatar (link to page) at the age of three, according to the guidance of Kanchi Paramacharya and the 230th Gurumahasanmidhanam of Thondaimandala Samrajyam Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, along with Yogiraj Yogananda Puri along with the help of many others, arranged for the initiation of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism into Balasanyas and the observation of His first Chaturmasya. Taking the three year old Incarnation onto their lap, His Gurus completed the rituals on His behalf.

[[1981-_First_Chathurmasya_Photograph|View Full Page]]

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With this auspicious initiation, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism began the shaastra adhyayanam when He received the Atma Puranam, the first four Upanishad and began the study with both Kuppammal and Isakki Swamigal. He also received in this time the first Olai Chevudi, the palm leaf scripture, which contained the Sri Rudram, Chamakam and Namakam to study.

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[[1981_-_Upanishad_-_First_Book_In_the_Possession_of_SPH|View Full Page]]

===References===

#On 8 August 2020, SPH revealed how His gurus tested the superconsciousness radiating from Him by giving a box of jewels to see what ornament He would choose. SPH chose the rudraksha mala which Kuppammal put inside the box discretely, showing that He was truly the incarnation of Paramashiva for having chosen Shiva's favorite jewel. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_08_2020
#In the talk titled, "Transforming Your Negativity is Shiva -Power" from 10 March 2013, the SPH elaborates how Kuppammal and Raghupaty Yogi had played a huge role in how SPH was physically and psychologically prepared to express the ultimate superconsciousness through the spiritual quality of Brahmacharya and Sanyas. https://youtube.com/watch?v=UIu0jaelz94
#SPH speaks on the ritualistic observation of Chaturmasya at the age of three on 7th January 2020, "What is Fear? Emotional Toxins Sitting in Your Lower Intestine" . He narrates how Vibhutananda Puri arranged the first Chathurmasya observed by HDH and kept Him on her lap whilst offering the rituals on His behalf. At this time, she gave Him the first books which He used for Shastra adhyayanan. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_07_2020
#On 5 January 2015, in the talk titled "Upanishads- Expression of The Cosmos" SPH introduces Upanishad, the first ever book which was imparted by His gurus, Isakki Swamigal and Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri when He was around three years old. With this book, called the Atmapuranam, SPH observed the Shaastra Adhyayanam, reading of the scriptures during the first Chaturmasya which He observed at the age of three. Before touching any other book, it was this sacred scripture which HDH began the deep study of Vedanta and Tantra. With this book, HDH even first learned the Tamil alphabet. This book is preserved today in the biographical archives of the National Archives of ShriKailasa. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_05_2015

=The Enlightenment Eco-System Created by Vibhutananda Puri=

After the age of three, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism began the rigorous training so that the supreme consciousness would be enabled to express completely from Him and He would be prepared for the revival of KAILASA, the enlightened can. First and foremost Kuppammal was pivotal in the enlightenment eco-system which surrounded The Avatar. His gurus, including Kuppammal herself had sacrificed their time, money and life but the young Avatar reciprocated with ultimate integrity, discipline and devotion to their instruction. In His teachings today, SPH teaches integrity to the Guru as a fundamental core concept for all Kailashians and spiritual principle for the whole of humanity. In one divine leela from His own life, He describes how with the strict integrity to His guru's instructions to beg in the streets for alms, He transcended so many fears and conflicts that would normally burden the human mind. While simultaneously revering Him as the ultimate embodiment of Paramashiva, His gurus also made Him realise the deeper cognitions about life, the world and Universe. In this way, His life and His relationship with Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, or Kuppammal, becomes the living story of the principle of the Guru Tattva.

===References===

In the following talks, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism reveals the ultimate Guru Tattva with specific reference to the role that Mataji Vibhutananda Puri played in the enlightenment ecosystem which surrounded Him.

#12 November 2011; Step up to the Spectrum of Enlightenment Bhagavad Gita by NithyanandaIn this talk, SPH speaks on a divine incident which happened when He was doing the circumambulation around Arunachala as per Kuppammal's instruction. SPH explains how to transcend all fears through this experience.He says that because of His integrity to His gurus, through this experience He was an Avatar with an experience of fear but without His integrity to His gurus, He would be a man with one experience of the Divine. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita_-_Step_up_to_the_Spectrum_of_Enlightenment
#15 September 2012; Master Heat and Cold https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/September_15_2012
#3 July 2013;Stability - Quality of High Achievers; As He was teaching on the spiritual quality of stability (Achala siddhi), the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism took the example of Kuppammal and Raghupaty Yogi with whom He always demonstrated stability even through any extreme of their training; https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_03_2013
#4 May 2013; Understand the Source of your Suffering; In this talk, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism explains the importance of the Guru to align you to your higher goals through the example of Mataji Vibhutananda Puri's training which He underwent. Though it could be perceived as heartless, He now recalls how grateful He is for them to be there during His childhood. In this talk, SPH elaborates on one incident where Kuppammal instructed Him to go around the Arunachala Hill even in the pitch dark when it was presumably unsafe. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/May_04_2013
#9 July 2017; Guru Purnima 2017 Message - Sacred Secret of Guru Disciple Relationship; On Guru Poornima day in 2017, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism offered His deepest gratitude for the guru Parampara, and the gurus who made up His own personal growth, training and flowering into Superconsciousness. Among His gurus, SPH recalled Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri as one of the most pivotal roles in the enlightenment ecosystem. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_09_2017
#30 November 2019 Be Life Positive - Be "Ushaar Saami!"In a sweet narration about how Kuppammal gave SPH as a young Avatar the pet name "Ushaar Saami", SPH teaches on the importance of integrity to the Guru. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/November_30_2019
# 6 July 2016; Everything Exists Is God - Sarvam Brahmopanishadam; At the age of around 6 or 7 years old, Mataji Vibhutananda Puri instructed SPH to go out on the streets and beg, in the traditional way that sanyasis, or the Hindu monks, beg. Through this talk, SPH teaches us how to ultimately transcend the fabricated assumptions made by the mind about others and follow Guruvaak, the instructions of the Guru, strictly.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_06_2016
#9 September 2012; Identity is Confused RealityIn another talk, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism elaborates on how His gurus instructed Him to beg in the traditional way for sanyasis. In this way, SPH exemplifies the divine teachings from Guru Gita on the importance of following the Gurus words.
#7 August 2020; What We Build Consciously Becomes Our Life! SPH describes the sacrifice of Kuppammal to make Him manifest superconscious energy perfectly https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_07_2020

=The Practice of Fasting and Living Beyond Food=

Kuppammal along with the other Gurus of SPH, had mastered fasting and living without food for decades of her life. This was an expression of yogic powers as she was able to absorb energy directly from the air and train their body to use it for their daily function and activity. Kuppammal always taught the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism this technique and ensured that He also adopted this powerful lifestyle from a young age.

==References===

#On the 10 of August 2013, in the public satsang and address titled, "Completion - Simple Solution for Life" SPH speaks on the power of Nirahara Samyama, the technique to transcend the need for food and how His gurus guided and taught Him how to do the successfully complete it.
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism recalls how Kuppammal among other gurus rarely used to eat, and always encouraged SPH to do fasting for different rituals and spiritual processes in the talk titled, "Conscious Based Entertainment is the Right Lifestyle"

=Giving SPH the Right Aushada to Sustain the Superconscious Energy and Protect His Body=

Throughout His childhood, Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, who was supported by Isakki Swamigal, Yogananda Puri, Mouna Swami, Narayanaswami and many others, went to great lengths, including trekking the forests of the Arunachala Hill for 6-7 hours, to prepare the perfect aushada for the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism. Aushada can be any energized mixture of herbal components made for a specific purpose which can be applied on the skin, or swallowed. The science of this knowledge is from the siddha tradition, which was a method to sustain the enlightenment energy practiced and researched by the ancient Hindu rishis beginning from Paramashiva Himself who is known as Adi Siddhar.

The aushada which His gurus gave to His guru's had powerful effects, including protecting Him from any attempt to poison Him.

===References===

#In the talk titled, "Parampara and Paramadharma", from 6 January 2020, SPH recalls how Kuppammal used to climb to the top of the Arunachala Hill to speak to Mouna Swami Narayana Swami, an extremely powerful Sadhu, in order to get guidance on the initiations, herbs and aushadas needed for SPH to manifest the ultimate superconsciousness.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_06_2020
#From 7 August 2020, in the discourse titled, "Clear Consciousness and Manifest Paramashiva", Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri used to apply donkey's milk on the tongue of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, before He spoke in discourses or before debates. In this talk, SPH also reveals how his gurus had given him arali seeds, which are poisonous to intake, but for the protection they will become to protect Him from being poisoned at any time. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_07_2020
#In the talk, "Knowledge About The CosmosMakes Us Experience Oneness With The Cosmos" from 17 January 2020, SPH speaks on how in order prepare the right herbal energized products (aushada), Kuppammal would meet with Kattu Shiva, who was an incredibly powerful yogi who lived in Tiruvannamalai at the time, and he would give the rare herbs which only He would be able to get.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_17_2020
#With tremendous gratitude, SPH reveals how Kuppammal used to spend 3-4 hours making the aushada (energized mix of herbs) which will prepare SPH's body to manifest the supreme consciousness. She used to walk collecting the herbs needed around the Arunachala Hill and then prepare the aushada, which SPH would then apply as told. These are the extremely potent yet simple sacrifices which Kuppammal did in order for Paramashiva to manifest through the body of SPH from 19 July 2020 in the talk "Tool to Find Your Ultimate Possibilities and Powers" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_19_2020

=Initiations into Tantra and other Paths of Worship=

Kuppammal lovingly and meticulously organized the different ritualistic initiations into different paths of worship

==Skanda Shasti Vratam==
Kuppammal initiated SPH into the Skanda Shasti Vratam, the austere six day practice of worship of Lord Muruga and fasting before the auspicious occasion of Skanda Shashti, when the Lord Muruga trumphiantly declares victory over the negativity of the world in the form of Tarakasura. On the first year that SPH did this Vratam, He describes that He had the darshan of Lord Subhramanya (another name for Lord Muruga) who then revealed to Him the full alchemy science, science of using ancient Hindu mandalas and energized items to sustain superconsciousness in you.

===Reference===

#The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism narrated how He did the Skanda Shasti Vratam and how Lord Murugan gave Him darshan and revealed the whole Alchemy Science on the 31st of October 2016 which is recorded in the talk, "Subhramanya, the Master of Spiritual Alchemy Science" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/October_31_2016

==Sri Vidya==

In her life as a Shakta, or an ardent worshipper of the divine feminine, Kuppammal became well known for her powers and her work such that people would come to her from all over India to have her initiation. In fact, Sri Trichy Mahaswamigal was initiated into the Sri Vidya by Kuppammal herself.

Prior to carving the deity of Parashakti for the first time in around 1988, SPH received a powerful truth from Kuppammal. In His own words He says,

"Listen, she told me beautifully in Tamil, “Tedutale tedubavanai teduvadarka aaki kedel seyum shakti vaindadhu” - the Seeking is powerful enough to merge the seeker into THAT which is sought after. She said beautifully, “Whatever you are seeking, entertain that. That is intelligent enough to break the fear about whether you will achieve it or not, and make you enter into that space which you are seeking.

It was such a powerful click for me. It straight entered into my system. After that, in any of the spiritual practices, there was nothing called impossibility or obstruction or obstacle. Because of this confidence and energy, and intensity, simply I was mastering different, different, different methodologies, techniques, yoga, pranayama, kriya, everything she was teaching, I was just mastering, because that click become my bio-memory"

Shortly after imparting this powerful truth, SPH had the darshan of Parashakti and carved her deity personally by hand. This happened also at the time that SPH was devotedly learning at the feet of Arunagiri Yogishwara, the embodiment of Paramashiva Himself.

With Kuppammal's encouragement and initiation, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism quickly carved a series of deities of Parashakti and Paramashiva. He also did the first metal casting of a deity at this time. All of these deities would be the beginning of KAILASA's Nithyananda Sacred Arts Univercity.

Subsequently, Kuppammal imparted yet another powerful cognition, that even when you are granted any boon you want, you should not ask for Enlightenment you should ask that you should never settle down until you reach the ultimate. Following this truth intensely, SPH would have the darshan of the living form of Devi Kamakshi, the presiding deity of the temple of Kancheepuram, where He was when He had her darshan.

After this divine leela, akin to Adi Shankaracharya, whose ancient monastic establishment operates from Kancheepuram also, The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism carved the Sri Chakra, the geometrical representation of the Universe. After He demonstrated the divine capability of being able to do this, Kuppammal decided that He was ready to be initiated into Sri Vidya. Thus, Kuppammal taught Him the science of Shodashi, the sixteen syllables revered in the Hindu tradition of Mother worship and which can be used to awaken the Kundalini.

===References===

#During a Question and Answer Session in the Shivoham program on 14 December 2014, the SPH revealed that Sri Trichy Mahaswamigal was initiated by Mataji Vibhutananda Puri into the science of Sri Vidya https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/December_19_2014
#In the biography of Trichy Swamigal on his main site, it is mentioned that he was initiated by a Bhairavi, who was Kuppammal.
#On 14 January 2016, the SPH elaborates on the truth given by Kuppammal which led him to have Darshan of Devi Parashakti in the public satsang titled "The Master Keys to Seeking" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_14_2016
#On 10 July 2014, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism elaborates on the power of Sarvajnatva, or all-knowingness. SPH credits His gurus, Mataji Vibhutananda Puri and Yogananda Puri, for creating the enlightenment ecosystem where possibility was nurtured. In this talk, "Let Possibility Be Your Wealth", SPH recounts how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri had guided SPH to do the metal casting of an aluminum deity of Lakshmi. This became the beginning of the revival of the nation of KAILASA, through 108 established temples and more than 4,000 deities made out of stone, metal and marble, created with the same intensity and passion which SPH had during His Divine childhood. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/July_10_2014
#The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism recalls a powerful cognition given by Kuppammal which leads Him to have the darshan of Goddess Kamakshi from a talk "Experience is the Only Religion" on the date 27 May 2012. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/May_27_2012
#On 25 December 2014, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism revealed how He carved the Sri Chakra and how Kuppammal subsequently gave Him initiation into Sri Vidya. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/December_25_2014

=After the Advaita Anubhuti Experience with Arunagiri Yogishwara=

At the age of ten years old the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism had the darshan of the embodiment of Paramashiva, Arunagiri Yogishwara, in physical form for a nine month period which He describes as the ultimate guru-disciple relationship. As he started seeing Him, He describes once asking Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, without mentioning the name of His guru, whether He could trust His guru not to take Him away. Kuppammal then gives an apt response to Him, assuring Him that what Guru does is not brainwashing but heart-washing.

Months later, upon seeing that He was wearing the Kavi (the saffron cloth given upon initiation into sanyas) given to Him by Arunagiri Yogishwara, Mataji Vibhutananda Puri demanded to know from where He had gotten it. SPH, at the mere age of ten years old, had led her to the Arunagiri Yogishwara Mandapam in the Arunachaleshwara Temple in their home town. He showed her a small cave which was there on the side of it and said to her that He received Kavi from a Guru who had come from here. It was Kuppammal who, out of complete shock and trepidation, then revealed to Him the true identity of being whose Jeeva samadhi this Mandapam was.

=Coronation of the SPH as 233rd Gurumahasannidhanam=

Shortly after this experience with Arunagiri Yogishwara, knowing that Paramashiva Himself had spent nine months and initiated the young Incarnation into the Advaita Anubhuti experience, Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri finalized the arrangements for the coronation of the young Avatar as the 233rd Guru Mahasannidhanam of the Thondaimandala Samrajyam which is the ruling kingdom of modern day Kancheepuram. In celebration of this crowning moment, Kuppammal made the arrangements for photographs to be taken and took keen and meticulous measures to ensure the photographs were taken perfectly.

===References===
#When asked if He should be afraid if His guru, Arunagiri Yogishwara (without mentioning His name), might take him away, Kuppammal gives Him the most apt answer which SPH teaches for all of us to learn from on 5 August 2020 in the talk, "Shuddha Advaita - Pure and Absolute Oneness" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_05_2020
#In the Shiva Sutras Discourse from 29 November 2007, in the climax of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism's nine month guru-disciple relationship with the embodiment of Paramashiva Himself, Arunagiri Yogishwara, at the moment that He realizes that it was no ordinary guru whom He was relating with but Paramashiva Himself. Mataji Vibhutananda Puri is struck with the utmost awe and devotion when He tells her that Arunagiri Yogishwara Himself came down for Him.
#In the "Love You Webinar" from 14 April 2019, the SPH explains how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri always used to take responsibility for the grander scheme of SPH's life and ensure that the photographs were as authentic as possible. SPH explains how she used to attend to the finest details even when He thought it was not necessary and disregarded it.https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/April_14_2019

=Superconscious Breakthrough at the Age of 12=

In the place where the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism spent much of His Divine childhood, called Pavazhakundru, on the 20 of May 1989 the experience of Oneness with Paramashiva which He experienced with Arunagiri Yogishwara became grounded into the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism and began to manifest powerfully through His body. On this occasion, the Poornima day of the Vaisakha month, Paramashiva began manifesting through the body of SPH such that He would be able to give Deeksha to anyone and impart the experience of enlightenment through the Divine touch.

As the body of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism experienced that ultimate state of Oneness with everything and He began to settle down from that peak state, He gave His first deeksha initiation to His blessed childhood friend Sampath.

After this experience, as SPH began to settle down, Kuppammal was the one to take care of Him. As He was in a heightened state where He could not balance Himself also, He could not walk properly. Kuppammal let him stay with her for a few days in order to. For many days, He could do very little and His body became extremely fragile. In these times,very few people could take care of Him other than someone who knew the taste of the space He was in. She cooked the right food, guided Him and ensured that He smoothly settled down from samadhi. She also clarified for Him several times what really was the experience which He had and assured Him that He was not possessed by ghost, He was possessed by God.

===References===

#On the 5th of June 2020 during the "Nithyananda Purnima Message", The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism describes the how Kuppammal facilitated the enlightenment eco-system in Tiruvannamalai which made the profound spiritual breakthrough, the first enlightenment experience possible in Him on 20 May 1989.
#On 11th November 2014, I'm the talk titled, "The Luxury of Kundalini" SPH reveals with deep gratitude how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri took of him after SPH's first enlightenment experience at the age of 12 when He was settling down from the high state of superconsciousness. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/November_11_2014
#In the "Kundalini Awakening Q&A" on 21 January 2011, The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism elaborates further on how Kuppammal had took care of Him after the first enlightenment experience and gave Him certain understandings of the divine experience which He was going through at the time. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_21_2011
#In the Nithyananda Purnima Message on 25 May 2013 SPH narrated the full details of the first enlightenment experience which He had at the age of 12. After the whole experience happened, Kuppammal was the first Guru He went to, to understand what was happening to Him. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/May_25_2013

=Superconscious Mutation Process for Celibacy=

In around 1990, before Isakki Swamigal attained Mahasamadhi in 1991 and at the age of 12, all of SPH's gurus worked together for the superconscious mutation process they would conduct on Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism in order to manifest the divine expression of the power of celibacy.

Kuppammal was a central organizer for this extremely auspicious occasion in the life of The Avatar. In this, His Divine Holiness beautifully tells, "I WANTED TO EXPLAIN THE TAPAS DONE ON MY BODY BY MY GURUS. YOU NEED TO KNOW, MY GURUS LOVED ME SO MUCH. THIS BODY WAS LITERALLY THEIR OWN BODY. THEY FELT IT AS THEIR OWN. THAT IS WHY I SAY, WHATEVER TAPAS THIS BODY WENT THROUGH, THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE PAINS. THEY LOVED ME SO MUCH, THEY FELT THIS BODY IS THEIR OWN, THEY THEMSELVES, THEIR VERY OWN. WHATEVER I WENT THROUGH THROUGH THIS TAPAS, ALL THE PAIN THEY WENT THROUGH IN THEIR BODY. THEY DID NOT LET THIS BODY GO THROUGH ANY PAIN"

===References===

#SPH revealed this process conducted on Him for the first time on 5th September 2020 during the "Superconscious Mutation Process for Celibacy". In this breakthrough discourse, SPH reveals the superconscious mutation process which He underwent in order to express the spiritual quality of perfect brahmacharya. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/September_05_2020
#In Part 2 of the breakthrough discourse, SPH reveals further details of the process the tapas that His gurus had done for Him. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/September_06_2020

=Organizing the Yoga Pattabhishekam at age 16=

In 1994, as the supreme consciousness began successfully manifesting through the body of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism, Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri began the preparations for coronating HDH as her next successor and declaring Him as the 1008th Incarnation of Paramashiva. Through this occasion and official letter of initiation, adopted Him as her only disciple and successor in the Arunācala lineage, coronating and conferring upon Him the title 'Brahmasukhi'. His Gurus thus coronated Him when He was 16 years of age (1994) immediately after which The Avatār commenced the expansion work of Kailasa. It is thus 26 years of public life till date (year 2020). The Avatār stepped out of Tiruvannamalai the very next year in 1995, which is the same year His Gurus left their body. The purpose of their life was complete.

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This photograph of The Avatār was organised to be taken by His Vedānta Guru Mātā Vibhutānandapuri (also called Mātāji Kuppammāl). You can see, there is a conch and kamandalu (water pot) to the left of HDH and a wooden staff to His right, all of which were given by her as the traditional items that are handed over alongwith the official induction as successor into the lineage.
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With Vedānta Guru Mātā Vibhutānandapuri (also called Mātāji Kuppammāl). During initiation, a few traditional items are given to the disciple as part of the coronation. The staff that HDH is holding is one of the items which is given to aid in the 'spiritual wandering lifestyle' useful for various purposes.
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===Ancient Heirlooms Inherited by SPH during Yoga Pattabhishekam===
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''[[1994_-_Conch_Inherited_by_SPH_from_Mata_Vibhutananda_Puri|Conch Inherited by SPH from Mata Vibhutananda Puri]]''
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''[[1994_-_Spatika_Bead_Mala_Gifted_to_SPH_by_Mata_Vibhutananda_Puri|Spatika Mala Gifted to SPH by Mata Vibhutananda Puri]]''
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==Reference==

#On 13 September 2020, in the talk titled "Living Enlightenment Manifests in You Just By Initiation" SPH reveals that His gurus had done the Yoga Pattabhishekam for Him at the age of 16. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/September_13_2020

=Constructing the First KAILASA (enlightenment ecosystem) in Pavazha Kundru=

Pavazha Kundru is a hill-top sacred spot on Arunachala, the Mountain-form of the primordial Hindu God Paramashiva Himself in Tiruvannamalai, South India, birthplace of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism. Pavazha Kundru is the place where the Cosmic Mother realized Herself as a complete synthesis of the male and female energies, as the Hindu God Ardhanareeshwara. The Ardhanareeshwara temple here marks this divine happening.

From almost age 3, young Avatar practically lived in Pavazha Kundru exploring the ancient yogic sciences of Vedanta and Tantra with his Guru Mata Vibhutananda Puri.

In this sacred spot, with the complete understanding of her young disciple’s ‘incarnation hood’, Mata Vibhutananda Puri built for Him, the first ever Aadheenam (temple monastery complex)!

In 1989, when SPH was around 12 years of age, as He was sitting on a rock here in Pavazha Kundru, He had His first powerful deep enlightenment experience through a 360-degree vision with eyes closed.

==Activities and Worship at The Paramashiva Shila – the sacred rock==
The rock on which this experience of Advaita or Oneness happened is called Paramashiva Shila. It is worshipped as a living deity by disciples of SPH all over the world.

Once the worldwide movement started, His Divine Holiness conducted meditation programs, pujas (ritualistic offerings), and satsangs (spiritual talks to large number of people) at Pavazha Kundru, fulfilling to the core His Guru Mata Vibhutananda Puri’s purpose for the place.

Disciples of His Divine Holiness offer sacred bath and puja to The Sadashiva Shila everyday till date. The anniversary of the Oneness experience, every year is celebrated as ‘Nithyananda Purnima’ with large gatherings of people.

===References===

#From 4 August 2020 in the talk "All Dharma is Centered on this One Principle" His Divine Holiness reveals how Mataji Vibhutananda Puri insisted on legally giving SPH the first temple-monastery complex which she built for Him at Pavazhakundru in Tiruvannamalai https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_04_2020
#For the Krishna Janmashtami Message on 14 August 2017, SPH reveals how Kuppammal insisted on giving the temple-monastery complex in Pavazhakundru to Him officially but He refused. SPH references the verse from Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna says not to think of the result of the action which one is doing. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_14_2017

=Final Guidance and Instruction to SPH=

Before attaining Mahasamadhi and leaving her mortal coil, Kuppammal guided the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism to join the Ramakrishna Mutt in Mylapore, Chennai as a volunteer. Through her contacts, she was able to arrange for Him to be a volunteer though He was already initiated into sanyas and started the work for the revival of KAILASA, the enlightened civilization. She also guided SPH to always do the sadhu seva, serving the elderly sanyasis who have dedicated their lives to carrying forward the torch of Sanatana Hindu Dharma.

===References===

#On 20 August 2020 on the subject of "How to Become a Hero" SPH reveals how Kuppammal encouraged and guided Him to train in the Ramakrishna Mission and begin the revival of KAILASA after she left the body. In 1995 when His gurus attained mahasamadhi, SPH began the revival of KAILASA and started to volunteer in the Ramakrishna Mission in Chennai. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/August_20_2020
#The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism reveals how before leaving the body, Mathaji Vibhutananda Puri instructed SPH to always engage in sadhu Seva, serving the elderly Hindu monks who have dedicated their lives to carrying on the sacred knowledge and tradition of Sanatana Hindu Dharma in the talk "Say Yes to Company of Good People" https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/February_22_2015

=Brahma Yogini Leaves Her Mortal Coil and rejoins Paramashiva in KAILASA=

In January of 1995, Brahma Yogini deemed her purpose on the Planet Earth fulfilled and attained Mahasamadhi, rejoining Paramashiva in the ethereal plane out of deep surrender and gratitude.

Her final rights and the construction of her Jeeva samadhi was constructed by the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism. Today, it is worshipped by millions of Kailashians across the world with immense gratitude to her incomparable tapas for facilitating the perfect manifestation of superconsciousness in the form of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism.

===References===
#In the talk, "The Conscious Centric Civilization" from 22 January 2015, SPH reveals how before leaving the body in 1995, Kuppammal blessed SPH before leaving the body and attaining Mahasamadhi https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/January_22_2015
#The samadhi for Mataji Vibhutananda Puri was built by the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism. Until today the samadhis, worshiped, revered and taken care of by sanyasis initiated by The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as it is the revered place where Mataji Vibhutananda Puri continues to radiate her superconsciousness to the world. https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/October_31_2014

=A Sharing from Mataji Vibhutananda Puri's Grandson, Deepak=

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=Photo Album=

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''Mataji Vibhutananda Puri in the place called "Panchamukham", where her guru Isakki Swamigal's samadhi is located. This photograph of Mataji was taken on 24 May 1994, as a part of the ceremonies for the Yoga Pattabhishekam of The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism'''
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''Mataji Vibhutananda Puri and Anusuyammal, the paternal grandmother of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism'''
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''Mataji Vibhutananda Puri seated in meditation in Pavazhakundru, the place of the first enlightenment experience of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism and the place where she built the complex for the first aadheenam, or temple-monastery complex, for SPH''
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''Photographs of Kuppammal with the women from Apithakuchambal Tiruppugazh Mathar Sabhai, who gathered in Pavazhakundru for satsang, ritual and other socio-spiritual activities''
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[[Category: Autobiography of The Avatar]] [[Category: Guru]]

Malai Uchi Narayana Swami

2021-01-15T15:31:15Z

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Malai Uchu Narayana Swami

2021-01-15T15:30:37Z

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ATA Eyewitness Sharing Sethu

2021-01-13T15:21:13Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: Blanked the page

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Ravi ayya

2021-01-13T14:29:06Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Ravi ayya, one of organizers of the Chandi Visheka Sapta Yagam, Recalls the Grand Ritual which The Avatar conducted

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
2000.0

==Summary==
During the Chandi Visheka Sapta Yagam on 7 November 2000, His Divine Holiness initiated a group of 9 individuals into the tradition of Devi worship in preparation to perform the homa. He initiated them into the Chamundi Moola Mantra and instructed them to chant it 108 times a day for three days amongst observing other austerities.
On the date predetermined for this Chandi Homa- the 7 of November 2000, as His Divine Holiness arrived at the entrance to the temple, The Dhivya Prabha, the divine light around Him was captured in a photograph.
For 12 Hours (4 AM to 4PM), His Divine Holiness conducted the Chandi Homa that day. During the final purnahuti offering, Devi herself appeared and accepted the offerings of His Divine Holiness . After the homa was over, His Divine Holiness gifted each one an energized Sri Chakra and gave personal blessings to all . One of the 9 individuals was Ravi ..
Ravi aya remembers how His Divine Holiness revealed where Devi Parashakti herself did tapas and guided Ravi and the other temple administrators to build a temple in this area for Parashakti.

==Photos ==
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism stands at the entrance of the Yaga Shala (place of conducting the Homa) along with the initiates of the Chandi Visheshika Sapta Yagam. Encircled is Ravi ayya

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
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===Other Related Photos ===

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==Video Link ==
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[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Ravi ayya

2021-01-13T14:28:53Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Ravi ayya, one of organizers of the Chandi Visheka Sapta Yagam, Recalls the Grand Ritual which The Avatar conducted

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
2000.0

==Summary==
During the Chandi Visheka Sapta Yagam on 7 November 2000, His Divine Holiness initiated a group of 9 individuals into the tradition of Devi worship in preparation to perform the homa. He initiated them into the Chamundi Moola Mantra and instructed them to chant it 108 times a day for three days amongst observing other austerities.
On the date predetermined for this Chandi Homa- the 7 of November 2000, as His Divine Holiness arrived at the entrance to the temple, The Dhivya Prabha, the divine light around Him was captured in a photograph.
For 12 Hours (4 AM to 4PM), His Divine Holiness conducted the Chandi Homa that day. During the final purnahuti offering, Devi herself appeared and accepted the offerings of His Divine Holiness . After the homa was over, His Divine Holiness gifted each one an energized Sri Chakra and gave personal blessings to all . One of the 9 individuals was Ravi ..
Ravi aya remembers how His Divine Holiness revealed where Devi Parashakti herself did tapas and guided Ravi and the other temple administrators to build a temple in this area for Parashakti.

==Photos ==
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism stands at the entrance of the Yaga Shala (place of conducting the Homa) along with the initiates of the Chandi Visheshika Sapta Yagam. Encircled is Ravi ayya

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1qI6IlmKJRwSAh4l6hBrXC5CWi5FGws_m}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1nMuzjKb8ciWM7vG7v3udAm4CaFOwF4TP}}
</div>

==Vidoe Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=kdxd7PFjQYM&feature=youtu.be
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Deepak ayya

2021-01-13T14:13:49Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Deepak, Kuppammal's Grandson, Recalls Exciting Leelas of The Avatar

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1982-2001

==Summary==
Deepak is the biological grandson of Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, who is today a living witness of the mysterious, powerful and multi-dimensional leelas (divine enactments) played by the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism with His guru Mataji Vibhutananda Puri as long as they were together. To the biography team of The Avatar, Deepak's sharing gave us profound insight into the life of the avatar and how The Avatar used to relate with His gurus. His sharings of their interactions demonstrate to us how The Avatar and His gurus were living superconscious mutant . They were beyond all humanly emotion and bodily function. In this video, Deepak recalls how Kuppammal had poured so much of her energy and life into training The Avatar and supporting Him in starting the grand revival of KAILASA.

==Photos ==
This photograph of The Avatār was organised to be taken by His Vedānta Guru Mātā Vibhutānandapuri (also called Mātāji Kuppammāl).

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1MtoGIYJGAfpBbIuUet2eCqlPWa8bYQ0-}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1oKLhBAKD5o70D_E4hg11RcCFaDNGxWBT}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoxlY3P45Ds
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Deepak ayya

2021-01-13T14:13:15Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Summary */

=Title=
Deepak, Kuppammal's Grandson, Recalls Exciting Leelas of The Avatar

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1982-2001

==Summary==
Deepak is the biological grandson of Mataji Vibhutananda Puri, who is today a living witness of the mysterious, powerful and multi-dimensional leelas (divine enactments) played by the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism with His guru Mataji Vibhutananda Puri as long as they were together. To the biography team of The Avatar, Deepak's sharing gave us profound insight into the life of the avatar and how The Avatar used to relate with His gurus. His sharings of their interactions demonstrate to us how The Avatar and His gurus were living superconscious mutant . They were beyond all humanly emotion and bodily function. In this video, Deepak recalls how Kuppammal had poured so much of her energy and life into training The Avatar and supporting Him in starting the grand revival of KAILASA.

==Photos ==
This photograph of The Avatār was organised to be taken by His Vedānta Guru Mātā Vibhutānandapuri (also called Mātāji Kuppammāl).

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1MtoGIYJGAfpBbIuUet2eCqlPWa8bYQ0-}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1oKLhBAKD5o70D_E4hg11RcCFaDNGxWBT}}
</div>

==Vidoe Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoxlY3P45Ds
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Pachayammal

2021-01-13T13:50:14Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Pachayammal, a relative in the biological family of The Avatar, recalls The Avatar's love for puja

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1984-1990

==Summary==
At age 93, Pachayammal, who was a relative of the family of The Avatar, shares how the Avatar would show the utmost integrity and passion toward offering worship to the divine to various rituals prescribed by the Hindu scriptures. She shares that whenever The young Incarnation would accompany his family to her home in Kancheepuram, He would offer puja there, thus energizing the place and consecrating the deities with rhe Superconscious energy which He embodies.

==Photos ==
This is a photograph of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism (SPH) with the deities which He offers regular worship since the age of 4 until today and the books He regularly did shaastra adhyayanam, or reading and imbibing Hindu scriptures. As SPH Himself says, "Books and Deities Made Nithyananda". This photograph captures both aspects of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism even at the mere age of 14. This photograph was organized to be taken in house of SPH in Tiruvoodal Street, Tiruvannamalai

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1eULeLbO5upbMdJUjr2shx0Enf7-ZAiz-}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1o8lepCM53IEhm4mCk8UJl8Jg3jzAjK7a}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCVtuL5hDvw
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Parthiban ayya

2021-01-13T13:47:24Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Summary */

=Title=
Parthiban, Grandson of Narayanasami Thatha, Shares His Cherished Memories

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1994-199

==Summary==
Parthiban is the grandson of Narayanasami Pillai, the guru of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism in the greater science of Aushada and Alchemy. He is the living witness of Narayanasami Pillai, or Thotakara Thatha, and his mastery over this ancient science of sustaining the enlightenment energy through herbs. In this video, Sri Parthiban attests to the The Avatar's time spent around his grandfather and how he imbibed the knowledge of aushada from him. Today, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism has revived that very science and gifted it to the world so that millions can benefit from this science of Hinduism.

==Photos ==
Photograph of SPH during the earliest Chaturmasya Vratam which was observed by Him where Narayanaswami Pillai was among the Gurus who blessed and initiated SPH on this day - 17 July 1981.

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ytt92V20TnKt1ISAiRm2ayk-AsNLdjcW}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1o48tTvvy_MQiEivMgmbk9tm89DwuKeZV}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sw6A84vIjQ
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Parthiban ayya

2021-01-13T13:46:39Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Parthiban, Grandson of Narayanasami Thatha, Shares His Cherished Memories

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1994-199

==Summary==
Parthiban is the grandson of Narayanasami Pillai, the guru of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism in the greater science of Aushada and Alchemh. He is the living witness of Narayanasami Pillai, or Thotakara Thatha, and his mastery over this ancient science of sustaining the enlightenment energy through herbs. In this video, Sri Parthiban attests to the The Avatar's time spent around his grandfather and how he imbibed the knowledge of aushada from him. Today, the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism has revived that very science and gifted it to the world so that millions can benefit from this science of Hinduism.

==Photos ==
Photograph of SPH during the earliest Chaturmasya Vratam which was observed by Him where Narayanaswami Pillai was among the Gurus who blessed and initiated SPH on this day - 17 July 1981.

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ytt92V20TnKt1ISAiRm2ayk-AsNLdjcW}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1o48tTvvy_MQiEivMgmbk9tm89DwuKeZV}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sw6A84vIjQ
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Sri Pichandi ayya

2021-01-13T13:43:15Z

Ma.sadashivapriya:

=Title=
Sri Pichandi, the family Nadiswaram player

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1983-1995

==Summary==
Sri Pinchandi is a renowned Nadaswaram player of the Arunachaleshwara Temple who made himself close with the family of The Avatar just so that he could interact with the young incarnation as He was growing. Sri Pichandi became a barber as well and had the opportunity to groom and cut The Avatar's luscious black locks from around 1982-1990. With deep fulfillment and the easy and sacred smile which comes from the gratitude toward being blessed to interact personally with The Avatar, Sri Pichandi opens up His sacred sentiments toward The young incarnation as he was serving as his personal barber

==Photos ==
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism used to frequent this rock by the waterfall on the Arunachala Hill which one can find on the way to Skandashram. He used to spend hours in meditation on this spot. Today it is visited by devoted disciples of SPH and named as Ananda Guha, where the bliss of SPH's presence is still permeating and cherished.

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1POsurQ40kEavWlxSLPQjPw9TDP-dibws}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1cKqGlVAU2A8brDu9hQNmuw42zZ-tqNkb}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXMqvT6lg6U
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Poonkuzhali

2021-01-13T13:36:41Z

Ma.sadashivapriya:

=Title=
Poonkuzhali Describes the Impact which The Avatar had on Her life even at a Young Age

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1990-1995

==Summary==
Poonkuzhali was a close relative to The Avatar who shares, in this video, a divine interaction which she had with The Avatar when He was around 13-14 years old which had literally transformed her life since that day. Through this video we learn the intensity of The Avatar's spiritual practices and powerful cognitions which He lived, that were so captivating and vibrant in His presence that whoever He interacted with He bestowed the most powerful impact and naturally aligned them toward their higher reality just through His mere presence, casual conversation and grace.

==Photos ==
The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism used to frequent this rock by the waterfall on the Arunachala Hill which one can find on the way to Skandashram. He used to spend hours in meditation on this spot. Today it is visited by devoted disciples of SPH and named as Ananda Guha, where the bliss of SPH's presence is still permeating and cherished.

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1POsurQ40kEavWlxSLPQjPw9TDP-dibws}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1nhLKczbyKARM3i4HDPeLhiTGeneQqeQA}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI0PpNGBHI0
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Senthil Anna 1

2021-01-13T13:34:41Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Senthil Anna on how The Avatar would observe Skanda Shashti Vratham

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1984-1990

==Summary==
In this video, Senthil, the Avatar's biological elder brother, recalls in detail the procedure and austere practice of the Skanda Shashti Vratam. This is the diligent and intense spiritual practice which The Avatar took up even when He was a child. Senthil remembers the details of the practice, including at which time The Avatar would arise, get ready, chant the Skanda Kavacham and offer worship for Lord Muruga. Along with Him, His brothers and other family members would also practice the Skanda Shashti Vratam. The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism recalls today how he was initiated into the Skanda Shashti Vratam by Mataji Vibhutananda Puri and how at the end of these six days He had the divine Darshan of Lord Subhramanya who revealed to Him the Science of Alchemy which he has today revived for the benefit and superconscious breakthrough of humanity

==Photos ==
This is a photograph of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism (SPH) with the deities which He offers regular worship since the age of 4 until today and the books He regularly did shaastra adhyayanam, or reading and imbibing Hindu scriptures. As SPH Himself says, "Books and Deities Made Nithyananda". This photograph captures both aspects of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism even at the mere age of 14. This photograph was organized to be taken in house of SPH in Tiruvoodal Street, Tiruvannamalai

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1eULeLbO5upbMdJUjr2shx0Enf7-ZAiz-}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1wrqmtDb_cWzG42Dw4lBWWl46X_8S9pff}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFPg2n7p_wM
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Shankar and Ramalingam ayya

2021-01-13T13:33:43Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Shankar and Ramalingam Ayya share on the divine horoscope revealed on The Avatar

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1980.0

==Summary==
Upon The Happening of His Divine Holiness on Planet Earth, Ma Lokanayaki and her father, Raju Mudaliar, arranged for the traditional horoscope to be read for The Avatar. They called upon the renowned family astrologer, Venkatasamy Chettiar, who lived within five houses on Kanni Kovil Street as Raju Mudaliar in Tiruvannamalai.

Accompanying Ma Lokanayaki was one of her friends to witness the prediction which was about to take place, and who would not forget this moment even half-a-century into the future. Upon reading the horoscope for His Divine Holiness, Venkatasamy Chettiar was stunned and perplexed as to how to reveal this news to a traditional, affectionate mother without uprooting her peace.

“Your son will be successful in all things He takes up,” He said first.
“He will create a breakthrough in all fields that He enters,” He continued.
Then finally he revealed the most prominent reading of the divine horoscope, “He will be a Rajasanyasi, the king of sanyasis”

Venkatasamy Chettiar comforted the biological parents of His Divine Holiness saying, “If you delay conveying this to Him, you can delay the process of Him leaving you.”

The astrologer had little clue that it was the Descent of Paramashiva he was reading although he read that the birth was on the very Mahadeva Ashtami - eighth day of the waning moon dedicated to Paramashiva Himself. Little did he know it was foretold thousands of years ago that Paramashiva would appear, once again on Planet Earth, revive, leading the enlightened civilization of KAILASA. Just as the Rajasanyasis guided and led the kingdoms of the great Vedic civilization, The Avatar, who first beheld the name A.A Rajashekaran, happened on the planet earth to guide all the living beings into the new age.

==Photos ==
These rare photographs are among the earliest recorded events after the physical manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness, The Avatar, happened on the Planet. They were arranged to be taken atop the terrace of the house of Raju Mudaliar, who is the maternal grandfather of SPH, in Kanni Kovil street in Tiruvannamalai, the birthplace of SPH. In this photograph, along with the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism are His biological parents, Ma Lokanayaki and Sri Arunachalam. These photographs were arranged to be taken when The Avatar was around the age of two, as He had quickly become the adored doe-eyed new-born incarnation for His gurus and the whole of Tiruvannamalai

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1y_UZIXFAqnpMnwVrIvedMnMffXFCsBzV}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1LnUbUIT8vGxUfV5XyU3SGaT3nhGV08eR}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5IHEJ_VFV8
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Shivakavi

2021-01-13T13:32:39Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Shivakavi, a family friend shares on the divine presence of The Avatar

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1982-1992

==Summary==
Shivakavi was the close family friend to the family of The Avatar, specifically His maternal grandfather Raju Mudaliar. He often visited and traveled with their whole family and in that time was blessed to witness the divine nature of the young Incarnation of Paramashiva, as He was in His preliminary years. Shivakavi recalls how even at a young age, The Avatar would catch hold of His grandfather's hand and both would go to the Arunachaleshwara Temple. Shivakavi recalls that interacting with the young Avatar was never like a normal child but a divine child who was bestowed with the most captivating grace and intelligence.

