Day 3 – July 15, 2014
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namaha
Om Santissantissantihi
Sadguru Stavam
Bhajan: Gajanana
Bhajan: Harihara vidhi from Sadguru Saptati
Yesterday we learned about Sri Swamiji’s birth and the naming ceremony. Both are very significant. Every stage in His life is important. The father was very insistent that the child should be called by his full name Satyanarayana. But in his absence, people would call the boy Satyam.
Here we have a garland of pictures of Sadguru in different important stages in His life. with Sri Jayalakshmi Mata as the middle pendant. Her place is central not only in Swamiji’s life but in our lives as well.
Today we will learn about some important incidents from Swamiji’s childhood and youth which we have not personally witnessed. Many people are here who have witnessed some of the events which have occurred after the ashram was established. After singing a bhajan in praise of Sri Jayalakshmi Mata, we will continue with the story.
Bhajan: Jagamulanele tallivi
The child Satyanarayana was 5 months old. At that time he was taken from Mekedatu to Bommeparti to his father’s home. We see Satyanarayana’s playful nature as described in the Bhagavatam in the narration of Baby Krishna’s childhood pranks and play. Satyanarayana’s smile was so enchanting that everyone always eagerly waited to get a glimpse of it. The mother’s joy knew no bounds in the company of her child. The child had the traits of both parents. When he got what he wanted, he was like Jayalakshmi Mata. When he was denied what he asked for, he became like Narasimha Sastry. No object could be left within the child’s reach, or else Ganapati would turn into Hanuman and Hanuman would turn into Ganapati in the hands of the infant.
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Jayalakshmi would keep the baby in the cradle at home and swing him to sleep. In Bommeparti there was always a scarcity for water. There was a well behind the house from which alone the entire village had to draw water for their personal use. All other nearby wells had dried up. Jayalakshmi Mata was generous and shared the water with the entire village. Narasimha Sastry did not appreciate the presence of all the village folk in the premises of his own home because he was much into strict religious austerities. One day he was so upset to see so many people milling around his home that he refused to even eat his meal. Jayalakshmi had to cajole him to eat. That evening a woman came to their door carrying a small infant, calling out loudly. She told Narasimha Sastry who went to the door to see what it was about, that it was his wife who had saved the life of their child by providing water to quench his thirst that day. The child had been dehydrated and the doctor told them that it was because of the water that he drank that day from the well of Jayalakshmi Mata’s house that he had survived. The woman shed tears of joy in gratitude. Narasimha Sastry went inside and told his wife that hereafter he would help her in distributing water to the residents who required it. This incident was narrated to me about 15 years ago when I made detailed inquiries about past evernts, by an elderly resident of Bommeparti who had witnessed it.
We must always conserve water and electricity. In the ashrama, we must always be alert not to waste resources.
A significant event occurred at this time which established the child’s proficiency in musicology. Jayalakshmi Mata had complete faith that this child was an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Everything that he had to learn was taught to him while he was still in the womb. Savitramma had accompanied her daughter and grandson to Bommeparti.
When people gather at the village well, the entire world news gets exchanged as the folks draw water and carry it home in their pots. One day, as Savitramma was carrying the water pot home, engaged in a heated discussion with a neighbor, half the water had spilled from the pot. Continuing the never ending conversation, she kept stepping into the house, and again stepping out several times. Whenever she walked, the baby in the cradle wailed loudly. When she stopped walking, the crying stopped. Savitramma kept calling out to Jayalakshmi to attend to the crying baby. Jayalakshmi checked the baby and the cradle to see if any ants or mosquitoes were bothering the child. Everything was in perfect order and no reason was found for the baby’s intermittent distress.
Suddenly, it struck Jayalakshmi that the child was finding it unbearable to hear the jarring note produced by the water in the half-filled pot as Savitramma walked in and out with it. She verified her finding by making her mother take a few steps and stop again. The pattern of crying continued. But when her mother walked with a full pot of water, the child was not disturbed because the jarring sound was absent then. Jayalakshmi Mata discovered to her astonishment that her child had already attained Nada Siddhi/ absolute proficiency in the science of Music.
vishwam …
That Swamiji has pervaded the entire world in the form of sound waves for its protection is a concept that is difficult for us to grasp. He is protecting the beings of the world and the world itself with sound waves produced by him which form a protective shield in the atmosphere.