==Photos ==

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1jPKKv-f0rNvsRhDeoapCgZHsxcQqiSbF}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1nyqjktrBhfNSekRNqNFtHAegfHnbX-0D}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exp1tnkgr_0
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Shivabhushanam

2021-01-13T12:43:59Z

Ma.sadashivapriya:

=Title=
Shivabhushanam Shares Her Relationship with The Avatar, her Divine nephew

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1978-1996

==Summary==
Shivabushanam is the paternal aunt of The Avatar, who, in this video, declares that she considers herself blessed to be born in the family which Annamalayar (Paramashiva) Himself chose as His family. She was extremely loving and devoted to The Avatar even as He was young and offered puja and worshiped Him as the Incarnation of the Muruga. She was the wife of Sri Kumaraswami who had been one of the Acharyas of SPH in imbibing the teaching of the Science of Siddha Vidya. Shivanubushanam was a member of the 1st layer of the enlightenment ecosystem which was made of His biological family members, who together had demonstrated the supreme devotion toward Annamalayar.

==Photos ==
This is a photograph of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism (SPH) with the deities which He offers regular worship since the age of 4 until today and the books He regularly did shaastra adhyayanam, or reading and imbibing Hindu scriptures. As SPH Himself says, "Books and Deities Made Nithyananda". This photograph captures both aspects of the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism even at the mere age of 14. This photograph was organized to be taken in house of SPH in Tiruvoodal Street, Tiruvannamalai

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1eULeLbO5upbMdJUjr2shx0Enf7-ZAiz-}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ngAkrgFFX9n2yZSqGgn6wGMOgdHbp1UB}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owFcXleJKyA
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Sundari Ammal

2021-01-13T12:43:05Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Sundari Ammal Does the Aksharabhyasam Ritual with The Avatar

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1982.0

==Summary==
C.P Sundari was the head of the Ganesh Nursery School when Raju Mudaliar registered for the admittance of the young incarnation in 1981, a year before usual admissible age.

Upon beginning His one year in the Ganesh Nursery School, it was C.P Sundari who was blessed to perform the traditional ritual of aksharabhyasam for The Avatar. In this ritual, C.P Sundari seated His Divine Holiness in her lap in front of a silver plate of rice. On the smoothened surface of the rice, His Divine Holiness allowed the headmistress of the school to hold His small hand and write out the letters, “Om Namah Shivaya” in Tamil. Thus, for Paramashiva Himself, who has explained in detail the energy, color and deity of each akshara in the sacred Text Kamika Agama, C.P Sundari became the blessed individual to have performed this sacred ritualistic initiation into the world of letter.

==Photos ==
These rare photographs are among the earliest recorded events after the physical manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness, The Avatar, happened on the Planet. They were arranged to be taken atop the terrace of the house of Raju Mudaliar, who is the maternal grandfather of SPH, in Kanni Kovil street in Tiruvannamalai, the birthplace of SPH. In this photograph, along with the Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism are His biological parents, Ma Lokanayaki and Sri Arunachalam. These photographs were arranged to be taken when The Avatar was around the age of two, as He had quickly become the adored doe-eyed new-born incarnation for His gurus and the whole of Tiruvannamalai

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1y_UZIXFAqnpMnwVrIvedMnMffXFCsBzV}}
</div>

===Other Related Photos ===

<div align="center">
{{#hsimg:1|400| |http://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1rGrPHj-lobxJPjsO_kXKM3FusbYDKBrx}}
</div>

==Video Link ==
</div>{{#evu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXplQ4-mi0
|alignment=center}}

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Subramanian

2021-01-13T12:35:20Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Subramanian, Flower Garlander, Shares How He Witnessed The Avatar Train in Yoga

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1981.0

==Summary==
For generation upon generation, Subramanian's family served Annamalayar, the presiding deity of the Arunachaleshwara Temple, as His personal flower garlander. Every morning the flower garlander would walk to the temple, carrying the basket of flowers on his shoulders and tie the yellow, white red chrysanthemums in the Krittika Mandapam in the fourth circumambulation, fulfilling his duty to the Lord Arunachaleshwara with perfect integrity. Like this, the family adorned Paramashiva for hundreds of years until their cumulative devotion and integrity was inherited by Subramanian who was blessed by Paramashiva to witness the young Avatar and recognize Him then itself as the Incarnation of Paramashiva Himself. It was the very same Krittika Mandapam where Subramanian had the darshan of Paramashiva training in yoga and climbing the pillars of the stone structure with such intensity and passion. In this video, Subramanian's memories of The Avatar are captured for the whole world to understand and imbibe the intense Yogic Training that He underwent in order to initiate millions into the superconscious breakthrough as well as the impact that He made even at a young age on those who overlooked and witnessed His divine Leelas in action.

==Photos ==
Shortly after His enlightenment experience at the age of 12, The young Avatar's Yoga Guru Yogananda Puri arranged for a photoshoot to take portrait pictures of Him. This is the first ever picture of The Avatar in samadhi in Tiruvannamalai, His birth place.

He would apply vibhuti (sacred ash) in 16 places on His body as per the Hindu tradition. He is sitting on a deer skin given to Him by Yogananda Puri.

The photographer who took this picture was the same person who witnessed and captured Him in levitation while training with Yogananda Puri. View full description: https://nithyanandapedia.org/wiki/1990_-_First_Photograph_of_SPH_after_the_Profound_360_degree_Enlightenment_Experience

===The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism as They Saw Him===
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===Other Related Photos ===

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==Video Link ==
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[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Sampath

2021-01-13T12:15:09Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* Vidoe Link */

=Title=
Sampath, a blessed childhood friend of The Avatar, Shares Deeper Insights of The Divine Childhood of The Avatar

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1987-1996

==Summary==
Sampath is one of the blessed direct eyewitnesses to the childhood of The Avatar. Holding the record for spending maximum hours with The Avatar prior to the declaration of the international mission, Sampath’s recollections are like parts of a jigsaw puzzle which he strives to put together repeatedly, moving between his direct yet incomprehensible memoirs of his childhood friend, hearsays from others who were present at other times, and reading books about Him that were published later where other happenings are described. Sampath tries to repeatedly share what he could never comprehend but has always held on to so diligently as the chosen one by Existence for his enviable role, and he remains the only evidence in many vital scenes in The Leelas of The Avatar.

Sampath is one among the hundreds who witnessed this grand enactment put on by the Cosmos in the early years of the Divine Advent. Even though Sampath was the closest friend of The Avatar during His childhood, Sampath found himself continuously awestruck by the inexplicable ways of the young Avatar: Barely having crossed a decade on planet Earth, The Avatar seemed to have the knowledge of centuries when He spoke. He was the favorite of all the enlightened beings who lived in Tiruvannamalai and could exemplify even the most arduous spiritual feats like levitation, telepathy and even being in two places at once!

But for a reason not known to Sampath, even though The Avatar was leagues beyond the comprehension of His contemporaries, He continued to involve Sampath in many of His activities, including yoga classes, alankar (deity adornment) for various deities and Girivalam (circumambulation around the sacred Arunachala Hill). Sampath remembers His time with The Avatar as the most sacred moments of His entire life, ingrained in Him with immense endearment forever.

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=Interview with Sampath=

==My schooling background: meeting The Avatar==

What I am going to say would have happened between 8th and 10th grade of school. 5th to 7th grade, my father sent me to Panrotti, Tamilnadu - saying I won’t study properly if I am in Tiruvannamalai and that it is better if I study outside Tiruvannamalai. At the end of three years, I expressed that I do not wish to go back to school there and I wish to stay in Tiruvannamalai and study. Tiruvannamalai is my native town and it is world famous for its temple festivals. I did not want to miss all those festivals.

==First instance of seeing The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism==
I joined school in Tiruvannamalai for 8th grade. At that time VDS Jain school was the most famous school in Tiruvannamalai. On the first day of school, I attended morning prayer at 8:30 am. I arrived a little late. By that time the boys had started moving towards prayer. They told me to leave my bag somewhere and join the prayer. In the prayer, there was a table with a number of shields. Suddenly, a loud voice from behind me said, ‘Hey look here! The shields that my father gave!’ I looked back to see who it was. I saw a bright face with holy ash smeared on the forehead. His friend asked him, ‘Why did your father give this shield?’ The boy replied, ‘My father is the head of the Rotary Club.’ Actually, on behalf of the Rotary Club, they had conducted some games for the children and given some shields to distribute. Swami’s father was Rotary Club Secretary so he had apparently given the shields. He was referring to it that his father has given the shields!

My father was also in Rotary Club. I was thinking that only my father was associated with the Rotary in a big way and how come this boy was saying this about his father. I asked him who his father was. He replied: Chandru. His father was known by the nickname Chandru at that time. I told him my father was in the Rotary Club and that he only would have given the shield. To that he replied, ‘My father is the head.’ Then I thought probably there was a head and he might have given. Anyhow, by that time, he had put his arm around my shoulder. And he said, ‘Your father is also in the Rotary, my father is also in the Rotary. Then you sit next to me.’

The first day itself I got a chance to sit next to him. Soon after prayer got over, we went to the classroom. I didn’t have to search for a place. He used to sit neither too much in front nor too much in the back - in the third or fourth row. He made me sit next to him. All the students had fixed places, but somehow he organized things and arranged for me to sit next to him. From that day onwards, till 10th grade, whichever class or classroom we went to, I would sit next to him only.

==First visit to Swami’s house==
When we met the first day in school, he said to come to his house. I asked him where his house was. He said, ‘It is in Tiruvoodal Sreet, AKS complex. There will be a cycle store there. On top of that in the first floor is my house.’ Then one day I walked and went to his house. It was a Friday. Since the next day was a Saturday and holiday at school, I thought we can play happily on Friday!

When I went, his mother was washing clothes. She asked me who I was. I asked her if it was Rajashekaran’s house. She said yes. She said that he was inside and to go and see him and that there was a dog and to be careful of it. They had a dog, a very active dog. Whoever comes, it will simply intimidate them. It came barking towards me. In their house, once it starts barking they will know that some guest has arrived. Swami came behind the dog screaming, ‘Hey Mani!’ His voice used to be shrill and innocent at that time! He immediately caught hold of its collar and said, ‘Va da, va da (come, come).’ Then he told me, ‘This dog is always like this. If it gets used to you it won’t do anything. Come in.’ By that time, I had climbed on to a raised square step afraid that the dog might bite me! He came and took me inside from there.

In the house, there was a bedroom in the rear. In the center there was a hall. The hall was divided into two. In the right half, on one side, there was the kitchen with the gas stove. On the other side, on a slab, there were many idols and photos. It was evident that Swami was maintaining them. That was my first visit. He told to come the next day as well.

I went the following day. In the morning, if he starts doing his puja (offering to God), no one will know when it will finish. It was around ten or ten thirty in the morning when I went. Generally at that time, he would not have even eaten breakfast. His mother would be cooking. She cannot keep any of her things anywhere on the floor. He would have filled the floor with his things. She can keep them only on that one table that was there. Both of them will be sitting next to each other and doing their own things. He will be removing the deities’ cloths one by one, performing holy bath for them etc. He would have occupied the entire space. She would tell him, ‘Why can’t you keep your things a little away from mine? How can I take out the dhal and other things and use them for cooking?’ He would never bother himself with what she says. He would just continue with his work.

==Worship as a Lifestye==
It used to be very interesting for me to be with him. From when I was young, since I used to stay very near the temple, early morning, I used to go to the temple everyday. At that time the offering at the Arunachala temple in Tiruvannamalai used to be perfect. The priests at that time followed the ancient tradition that their forefathers had followed perfectly. At that time, although the temple was very famous even then, there were not so many people moving inside the temple at any given time. The local people used to come there for the various offerings and the priests lived out of the money that they got with the few people who visited the temple. They used to be very sincere. Anything they did they felt they did for Arunachala and whatever He gave them, they took back happily. That was the attitude at that time. I used to observe all this at that time.

As early as when I was in the 5th grade, every day I used to go with my father for the ritual of waking up the Lord in his chambers at 5am sharp every day. It used to happen every day at sharp 5am. At that time, the temple elephant used to go to Kumara Gopura Street, pick up the holy water, and proceed with the Odal drums (special drums famous in Tiruvannnamalai) and cymbals to the temple. A temple priest used to accompany the elephant. He would ride on the elephant, bring the holy water, pour it in the main steps of the sanctum, open the door, enter the sanctum, perform the offering for the Sun and Moon God, followed by the fire ritual, and then only attend to the Shiva Linga (Shiva deity).

When we watch those priests offering, devotion will swell in us automatically. They will do it so sincerely. So from those early days, my father took me to the temple and I had observed everything for many years. Whether I had devotion or not, the attachment to such things happened in me automatically.

Concepts like we have to pray to Arunachala, we should be with devotion, going to the temple is fun, one should not waste time in other things etc., entered me deeply. That is why I struggled and studied for three years from my mother’s older sister house, away from my hometown. After I joined there for my 5th grade, every time I came back home, a big war used to happen at home.

Once I finished 7th grade, I came back to study in Tiruvannamalai. And since I was with spiritual inspiration, the moment I saw Swami, I felt an instant bonding and attachment to him. I felt he was different and that it would be fun to join him in his activities.

My mother used to offer to Lord Ganesha every day at home. She used to ask me to sit with her for offering. She would read Vinayagar puranam – verses on Lord Ganesha, on Divine Mother. So when I saw Swami doing similar things, I would tell him all that my mother used to do worship at home. When he heard all that, he developed an instant attachment to me.

These days, in no one’s home they do such elaborate offering. They generally have a slab on which they keep two pictures of some deities and offer some thing to them. Because of this the children these days do not develop a great attachment to God. Since we were brought up with the attachment to God, for play also we wanted only offering for God and for devotion also, we wanted the same thing. Anyhow, when he spoke about these things to me, I was able to talk about it and so he developed a good impression about me!

He asked, ‘Do you have Ganesha deity in your house? I have a separate Ganesha deity.’ And he showed me his deity. I said that we too had and showed him our one. Then he said, ‘Both of us have everything in common! Let us both do everything together hereafter.’ So any activity, we both would do together thereon.

==Worship as play==

He asked, ‘Do you go for the temple festival to the temple?’ I said I would go without missing even once. Then he said, ‘In our street the Arunachala deity comes in procession.’ I said, ‘In our street too it comes.’ The deity has to make it to Mada street by going through Tiruoodal street and going down the Peria Street. Their house is on that side and our house is on this side. So both of us will get to see the deity for any function. When the deity comes to the slope of the street, we will be able to hear the procession band. We will all come out of the house and get on to the street and watch the deity in procession. Likewise in their house too, they will be upstairs and they will hear the procession band when the deity comes to their street. They will run downstairs on to the street to see the deity in procession. So for every function, we used to see the deity without fail in various decorations, and all that made a deep impression on us. When we discussed all these things, the bonding between us increased. He would say, ‘You have also seen the Arunachala deity so many times, I have also seen the deity so many times.’ Then he would say, ‘When we play, why not we do things like decoration of deities, offerings etc.?’ I agreed.

We used to have one Ganesha idol and do all decoration for it. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva gave His appearance as an infinite column of light here in Tiruvannamalai, where His two extreme ends - head and feet - cannot be known. That is why while in other temples, they worship and decorate Shiva in the standard human form, here in Tiruvannamalai, they do it slightly differently. No where else in the world they do decoration like they do here. On top of Shiva’s head they will keep diamond hair and cover up the original hair of the deity. There will only be a sharp edge. There will be no hair that is visible. Then, they will make a big stomach and cover up His feet so that the feet are not visible. The reason is this mythological story about Shiva’s appearance in Tiruvannamalai as an infinite column of light whose head and feet could never be reached. So we too, in the same way, would keep a big stomach with cloth as buffer for our Ganesha, and make him into that Shiva!

Then he would say, ‘Alright, it is not nice to just keep our Shiva at home. Let us take Him and show Him to the main Shiva deity!’ I would agree. As we started playing in this fashion, my brothers, his brothers and a few friends started joining us, and we became atleast ten boys in the group. We would all together lift our Shiva to take to the temple. We used to create a lot of noise while doing it! We have seen in the temples for every function, how much noise they make to lift those heavy deities for procession. They will not be able to lift it silently. They will shout, ‘Hey come on! Lift the other way! Lift higher! etc.’ So we also used to shout to each other and lift our deity! We would cary our deity, and when the temple deity comes on to the streets, we would park our deity in front of it. We will keep camphor in a plate and give it to the temple priest. He will offer it to the main deity and give it back to us. Then we will offer it to our deity.

Then we started thinking: it is not nice to do all the different decorations for Ganesha itself. In the temple they do for five different deities, so we should also do for five different deities. At that time, the artisans used to make the deities in out of soap stone in the neighboring street in a desolate house. We went and asked that man there if he would make and give us the deities. He agreed.

The moment we hear the sound of the approaching deity in the neighboring street, we would say, ‘Hey come on! The diety has come to the slope.’ And we would carry empty boxes and tins tied with with ropes around our necks and play them as percussion instruments and start in a procession with our own deity! The main deity would stop in front of every house that had a camphor plate offering. We used to stand as a big team. It would stop in front our team. We would then give our camphor plate and they would offer it to the deity and give it back to us. We would then offer it to our deity and distribute sugar crystals or jaggery whatever we could manage at that time - as prasad (food offered to the Lord) to all the boys.

==Making vehicles for the Gods==

Then we saw: in the temple deity procession, five deities would come - Ganesha, Muruga, Shiva and His Consort, Divine Mother separately, and Chandikeshwara. We decided that we should get ready these 5 deities. At that time quite a bit of money used to jingle in our pockets. In both of our houses, they used to give money. My mother used to pamper us a lot. If we asked for anything she would immediately give us money. So we had a collection of the money we received - in 10s and 20s. We took this money and went to the man who made the deities. First, we asked him to make us the main Shiva deity. He said it would cost 40 rupees. We said we do not have that much money and requested to make it for 25 rupees. He agreed and made the shiva deity for us for 25 rupees. Swami liked it a lot. He told the man to make one for him separately. Next, we decided we should make the other deities too. Finally we made two sets of 5 deities: one set for us and one for him.

Once the five deities got done, next we discussed what all should be done to get them ready for the procession. Whatever they did in the temple we decided we would do identically. We will not do anything different from that. It was a ten day festival. For Ganesha, they had the mooshika vahana - rat as vehicle. For Muruga, peacock was the vehicle. For Shiva and His consort, - the sacred cow was the vehicle, for Chandikeshwarar too, the sacred cow was the vehicle. Now we had to get ready all these things!

Then Swami said, ‘For making these vehicles, if we use wood, it will not work out. It will be too expensive. So we will make them out of clay.’ We agreed. Now suppose the next year’s Kartigai Deepam festival for which these deities would be used comes in the Tamil month corresponding to October - November, then the Ganesh Chaturthi festival comes in the month of July - August. During Ganesh Charturti, to make the Ganesha clay deities, in the markets, they would offload heaps of clay. Only till about three in the evening, sales of Ganesha deity will happen. After that sales will stop and the workmen will leave behind all the clay and go away. Using the tricycle that Swami’s people had for delivering their own shop items, we would go around and load all the clay and go to Swami’s house and offload it there in the half empty balcony. For the program that is going to happen in November, we will store the clay in August itself! It will become rough and dry over time. So when the function approaches, around two to three weeks in advance, on a weekend, we will soak it in water. Then we will nicely knead it and beat it for usage!

Swami used to know the technical ways to handle things. He would have thought of earlier itself. First, I got one deity ready which came out in a very nice way. But when we put it to dry, it started cracking and breaking and the parts of the body came away - head, legs and hands came away part by part. Then he gave it a thought and said, ‘Let us not do things this way. We will keep the broom stick as reinforcement inside and then build over it.’ Once we did it that way, even if cracks appeared, it would never break. It would hold onto the stick and retain its form. The vehicles would be around half foot to one foot in height. The total height of the deity would be around quarter foot - around the size of the palm. So when it is put on top of the vehicle, it will come to around one foot in height. Over and above that, when we decorate it with garland, jewels etc., it will come to around two feet overall height. We have to place it on our shoulders. We ourselves would be around three to four feet tall. So it would be correct!

In the temple, during the festival, the main deity will come around on a different vehicle on each of the ten days. The first day, it will come on a cow, the second day on purusha amrutam, the third day on the snake etc. So there would be ten different vehicles on the ten days. We will get ready all ten vehicles for our deities also! These vehicles, we could not keep in his house because it will be a disturbance to his mother and also there will be a lot of mud that would enter with the vehicles. In my house, there was a big garden area. So we got the vehicles ready in the space there and upstairs there would be storage space. We would stack them all there. If it was a silver cow vehicle in the temple, we would stick silver paper on our cow. If it was gold cow at the temple, we would stick gold paper on our cow!

We would get ready all the vehicles with the due decoration. Amidst the large gathering at the festival area, everyone would see our deities and vehicles with great interest!

==Spring festival at the temple==

We would participate in the Poo pallak utsav - festival where the main deity is brought in a palanquin decorated with flowers for the proceedings. We would make our own palanquin with wood. We would fix spot lighting on it, keep the deity in it, and decorate it completely with flowers.

Then there would be the Vasanta utsav as well. In this festival, a doll will be there, handled by the priests like a puppet, to pick up flowers and shower on the deity! It will have independent hand and leg movements just like a puppet. The dolls that we get in the shops will not have such independent movements. They will be just one whole piece. What he will do for it: he will buy a doll from the shop. He will heat up a thin piece of rod. Using this, he will cut the hands and legs of the doll at the joints. Once you keep the heated rod on the plastic doll, it will just melt. So in this fashion, he will just cut the limbs away and put a thin rod through the body and join back the limbs through screws. The limbs will then have separate movements! Then we will fix a hook on the head for it. Then we will fix a hook on the rear of the doll to enable us to pull it. Then we will punch the palms and fix a bucket between them to hold the flowers.

The first time we decided to this festival, he did a trial in his house. But the space was too less and also we had to put the flowers with our hands. In the temple, they will operate the doll from upstairs. They will pull the ropes from the second floor and the doll will come down to the ground floor where the deity will be. From the second floor, one person will pull the rope that is connected to the doll’s back side. The doll will then dance and go towards the deity and shower flowers on it. So we thought we should also operate it in the same way; we should not put the flowers with our hands. So between our house and the opposite house balconies, we too stood and operated the doll. We kept our deity on the pathway between the two buildings. One team will be with the deity and one team will stand in the second floor of our house and operate the doll. The doll will descend onto the road, shower flowers on the deity and then move back upstairs towards the second floor to where we were standing. In the temple, the deity will come around the Medler (Magizham in Tamil) tree ten times during this time. After every round, the deity will come back to the same spot and the doll will descend and shower flowers on it. That used to be the pattern. On our part, we will simply make our deity go ten times in a circle on the road itself and come back to the same spot when the doll will descend from the second floor and shower the flowers!

As we were engrossed in our own version of this festival in our road and balconies of our houses, one man staying opposite to my house was sitting outside his house. He was from Dubai. He had come to India to conduct the ceremony of handing over the sacred white thread to his son to symbolically mark the child’s spiritual learning.

It was at that time that the handy cam had come into the market. This man had brought with him a handy cam from Dubai. He put a chair outside his house, and was getting it ready, fidgeting with it because the next day early morning was the function for him. We were doing conducting our festival at six in the evening the previous day. When he saw what we were doing, he became very interested. He must have thought, ‘What creative things these small boys are doing,’ and he came out and recorded the program completely with his handy cam.

==Living with deities==

Soon we had a thought: only during festival time, we seem to be enjoying these decorations. We have to enjoy during other times also. It is boring during other times.

My house was near Ammani amman gopura street. Ammani amman gopura is the name of one of the nine gateway towers of the Tiruvannamalai temple. The street on which this tower is, is named after the temple tower itself. In the Ammani amman temple tower, there will be many more statues sculpted at the lower level when compared to the other towers. What we used to do: we would all stand and say 1, 2, 3… and run towards the tower and each one would catch on to one statue. Whoever catches whichever statue, that statue belongs to them! Then we would fill water in our water bottles from the temple tank and offer holy bath from it to our statues. We would wipe them, offer vermillion and sandal paste and wave lit camphor on a plate. As food, we would offer puffed rice and peanuts.

One day he said, ‘It is alright to do all this, but we should do real decoration for temple deities.’ In Tiruvannamalai temple, whatever be the festival, they would do sandal paste decoration for the main deity – the Shiva Linga. When they do that, you will be able to see the reality of the deity. The sandal paste decoration will touch our hearts. It will be as if the deity has come alive and talking to us. Every day’s decoration will be unique. It will never repeat in any way. They will give it so much thought and do it so differently each time. We started observing all this.

There is the Kalabhairava deity in the temple. Ashtami (eighth day after full moon) and navami (ninth day after full moon) are important days for the deity. There will be many people praying to Him for freedom from bad times in their life, and they will spend a lot of money for the deity as well. Also, the priest in charge of this deity will do a different decoration each time for Him. We watched all this and Swami one day said, ‘How beautifully they are doing things. It is as if the deity is alive and seeing us. Why not we too do these things?’

At that time sandal paste was very cheap. A box of it used to come at around three rupees or so. There will be hundred sandal tablets in it. With that we could adorn ten deities since our deities were quite small. We enjoyed doing the sandal paste decoration for our own deities. But after some time we saw that the faces did not turn out well as our deities had tiny faces. It would be quite impossible to apply the sandal paste independently on the deities’ nose, eyes etc. He then said, ‘We have to go for a bigger deity for our present level of operation.’

Sandal decoration for Banyan tree Ganesha (#11 GANESH)

There is one Ganesha deity in the circumambulation area of the Tiruvannamalai temple (Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva, the Hindu God). He sits under a banyan tree. When we saw Him we felt He was a grand one and we should decorate Him. He is in the outer fourth concentric circumambulation of the temple. He had an artistic look about Him. He was about 3 feet in height. Swami said, ‘We should conduct a function for Him.’

We decided we should collect money for it, that we should put up a thatch roof covering over Him and conduct it like a regular function. He said we should not just perform holy bath and leave it but since he is inside the temple so we should do it in a grand fashion. We asked him what if the temple priests got angry at our activities with the Ganesha. He told us, ‘They will not get angry. We have been doing these kinds of things for some time now.’ We said, ‘But we were doing only outside the temple. Now we have entered the temple itself.’ We were quite scared. He told us, ‘Who is going to come here and scold us? If they say something, we will simply leave everything and run away! Don’t worry.’ But we pacified ourselves saying it is anyway our area, so it is alright.

We never asked the temple priest permission to do these things. We collected everything right from the different holy bath powders and performed the holy bath. We planned completely for the entire function. In the morning – holy bath. After a half hour gap, in the afternoon, sandal paste decoration. In the evening, lit camphor offering. For the camphor offering we decided we would invite all the elders in our respective houses. Likewise, after the holy bath, there was decoration. Then in the evening we called the persons who would put up tents and they put up a tent. Senthil’s father had a shop inside the temple. At that time the odal miraas - the man in-charge of maintaining the odal drums and controlling the odal drummers - used to eat in Senthil’s father’s shop. We requested him, and he sent two odal drummers!

Then we thought, we have arranged for so much, we should call the officer of the temple! We took a white sheet of paper and wrote out an invitation. We didn’t want to print because it will cost us money. We wrote: In this date in this place there has been holy bath and sandal paste decoration for Ganesha. We request you to kindly come and receive the blessings of Ganesha. Yours sincerely, the boys of this temple. We took the letter and went straight to the office. The officer happened to be my relative’s neighbor so I knew him. When he saw me he asked how come I was there. I told him I belonged to Tiruvannamalai. He was happy to hear it. His son used to play with me when we were younger. That boy was with him them. He said he would send his son for our function! How can he come for a function of small boys’? But we invited him with such enthusiasm! We also put in a word that we wished to have the odal drummers play for our function. He reinforced our request to the odal drummers!

These are all very unique experiences! Imagine entering the main temple’s office room and inviting the AC (Assistant commissioner) for a function such as this! We could make out he felt like laughing. He simply said he will send his son and he will follow. Anyhow, we took his son to the spot, offered lit camphor to Ganesha and took a group photo. Then we took one separate photo with just the two of us and Ganesha. That picture was a close up picture. Swami’s face will be so beautiful in that. There will be a real majestic look in his face in that photo. In that group photo, we both will be standing one on either side of the deity. He would be wearing saffron dhoti (Lower garb worn by Indian men) and I would be wearing blue dhoti.
Swami in school (uneducated are those)

In school, we would absorb everything completely in the class. They used to enforce a lot of discipline in that school. Our class teacher for 8th and 9th grade used to really shout and beat everyone. But she would never beat the two of us. She will just call out to Swami from where she is standing, ‘Brother… Sekar!’ That means, we have to become quiet! If we talk anything further, the next second she will screw our ears. I think it was the pull she had for Swami. And since I was with him, like how the thread that binds the flowers also starts smelling fragrant, I too got special treatment! Occasionally if we spoke unnecessarily, she would tell us to keep quiet. Then we would stop talking.

During exam time, Swami wouldn’t appear to prepare too much. We won’t do any joint study. I don’t remember discussing anything of studies with him!

About social life too, he would never talk. He will only say, ‘It is going on… ’ That’s all!

After that, he won’t deeply go into the subject and say things like, ‘In my house, there is this problem, that problem etc…’

If he is going out for meditation, he will change into saffron clothes and go. He will wear a shirt with saffron dhoti. When he goes to the meditation spot he will remove his shirt.

==With Yogananda Puri==
Our yoga teacher Raghupati Yogi, used to give us initiations often. We could never know what initiation he is going to give, why he is giving etc. But Swami used to become sharp and alert at that those times of initiation. He would tell us later: Raghupati Yogi was not a 100% enlightened person. He has touched a point, that’s all. With the backing of that experience, Raghupati Yogi found an attraction to Swami as soon as he saw him. He felt an inspiration to work with him. Since we were with Swami, he gave us too all these things.

Suddenly he would call us one day and say he is going to give us mantra initiation. Swami, my younger brother, Senthil and I were his students. He would give us some initiation or the other. Suddenly he would call us and tell, ‘Come at 6 am tomorrow. I am going to give an initiation. Bring some offering to the teacher.’ We used to ask him what to bring and he used to say, ‘Bring 2 beetel leaves, beetel nuts, banana fruit and one rupee as offering.’

He would give each one of us a different mantra as initiation. And he would say that we must chant the mantra within us all the time - when we are bathing, eating, walking etc. We would start chanting but soon we would get bored so we would leave it. But Swami would intensely chant it all the time. If Raghupati Yogi says we have to meditate, Swami would become alert.

He would give what is called jyoti darshan – A vision of Light. Abruptly something will strike him and he will say, ‘Today, I will give you jyoti darshan.’ He will take us and go to the paadaala lingam - the place where Ramana Maharishi did his first meditation in Tiruvannamalai. He was there for I think eight and odd years. He will take us there and make us sit. He will touch the spot between our eyebrows with his thumb and ask, ‘See if you are able to see some Light.’ We won’t be able to see anything. He used to say, ‘See properly. You will see Light. Seeing the Light again and again, you will become like a Light yourself. I am able to see the Light. You are saying you are not able to see it.’ After trying for some time, we used to get up and come away. But Swami seemed to have felt something every time. Raghupati Yogi then apparently gave him separate lessons. But I don’t know those details.

We moved closely with Raghupati Yogi for one and a half years. During the time our play used to be idol worship and we conducted festivals identical to the ones that happened at the temple, we got the association of Raghupati Yogi. Later, when we got the association of Kuppamma ayah, Swami expressed that Raghupati Yogi, although was our teacher, could not elevate us to fulfill us. He could feel this point clearly.

===A Shocking Revelation===

One very surprising thing happened one day. When our teacher Raghupati Yogi gives the mantra initiation, he would call each of us individually and give it, and he would say not to tell the mantra to the other and to chant the mantra silently within; not even to lip it. These were his rules. I asked Swami one day, ‘He has given a mantra. Can’t I see the Divine Mother with that?’ He promised I can’t. I asked why. He said, ‘There is no life in that mantra. How can you chant it?’ I asked him what he meant by there is no life in it. He said he will tell me, and after closing his eyes for two minutes, opened his eyes and said, ‘Is this not the mantra given to you?’ and he recited the mantra given to me! That was the most shocking incident for me. I asked him how he knew. He asked me if it was the mantra. I said yes. He asked, ‘Is there the syllable Om in this?’ I said no. He asked, ‘Then how will there be life in it?’

We would wonder: if there is no Om, may be there is no power in it. Then we have been chanting a mantra with no power in it? Then I asked him, ‘How do you say Om is the life in it?’ He said, ‘According to the Vedas (ancient spiritual literature), the whole world, if you trace it back to its origin, has originated from the Omkara – the Om sound. Om is the starting for everything. They say the whole world started from it. So the utterance Om has to be part of any mantra. They will not give any mantra without it. If it is not there in the mantra, there will not be much power in it. Any mantra has to start with Om.’ That incident got over with that.

We thought, if he is able to know these things by himself, then there is something special in him. Only at that time, we started realizing this. But fear started gripping me. Only because of that fear I started maintaining a gap with him. The relationship became cordial. When we meet, I would ask, ‘How are you…’ etc…We would meet as usual every time. Wherever he went, he would not go without telling us. We would also go and see him in his house. The meetings would happen, but none of the earlier exchanges would happen. But there would be a visible change in him every time we saw him.

==Kuppamma Ayah and Swami==

Once he started moving with Kuppammal, a lot of difference could be perceived in him. His participation in alankar etc. reduced a lot. After every interaction with her, we could make out that there was something going on in him but we could not make out anything more than that.

His house was in Tiruoodal street. My house was in North Gopuram street. He has to go past my house to go to Kuppamma Ayah’s (‘ayah’ is used to refer to elderly women with respect) house. Everyday he used to come to my house, see me and then suddenly tell me that he is going to Kuppamma ayah’s house.

Earlier, he used to discuss with me about going to the temples, what decoration to do, what to get ready etc., but after association with Kuppamma ayah, he would go there only more often saying she asked him to come. And if he goes there, no one knows how long it would take. If he goes at around eleven in the morning, it would take four of five in the evening. Once he comes he will tell me, he went and saw paati (meaning elderly lady, referring to Kuppamma ayah) and that they discussed a lot of things. Then he will start some topic that they discussed, but suddenly he will stop saying he will tell later. Maybe because I did not have the maturity to receive it he did not tell me those things at that time. Every time he would start to tell something with interest but he would stop as soon as he starts and fall into silence saying he will tell later.

Kuppamma came from a lineage where they believed in one Guru having one disciple. Because of that, she used to tell him not to tell anyone about what transpired between the two of them. Sometimes with a lot of enthusiasm he would tell me I should go to paati’s house with him. By then he had introduced me to her as his friend so she feels at ease. She would say a few words, give me water, or give something to eat. Then she would start saying to him, ‘Alright, today you can say something on this subject…’ The moment she says that, I myself used to feel like coming away from that place. I would say that I will go and come back later and I would simply leave the place.

At that time I used to be a little afraid of her also. She used to wear a big bindi (red dot worn between on the forehead between the eyebrows to activate the energy center in that location.) and when she talks, she would look at you with great intensity in her eyes. At that time I was afraid of God as well as very involved with the concept of God. I was aware there was a tremendous energy and I used to wonder how it might be etc. At that time, Swami used to explain a lot about it to me. He was an Ambal Upasakar – worshipper of Divine Mother.

==Constant energizing of Parashakti deity==

Once Kuppamma ayah gave him a mantra. At that time, Senthil - our friend - used to sell puja items in their store. They would sell idols made out of a mix of 5 metals: copper, bronze, gold, silver and brass. From that store, he bought a small Parashakti deity (female form of the Cosmic Energy also called Divine Mother) around 2 to 3 inches in height. He put it in his pocket. From then on he will chant that mantra that she gave continuously, except probably during sleeping time. Even in his sleep, he might have chanted, I don’t know. If he wakes up, he will pick up the deity from his pocket. His hand will be in the pocket on the idol all the time. Like how we rotate the rudhraksha beads while chanting a mantra, he will rub the idol’s face with his thumb for every utterance of the mantra. That idol is was made up mostly of fibre metal only, so if you keep on rubbing it, it will cause the paint to come away and it will turn black. If you see the face of that idol in the spot where he used to rub it, you can see that the face is reddish in colour (this idol is part of the archives today). This happened when we were in 10th grade, after the phase when we had played with deities etc.

==Yogananda Puri Arranges for Photography==

Raghupati Yogi was a very old man. We were all very small kids at the time of our association with him. So it used to be very jolly for us to be around him. He used to keep a running race from Kritikka Mandapam (a pillared hall in the Tiruvannamalai temple) to the gate at the far end. He too would run with us and come! It used to be a lot of fun. Just by playing, time used to pass. Then he would suddenly say, ‘Today is a superb day. Today, bring offering for Guru and come. I will give you all initiation.’ Then we would sit for initiation. The offering to the Guru was 1 betel leaf and nut, 1 banana and 1 rupee!

One day he told us, ‘You should come wearing white clothes,’ We came. The photo where Swami would be sitting on a deerskin, his eyes seeing upwards…at the age of 10... that was the first picture Raghupati Yogi took of us when we came wearing white clothes. That first photo was the first ever photo of Swami in meditative pose and it was taken by Raghupati Yogi. Purely for the purpose of clicking the picture he had asked us to come. He brought the deerskin to the studio. There was an old studio there. He asked us to come there. He told us, ‘Today, I am going to take a picture of all of you. Each of you should bring a white dhoti and upper cloth. Nothing else you need to bring.’ We said, ‘We will wear trouser and shirt and come and then change just before posing for the picture.’ He said, ‘Do whatever you want but you should be only in dhoti and upper cloth while taking the picture.’ We agreed and went.

==Mystical connection with Yogi and Kuppamma==

A lot of mystical things might have happened between Swami, Kuppamma ayah and Raghupati Yogi. I might not have been able to feel it, but it has happened 100 percent, that much I know. Otherwise I myself won’t accept it. My mind will resist a lot asking: is this right, is this wrong, how come they are saying like this etc. I would go on thinking. But as far as they are concerned, I was able to accept it fully because I felt that was the truth. Only because they had connection between them, things were possible.

See, when I was studying in 8th grade, I got introduced to Raghupati Yogi and Swami took me to yoga class, then to mantra initiation class. Raghupati Yogi said he will give mantra initiation. But when he saw that the effect of the initiation on us was lesser when compared to Swami, then automatically like when if a master is teaching three people, if two students are dull and one is bright, then how his concentration and interest in the bright one will increase, same way too Raghupati trained Swami deeper.

Then if you see, he would conduct annual day functions. Outside the temple, near a pillared hall, he would erect a thatched roof structure and what he would do…He was an 82 year old man mind you… He would tighten an iron rod on his chest and hold his breath. Then with one quick exhale, he would break the rod! Such kind of activities, he used to do many and show us. Whether Swami practiced all those things, I don’t know. For such things, we should have the full concentration and depth. We should have the capacity to absorb these techniques. Swami has gone to his house many times by himself.

To Kuppamma ayah’s house too he has gone many times. Every time he goes, he would come to me and tell, ‘Today I went to Raghupati Yogi’s house. Today I went to Kuppama ayah’s house. It felt good. I did well today. It was a different experience today.’ He used to say such things. But the exact details I didn’t know.

==Training with Yogi==

We used to meet Raghupati Yogi only in one place – Krittika Mandapam. From there he used to take us to various other places. There was a hotel called Udipi hotel nearby. The hotel owner was Yogi’s friend. He used to take us there often for tea, breakfast etc. As soon as the owner sees us he would ask, ‘Oh! You have come with all your students!’ He would reply, ‘Take care of my students.’ Time used to pass in that way… cheerfully. To teach yoga, he would take us to his house. A few other people would also come and request him to teach them. At that time, because he was old, he could not bend fully and do the postures. He could only guide. So he used to take us with him. He used to tell them, ‘My boys will do. Watch.’ He used to ask us to demonstrate the postures. They used to watch.

==Ganesh Chaturthi and multifarious decorations==

When we finished the function for the Ganesha under the banyan tree, we became highly inspired and enthusiastic. We felt we should do decoration in all the temples. In the main Tiruvannamalai temple, we knew that they won’t allow us, but there were so many temples that were not cared for and which were maintained by ordinary priests. So we went to other Ganesha temples. On Ganesh Chaturthi day, the birthday of Lord Ganesha, we will start early in the morning. At 5:30 am, the priests will finish the holy bath for the Ganesha deity in their temples and at 6’o clock, they will hand over the deity to us for decoration. If we started at five in the morning, we will finish at around eleven, mid-morning. Then we will go home and eat something hurriedly or miss our meals before we move to the next temple. Or sometimes at the temple itself, they will give something to eat. They will think that we are small boys struggling, and we have not eaten anything, so they will give us some food! We will not eat anything during the time we are doing the decoration. We will finish, come out and then eat. We used to be so strictly disciplined about these things. Then from 11 am to 3 pm, we would do decoration in the next temple. From 3 pm to 6 pm, it will happen in the next temple. By 6 pm, decoration in all temples should be finished because at 6 pm all the temples will offer lit camphor to Ganesha on that particular day.

At that young age, we used to be so intense about doing the decoration in as many temples as possible between 11 am and 6 pm. We used to run from one street to the other to the other! We used to be so intense.

Before starting any decoration, we used to plan amongst ourselves: how many temples have we booked for. What decoration are we going to do in each temple. We would not repeat any decoration across the temples. Even the lace that we used in one temple, we would not use in another temple! The foil paper that we used in one temple, we would not use in the other temple. If in one temple we planned for decoration with 9 varieties of grains, in another temple we would plan for fruit decoration, and yet another temple it will be flower decoration. We will think of different ideas and lay the plan.

In school, during the half yearly and quarterly holidays, we will do all the temple decorations, singing and dancing! We will be waiting for the holidays only for this! In December, during the half yearly holidays, Kartigai Deepam festival will be there. In Tiruvannamalai, schools compulsorily close for Kartigai Deepam - 10 days of holidays. It’s a special Government rule for this town. Police will come from other places. They would use the schools to accommodate all of them so, they would declare holidays for all the schools.

If you see, during the quarterly holidays, Vinayaga chaturthi and Durga puja festivals will happen. During the annual holidays, Vasanta Utsav festival will happen in the temple. During January holidays if you see, the Tiruoodal festival will happen. Through the year there will be some festival or the other in Tiruvannamalai. We will go for everything and enjoy.

The first year of our association with each other, it was like that – enjoyment and play with decorations and festivals. In the second year, after we got the Arunai Nayaki temple for ourselves for decoration, we would plan for multifarious decorations and adornments for the Divine Mother.

Swami will think so creatively for the adornments. He would carve the carrots and use it to adorn the saree of the deity. He would say, ‘It won’t be nice if you cut and stick the vegetables at random. It will be good only if the colour is for the full saree.’ Then he would say, ‘Carve the carrot. Its colour is not enough. Mix a little kesari (orange colouring) powder and darken it.’ We will then mix it and make it dark. Then he would ask, ‘For the border of the saree, what colour would match with fanta orange, what will be a good contrast?’ In the chosen colour we will design the border.

Carrot will stick well on sandal. We will first place the sandal paste on the deity and then do the dress design with vegetables. According to whether we wish to put on a saree or any other kind of clothing, we would do the decoration. When we decorated that Ganesha with navadaaniyam – nine grains, we really enjoyed it besides the effort. We missed taking a picture of it. Seeing the decoration, Kuppamma ayah became very happy and said, ‘You will become a very big person in future!’ This Ganesha is the one in the temple on the narrow lane that is there on the way to the first experience place.

Like that, when we go to a temple, the first thing he will do is: he will remove the cloth of the deity and see if in the deity’s form there are any damages. First he will see how much dirt there is on the deity! After noting that, he will scold with whatever words comes to his mouth, the caretakers of the deity. He will not use very bad words. He will use words like dogs etc. He will say, ‘See how all they have kept this deity.’

Normally these priests will apply oil everyday on the deity and then promptly pour water on it for the holy bath. The grease in the oil will simply settle down on the deity. First he would scrape all the settled oil with grime and dirt with a blade. If I ask him, ‘What? You are scraping the deity with a knife?’ He would say, ‘Yes. Then what to do. It is so dirty, only if we scrape with a knife the dirt will come out. It is okay to use a knife. Scrape so that it doesn’t scratch the deity, that’s all.’ So we will completely remove everything and clean. Then we will pour two mugs of water and then only we will apply the sandal paste.

He would say, ‘Think that the deity is sitting there live and do the decoration.’ Later if you see, out of my own growing interest I would saying how to do things and he would become silent and just watch. He will watch what we are doing and sometimes give directions: ‘This is wrong, that is not nice, change this, change that…’ He would give such guidance and then remain silent and watch. I don’t know what he would observe so deeply.

As far as the decoration is concerned, only if you go around and see varieties of decorations, you will get the ideas to decorate. Sometimes we would have decorated with only flowers. Generally, we will apply sandal paste uniformly on the entire deity including the face. Then like how we put on our clothes, we will decide on the colour of clothes, style of clothes etc. For Divine Mother, we will give a contrast colour saree and blouse. For example, for a red colour saree, we will give a green colour blouse.

We will decide: what kind of border should come for the saree. When the deity is sitting, how will the border fall. Will it come this way or that way. We would get ready with these ideas first. Then we will decide what items we are going to use that day for the decoration – like rice or grain or vegetable. If we were using grains, we would use only grains. If we were going to use pearls, then the whole thing we will decorate with pearls. Or we will do completely with flowers or completely with vegetables or completely with fruits.

We will freeze these ideas and make a list first. If we plan to put a crown on the head, we would see the deity’s head, measure its height and decide: this crown will require half kilo grapes, so many boxes of sandal etc. Then what all we need for the saree, we will write down and make a list first. Then we will go for a quotation. Based on that we will decide, ‘This much money is going to be spent. Alright, let us do it,’ or, ‘It is coming to too much. We will change a few items. Instead of grapes we will put something else,’ etc. So we will change it and make a clean list and then go and buy the things and come.

We will not ask anyone for money for these decorations. The reason why people easily allowed us to do decoration at the temples is, they know we will sponsor the whole thing ourselves! For them the deity will get ready, that’s all! Because of that they will allow us. Our parents will generally give us money. We will use the money totally for this. I don’t remember spending too much on buying and eating nonsensical stuff. From 8th grade up to the time I finished my degree, I don’t recall seeing any movie. For fifteen years, I did not see a movie! 9 years I spent with Swami, and then 5 years under my uncle. So 9 plus 5 is 14 years, when I did not go to a cinema theatre. After 14 years, I came to Tiruvannamalai and got married and went with my wife to the theatre, that’s all!

==48-day circumambulation around the Sacred Arunachala Hill==
First one year of our association with each other, used to be only play. We would go circumambulate the Mountain often by ourselves. The two of us did a 48-day continuous circumambulation around the Hill once. Whatever time suits us we will start circumambulating every day. It would mostly be in the evening after 4 pm. The Sun would be setting.

During circumambulation, he would walk silently. One time, when going around the Mountain, Senthil wanted to attend to nature’s call. At that time I asked, ‘They say when you are going around the Mountain, you should not attend to nature’s call.’ He replied, ‘What is inside you have let outside… that’s all! If it is wrong, then how does it matter whether it is inside the body or outside? It is anyway there! Do your work! How can you say that if it is inside your body it is not wrong, but if it is left outside, it is wrong?! He continued jokingly, ‘When you come in circumambulation around God, you should have emptied yourself inside and started right? Why did you have it inside?’ When he said it that way, you will understand immediately! Earlier to that, when he was in a phase with only devotion, he would have replied, ‘You should not attend to nature’s call etc..’ He would have belonged to the category of people who thought that way. But now he had moved to the next category…!

When we circumambulate, we won’t stop for rest in between. We will keep going. We would chant the mantra given by Raghupati Yogi and walk. We won’t talk either. This period was probably when he was in the 9th or 10th grade. Because only then we would get a long gap of holidays. It was believed that if we came around the Mountain for 48 days, what we think in our mind will materialize. But we did it more because we had an intense attachment to Lord Arunachala. He was the one who said, ‘Okay, let us come around continuously for 48 days and see what result we get.’ For all of us put together, he got the greatest result in his life!

The elders used to say that the 48 days was for the mind to become integrated. But we would not be oriented that way. On one day we will do with commitment, but the next day we would think, ‘My leg is paining, but I have to come around for 48 days, so I better do it today,’ and we would start again! Every day, we used to come around with a different state of mind. But Swami did it with the same deep consciousness, so he got the result. We could sense that he got something out of it, but we don’t know it exactly because at that time he never used to explain those things to us deeply. We feel it is because we did not have the capacity to absorb those things at that age.

Swami moves to a tent in the balcony

One day, in the balcony of their house, Swami put up a tent by himself with the correct sloping angle etc. One person can sleep there. He got it ready to that level. Also, his mother had started telling him that he is overdoing things and disturbing her in the kitchen. So he decided and made this tent for himself and arranged all the deities’ photos etc. there. Inside, you could see dhotis, cloths, only items meant for deity decoration.

Like how a brahmachari or a sannyasi will live, he would live there. It was his tent. He used to lie down and keep rubbing the parashakti idol and constantly chant the mantra. Two times I have gone there on a Sunday. In the afternoon, that whole street would be silent. Generally in towns if you see in the afternoons, it will be very silent since people will be taking rest. I used to feel very bored on Sunday afternoons. The other kids also won’t be there. So I used to go to his house. I would think I can go and be with him and discuss something about the temples etc.

When I go there, his mother would say, ‘He is in the tent only.’ Then I would go to the tent. When he sees me, he would get up. If you see his face, there will be such an intensity in it. If you are intensely engrossed in something, and you look up from it, how it will be… his face will be like that. Once he gets up, he would see his right hand palm in silence for a while. Kuppamma ayah used to tell him that Parashakti resides in the right palm. So very often he used to hold the Parashakti deity in his hand and also gaze at his right palm.

He used to tell me too that when I wake up in the morning, not to suddenly open my eyes and look around but to look at only the palm first. Till date, I have this as a habit! As soon as I wake up, I will look at my palm first. He would tell that I should see it like I am seeing Parashakti there. Then the mind won’t get diverted anywhere and also there won’t be any disturbance in the mind. And, anything else that you see thereafter you will be only relaxed. He would say that in the morning, if there was a chance to see any awkward or scary thing, the mind will be disturbed for the whole day. So it is good to see the palm first. When he got disturbed due to some reason too, he will first see his palm. Then it will take at least ten to fifteen minutes for him to relax and talk to us. He would have gone so deeply in. We won’t know what is going in him but we will know that he is very deep into something.

Round about this time, distance started creeping in between him and us. The friend idea started dissolving and even addressing him in singular became rare. I could make out some difference in him. But I could not get myself to ask him what it was and to share it with me. I was not so fast on the track he was moving in. But I could not step out also. I wanted to be his friend all the time. He would ask me, ‘Did you see Parashakti’s face today?’ he would refer to the deity as aatha – Tamil word for mother. I would ask him what he had done to deity. He would say, ‘I did a lot of chanting. I could feel the vibration going in fully. Touch and see.’ I would touch the idol. It would be a little hot! Then I would just keep quiet. But I would know that he is doing something. Then suddenly he would ask, ‘Do you want to see Her live form?’ I would wonder why he asked this so suddenly. I would reply, ‘I wish to see.’ Then he would go into silence, lower his head and look at his palm and say, ‘mmm’. That is all. We would remain silent for a while. Then after that, some other topic will come up and this will be forgotten. Then I would wonder why he asked me in the first place and then never showed me. A lot of interest and curiosity will rise within me to ask him again about it but when I see his silence and his body language, a certain fear will be there about asking him again. I would not.

==Arunai Nayaki Amman – dream, devotion, decoration==

Once, we came to know of one Arunai Nayaki amman temple – a temple dedicated to the Divine Mother. Since he became an intense worshipper of Parashakti, we decided we should do decoration for that temple deity also. Just the previous day, we had completed a 48-day continuous circumambulation of the Arunachala Hill in Tiruvannamalai. He had told that we should do a 48-day circumambulation of the Hill. Forty-eight is considered to be one mandala (cycle). I agreed and somehow we completed it.

Once during those 48 days he said, ‘We should go and see Arunai Nayaki Amman.’ I was already familiar with that temple. There, there would be a lot of activities such as palm reading, bearing of fire pots, driving away ghosts with the beat of drums etc. When I used to see all that, not that I had fear, but I never used to like it. I expressed to him that I didn’t wish to go there. He asked, ‘Why do you see all that. Have you seen the deity inside?’ I said, ‘Yes, She will be very majestic and powerful.’ He said, ‘Then what is the problem. Let us go and see Her today.’ So we went. They used to do the decoration in a very majestic and perfect way. She is around five and a half feet tall in sitting position.

When we went and saw Her, he said he had the feeling he was meeting an old relative after a long time. I asked him if he was feeling like that because he was a worshipper of the Mother. He said, ‘No, it is a very deep feeling.’ He said we should do decoration for the Mother. I was shocked. We ourselves were only 4 feet tall. The deity was five and a half feet tall!

By that time itself, he had taught us all the methods of calculations: for this tall a deity, how much sandal paste is needed, how much foil decoration paper sheets are required, all these calculations we would do with the appropriate rates and immediately arrive at a total cost, say 100 rupees or 150 rupees. Then we would decide how much money each of us has and whether we should go for money collection outside. So we would have an idea: for this deity, how much it would cost, will we be able to do it etc.

For this particular deity, if we do the decoration and it doesn’t turn out well…we were a little apprehensive about the reaction of the temple priest. He was a very ferocious looking person with matted locks. Anyone he sees, he would utter only bad words to them first. Even if he wants to call anyone, he will first utter a few bad words and only then call that person! In this circumstances, we wondered if he would even allow us inside. But Swami said that we have to do decoration for that deity. So we said, ‘Alright you go in front and ask. We will all stand behind you.’ Then I remembered there is one man known to my father’s older brother and that we could ask through him. But Swami said that we can ask ourselves. We agreed. We all went and stood a little away watching Swami approach him.

He went straight up to him and fell at his feet! Immediately that man cooled down! Then he said to him, ‘Swami, we wish to do decoration for the Mother.’ That man looked at him for a moment and laughed. He asked him, ‘How tall are you and how tall is this deity? How will you do decoration?’ He replied, ‘No Swami. You can ask around. We have done decoration for this Ganesha temple here, that other temple there. We will do very nicely. We ourselves will spend money and do.’ The priest was the sort who liked to do things without much expense. Also he was not very keen about things like gathering a lot of people in the temple or organizing for palm reading or anything of that sort. He just thought: alright, these young boys are going to do decoration. It is getting done free of cost. That’s all. Then he asked, ‘When are you going to do the decoration?’ We said Friday. He said, ‘On Friday, there will be a lot of crowd. Will you finish on time?’ We said we will start in the morning itself. He said, ‘Friday is Full Moon day. I will offer turmeric powder holy bath to the deity.’ At that time, for every Full Moon day, they would offer turmeric powder holy bath. After 11 am, they would offer the regular holy bath. To finish it, it will take around two in the afternoon. He asked if we can start at 2 pm and finish quickly. We requested that he finished his work earlier than usual on that day alone. He said, ‘Alright, I will finish the holy bath by 8 am itself.’ By 9 am, he finished. We went in.

As soon as we go in, he would first see the deity. What happened on that occasion was, the day previous to the decoration day, he had a dream: Exactly how that deity will be without clothing, how Her body structure would be – came in the dream. When the priest gave permission to decorate, Swami became very happy and he said, ‘We should know more about Her. We should know what Her purpose is.’ I asked what for he wants to know all this. He said, ‘No, there is something in this deity. She is very powerful. All the temples we were doing decoration for till now were relatively new ones. This is the first ancient and powerful temple we are going to take up. We should know more about Her.’ I said alright and asked how to ask. He said he will talk to Kuppamma ayah and come.

Kuppamma ayah said, ‘In order to kill the devil Mahishasura who represents the human ego, in the sacred chant - Devi Mahatmyam – the Mother comes to Tiruvannamalai. It is here in this temple that he was killed by Her.’ At that time, Arunai Nayaki Amman came as Mother’s army leader. Mahishasuran’s right hand general in the army was an evil person. His name is mentioned in the chant - Arunachala Puranam (verses depicting the story of Arunachala). Arunai Nayaki Amman is said to have killed him. There is also a statue of that man lying crushed beneath Her feet in the temple.

As soon as he heard this and saw the statue of that man, he spun into action. In both our houses there was only the new version of the Arunachala puranam. He said, ‘This is the new version. It has been released only some twenty or thirty years back. We need the older version.’ He said that the older version was with Kuppamma ayah and he went and brought that book. We read page by page. Only in that book, there were two extra lines that said She was Mother’s army leader and She killed that particular evil person. In the newer version, it was just mentioned that She was in the war. But in this version, it was clear. He read it and said, ‘See, we are going to do decoration for such a great lady!’

He made me understand that if I went into the real significance of the deity and then did the decoration, the impact will be entirely different. He would say, ‘Generally if we go and do the decoration, we won’t know the impact of it. Now after this knowledge if we go, we will know Her power. Now you will know how powerful, how significant She is, how important She is.’ When he said all these things, I used to get gooseflesh… I used to be engulfed with the feeling: She is so powerful. She is so great. We are going to actually touch Her and do the decoration. Do we have the qualification? Do we belong to such a qualified caste? Because in those times there were rules that only certain people from certain communities can touch certain deities. When it was like that, how is it that we were going to do it for Her? When these thoughts came up, our sincerity for the job increased.

We decided we should do things in a very neat way. We decided: we should not eat or drink even water when we are doing the decoration. We should buy fresh and clean things for the decoration. We should ourselves sit and grind the sandal into paste. All these thoughts started forming within. With this inspiration when I slept, the form of the deity, how She was seated in the battlefield, how Her structure was beneath the clothing - that form appeared in my dream as well! I have never seen the deity like that ever. With the total inspiration when I went to sleep, this form appeared, the night before the decoration. When I woke up in the morning, I wondered: this form seems to be Arunai Nayaki amman’s form, but I have seen Her differently at the temple with Her usual adornment. Then I thought, because of the devotion I had towards Her, maybe She gave this kind of an appearance to me. With that mood I went for the decoration. Meanwhile he also seemed to have had different visions of Her. We met and at 9 am we entered the temple with all the things for the decoration.

We had collected nearly 400 rupees. With just 400 rupees, you will be surprised how many things we could get at that time for decoration! When we removed the clothing and saw the form, both of us got a shock. For a minute, the rise of emotions was too much. It is an unforgettable moment in our lives. Whatever we saw in the dream, the exact form was there! My devotion towards Her increased a lot. I felt we should do things with tremendous sincerity for Her and that She was really sitting there, very powerful. For him, it was more than that. He had seen more than that. He said, ‘Last night, She spoke to me. I saw Her.’ He then prostrated in front of Her. Then he said, ‘She is really sitting here. Do things sincerely for Her. Don’t have any other thought. When you do the decoration, let your total concentration be here.’

All this can be taught only by a mature Guru. How to pray to God. How to tread the path of devotion etc. Normally at home, what we pray, it is different. But how does a real devotee pray to God? One should sincerely imagine that the deity is really there and pray with that mood. Only then will the real impact be got. At that time, this happened in us naturally itself - how to pray, how to offer puja, how to do decoration etc. That incident was a very powerful one.

We did the decoration very sincerely. We started at 9 am and finished at 6 pm without even drinking water in between. It was my first experience of that kind. After the decoration was done, even that priest was surprised. He said that even trained temple priests will not do in such a fashion. That was the first time we were doing an entire face with sandal paste. Till then we had done only for Ganesha (elephant God). And for Him, on the face there will be two tusks. However you do the sandal decoration, it will not change the look. But for Mother, you need to work well to bring out the facial features.

The priest was very pleased with our skill. He took a big plate, kept bananas, apples, sweet lime, all that had come as offering that day, asked everyone to sit, picked up some flowers, blessed us and gave it to us. Then he told us that any special decoration in the temple thereafter, we should only do.

On special Full Moon days every year, they will do very grand decoration in this temple. Every year the Tiruvannamalai temple priest will come here and do the decoration but with a lot of fuss saying he is very busy etc. That particular year, this priest never called him because we were there. Next, for some function, we were unable to make it because of some school work. When he approached his again, the priest said, ‘You now have big priests (referring to us!) doing things for you. You can keep them and do everything.’ There was ego clash between them because of us! This was when we were studying in 9th or 10th grade.

Till the Arunai Nayaki amman incident, all that we did was just play. It was just an expression of our childhood attachments. But after seeing Arunai Nayaki amman in the dream and seeing that She was alive sitting there, things started changing. Swami would say about Her, ‘She is there sitting. Do things sincerely. You should not talk when you are inside the sanctum doing decoration.’

At that time, ladies were doing the rituals in that sanctum. They only offered the holy bath, decoration everything. Once they enter the sanctum, they will start talking their own topics while doing the decoration. It will take at least three hours to complete the decoration. They will exchange all sorts of stories and do the decoration. They were mostly unmarried women. Swami never used to like all this. He used to say that She is really sitting there and even if She doesn’t directly talk to us, we should understand that She is there and do things appropriately. He used to tell me all this one after the other. He used to say, ‘You should not offer as if you are offering to a statue. If you do as if you are doing for a statue, the whole thing is a waste. There is no meaning in what you are doing.’

Normally, people would say that if we did the decoration without having a bath or after eating a full meal, it was a sin. But he spoke differently. He would say, ‘She is our Mother. When we do for Her, we should do with a pure heart. We should do it totally.’ When he puts it that way, we will automatically feel like following it. We would naturally think that he is right and wonder why people were scaring us by saying other things. When we used to think that we are doing for our Mother, the interest increased. We then did a lot of decoration for Her after that.

==More Incidents with Kupammal==

He has had many conversations with Kuppamma ayah. What he asked her and what she told, we don’t know. Until the Arunai Nayaki amman incident we were like friends. After that incident I felt there was a distance coming between us. Whatever incident happens, he would visit me and tell me briefly about it. He would say, ‘Today I went to Kuppamma ayah’s house. She taught me a mantra. She taught me this subtle concept.’ I won’t understand anything. I would say, ‘Alright, she taught you something. Good.’ And I would leave it at that.

Every time he visited Kuppamma ayah and came, there would be a difference in his face. When he sets out to visit her, let us say on a Sunday, he will start out normally. He would say, ‘I am going to visit Kuppamma ayah.’ I would say alright. When he comes back he would look as if he is so deeply engrossed in some thought. He would sit and analyze what he had heard. He would give us the message from his visit but we won’t understand anything. Kuppamma ayah and he would have analyzed something and he would have returned. For whatever he says, we would simply say, ‘Is it so, is it so….’ That’s all.

He has apparently met many people through Kuppamma ayah. From her circle she has introduced him to four or five people.

There was a Malayala Maantrikar - a person who has gone to Kerala and studied Mantrikam. Mantrikam is to do with mantra and tantra – ancient Eastern metaphysical sciences. If you want to achieve something, if you chant a certain mantra in a certain way you will achieve it. They have a clause in passing on their knowledge to anyone. They will take promise from the person learning that he won’t use it for his own self-use. If in your life, there is an inevitable instance where through you some good is to happen, then you can use it. Else you should never use it for yourself. This person was rigorously trained in this science and was associated with Kuppamma ayah.

In their families if you see, there will be so many problems. But they will never use their mantra or tantra to sort it out. So Swami has met these kinds of persons. He told me once that he met this Malayala Maantrikar who taught him something which caused immense satisfaction in him. Because of that, without even asking Kuppamma ayah permission, he promised to him that he will never use it for any personal issue. When we were going somewhere on the road, he showed me an old man saying he was the one had taught him those things. He said, ‘I promised to him whole heartedly that I do not need this mantra or tantra for my use and that I will never use it.’

Kuppamma ayah told him where all the mantra can be used and then initiated him into it. But once he was initiated into it, he decided he didn’t need it. Not that it had any less power in it but because he had understood that there were many things much beyond all this and that this would be of no use to him at that stage of his seeking. He said that it was alright for the ones who belonged to that category of people but not for him.

==The Kundalini Yoga practitioner’s prophecy==

Once we met someone who was a good practitioner of Kundalini Yoga. We were with Raghupati Yogi. When we were doing the circumambulation of the temple, the man called us. He pointed to Swami and asked, ‘Who is this boy?’
Raghupati Yogi said that he was his student and that he was teaching him yoga and meditation.
The man said, ‘He is not your student. He will become a much bigger person than you.’

Raghupati Yogi asked him, ‘Who are you?’
He replied, ‘I am a Kundalini Yogi practitioner. When I see someone at the time my kundalini energy is in a high state, some things like this will occur to me, and those things will never be wrong. They will always be right.’
He was from a place called Paandalam on the way to Kallakurichi in a village in South India. He gave us his address and said we could visit him and talk at length. But we were only small boys at that time and we could not go out of the village anywhere so we left it at that. We didn’t note down the address properly either. We know he is from Paandalam and we know his name. With these two details, how does one trace him? So we left it that.

In Tiruvannamalai, there was once a man who had finished a one month course on Kundalini Yoga in Rishikesh in North India and returned. Swami wanted to see him and so he took me and went. But that man was not available at that time. The next day he went by himself and met him. After that, for two or three days he was in a strange state of appearance. He had apparently discussed for long hours with that man.

==The mystic from Kollimalai==

Many people have seen him and told him that he will become a big person one day. He would share all those things with me. Once one mystic came from Kollimalai. He was called Kollimalai Siddar. He used to visit Arunachala often. He was associated with Raghupati Yogi as well. Once Raghupati Yogi took us and introduced us to him as his students. When he saw Swami he commented, ‘This boy looks to be so clear!’

==Ganesha adorned with nine different grains (Worship as Play)==

So many people who have seen him have told similar things about him. On one occasion, we did sandal paste decoration for Ganesha. On top of it, we did adornment with nine varieties of grains (nine grains associated with the nine planets). We separated out the grains according to their colour, made a dress with them and did the decoration. We brought Kuppamma ayah and showed her the decoration. When she saw it, she said, ‘You will become a very big person. All these things are clear indications of it. These grains are showing me all that you are going to do in future. These are all very ordinary things for you. In future you will do many great things I am able to see.’

==Swami’s love for Tirumoolar’s songs==

In between, he would sing many of the Siddar (A particular sect of Mystics) songs – songs sung by ancient mystics. He would sing the 18 Siddars’ songs. He would often sing the Paambaatti Siddar song which used to go: pudumbaai, pudumbaai. Then he would read Tirumandiram - saint Tirumoolar’s verses. He would read them from a book for a long time. After reading it, he would be continuously saying something about it. I did not have the capacity to absorb any of it. He would ask me, ‘What did you absorb. What did you understand?’

In our house that particular book was not there. I then asked my father buy one copy. Swami would show in that book, the words Om Namashivaya would have been composed in many different ways juggling with the words Namashivaya Na Shiva Shiva Om etc… The saint would have also represented the chant as a chakra - wheel. Swami would point out all that and explain everything. I am not able to explain it clearly, but used to understood all that clearly. If we see it itself, it will be so confusing! Many wheel representations will be there. Every twenty to thirty pages there will be Tirumoolar’s wheel representations. He will mark all those and do all sorts of things with them.

For a few days he was concentrating only on those things. He would analyze: “what is the data in this, why have they said this?” I didn’t know what he was actually doing at that time. He used to do all this research only in his house. He never had any disturbance there. He had his own room. He would go off into his room. If you go to his room, you could see books in the attic-shelf in boxes. Since it was a small house, they would pack everything in boxes and stack them on top. He would take them out, read them and then put them back. There would not be disturbance to others either. He would read mentally, not loudly or softly or anything. While reading, he used to go deeply and clearly into it. When you are deeply engrossed in reading something, you will not be able to read aloud.

==Lord Muruga temple decoration==

Swami’s aunt’s house is there in a nearby village. There is a Muruga temple there (Muruga is the second son of Lord Shiva). We went there and found the temple priest competing with us! Swami’s uncle, that is the aunt’s husband’s older brother arranged everything for us there. He had arranged for the decoration on Panguni Uttram, a day auspicious to Lord Muruga. We started doing everything with great interest as it was a big temple, dedicated to Lord Muruga, recently energized through kumbabhisheka – special energizing process to rejuvenate the energy of the temple. We were greatly pulled by the fact that soon after kumbabhisheka - when the cosmic energy is clearly installed one more time after many years - we would be doing the decoration for the main deity itself!

Even before going there, we started discussing how to do the decoration, what colour dhoti to put on the deity, what cloth to put on the upper body, what to put on the lower body etc. We got all the things ready and went. When we went there, we realized that a priest belonging to that village who was in Chennai, attending to some work in a big temple, took a day off since it was function time in the village and had come to the temple. He entered the temple with all the authority of the temple priest. He said that he is the rightful person to do the regular decoration and that he would only be doing the decoration that day. We became teary eyed and sad. We wondered how when we had taken so much pains in getting everything ready, this priest came in from nowhere and declared this.

We wondered why Lord Muruga was doing this to us. At that time, Swami got very angry. In those times, he would get very angry! He said that he is not going to let it go and that he would talk to his uncle. He asked his uncle how the temple priest could do this. His uncle was a chief man in the village. He was the one who conducted the functions at that temple. He felt bad when he saw the things we had gotten ready. He wondered what to do when he saw our great interest and effort. He went up to the priest and told him that we were with great interest to do the whole thing and that we should do it together. Immediately, the priest took up the upper half of the deity for decoration and we took up the lower half! We started doing the decoration. Then the priest saw how we were doing and moved away for us to do the whole thing.

From the beginning, even if these decorations were just like playing, there was an intense devotion in it to do it properly. When the devotion intensified, we got the feeling that we were doing it for the live deity.

==Receiving the First Initiation after The Avatar's First Enlightenment Experience==
An important incident in my life:

Just before Kuppamma ayah’s departure, at the time she declared she had given to him everything as her sole disciple, he has apparently gone to the Pavazhakundru rock in Tiruvannamalai and tried to meditate. That was the time he had his first deep spiritual experience where he saw 360 degrees around him with eyes closed. The morning of the initiation he came and said he was going to see her. After that, I don’t know if she told him to try to meditate or what…he has gone there and tried to meditate. The experience seems to have been over at around three in the afternoon.

He came straight to my place and from the road itself he called my name. I was sitting near the pillar by myself. I came out and saw… I saw a change in him. The change was something like the difference between a child’s playful appearance and a meditator’s appearance. To describe how he looked I should tell you about Isakki Munivar, Kuppamma ayah’s Guru.

Isakki Munivar would come around the circumambulating the Arunachala Hillock everyday. He would first come from his house to the circumambulation starting point. He would be carrying a conch and a saakandi (flat circular gong). He would not talk to anybody. He would continuously blow the conch and beat the gong. He has to pass by my house if he has to go to the temple and his house. At that time, all the boys in the street would go and fall at this feet. He would stand waiting for them to finish and then move on seamlessly. It was an every day feature. When we hear the sound of his coming, we would become alert and be ready. He would also see us coming and stand until we all fell at his feet; then he would move on. Then he would finish the circumambulation and sit down in the Panchamuka ashram. Anyone who comes and tells any grievance, he would just show some gesticulation. After telling him, if that person came around the Hill, their problem would be solved! His appearance everyday made a deep impression in my mind. He would appear wearing just a cloth around his waist and stand there. He would not look particularly at anyone or smile at anyone. He would just stand as though without any feelings. He would not even look to see if people have finished prostrating etc…he would just move on.

That day, Swami appeared to me to look like Isakki Munivar. When he called me ‘Sampath’, I ran out to see him. Until I came out and stood, he was fine. After that, he said to come with him and put his arm around my shoulder. Then he started moving his body, his facial expressions started changing. Whatever he felt at the time of the first experience, I think remained with him at that time. He was slightly smiling, and he started holding me tightly. I started getting afraid, wondering what he was doing. He said to walk with him. Little did I know I was receiving the historic first every energy darshan from an enlightened being.

We walked and entered the Tiruvannamalai temple and went into the Kalyana Sundareshwar sanctum. It is in the second concentric circumambulation path. There is a Laburnum tree (Kondrai in Tamil) there with a stone pillar under it. He sat down there and asked me also to sit. He started tightening his grip over me. After a while, he leaned back and smiled. He asked, ‘Can you see an ant moving behind you?’ I asked where. He said, ‘Behind me.’ I saw there was a trail of red ants moving on the tree. He said he can see it without even turning his head. That was it…!

I asked him, ‘Sekhar, what happened to you?’ I felt everything was different about him. His actions… everything. He said to sit down and again, and started smiling and gripping me. His body felt hot. My fear started increasing. Something like this had never happened until then. He was fine when he went but on his return, he was like this. Ten to fifteen minutes passed but he remained like that. With passing time, he started gripping me even tighter saying that he felt very good. I felt he might not release me at all! I started getting very scared. Moreover, it was in a temple and here he was hugging me! I didn’t have a clue what was going inside him. Suddenly I told him, ‘Please wait for a moment, I will go to the toilet and come,’ and I came away. That’s all I know!

I went home and wondered with fear what had happened to him, why he was behaving like that. After some time, I went back to that spot and saw, he was not there. After that when I read his life story books, I could see that he has gone to Kuppamma ayah’s house and she has given him an appropriate diet for three days and brought him back to normalcy. I don’t know what happened after that. I just know that he was so deep into his first spiritual experience. Only after reading the books now, I came to know that that was his first experience. Only now, I am able to understand it. Now I understand, at that young age, if he was able to hold on to that deep experience stably, and was even able to answer me cogently, it was a profound thing.

==A visible change after first enlightenment experience==

After this experience, there was a 100 percent change in him. He showed no interest in coming to the temple, offering puja etc. He would just listen to what we told him: today this decoration…alright…today this puja…alright… He would show no further interest. But he would visit Arunai Nayaki very often. He would ask how She is. If he called from the polytechnic, he would ask, ‘How is Arunai Nayaki?’ We would say, ‘She is fine Swami.’ He would ask if the functions were going on well for her and we would say yes. That time around, I started using polite language with him. From that experience onwards, the old singular language dropped and respectful language came in towards him. Earlier, we used to fight physically. I was taller than him. I used to put my hand on his shoulder at a point he would feel a lot of pain. He would scold me saying I was taking the life out of him. But after that experience, fear stepped in and I never touched him. We used to call him ‘Sekhar’. From far, we used to call out ‘Rajasekhar’. But when we were near each other, we used to say ‘Sekhar’.

==The Avatar's habit of reading and wandering in Tiruvannamalai==

We have been to a lot of places together in Tiruvannamalai - like Virupaksha cave, Guhai Namashivaya cave etc. When we go to these caves, he will tell the history of those places and those Masters who lived there, in a very deep way. He would describe how they were, how they did penance etc. To an extent, we knew those stories. We would have listened to it earlier as a story, but when he narrates them, he would say it in such a mesmerizing way. He would say, ‘They have done so much of penance. They had the power to talk to God!’ He has read all that in the verses of Arunachala Puranam completely. He has read the old edition of that book from Kuppamma ayah. He would read a lot. Since he read all the historic stories, he would know them all well.

If he reads one subject once, he will go fully into it, he will not need to sit and read it again. Also, Arunachala Puranam is such that if you read it once, all those stories will settle in your memory. In Ramanashram, there is a room where Ramana Maharishi attained samadhi - final resting. Swami will frequent that place. He will sit there and meditate. There will be pin drop silence in the room. I will not be able to sit continuously, but he will sit continuously for hours.

He would go to Pavazhakundru (Coral rock in Tiruvannamalai where he had first deep spiritual experience) often. After his first deep spiritual experience there, he spent a lot of time in that place. For hours together he has spent there in deep meditation. Every time he surfaces from there, you can see a big change in his face. After concentrating deeply on an intense subject, if you suddenly break from it, how your appearance will be, like that he used to appear. I was able to understand that, so even the thought to ask him questions will not rise in me. I would know that he has done something intense and come. We would just keep away from any questions.

==Ramakrishna’s Gospel book==

During the 5th semester, Kartigai Deepam – the festival of lights would happen in Tiruvannamalai. In those days, for the first time, from Ramakrishna Tapovanam ashram in Tirupaaraiturai they put up a stall during the festival. That was the time Swami bought and gave me the book Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

I don’t know what kind of classes Kuppamma ayah gave him, but suddenly he started buying many books and reading. Kuppamma ayah had many books. He would get all that and read. The book reading habit became stronger. At that time there would be only books in house. He was reading a lot of Ramana Maharishi’s books as well.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s Gospel comes in three parts. He bought all three. First he read Ramakrishna’s life story. Impressed by it, he bought the Gospel books. When he finished the life story he told me, ‘I was reading this in the polytechnic, It was nice. There is Gospel book. It is very interesting. In his life, the devotees who were with him have narrated incidents that happened just as they happened. It is so alive to read. It takes us to that very spot. To that extent, it is interesting. I am reading it. Once I finish it, I will give it to you, you read it.’

He told me that sat continuously through day and night, and finished the Gospel book in just one day’s time! After reading it, he got thoroughly impacted and told me, ‘In life, this is a great treasure. You should not miss it. Come with me.’ And he took me to the temple. There he went to the stall. At that time there was a Swami there who had put up the stall. He said to him, ‘Swamiji, I want those three parts of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Swami asked, ‘Only yesterday you purchased the three books, so soon you want another set?’ He told him. ‘No, it is for my friend.’ The Swami said, ‘We brought only five sets and all five are over no sooner than they arrived. I don’t know what is there in that book. It is moving so fast.’ But Swami insisted, ‘No Swami, I need it compulsorily. I have to give it to my friend.’ The Swami told, ‘Okay, you are asking with such great interest. And you are all young boys. I will definitely give you. If I call and tell to those in the Trichy bus now, it will come by the Trichy bus. You come definitely in the morning and collect it.’ He made the phone call, told the Trichy bus people and it arrived the next day morning. I think that was the first gift that Swami gave me!

He gave me the three parts of the book and said, ‘Read this, It will be useful in your life.’ Until then, I had devotion to God. But I had a fear about everything. I thought about God with only respect. I thought that if I did any mistake it would be a big mistake, and that certain things are sin and certain things are good merits; certain things are right and certain things are wrong. I used to have a lot of confusion at that time. Only when I started reading those books I understood how simple spirituality is. In that book, Ramakrishna has said a lot about sannyas. He would say, ‘This ordinary life is a waste. Don’t get deluded too much by woman and gold. Those are the biggest illusions that bind us. We have to get liberated from these illusions.’ He would tell many things point of view of married life but a lot more from point of view of renunciation. He would often refer to Goddess Kali as his own. If you see, there will be many similarities between Ramakrishna’s life and Swami’s life! Both of them appeared to be worshippers of Divine Mother.

==Kuppamma ayah’s initiation and Attaining Mahasamadhi==

Once his interactions with Kuppamma ayah started increasing, his participation in temple deity decoration started reducing. Then, only we would be going around doing decoration in different places. He would come for everything, just see the arrangements and leave, that’s all.

Only now when we read his biography, we come to know that he met many people like for example Annamalai Swamigal. At that time, although we were with him, we did not know all this.

When Swami was doing his third year of Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Kuppamma ayah passed away. Information was given to him and he came as her sole disciple and did the final rites. Before Kuppamma ayah passed away, she called him one day and told him to wear a rudraksh rosary and gave him a tiger skin mat. Her Guru was Isakki Munivar. Their lineage was such that there would be one master, one disciple, that’s all. They would never take in the second disciple. That was their tradition.

So Kuppamma ayah, since she accepted Swami as her disciple, gave him her small water pot (carried by wandering mendicants), bamboo staff, tiger skin - all the items that she used during her period of intense austerity. She gave him all these on the day she gave him the initiation. Then she blessed him and gave him a paper stating that on this date, to this person, I am giving a name and accepting him as my disciple. This, he told me in advance happily. He told me that she was going to give him that initiation paper along with those items. I asked him what for all this. He said, he felt he might become a sanyasi in future; that this worldly life will not suit him; that this initiation was an important event towards that direction. It was then we started understanding the difference – that for sanyas life, there were these traditions etc. But there was fear wondering what was going to happen.

On that particular day of initiation, Kuppamma ayah called him near the Panchamukha ashram in Tiruvannamalai, and gave him the initiation. We don’t know the details of it. But for two to three days prior to that day, he was like a different person. He was as if he was holding some vow. He looked like he was ready to absorb something. That day, he went to Khadi Bhavan – a khadi fabric outlet, purchased saffron cloth and came and showed it to me. He said that the next day was the initiation and that the new saffron robe and rudraksh rosary that she used were ready. We have photos of when Kuppamma ayah handed him over the bamboo staff near the Panchamukha ashram. She had called for the photographer. I asked him why all this and he said he didn’t know and that ayah had asked the photographer to come. So she apparently knew who he was which is why she had called the photographer…

Then she gave him the initiation, sent him to take a picture at Skandashram and a few other places while sitting by himself. No one is supposed to see the initiation when it is happening so there was no one there watching. The next day he gave me a copy of that photo to keep. I don’t know if he thought that if he left, all these things would be missed or what… but he gave me a copy.

Once the initiation was over, he changed a lot. Shortly after the initiation, Kuppamma ayah departed. Earlier itself she seems to have told him, given him a yantra (energised copper foil with a mystical representation of the cosmos etched on it), and told to keep it under her body when she died. She had also apparently explained the procedure to adopt for her final rites.

During that incident, Swami was studying in his final year and I was in my first year. I could not take leave because they were very strict in the polytechnic at that time. So I did not attend the ceremony. I am not aware of what happened during the ceremony. There were some devotees of Isakki Munivar who were present at the ceremony. It was through them that news reached Swami about her death. They all tried to become disciples of Kuppamma ayah and later pressed to become disciples of Swami, but to no avail. So they gave up. But they all knew that he was the disciple from the beginning. They also knew his father and grandfather well. Since they knew all this, as soon she passed away, they readily sent him the message. It was Kuppamma ayah’s instruction also.

Interestingly, almost every time she met Swami, she would say that he was her disciple and that he would become a big person one day. Also she would say what all should be done after she died; what all should be kept on her place of final resting. Since she had told everything so clearly, they sent the message to him once she departed. Swami came and did everything. For the 7th and 9th day ceremonies also, Swami came back and completed the proceedings. But I don’t know the details of what he did. He just told me that he did everything, that’s all.

After every incident, he would come and say that such an incident happened. But what exactly happened etc., I would not know. If I think back now, I feel he could not share many things with us at because that time if he had told all that, we did not have the maturity to understand it.

Because he finished all the organized religion at young age itself, he understood things quickly and instead of struggling for ten years without managing to get even sannyas, in just two years he left everything in RK Mutt as well and went away on his own.

Why do Paramahamsas come to planet Earth? They come to live and show the real life and bring people to their path. Everyone can give general advice. I can sit you down and advise for you for one hour or more. You can sit me down and advise me for one hour. But no one really lives the advise practically and shows. The people who live every word and show are the Paramahamsas. That is the explanation of that word. That is: one has to live like a common man and attain the ultimate. Only then it is enlightenment.

If Ramakrishna Mutt has developed to this extent today, if devotees are getting inspired to that extent, the reason is, Ramakrishna has lived and showed the people, in every step of his life. In those stories, he would have lived like how an ordinary man would have lived. Suppose there was a problem, they would have called a doctor, the operation would have happened, all the regular things would have happened. But what would have been special was, they would have observed it with great awareness. They would have seen it like a watcher without getting affected by it. That they would have explained, and so we will be able to understand what it is. Likewise, Swami too in his biography would have shown that he was inspired by Ramakrishna Mutt and that when he was struggling, he went in the route of Ramakrishna and then step by step he left that too and went, and developed a lot more and also gave back to us a lot more. All this these Masters do only for the rest of the world to follow.

Based on Swami’s life, what all you research and record is what the future generations are going to use to develop themselves. His decoration work in the temple etc, how many ever times you put down, for it to really get into people as inspiration and start working on them, you need to describe how his state of mind was during every incident and action, how all he yearned, how all he got results etc.

==The Avatar in Ramakrishna Mutt==

After he went to Ramakrishna Mutt, he wrote the first letter saying that he was fine and everything was good. He said that Ramakrishna Mutt Swamis wanted to see Tiruvannamalai.

The Mutt would take their brahmacharis often on tours. Once Swami went there, he simply unleashed all the glories of Tiruvannamalai to them! They all decided it will be good to go only with him to Tiruvannamalai and that they would go to Tiruvannamalai that year itself. They came to Tiruvannamalai. It was then that I saw Swami for the first time as a brahmachari! He will be superb to look at! Simply superb! After going there, all the childishness had left him and he looked totally mature. Fully changed, shaven with a tuft of hair behind his head. He will be actually like Vivekananda at that time. If you look at Vivekananda’s young age pictures, the ones taken before he took up sannyas, he will look just like him in those pictures. He was wearing white kurta… and looking simply superb!