Jayalakshmi Mata raised her child the way Yashoda raised Krishna, and Anasuya Mata raised Datta.
When the child rolled over, they celebrated with Bobbatlu. When he crossed the threshold, they celebrated with Vadas. The whole world was his now. He had no barriers to stop him. No one could hold the child back. Satyanarayana loved to splash and play in water. Water was his mainstay. He would only eat if he was fed to the accompaniment of his mother’s songs or stories.
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The mother would feed with a special technique using her thumb to give small delicious morsels of food placing them into the child’s mouth. She was teaching him Atma Tatva in the process. The thumb represents the Soul. Only a small quantity, the amount that would cover the nail would be offered at a time. Even at such a young age, Jayalakshmi introduced Yoga to the child. If the child ran away, she would pick him up and hold him in her lap.
We may wonder whether one can absorb Yoga at such a tender age. For great souls nothing is impossible. Vamadeva was taught higher wisdom while he was still in the womb. Nothing is a wonder in the case of great souls.
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The child had only a few milk teeth. His speech was cute and imperfect. He was toddling, losing balance off and on. The entire village was there to enjoy the sight of this enchanting child and listen to the sounds of his divine speech.
Satyanarayana loved to eat the prasadam given at the Hanuman temple next door. He was often found there at the right time. He became habituated to that divine nourishment.
When we lived in Rayadurga, I visited the Ganapati temple next door promptly when the bell rang for prasadam distribution. I knew some chants and if I chanted them, the priest gave me more generous portions. People thought I had great devotion. If it were true devotion, why would I only show up there when the bell rang?
Swamiji’s is not an ordinary body. It received sustenance from the holy hands of Sri Jayalakshmi Mata and Lord Hanuman. At a later stage, when no food was available at home, he collected alms from different homes, and consumed what was left after he distributed food to all the mendicants waiting at the temple. Because his body is so special, when we are in the presence of it, we forget all our troubles.
Satyanarayana played with the cows and calves in the cowshed. He walked in between their legs. The cows treated them with motherly affection. He spent much time with the cows.
Satyanarayana dominated conversation. He wished to hold the stage at all times. Now, what he speaks are the words of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva.
Mother Jayalakshmi showed Satyanarayana the moon and said that if he ate well he would also grow big like the waxing moon. The child at once asked why the moon also shrinks in size sometimes. Mother encouraged such questions. She replied that just as the moon gains strength to distribute it to the beings in the worlds, he too must first become strong so that he can share his strength with others. That answer satisfied the child. Jayalakshmi loved the raga Sivaranjani and sang songs in that for Satyanarayana, who loved the raga as well. Swamiji has given us a beautiful bhajan in that raga. Let us now sing that bhajan.
Bhajan: Devi vande Sri Lalite
Satyanarayana was 3-4 years old. His sister Varalakshmi was born. The family went to Sogala along with the grandparents Linganna and Savitramma. Satyanarayana had a penchant for learning languages. Narasimha Sastry could never speak Kannada even at an advanced age. Jayalakshmi spoke in Telugu in her husband’s presence, but in his absence, she spoke to the child in Kannada.
One day in Sogala, a woman stood in front of the village chief’s home, pleading that her cow that was tied up inside be kindly released, although it had trespassed into the chief’s property. She spoke in Kannada: That cow is my only means for earning a livelihood. I have a daughter ready for marriage. Please let me have my cow back.
Satyanarayana was watching this incident curiously from a distance. Whatever the woman said got registered in his little head, although he did not know what it meant. Anything he heard even just once, he could remember, syllable by syllable. He saw that the cow was given to the woman to take away with her.
The village chief was very fond of Satyanarayana and wished to play with him. But the child was too shy to approach him and would run away when called. To trick him into coming near him, The chief tied up Satyanarayana’s favorite cow in his yard.