What is spirituality? What is life…? All this I started thinking only then! That was the first time I started thinking about all this. I thought, ‘Oh, there is a life like this as well.’ Till today, I have not had the courage to leave everything totally and come away but I think about it very often.

Swami wanted to go up the Arunachala Hill and see how they light the lamp atop the Hill. So my friend Senthil, me, my brother and all the Swamis went up the Hill. When we were atop the Hill, we took some pictures which is what you see now in His book Formless in Form.

==Letters The Avatar wrote from Ramakrishna Mutt==

Once he went to Ramakrishna Mutt, he became very mature. At that time he had written a letter to me. He had written how we struggle to earn money in this life and how all we should not waste that money. And how to use it for all good reasons. Now at the Bangalore ashram, there is one Parashakti idol that he made out of soap stone. We got another identical one made because he said after going there he suddenly felt he should for puja to Parashakti. But what we got ready and sent was an expensive one. It came to around 600 to 700 rupees. He said to get ready a small one for about 50 to 100 rupees. We got ready the bigger one out of enthusiasm. For that he had written the letter: This is not the age where you earn. You are still dependent on your parents for money. You should not spend money like this.

I have two more letters with me that he wrote. In that there won’t be much details. He would have enquired about everyone, that’s all. Even after going to Ramakrishna Mutt he remembered all of us well and wrote letters enquiring about us. He would say, ‘If there is time, come and see me. How are you, how are studies going?’ etc.

Let me see which letter came first:

First letter

Anbulla Subbu, Sampath, Senthil, Kumaran ellorukkum, inda siriyanavin vanakkangal.
Naan iraivanudaya perung karunayaal sadanaigalai oralavukku seidu varugiren.
Neengal inda siriyanaukkaga Annamalayanayum abhitakuchalabalayum arunai nayakiyayum vendumaaru ketukkolgiren.
Neengal ingu varumbodu, engal veetil keetu, en pada purattayum matrum nam guruvidam kaetu en maan tholayum vaangi varavum.

(He has referred to Raghupati Yogi here. He gave him a deer skin.)

Maan tholai vaangi, adil enda alavukku periya saduram alavu vetti edukkamudiyumo, anda alavukku veti eduthukondu varavum. Adil vetti edukkapatta pagudigalaagiya kaalgal, thalai paguthi, neengal vaithukkollungal.
Oru noothi yettu rudraksha maalai periya rudrakshamm, engal veetil ulladu. Adai enakku kaetu vaangi varavum.
Yen pooja vigrahangalai, neengal petrukollalaam. Ingu varumbodu tharugiren. B. Senthilayaum marakkadu thavaraadu azhaithu varavum.
Mudinthavarai, September muppathu thethikku mun varavum. Muppathaanthethi modal, aaraam thethi varai, ingu Durga Puujai. Anda nerangalil engalukku konjam tightaaga irukkum.
Arunai Nayaki Amman Navaratri alangaram.

(He has written: in Arunai Nayaki amman temple too, since there will be dussehra festival decoration, I may be tight with work.)

Adanaaldaan, veru ondrum illai.
Kumaran eppadi irukkan? Sampath eppadi padikkiraai? Senthil ozhungaaga padikkiraana? Subbu nandraaga kadayai paatrukollgiraaya?
Isakki Saamiyaar vibhooti pai engal veetil kaetu vaangi varavum. Pachai kalar pai. Thaali kayiril katti vaithirukkum. Saada cotton thuni pai.
Ungal udanadi bathilukku,
Brahmachari Rajasekaran,
Ramakrishna Mutt, 16 Ramakrishna Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai.

Ippadikku, brahmachari Rajasekaran.

English translation

Beloved Subbu, Sampath, Senthil, Kumaran,

This small boy’s salutations to you all.
By the grace of God, I am continuing my spiritual practices to good extent.
For this small boy’s sake, I request you to pray to Lord Arunachala, Divine Mothers Abhitakuchaambal and Arunai Nayaki.
When you come here, get my sandals, and from our Guru, get my deer skin mat and come.
(He has referred to Raghupati Yogi here. He gave a deer skin.)
In the deer skin, cut out as big a square as you can and bring it. Keep the remaining portions that is legs, head etc with you.
There is one 108 bead rudraksh rosary in my house. Ask them and bring it for me.
You may take my puja deities. When you come here, I will give them to you.
Bring B. Senthil along with you when you come without fail.
As far as possible, come before September 30th. From 30th September to 6th October, there is Durga Puja festival here. We will be tight for time then. You too will be busy with Arunai Nayaki Amman’s Dusshera (a festival of nine sacred nights dedicated to Divine Mother) decoration.
That is why I am saying this, for no other reason.
How is Kumaran? How are you Sampath? Is Senthil studying well? Subbu, are you taking good care of the shop?
Ask in my house and bring Isakki Swami’s holy ash bag. It is a green bag. It will be tied with a sacred marriage thread. It is an ordinary cotton bag.

Expecting your immediate reply,
Brahmachari Rajasekaran,
Ramakrishna Mutt, 16 Ramakrishna Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai.

Your’s truly, brahmachari Rajasekaran.

Second letter

Om Namo Bhagavate Ramakrishnaaya
Anbudan Sampathukku,
Rajasekaran 2:12varaivadu

Nalam, nalam ariya avaa.
Neenda idaivelaikkup piragu kadidam ezhuthugiren.
Unnidamirundu kadidam ethirpaarthenalladu May maadam neril varuvaai enru ethir nokinen.
Nalladu. Eppadi irukkirai? Siva Subramaniam, Bharaneetharan, Senthil anaivarum eppadi irukkiraargal? Kumaran eppadi ullaan? Vazhkai eppadi ullathu? Sadhanaigalai seigiraaya?
Mudinthaal, oru murai yedenum Gnaayatrukizhamai neril vandu paarkavum.

English translation

Om Namo Bhagavate Ramakrishnaaya

To beloved Sampath,

Rajasekaran writes…

I am fine and eager to hear the same with you.
I am writing to you after a long gap.
I was expecting a letter from you or that you would visit here directly in May.
Good. How are you? How are Siva Subramaniam, Bharaneetharan and Senthil? How is Kumaran? How is life? Are you continuing your practices?
If possible, come on any one Sunday and visit here directly.

This question, ‘How is life’ was a strong question at that time! Because to that extent he has worked in that field, and when he is asking such a question, we can’t take it as a simple question! When we read that line, fear will rise inside, ‘Oh god! what he is asking about? What are we doing? Are we doing properly or not…’ Lots of such doubts will rise!’

Continuation of letter

August 10, 11, 12, 13 thethigalil varavednaam.
Anda naatkalil ingu oru vizha nadappadaal pesa mudiyaathu.
Niraya niraya padikkavum.
Thavaraathu saathanai seyyavum.
College eppadi ulladu? Nalamaaga irukkiradaa?
Naan June maadam muzhuvadm vada naadu sendrirunden.
Rishikesh, haridwar pondra idangalil thangi irunden. June 28 aam thethi tirumbi vanden. Kelvipatteergala?
Swami Shanmugaanandaji evvaaru ullar? Nalama?
Ungal appa, ammavai ketadaaga sollavum.
Nana kelvipatten, Subbuvum Bharaniyum madathil serapovadaaga, unmaya? Appadi yedaavathu yennam irundaal, yennai oru murai vandu paarkachollavum. Sannyasa vazhkai yenbadu vilayaattu alla enbadai purindukollavendum. Appadi avargalukku unmayaana vairaagyam irukkumaanaal, ingu engal madathileye kooda sera naan yerpaadu seigiren. Annal, dayavuseidu matravargal solvadaiketo alladu yennai paartho, anda yennathai varavazhaithukkondu yosikkamal mudivedukka vendaam. Appadi avargalukku sannyasa yennam irukkumaanaal, modalil udanadiyaga yennai vandu paarkachollavum.
Unakku sila saadanai muraigalayum ubayogamaana sila arivuraigalaiyum suggestions koora ninaikiren.
Mudinthaal oru murai varavum.
Yella Gnaayatrukizhamayum madiyam 12 manikku munnaal yennai paarkalaam.

Ippadikku Brahmachari Rajasekaran Maharaj.

English translation

Do not come on the dates: August 10, 11, 12, 13.
On these dates there is a function here so I will not be able to talk to you.
Read a lot.
Continue your practice without a break.
How is college? Is it going on well?
The whole of June I was in North India.
I stayed in places like Rishikesh and Haridwar. I returned on June 28. Did you hear about it?
How is Swami Shanmugaanandaji? Is he well?
Tell your father and mother that I enquired after them.
I heard: Subbu and Bharani plan to join some Mutt. Is it true? If there is a thought like that, tell them to come and visit me once. They should understand that Sannyas life is not a joke. If they have genuine commitment, I will organize for them to join our Mutt itself. But just because some one said or because they see me, let them not listen take a decision without proper thought. If they really have a serious thought about sannyas, tell them to first come and see me.
I wish to share with you certain spiritual practices and some useful advise.
If you can, you may come once.
On all Sundays, before 12 noon, you can meet me.

Your’s Truly,

Brahmachari Rajasekaran Maharaj

==We visit Swami in RK Mutt==

After that trip of the RK Mutt Swamis and brahmacharis, we visited Swami three times in RK Mutt, Chennai with a gap of three months between visits. Also, before they came to Tiruvannamalai, I went to Chennai once just to see Swami in RK Mutt. That was the first time I went to Chennai ever. I asked my father, ‘I want to see him. I feel a little out of sorts.’ He said, ‘Alright, but how will you go alone?’ I said, ‘My younger brother, friend Senthil and I will go.’ My father at that time used to desire that I should become a big guy and function independently. So he said, ‘Go boldly. Find out the address and go.’ I said, ‘I have got the address. We have to go to Mylapore. In Mylapore, we have to enter into Vivekananda Road and on it is Ramakrishna Mutt. If you ask around there, people will guide. There is nothing to fear.’ Then father said, ‘Alright, go.’

When we went there, we saw many fruit stalls outside the Mutt. We saw that the people who were going into the Mutt bought fruits and went. We thought maybe we should also take fruits as offering, and so we bought fruits and went in. he had told us earlier, ‘If you ask for brahmachari Rajasekaran, they will call me.’ So I said to them, ‘I want to see Brahmachari Rajasekaran.’ They said to sit.

When you enter the place itself, you can feel the clean vibrations of energy. It was the first time I was going there and I could feel Ramakrishna’s energy so clearly. I thought to myself, ‘Swami has probably come to a good place only.’ He came out. When I saw him, it was a different feeling. I don’t know how to express it. I don’t know if it was the feeling that I too wanted to leave everything and come away… or what…I don’t know…or because for a long time we had not met…I felt like that…. I don’t know the reason… but there was a different feeling inside me when he came and stood dressed in pure white clothes, with a tuft of hair on his head.

He smiled and said, ‘Come.’ His style had totally changed. It was the style that he has now! I asked him, ‘How are you?’ He said, ‘I am doing fine.’ He said, ‘If we sit here in the hall, it will disturb the people in the hall. Let us go sit in the side walks somewhere.’ He was totally changed in his style and manner. He addressed us in plural. He said to sit. He sat silently for a while. Then he asked, ‘Just to see me you came all the way from Tiruvannamalai?’ We said, ‘Yes, we came just to see you.’ He said he was very happy. Then he enquired about all the deities back home. When he asked us if we came all the way from Tiruvannamalai just to see him and we said yes, he closed eyes for some time and said, ‘Ramakrishna is truly living here. I saw him. I spoke to Sharada Devi (Ramakrishna’s consort).’ When he said that, I felt goose bumps through my entire body. I was thinking: what all he is saying… I still had fear.

I too had great belief on Ramakrishna, but when he uttered those words, the image of Ramakrishna Mutt changed 100 percent for me. I have read their books as well. That is the thing I like most in that ashram. Those stories that they have written. How much effort they would have put to collect those stories from different corners of the world and present them with a cogency. As you read them, even if you are not interested in spirituality, even if you are reading it only as a story book, it will just sink in totally. To that extent, they have taken pains and done it. With that impression, when I heard him say those words, I felt totally touched. I asked him, ‘So you say?’ He said, ‘Yes, he is here. Everyone can see him if they have the genuine intent. He fills this entire place. I am able to see him.’ Then we didn’t talk much. We waited for ten minutes. He said, ‘Eat and go. It would be nice if you ate.’ Then he said it was a particular day when outsiders were not allowed to eat in. He said, ‘You cannot eat. Don’t mistake me.’ We said not to worry and that we would go outside and eat.

Then someone there called him. At that time he was in-charge of the library. If you see their magazine Ramakrishna Vijayam at that time, there would be a lot of articles on Tiruvannamalai. He showed them to us. He had written on what is Tiruvannamalai Deepam festival and why they light it. If you read that you will be able to see his style of writing! Like how he spoke when he was a child, that same conversational style you can make out in it! It will be very interesting to read. As far as I know, that is the first book that Swami compiled. He had written about Tiruvannamalai. He seems to have enjoyed that entire period. He has maintained the library beautifully.

He has worked in many other departments as well. When I went to see him, he said he was library in-charge. Then he has taken care of publications. He has really developed his knowledge at that time by reading the entire library. He would share a lot about what he read. He will not tell in a broad way either. He will tell specifically, ‘I read this concept… I read that Upanishad… in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna said this…’ He would talk about so many things all at the same time, swiftly moving from subject to the other. Even now if you see, he will be speaking on something, and suddenly the mind will change to something else. After that silence… that’s all! He will neither say that he will tell later nor say that it is over so we stop asking further questions!

Anyway, we visited him three times. Every time there would be a change in him. One time he said, ‘There is Durga Puja – offering to Divine Mother coming up. It will be very beautiful. All of you come and see.’

But we went to Ramakrishna Mutt every time only to see Swami. We never participated in any of their functions. When we met him the second time he asked, ‘Now do you understand anything about spirituality? Are you able to take a decision?’ I said, ‘No, I am not able to understand anything.’ Then he said, ‘If you have any desire to become a brahmachari or sannyasi, tell me. If I tell, definitely Ramakrishna mutt Swamis will agree for you to join.’ At that time, my younger brother was very interested in this. Swami told him also, ‘If you want to come away, come. I will tell definitely put in a word with them. They will accommodate you.’ We said we will give it a thought and tell him.

==Missing His Divine Friend When He was Working==

I finished my diploma. After I finished my diploma, my grandfather told me, ‘You don’t have to go for a job. For us, only our own business will work out well. If you remain this way, you will start wasting your life.’ My father also gave pressure and they placed me in textiles. My uncle had a textile mill in Ariyalur near Trichy. There if you see, if you enter the shop at 8:30 am… firstly, we would wake up only at 8 am… Then we will get ready and how many ever idlis (Indian breakfast item) we can eat within 8:30 am - one or two or three – we will eat and go to the shop, that’s all. We would finish at night 1 ‘o clock. Even if we finish at 1’o clock in the shop, after that we will go to the warehouse and wind up the stock there and come back to the house and sleep at 2’o clock. We would sleep like we were dead tired.

In 365 days of the year, when are the good days of the Hindu calendar like Amavasya, Pournami, Kritika, or when are the bad days, I will never know. They will not send me for any good or bad events in others’ houses either. They might go, but they will make me sit in the shop and go. Five years passed like this. To the extent that what all happened in life to me until this period of five years might be erased, this routine impacted me. It was tremendous physical work as well. It was a different sort of life. During this period, I could not contact Swami at all.

When Swami left Ramakrishna Mutt, where he went etc, I don’t know. In between once, when he had gone to Tiruvannamalai, he has rung up from Tiruvannamalai to me. But at that time my uncle would be focused only on business. Even at home, if we talk any other topic, he would bark at us. Even when he is talking to his wife, he would say, ‘Today this worker girl did like this… the other girl did not work properly in the shop… you advise this girl in this fashion. Tomorrow, I will scold her and control her…’ He would constantly be talking only such things. Because he would talk only of business, even if the phone rings in the shop, he will not answer it. Even if there is an emergency call that someone has passed away or something like that, he will not care to pass on the message. He will continuously be doing packing and billing. To that extent, there will be heavy crowd all the time in the shop. Sales will keep happening continuously.

There is nothing called peak season or off season. Because of that, he became a business fanatic. Everyone else under him too, he had under his control. By his rules, no one should care about anything other than business or try to relax. If they relax, he would say, ‘You are not feeling well? Go, take an injection and come. If you feel like fainting, just faint. If you faint and fall, I will put another injection for you.’ That was his attitude.

At such a time in my life, when Swami came to Tiruvannamalai, he called saying he wants to talk to me. With my body trembling, I went and attended that call, fearing that my uncle might scold me. The fact that he handed over the call to me itself was a big thing. As soon as I picked up the phone he asked, ‘How are you?’ I said ‘I am fine Swami.’ Then he asked, ‘What else is special? Do you want to say anything?’ There was nothing to tell. Even if I start telling, I would be told to keep the phone quickly by my uncle, that’s all! I was that alert to what my uncle might say. If we talk over the phone, he will stare at us in a particular way. He would say, ‘This guy is talking uselessly over the phone. During this time, two customers we might have missed serving.’ So in that anxiety I said, ‘No, I will talk later,’ and kept the phone down. After that I could not contact him at all.

==A telephone conversation with Swami after enlightenment==

Once he got enlightened, I heard he came to Tiruvannamalai for the first time after enlightenment. He seems to have stayed in ******** Kumara Kovil – a temple. First he seemed to have come to Amman Temple. There he mentioned that two incidents happened. After that, his relatives at Kumara Kovil seem to have told him to come and stay at their temple and develop it. They brought him to this temple. After they brought him to the temple, each one started attending to their own duties. Maybe they thought, ‘He is after all a relative’s son…what new thing could he have learnt come…’ or what I don’t know. They just left him alone. He stayed there for three days. ********

Since my house was opposite to that place, Swami asked my mother if he could use our house for just having a bath. My mother told him that he could very well use it. I was in my uncle’s house at that time. For those three days, Swami went to my house for a bath and then went to the temple. My mother asked him if they can bring him breakfast. If he would say yes, she would take breakfast for him. At that time one day when he went home to bathe he seems to have asked, ‘How is Sampath?’ They told him, ‘He is fine, He is at his uncle’s shop.’ My father then asked him, ‘Should I make a call to him? Will you talk to him?’ He has agreed. Then they made a call and gave him. At that time too, the same condition prevailed at my end. My uncle was near me. I had just woken up. It was in the house only. Usually we get up only at 8 am because to go to sleep it would take 2 am, 3 am or sometimes even 4 am. The whole body will be aching as if it were punctured in various places. With that fatigue I answered his call. He asked, ‘What son, are you well? It is only me who is talking, are you well?’ His voice had not changed. I said, ‘I am well, are you well?’ He said, ‘I have come to Tiruvannamalai, I felt I should talk to you. Alright, any auspicious things happening? Is there anything else to talk?’ I said, ‘No.’ That’s all. He hung up.

At that time I didn’t know he was enlightened. The word ‘enlightenment’ itself I came to know only later. ******** So I knew that he had come to Tiruvannamalai, stayed for three days, our people did not look after him properly, then he left. The relatives had asked him to take the temple and run it but they were not willing to give the entire responsibility to him, so Swami didn’t bother about it. ********

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Sampath

2021-01-13T12:14:44Z

Ma.sadashivapriya:

=Title=
Sampath, a blessed childhood friend of The Avatar, Shares Deeper Insights of The Divine Childhood of The Avatar

==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1987-1996

==Summary==
Sampath is one of the blessed direct eyewitnesses to the childhood of The Avatar. Holding the record for spending maximum hours with The Avatar prior to the declaration of the international mission, Sampath’s recollections are like parts of a jigsaw puzzle which he strives to put together repeatedly, moving between his direct yet incomprehensible memoirs of his childhood friend, hearsays from others who were present at other times, and reading books about Him that were published later where other happenings are described. Sampath tries to repeatedly share what he could never comprehend but has always held on to so diligently as the chosen one by Existence for his enviable role, and he remains the only evidence in many vital scenes in The Leelas of The Avatar.

Sampath is one among the hundreds who witnessed this grand enactment put on by the Cosmos in the early years of the Divine Advent. Even though Sampath was the closest friend of The Avatar during His childhood, Sampath found himself continuously awestruck by the inexplicable ways of the young Avatar: Barely having crossed a decade on planet Earth, The Avatar seemed to have the knowledge of centuries when He spoke. He was the favorite of all the enlightened beings who lived in Tiruvannamalai and could exemplify even the most arduous spiritual feats like levitation, telepathy and even being in two places at once!

But for a reason not known to Sampath, even though The Avatar was leagues beyond the comprehension of His contemporaries, He continued to involve Sampath in many of His activities, including yoga classes, alankar (deity adornment) for various deities and Girivalam (circumambulation around the sacred Arunachala Hill). Sampath remembers His time with The Avatar as the most sacred moments of His entire life, ingrained in Him with immense endearment forever.

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==Vidoe Link ==
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=Interview with Sampath=

==My schooling background: meeting The Avatar==

What I am going to say would have happened between 8th and 10th grade of school. 5th to 7th grade, my father sent me to Panrotti, Tamilnadu - saying I won’t study properly if I am in Tiruvannamalai and that it is better if I study outside Tiruvannamalai. At the end of three years, I expressed that I do not wish to go back to school there and I wish to stay in Tiruvannamalai and study. Tiruvannamalai is my native town and it is world famous for its temple festivals. I did not want to miss all those festivals.

==First instance of seeing The Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism==
I joined school in Tiruvannamalai for 8th grade. At that time VDS Jain school was the most famous school in Tiruvannamalai. On the first day of school, I attended morning prayer at 8:30 am. I arrived a little late. By that time the boys had started moving towards prayer. They told me to leave my bag somewhere and join the prayer. In the prayer, there was a table with a number of shields. Suddenly, a loud voice from behind me said, ‘Hey look here! The shields that my father gave!’ I looked back to see who it was. I saw a bright face with holy ash smeared on the forehead. His friend asked him, ‘Why did your father give this shield?’ The boy replied, ‘My father is the head of the Rotary Club.’ Actually, on behalf of the Rotary Club, they had conducted some games for the children and given some shields to distribute. Swami’s father was Rotary Club Secretary so he had apparently given the shields. He was referring to it that his father has given the shields!

My father was also in Rotary Club. I was thinking that only my father was associated with the Rotary in a big way and how come this boy was saying this about his father. I asked him who his father was. He replied: Chandru. His father was known by the nickname Chandru at that time. I told him my father was in the Rotary Club and that he only would have given the shield. To that he replied, ‘My father is the head.’ Then I thought probably there was a head and he might have given. Anyhow, by that time, he had put his arm around my shoulder. And he said, ‘Your father is also in the Rotary, my father is also in the Rotary. Then you sit next to me.’

The first day itself I got a chance to sit next to him. Soon after prayer got over, we went to the classroom. I didn’t have to search for a place. He used to sit neither too much in front nor too much in the back - in the third or fourth row. He made me sit next to him. All the students had fixed places, but somehow he organized things and arranged for me to sit next to him. From that day onwards, till 10th grade, whichever class or classroom we went to, I would sit next to him only.

==First visit to Swami’s house==
When we met the first day in school, he said to come to his house. I asked him where his house was. He said, ‘It is in Tiruvoodal Sreet, AKS complex. There will be a cycle store there. On top of that in the first floor is my house.’ Then one day I walked and went to his house. It was a Friday. Since the next day was a Saturday and holiday at school, I thought we can play happily on Friday!

When I went, his mother was washing clothes. She asked me who I was. I asked her if it was Rajashekaran’s house. She said yes. She said that he was inside and to go and see him and that there was a dog and to be careful of it. They had a dog, a very active dog. Whoever comes, it will simply intimidate them. It came barking towards me. In their house, once it starts barking they will know that some guest has arrived. Swami came behind the dog screaming, ‘Hey Mani!’ His voice used to be shrill and innocent at that time! He immediately caught hold of its collar and said, ‘Va da, va da (come, come).’ Then he told me, ‘This dog is always like this. If it gets used to you it won’t do anything. Come in.’ By that time, I had climbed on to a raised square step afraid that the dog might bite me! He came and took me inside from there.

In the house, there was a bedroom in the rear. In the center there was a hall. The hall was divided into two. In the right half, on one side, there was the kitchen with the gas stove. On the other side, on a slab, there were many idols and photos. It was evident that Swami was maintaining them. That was my first visit. He told to come the next day as well.

I went the following day. In the morning, if he starts doing his puja (offering to God), no one will know when it will finish. It was around ten or ten thirty in the morning when I went. Generally at that time, he would not have even eaten breakfast. His mother would be cooking. She cannot keep any of her things anywhere on the floor. He would have filled the floor with his things. She can keep them only on that one table that was there. Both of them will be sitting next to each other and doing their own things. He will be removing the deities’ cloths one by one, performing holy bath for them etc. He would have occupied the entire space. She would tell him, ‘Why can’t you keep your things a little away from mine? How can I take out the dhal and other things and use them for cooking?’ He would never bother himself with what she says. He would just continue with his work.

==Worship as a Lifestye==
It used to be very interesting for me to be with him. From when I was young, since I used to stay very near the temple, early morning, I used to go to the temple everyday. At that time the offering at the Arunachala temple in Tiruvannamalai used to be perfect. The priests at that time followed the ancient tradition that their forefathers had followed perfectly. At that time, although the temple was very famous even then, there were not so many people moving inside the temple at any given time. The local people used to come there for the various offerings and the priests lived out of the money that they got with the few people who visited the temple. They used to be very sincere. Anything they did they felt they did for Arunachala and whatever He gave them, they took back happily. That was the attitude at that time. I used to observe all this at that time.

As early as when I was in the 5th grade, every day I used to go with my father for the ritual of waking up the Lord in his chambers at 5am sharp every day. It used to happen every day at sharp 5am. At that time, the temple elephant used to go to Kumara Gopura Street, pick up the holy water, and proceed with the Odal drums (special drums famous in Tiruvannnamalai) and cymbals to the temple. A temple priest used to accompany the elephant. He would ride on the elephant, bring the holy water, pour it in the main steps of the sanctum, open the door, enter the sanctum, perform the offering for the Sun and Moon God, followed by the fire ritual, and then only attend to the Shiva Linga (Shiva deity).

When we watch those priests offering, devotion will swell in us automatically. They will do it so sincerely. So from those early days, my father took me to the temple and I had observed everything for many years. Whether I had devotion or not, the attachment to such things happened in me automatically.

Concepts like we have to pray to Arunachala, we should be with devotion, going to the temple is fun, one should not waste time in other things etc., entered me deeply. That is why I struggled and studied for three years from my mother’s older sister house, away from my hometown. After I joined there for my 5th grade, every time I came back home, a big war used to happen at home.

Once I finished 7th grade, I came back to study in Tiruvannamalai. And since I was with spiritual inspiration, the moment I saw Swami, I felt an instant bonding and attachment to him. I felt he was different and that it would be fun to join him in his activities.

My mother used to offer to Lord Ganesha every day at home. She used to ask me to sit with her for offering. She would read Vinayagar puranam – verses on Lord Ganesha, on Divine Mother. So when I saw Swami doing similar things, I would tell him all that my mother used to do worship at home. When he heard all that, he developed an instant attachment to me.

These days, in no one’s home they do such elaborate offering. They generally have a slab on which they keep two pictures of some deities and offer some thing to them. Because of this the children these days do not develop a great attachment to God. Since we were brought up with the attachment to God, for play also we wanted only offering for God and for devotion also, we wanted the same thing. Anyhow, when he spoke about these things to me, I was able to talk about it and so he developed a good impression about me!

He asked, ‘Do you have Ganesha deity in your house? I have a separate Ganesha deity.’ And he showed me his deity. I said that we too had and showed him our one. Then he said, ‘Both of us have everything in common! Let us both do everything together hereafter.’ So any activity, we both would do together thereon.

==Worship as play==

He asked, ‘Do you go for the temple festival to the temple?’ I said I would go without missing even once. Then he said, ‘In our street the Arunachala deity comes in procession.’ I said, ‘In our street too it comes.’ The deity has to make it to Mada street by going through Tiruoodal street and going down the Peria Street. Their house is on that side and our house is on this side. So both of us will get to see the deity for any function. When the deity comes to the slope of the street, we will be able to hear the procession band. We will all come out of the house and get on to the street and watch the deity in procession. Likewise in their house too, they will be upstairs and they will hear the procession band when the deity comes to their street. They will run downstairs on to the street to see the deity in procession. So for every function, we used to see the deity without fail in various decorations, and all that made a deep impression on us. When we discussed all these things, the bonding between us increased. He would say, ‘You have also seen the Arunachala deity so many times, I have also seen the deity so many times.’ Then he would say, ‘When we play, why not we do things like decoration of deities, offerings etc.?’ I agreed.

We used to have one Ganesha idol and do all decoration for it. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva gave His appearance as an infinite column of light here in Tiruvannamalai, where His two extreme ends - head and feet - cannot be known. That is why while in other temples, they worship and decorate Shiva in the standard human form, here in Tiruvannamalai, they do it slightly differently. No where else in the world they do decoration like they do here. On top of Shiva’s head they will keep diamond hair and cover up the original hair of the deity. There will only be a sharp edge. There will be no hair that is visible. Then, they will make a big stomach and cover up His feet so that the feet are not visible. The reason is this mythological story about Shiva’s appearance in Tiruvannamalai as an infinite column of light whose head and feet could never be reached. So we too, in the same way, would keep a big stomach with cloth as buffer for our Ganesha, and make him into that Shiva!

Then he would say, ‘Alright, it is not nice to just keep our Shiva at home. Let us take Him and show Him to the main Shiva deity!’ I would agree. As we started playing in this fashion, my brothers, his brothers and a few friends started joining us, and we became atleast ten boys in the group. We would all together lift our Shiva to take to the temple. We used to create a lot of noise while doing it! We have seen in the temples for every function, how much noise they make to lift those heavy deities for procession. They will not be able to lift it silently. They will shout, ‘Hey come on! Lift the other way! Lift higher! etc.’ So we also used to shout to each other and lift our deity! We would cary our deity, and when the temple deity comes on to the streets, we would park our deity in front of it. We will keep camphor in a plate and give it to the temple priest. He will offer it to the main deity and give it back to us. Then we will offer it to our deity.

Then we started thinking: it is not nice to do all the different decorations for Ganesha itself. In the temple they do for five different deities, so we should also do for five different deities. At that time, the artisans used to make the deities in out of soap stone in the neighboring street in a desolate house. We went and asked that man there if he would make and give us the deities. He agreed.

The moment we hear the sound of the approaching deity in the neighboring street, we would say, ‘Hey come on! The diety has come to the slope.’ And we would carry empty boxes and tins tied with with ropes around our necks and play them as percussion instruments and start in a procession with our own deity! The main deity would stop in front of every house that had a camphor plate offering. We used to stand as a big team. It would stop in front our team. We would then give our camphor plate and they would offer it to the deity and give it back to us. We would then offer it to our deity and distribute sugar crystals or jaggery whatever we could manage at that time - as prasad (food offered to the Lord) to all the boys.

==Making vehicles for the Gods==

Then we saw: in the temple deity procession, five deities would come - Ganesha, Muruga, Shiva and His Consort, Divine Mother separately, and Chandikeshwara. We decided that we should get ready these 5 deities. At that time quite a bit of money used to jingle in our pockets. In both of our houses, they used to give money. My mother used to pamper us a lot. If we asked for anything she would immediately give us money. So we had a collection of the money we received - in 10s and 20s. We took this money and went to the man who made the deities. First, we asked him to make us the main Shiva deity. He said it would cost 40 rupees. We said we do not have that much money and requested to make it for 25 rupees. He agreed and made the shiva deity for us for 25 rupees. Swami liked it a lot. He told the man to make one for him separately. Next, we decided we should make the other deities too. Finally we made two sets of 5 deities: one set for us and one for him.

Once the five deities got done, next we discussed what all should be done to get them ready for the procession. Whatever they did in the temple we decided we would do identically. We will not do anything different from that. It was a ten day festival. For Ganesha, they had the mooshika vahana - rat as vehicle. For Muruga, peacock was the vehicle. For Shiva and His consort, - the sacred cow was the vehicle, for Chandikeshwarar too, the sacred cow was the vehicle. Now we had to get ready all these things!

Then Swami said, ‘For making these vehicles, if we use wood, it will not work out. It will be too expensive. So we will make them out of clay.’ We agreed. Now suppose the next year’s Kartigai Deepam festival for which these deities would be used comes in the Tamil month corresponding to October - November, then the Ganesh Chaturthi festival comes in the month of July - August. During Ganesh Charturti, to make the Ganesha clay deities, in the markets, they would offload heaps of clay. Only till about three in the evening, sales of Ganesha deity will happen. After that sales will stop and the workmen will leave behind all the clay and go away. Using the tricycle that Swami’s people had for delivering their own shop items, we would go around and load all the clay and go to Swami’s house and offload it there in the half empty balcony. For the program that is going to happen in November, we will store the clay in August itself! It will become rough and dry over time. So when the function approaches, around two to three weeks in advance, on a weekend, we will soak it in water. Then we will nicely knead it and beat it for usage!

Swami used to know the technical ways to handle things. He would have thought of earlier itself. First, I got one deity ready which came out in a very nice way. But when we put it to dry, it started cracking and breaking and the parts of the body came away - head, legs and hands came away part by part. Then he gave it a thought and said, ‘Let us not do things this way. We will keep the broom stick as reinforcement inside and then build over it.’ Once we did it that way, even if cracks appeared, it would never break. It would hold onto the stick and retain its form. The vehicles would be around half foot to one foot in height. The total height of the deity would be around quarter foot - around the size of the palm. So when it is put on top of the vehicle, it will come to around one foot in height. Over and above that, when we decorate it with garland, jewels etc., it will come to around two feet overall height. We have to place it on our shoulders. We ourselves would be around three to four feet tall. So it would be correct!

In the temple, during the festival, the main deity will come around on a different vehicle on each of the ten days. The first day, it will come on a cow, the second day on purusha amrutam, the third day on the snake etc. So there would be ten different vehicles on the ten days. We will get ready all ten vehicles for our deities also! These vehicles, we could not keep in his house because it will be a disturbance to his mother and also there will be a lot of mud that would enter with the vehicles. In my house, there was a big garden area. So we got the vehicles ready in the space there and upstairs there would be storage space. We would stack them all there. If it was a silver cow vehicle in the temple, we would stick silver paper on our cow. If it was gold cow at the temple, we would stick gold paper on our cow!

We would get ready all the vehicles with the due decoration. Amidst the large gathering at the festival area, everyone would see our deities and vehicles with great interest!

==Spring festival at the temple==

We would participate in the Poo pallak utsav - festival where the main deity is brought in a palanquin decorated with flowers for the proceedings. We would make our own palanquin with wood. We would fix spot lighting on it, keep the deity in it, and decorate it completely with flowers.

Then there would be the Vasanta utsav as well. In this festival, a doll will be there, handled by the priests like a puppet, to pick up flowers and shower on the deity! It will have independent hand and leg movements just like a puppet. The dolls that we get in the shops will not have such independent movements. They will be just one whole piece. What he will do for it: he will buy a doll from the shop. He will heat up a thin piece of rod. Using this, he will cut the hands and legs of the doll at the joints. Once you keep the heated rod on the plastic doll, it will just melt. So in this fashion, he will just cut the limbs away and put a thin rod through the body and join back the limbs through screws. The limbs will then have separate movements! Then we will fix a hook on the head for it. Then we will fix a hook on the rear of the doll to enable us to pull it. Then we will punch the palms and fix a bucket between them to hold the flowers.

The first time we decided to this festival, he did a trial in his house. But the space was too less and also we had to put the flowers with our hands. In the temple, they will operate the doll from upstairs. They will pull the ropes from the second floor and the doll will come down to the ground floor where the deity will be. From the second floor, one person will pull the rope that is connected to the doll’s back side. The doll will then dance and go towards the deity and shower flowers on it. So we thought we should also operate it in the same way; we should not put the flowers with our hands. So between our house and the opposite house balconies, we too stood and operated the doll. We kept our deity on the pathway between the two buildings. One team will be with the deity and one team will stand in the second floor of our house and operate the doll. The doll will descend onto the road, shower flowers on the deity and then move back upstairs towards the second floor to where we were standing. In the temple, the deity will come around the Medler (Magizham in Tamil) tree ten times during this time. After every round, the deity will come back to the same spot and the doll will descend and shower flowers on it. That used to be the pattern. On our part, we will simply make our deity go ten times in a circle on the road itself and come back to the same spot when the doll will descend from the second floor and shower the flowers!

As we were engrossed in our own version of this festival in our road and balconies of our houses, one man staying opposite to my house was sitting outside his house. He was from Dubai. He had come to India to conduct the ceremony of handing over the sacred white thread to his son to symbolically mark the child’s spiritual learning.

It was at that time that the handy cam had come into the market. This man had brought with him a handy cam from Dubai. He put a chair outside his house, and was getting it ready, fidgeting with it because the next day early morning was the function for him. We were doing conducting our festival at six in the evening the previous day. When he saw what we were doing, he became very interested. He must have thought, ‘What creative things these small boys are doing,’ and he came out and recorded the program completely with his handy cam.

==Living with deities==

Soon we had a thought: only during festival time, we seem to be enjoying these decorations. We have to enjoy during other times also. It is boring during other times.

My house was near Ammani amman gopura street. Ammani amman gopura is the name of one of the nine gateway towers of the Tiruvannamalai temple. The street on which this tower is, is named after the temple tower itself. In the Ammani amman temple tower, there will be many more statues sculpted at the lower level when compared to the other towers. What we used to do: we would all stand and say 1, 2, 3… and run towards the tower and each one would catch on to one statue. Whoever catches whichever statue, that statue belongs to them! Then we would fill water in our water bottles from the temple tank and offer holy bath from it to our statues. We would wipe them, offer vermillion and sandal paste and wave lit camphor on a plate. As food, we would offer puffed rice and peanuts.

One day he said, ‘It is alright to do all this, but we should do real decoration for temple deities.’ In Tiruvannamalai temple, whatever be the festival, they would do sandal paste decoration for the main deity – the Shiva Linga. When they do that, you will be able to see the reality of the deity. The sandal paste decoration will touch our hearts. It will be as if the deity has come alive and talking to us. Every day’s decoration will be unique. It will never repeat in any way. They will give it so much thought and do it so differently each time. We started observing all this.

There is the Kalabhairava deity in the temple. Ashtami (eighth day after full moon) and navami (ninth day after full moon) are important days for the deity. There will be many people praying to Him for freedom from bad times in their life, and they will spend a lot of money for the deity as well. Also, the priest in charge of this deity will do a different decoration each time for Him. We watched all this and Swami one day said, ‘How beautifully they are doing things. It is as if the deity is alive and seeing us. Why not we too do these things?’

At that time sandal paste was very cheap. A box of it used to come at around three rupees or so. There will be hundred sandal tablets in it. With that we could adorn ten deities since our deities were quite small. We enjoyed doing the sandal paste decoration for our own deities. But after some time we saw that the faces did not turn out well as our deities had tiny faces. It would be quite impossible to apply the sandal paste independently on the deities’ nose, eyes etc. He then said, ‘We have to go for a bigger deity for our present level of operation.’

Sandal decoration for Banyan tree Ganesha (#11 GANESH)

There is one Ganesha deity in the circumambulation area of the Tiruvannamalai temple (Ganesha is the son of Lord Shiva, the Hindu God). He sits under a banyan tree. When we saw Him we felt He was a grand one and we should decorate Him. He is in the outer fourth concentric circumambulation of the temple. He had an artistic look about Him. He was about 3 feet in height. Swami said, ‘We should conduct a function for Him.’

We decided we should collect money for it, that we should put up a thatch roof covering over Him and conduct it like a regular function. He said we should not just perform holy bath and leave it but since he is inside the temple so we should do it in a grand fashion. We asked him what if the temple priests got angry at our activities with the Ganesha. He told us, ‘They will not get angry. We have been doing these kinds of things for some time now.’ We said, ‘But we were doing only outside the temple. Now we have entered the temple itself.’ We were quite scared. He told us, ‘Who is going to come here and scold us? If they say something, we will simply leave everything and run away! Don’t worry.’ But we pacified ourselves saying it is anyway our area, so it is alright.

We never asked the temple priest permission to do these things. We collected everything right from the different holy bath powders and performed the holy bath. We planned completely for the entire function. In the morning – holy bath. After a half hour gap, in the afternoon, sandal paste decoration. In the evening, lit camphor offering. For the camphor offering we decided we would invite all the elders in our respective houses. Likewise, after the holy bath, there was decoration. Then in the evening we called the persons who would put up tents and they put up a tent. Senthil’s father had a shop inside the temple. At that time the odal miraas - the man in-charge of maintaining the odal drums and controlling the odal drummers - used to eat in Senthil’s father’s shop. We requested him, and he sent two odal drummers!

Then we thought, we have arranged for so much, we should call the officer of the temple! We took a white sheet of paper and wrote out an invitation. We didn’t want to print because it will cost us money. We wrote: In this date in this place there has been holy bath and sandal paste decoration for Ganesha. We request you to kindly come and receive the blessings of Ganesha. Yours sincerely, the boys of this temple. We took the letter and went straight to the office. The officer happened to be my relative’s neighbor so I knew him. When he saw me he asked how come I was there. I told him I belonged to Tiruvannamalai. He was happy to hear it. His son used to play with me when we were younger. That boy was with him them. He said he would send his son for our function! How can he come for a function of small boys’? But we invited him with such enthusiasm! We also put in a word that we wished to have the odal drummers play for our function. He reinforced our request to the odal drummers!

These are all very unique experiences! Imagine entering the main temple’s office room and inviting the AC (Assistant commissioner) for a function such as this! We could make out he felt like laughing. He simply said he will send his son and he will follow. Anyhow, we took his son to the spot, offered lit camphor to Ganesha and took a group photo. Then we took one separate photo with just the two of us and Ganesha. That picture was a close up picture. Swami’s face will be so beautiful in that. There will be a real majestic look in his face in that photo. In that group photo, we both will be standing one on either side of the deity. He would be wearing saffron dhoti (Lower garb worn by Indian men) and I would be wearing blue dhoti.
Swami in school (uneducated are those)

In school, we would absorb everything completely in the class. They used to enforce a lot of discipline in that school. Our class teacher for 8th and 9th grade used to really shout and beat everyone. But she would never beat the two of us. She will just call out to Swami from where she is standing, ‘Brother… Sekar!’ That means, we have to become quiet! If we talk anything further, the next second she will screw our ears. I think it was the pull she had for Swami. And since I was with him, like how the thread that binds the flowers also starts smelling fragrant, I too got special treatment! Occasionally if we spoke unnecessarily, she would tell us to keep quiet. Then we would stop talking.

During exam time, Swami wouldn’t appear to prepare too much. We won’t do any joint study. I don’t remember discussing anything of studies with him!

About social life too, he would never talk. He will only say, ‘It is going on… ’ That’s all!

After that, he won’t deeply go into the subject and say things like, ‘In my house, there is this problem, that problem etc…’

If he is going out for meditation, he will change into saffron clothes and go. He will wear a shirt with saffron dhoti. When he goes to the meditation spot he will remove his shirt.

==With Yogananda Puri==
Our yoga teacher Raghupati Yogi, used to give us initiations often. We could never know what initiation he is going to give, why he is giving etc. But Swami used to become sharp and alert at that those times of initiation. He would tell us later: Raghupati Yogi was not a 100% enlightened person. He has touched a point, that’s all. With the backing of that experience, Raghupati Yogi found an attraction to Swami as soon as he saw him. He felt an inspiration to work with him. Since we were with Swami, he gave us too all these things.

Suddenly he would call us one day and say he is going to give us mantra initiation. Swami, my younger brother, Senthil and I were his students. He would give us some initiation or the other. Suddenly he would call us and tell, ‘Come at 6 am tomorrow. I am going to give an initiation. Bring some offering to the teacher.’ We used to ask him what to bring and he used to say, ‘Bring 2 beetel leaves, beetel nuts, banana fruit and one rupee as offering.’

He would give each one of us a different mantra as initiation. And he would say that we must chant the mantra within us all the time - when we are bathing, eating, walking etc. We would start chanting but soon we would get bored so we would leave it. But Swami would intensely chant it all the time. If Raghupati Yogi says we have to meditate, Swami would become alert.

He would give what is called jyoti darshan – A vision of Light. Abruptly something will strike him and he will say, ‘Today, I will give you jyoti darshan.’ He will take us and go to the paadaala lingam - the place where Ramana Maharishi did his first meditation in Tiruvannamalai. He was there for I think eight and odd years. He will take us there and make us sit. He will touch the spot between our eyebrows with his thumb and ask, ‘See if you are able to see some Light.’ We won’t be able to see anything. He used to say, ‘See properly. You will see Light. Seeing the Light again and again, you will become like a Light yourself. I am able to see the Light. You are saying you are not able to see it.’ After trying for some time, we used to get up and come away. But Swami seemed to have felt something every time. Raghupati Yogi then apparently gave him separate lessons. But I don’t know those details.

We moved closely with Raghupati Yogi for one and a half years. During the time our play used to be idol worship and we conducted festivals identical to the ones that happened at the temple, we got the association of Raghupati Yogi. Later, when we got the association of Kuppamma ayah, Swami expressed that Raghupati Yogi, although was our teacher, could not elevate us to fulfill us. He could feel this point clearly.

===A Shocking Revelation===

One very surprising thing happened one day. When our teacher Raghupati Yogi gives the mantra initiation, he would call each of us individually and give it, and he would say not to tell the mantra to the other and to chant the mantra silently within; not even to lip it. These were his rules. I asked Swami one day, ‘He has given a mantra. Can’t I see the Divine Mother with that?’ He promised I can’t. I asked why. He said, ‘There is no life in that mantra. How can you chant it?’ I asked him what he meant by there is no life in it. He said he will tell me, and after closing his eyes for two minutes, opened his eyes and said, ‘Is this not the mantra given to you?’ and he recited the mantra given to me! That was the most shocking incident for me. I asked him how he knew. He asked me if it was the mantra. I said yes. He asked, ‘Is there the syllable Om in this?’ I said no. He asked, ‘Then how will there be life in it?’

We would wonder: if there is no Om, may be there is no power in it. Then we have been chanting a mantra with no power in it? Then I asked him, ‘How do you say Om is the life in it?’ He said, ‘According to the Vedas (ancient spiritual literature), the whole world, if you trace it back to its origin, has originated from the Omkara – the Om sound. Om is the starting for everything. They say the whole world started from it. So the utterance Om has to be part of any mantra. They will not give any mantra without it. If it is not there in the mantra, there will not be much power in it. Any mantra has to start with Om.’ That incident got over with that.

We thought, if he is able to know these things by himself, then there is something special in him. Only at that time, we started realizing this. But fear started gripping me. Only because of that fear I started maintaining a gap with him. The relationship became cordial. When we meet, I would ask, ‘How are you…’ etc…We would meet as usual every time. Wherever he went, he would not go without telling us. We would also go and see him in his house. The meetings would happen, but none of the earlier exchanges would happen. But there would be a visible change in him every time we saw him.

==Kuppamma Ayah and Swami==

Once he started moving with Kuppammal, a lot of difference could be perceived in him. His participation in alankar etc. reduced a lot. After every interaction with her, we could make out that there was something going on in him but we could not make out anything more than that.

His house was in Tiruoodal street. My house was in North Gopuram street. He has to go past my house to go to Kuppamma Ayah’s (‘ayah’ is used to refer to elderly women with respect) house. Everyday he used to come to my house, see me and then suddenly tell me that he is going to Kuppamma ayah’s house.

Earlier, he used to discuss with me about going to the temples, what decoration to do, what to get ready etc., but after association with Kuppamma ayah, he would go there only more often saying she asked him to come. And if he goes there, no one knows how long it would take. If he goes at around eleven in the morning, it would take four of five in the evening. Once he comes he will tell me, he went and saw paati (meaning elderly lady, referring to Kuppamma ayah) and that they discussed a lot of things. Then he will start some topic that they discussed, but suddenly he will stop saying he will tell later. Maybe because I did not have the maturity to receive it he did not tell me those things at that time. Every time he would start to tell something with interest but he would stop as soon as he starts and fall into silence saying he will tell later.

Kuppamma came from a lineage where they believed in one Guru having one disciple. Because of that, she used to tell him not to tell anyone about what transpired between the two of them. Sometimes with a lot of enthusiasm he would tell me I should go to paati’s house with him. By then he had introduced me to her as his friend so she feels at ease. She would say a few words, give me water, or give something to eat. Then she would start saying to him, ‘Alright, today you can say something on this subject…’ The moment she says that, I myself used to feel like coming away from that place. I would say that I will go and come back later and I would simply leave the place.

At that time I used to be a little afraid of her also. She used to wear a big bindi (red dot worn between on the forehead between the eyebrows to activate the energy center in that location.) and when she talks, she would look at you with great intensity in her eyes. At that time I was afraid of God as well as very involved with the concept of God. I was aware there was a tremendous energy and I used to wonder how it might be etc. At that time, Swami used to explain a lot about it to me. He was an Ambal Upasakar – worshipper of Divine Mother.

==Constant energizing of Parashakti deity==

Once Kuppamma ayah gave him a mantra. At that time, Senthil - our friend - used to sell puja items in their store. They would sell idols made out of a mix of 5 metals: copper, bronze, gold, silver and brass. From that store, he bought a small Parashakti deity (female form of the Cosmic Energy also called Divine Mother) around 2 to 3 inches in height. He put it in his pocket. From then on he will chant that mantra that she gave continuously, except probably during sleeping time. Even in his sleep, he might have chanted, I don’t know. If he wakes up, he will pick up the deity from his pocket. His hand will be in the pocket on the idol all the time. Like how we rotate the rudhraksha beads while chanting a mantra, he will rub the idol’s face with his thumb for every utterance of the mantra. That idol is was made up mostly of fibre metal only, so if you keep on rubbing it, it will cause the paint to come away and it will turn black. If you see the face of that idol in the spot where he used to rub it, you can see that the face is reddish in colour (this idol is part of the archives today). This happened when we were in 10th grade, after the phase when we had played with deities etc.

==Yogananda Puri Arranges for Photography==

Raghupati Yogi was a very old man. We were all very small kids at the time of our association with him. So it used to be very jolly for us to be around him. He used to keep a running race from Kritikka Mandapam (a pillared hall in the Tiruvannamalai temple) to the gate at the far end. He too would run with us and come! It used to be a lot of fun. Just by playing, time used to pass. Then he would suddenly say, ‘Today is a superb day. Today, bring offering for Guru and come. I will give you all initiation.’ Then we would sit for initiation. The offering to the Guru was 1 betel leaf and nut, 1 banana and 1 rupee!

One day he told us, ‘You should come wearing white clothes,’ We came. The photo where Swami would be sitting on a deerskin, his eyes seeing upwards…at the age of 10... that was the first picture Raghupati Yogi took of us when we came wearing white clothes. That first photo was the first ever photo of Swami in meditative pose and it was taken by Raghupati Yogi. Purely for the purpose of clicking the picture he had asked us to come. He brought the deerskin to the studio. There was an old studio there. He asked us to come there. He told us, ‘Today, I am going to take a picture of all of you. Each of you should bring a white dhoti and upper cloth. Nothing else you need to bring.’ We said, ‘We will wear trouser and shirt and come and then change just before posing for the picture.’ He said, ‘Do whatever you want but you should be only in dhoti and upper cloth while taking the picture.’ We agreed and went.

==Mystical connection with Yogi and Kuppamma==

A lot of mystical things might have happened between Swami, Kuppamma ayah and Raghupati Yogi. I might not have been able to feel it, but it has happened 100 percent, that much I know. Otherwise I myself won’t accept it. My mind will resist a lot asking: is this right, is this wrong, how come they are saying like this etc. I would go on thinking. But as far as they are concerned, I was able to accept it fully because I felt that was the truth. Only because they had connection between them, things were possible.

See, when I was studying in 8th grade, I got introduced to Raghupati Yogi and Swami took me to yoga class, then to mantra initiation class. Raghupati Yogi said he will give mantra initiation. But when he saw that the effect of the initiation on us was lesser when compared to Swami, then automatically like when if a master is teaching three people, if two students are dull and one is bright, then how his concentration and interest in the bright one will increase, same way too Raghupati trained Swami deeper.

Then if you see, he would conduct annual day functions. Outside the temple, near a pillared hall, he would erect a thatched roof structure and what he would do…He was an 82 year old man mind you… He would tighten an iron rod on his chest and hold his breath. Then with one quick exhale, he would break the rod! Such kind of activities, he used to do many and show us. Whether Swami practiced all those things, I don’t know. For such things, we should have the full concentration and depth. We should have the capacity to absorb these techniques. Swami has gone to his house many times by himself.

To Kuppamma ayah’s house too he has gone many times. Every time he goes, he would come to me and tell, ‘Today I went to Raghupati Yogi’s house. Today I went to Kuppama ayah’s house. It felt good. I did well today. It was a different experience today.’ He used to say such things. But the exact details I didn’t know.

==Training with Yogi==

We used to meet Raghupati Yogi only in one place – Krittika Mandapam. From there he used to take us to various other places. There was a hotel called Udipi hotel nearby. The hotel owner was Yogi’s friend. He used to take us there often for tea, breakfast etc. As soon as the owner sees us he would ask, ‘Oh! You have come with all your students!’ He would reply, ‘Take care of my students.’ Time used to pass in that way… cheerfully. To teach yoga, he would take us to his house. A few other people would also come and request him to teach them. At that time, because he was old, he could not bend fully and do the postures. He could only guide. So he used to take us with him. He used to tell them, ‘My boys will do. Watch.’ He used to ask us to demonstrate the postures. They used to watch.

==Ganesh Chaturthi and multifarious decorations==

When we finished the function for the Ganesha under the banyan tree, we became highly inspired and enthusiastic. We felt we should do decoration in all the temples. In the main Tiruvannamalai temple, we knew that they won’t allow us, but there were so many temples that were not cared for and which were maintained by ordinary priests. So we went to other Ganesha temples. On Ganesh Chaturthi day, the birthday of Lord Ganesha, we will start early in the morning. At 5:30 am, the priests will finish the holy bath for the Ganesha deity in their temples and at 6’o clock, they will hand over the deity to us for decoration. If we started at five in the morning, we will finish at around eleven, mid-morning. Then we will go home and eat something hurriedly or miss our meals before we move to the next temple. Or sometimes at the temple itself, they will give something to eat. They will think that we are small boys struggling, and we have not eaten anything, so they will give us some food! We will not eat anything during the time we are doing the decoration. We will finish, come out and then eat. We used to be so strictly disciplined about these things. Then from 11 am to 3 pm, we would do decoration in the next temple. From 3 pm to 6 pm, it will happen in the next temple. By 6 pm, decoration in all temples should be finished because at 6 pm all the temples will offer lit camphor to Ganesha on that particular day.

At that young age, we used to be so intense about doing the decoration in as many temples as possible between 11 am and 6 pm. We used to run from one street to the other to the other! We used to be so intense.

Before starting any decoration, we used to plan amongst ourselves: how many temples have we booked for. What decoration are we going to do in each temple. We would not repeat any decoration across the temples. Even the lace that we used in one temple, we would not use in another temple! The foil paper that we used in one temple, we would not use in the other temple. If in one temple we planned for decoration with 9 varieties of grains, in another temple we would plan for fruit decoration, and yet another temple it will be flower decoration. We will think of different ideas and lay the plan.

In school, during the half yearly and quarterly holidays, we will do all the temple decorations, singing and dancing! We will be waiting for the holidays only for this! In December, during the half yearly holidays, Kartigai Deepam festival will be there. In Tiruvannamalai, schools compulsorily close for Kartigai Deepam - 10 days of holidays. It’s a special Government rule for this town. Police will come from other places. They would use the schools to accommodate all of them so, they would declare holidays for all the schools.

If you see, during the quarterly holidays, Vinayaga chaturthi and Durga puja festivals will happen. During the annual holidays, Vasanta Utsav festival will happen in the temple. During January holidays if you see, the Tiruoodal festival will happen. Through the year there will be some festival or the other in Tiruvannamalai. We will go for everything and enjoy.

The first year of our association with each other, it was like that – enjoyment and play with decorations and festivals. In the second year, after we got the Arunai Nayaki temple for ourselves for decoration, we would plan for multifarious decorations and adornments for the Divine Mother.

Swami will think so creatively for the adornments. He would carve the carrots and use it to adorn the saree of the deity. He would say, ‘It won’t be nice if you cut and stick the vegetables at random. It will be good only if the colour is for the full saree.’ Then he would say, ‘Carve the carrot. Its colour is not enough. Mix a little kesari (orange colouring) powder and darken it.’ We will then mix it and make it dark. Then he would ask, ‘For the border of the saree, what colour would match with fanta orange, what will be a good contrast?’ In the chosen colour we will design the border.

Carrot will stick well on sandal. We will first place the sandal paste on the deity and then do the dress design with vegetables. According to whether we wish to put on a saree or any other kind of clothing, we would do the decoration. When we decorated that Ganesha with navadaaniyam – nine grains, we really enjoyed it besides the effort. We missed taking a picture of it. Seeing the decoration, Kuppamma ayah became very happy and said, ‘You will become a very big person in future!’ This Ganesha is the one in the temple on the narrow lane that is there on the way to the first experience place.

Like that, when we go to a temple, the first thing he will do is: he will remove the cloth of the deity and see if in the deity’s form there are any damages. First he will see how much dirt there is on the deity! After noting that, he will scold with whatever words comes to his mouth, the caretakers of the deity. He will not use very bad words. He will use words like dogs etc. He will say, ‘See how all they have kept this deity.’

Normally these priests will apply oil everyday on the deity and then promptly pour water on it for the holy bath. The grease in the oil will simply settle down on the deity. First he would scrape all the settled oil with grime and dirt with a blade. If I ask him, ‘What? You are scraping the deity with a knife?’ He would say, ‘Yes. Then what to do. It is so dirty, only if we scrape with a knife the dirt will come out. It is okay to use a knife. Scrape so that it doesn’t scratch the deity, that’s all.’ So we will completely remove everything and clean. Then we will pour two mugs of water and then only we will apply the sandal paste.

He would say, ‘Think that the deity is sitting there live and do the decoration.’ Later if you see, out of my own growing interest I would saying how to do things and he would become silent and just watch. He will watch what we are doing and sometimes give directions: ‘This is wrong, that is not nice, change this, change that…’ He would give such guidance and then remain silent and watch. I don’t know what he would observe so deeply.

As far as the decoration is concerned, only if you go around and see varieties of decorations, you will get the ideas to decorate. Sometimes we would have decorated with only flowers. Generally, we will apply sandal paste uniformly on the entire deity including the face. Then like how we put on our clothes, we will decide on the colour of clothes, style of clothes etc. For Divine Mother, we will give a contrast colour saree and blouse. For example, for a red colour saree, we will give a green colour blouse.

We will decide: what kind of border should come for the saree. When the deity is sitting, how will the border fall. Will it come this way or that way. We would get ready with these ideas first. Then we will decide what items we are going to use that day for the decoration – like rice or grain or vegetable. If we were using grains, we would use only grains. If we were going to use pearls, then the whole thing we will decorate with pearls. Or we will do completely with flowers or completely with vegetables or completely with fruits.

We will freeze these ideas and make a list first. If we plan to put a crown on the head, we would see the deity’s head, measure its height and decide: this crown will require half kilo grapes, so many boxes of sandal etc. Then what all we need for the saree, we will write down and make a list first. Then we will go for a quotation. Based on that we will decide, ‘This much money is going to be spent. Alright, let us do it,’ or, ‘It is coming to too much. We will change a few items. Instead of grapes we will put something else,’ etc. So we will change it and make a clean list and then go and buy the things and come.

We will not ask anyone for money for these decorations. The reason why people easily allowed us to do decoration at the temples is, they know we will sponsor the whole thing ourselves! For them the deity will get ready, that’s all! Because of that they will allow us. Our parents will generally give us money. We will use the money totally for this. I don’t remember spending too much on buying and eating nonsensical stuff. From 8th grade up to the time I finished my degree, I don’t recall seeing any movie. For fifteen years, I did not see a movie! 9 years I spent with Swami, and then 5 years under my uncle. So 9 plus 5 is 14 years, when I did not go to a cinema theatre. After 14 years, I came to Tiruvannamalai and got married and went with my wife to the theatre, that’s all!

==48-day circumambulation around the Sacred Arunachala Hill==
First one year of our association with each other, used to be only play. We would go circumambulate the Mountain often by ourselves. The two of us did a 48-day continuous circumambulation around the Hill once. Whatever time suits us we will start circumambulating every day. It would mostly be in the evening after 4 pm. The Sun would be setting.

During circumambulation, he would walk silently. One time, when going around the Mountain, Senthil wanted to attend to nature’s call. At that time I asked, ‘They say when you are going around the Mountain, you should not attend to nature’s call.’ He replied, ‘What is inside you have let outside… that’s all! If it is wrong, then how does it matter whether it is inside the body or outside? It is anyway there! Do your work! How can you say that if it is inside your body it is not wrong, but if it is left outside, it is wrong?! He continued jokingly, ‘When you come in circumambulation around God, you should have emptied yourself inside and started right? Why did you have it inside?’ When he said it that way, you will understand immediately! Earlier to that, when he was in a phase with only devotion, he would have replied, ‘You should not attend to nature’s call etc..’ He would have belonged to the category of people who thought that way. But now he had moved to the next category…!

When we circumambulate, we won’t stop for rest in between. We will keep going. We would chant the mantra given by Raghupati Yogi and walk. We won’t talk either. This period was probably when he was in the 9th or 10th grade. Because only then we would get a long gap of holidays. It was believed that if we came around the Mountain for 48 days, what we think in our mind will materialize. But we did it more because we had an intense attachment to Lord Arunachala. He was the one who said, ‘Okay, let us come around continuously for 48 days and see what result we get.’ For all of us put together, he got the greatest result in his life!

The elders used to say that the 48 days was for the mind to become integrated. But we would not be oriented that way. On one day we will do with commitment, but the next day we would think, ‘My leg is paining, but I have to come around for 48 days, so I better do it today,’ and we would start again! Every day, we used to come around with a different state of mind. But Swami did it with the same deep consciousness, so he got the result. We could sense that he got something out of it, but we don’t know it exactly because at that time he never used to explain those things to us deeply. We feel it is because we did not have the capacity to absorb those things at that age.

Swami moves to a tent in the balcony

One day, in the balcony of their house, Swami put up a tent by himself with the correct sloping angle etc. One person can sleep there. He got it ready to that level. Also, his mother had started telling him that he is overdoing things and disturbing her in the kitchen. So he decided and made this tent for himself and arranged all the deities’ photos etc. there. Inside, you could see dhotis, cloths, only items meant for deity decoration.

Like how a brahmachari or a sannyasi will live, he would live there. It was his tent. He used to lie down and keep rubbing the parashakti idol and constantly chant the mantra. Two times I have gone there on a Sunday. In the afternoon, that whole street would be silent. Generally in towns if you see in the afternoons, it will be very silent since people will be taking rest. I used to feel very bored on Sunday afternoons. The other kids also won’t be there. So I used to go to his house. I would think I can go and be with him and discuss something about the temples etc.

When I go there, his mother would say, ‘He is in the tent only.’ Then I would go to the tent. When he sees me, he would get up. If you see his face, there will be such an intensity in it. If you are intensely engrossed in something, and you look up from it, how it will be… his face will be like that. Once he gets up, he would see his right hand palm in silence for a while. Kuppamma ayah used to tell him that Parashakti resides in the right palm. So very often he used to hold the Parashakti deity in his hand and also gaze at his right palm.

He used to tell me too that when I wake up in the morning, not to suddenly open my eyes and look around but to look at only the palm first. Till date, I have this as a habit! As soon as I wake up, I will look at my palm first. He would tell that I should see it like I am seeing Parashakti there. Then the mind won’t get diverted anywhere and also there won’t be any disturbance in the mind. And, anything else that you see thereafter you will be only relaxed. He would say that in the morning, if there was a chance to see any awkward or scary thing, the mind will be disturbed for the whole day. So it is good to see the palm first. When he got disturbed due to some reason too, he will first see his palm. Then it will take at least ten to fifteen minutes for him to relax and talk to us. He would have gone so deeply in. We won’t know what is going in him but we will know that he is very deep into something.

Round about this time, distance started creeping in between him and us. The friend idea started dissolving and even addressing him in singular became rare. I could make out some difference in him. But I could not get myself to ask him what it was and to share it with me. I was not so fast on the track he was moving in. But I could not step out also. I wanted to be his friend all the time. He would ask me, ‘Did you see Parashakti’s face today?’ he would refer to the deity as aatha – Tamil word for mother. I would ask him what he had done to deity. He would say, ‘I did a lot of chanting. I could feel the vibration going in fully. Touch and see.’ I would touch the idol. It would be a little hot! Then I would just keep quiet. But I would know that he is doing something. Then suddenly he would ask, ‘Do you want to see Her live form?’ I would wonder why he asked this so suddenly. I would reply, ‘I wish to see.’ Then he would go into silence, lower his head and look at his palm and say, ‘mmm’. That is all. We would remain silent for a while. Then after that, some other topic will come up and this will be forgotten. Then I would wonder why he asked me in the first place and then never showed me. A lot of interest and curiosity will rise within me to ask him again about it but when I see his silence and his body language, a certain fear will be there about asking him again. I would not.

==Arunai Nayaki Amman – dream, devotion, decoration==

Once, we came to know of one Arunai Nayaki amman temple – a temple dedicated to the Divine Mother. Since he became an intense worshipper of Parashakti, we decided we should do decoration for that temple deity also. Just the previous day, we had completed a 48-day continuous circumambulation of the Arunachala Hill in Tiruvannamalai. He had told that we should do a 48-day circumambulation of the Hill. Forty-eight is considered to be one mandala (cycle). I agreed and somehow we completed it.

Once during those 48 days he said, ‘We should go and see Arunai Nayaki Amman.’ I was already familiar with that temple. There, there would be a lot of activities such as palm reading, bearing of fire pots, driving away ghosts with the beat of drums etc. When I used to see all that, not that I had fear, but I never used to like it. I expressed to him that I didn’t wish to go there. He asked, ‘Why do you see all that. Have you seen the deity inside?’ I said, ‘Yes, She will be very majestic and powerful.’ He said, ‘Then what is the problem. Let us go and see Her today.’ So we went. They used to do the decoration in a very majestic and perfect way. She is around five and a half feet tall in sitting position.

When we went and saw Her, he said he had the feeling he was meeting an old relative after a long time. I asked him if he was feeling like that because he was a worshipper of the Mother. He said, ‘No, it is a very deep feeling.’ He said we should do decoration for the Mother. I was shocked. We ourselves were only 4 feet tall. The deity was five and a half feet tall!

By that time itself, he had taught us all the methods of calculations: for this tall a deity, how much sandal paste is needed, how much foil decoration paper sheets are required, all these calculations we would do with the appropriate rates and immediately arrive at a total cost, say 100 rupees or 150 rupees. Then we would decide how much money each of us has and whether we should go for money collection outside. So we would have an idea: for this deity, how much it would cost, will we be able to do it etc.

For this particular deity, if we do the decoration and it doesn’t turn out well…we were a little apprehensive about the reaction of the temple priest. He was a very ferocious looking person with matted locks. Anyone he sees, he would utter only bad words to them first. Even if he wants to call anyone, he will first utter a few bad words and only then call that person! In this circumstances, we wondered if he would even allow us inside. But Swami said that we have to do decoration for that deity. So we said, ‘Alright you go in front and ask. We will all stand behind you.’ Then I remembered there is one man known to my father’s older brother and that we could ask through him. But Swami said that we can ask ourselves. We agreed. We all went and stood a little away watching Swami approach him.

He went straight up to him and fell at his feet! Immediately that man cooled down! Then he said to him, ‘Swami, we wish to do decoration for the Mother.’ That man looked at him for a moment and laughed. He asked him, ‘How tall are you and how tall is this deity? How will you do decoration?’ He replied, ‘No Swami. You can ask around. We have done decoration for this Ganesha temple here, that other temple there. We will do very nicely. We ourselves will spend money and do.’ The priest was the sort who liked to do things without much expense. Also he was not very keen about things like gathering a lot of people in the temple or organizing for palm reading or anything of that sort. He just thought: alright, these young boys are going to do decoration. It is getting done free of cost. That’s all. Then he asked, ‘When are you going to do the decoration?’ We said Friday. He said, ‘On Friday, there will be a lot of crowd. Will you finish on time?’ We said we will start in the morning itself. He said, ‘Friday is Full Moon day. I will offer turmeric powder holy bath to the deity.’ At that time, for every Full Moon day, they would offer turmeric powder holy bath. After 11 am, they would offer the regular holy bath. To finish it, it will take around two in the afternoon. He asked if we can start at 2 pm and finish quickly. We requested that he finished his work earlier than usual on that day alone. He said, ‘Alright, I will finish the holy bath by 8 am itself.’ By 9 am, he finished. We went in.

As soon as we go in, he would first see the deity. What happened on that occasion was, the day previous to the decoration day, he had a dream: Exactly how that deity will be without clothing, how Her body structure would be – came in the dream. When the priest gave permission to decorate, Swami became very happy and he said, ‘We should know more about Her. We should know what Her purpose is.’ I asked what for he wants to know all this. He said, ‘No, there is something in this deity. She is very powerful. All the temples we were doing decoration for till now were relatively new ones. This is the first ancient and powerful temple we are going to take up. We should know more about Her.’ I said alright and asked how to ask. He said he will talk to Kuppamma ayah and come.

Kuppamma ayah said, ‘In order to kill the devil Mahishasura who represents the human ego, in the sacred chant - Devi Mahatmyam – the Mother comes to Tiruvannamalai. It is here in this temple that he was killed by Her.’ At that time, Arunai Nayaki Amman came as Mother’s army leader. Mahishasuran’s right hand general in the army was an evil person. His name is mentioned in the chant - Arunachala Puranam (verses depicting the story of Arunachala). Arunai Nayaki Amman is said to have killed him. There is also a statue of that man lying crushed beneath Her feet in the temple.

As soon as he heard this and saw the statue of that man, he spun into action. In both our houses there was only the new version of the Arunachala puranam. He said, ‘This is the new version. It has been released only some twenty or thirty years back. We need the older version.’ He said that the older version was with Kuppamma ayah and he went and brought that book. We read page by page. Only in that book, there were two extra lines that said She was Mother’s army leader and She killed that particular evil person. In the newer version, it was just mentioned that She was in the war. But in this version, it was clear. He read it and said, ‘See, we are going to do decoration for such a great lady!’

He made me understand that if I went into the real significance of the deity and then did the decoration, the impact will be entirely different. He would say, ‘Generally if we go and do the decoration, we won’t know the impact of it. Now after this knowledge if we go, we will know Her power. Now you will know how powerful, how significant She is, how important She is.’ When he said all these things, I used to get gooseflesh… I used to be engulfed with the feeling: She is so powerful. She is so great. We are going to actually touch Her and do the decoration. Do we have the qualification? Do we belong to such a qualified caste? Because in those times there were rules that only certain people from certain communities can touch certain deities. When it was like that, how is it that we were going to do it for Her? When these thoughts came up, our sincerity for the job increased.

We decided we should do things in a very neat way. We decided: we should not eat or drink even water when we are doing the decoration. We should buy fresh and clean things for the decoration. We should ourselves sit and grind the sandal into paste. All these thoughts started forming within. With this inspiration when I slept, the form of the deity, how She was seated in the battlefield, how Her structure was beneath the clothing - that form appeared in my dream as well! I have never seen the deity like that ever. With the total inspiration when I went to sleep, this form appeared, the night before the decoration. When I woke up in the morning, I wondered: this form seems to be Arunai Nayaki amman’s form, but I have seen Her differently at the temple with Her usual adornment. Then I thought, because of the devotion I had towards Her, maybe She gave this kind of an appearance to me. With that mood I went for the decoration. Meanwhile he also seemed to have had different visions of Her. We met and at 9 am we entered the temple with all the things for the decoration.

We had collected nearly 400 rupees. With just 400 rupees, you will be surprised how many things we could get at that time for decoration! When we removed the clothing and saw the form, both of us got a shock. For a minute, the rise of emotions was too much. It is an unforgettable moment in our lives. Whatever we saw in the dream, the exact form was there! My devotion towards Her increased a lot. I felt we should do things with tremendous sincerity for Her and that She was really sitting there, very powerful. For him, it was more than that. He had seen more than that. He said, ‘Last night, She spoke to me. I saw Her.’ He then prostrated in front of Her. Then he said, ‘She is really sitting here. Do things sincerely for Her. Don’t have any other thought. When you do the decoration, let your total concentration be here.’

All this can be taught only by a mature Guru. How to pray to God. How to tread the path of devotion etc. Normally at home, what we pray, it is different. But how does a real devotee pray to God? One should sincerely imagine that the deity is really there and pray with that mood. Only then will the real impact be got. At that time, this happened in us naturally itself - how to pray, how to offer puja, how to do decoration etc. That incident was a very powerful one.

We did the decoration very sincerely. We started at 9 am and finished at 6 pm without even drinking water in between. It was my first experience of that kind. After the decoration was done, even that priest was surprised. He said that even trained temple priests will not do in such a fashion. That was the first time we were doing an entire face with sandal paste. Till then we had done only for Ganesha (elephant God). And for Him, on the face there will be two tusks. However you do the sandal decoration, it will not change the look. But for Mother, you need to work well to bring out the facial features.

The priest was very pleased with our skill. He took a big plate, kept bananas, apples, sweet lime, all that had come as offering that day, asked everyone to sit, picked up some flowers, blessed us and gave it to us. Then he told us that any special decoration in the temple thereafter, we should only do.

On special Full Moon days every year, they will do very grand decoration in this temple. Every year the Tiruvannamalai temple priest will come here and do the decoration but with a lot of fuss saying he is very busy etc. That particular year, this priest never called him because we were there. Next, for some function, we were unable to make it because of some school work. When he approached his again, the priest said, ‘You now have big priests (referring to us!) doing things for you. You can keep them and do everything.’ There was ego clash between them because of us! This was when we were studying in 9th or 10th grade.

Till the Arunai Nayaki amman incident, all that we did was just play. It was just an expression of our childhood attachments. But after seeing Arunai Nayaki amman in the dream and seeing that She was alive sitting there, things started changing. Swami would say about Her, ‘She is there sitting. Do things sincerely. You should not talk when you are inside the sanctum doing decoration.’

At that time, ladies were doing the rituals in that sanctum. They only offered the holy bath, decoration everything. Once they enter the sanctum, they will start talking their own topics while doing the decoration. It will take at least three hours to complete the decoration. They will exchange all sorts of stories and do the decoration. They were mostly unmarried women. Swami never used to like all this. He used to say that She is really sitting there and even if She doesn’t directly talk to us, we should understand that She is there and do things appropriately. He used to tell me all this one after the other. He used to say, ‘You should not offer as if you are offering to a statue. If you do as if you are doing for a statue, the whole thing is a waste. There is no meaning in what you are doing.’

Normally, people would say that if we did the decoration without having a bath or after eating a full meal, it was a sin. But he spoke differently. He would say, ‘She is our Mother. When we do for Her, we should do with a pure heart. We should do it totally.’ When he puts it that way, we will automatically feel like following it. We would naturally think that he is right and wonder why people were scaring us by saying other things. When we used to think that we are doing for our Mother, the interest increased. We then did a lot of decoration for Her after that.

==More Incidents with Kupammal==

He has had many conversations with Kuppamma ayah. What he asked her and what she told, we don’t know. Until the Arunai Nayaki amman incident we were like friends. After that incident I felt there was a distance coming between us. Whatever incident happens, he would visit me and tell me briefly about it. He would say, ‘Today I went to Kuppamma ayah’s house. She taught me a mantra. She taught me this subtle concept.’ I won’t understand anything. I would say, ‘Alright, she taught you something. Good.’ And I would leave it at that.

Every time he visited Kuppamma ayah and came, there would be a difference in his face. When he sets out to visit her, let us say on a Sunday, he will start out normally. He would say, ‘I am going to visit Kuppamma ayah.’ I would say alright. When he comes back he would look as if he is so deeply engrossed in some thought. He would sit and analyze what he had heard. He would give us the message from his visit but we won’t understand anything. Kuppamma ayah and he would have analyzed something and he would have returned. For whatever he says, we would simply say, ‘Is it so, is it so….’ That’s all.

He has apparently met many people through Kuppamma ayah. From her circle she has introduced him to four or five people.

There was a Malayala Maantrikar - a person who has gone to Kerala and studied Mantrikam. Mantrikam is to do with mantra and tantra – ancient Eastern metaphysical sciences. If you want to achieve something, if you chant a certain mantra in a certain way you will achieve it. They have a clause in passing on their knowledge to anyone. They will take promise from the person learning that he won’t use it for his own self-use. If in your life, there is an inevitable instance where through you some good is to happen, then you can use it. Else you should never use it for yourself. This person was rigorously trained in this science and was associated with Kuppamma ayah.

In their families if you see, there will be so many problems. But they will never use their mantra or tantra to sort it out. So Swami has met these kinds of persons. He told me once that he met this Malayala Maantrikar who taught him something which caused immense satisfaction in him. Because of that, without even asking Kuppamma ayah permission, he promised to him that he will never use it for any personal issue. When we were going somewhere on the road, he showed me an old man saying he was the one had taught him those things. He said, ‘I promised to him whole heartedly that I do not need this mantra or tantra for my use and that I will never use it.’

Kuppamma ayah told him where all the mantra can be used and then initiated him into it. But once he was initiated into it, he decided he didn’t need it. Not that it had any less power in it but because he had understood that there were many things much beyond all this and that this would be of no use to him at that stage of his seeking. He said that it was alright for the ones who belonged to that category of people but not for him.

==The Kundalini Yoga practitioner’s prophecy==

Once we met someone who was a good practitioner of Kundalini Yoga. We were with Raghupati Yogi. When we were doing the circumambulation of the temple, the man called us. He pointed to Swami and asked, ‘Who is this boy?’
Raghupati Yogi said that he was his student and that he was teaching him yoga and meditation.
The man said, ‘He is not your student. He will become a much bigger person than you.’

Raghupati Yogi asked him, ‘Who are you?’
He replied, ‘I am a Kundalini Yogi practitioner. When I see someone at the time my kundalini energy is in a high state, some things like this will occur to me, and those things will never be wrong. They will always be right.’
He was from a place called Paandalam on the way to Kallakurichi in a village in South India. He gave us his address and said we could visit him and talk at length. But we were only small boys at that time and we could not go out of the village anywhere so we left it at that. We didn’t note down the address properly either. We know he is from Paandalam and we know his name. With these two details, how does one trace him? So we left it that.

In Tiruvannamalai, there was once a man who had finished a one month course on Kundalini Yoga in Rishikesh in North India and returned. Swami wanted to see him and so he took me and went. But that man was not available at that time. The next day he went by himself and met him. After that, for two or three days he was in a strange state of appearance. He had apparently discussed for long hours with that man.

==The mystic from Kollimalai==

Many people have seen him and told him that he will become a big person one day. He would share all those things with me. Once one mystic came from Kollimalai. He was called Kollimalai Siddar. He used to visit Arunachala often. He was associated with Raghupati Yogi as well. Once Raghupati Yogi took us and introduced us to him as his students. When he saw Swami he commented, ‘This boy looks to be so clear!’

==Ganesha adorned with nine different grains (Worship as Play)==

So many people who have seen him have told similar things about him. On one occasion, we did sandal paste decoration for Ganesha. On top of it, we did adornment with nine varieties of grains (nine grains associated with the nine planets). We separated out the grains according to their colour, made a dress with them and did the decoration. We brought Kuppamma ayah and showed her the decoration. When she saw it, she said, ‘You will become a very big person. All these things are clear indications of it. These grains are showing me all that you are going to do in future. These are all very ordinary things for you. In future you will do many great things I am able to see.’

==Swami’s love for Tirumoolar’s songs==

In between, he would sing many of the Siddar (A particular sect of Mystics) songs – songs sung by ancient mystics. He would sing the 18 Siddars’ songs. He would often sing the Paambaatti Siddar song which used to go: pudumbaai, pudumbaai. Then he would read Tirumandiram - saint Tirumoolar’s verses. He would read them from a book for a long time. After reading it, he would be continuously saying something about it. I did not have the capacity to absorb any of it. He would ask me, ‘What did you absorb. What did you understand?’

In our house that particular book was not there. I then asked my father buy one copy. Swami would show in that book, the words Om Namashivaya would have been composed in many different ways juggling with the words Namashivaya Na Shiva Shiva Om etc… The saint would have also represented the chant as a chakra - wheel. Swami would point out all that and explain everything. I am not able to explain it clearly, but used to understood all that clearly. If we see it itself, it will be so confusing! Many wheel representations will be there. Every twenty to thirty pages there will be Tirumoolar’s wheel representations. He will mark all those and do all sorts of things with them.

For a few days he was concentrating only on those things. He would analyze: “what is the data in this, why have they said this?” I didn’t know what he was actually doing at that time. He used to do all this research only in his house. He never had any disturbance there. He had his own room. He would go off into his room. If you go to his room, you could see books in the attic-shelf in boxes. Since it was a small house, they would pack everything in boxes and stack them on top. He would take them out, read them and then put them back. There would not be disturbance to others either. He would read mentally, not loudly or softly or anything. While reading, he used to go deeply and clearly into it. When you are deeply engrossed in reading something, you will not be able to read aloud.

==Lord Muruga temple decoration==

Swami’s aunt’s house is there in a nearby village. There is a Muruga temple there (Muruga is the second son of Lord Shiva). We went there and found the temple priest competing with us! Swami’s uncle, that is the aunt’s husband’s older brother arranged everything for us there. He had arranged for the decoration on Panguni Uttram, a day auspicious to Lord Muruga. We started doing everything with great interest as it was a big temple, dedicated to Lord Muruga, recently energized through kumbabhisheka – special energizing process to rejuvenate the energy of the temple. We were greatly pulled by the fact that soon after kumbabhisheka - when the cosmic energy is clearly installed one more time after many years - we would be doing the decoration for the main deity itself!

Even before going there, we started discussing how to do the decoration, what colour dhoti to put on the deity, what cloth to put on the upper body, what to put on the lower body etc. We got all the things ready and went. When we went there, we realized that a priest belonging to that village who was in Chennai, attending to some work in a big temple, took a day off since it was function time in the village and had come to the temple. He entered the temple with all the authority of the temple priest. He said that he is the rightful person to do the regular decoration and that he would only be doing the decoration that day. We became teary eyed and sad. We wondered how when we had taken so much pains in getting everything ready, this priest came in from nowhere and declared this.

We wondered why Lord Muruga was doing this to us. At that time, Swami got very angry. In those times, he would get very angry! He said that he is not going to let it go and that he would talk to his uncle. He asked his uncle how the temple priest could do this. His uncle was a chief man in the village. He was the one who conducted the functions at that temple. He felt bad when he saw the things we had gotten ready. He wondered what to do when he saw our great interest and effort. He went up to the priest and told him that we were with great interest to do the whole thing and that we should do it together. Immediately, the priest took up the upper half of the deity for decoration and we took up the lower half! We started doing the decoration. Then the priest saw how we were doing and moved away for us to do the whole thing.

From the beginning, even if these decorations were just like playing, there was an intense devotion in it to do it properly. When the devotion intensified, we got the feeling that we were doing it for the live deity.

==Receiving the First Initiation after The Avatar's First Enlightenment Experience==
An important incident in my life:

Just before Kuppamma ayah’s departure, at the time she declared she had given to him everything as her sole disciple, he has apparently gone to the Pavazhakundru rock in Tiruvannamalai and tried to meditate. That was the time he had his first deep spiritual experience where he saw 360 degrees around him with eyes closed. The morning of the initiation he came and said he was going to see her. After that, I don’t know if she told him to try to meditate or what…he has gone there and tried to meditate. The experience seems to have been over at around three in the afternoon.

He came straight to my place and from the road itself he called my name. I was sitting near the pillar by myself. I came out and saw… I saw a change in him. The change was something like the difference between a child’s playful appearance and a meditator’s appearance. To describe how he looked I should tell you about Isakki Munivar, Kuppamma ayah’s Guru.

Isakki Munivar would come around the circumambulating the Arunachala Hillock everyday. He would first come from his house to the circumambulation starting point. He would be carrying a conch and a saakandi (flat circular gong). He would not talk to anybody. He would continuously blow the conch and beat the gong. He has to pass by my house if he has to go to the temple and his house. At that time, all the boys in the street would go and fall at this feet. He would stand waiting for them to finish and then move on seamlessly. It was an every day feature. When we hear the sound of his coming, we would become alert and be ready. He would also see us coming and stand until we all fell at his feet; then he would move on. Then he would finish the circumambulation and sit down in the Panchamuka ashram. Anyone who comes and tells any grievance, he would just show some gesticulation. After telling him, if that person came around the Hill, their problem would be solved! His appearance everyday made a deep impression in my mind. He would appear wearing just a cloth around his waist and stand there. He would not look particularly at anyone or smile at anyone. He would just stand as though without any feelings. He would not even look to see if people have finished prostrating etc…he would just move on.