The next day Satyanarayana came looking for his cow. He knew what to say to get the cow released. He stood at the gate and told the chief: That cow is my only means for earning a livelihood. I have a daughter ready for marriage. Please let me have my cow back.
The village chief burst into laughter. He teased the boy and made him repeat the words several times before releasing the cow to him. Saying “Once more!” to Swamiji began even then. The village chief was the first person to speak that phrase to Swamiji. He quickly picked up the child, washed his muddy feet, wiped them dry, and offered him flowers. He was the first person to perform Pada Puja to Swamiji when he was a small child. Soon thereafter, the village chief left his body. He received great blessings by daily inviting the child and offering him treats while the child stayed in Sogala.
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We must always seek the darshan of Sadguru. We must never look at things which should not be looked at. Sadguru represents the Supreme Soul. We must get our darshan to our satisfaction. At the same time we must not block the view for others. We must always be present before Guru arrives. It is wrong to enter after Sadguru has arrived. Guru does not feel insulted. But when you come late, you show your back to other devotees in the presence of Sadguru. That is wrong. When you get up to leave you must turn around once in place, with the feeling that Sadguru is there and you are offering pradakshina, prior to departing. These are some regulations that have to be followed to receive good benefits. If other devotees get annoyed by your behavior, their sins accrue to you. It is wrong to fall all over Guru pretending devotion. It is very wrong to block the view for other devotees. We must avoid that. Discipline is very important. Due to our own indiscipline we deprive ourselves of blessings due to us.
The village chief followed proper protocol in attracting the child to himself.
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Satyanarayana was 5-6 years old. He was once taken to Mekedatu. Mother would wake him up in the middle of the night to secretly teach him Yoga. He readily received her instruction.
Around 1949-50 another sister was born to Satyanarayana. She was named Saraswati. She is here amidst us today. It is my great fortune that she bore me in her womb.
Jayalakshmi Mata had her hands full with three children. Her husband’s needs had to be met also. The frequency of instruction to Satyanarayana reduced. But Satyanarayana increased his capacity for constant recollection of what was previously taught. He mulled over and understood whatever was taught.
Satyanarayana held in his fist some raw rice one day and it turned into cooked rice. Once, the father got angry and made him eat some sand. Satyanarayana ate it happily saying it was sugar. He gave some to his father. Father was surprised that it indeed was sugar. But somehow, he did not take the incident seriously.
There was a fully pregnant cow named Ganga in Linganna’s cattle shed. It was kept at home due to its condition. Satyanarayana took pity on it and innocently released it and took it out for grazing along the banks of the river Kaveri. In a muddy spot, the cow got stuck and was drawn into the waters of the river due to the force of the current. Satyanarayana clung tightly to the neck of the cow and the two traveled some distance in the swift current. Satyanarayana prayed to Mother Kaveri to save the lives of both of them. Luckily, the cow found a firm footing and stepped ashore, saving both their lives. This daring act of Satyanarayana of not letting the cow go, showed his concern for its safety. He has always been a protector of cows. These types of daring acts by this active child caused concern to grandfather Linganna.
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Where they came ashore, Satyanarayana had the darshan of Sage Agastya, who taught him the science of Herbal Medicine that would heal and cure many diseases. Moolika Teertham that is distributed daily after abhishekam during the Sri Chakra Puja is a healing medicine based on herbal medicine taught by the sage.
As the child grew, preliminary education took place at home by the parents. Pedda Bala Siksha was a book that was kept in every home and contained basic lessons in different subjects.
Finally, Satyanarayana was placed in a regular school. By that stage the child had learned to a certain grade level. He received corporal punishment from his teachers for his negligence in learning the daily lessons. He had not much interest in academic education. This was of great concern to the father. Mother Jayalakshmi noticed this but did not make an issue of it. Satyanarayana did not do his homework on time, nor did he study his school books at home. But the spiritual instruction from mother continued undisturbed. Satyanarayana diligently learned his spiritual lessons and practiced them with earnestness. If he expressed any doubts, mother would urge him to find the answers on his own.