That day, Swami appeared to me to look like Isakki Munivar. When he called me ‘Sampath’, I ran out to see him. Until I came out and stood, he was fine. After that, he said to come with him and put his arm around my shoulder. Then he started moving his body, his facial expressions started changing. Whatever he felt at the time of the first experience, I think remained with him at that time. He was slightly smiling, and he started holding me tightly. I started getting afraid, wondering what he was doing. He said to walk with him. Little did I know I was receiving the historic first every energy darshan from an enlightened being.

We walked and entered the Tiruvannamalai temple and went into the Kalyana Sundareshwar sanctum. It is in the second concentric circumambulation path. There is a Laburnum tree (Kondrai in Tamil) there with a stone pillar under it. He sat down there and asked me also to sit. He started tightening his grip over me. After a while, he leaned back and smiled. He asked, ‘Can you see an ant moving behind you?’ I asked where. He said, ‘Behind me.’ I saw there was a trail of red ants moving on the tree. He said he can see it without even turning his head. That was it…!

I asked him, ‘Sekhar, what happened to you?’ I felt everything was different about him. His actions… everything. He said to sit down and again, and started smiling and gripping me. His body felt hot. My fear started increasing. Something like this had never happened until then. He was fine when he went but on his return, he was like this. Ten to fifteen minutes passed but he remained like that. With passing time, he started gripping me even tighter saying that he felt very good. I felt he might not release me at all! I started getting very scared. Moreover, it was in a temple and here he was hugging me! I didn’t have a clue what was going inside him. Suddenly I told him, ‘Please wait for a moment, I will go to the toilet and come,’ and I came away. That’s all I know!

I went home and wondered with fear what had happened to him, why he was behaving like that. After some time, I went back to that spot and saw, he was not there. After that when I read his life story books, I could see that he has gone to Kuppamma ayah’s house and she has given him an appropriate diet for three days and brought him back to normalcy. I don’t know what happened after that. I just know that he was so deep into his first spiritual experience. Only after reading the books now, I came to know that that was his first experience. Only now, I am able to understand it. Now I understand, at that young age, if he was able to hold on to that deep experience stably, and was even able to answer me cogently, it was a profound thing.

==A visible change after first enlightenment experience==

After this experience, there was a 100 percent change in him. He showed no interest in coming to the temple, offering puja etc. He would just listen to what we told him: today this decoration…alright…today this puja…alright… He would show no further interest. But he would visit Arunai Nayaki very often. He would ask how She is. If he called from the polytechnic, he would ask, ‘How is Arunai Nayaki?’ We would say, ‘She is fine Swami.’ He would ask if the functions were going on well for her and we would say yes. That time around, I started using polite language with him. From that experience onwards, the old singular language dropped and respectful language came in towards him. Earlier, we used to fight physically. I was taller than him. I used to put my hand on his shoulder at a point he would feel a lot of pain. He would scold me saying I was taking the life out of him. But after that experience, fear stepped in and I never touched him. We used to call him ‘Sekhar’. From far, we used to call out ‘Rajasekhar’. But when we were near each other, we used to say ‘Sekhar’.

==The Avatar's habit of reading and wandering in Tiruvannamalai==

We have been to a lot of places together in Tiruvannamalai - like Virupaksha cave, Guhai Namashivaya cave etc. When we go to these caves, he will tell the history of those places and those Masters who lived there, in a very deep way. He would describe how they were, how they did penance etc. To an extent, we knew those stories. We would have listened to it earlier as a story, but when he narrates them, he would say it in such a mesmerizing way. He would say, ‘They have done so much of penance. They had the power to talk to God!’ He has read all that in the verses of Arunachala Puranam completely. He has read the old edition of that book from Kuppamma ayah. He would read a lot. Since he read all the historic stories, he would know them all well.

If he reads one subject once, he will go fully into it, he will not need to sit and read it again. Also, Arunachala Puranam is such that if you read it once, all those stories will settle in your memory. In Ramanashram, there is a room where Ramana Maharishi attained samadhi - final resting. Swami will frequent that place. He will sit there and meditate. There will be pin drop silence in the room. I will not be able to sit continuously, but he will sit continuously for hours.

He would go to Pavazhakundru (Coral rock in Tiruvannamalai where he had first deep spiritual experience) often. After his first deep spiritual experience there, he spent a lot of time in that place. For hours together he has spent there in deep meditation. Every time he surfaces from there, you can see a big change in his face. After concentrating deeply on an intense subject, if you suddenly break from it, how your appearance will be, like that he used to appear. I was able to understand that, so even the thought to ask him questions will not rise in me. I would know that he has done something intense and come. We would just keep away from any questions.

==Ramakrishna’s Gospel book==

During the 5th semester, Kartigai Deepam – the festival of lights would happen in Tiruvannamalai. In those days, for the first time, from Ramakrishna Tapovanam ashram in Tirupaaraiturai they put up a stall during the festival. That was the time Swami bought and gave me the book Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

I don’t know what kind of classes Kuppamma ayah gave him, but suddenly he started buying many books and reading. Kuppamma ayah had many books. He would get all that and read. The book reading habit became stronger. At that time there would be only books in house. He was reading a lot of Ramana Maharishi’s books as well.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s Gospel comes in three parts. He bought all three. First he read Ramakrishna’s life story. Impressed by it, he bought the Gospel books. When he finished the life story he told me, ‘I was reading this in the polytechnic, It was nice. There is Gospel book. It is very interesting. In his life, the devotees who were with him have narrated incidents that happened just as they happened. It is so alive to read. It takes us to that very spot. To that extent, it is interesting. I am reading it. Once I finish it, I will give it to you, you read it.’

He told me that sat continuously through day and night, and finished the Gospel book in just one day’s time! After reading it, he got thoroughly impacted and told me, ‘In life, this is a great treasure. You should not miss it. Come with me.’ And he took me to the temple. There he went to the stall. At that time there was a Swami there who had put up the stall. He said to him, ‘Swamiji, I want those three parts of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Swami asked, ‘Only yesterday you purchased the three books, so soon you want another set?’ He told him. ‘No, it is for my friend.’ The Swami said, ‘We brought only five sets and all five are over no sooner than they arrived. I don’t know what is there in that book. It is moving so fast.’ But Swami insisted, ‘No Swami, I need it compulsorily. I have to give it to my friend.’ The Swami told, ‘Okay, you are asking with such great interest. And you are all young boys. I will definitely give you. If I call and tell to those in the Trichy bus now, it will come by the Trichy bus. You come definitely in the morning and collect it.’ He made the phone call, told the Trichy bus people and it arrived the next day morning. I think that was the first gift that Swami gave me!

He gave me the three parts of the book and said, ‘Read this, It will be useful in your life.’ Until then, I had devotion to God. But I had a fear about everything. I thought about God with only respect. I thought that if I did any mistake it would be a big mistake, and that certain things are sin and certain things are good merits; certain things are right and certain things are wrong. I used to have a lot of confusion at that time. Only when I started reading those books I understood how simple spirituality is. In that book, Ramakrishna has said a lot about sannyas. He would say, ‘This ordinary life is a waste. Don’t get deluded too much by woman and gold. Those are the biggest illusions that bind us. We have to get liberated from these illusions.’ He would tell many things point of view of married life but a lot more from point of view of renunciation. He would often refer to Goddess Kali as his own. If you see, there will be many similarities between Ramakrishna’s life and Swami’s life! Both of them appeared to be worshippers of Divine Mother.

==Kuppamma ayah’s initiation and Attaining Mahasamadhi==

Once his interactions with Kuppamma ayah started increasing, his participation in temple deity decoration started reducing. Then, only we would be going around doing decoration in different places. He would come for everything, just see the arrangements and leave, that’s all.

Only now when we read his biography, we come to know that he met many people like for example Annamalai Swamigal. At that time, although we were with him, we did not know all this.

When Swami was doing his third year of Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Kuppamma ayah passed away. Information was given to him and he came as her sole disciple and did the final rites. Before Kuppamma ayah passed away, she called him one day and told him to wear a rudraksh rosary and gave him a tiger skin mat. Her Guru was Isakki Munivar. Their lineage was such that there would be one master, one disciple, that’s all. They would never take in the second disciple. That was their tradition.

So Kuppamma ayah, since she accepted Swami as her disciple, gave him her small water pot (carried by wandering mendicants), bamboo staff, tiger skin - all the items that she used during her period of intense austerity. She gave him all these on the day she gave him the initiation. Then she blessed him and gave him a paper stating that on this date, to this person, I am giving a name and accepting him as my disciple. This, he told me in advance happily. He told me that she was going to give him that initiation paper along with those items. I asked him what for all this. He said, he felt he might become a sanyasi in future; that this worldly life will not suit him; that this initiation was an important event towards that direction. It was then we started understanding the difference – that for sanyas life, there were these traditions etc. But there was fear wondering what was going to happen.

On that particular day of initiation, Kuppamma ayah called him near the Panchamukha ashram in Tiruvannamalai, and gave him the initiation. We don’t know the details of it. But for two to three days prior to that day, he was like a different person. He was as if he was holding some vow. He looked like he was ready to absorb something. That day, he went to Khadi Bhavan – a khadi fabric outlet, purchased saffron cloth and came and showed it to me. He said that the next day was the initiation and that the new saffron robe and rudraksh rosary that she used were ready. We have photos of when Kuppamma ayah handed him over the bamboo staff near the Panchamukha ashram. She had called for the photographer. I asked him why all this and he said he didn’t know and that ayah had asked the photographer to come. So she apparently knew who he was which is why she had called the photographer…

Then she gave him the initiation, sent him to take a picture at Skandashram and a few other places while sitting by himself. No one is supposed to see the initiation when it is happening so there was no one there watching. The next day he gave me a copy of that photo to keep. I don’t know if he thought that if he left, all these things would be missed or what… but he gave me a copy.

Once the initiation was over, he changed a lot. Shortly after the initiation, Kuppamma ayah departed. Earlier itself she seems to have told him, given him a yantra (energised copper foil with a mystical representation of the cosmos etched on it), and told to keep it under her body when she died. She had also apparently explained the procedure to adopt for her final rites.

During that incident, Swami was studying in his final year and I was in my first year. I could not take leave because they were very strict in the polytechnic at that time. So I did not attend the ceremony. I am not aware of what happened during the ceremony. There were some devotees of Isakki Munivar who were present at the ceremony. It was through them that news reached Swami about her death. They all tried to become disciples of Kuppamma ayah and later pressed to become disciples of Swami, but to no avail. So they gave up. But they all knew that he was the disciple from the beginning. They also knew his father and grandfather well. Since they knew all this, as soon she passed away, they readily sent him the message. It was Kuppamma ayah’s instruction also.

Interestingly, almost every time she met Swami, she would say that he was her disciple and that he would become a big person one day. Also she would say what all should be done after she died; what all should be kept on her place of final resting. Since she had told everything so clearly, they sent the message to him once she departed. Swami came and did everything. For the 7th and 9th day ceremonies also, Swami came back and completed the proceedings. But I don’t know the details of what he did. He just told me that he did everything, that’s all.

After every incident, he would come and say that such an incident happened. But what exactly happened etc., I would not know. If I think back now, I feel he could not share many things with us at because that time if he had told all that, we did not have the maturity to understand it.

Because he finished all the organized religion at young age itself, he understood things quickly and instead of struggling for ten years without managing to get even sannyas, in just two years he left everything in RK Mutt as well and went away on his own.

Why do Paramahamsas come to planet Earth? They come to live and show the real life and bring people to their path. Everyone can give general advice. I can sit you down and advise for you for one hour or more. You can sit me down and advise me for one hour. But no one really lives the advise practically and shows. The people who live every word and show are the Paramahamsas. That is the explanation of that word. That is: one has to live like a common man and attain the ultimate. Only then it is enlightenment.

If Ramakrishna Mutt has developed to this extent today, if devotees are getting inspired to that extent, the reason is, Ramakrishna has lived and showed the people, in every step of his life. In those stories, he would have lived like how an ordinary man would have lived. Suppose there was a problem, they would have called a doctor, the operation would have happened, all the regular things would have happened. But what would have been special was, they would have observed it with great awareness. They would have seen it like a watcher without getting affected by it. That they would have explained, and so we will be able to understand what it is. Likewise, Swami too in his biography would have shown that he was inspired by Ramakrishna Mutt and that when he was struggling, he went in the route of Ramakrishna and then step by step he left that too and went, and developed a lot more and also gave back to us a lot more. All this these Masters do only for the rest of the world to follow.

Based on Swami’s life, what all you research and record is what the future generations are going to use to develop themselves. His decoration work in the temple etc, how many ever times you put down, for it to really get into people as inspiration and start working on them, you need to describe how his state of mind was during every incident and action, how all he yearned, how all he got results etc.

==The Avatar in Ramakrishna Mutt==

After he went to Ramakrishna Mutt, he wrote the first letter saying that he was fine and everything was good. He said that Ramakrishna Mutt Swamis wanted to see Tiruvannamalai.

The Mutt would take their brahmacharis often on tours. Once Swami went there, he simply unleashed all the glories of Tiruvannamalai to them! They all decided it will be good to go only with him to Tiruvannamalai and that they would go to Tiruvannamalai that year itself. They came to Tiruvannamalai. It was then that I saw Swami for the first time as a brahmachari! He will be superb to look at! Simply superb! After going there, all the childishness had left him and he looked totally mature. Fully changed, shaven with a tuft of hair behind his head. He will be actually like Vivekananda at that time. If you look at Vivekananda’s young age pictures, the ones taken before he took up sannyas, he will look just like him in those pictures. He was wearing white kurta… and looking simply superb!

What is spirituality? What is life…? All this I started thinking only then! That was the first time I started thinking about all this. I thought, ‘Oh, there is a life like this as well.’ Till today, I have not had the courage to leave everything totally and come away but I think about it very often.

Swami wanted to go up the Arunachala Hill and see how they light the lamp atop the Hill. So my friend Senthil, me, my brother and all the Swamis went up the Hill. When we were atop the Hill, we took some pictures which is what you see now in His book Formless in Form.

==Letters The Avatar wrote from Ramakrishna Mutt==

Once he went to Ramakrishna Mutt, he became very mature. At that time he had written a letter to me. He had written how we struggle to earn money in this life and how all we should not waste that money. And how to use it for all good reasons. Now at the Bangalore ashram, there is one Parashakti idol that he made out of soap stone. We got another identical one made because he said after going there he suddenly felt he should for puja to Parashakti. But what we got ready and sent was an expensive one. It came to around 600 to 700 rupees. He said to get ready a small one for about 50 to 100 rupees. We got ready the bigger one out of enthusiasm. For that he had written the letter: This is not the age where you earn. You are still dependent on your parents for money. You should not spend money like this.

I have two more letters with me that he wrote. In that there won’t be much details. He would have enquired about everyone, that’s all. Even after going to Ramakrishna Mutt he remembered all of us well and wrote letters enquiring about us. He would say, ‘If there is time, come and see me. How are you, how are studies going?’ etc.

Let me see which letter came first:

First letter

Anbulla Subbu, Sampath, Senthil, Kumaran ellorukkum, inda siriyanavin vanakkangal.
Naan iraivanudaya perung karunayaal sadanaigalai oralavukku seidu varugiren.
Neengal inda siriyanaukkaga Annamalayanayum abhitakuchalabalayum arunai nayakiyayum vendumaaru ketukkolgiren.
Neengal ingu varumbodu, engal veetil keetu, en pada purattayum matrum nam guruvidam kaetu en maan tholayum vaangi varavum.

(He has referred to Raghupati Yogi here. He gave him a deer skin.)

Maan tholai vaangi, adil enda alavukku periya saduram alavu vetti edukkamudiyumo, anda alavukku veti eduthukondu varavum. Adil vetti edukkapatta pagudigalaagiya kaalgal, thalai paguthi, neengal vaithukkollungal.
Oru noothi yettu rudraksha maalai periya rudrakshamm, engal veetil ulladu. Adai enakku kaetu vaangi varavum.
Yen pooja vigrahangalai, neengal petrukollalaam. Ingu varumbodu tharugiren. B. Senthilayaum marakkadu thavaraadu azhaithu varavum.
Mudinthavarai, September muppathu thethikku mun varavum. Muppathaanthethi modal, aaraam thethi varai, ingu Durga Puujai. Anda nerangalil engalukku konjam tightaaga irukkum.
Arunai Nayaki Amman Navaratri alangaram.

(He has written: in Arunai Nayaki amman temple too, since there will be dussehra festival decoration, I may be tight with work.)

Adanaaldaan, veru ondrum illai.
Kumaran eppadi irukkan? Sampath eppadi padikkiraai? Senthil ozhungaaga padikkiraana? Subbu nandraaga kadayai paatrukollgiraaya?
Isakki Saamiyaar vibhooti pai engal veetil kaetu vaangi varavum. Pachai kalar pai. Thaali kayiril katti vaithirukkum. Saada cotton thuni pai.
Ungal udanadi bathilukku,
Brahmachari Rajasekaran,
Ramakrishna Mutt, 16 Ramakrishna Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai.

Ippadikku, brahmachari Rajasekaran.

English translation

Beloved Subbu, Sampath, Senthil, Kumaran,

This small boy’s salutations to you all.
By the grace of God, I am continuing my spiritual practices to good extent.
For this small boy’s sake, I request you to pray to Lord Arunachala, Divine Mothers Abhitakuchaambal and Arunai Nayaki.
When you come here, get my sandals, and from our Guru, get my deer skin mat and come.
(He has referred to Raghupati Yogi here. He gave a deer skin.)
In the deer skin, cut out as big a square as you can and bring it. Keep the remaining portions that is legs, head etc with you.
There is one 108 bead rudraksh rosary in my house. Ask them and bring it for me.
You may take my puja deities. When you come here, I will give them to you.
Bring B. Senthil along with you when you come without fail.
As far as possible, come before September 30th. From 30th September to 6th October, there is Durga Puja festival here. We will be tight for time then. You too will be busy with Arunai Nayaki Amman’s Dusshera (a festival of nine sacred nights dedicated to Divine Mother) decoration.
That is why I am saying this, for no other reason.
How is Kumaran? How are you Sampath? Is Senthil studying well? Subbu, are you taking good care of the shop?
Ask in my house and bring Isakki Swami’s holy ash bag. It is a green bag. It will be tied with a sacred marriage thread. It is an ordinary cotton bag.

Expecting your immediate reply,
Brahmachari Rajasekaran,
Ramakrishna Mutt, 16 Ramakrishna Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai.

Your’s truly, brahmachari Rajasekaran.

Second letter

Om Namo Bhagavate Ramakrishnaaya
Anbudan Sampathukku,
Rajasekaran 2:12varaivadu

Nalam, nalam ariya avaa.
Neenda idaivelaikkup piragu kadidam ezhuthugiren.
Unnidamirundu kadidam ethirpaarthenalladu May maadam neril varuvaai enru ethir nokinen.
Nalladu. Eppadi irukkirai? Siva Subramaniam, Bharaneetharan, Senthil anaivarum eppadi irukkiraargal? Kumaran eppadi ullaan? Vazhkai eppadi ullathu? Sadhanaigalai seigiraaya?
Mudinthaal, oru murai yedenum Gnaayatrukizhamai neril vandu paarkavum.

English translation

Om Namo Bhagavate Ramakrishnaaya

To beloved Sampath,

Rajasekaran writes…

I am fine and eager to hear the same with you.
I am writing to you after a long gap.
I was expecting a letter from you or that you would visit here directly in May.
Good. How are you? How are Siva Subramaniam, Bharaneetharan and Senthil? How is Kumaran? How is life? Are you continuing your practices?
If possible, come on any one Sunday and visit here directly.

This question, ‘How is life’ was a strong question at that time! Because to that extent he has worked in that field, and when he is asking such a question, we can’t take it as a simple question! When we read that line, fear will rise inside, ‘Oh god! what he is asking about? What are we doing? Are we doing properly or not…’ Lots of such doubts will rise!’

Continuation of letter

August 10, 11, 12, 13 thethigalil varavednaam.
Anda naatkalil ingu oru vizha nadappadaal pesa mudiyaathu.
Niraya niraya padikkavum.
Thavaraathu saathanai seyyavum.
College eppadi ulladu? Nalamaaga irukkiradaa?
Naan June maadam muzhuvadm vada naadu sendrirunden.
Rishikesh, haridwar pondra idangalil thangi irunden. June 28 aam thethi tirumbi vanden. Kelvipatteergala?
Swami Shanmugaanandaji evvaaru ullar? Nalama?
Ungal appa, ammavai ketadaaga sollavum.
Nana kelvipatten, Subbuvum Bharaniyum madathil serapovadaaga, unmaya? Appadi yedaavathu yennam irundaal, yennai oru murai vandu paarkachollavum. Sannyasa vazhkai yenbadu vilayaattu alla enbadai purindukollavendum. Appadi avargalukku unmayaana vairaagyam irukkumaanaal, ingu engal madathileye kooda sera naan yerpaadu seigiren. Annal, dayavuseidu matravargal solvadaiketo alladu yennai paartho, anda yennathai varavazhaithukkondu yosikkamal mudivedukka vendaam. Appadi avargalukku sannyasa yennam irukkumaanaal, modalil udanadiyaga yennai vandu paarkachollavum.
Unakku sila saadanai muraigalayum ubayogamaana sila arivuraigalaiyum suggestions koora ninaikiren.
Mudinthaal oru murai varavum.
Yella Gnaayatrukizhamayum madiyam 12 manikku munnaal yennai paarkalaam.

Ippadikku Brahmachari Rajasekaran Maharaj.

English translation

Do not come on the dates: August 10, 11, 12, 13.
On these dates there is a function here so I will not be able to talk to you.
Read a lot.
Continue your practice without a break.
How is college? Is it going on well?
The whole of June I was in North India.
I stayed in places like Rishikesh and Haridwar. I returned on June 28. Did you hear about it?
How is Swami Shanmugaanandaji? Is he well?
Tell your father and mother that I enquired after them.
I heard: Subbu and Bharani plan to join some Mutt. Is it true? If there is a thought like that, tell them to come and visit me once. They should understand that Sannyas life is not a joke. If they have genuine commitment, I will organize for them to join our Mutt itself. But just because some one said or because they see me, let them not listen take a decision without proper thought. If they really have a serious thought about sannyas, tell them to first come and see me.
I wish to share with you certain spiritual practices and some useful advise.
If you can, you may come once.
On all Sundays, before 12 noon, you can meet me.

Your’s Truly,

Brahmachari Rajasekaran Maharaj

==We visit Swami in RK Mutt==

After that trip of the RK Mutt Swamis and brahmacharis, we visited Swami three times in RK Mutt, Chennai with a gap of three months between visits. Also, before they came to Tiruvannamalai, I went to Chennai once just to see Swami in RK Mutt. That was the first time I went to Chennai ever. I asked my father, ‘I want to see him. I feel a little out of sorts.’ He said, ‘Alright, but how will you go alone?’ I said, ‘My younger brother, friend Senthil and I will go.’ My father at that time used to desire that I should become a big guy and function independently. So he said, ‘Go boldly. Find out the address and go.’ I said, ‘I have got the address. We have to go to Mylapore. In Mylapore, we have to enter into Vivekananda Road and on it is Ramakrishna Mutt. If you ask around there, people will guide. There is nothing to fear.’ Then father said, ‘Alright, go.’

When we went there, we saw many fruit stalls outside the Mutt. We saw that the people who were going into the Mutt bought fruits and went. We thought maybe we should also take fruits as offering, and so we bought fruits and went in. he had told us earlier, ‘If you ask for brahmachari Rajasekaran, they will call me.’ So I said to them, ‘I want to see Brahmachari Rajasekaran.’ They said to sit.

When you enter the place itself, you can feel the clean vibrations of energy. It was the first time I was going there and I could feel Ramakrishna’s energy so clearly. I thought to myself, ‘Swami has probably come to a good place only.’ He came out. When I saw him, it was a different feeling. I don’t know how to express it. I don’t know if it was the feeling that I too wanted to leave everything and come away… or what…I don’t know…or because for a long time we had not met…I felt like that…. I don’t know the reason… but there was a different feeling inside me when he came and stood dressed in pure white clothes, with a tuft of hair on his head.

He smiled and said, ‘Come.’ His style had totally changed. It was the style that he has now! I asked him, ‘How are you?’ He said, ‘I am doing fine.’ He said, ‘If we sit here in the hall, it will disturb the people in the hall. Let us go sit in the side walks somewhere.’ He was totally changed in his style and manner. He addressed us in plural. He said to sit. He sat silently for a while. Then he asked, ‘Just to see me you came all the way from Tiruvannamalai?’ We said, ‘Yes, we came just to see you.’ He said he was very happy. Then he enquired about all the deities back home. When he asked us if we came all the way from Tiruvannamalai just to see him and we said yes, he closed eyes for some time and said, ‘Ramakrishna is truly living here. I saw him. I spoke to Sharada Devi (Ramakrishna’s consort).’ When he said that, I felt goose bumps through my entire body. I was thinking: what all he is saying… I still had fear.

I too had great belief on Ramakrishna, but when he uttered those words, the image of Ramakrishna Mutt changed 100 percent for me. I have read their books as well. That is the thing I like most in that ashram. Those stories that they have written. How much effort they would have put to collect those stories from different corners of the world and present them with a cogency. As you read them, even if you are not interested in spirituality, even if you are reading it only as a story book, it will just sink in totally. To that extent, they have taken pains and done it. With that impression, when I heard him say those words, I felt totally touched. I asked him, ‘So you say?’ He said, ‘Yes, he is here. Everyone can see him if they have the genuine intent. He fills this entire place. I am able to see him.’ Then we didn’t talk much. We waited for ten minutes. He said, ‘Eat and go. It would be nice if you ate.’ Then he said it was a particular day when outsiders were not allowed to eat in. He said, ‘You cannot eat. Don’t mistake me.’ We said not to worry and that we would go outside and eat.

Then someone there called him. At that time he was in-charge of the library. If you see their magazine Ramakrishna Vijayam at that time, there would be a lot of articles on Tiruvannamalai. He showed them to us. He had written on what is Tiruvannamalai Deepam festival and why they light it. If you read that you will be able to see his style of writing! Like how he spoke when he was a child, that same conversational style you can make out in it! It will be very interesting to read. As far as I know, that is the first book that Swami compiled. He had written about Tiruvannamalai. He seems to have enjoyed that entire period. He has maintained the library beautifully.

He has worked in many other departments as well. When I went to see him, he said he was library in-charge. Then he has taken care of publications. He has really developed his knowledge at that time by reading the entire library. He would share a lot about what he read. He will not tell in a broad way either. He will tell specifically, ‘I read this concept… I read that Upanishad… in Bhagavad Gita, Krishna said this…’ He would talk about so many things all at the same time, swiftly moving from subject to the other. Even now if you see, he will be speaking on something, and suddenly the mind will change to something else. After that silence… that’s all! He will neither say that he will tell later nor say that it is over so we stop asking further questions!

Anyway, we visited him three times. Every time there would be a change in him. One time he said, ‘There is Durga Puja – offering to Divine Mother coming up. It will be very beautiful. All of you come and see.’

But we went to Ramakrishna Mutt every time only to see Swami. We never participated in any of their functions. When we met him the second time he asked, ‘Now do you understand anything about spirituality? Are you able to take a decision?’ I said, ‘No, I am not able to understand anything.’ Then he said, ‘If you have any desire to become a brahmachari or sannyasi, tell me. If I tell, definitely Ramakrishna mutt Swamis will agree for you to join.’ At that time, my younger brother was very interested in this. Swami told him also, ‘If you want to come away, come. I will tell definitely put in a word with them. They will accommodate you.’ We said we will give it a thought and tell him.

==Missing His Divine Friend When He was Working==

I finished my diploma. After I finished my diploma, my grandfather told me, ‘You don’t have to go for a job. For us, only our own business will work out well. If you remain this way, you will start wasting your life.’ My father also gave pressure and they placed me in textiles. My uncle had a textile mill in Ariyalur near Trichy. There if you see, if you enter the shop at 8:30 am… firstly, we would wake up only at 8 am… Then we will get ready and how many ever idlis (Indian breakfast item) we can eat within 8:30 am - one or two or three – we will eat and go to the shop, that’s all. We would finish at night 1 ‘o clock. Even if we finish at 1’o clock in the shop, after that we will go to the warehouse and wind up the stock there and come back to the house and sleep at 2’o clock. We would sleep like we were dead tired.

In 365 days of the year, when are the good days of the Hindu calendar like Amavasya, Pournami, Kritika, or when are the bad days, I will never know. They will not send me for any good or bad events in others’ houses either. They might go, but they will make me sit in the shop and go. Five years passed like this. To the extent that what all happened in life to me until this period of five years might be erased, this routine impacted me. It was tremendous physical work as well. It was a different sort of life. During this period, I could not contact Swami at all.

When Swami left Ramakrishna Mutt, where he went etc, I don’t know. In between once, when he had gone to Tiruvannamalai, he has rung up from Tiruvannamalai to me. But at that time my uncle would be focused only on business. Even at home, if we talk any other topic, he would bark at us. Even when he is talking to his wife, he would say, ‘Today this worker girl did like this… the other girl did not work properly in the shop… you advise this girl in this fashion. Tomorrow, I will scold her and control her…’ He would constantly be talking only such things. Because he would talk only of business, even if the phone rings in the shop, he will not answer it. Even if there is an emergency call that someone has passed away or something like that, he will not care to pass on the message. He will continuously be doing packing and billing. To that extent, there will be heavy crowd all the time in the shop. Sales will keep happening continuously.

There is nothing called peak season or off season. Because of that, he became a business fanatic. Everyone else under him too, he had under his control. By his rules, no one should care about anything other than business or try to relax. If they relax, he would say, ‘You are not feeling well? Go, take an injection and come. If you feel like fainting, just faint. If you faint and fall, I will put another injection for you.’ That was his attitude.

At such a time in my life, when Swami came to Tiruvannamalai, he called saying he wants to talk to me. With my body trembling, I went and attended that call, fearing that my uncle might scold me. The fact that he handed over the call to me itself was a big thing. As soon as I picked up the phone he asked, ‘How are you?’ I said ‘I am fine Swami.’ Then he asked, ‘What else is special? Do you want to say anything?’ There was nothing to tell. Even if I start telling, I would be told to keep the phone quickly by my uncle, that’s all! I was that alert to what my uncle might say. If we talk over the phone, he will stare at us in a particular way. He would say, ‘This guy is talking uselessly over the phone. During this time, two customers we might have missed serving.’ So in that anxiety I said, ‘No, I will talk later,’ and kept the phone down. After that I could not contact him at all.

==A telephone conversation with Swami after enlightenment==

Once he got enlightened, I heard he came to Tiruvannamalai for the first time after enlightenment. He seems to have stayed in ******** Kumara Kovil – a temple. First he seemed to have come to Amman Temple. There he mentioned that two incidents happened. After that, his relatives at Kumara Kovil seem to have told him to come and stay at their temple and develop it. They brought him to this temple. After they brought him to the temple, each one started attending to their own duties. Maybe they thought, ‘He is after all a relative’s son…what new thing could he have learnt come…’ or what I don’t know. They just left him alone. He stayed there for three days. ********

Since my house was opposite to that place, Swami asked my mother if he could use our house for just having a bath. My mother told him that he could very well use it. I was in my uncle’s house at that time. For those three days, Swami went to my house for a bath and then went to the temple. My mother asked him if they can bring him breakfast. If he would say yes, she would take breakfast for him. At that time one day when he went home to bathe he seems to have asked, ‘How is Sampath?’ They told him, ‘He is fine, He is at his uncle’s shop.’ My father then asked him, ‘Should I make a call to him? Will you talk to him?’ He has agreed. Then they made a call and gave him. At that time too, the same condition prevailed at my end. My uncle was near me. I had just woken up. It was in the house only. Usually we get up only at 8 am because to go to sleep it would take 2 am, 3 am or sometimes even 4 am. The whole body will be aching as if it were punctured in various places. With that fatigue I answered his call. He asked, ‘What son, are you well? It is only me who is talking, are you well?’ His voice had not changed. I said, ‘I am well, are you well?’ He said, ‘I have come to Tiruvannamalai, I felt I should talk to you. Alright, any auspicious things happening? Is there anything else to talk?’ I said, ‘No.’ That’s all. He hung up.

At that time I didn’t know he was enlightened. The word ‘enlightenment’ itself I came to know only later. ******** So I knew that he had come to Tiruvannamalai, stayed for three days, our people did not look after him properly, then he left. The relatives had asked him to take the temple and run it but they were not willing to give the entire responsibility to him, so Swami didn’t bother about it. ********

[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]

ATA Eyewitness Sharing Gopal Mhj

2021-01-13T11:41:56Z

Ma.sadashivapriya: /* =Spiritual Pilgrimage to Tiruvannamalai */

=Title=
An account of HDH’s early life from Gopal Maharaj who recalls the unparalleled intensity of HDH even at the age of 17
==Associated Year in the Life of SPH==
1995-1998

==Summary==
By the time HDH was 16, Yogananda Puri, Vibhutananda Puri, and the other Gurus, decided that it was time for Him to publicly declare His mission for reviving of Kailasa through re-establishing the enlightened civilization. His body was prepared and ready for the humongous task ahead. On 24 May 1994, His guru, Mathaji Vibbutananda Puri, organized the Yoga Pattabhishekam, where with the witness of the most esteemed enlightened beings in India, HDH was coronated as the incarnation of Paramashiva, the beacon of Light that has landed to guide humanity to enlightened living. With the momentous occasion, Their divine mandate was fulfilled and by 1995, all of them attained mahasamadhi (shedding the mortal frame and returning to original Cosmic existence).

HDH intensely started His tireless work to bring superconscious breakthrough to humanity one person at a time. He volunteered at the Sri Ramakrishna Mission in Mylapore, Chennai and demonstrated the most dedicated and joyful responsibilism (the space of taking responsibility) for multiple projects which He led including Publications, editorial and enreaching of the monthly magazine and Annalaya (free food serving satvic kitchen). He gave a breakthrough to each with His hard work, sincerity, devotion and will-persistence.

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'''HDH (extreme left, circled) in ~1995, at the age of 17, along with other initiated members of the Sri Ramakrishna Mutt in Mylapore, Chennai. Next to Him (also circled) is Gopal Maharaj, His blessed roommate.'''
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Brahmachari Gopal Maharaj recalls the unforgettable intensity and energy presence of His Divine Holiness as a brahmachari (hindu monk). It was years later that the blessed team compiling the Autobiography of The Avatar was able to sit down with Gopal Maharaj and listen to him recall His sweet memories with HDH.

They sat for hours until even very late in the night, not knowing the passage of time as Gopal Maharaj narrated and the team listened, enthralled by the divine play of Paramashiva that He enacted even when He was 17 years old.

When Gopal Maharaj ended his memoirs in the early hours of the morning, there was a brimming fulfillment in the ambience, each one filled with excitement, talking softly as if not to disturb the divine presence that seemed to land among them.

The following transcript of the interview is a raw insight into the Life of The Avatar as He was just beginning the grand revival of KAILASA with the same intensity and passion which He forges a world where all living beings enjoy Conscious breakthrough and freedom from fear - the highest aspiration of all people.

==Series of interviews with Gopal Maharaj who was Swami’s roommate at the Ramakrishna Mutt in Mylapore (1995, 1996)==

'''Gopal Maharaj''': Our Swami was the annadatha (Kitchen head).

Ramakrishna Mutt had a manager, a President, an accounts department, a cashier, and a library. None of these departments worked on Saturdays. It was a holiday for all these departments. For all other occasions such as Ramakrishna Jayanthi, Vivekananda Jayanthi, Ramakrishnanandar Jayanthi these departments would be on leave. But these two departments, that is my department which was the temple department and Swami’s department which was the kitchen department, would never get any leave. This is because puja has to take place everyday, food has to be served everyday. Everyday everyone has to eat! In fact, on these special occasions or functions there would be more work for these two departments. For all other departments the work load would reduce on these occasions.

The people in the other departments would wear new clothes, come to the temple in a jolly mood, do pranam (pay obeisance) and go away. They would be in a relaxed mood because on these occasions it would be a holiday for their department. Also, all of them would get a good three hours’ rest in the afternoon everyday. In Swami’s department there would not be any scope for relaxation. At least in my department I would come and lie down for sometime after closing the temple after the morning pujas. But if you take Swami he has to wait till the last person eats. He would have work until then.

If you look at the time he comes to our room after the last worker has his food, it would be almost 3pm. I will finish my temple work by about 12 noon. I would come and lie down. Till about 1 o’clock I would simply rest. After that my work would begin again only at 4pm. For Swami, his work would resume at 4.30pm for tiffin. He would come in this 1 hour gap and offer worship to the small deity that he had in his room. He would have all the materials related to his sadhana (spiritual practice). If he reads a book he would bring all the things related to the sadhana mentioned in that book and practice it sincerely.

Swami Vivekananda used to have a stick with him. So Swami also got a stick ready! He would practice walking like Vivekananda. In this one hour gap that he gets he would not rest. He would be doing something or the other. That stick would be just like the one Vivekananda had. Swami had made it just like the one Vivekananda had. Swami would just walk around like Swami Vivekananda in the same bhava (body language and mood). All this would simply amuse me!

''Interviewer: Interviewer: He would walk like Vivekananda!''

''Gopal Mhj'': He would walk as Vivekananda not like Vivekananda. He would walk like this outside also. Remember I had mentioned about the verandah outside? Since that was a private area he would do his walking there. No one would come that way. He would wear only wooden sandals. He would never wear rubber slippers. He would say, ‘I am a sannyasi.’ And he would make the ‘tak tak’ noise with those sandals and walk with those sandals. It was a disturbance for all of us since these wooden sandals made a lot of noise. We would say, ‘He does not listen even if you tell him. He continues to behave in this manner.’ Swami would simply be in that bhava all the time.

Even when you enter his room when he is not there you can feel the energy field. Even when he enters his room he will not enter it immediately. He would feel the energy field of the place before entering it. He would absorb the entire energy field of that place with his bhava and only then enter the room. Once he enters the room you can feel the energy of that place in his presence.

All this happens in the afternoon. In the night after he is done with his work it will be even worse. His kitchen work would finish last. My work will finish early. All other departments would finish work by 6 pm. The office would close by then. They would go to have their food. They would go for dinner. But for Swami, as soon as the evening arati finishes, he has to begin cooking dinner. He has to get all the bowls for the naivedya (food offering to the deities) ready for me to offer to Guru (Sri Ramakrishna) at the temple. All the dishes for this offering right from payasam (sweet dessert) and the other dishes have to be done and sent to the temple under his supervision.

In most of the other departments if something goes wrong it can always be rectified later. But in the kitchen department if something goes wrong severe action will be taken. If anything goes wrong in the kitchen department the complaints would come to me. If one of my poojaris (temple priests) say that the payasam does not have sugar, they will bring the payasam as it is and serve it to the head. So Swami has to be there in the kitchen and supervise everything that is done very closely. But Swami will never do anything in a haphazard way for the sake of doing it.

When Swami joined (the mutt) he was not in this department. When he joined he was staying with four other brahmacharis in a hall. Remember he was in that photo - with Duraipandian and some others. Even when he came into the ashram he came in with a lot of intensity. He said that he must do a lot of sadhana. He was under the impression that all the people in the Mutt were Sri Ramakrishnas. He thought that if he also came and joined, he would also become Sri Ramakrishna. He thought that all of us here were already blessed with the darshan of Sri Ramakrishna. All the outsiders would think this way - that all those in the mutt were blessed with the darshan of Sri Ramakrishna and that if anyone from outside goes and joins the mutt they would also be blessed with the darshan of Sri Ramakrishna. Only after coming in and being with us he realized that we had not done much sadhana. He realized that none of us were enlightened.

As soon as he realized this he began his spiritual practices. He began reading many spiritual books. He began his sadhana with great intensity. All the time he would either be in meditation or he would do japa (mantra chanting). More than japa, he was really at the peak of mediation practice. If he was not in meditation he would be practicing the bhava - the bhava of Vivekananda. He would walk just as Vivekananda did. Or else he would be walking as Sri Ramakrishna. Or he would be talking like the siddhars (mystics) that he had met earlier. He would always be in that bhava. After this if he comes into the room he will not sit simply. Either he will read some books or he will decorate the deities; or he will be in meditation or he will be practicing some bhava and walking within the room.

He would never let these spiritual practices come in the way of his work time. Whenever it was time for him to do his department work he would come down and do that work. The moment he goes to do work he would laugh and make merry and be in a jolly mood. At the same time he would be very detail-oriented in his work and pay keen attention.

After work hours when he joins the other brahmacharis he would be a totally different person! When he works he would work as a worker. When he was with us he would be a blissful sannyasi! He would scold us, ‘You fellows! Should you not be full of bliss? Why are you all so sober? Come, let us dance and be blissful! We have already renounced everything in our life and we are going closer to God. So come, let us be jolly and blissful!’

But we would say to him, ‘Rajashekaran Maharaj, don’t do all this. All this looks very crazy. Why are you wasting money buying this walking stick? What is the need for this stick? Just by keeping this stick can you immediately become Vivekananda? Can you become him? Is all this needed for you?’ We used to oppose him in this manner and question him. But there was one group of people who accepted everything that Swami did. They would say, ‘Hey Rajashekaran will be a very famous person in future. He is very intense in his sadhana.’

If he comes into the room at 9 pm in the night, till about 11 pm he would decorate the deities and do his meditation. By the time he finishes his mediation and goes to bed it would easily be around 1 or 2 am! I would be fast asleep at that time. He would hear the tinkling sound of anklets at that time. There was no scope for any ladies to come into the ashram at that hour.

At that time Swami was an ardent Sri Vidya devotee. He had worshipped Rajarajeshwari and Sri Vidya at that time. It was the anklets of this Goddess that were heard at that time. He could hear it. I could also hear it. He would wake me up and ask me to listen to the sound of these anklets. I was really scared when I heard it. I would simply say to him, ‘Maharaj, just sleep. Who is going to come here at this hour of the night?’ This is because there was no scope for ladies to come to the ashram at that time. The road was on the other side. Our campus was a fairly huge campus.

I do not know when he would retire to bed after finishing all his pujas. But he had to be up early in the morning to do the next day’s work. The cows would come to the ashram to be milked. He would go and sit with the cowherd. These cowherds would never leave the cows in the ashram. They would always take these cows with them when they leave. This was because there was no one to take care of these cows.

But Swami was always very fond of animals. If he comes outside no cow would simply stand. He would go and milk the cows! That was such a wonder! And the cows would also give milk without any hesitation. We brahmacharis have never milked cows before. Swami would teach us how to milk the cows. He would say, ‘You have to be gentle with the stem in the udder of the cow, otherwise it will get strained. You have to pull the stem very gently.’ Swami would say, ‘The morning offering for Guru Maharaj (Sri Ramakrishna) is being taken to the temple. We ourselves must milk the cows and send this milk along with the offering for Guru Maharaj. We have to supervise the offering personally.’