Once, playing with Narapa Reddy in the village, Satyanarayana forcefully stabbed himself with a dagger but not a drop of blood spilled. Narapa Reddy publicized this incident all over town but no one paid attention. Once from a box of match sticks he made the sticks vanish and made them appear again. The children who witnessed it wondered at the tricks which amused them. Such incidents were occurring frequently without the child’s deliberate intention, which is what he confessed to his mother when she questioned him about them. Mother remained quiet. She knew that these were all Yoga accomplishments.
Father Narasimha Sastry admonished the child about performing such cheap tricks, which he assumed the child had learned from some traveling gypsies and acrobats. Satyanarayana denied the accusation. Father said the child should rather learn proper mantras from him.
As Satyanarayana reached the age of 8, mother began teaching him Hatha Yoga asanas to help him develop his physique. She also stimulated his powers of analysis. Satyanarayana would stay awake long hours at night pondering over the spiritual principles taught by his mother. The instruction was carried on in secrecy. Mother taught some herbal medicine also.
Father Narasimha Sastry practiced Ayurvedic medicine. He kept several medicines at home. Some of the substances were toxic. Poison is not always some dangerous substance. For a diabetic, sugar is poison. For someone with ulcers, hot spices are poison. Any substance taken in excess is poison. Sometimes it can be fatal.
Once, Sastry was returning home after completing his priestly duties. He was thinking in his mind that when he gets home he should talk to his son about paying better attention to his studies. He walked along chanting his mantras and reciting his favorite poems. He happened to glance at some children swimming in a pond close by. It was during school hours and he wondered why they were there instead of at school. He took a closer look and found that his own son Satyanarayana was also among them. He was enraged, dragged the child home, and hit him black and blue. The child got furious and swallowed all the poisonous items his father kept at home, including some rat poison.
His body turned blue. Everyone was distraught seeing the condition of the child. The father began praying to Lord Narasimha fervently. In the Bhagavatam there is a beautiful poem in Telugu, in the episode of baby Krishna consuming the poisonous milk at the breast of Putana.
visha..
Just as the poisoned milk of Putana had no effect on Krishna, all the poisons swallowed by Satyanarayana had no lasting effect on him. Narasimha Sastry took a vow that if his child’s life was saved, he would never again practice medicine. He threw away all the medicines.
Bhajan: Namami Lakshminarasimham
Sri Narasimha Sastry prayed to Lord Narasimha. Either by the power of his prayers, the spiritual merit of Jayalakshmi Mata, or the firm resolve of Satyanarayana, the toxicity left the body of the child and he regained his normal complexion and radiance. Everyone was very happy.
Around this time, an incident occurred that shows the great motherly affection showered by Jayalakshmi Mata upon Nanjudayya, her stepson who had lost his mother at a young age. Jayalakshmi treated the boy as her own son.
Once, during a visit to Kandukur, at the house of the maternal grandparents of Nanjundayya, a pot of ghee accidentally slipped and fell to the floor from the hands of Jayalakshmi Mata. Nanjundayya who loved his step mother immensely, took the blame for the accident upon himself to prevent a nasty quarrel from his grandmother. If Jayalakshmi was so indulgent with Nanjundayya to earn such extraordinary love from him, how much love she must have expressed towards Satyanarayana! For Jayalakshmi Mata all the people of the world are her own children.
An incident is narrated how a wild bull or buffalo was goring the people of the village of Bommeparti. People were frightened of it and were running away. Satyanarayana accosted the wild animal and had a conversation with it, wherein he reminded the animal of its previous lives. Those who were watching from a distance were frightened that the animal might harm the child. Satyanarayana stood fearlessly and admonished the animal:
For the past seven lives you have been cruel and have tormented people accruing great sin. Have you no shame or remorse? Do you wish to continue to be reborn as a vile creature?
The animal stood still and listened to the child as he spoke. His words brought about a transformation in the behavior of the animal.