He would never have any worldly thought. He would talk only about spirituality. Even if we talk about animals, he would immediately connect it to spirituality. He would say, ‘This cow did all these things. That is why it is connected deeply to Guru Maharaj. In Tiruvannamalai this is what happened with a cow…’ Generally, everything he talks about would be about spirituality.

We had a Vinayagar Agaval book (A book on Lord Ganesha) with us. We would all be busy. He would also have come there on some work. But the moment he sees this book, he would immediately start talking about this book. He would say, ‘All this is mentioned in this book maharaj. Practice this sadhana. I have done this sadhana.’ We would say, ‘Rajashekaran would always be talking in this manner. He has no other job. All these sadhanas are not practical.’ He would still persist, ‘No maharaj, Avvaiyar (Lady Saint from Tamilnadu, South India) got all this as a vision. Avvaiyar has seen it. We can practice yoga in this manner.’ After this he would start talking about Vinayagar Agaval.

There would be some Swamis who would have many doubts. In the night, all these Swamis would be around him and they would clear their doubts with him. The others would either leave or watch the television, or they would go and do something else. Some others would retire to bed. Some others who do not wish to interact with others would pretend to sleep in their rooms, while the remaining Swamis would call our Swami and hold discussions with him.

Always wherever Swami is, he would be the center of attraction! You could say he had the charisma. Everyone would feel shy to sing. They would not have a good voice. They would make fun of me. They would sing in Tamil or Sanskrit. In both Swami would be the best. He would sit in the corner. This was because he was a junior bramhachari. Guatamanandar the President would sit there. Gautamanandar would call out from there, ‘Hey Rajashekara, start the show!’ Just that one word from the President was enough for Swami. He would motivate others also in this way. He would say, ‘Arunkumar sing! Gopal sing!’ But none of us would open our mouth because we were shy.

Swami would begin singing. The whole place would simply vibrate with his singing. That was the only effect. Even if we call him for dancing and ask him to start, it he would dance so beautifully and finish it off. When he dances, it would be as if Lord Shiva himself came and danced. Even if there was any program that called for dressing up as Lord Shiva, we would call Swami and he would do it beautifully.

During that time there were restrictions saying that the sannyasis should not represent only Hinduism. So they were not allowed to put the sacred ash on their forehead in three lines or put vermillion on their forehead. Swami would say, ‘I am a person who has seen Shiva himself in Tiruvannamalai. This is how I will be.’ His hair would fall on his face in front. He would lift that hair up and put three thick lines of vibhuthi (holy ash) on his forehead and come and stand in front of everybody in this grand manner. Kamalanandar was another person who would also put vibhuthi in this manner. But he was an old monk so nobody would say anything to him.

Swami would put vibhuthi on his forehead in this manner and go everywhere. He would stand in front of Guru (Sri Ramakrishna). Many residents of the ashram would put vibhuthi in this manner only when they go to the shrine of the Guru and pray before going to work every morning. Swami would put vibhuthi on his forehead in three lines and come and stand before the Guru shrine. It would be as if Guru and he are in deep communion talking to each other. We would all stand a little away and make fun of him. We would say, ‘Look, here he comes. Now he won’t budge from that place for ten minutes. Call Guru Maharaj, ask him to come out and meet him quickly!’ We would refer to Guru as Maharaj among ourselves. If we happen to come into this zone where Swami is in communion with the Master, there would be total silence. On the contrary, if he begins to dance, the whole place would be vibrating with his dance. Both he would create – the silence and the vibration! Same with music… he would create a vibrant mood with his music.

Then a center (Ramakrishna mutt branch) came up in Kanchipuram. This center was the one Swami referred to as his first center! In the beginning this center was in the city. Since there were some issues with the ashram being within the city, the ashram was moved to the outskirts of Kanchipuram. This site for the ashram was just a field covered with wild grass. Snakes were found there. There was nothing there. Only four huts were built. One hut was the dining and kitchen area. In one of the huts the sadhus (sannyasis) stayed. The other was the temple. All four were huts. There was nothing else there. None of the devotees would even come to the ashram. Even when the ashram was in the city the number of people who came there were very few. Now nobody came to this ashram in the outskirts.

At that time we were building a new temple in Madras (Chennai). At that time it was decided that all bramhacharis in the order of seniority would take turns and go and stay in this Kanchipuram ashram for one month. This person would be in charge of all the temple activities. In that order everyone would take turns to go there.

Swami was 10th in the order. I would be first. I went there first for one month. Since I was the poojari or priest of the temple here I knew what had to be done. So I went and stayed there. One month was coming to an end. Nobody who was after me like Susendran or Duraipandian wanted to go there. This is because there was less work in this Madras ashram! And these material comforts like a bed, a fan etc were there in the Madras ashram. So we could sleep there comfortably. In Kanchipuram ashram all this would not be there.

Swami lived with very minimal things when he was my roommate. If you came into my room it would be as if only I was the sole occupant of the room. This is because he hardly had any belongings. He would have just two dhothis. He would hang it. I would hang my dhothi also there. So it would be as if only one dhothi is hanging. He never had any suitcase for himself. I would have many personal belongings.

In our room there would be many things that the ashram needed. There was a cupboard full of things like soap and other supplies that the residents of the ashram needed. This is because Swami was the one who was in-charge of supplying these things to the residents. But if you see Swami, he did not have any personal belongings! I would sleep on the bed, but he would sleep on the floor. Since he slept on the floor no one would even know he also shared the room with me!

Swami volunteered to go to the Kanchipuram ashram and take on the responsibilities there. The stipulated time was only one month but Swami stayed there for three months. In those three months that he was there he did not just stay quietly after doing the pujas for the deity. That was the time when it was Navarathiri (9-day festival for the Universal Goddess Mother). The deities that you see today were all made by Swami himself.

Nobody would be in the ashram most of the time. 1516

After Swami came to Kanchipuram it was only him. There was some work going on in the ashram. There was some construction work going on. He had to supervise this work, do the daily puja and take care of the kitchen work all by himself.

==SPH as Anna Dhaata==

Interviewer: Would Swami cook?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes, he would cook. He knew all the methods of cooking. We just had to put in one word to him, ‘We need to cook for Guru Maharaj.’ He would do it in a beautiful way. Anything… if we just tell him he would do it, since he knew all the jobs well. Swami would cook by himself in that ashram and offer it to God.

Some others would come there in transit for a week or so, stay there in that ashram and leave. That one week that they stay in the ashram, they would complain about Swami. Actually the temple puja will take only 1 ½ hours maximum. If we do it quickly we can finish in 1 hours’ time. Even if we take maximum time, it would take that much time only. But if the puja begins at 7 am Swami would be in the temple at 6 am. He would slowly and with great devotion do it till 3 or 4 pm in the evening! So the others would complain about this. He would look at Guru Maharaj and Sharada Devi with great devotion and do the puja at length.

There are some methods for puja. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa insisted on the bhava method when doing the puja. Swami would be immersed in this bhava. It would be as if he is in total communion with the Guru. When he offers the naivedhya he would offer it and sit there for some time. It would be as if he is waiting for Sri Ramakrishna to eat.

He would take his time to cook. This slow cooking on the fire would make the dishes he made very tasty. When others taste his cooking they would complement him saying, ‘The food tastes really good today Rajashekar Maharaj.’ He would work in this manner. During those three months only Durga puja festival was also there. He created a history there by doing it in a very grand manner. So many people attended this festival.

1656 When I was there during my turn at the Kanchipuram ashram, the President Rajakrishnanandar told me, ‘Nobody comes to this ashram. So you tell the neighborhood that you are going to do free teaching for children in the evening; then at least some of the neighborhood kids will attend and during the arati time in the evening at least it will look like some people are present.’ I tried to do this. Since Swami’s turn followed soon after my turn I was not able to do much. I still remember those ten children who started coming to the ashram. These children just started coming to the ashram. Soon after that it was Swami’s turn, so I could not do much and I left.

I told the ashram in Madras that Rajashekaran needs help in that ashram since he is going to be doing the Durga puja there. They also told me to leave immediately for Kanchipuram. 1724 When I went and saw there, I was surprised by what I saw. The first ten children that I found were there. They were so fond of Swami. Not only that, there were about 100 more children sitting there! So many children and so many adults also began to come to the ashram.

Earlier, nobody would bring flowers to the ashram. But when I went there I saw so many lotus flowers in the ashram. All this I saw with my own eyes. I do not know how to describe this in words. All this will be hard to believe. But I saw all this happen in front of my eyes. On seeing this I exclaimed, ‘Rajashekaran what have you done! Even a single flower won’t come to this ashram! Now so many lotus flowers are here which these children have plucked from a nearby pond by themselves!’ The children said, ‘These flowers must be offered to Guru Maharaj!’ Lotus flowers are expensive. Each costs about Rs 2/-. These flowers were in bunches. There is a pond nearby. Each child claims that he or she got into the pond and plucked these flowers on their own. The children told me, ‘Maharaj said that he needed flowers for Guru Maharaj. So we went and plucked these flowers for the Guru.’ Now, you are taking his word as a command. Even in those days this was the case! They would bring flowers.

Whatever Swami needed they would bring it. They would bring fruits. These children would bring their parents to the ashram. Nobody would come to the ashram when I was there. Now if you see, a group of people started coming.

Swami got another transfer. Both of us were going to leave together. All the children began to cry. They began to ask, ‘Does this mean that we will not be able to see you any more? Maharaj shall we also accompany you? Shall we come with you to the Mylapore ashram? We will also come with you to Chennai.’ I asked Swami, ‘What have you done to all these people! Have you cast some spell on them or what? Why are all the children crying so much?’

Even there if you see, after everything was over, it was a holiday. He told me, ‘See all the work is over here. The puja is also over. Come, let us go and see Goddess Kamakshi at the main temple in Kanchipuram.’ 1908I told him, ‘We should not go out at this hour of the night. People may think otherwise.’ Swami said, ‘What maharaj! We will take the permission of God and go come let us go.’

At that time the streets were empty. There was no one there. We went in that hour of the night and took darshan of Kamakshi. Even when we go there to the temple it was the same thing. He would stand near Goddess Kamakshi and he would take his time and pray. Whether he was talking to the Goddess or what he was doing, I do not know.

He would know very thoroughly about all the temples. The moment we talk about Tiruvannamalai, he would come and talk to us in a joking way. I was the only one from Madurai. If you see all the others, some of them were from Calcutta, some from Chennai. But we would all sit and talk as a group. Swami would hastily walk and come to us. When he hears us talking about each of our hometowns he would also begin to speak about his hometown Tiruvannamalai.

He would say, ‘Maharaj, I am from Tiruvannamalai.’ We would address each other as Maharaj. He would continue, ‘You know what we would do in Tiruvannamalai? Every time I get down from the bus in Tiruvannamalai I would touch the earth and smear that soil on my forehead. He would ask, ‘Maharaj would you do the same?’ All of us were from urban cities. We would never understand the significance or devotion in all these actions. But he would not bother, He would excitedly say, ‘Tiruvannamalai is a Shiva kshetram (spiritual nerve center). You were born in Madurai. In Madurai, Shiva has come down on that land 64 times and divine play has happened. We must do this and express our devotion. We must show great love for Lord Shiva, Maharaj.’
He would add more. ‘Maharaj, my father’s name is Arunachalam. My mother’s name is Lokanayagi. See! Shiva and Parvathi are combined! I was born to them. Tell me your parent’s names.’ I told him, ‘My father’s name is Ramanathan. My mother’s name is Muthulakshmi.’ He immediately said, ‘See Maharaj, Ramar and Muthulakshmi… it is complete. I told him, ‘Maharaj that is Vishnu’s name.’ He would say, ‘That does not matter. It is still very apt.’ In this manner he would talk and be in an intense way all the time. He would talk and entertain everybody.

If any sadhu from our ashram leaves, we will not entertain him in the future. We would not call him back to the ashram. We would say that we should not even speak to him. There was a swami by name Thanmanandar who went out of the ashram. When he returned, Swami gave away all that he had - his dhothi and his few belongings, to him. Not only would he give but he would also inspire others like Duraipandian to also give him what they had. He would say, ’Maharaj he is a sannyasi. He is going on Parivrajaka (spiritual wandering). Give him all this. Call him and give him food.’ He would take his clothes and give it to him. He would honor him in this manner.

When we were sharing the room he ran away two times on parivrajaka. We would never call back the people who have gone away like this. Once they leave the ashram without informing us, we would never call them back. When he went he never had any money in his hand. When he came in to the ashram the first time he told us, ‘I will not touch money any more with my hands.’ We all would make fun of him then. We would say, ‘Wait and see once they give you work we will see how you will manage it without touching money. Then you will straighten out.’

In the kitchen department many expenses were there. In the office, money would come in. Even then he would not touch money for meeting the expenses. He had an assistant by name Radhakrishnan. He would call him and say, ‘Now come on, make all the settlements. I will look into the accounts but you give the money. I will not touch money.’ Even in those days he lived without touching any money. This is the way Sri Ramakrishna lived. There is a record of all this. Swami also lived in this bhava. He lived in the same way. It was hard for us to believe this. Even now he lives this way!

''Interviewer'': For how many months was Swami the annadatha?

''Gopal Maharaj'': Swami was the annadatha for over a year. He continued for more than a year. For one year he did this. Even when he went and came back, he again got this kitchen department. He was not just the annadatha. He was guest-in-charge also. This guest-in-charge department was running as a separate department. But this department was also handed over to Swami. This was because he would talk to all those guest sadhus in such a loving manner. So the management told him, ‘You take on this department also’ and handed over this department also to him.

Then he would also help the other Swamis like Kamalathmanandar. He would talk about navapaashanam (an ancient Siddha elixir) to all of us. Now he called me and showed me that he had made the navapaashanam. He claimed that he knew how to make navapaashanam even earlier. We would all merely laugh at him. We would say, ‘Why are you saying all these lies. These lies are not necessary.’ But he would say, ‘Listen to this. The first person who made navapaashanam is Gokarna Maharishi. He has made idols from this. The last person who did this is Vallalar. Vallalar also did this the correct way. Now I also know how to do it maharaj. Siddhars are helpless after him because there is no one to make this now. When the ninth herb is mixed with the other eight herbs, it will become stone-like. All the nine herbs are poison by itself. But when mixed together it becomes navapaashanam.’

Then he said he was going to do it. Now he is saying he has done it. I cannot believe all this. It is a wonder even now to me. First I thought he was lying. Now he says he has made it. Even earlier he said he was familiar with the method to do it. Now he is doing it! So I have to believe it. All the work to do this is going on here.

At that time, he used to talk about various things. He used to talk about various methods of puja. He would talk about Saiva Siddhanta. He knew how to make deities. Many would come to him to clear their doubts. Class would go on in the night. In this class he would be the center stage of discussion. He was the youngest. But everyone would talk to him like a senior. They would say, ‘Hey, you know what Rajashekaran did today? He did puja in this manner. You know what he did today? He did this practice…..’ In this manner we would be joking about him.

In the morning there would be another class. That class was about yoga. The night class we had to simply read a book and discuss it. This class in the morning was about yoga. A senior Swami would come and take this class. He would simply make fun of Swami. He would say, ‘For Rajashekaran all these things would happen. He will go to Vaikuntam. He would go to Kailasam. A peacock will land here and he will go on that.’ We all would be in splits of uncontrollable laughter. He would say, ‘Maharaj, you leave from here. You have got your ticket to go.’ He would only talk about Swami all the time. He would say, ‘Rajashekaran is a born sannyasi. All the impossible things will happen to him.’ All the time he would only talk about him. After this in the yoga class if he had any clarification Swami would clear it for him.

One day it was decided by the ashram management that everyone must only converse in English. This was because we were soon going to go to the training center, so we had to be able to speak English. So it was announced that all classes would also be taken only in English. All of us were asked to speak only in English. Jananadhar made this announcement in his class. After the class was over Susendran, Duraipandian and the others were discussing about this announcement saying, ‘How can they do this suddenly? We will not go to class from tomorrow. How can we adapt to English suddenly?’ Even at that time Swami said, ‘We studied in English, wrote our exams and passed it in English. What is there in speaking in English?’

He further added, ‘Come, let us study Sanskrit. The Bhagavad Gita is in Sanskrit.’ After Swami inspired him to learn Sanskrit, Susendran began learning Sanskrit. Now he is a big Sanskrit Pundit. Swami would say, ‘Come maharaj let us sit together and learn Sanskrit. Let us practice all this.’

In the evening Swami would take his mat and go to the temple. The place where they were building the temple was just wilderness. We would hesitate to go there because at times there would be snakes there. In the Kanchipuram ashram also, Swami would go there I do not know for what reason. Maybe he went there to practice yoga or to be in meditation. He would go courageously and sit there. When he came back from there he would be beaming.

Not one day have we seen Swami crying or sad. This, even others in the ashram will acknowledge. In these two years of service I have never seen him like that. If someone is upset or is crying when they are with Swami, he will make sure they come out of it. He would crack jokes in the way they would like. He would make fun of someone. He would say, ‘Look at that sadhu, maharaj. When he can be happy why not you? Come on now, tie your dhothi properly. Come let us dance!’ He would talk to them in this intense way and bring them out of their low mood.

If someone was going to be fired by somebody, Swami would go to this person to protect him. If the fault was on him he would simply blast them. He would never hesitate to point out the mistakes of others. This was because he was very just. So whatever he said would always be right.

==An Example of Guru Bhakti==

Swami showed us by his example what Guru bhakti is, what Ramakrishna bhakti is. Ramakrishnanandar was the Swami who actually began this ashram. He is from Bengal. He was named Ramkrishnanandar because of the bliss he experienced just thinking of Sri Ramakrishna. But actually Vivekananda was the one who wanted to keep this name. This Swami’s name was Sathya Maharaj. He was given the name Ramakrishnanandar because of his great devotion. The devotion that this Swami showed, our Swami showed in just two months of joining. If Swami read any of the books of Ramakrishna he would follow every practice that Ramakrishna followed.

There is an incident in Ramakrishnanandar’s life. It shows how he served Ramakrishna with great devotion. The ashram building was very old. So one day when it rained heavily, water started seeping in through the roof and it began to leak inside the building. Immediately Ramakrishnanandar held an umbrella over Sri Ramkrishna’s picture so that the rain water would not fall on it. When Swami read about this incident he too held an umbrella over Ramakrishna’s photo that night.

There is an incident in Ramakrishnanandar’s life. It shows how he served Ramakrishna with great devotion. The ashram building was very old. So one day when it rained heavily, water started seeping in through the roof and it began to leak inside the building. Immediately Ramakrishnanandar held an umbrella over Sri Ramkrishna’s picture so that the rain water would not fall on it. When Swami read about this incident he too held an umbrella over Ramakrishna’s photo that night.

I asked him, ‘What is this Maharaj?’ He replied to me, ‘Maharaj, only if we bring the bhava of Sathya Maharaj into our lives we can reach our Guru. Bring the bhava of Sathi Maharaj into your life.’ His intensity affected me also. I was astonished. Has he gone mad? I was not able to understand what he was trying to do! But now I understand the significance of his words and his behavior. He would bring the bhava into everything that he did.

When he brought naivedhya for the guru he would say to me, ‘Maharaj, this is an offering to the Guru. Remove your footwear. Stand before him. He is going to eat.’ Before this we would just take it and bring it back like a ritual. Invariably it would be late by the time the naivedhya comes for Guru Maharaj. If we are supposed to take the naivedhya at 11 am the brahmachari in charge of bringing this offering on time will never take care to bring it on time. He would go on some other work. When Swami was in charge of bringing the offering for the Guru he never missed to be on time even once. He would bring it right on time.

Swami was always in bliss and when it came to work he would always do it correctly. Even in his sadhana he was very correct. All these three would go on simultaneously without any break. He has never failed in any of these three. Sometimes we would think that he was just talking of sadhana but he would not do it. But there would be ample proof of all the sadhana he undertook. For example, if he did some puja, then the place where he did it some things would have changed positions, showing that something has been done. Sometimes that whole area where he has done the puja would have a light glow!

''Interviewer'': You mean that place will glow?

''Gopal Maharaj'': Yes. It will have a glow. I have seen this happen in my room. I have seen the deities in our room after Swami does his puja. I have brought some brahmacharis with me and shown them these deities after the puja also. Since he and I shared a room and the room would always be open I showed the others this. I brought them and showed them this and told them, ‘See! Rajashekaran has done puja and gone. The whole place looks different and shaken.’ They saw this and commented, ‘These kinds of things have never happened here before.’

We all do the puja upstairs in the temple. The pujari maharaj refused to teach Swami the puja methods. This was because only brahmins were entitled to learn these puja methods and Swami was not a brahmin. We do not know how Swami learnt these methods. He is doing so many different pujas even now. He has taught so many of these methods to you all and you are all doing this even now! So all this is still a wonder to all of us.

To learn this simple puja method it took me six months. Swami learnt all these dhyana mantras, these manasa puja mantras, very easily and did all these pujas in Kanchipuram not for one or two days but for three whole months! This is because this temple was under his responsibility at that time. At that time in the Kanchipuram temple swami did the Durga puja also. Durga puja of all the pujas was considered the toughest to do. Swami learnt this puja also and did it.

When I joined the ashram, I was the youngest. I was 17 years of age. Swami joined the ashram two years after I joined. Swami came in search of work but directly joined the ashram. He had the same intensity when he joined and after he went on his parikrama and came back to the ashram. Even if he spoke angrily to someone the other person would never be upset with him. This was because Swami would easily forget his anger.

He would not hold anything against anybody. He would forgive and forget very quickly. They would say, ‘If Rajashekaran scolds us, no problem. Any time we can go and talk to him and make up for it.’ People would take the liberty of asking Swami when they needed something. If they wanted to decide on something they would take the liberty to show it to Swami and make a decision based on what he says.

==Spiritual Pilgrimage to Tiruvannamalai==

Once Swami took all of us to Tiruvannamalai… the whole ashram family. Till date there has not been a single brahmachari who has taken everyone to his hometown. It was only for Swami’s sake that we all went. Swami took us to his home and asked them to serve us food. All of us have never had this kind of experience before. Swami made his folks offer paada pooja for all of us. In our history this has never happened. The President would come and sit. If the people wished they could fall at his feet. That was as much as what was done before this.

Washing all our feet with water was all unheard of. But Swami when he took us to his home he made us all to sit in a line and paada puja was offered for each of us. Then a new born baby was brought in our midst and we were asked to name the baby! All this was impossible for us. Even today everyone would refer to this trip and make fun saying when we went to Rajashekaran’s house they even asked us to name a newborn! We have never gone on a trip like that.

''Interviewer'': Oh! So you never went into society?

''Gopal Maharaj'': No we did go into society. But we have never done these things that swami did on this trip. Normally sannyasis would thank God and say a small prayer before they ate every meal. When we go out into society we do not do this. Swami told one of his relatives to say the prayer so all of us could eat. Then each of us said the prayer and offered our thanks and then ate our food that day.

When he went to a temple he would explain, ‘Shiva was right here. It is here that he did the penance.’ He would take us around and show us the entire temple.

Interviewer: He would go around every deity in the temple

Gopal Maharaj: He was always like this. Whenever we go with him to temples he would do this. Once I had been on my own to Tiruvannamalai. After I returned he asked me, ‘Maharaj, did you see Shiva there? Did you see this when you went around the temple.’ He would say, ‘That is the place where I did my tapas, Maharaj.’ I was a senior brahmachari at that time, so I would think, ‘He does not have any other work, this Rajashekaran. He would simply be saying things like this.’ We would all make fun of him in this manner. We would all say, ‘We just have to mention the word Tiruvannamalai and Rajashekaran will appear from nowhere and start talking about Tiruvannamalai.’

When we had been on this trip with swami to Tiruvannamalai we could feel the energy after this trip. Everyone felt charged. Everyone felt the intensity. We all sang and danced. We have never been on a trip like that before. We came back at 8 pm in the night. None of the Swamis wanted any food that night. We had asked the ashram to make food for the night for all of us. But it got wasted. It has never happened like this before.

Even the senior Swamis when things had to be bought in bulk they would take Swami and go to do the shopping. They would say, ‘Rajashekaran would know what to buy. Come, let us take and him and go shopping.’ They would go shopping and buy what was needed and come with Swami. So in this way Swami’s presence would spread the intensity amongst all of us when he was with us.

He practiced yoga. He had tremendous bhakti (devotion). He would sit in meditation for fourteen hours at a stretch. If he sits he will sit steadily for a long time. In the morning there would be mangala arati at the temple at 4 am. Only if the President is around, we will all go for the arati. This was because the President had to pass by this side to go to the temple. If all of us do not turn up for the arati the President would make a note of the members who did not turn and he would take them to task.

But whether the President is there or he is not there, Rajashekar is the only one who would go for this arati without fail. He would take a mat or aasana to sit and go away to the temple.

Interviewer: At what time would he go?

Gopal Maharaj: He would go at 4 o’clock itself.

Interviewer: In the morning?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes in the morning. In the night even if he goes to bed at 2 am, he would still be there for the arati at 4 am in the morning. Irrespective of whether the President is there or not or irrespective of whether there is a function there or not he would be sitting there in the morning. Then we would all remark, ‘Rajashekaran is really mad. If you see the sadhana that he does it appears to be crazy.’ We would talk about him in this manner. But Swami would go there, spread his mat sit on it do meditation and return from there only around 6 am. Then he would come and do all the pujas. After looking at him I got motivated to do pujas.

''Interviewer'': Would he do the puja alone in the room or in front of the Guruma?

''Gopal Maharaj'': It has to be done in front of the Guru. In the morning at 4 am there would be the mangala arati. In the Ramakrishna Mutt the puja you do in your room is secondary. We are more interested in seeing if you follow our puja routine in the ashram. Swami was very motivated in following this ashram puja routine. It is not necessary for them to teach you to do this. If I have to follow this routine I will first check if the President is around. If he is not there I will go and lie down. Even the seniors there would do the same. Even when Swami was about to become a senior he followed this routine. Even when he was a junior he followed it.

For the mangala arati in the morning even during the December month when the early morning dew is heavy he would be there for the arati. Even the poojari who is in-charge of the early morning pooja would do the arati and go down and sleep. Mangala arati is just an arati that is done. After the arati the poojari would go back to his room and sleep but Swami will be sitting there. Only after 6 am he will get up and go to do his work. Where all there is work he will attend to it.

==Being Inspired to do Spiritual Practice by SPH==

I was also inspired by Swami. Just as he would have many deities of Gods in the room he told me one day, ‘Maharaj, you should not sit simply, even if you do not do sadhana.’ After he told me this I bought a deity of Vinayagar and started doing abhisek (holy bath) for it. Immediately he said to me, ‘Do you know what the meaning of this is? All the obstructions in your path have been removed from now on. From now on you will spontaneously be inspired to do meditation.’

Swami would never be without inspiring every person around him. Be it lady devotees or volunteers, or devotees they would all listen to what Swami says. They would be ready to do the sadhana he recommends. He would make people do all this. Whether it is the sadhana in the night or in the morning or it is arati time Swami will be there. Swami would be the only one who would sit in the temple till 6 am in the morning. So in this manner swami would be perfect in every way.

If a lot of work is there for a specific puja then the following day will be rest for everyone. Swami would never relax and take rest. The very next day he would be there as usual and do his work as usual.

''Interviewer'': Even now if you see Swami after he finishes darshan, and public address, it would be around 2 or 3 am in the morning. We would all be waiting to go to sleep. We would wake up late. But Swami would be there early. Even now he is the same.

''Gopal maharaj'': That quality has never changed in Swami. From those days to the present times he remains the same!

''Interviewer'': Which are the other departments in which Swami worked?

''Gopal Maharaj'': Swami particularly looked into 3 departments. One is the puja department.

Interviewer: How many months did he look into this department?

Gopal Maharaj: He looked into this department on and off. He did not look into it entirely. First he did not look into it. Then in the next one year he looked into it on and off. He was there in the ashram only for two years. In that time he looked into it on and off. This is because he was not allowed to do the main puja. He cannot do the Mylapore puja, since only brahmins were allowed to do it.

He would come and do this puja in the room. He would follow all the shaiva sidhanta ways of puja. As soon as he comes to the room he would immediately begin his sadhana. We do not know how he came to know of all these puja methods. We do not know who taught him all this. From where did he learn all these methods? Who taught him all this? He would say, ‘Even when I was outside this ashram it was the same.’

As a student in Gudiyatham (polytechnique) he used to be correct with his work. Looks like some others who were with him would never study. They used to drink a lot. Before entering his room they would be so afraid. They would always ask, ‘Swami is it ok for us to come in?’ He would mention this and say, ‘Even there it was the same. People would simply be afraid at the sight of me. They would never come in. I would simply push all of them outside and lock the door. They would beg me, ‘Swami please open the door. Please open the door.’ They would beg in this manner through the night. I never liked this drinking habit even then.’

Another incident that happened with him... I had a FM radio with me. I got it as a gift. I used to listen to it quite often and Swami would do his sadhana. This radio would disturb his sadhana often. He would open his eyes and wonder why he was getting disturbed. I would be listening to this radio in one corner of the room. Since I was his senior I would never bother about him whatever he did. He would ask me, ‘What are you listening to?’ I would reply, ‘I am listening to songs on God.’ He would simply say, ‘Oh! is that so!’ I knew this was disturbing him. But only now I am able to understand why it bothered him. Since it was FM radio only cinema songs will be played. Bhajans will not be played. Since the vibrations that this creates would be different, it would disturb his sadhana. Then he got used to it and would say, ‘Oh! You are listening to this!’

Then one day when we were chatting he asked me, ‘How do you turn this on?’ Then I showed him the knob and told him that if he turned this on the small red light will come on showing that it is on and then the songs will come on FM radio. While showing him without my knowledge by mistake I increased the volume.

Swami realized that it was cinema songs that were being played. Then he said, ‘Maharaj, all these days I was thinking why I was getting disturbed. It is because you are listening to cinema songs!’ The vibrations from the cinema songs are different and the vibrations of his meditation are different. So they cross each other and cause disturbance. He said, ‘So you have been listening to cinema songs all this while?’ I said, ‘Yes maharaj’. He said, ‘In future you should not listen to cinema songs.’ I used to listen to it after that incident when he was not in the room. As soon as he came into the room I would switch it off.

As soon as he feels disturbed he would stare at the radio where the red light would burn. He would see if the light is burning when I keep it near my ears. If he sees the red light, that is enough; he would stop all his sadhana. He would stop doing his japa. He would get up and say, ‘Maharaj, first give me that. Let me throw this away. Are you going to switch it off? Otherwise I will not be able to sit here.’ So it would be full of comedy. It would be very funny. Still I am unable to understand how he was disturbed when I was listening to the radio. If we keep it near our ears and listen how will it disturb the others? The volume would be very low. Only once when I increased the volume it would have disturbed him.

Actually I got his permission before I started using this radio. I told him that I have this small unit. He said, ‘You keep whatever you want and do whatever you want to do.’ When I told him that I would be listening to songs on God he immediately said, ‘You do all that. You listen to that music, and I will do my sadhana.’ And he continued doing his sadhana.

Often when I listened to the radio it would disturb him and he would look up in a puzzled manner and wonder why he was getting disturbed. But he was not able to find out what caused the disturbance. But that day when the volume was slightly increased he found out the reason. He knew I was listening to cinema music all the time. From then on he would always be on the lookout. He was not even bothered if I was listening to cinema music or if I had the radio near my ears. He would not even believe me if I told him the cassette was being played. The moment he saw the red light he would get angry. Then after sometime it got lost. So in this manner many incidents where he has inspired us at the same time done his sadhana have happened.

He would show many examples to show that the same Shakti is at work. It is the same Shakti that worked in Shri Ramakrishna and Sharada Devi that is working here as well. In the kitchen he would work just as how Sharada Devi would work. How Sharada Devi would work in the kitchen showing affection to everybody, he would do the same. Swami would never leave out even a single devotee. He would attend to each and every one of them. Till the end whether they are good or bad he will attend to them till they finish their food and leave.

Then there was a senior Swami in the ashram. His mother used to frequent the ashram. We used to call her the ‘maya’ of the ashram. This was because she used to control the entire ashram. She would overpower all the bramhacharis. Her domination on us would be too much. So we would never get along with her. We always considered her as our enemy.

Swami used to love sannyasis whether they were fake sannyasis or poor sannyasis, whatever the case. Even though this lady’s son was only a sannyasi she would wear saffron robes and come into the ashram like a sannyasi. She actually lived outside the ashram as a householder would do with her grandchildren but she would wear saffron robes and come into the ashram. Many people who frequented the ashram thought that this lady was a senior sannyasi and they would bow down to her and listen to her advice.

One day this lady came to Swami. I was watching all this. Two more bramhacharis were with me. Swami would simply adore anyone who came in sannyasi clothes. As soon as this lady came he paid his dues respects as a sannyasi to her. He gave her food and served her so well. This lady and we were always clashing. I stood there just to see what this lady was going to do. All the bramhacharis were there watching this. When Swami truly thought her to be a bramhachari and put both his hands together and did namaskar to her she felt miserable. She was doubtful if Swami was really a bramhachari. Swami had never seen her before or known her. Swami gave her prasad and sent her home.

Ever since that day, whenever this lady came to the ashram after that incident she would put both her hands together and do pranam to Swami first. She would be angry if she saw us and we would be angry when we saw her. Now it was different. She would ask Swami, how he was in a concerned way. To that extent she had changed after that one interaction with swami. We said to her, ‘There is a maya for this mutt. That maya has left you. You have won over that maya. Swami was surprised and asked us, ‘Maharaj, this lady used to scold you is it? Oh! I was not aware of that. If I had known about it earlier I would have scolded her.’

Interviewer: How many months did he look into this department?

Gopal Maharaj: He looked into this department on and off. He did not look into it entirely. First he did not look into it. Then in the next one year he looked into it on and off. He was there in the ashram only for two years. In that time he looked into it on and off. This is because he was not allowed to do the main puja. He cannot do the Mylapore puja, since only brahmins were allowed to do it.

He would come and do this puja in the room. He would follow all the shaiva sidhanta ways of puja. As soon as he comes to the room he would immediately begin his sadhana. We do not know how he came to know of all these puja methods. We do not know who taught him all this. From where did he learn all these methods? Who taught him all this? He would say, ‘Even when I was outside this ashram it was the same.’

As a student in Gudiyatham (polytechnique) he used to be correct with his work. Looks like some others who were with him would never study. They used to drink a lot. Before entering his room they would be so afraid. They would always ask, ‘Swami is it ok for us to come in?’ He would mention this and say, ‘Even there it was the same. People would simply be afraid at the sight of me. They would never come in. I would simply push all of them outside and lock the door. They would beg me, ‘Swami please open the door. Please open the door.’ They would beg in this manner through the night. I never liked this drinking habit even then.’

Another incident that happened with him... I had a FM radio with me. I got it as a gift. I used to listen to it quite often and Swami would do his sadhana. This radio would disturb his sadhana often. He would open his eyes and wonder why he was getting disturbed. I would be listening to this radio in one corner of the room. Since I was his senior I would never bother about him whatever he did. He would ask me, ‘What are you listening to?’ I would reply, ‘I am listening to songs on God.’ He would simply say, ‘Oh! is that so!’ I knew this was disturbing him. But only now I am able to understand why it bothered him. Since it was FM radio only cinema songs will be played. Bhajans will not be played. Since the vibrations that this creates would be different, it would disturb his sadhana. Then he got used to it and would say, ‘Oh! You are listening to this!’

Then one day when we were chatting he asked me, ‘How do you turn this on?’ Then I showed him the knob and told him that if he turned this on the small red light will come on showing that it is on and then the songs will come on FM radio. While showing him without my knowledge by mistake I increased the volume.

Swami realized that it was cinema songs that were being played. Then he said, ‘Maharaj, all these days I was thinking why I was getting disturbed. It is because you are listening to cinema songs!’ The vibrations from the cinema songs are different and the vibrations of his meditation are different. So they cross each other and cause disturbance. He said, ‘So you have been listening to cinema songs all this while?’ I said, ‘Yes maharaj’. He said, ‘In future you should not listen to cinema songs.’ I used to listen to it after that incident when he was not in the room. As soon as he came into the room I would switch it off.

As soon as he feels disturbed he would stare at the radio where the red light would burn. He would see if the light is burning when I keep it near my ears. If he sees the red light, that is enough; he would stop all his sadhana. He would stop doing his japa. He would get up and say, ‘Maharaj, first give me that. Let me throw this away. Are you going to switch it off? Otherwise I will not be able to sit here.’ So it would be full of comedy. It would be very funny. Still I am unable to understand how he was disturbed when I was listening to the radio. If we keep it near our ears and listen how will it disturb the others? The volume would be very low. Only once when I increased the volume it would have disturbed him.

Actually I got his permission before I started using this radio. I told him that I have this small unit. He said, ‘You keep whatever you want and do whatever you want to do.’ When I told him that I would be listening to songs on God he immediately said, ‘You do all that. You listen to that music, and I will do my sadhana.’ And he continued doing his sadhana.

Often when I listened to the radio it would disturb him and he would look up in a puzzled manner and wonder why he was getting disturbed. But he was not able to find out what caused the disturbance. But that day when the volume was slightly increased he found out the reason. He knew I was listening to cinema music all the time. From then on he would always be on the lookout. He was not even bothered if I was listening to cinema music or if I had the radio near my ears. He would not even believe me if I told him the cassette was being played. The moment he saw the red light he would get angry. Then after sometime it got lost. So in this manner many incidents where he has inspired us at the same time done his sadhana have happened.

He would show many examples to show that the same Shakti is at work. It is the same Shakti that worked in Shri Ramakrishna and Sharada Devi that is working here as well. In the kitchen he would work just as how Sharada Devi would work. How Sharada Devi would work in the kitchen showing affection to everybody, he would do the same. Swami would never leave out even a single devotee. He would attend to each and every one of them. Till the end whether they are good or bad he will attend to them till they finish their food and leave.

Then there was a senior Swami in the ashram. His mother used to frequent the ashram. We used to call her the ‘maya’ of the ashram. This was because she used to control the entire ashram. She would overpower all the bramhacharis. Her domination on us would be too much. So we would never get along with her. We always considered her as our enemy.

Swami used to love sannyasis whether they were fake sannyasis or poor sannyasis, whatever the case. Even though this lady’s son was only a sannyasi she would wear saffron robes and come into the ashram like a sannyasi. She actually lived outside the ashram as a householder would do with her grandchildren but she would wear saffron robes and come into the ashram. Many people who frequented the ashram thought that this lady was a senior sannyasi and they would bow down to her and listen to her advice.

One day this lady came to Swami. I was watching all this. Two more bramhacharis were with me. Swami would simply adore anyone who came in sannyasi clothes. As soon as this lady came he paid his dues respects as a sannyasi to her. He gave her food and served her so well. This lady and we were always clashing. I stood there just to see what this lady was going to do. All the bramhacharis were there watching this. When Swami truly thought her to be a bramhachari and put both his hands together and did namaskar to her she felt miserable. She was doubtful if Swami was really a bramhachari. Swami had never seen her before or known her. Swami gave her prasad and sent her home.

Ever since that day, whenever this lady came to the ashram after that incident she would put both her hands together and do pranam to Swami first. She would be angry if she saw us and we would be angry when we saw her. Now it was different. She would ask Swami, how he was in a concerned way. To that extent she had changed after that one interaction with Swami. We said to her, ‘There is a maya for this mutt. That maya has left you. You have won over that maya. Swami was surprised and asked us, ‘Maharaj, this lady used to scold you is it? Oh! I was not aware of that. If I had known about it earlier I would have scolded her.’

==Gopal Maharaj's Relationship with SPH Today==

There is a story called Kuschela Bagyanam. Let me tell you who Kuschela was…

In the Bhagavatam, there is a story called Kuschela Bagyanam. The Bhagavatam is divided into many chapters. Each chapter is devoted to one event or happening (in Lord Krishna’s life). Krishna’s birth is given as one chapter. When Krishna was born the Bhagavatam says, ‘When the birth-less One was born…..’ All this I have read. But I have not put into practice what I have read.

A doctor had read all this and was putting into practice what he had read. He was running a medical shop keeping in mind all these values. I had seen this. Since I had read about all this I could understand the basis on which he was running the show. I know the other side as well.

In the Bhagavatam there was a story called Kuschela Bagyanam. Among all the books that talk about Krishna, the Bhagavatam is one of the main books. Many have praised the Bhagavatam. This is because it is written by Vyasa’s son Sukha. Sukha was an enlightened person. Since the story is told by an enlightened person it is an important book for all devotees. It does not talk about anything else. It talks only of the story of Krishna. It talks of Krishna in the second chapter. It talks about when Krishna was born, how he lived, his life history in general. There are many stories about how Krishna killed Kamsa a demon, how he danced with the gopis, all the leelas (divine play) he did in Brindavan, all the demons he killed. After all this there is this story about a boy with whom Krishna studied.

At that time, Krishna was a king. Since he killed Kamsa he became the king of Mathurapuri. Kuschela was his school mate. There were many other schoolmates but only Kuschela is mentioned in the Bhagavatam. Kuschela comes to see Krishna one day after he became the king of Mathurapuri. The story Kuschela Bagyanam is about why he came to see Krishna.

While Krishna had become a king, Kuschela had gone to his village and married an ordinary girl. He had twenty seven children. With twenty seven children he was very poor. He was called an unjavruthi bramhanan. In those days if you were a brahmin you had to beg your food or you had to collect all the fallen rice grains in the fields and bring it home, husk it and cook that and eat it for your daily food. That is why these people are called unjavruthi bramhanan. Kuschela lived in this manner.

Kuschela’s wife came to know that Krishna was Kuschela’s school mate, and that both of them were friends who stayed together. She also came to know that Krishna was the king of Mathurapuri, while they lived a poor livelihood in a remote village of Mathurapuri. She would urge Kuschela everyday, ‘Why don’t you go and visit your friend Krishna? Why don’t you seek his help? Why don’t you go and see him?’ Kuschela was very shy by nature. He thought to himself, ‘Krishna is a big man now. If I go and see him now I do not know if the palace guards will allow me inside. I do not know if Krishna will see me. Then we were roommates. We studied together in the same gurukul. We would put our hands around each others’ shoulders and walk around. Now he is a big king. I don’t know if I will be allowed inside the palace. How will I be able to see him?’

But he could not take the pressure from his wife anymore. So he decided to go and see Krishna. He thought, ‘I will go and let Krishna take care of the rest.’ His wife told him, ‘You have to ask him for plenty of money. If you come empty handed I will be mad.’
When she said this Kuschela did not know what to take as gift for Krishna. There was some beaten rice that he gathered in his sleeve to give for Krishna and left.

Kuschela reached the palace. As soon as Krishna heard that Kuschela had come to see him he was overjoyed. He came down from his throne and went personally to welcome Kuschela. He took him into the palace and made him sit next to him on the throne and attended to him. He noticed the beaten rice. So he asked Kuschela, ‘Kuschela looks like you have brought something for me.’ Kuschela was ashamed and shy and thought to himself, ‘How can I give this little beaten rice to such a big king?’ Thinking so he answered Krishna, ‘No I have not brought anything for you.’ But Krishna simply took the beaten rice from him and put it in his mouth. He is about to put another handful in his mouth when Lakshmi the goddess of wealth stopped him and said, ‘No my lord already plenty has gone to Kuschela.’ Understanding this Krishna stopped himself from eating more.

Krishna took Kuschela out and showed him how much Mathurapuri had changed. Kuschela’s joy knew no bounds. He was shocked to see the way Krishna treated him. He thought to himself, ‘What is this. Krishna seems to be the same person that he was in his childhood days. He is the same Gurukula Krishna. Although he belongs to the royal family he is still the same.’ Krishna arranged a carriage for him to go back home and bid farewell to him.

When Kuschela arrived at home he could not find his home. In the place of his hut there was a modern mansion. In the time that Kuschela was in the palace, Krishna understood his predicament and arranges for all the comforts for his day to day living.’ His wife comes out of the mansion and greets him, ‘Come, come this is our family!’ Each child comes out to greet him with new clothes. All this happened just by going and seeing Krishna.

Krishna did not forget his friend Kuschela even when he became king. He was the same old gurukula friend. As far as Krishna was concerned he may have killed Kamsa, he may have gone here and there, he may have many achievements to his credit, but Kuschela was still his old friend.

When I think of this story I feel may be even I have come to see Krishna who is the form of Swami now. This is because he gave me his word. Pranananda was also there when he said this. I came here to ask for help from Swami. I asked him, ‘Swami, will you help me? I have switched jobs?’ We were talking only casually. Swami told me at that time, ‘The same shakti that works within me will help you.’ Without understanding his words, I again asked him, ‘Swami you will not let me down right?’ He said, ‘That shakti that works within me will not let you down.’

When Swami refers to the shakti or energy or power within him, he is referring to the Existential energy. Swami is referring to the same shakti that took form as Buddha, Shri Ramakrishna, all the incarnations, and did all these leelas. Then also Swami looked at this way. Now also Swami looks at this in the same manner. The same shakti is there within him now also. He said, ‘That shakti will not let you down.’ I came to hear this. And I have been reassured. I came to see that shakti. I know that when he was Rajashekaran, the same shakti was functioning within him. Even after he became Nithyananda the same shakti is functioning within him. I got this opportunity to see Swami and hear these words, so I am very fortunate.

In the same way if you look at the temple opening, Swami would take the brick and lay it down with his own hands. If you look back at the history books, this has happened in the period of Mohamud Nabi. He has built the dharga himself. That is why every Muslim has deep faith in the dharga and is eager to go there and do worship, since it was built by an enlightened Master with his own hands. That is in the Islamic religion. Now Swami has done this.

In the same manner our Swami has also done all this work with his own hands. When we were in the Belur Mutt, Sri Ramakrishna has never been there. All the other senior Swamis have been there.

If you look at the Dakshineshwar Kali temple it is as if it was built just for Sri Ramakrishna. Now Bidadi has been created just for Swami. If Swami came to the Ramakrishna Mutt and stayed there for some time, it is because he came there to show us how to conduct ourselves and how to live in this mutt. He came and inspired all of us there in the mutt. But we never paid much heed to his words. If we had taken up what he said seriously and followed it, we would be very spiritually elevated by now.

Even now what all he said then is happening now. He said there would be a temple here. He said that this would be here. Even before things took place he predicated all the happenings. He told us then, ‘I am going to do all these things.’ And he has done it now within a very short time span. I am not able to believe that all this has happened!

There were two groups in the ashram then. One group would say, ‘Hey Rajashekaran will become a great jnani in future. We have read that, ‘Bramhavid, bramhiva…….’ When incarnations come down to earth continuously, they will walk in a separate path. They will not walk in the path that we have made for them. They will have an exclusive path which will be brilliant. We agreed upon this and agreed at that time that Rajashekaran was one of them. But the very people who declared this are now not in a position to come and see him because of many restrictions in the place they live.

So I have had this fortune of coming and seeing Swami. They all do not want to come. Susesdran is still there. Duraipandian is there. Many others who were there then are still there now. All of them are stuck within the conventions of that ashram. So they all are walking a different path. They were the ones who first said, ‘Swami will be a great person one day.’ But they are unable to come and see him now. The people who declared that he will be a great person, the first ashram or center that he began in Kanchipuram and the children who came to that ashram are all there even now. All these people had great love for the old Rajashekaran Maharaj.

Here is another comedy that happened that I recall about Swami’s grandmother. His grandmother was a home bird. She did not know how to go anywhere outside of her home. One day we had gone out - Swami and I. When we came back we found a visitor card for Swami mentioning that his grandmother was there to see him here. Swami mentioned that his grandmother has never stepped out of the house. She has never gone anywhere. So she does not know anything of the world outside of home. She kept a dog as a pet in the house. His name was Mani. She would be with that dog most of the time.

Since we were all sannyasis we would always have this feeling that we should not respect householders. We would make fun in this way. Swami himself has said about his grandmother that, ‘These people will not even respect God. They will not take an interest in God. She will only go behind that dog calling him, ‘Mani, Mani’. The dog was her life. She did not know anything about life outside of home.’

A woman who has lived such a life came all the way from Tiruvannamalai to see Swami! But Swami had not forgotten her. He called her in an affectionate manner, made her sit down, spoke to her and served her. It seems this grandmother cannot be without seeing Swami. Then he called for a volunteer and told him to escort his grandmother to the bus stand and put her on a bus to go to Tiruvannamalai. He made all these arrangements and then came to me and said, ‘This grandmother does not know anything. And she left Tiruvannamalai alone and has come all the way to see me! What is this maharaj? This is truly a wonder!’ After this he also spoke about the love his family had for him.

Interviewer: How much love Swami must have shown his grandmother that she came all the way to see him?

Gopal Maharaj: A similar story again comes in the Bhagavatam. It is a story about Brahma and Krishna. Krishna’s fame spreads all over. Everybody utters, ‘Krishna, Krishna’ all the time. Everyone says, ‘Krishna said this. Krishna did this.’ All the cows and calves in Gokulam, as soon as they wake up they would go to see Krishna and only then give milk. Only after the cows see Krishna, they are milked and then the calves drink milk from their mothers. Only after this the gopis would go to their houses to do house work.

Brahma did not like the popularity of Krishna. He was very angry. He tells himself, ‘All the time everyone is uttering, ‘Krishna, Krishna.’ I am the creator of the world, but no one is respecting me. I have to do something about this. I have to put Krishna in his place.’

One day Brahma takes everyone - the gopis, the cows, the calves, except Krishna and puts them in prison in Brahmaloka. He says, ‘If Krishna comes and asks him for pardon then he will release all the prisoners.’ One year passed in this manner but nobody came to ask what happened. There were no complaints. Everyone behaved as if nothing had happened.

Now Brahma himself became afraid. So he decided to come down to earth and see for himself what is going on in Gokulam. When he came down to Gokulam he saw the same gopis, the same cows and the very same calves that he had taken to prison with him. The set up remained the same. Brahma was afraid. He thought that they may have escaped from prison. So he goes immediately to Brahmaloka to confirm this. When he goes there, he finds another Brahma sitting in his seat! In the time he came out of Brahmaloka another Brahma has been created there. It is then that Brahma becomes really afraid!

Brahma realizes and feels, ‘Krishna, you are God. I made a mistake. Please pardon me.’ All the gopis and cows and calves are still there. In Brahma’s seat there is another Brahma! That Brahma looks at this real Brahma and asks him, ‘Who are you sir?’ Brahma became very afraid. He tells him, ‘I am Brahma’ and runs back to Krishna and asks for pardon. He says, ‘Krishna, please forgive me. Unknowingly I took them all to prison with me.’ Krishna says, ‘I am God. You are only in charge of Creation. I gave birth to you. Everyone will respect me. I will take care of everyone.’

During this time what has happened is that Krishna has taken numerous forms. Krishna came to know that Brahma had captured everyone. So he became the calves. He became the gopis. He became the cows. As a result, the habit of everyone commencing their work only after seeing Krishna was not there anymore since everyone was Krishna himself.

If it is 6 am in the morning the cow would begin to give milk. The cows would go to graze in the fields. The gopis would be in their homes. Nobody would go to see Krishna since everyone was Krishna.

Only the devas came as Gopis. Only these devas have been imprisoned. Now nobody needs to see anybody. Everyone remained where they were. All these incidents have happened in the life of Krishna. So what happened in the Bhagavatam is happening even now.

When Swami was surprised that his grandmother had come to see him I did not understand the significance. Now looking back at this story in Bhagavatam I am able to relate to this incident. Though this grandmother did not know the way she still came to see him. Two or three children from the Kanchipuram ashram also came to see Swami. They used to constantly ask their parents to take them to see Swami in Chennai. They would urge their parents, ‘Come let us go and see Swami.’

Interviewer: Oh! They would come to see Swami at the Mylapore ashram?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes! They would come. Immediately Swami would take care of them well. There was a Ramakrishna Sangam. That was meant for children. Just to see Swami they would come to see Ramakrishna. This is because Swami would take care of them individually. When they leave after the program he would pat them on their back and give them some sundal or kesari. He would give them each something, when he was the annadhatha.

All those children will never forget Rajashekaran even today! They would want to see Swami. They would go and ask the senior Swamis in the ashram that they want to see Rajashekaran Maharaj. This would make the senior Swami angry. They would ask these children, ‘How come you don’t come to see me but you want to see Rajashekaran Maharaj?’ Wherever he goes this was how it was.

I have told him many times, ‘Maharaj this is not necessary. Anything can happen. Since these children come alone to see him if anything happens you will earn a bad name.’ Till the end Swami would say, ‘Maharaj these children have come. Till the end these poor children have not eaten. It is we who have to feed them. We must give them prasad. These children have come to see us. All the people who have come, we cannot let them go empty handed Maharaj.’ When he did all this it all seemed so simple. Only now after seeing his mission and how it has spread that quality of caring for others and the compassion and love for people was there even then in those days. It was not something new that came to him. He was the same then. He is the same now.

They would all fight. But all would agree that what Swami says is right. They would have so much love for Swami. All of them there had that love for Swami.

Interviewer: There would be fights?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes there would be fights. That is if Swami feels that something is not right, immediately he would tell that to the person concerned. The other person would never think of Swami as his enemy even if Swami points out his mistake. They would have that love for Swami. Even though their association with Swami may have been recent still they would never be angry with Swami if he points out their mistake.

Interviewer: Within them, all the Ramakrishna mutt brahmacharis will have the desire to see swami today right?

Gopal Maharaj: I look upon this as my fortune to be able to come and see Swami. Swami selected me as his roommate. Initially when Swami joined the ashram he stayed with four others. Till the end Swami was my roommate.

The four people with whom Swami stayed were Duraipandian, Susendran, another brahmachari and himself. That room was very hot. It was centrally located opposite the kitchen. Susendran was an office worker. Duraipandian was a store worker. Both of them would come to the room in the afternoon to take a nap. But Swami was different. If he is not able to sleep or do sadhana he would simply start walking with that stick. That would make a noise ‘tak, tak’. If he walked like this in the room this noise will make them angry. So they would constantly be controlling Swami.

At that time a brahmachari by name Manivannan left the ashram. He was not able to stay in the ashram and he was not able to do anything. The department that that brahmachari was looking into came into Swami’s hands now since he had left the ashram. Normally this department would only be handed to a senior. It was the kitchen department. This post of annadatha is normally given only to a senior since the person in-charge of this department would have a link with everybody in the ashram and would have to interact with everyone. If the President Maharaj comes the annadatha has to take care of him. Right from the President of the ashram it is the annadatha who has to serve them their food.

The store department is not like this. Duraipandian was in-charge of that. Whether books sell or not there would be volunteers and workers. Duraipandian had to just keep track of the accounts. He does not have to do anything other than that. The set up was already there.

But the kitchen department is very different. It is a day-to-day activity. You need to buy many things. You need to give the cooks all the ingredients. If a Swami has to leave urgently say his flight is at 6 am in the morning you need to give him his horlicks. You need to get his tiffin ready. Nobody will be there to help at 6 am in the morning. If the Swami says he will not eat any food outside and his train is at 5 am in the morning, Swami has to get up and get everything for this Swami. This department came to Swami’s hands and he did the job very efficiently.

There was no one there to scold Swami or to correct him or to find fault with him as far his work in the kitchen was concerned. This is because Swami was very correct in his work. At that time since my room was vacant, Swami came and stayed with me.

I was in-charge of the temple department. Who eats or does not eat the naivedhyam for Sri Ramakrishna had to come on time to the temple. No matter who comes or not no matter which work is not finished this had to be done. Sundays was a holiday for other departments. Everyone would wake up late. But these two departments - the temple and the kitchen had no holidays. Since both our departments were related and my room was big enough, Swami decided to stay with me. He told me, ‘Maharaj I will come to your room and stay with you.’ I never had any roommate before. Till now I have only stayed alone in the room. His is because of the nature of my work. I was always doing the temple work. Since all felt that I should not be disturbed, I was left to myself.

Both of us went to Gauthamanandar and asked for permission. I introduced Swami and said he would like to share my room with me. Gauthamanandar said, ‘If it is not a problem for you, let him stay with you.’ Swami also told me, ‘This is the right place for me. This was because the kitchen was right opposite it. And the department that you are in-charge is connected to my department, work wise.’ Since Gautamanandar said, ‘If it is not a problem for both of you then you can stay in his room’ Swami came and stayed with me. This was the room Swami himself chose. There were other vacant rooms available. This room only Swami felt was appropriate for him to stay. This room was straight below the temple the shrine with Guru Maharaj was directly above this room.

Sri Ramakrishna’s asthi (ashes collected after the last rites) was there above. Normally in big mutt like this one the asthi of the Guru would be kept. Maybe he had some old connection with that or some other mystical reason I do not know for choosing to stay with me in this room. All the deities that he kept with him were directly below the shrine. Also the place where he sat for his sadhana was just below. That is all this was just below Sri Ramakrishna’s idol in the shrine above. I would sleep in one corner of the room. He would sleep there and do his sadhana there. Maybe Swami chose this room just for its location. I do not know. He was in this room till he left the Mutt.

Interviewer: When he stayed with you did he talk about mystical things?

Gopal Maharaj: Mystical means … Yes he would talk about spiritual topics. Whenever he began talking about this he would become a totally different person. We would feel a different person is talking through him. We would not feel it is the old Rajashekaran bramhachari talking. It would sound like a different person talking. So that itself would differentiate him from the others. But as far as we are concerned we will look at him always as our old Rajashekaran. Now how he has that same bhava he had even then. He would walk only with that bhava. He would sleep with that same bhava. We thought, ‘He is simply playing the fool. He cannot sit simply for a minute.’ We were all able to be normal and ordinary.

Interviewer: He would go on doing something or the other?

Gopal Maharaj: Actually we had a chance to see the intensity of the sadhana. Now I think back and feel, ‘Maybe we could have also been more intense in our sadhana. Swami told us to be more intense. He was intense and he has achieved. This is the truth. We are seeing that it has happened. He is an avatara purusha (incarnation). We are seeing the path of an avatara purusha.

I saw one more thing in Swami’s website. When the temple was being built, both of us were there – myself and Swami. When the temple construction work was going on, Swami would finish his kitchen work, I would finish my temple work and we would go to this construction site to walk over there. The others would be sleeping. Whether Swami talks about the material world or the spiritual world, both would be very motivating.

Interviewer: It will be fulfilling and motivating.

Gopal Maharaj: Yes, that is how it would be. The ashram had bought three lorries to transport stones for the site. Swami took me to one of the lorries and made me sit inside and switched on the engine. He taught me how to drive the lorry. I would ask him, ‘Maharaj what is this key for, what is this for?’ He would jokingly reply, ‘If you pull this up then you have to stop before a strong and solid tree for the vehicle to hit the tree.’ He would ask me, ‘Maharaj you know why they do this? You know why all this is happening? Do you know why they have stuck a cloth here?’

Interviewer: He would question in a scientific manner?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes, he would explain everything scientifically. He would show everything and explain it. Now just as he has built his ashram he would explain why other ashrams are built. These explanations would be wonderful and astonishing to listen to.

Interviewer: From where did he get to know all this? Would he read a lot?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes, he would read any book.

Interviewer: How many days would he take to read one book?

Gopal Maharaj: He would read it very quickly. He never had any time exclusively to read. Most of the books Swami reads will be related to sadhana. Whether it is Tamil or English he will take it and read the book. He would read Ramakrishna, Sharada Devi and Vivekananda books. After reading it he would practice everything that they practiced. He would urge us also to do the same. He would also do it. There was a very senior Swami by name Thiayarajanandar. Swami would go to him and give him explanations for Bhagavat Gita. He would quote from Arunagiri Nathar and say that all these lines are there.

Interviewer: In the Puranas..

Gopal Maharaj. Yes, from the Puranas. How it is in Shaiva Siddhantha, how it is in Tamil books, the same thing that has been said there (in the Puranas in Sanskrit) is here (in the Tamil works). What has been said here is there. He would explain all this and show us. He would tell us the possibilities of all those can become yogis. He would tell me, ‘Maharaj, if you practice this you will become this yogi. If you do this sadhana you will become this yogi.’ We would only read these books and discuss lightly but Swami would come and join in the discussion and take it very deeply and he will beautifully put it across in a practical way. He would say, ‘Do all this maharaj. Do it in this way.’ And take the conversation in a different direction beautifully.

He would show us what guru bhakti is. I told you that Swami had been to Calcutta right? After that he had come here once. When he came here…

Interviewer: Was this when he came for training?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes, when he had come for training, the temple was half built. I had not seen him after he came. Everyone had seen him. I went to the room to check if he was there. I was looking for him thinking, ‘Where did he go? I don’t see him anywhere.’

I was able to see him only in the afternoon. He was so inspired and enthusiastic. He said, ‘Gopal Maharaj you have come? Come on in.’ I told you right about the temple being half finished. It was a very small place. He told me, ‘See, come here. We are building it this way. We are going to consecrate the main Guru deity here. We are going to do this here.’ He began this way. I thought he would stop with that.

I had got a watch from the Guru and deeksha. I showed him the watch and told him that I got it from him who was then the President of the ashram. Swami immediately said, ‘If it is his watch I will take it. Come to my room and have a look. Many people have given me all this. Please take whatever you want from this and give me that Guru’s watch.’ That was the Guru bhakti he showed. Now he is giving training to all of you.

In the exchange he gave me two big lamps that someone had given him. He did not accept it. It was lying in his room. Even now if you go to old devotees houses they would say, ‘This was what Rajashekaran Maharaj gave to us.’ Even if the person is a volunteer he would never send them away empty handed. He would hand them some fruits.

Interviewer: If he gives away all that, won’t they question in the ashram?

Gopal Maharaj: He was the kitchen in-charge right?

Interviewer: If you are the department head you can give away anything to anybody is it?

Gopal Maharaj: He would only give away the excess remaining that might go waste if not given away. The others who were in charge of this department will not give others and it will get wasted also.

Interviewer: Oh!

Gopal Maharaj: Either he must give money to bramhacharis like us or make a fruit salad out of all the excess fruits and serve it to us. When this comes under his control Swami will see to it that nothing is wasted. If a poor man comes, immediately he will give him something. Swami will always give to others what has to be given to them.

This aspect of Swami is practical life, not even mystical or spiritual aspects. There was a worker by name Anthony. Swami made him do all the sadhana and gave him prasad and Anthony who was a Christian became a Hindu. Swami was like God to him. Early in the morning his job was to sweep. He would commence his work only after coming and seeing Swami and doing pranam to him. He would come and look for Swami to do this everyday.

Interviewer: So swami had disciples from then itself……

Gopal Maharaj: We would all make fun of him and say, ‘Hey, your disciple has come.’ Anthony would come do a pranam, take Swami’s blessings and then commence his work. Anthony was a well-built person. Only if he began his day this way he would feel like he has done his job for the day. I do not know what leelas Swami did to him.

Interviewer: So you were so many of them there in the ashram?

Gopal Maharaj: Brahmacharis were about twenty five in number.

Interviewer: Twenty five?

Gopal Maharaj: Twenty five people formed one group. Then there would be other brahmacharis who visit from other ashrams. This way almost everyone there would know about Swami. The entire order would know about him.

Interviewer: The people who stay there now know Swami?

Gopal Maharaj: The people who stay there now, the people who were there when Swami joined and the people who joined earlier than that, all of them know Swami. This is because Swami was such an influential personality. His influence is not after he became known to the world. That influence was there even then. He did not show any big miracles at that time. If he revealed to us that he was an avatar at that time we would not have let go of him at that time. He showed us the way of life. He showed us how to do sadhana. When we saw him do all that sadhana, we ourselves who saw him would ask, ‘Why is he doing all this?’

Interviewer: You felt that he was doing too much and you all were not doing anything?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes, we felt we were not doing anything. Swami would do the sadhana well. He would show us how to do it. Swami would do all this. This was there within him even then. But what I find surprising even to this day is swami’s body is okay now. During those days, swami used to be very thin. During that period I used to make fun of him, ‘Maharaj, the way you are working you are going to become bed ridden. They are going to drive you out of the ashram. There is no need for such intensity in your sadhana. This is not good for your health.’ We used to tease him in this way. Even the other devotees would have great reverence for him. Since he was with us all the time we never thought of his greatness. We would tell him, ‘Don’t do all this. All this is wrong. Don’t do it.’ We would say all this.

There was another place. Children used to come there. He would never send them back empty handed. There was no necessity for him to take care of them. He would stay with them and take care of all their needs. Even if there were 100 children he would talk to each of them separately. All the hundred would know him. Each of them would have a personal relationship with him. The other Swami would bless them all as a group and would walk away. He did this in the Kanchipuram ashram. He did that here also. So this quality or personal touch that he had with each one that he came into contact with was there even then.

Interviewer: Was Swami involved in any publication activity.

Gopal Maharaj: He would help here and there. But his main department was the annadhatha department, the kitchen department. There were other departments like the guest department where he had to take care of the guests of the mutt. These additional responsibilities were in some way connected to his main department. Since he was very intellectual and very well read and knew everything, people consulted him on various matters. He would do everything.

I heard something else about Swami also. When he came out of Ramakrishna ashram he stayed somewhere else in Calcutta. I heard about this from Radhakrishnan. Swami wanted to go to some other place so he came to the Calcutta railway station. There an ardent devotee approached him and said, ‘You look like a very great saint.’ I do not know how Swami learnt Bengali there. I do not know if this man knew Bengali either.
He told Swami, ‘You must come with me. You please be a member of my Trust. You must only oversee the Trust activities. You be the person in-charge of everything.’ Swami went along with him and developed the Trust and its activities.

Swami told him that he would function only independently and he would not affiliate himself with any Trust. He said, ‘I will have my own ashram.’ Like how Palani Murugan said, ‘This is my place. This is my kingdom.’ Swami said, ‘My people will come. I will stay only with my people.’ Looks like this man who offered this Trust is an ardent devotee of Ramakrishna. He has told Swami that only Swami must take on the Trust and run it. This devotee has spoken thus to Swami.

Even in his early days Swami began to get offers. As soon as he came out of the mutt offers came in. Ramakrishna never let down Swami. That is because Swami himself is Ramakrishna! He got a property worth 1 ½ crore. Radhakrishna told me this. I was with Radhakrishnan in the ashram at that time. Swami had come out of the Ramakrishna ashram. Only I was still there in the ashram then. I was in Bangalore at that time. Then Radhakrishnan was in Ulsoor. When he was at Ulsoor he told me this. He said, ‘Rajashekaran is a great man! As soon as he came out of the Ramakrishna order, property was offered to him. But Rajashekaran refused that offer and went away! If he refused a 1 ½ crore property offer, what kind of a man he must be!’

The news that property worth 1 ½ crore came his way and he refused it was a shock to our order. We were not able to even collect 5 or 10 rupees at that time. But 1 ½ crore worth property was offered to him and Swami asked the person who offered it to keep the property with him. The person who offered it to him said, ‘This school, the Trust, all of this belongs to you. You can change anything you want.’ Even then Swami said, ‘No you keep it. I am going to do more sadhana.’ Swami said this and came away from there.

After going on parivrajaka, after coming to Bangalore I heard all this about Swami. I was so surprised.

''Interviewer'': You heard about all this?

''Gopal Maharaj'': Yes. The people who stayed with me told me about all this. Even now news about Swami comes to the ashram all the time. The look, the talk about Swami, everything is sweet about him. There is a song called ‘Mathurathipathae’ where it says ‘Everything about God is sweet - his talk, his look, his actions.’ It says, ‘We are not able to understand your actions. We are not able to understand how you conduct today and how you conduct tomorrow.’

Many brahmacharis have gone out of the ashram and their life has gone to the dogs. In the ashram they always tell you, ‘Do not go out. If you go out your life will be destroyed. You will not be able to live.’ But as soon as Swami came out he was offered a property worth 1 ½ crore! He refused that! He says, ‘No, I am going to do more sadhana. My own place will come up soon.’ He could have stayed in Bangalore. But he did not stay there. He came here. He could have stayed in Chennai. But he did not stay in Chennai. So all this is truly a wonder!

Truly if we see this side and see the other side, it is very surprising. The Swamis who are there, most of them will have their main aim as, ‘Oh I want to get this senior post. Next I want to go abroad. I must go abroad and settle down in that ashram.’ Now some of the Swamis who were with us have all gone and settled in ashrams in other countries.

Swami never had this as his aim. Even then he would say, ‘Why should I go to America? The American people will come after me.’ Sometimes people would say about some of the Swamis in the ashram, ‘This Swami is going to go to France. What for him… He is an intellectual, so he will go abroad.’ But Swami would say, ‘People abroad must come in search of us, Maharaj. We are the people who should oversee. Watch, foreigners will come in search of me.’ We would think, ‘Okay again he has begun to blabber like a mad man. What is going to happen because of his words?’ But now all that he said is happening! Foreigners are coming in search of him. They come by any means of transportation, come and see him.

He said this at that time itself. He said, ‘You don’t go abroad.’ Two or three people who were with him and who learnt from him have gone abroad. At that time itself Swami used to come and tell me, ‘Why are these Swamis so crazy about going abroad? If they do their sadhana properly here in India, all that is abroad will come here soon! Won’t that happen?’

Whenever Swami reads a book or he reads something that he knows about already, he will always undertake to do the spiritual practices mentioned in those books fully. He feels the main aim of life should be to reach God. He feels that if one lives without realizing the divinity within them then their whole life is a waste. His whole life would only be centered on divinity. His words and his actions all of it would be centered only on divinity. To realize the divinity within him he would do everything possible. He was determined to be enlightened. That was his main aim in life to realize the divinity within him. Whether he goes to the temple to pray or undertakes to do any task it will only be to reach God.

During Aruthara Darisanam (festival where Lord Nataraja dances for His devotees), abhishekam (holy bath) is done for Lord Nataraja in the Kapaleswarar temple in Mylapore, Chennai. This abhishekam is done only in the night. We can go to the temple and pray to Lord Nataraja at 4 o’clock in the morning again. The temple would open at 4 in the morning.

After the mangala arati is over in the ashram he would motivate me and say, ‘Maharaj, at the temple they would have done abhishekam for Natarajar through the night. We must see that abhishekam in the night. Today is poornima. They have performed the abhishekam.’ He would talk as if the abhishekam was done on him. He would say, ‘These are the places where the abhisheka water would have flown down. Lord Nataraja would be so cool now after the abhishekam. If we see the Lord now we will get all the power! Go and see from this spot and you will be able to see well.’ He would tell me this and take me to the temple.

As soon as he reaches the temple he would be an entirely different person. He would take his time and never rush. If we enter the temple premises at 4 in the morning we would be out only at 8 am. The temple is not a very big temple. Swami would pray deeply in front of the Nandi deity (sacred bull of Lord Shiva) and then in front of the Kodi Kambam (temple flag staff). He would sit and meditate for some time. Then he would prostrate before the idol. He would be in total communion with Lord Shiva, looking at him and talking to him. He would finish all this and come very slowly.

The others in the ashram would hesitate to go to any temple. They would feel that they should not go and pray in any other shrine other than Ramakrishna. Swami was the only one would not fail to go to any temple. Swami had a special attraction for Shiva. The moment we even utter the word ‘Shiva’ it is enough. Just if we utter the word ‘Arunachala’ it is enough. If we casually mention the word, ‘Tiruvannamalai’ or ‘Arunachala’, he would simply jump up the moment he hears it. It would be like an echo. His response to these words would be like how he would respond when his name was called. When we saw all this we would feel that his behavior was mad. We would think, ‘If I utter ‘Arunachala’ why should he also utter ‘Arunachala’? If I say ‘Annamalaikku (To Lord Anamalayar)’ immediately he would say, ‘arohara (hail!)’.’ He would have that kind of intensity. This kind of behavior was very different for us.

Interviewer: Swami would never get tired and sit down even for one day?

Gopal Maharaj: I have never seen him cry or being tired or being sad. I have never seen him like that. When he fights he would fight angrily. Sometimes the other person would not be convinced and still would blame him for what happened. Swami would still fight with him and come away. The next time he meets this person whom he fought with, he would smile and talk to them. He would not hold that grudge. He would simply let go.

Every time he went on his parivrajaka and came back he would be full of intensity and fully energized. He would go for one month on parivrajaka and come back. Even when he came back he would be the same old Rajashekaran. He would come back and talk and laugh as usual.

The senior Swami would be angry with him for going away without informing the authorities. He would tell Swami, ‘If you go out like this against the orders of the mutt, we will simply send you out of the ashram.’ Swami would sit down and say, ‘Yes Swami, I understand.’ As he is listening to the senior Swami he will without the senior Swami’s knowledge change the topic. We would all be watching this whole scene. Swami would ask the senior Swami, ‘Swami have you done this sadhana before? Have you gone to the forest sat down alone and held your nose stilled your breath like this and done pranayama? Have you practiced breath control?’ The senior Swami hearing this will feel shaken and he will become quiet and begin to listen to what Swami is saying. Being eager to listen to more he would ask, ‘Why don’t you tell me some more about various sadhana methods.’

Swami would come out of the room and meet us. This senior Swami is much senior in the order of monks so we cannot really question him. After coming to the room he would make so much fun of the senior Swami to us. We would all make fun of Swami and ask him, ‘So you changed the subject and got away with it!’ Swami would say, ‘Yes now if you go and check him in his room he will be holding his nose and doing the pranayama that I told him about.’

So he would hog the show even then. Even at that time he knew how to bring each person into this spiritual fold. He had those leadership qualities. He would interact with us very freely. He would say, ‘I have told that swami all about spiritual practices.’ Since I was his roommate he would tell me about many things. He would say, ‘Maharaj, I have put across all these practices to him. Now if you go and see in his room, he will be standing upside down.’ There are Swamis who do the head stand here as well.

Among us the room allocation was like this: All the senior Swamis had separate rooms. Senior brahmacharis were four people in a room. Both of us - Swami and me, shared one room. If we have taken sannyas then we will be given a single room. Even these sannyasis, Swami would be able to make them listen to him, since he was much more intense in his sadhana.

This particular senior monk who took him to task stayed in a single room. In single rooms generally water will not be kept. So the resident would bring their water jug to the kitchen and get it filled with water. Since Swami’s department was the kitchen he would be there. Sometimes I would also be in the kitchen. I would have some work related to the kitchen. We would be finishing up the work or we would have all eaten and we would be standing together and chatting.

Then Swami would tell us, ‘I have pulled up this Swami and told him how to do sadhana.’ The other senior Swami would come to the kitchen to get water in the jug. As he enters, at the corner of his eye he would glance up at Swami take the water and go away. We would all be watching this. Immediately we would know what Swami said was right. We would understand that Swami had given it good to this senior Swami that he needs to do more sadhana. So what Swami said was true. Swami has spoken to him and pulled him up to be more intense in his sadhana.

Many senior Swamis would approach our Swami and ask him questions to clarify their doubts on how to do certain things. They would ask him where a certain type of sadhana would end. Right from how to celebrate the pongal festival, they would ask Swami all kinds of questions and doubts. They would ask, ‘How sugarcane plant has to be planted,’ ‘Why should we offer sugarcane on Pongal’ etc.

In our ashram we never did anything for Pongal festival. Only after Swami came, he started celebrating Pongal festival. He would say, ‘Come let us keep pongal for Lord Surya. Let us cook pongal outside and offer it to Surya.’ At our homes we would simply make this pongal in the cooker in the kitchen and offer to Lord Surya outside. Swami would say, ‘See in our homes we used to cook the pongal outside and offer it to Surya. Come, this is also our home. Let us offer pongal to Surya outside. We are all Ramakrishna’s children. Come let us celebrate Maharaj.’ Everyone would say, ‘Come Rajashekaran has said it, let us all celebrate. The senior Swami would announce, ‘Today Rajashekaran would sing and make pongal and we will celebrate this festival.’ Swami would bring sugar cane and offer to the Sun god.

If we involve Swami in something he would take on the entire responsibility for that event and see it through till the end. He would do it with total involvement, dance, make merry and have so much fun! Somehow to do these things he would be given permission from the seniors. Whether it is giving lectures or anything for that matter he would take it up and do his best.

Swami took up the editing for Ramakrishna Vijayam magazine. He would talk about how to make Navapaashana (ancient mystics’ elixir). He would talk about siddhars. He would narrate a separate story for each siddhar. Whatever Swami said they would record it fully. Paramathmanandar would write whatever Swami spoke about. Swami would take up and do anything.

Swami would do yoga for 14 hours. He would sit in meditation for 14 hours at a stretch. I have seen that.

Interviewer: He would not go to the department is it?

Gopal Maharaj: As for department work some days we would all go out. We would all go for a tour outside some times. During these times and some other times he would not have kitchen work. His supervision would not be necessary. It is during these times that I have seen this. He would sit for long stretches. In fact Swami had the desire to sit for 24 hours in meditation! During that time we had a volunteer come in. Swami would sit the entire night that would account for twelve hours. He would continue to sit in the morning as well. He would give instructions to the kitchen department the night before as to what had to be done. Volunteers would come in and he would tell them what to do. So this would account for 14 hours that I am talking about.

At that time we had a volunteer who would closely interact with Swami. He told Swami, ‘Me and my son have got back pain. Both of us are going to a yoga master. This master is the best yoga teacher in Chennai. He has been practicing yoga since his father’s days. We have been doing yoga for some time now.’ When he said this Swami was excited. He came to me and said, ‘Come, let us go and see. Let us learn yoga. Let us learn from this master how to sit for longer hours in meditation.’ I told him, ‘I am not interested in learning all that. If you want to go you go and learn.’

So Swami and this devotee’s son went to this yoga master. When they came back this devotee’s son looked very disturbed. I asked Swami ‘Did you go to the yoga master?’ Swami said, ‘The master said he did not know any posture that will help him to sit for extended hours of meditation. He said he does not know anything about this. It was a waste of time going there.’ After saying this Swami just went about doing his work.

After that I called that devotee’s son who went along with Swami and asked him, ‘What happened at the yoga master’s house? Why are you looking so disturbed?’ He replied, ‘What is this? Swami is going to this master and asking him how to do yoga for 24 hours! That master was simply taken aback!’ He told the master, ‘I am doing meditation for 14 hours now. How can I extend that to 24 hours? What posture would help me to sit that way? Please teach me that posture.’ That master was shaken. He told Swami, ‘I have only sat for meditation for two hours. At the most I can sit for 4 hours. So I don’t know about all this. I never do this.’ He said this and sent us away.

This boy asked me, ‘Is it true that he sits for such long hours in meditation?’ If Swami sits in the night for meditation he sits for 12 hours. If not, he will sit in meditation during other times. At other times he will be in that meditative state or bhava all the time. This is the way Swami’s life was.

Interviewer: So far whose bhava would Swami practice?

Gopal Maharaj: He would practice Vivekananda’s bhava. He would also practice Ramakrishna’s bhava. He would be just like Sharada Devi. There will not be anything to practice there as far as Sharada Devi is concerned since he would be just like her! That love she had for others would be there with Swami also when he is like Sharada Devi. If you consider Vivekananda’s bhava, you can’t even say Swami is practicing his bhava. It is a majestic and royal bhava! His very face will radiate that majestic nature when he walks with the stick in his hand. Swami would always be in that spiritual state.

If he is not in that state he will be laughing and full of life. He would come and tell us, ‘I made fun of this Swami. That Swami told me this. I am a sannyasi who knows everything. That Swami came and said this about me. I have seen Issakki Siddhar. Do you know who he is maharaj? He is an enlightened master. We should follow his footsteps maharaj. We should do these things that he has advocated.’ We would be in a totally different space. These things that Swami says would not interest us. He would simply be telling these kinds of things.

Our own sannyasis do not know of all this. He would go and ask them, ‘Do you know a way to reach God?’ When he asks such questions the very persons to whom he asks would not have seen God! They would simply respond, ‘Rajashekara, please do not ask us these kind of questions. We do not know the answer to these questions.’ He would sometimes ask, ‘See maharaj these type of sadhana practices are recommended. Why don’t we do it here in the ashram?’ They would simply say, ‘These practices do not go well with this ashram rules and culture. You should not question all this.’ They would simply say this and close the topic. The senior Swamis would simply avoid talking about all this. Swami was the only one who would question all this and do all types of sadhana. He would do all these practices and he would have tremendous clarity about everything.

Interviewer: When he talks he will talk with great depth about everything, right?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes. Anything he talks about he will go in great depth about it. You just have to start Swami on spirituality whether it is in the class or outside, he would be in a different world all together! He would be in a different plane and sitting in a different space altogether. Then we have to literally shake his head and bring him back to this world. We would tell him, ’Swami it is 1 o’clock. You have work to attend to. It is one o’clock. That maharaj asked for some tea at 3 o’clock. So go maharaj, you have some work to attend to.’ Only we have to remind him and bring him back to this world. Otherwise we would not know how the time passes when swami begins to talk.

When he was my roommate his intensity inspired me and I had a vinayakar deity with me. All the senior Swamis visited our room. After seeing all the poojas that Swami and I did in our room, he mentioned about the poojas to everyone in class one day. He said to the class, ‘In the company of Rajashekaran, I think even Gopal will become a sannyasi!’ We would have big deities in our room and we would do pooja for them. People said, ‘These two people being roommates have begun to do all this worship in their room downstairs. There is already the temple above, now there is a temple below as well.’ This temple below was called ‘Rajashekaran temple’. People never referred to it as a room. We used to refer to this room as Rajashekaran temple only!

Interviewer: You mean the room itself was referred to as Rajashekaran temple only?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes. It was referred to as Rajashekaran Temple only. They would say, ‘They already have a deity of Vinayagar and they are doing puja for it. Don’t know where all this is going to lead. I used to put all the devotional songs from the radio in the room. Swami used to do all the puja, meditation and prayer and he used to dress the devi deity in a saree and do the decoration for the idol. Swami used to do all this beautifully.

I had only a Ganesha deity, so there was not much to decorate. I used to switch on the radio when I had to do abhishekam for Ganesha. I used to hear it with the headphones. Hearing all these songs, that Swami came into our room. The senior Swami came to class that night and said, ‘Looks like you are running a separate temple below. By looking at the temple above they have started this temple below.’ Since there was the ashram temple above, all the puja items would be available there. So for the puja below we would take everything from the temple above. Using all these items Swami used to perform his own puja below. That is why it was called, ‘Rajashekaran Temple’. If we were not able to find Swami everyone would say, ‘Go to the temple below. Go and look there, he would be sitting there only.’

Interviewer: Would he take care of his health?

Gopal Maharaj: Yes, that is what I am coming to. At least now the Rajashekaran I see looks healthy and has little muscle on him. During those times when he did all that sadhana he used to be a very lean and thin brahmachari. Whenever he does these sadhana we would tell him, ‘See you are going to be bed ridden soon. Soon they are going to send you away from the ashram. They are going to send you away.’

See the person sitting right here (in this photograph)… his name is Susendran maharaj. The one who is bending his head is Duraipandian. Duraipandian was the one who declared that Swami will be a great person one day. He was Swami’s first disciple. Remember he ran away from the ashram as soon as Swami asked him to leave and go to Tiruvannamalai for more spiritual progress. This was taken when he came for the temple opening. This picture was taken during that time. Swami was in-charge of the guests. Arranging rooms for the guests was swami’s work. At that time Duraipandian would be afraid to even sit in front of Swami. Both of them - Susendran and Duraipandian were my batchmates.

Swami was two years junior to me. You can see he is sitting cross legged. Duraipandian would hesitate to sit in front of Swami. He had so much of bhakti (devotion) for Swami. He felt if Swami said anything it would happen. Duraipandian predicted that Swami would be a great person one day. That is why you can see that he is bending down and sitting in front of Swami.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ycf5Umwmbppx-6JUrdIM4u_HoQdnU18a/view?usp=sharing

Swami showed this photo only and said, ‘See, this photo only Swami mentioned that it was his first center in Kanchipuram.’ I still have a copy of this photo. The building behind that you see in this photo is Mother’s (Sharada Devi) shrine. This place was just a small hut. All these deities you see here were made by Swami.

Gopal Maharaj: Once Swami had put this reaper plank and nailed a cap on top. I too thought at that time, and the person who was with me also thought at that time, ‘Why would Swami keep doing something foolish like this all the time.’ After seeing this work, many others passed comments on his work. The Bengali Swami commented, ‘This looks like the statue of Hanuman?’

This deity that he had made was taken on the streets of Kanchipuram! All the people were saying, ‘This deity must come in procession to our street.’ The very ashram got a lot of publicity because of this event. Otherwise before this event hardly any people came to this ashram. Nobody would bring flowers to the ashram. The building behind this was the Mother’s shrine. That was the only thing there. All three were in one shrine- Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Mother and Vivekananda. This was because this ashram was begun in the early days. Only after Swami went there, flowers, garlands and children came to the ashram!

==SPH and Swami Ranganathanandaji
These pictures were taken during the trip. All these pictures are pictures from that trip. This Jnananandar is the one who is wearing a cap. This Ranganather was the president of the ashram when we were there. He was a world famous person. But Swami would argue even with this Swami very boldly. The person walking in the corner is Raj Maharaj. This maharaj also used to tell me, ‘Rajashekaran will be a great person one day. Remember this and be on the lookout for him always. Moreover he is your roommate. Be helpful and cooperative with him. He will be a big mahan (Seer) one day.’

===Other Related Photos ===

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[[Category: ATA]] [[Category: Eyewitness Video]]