If he could change the mindset of an animal, can Swamiji not transform the minds of people?
All these are incidents reported by eye witnesses later in life to Swamiji.
Another incident involves a cruel cheetah in the vicinity of Mekedatu. It used to prowl in the village and drag away innocent animals and the people did not know how to handle this menace. Satyanarayana also gave it some thought. Once, the cheetah killed one of Satyanarayana’s favorite calves. That clinched the issue. He was determined to see the end of the wild beast.
He took a large kerosene tin, went out into the dark forest at night, and hid inside it. He made an arrangement to attract the cheetah to approach the area and created a loud noise that would frighten the animal and make it fall into a deep pit.
The plan worked. The cheetah began to loudly growl in pain from its injuries. Hearing the sounds, Linganna the grandfather, and others went there rushing to discover the daring act of Satyanarayana. Linganna acknowledged that this boy is no ordinary child and is extremely courageous and resourceful. This was another incident wherein Satyanarayana protected cows from danger.
The year 1952 approached. It was the Nandana year. Satyanarayana was 11 years old. Mother Jayalakshmi was pregnant again. She began to teach her son the principle and secret interpretations about Time, the principles of Astrology, and their correlation with the highest philosophy. You find some hints thereof in the book Raga Ragini Nada Yoga. The entire book is based on her teachings about Time, as Sri Swamiji has mentioned it in the Foreword.
One day she used a long phrase in a very casual manner to describe the Supreme Reality. It suggested that Time is nothing but the stirring of a resolve within the Supreme Soul. What a weighty concept it was. Mother introduced to him concepts in the form of theorems. The child had to work out the details and grasp the essence of them. He was left to explore on his own, the inner meaning of the various ideas and principles suggested to him. He had a powerful memory and perfected his analytical skills. He never forgot a single word spoken by his mother. He remained awake at night for hours, pondering deeply over the things his mother taught him.
One day lying in bed, he carried out a deep search into the question, “Who am I?” This question arose in his mind. It generated more questions. How was he born? He tried to recollect the event of his birth as narrated to him by his mother. He was told that he was born with two necklaces around his neck, one of rudrakshas, and another of saligramas. Why did they vanish? Had they remained around his neck would they have grown as he had grown? What would have happened if he alone grew but they did not grow? Why do inert things not grow? What is inertness? What is growth? What made him grow? What is life? What is consciousness? All these questions whirred inside his head feverishly.
When great souls practice spiritual exercises, to accomplish the abilities of either becoming lighter or heavier, when they get absorbed in meditation, such traits will affect them. If they get lighter, they lose balance and fall down. If they get heavier, they cannot move and others cannot move them. Such inconvenient results occur unless one is very careful.
When Satyanarayana woke up in the morning he discovered that his neck was badly swollen and he could not speak. It was a serious condition. Such an illness is sometimes accompanied by high fever. Folk treatments used to be administered in the olden days but to no avail. It is a disorder of the glands that struck fright in the hearts of people because it had no cure. Narasimha Sastry tried to give some treatment to the child. Mother Jayalakshmi knew that the boy had meditated on the necklaces around his neck and as a result this condition had transpired. How did she know? She just knew. She cautioned the child that he had to exercise proper judgment when he went into meditation. He had to ensure that his practices do not create trouble and anxiety to others.
She conveyed a telepathic message to Satyanarayana that to cure himself of the disease, he had to travel to the 12 sacred rivers in India in his subtle form and take a holy dip in each of them and return. Satyanarayana obeyed his mother’s command and returned after the completion of his mission. He became well.
Satyanarayana traveled in a subtle form then. Now, Swamiji is traveling in his physical body to all the seven continents and he has bathed in all the seven oceans.
Narasimha Sastry had taken a vow with Lord Narasimha that he would take his son, if life were saved, to Ramagiri and get his ears pierced and offer copper earrings to the Lord. He fulfilled his vow.
Mother now commanded Satyanarayana that he had to realize his true identity. Know yourself. It is the only way, she said.
Satyanarayana shared his mental agony and unresolved questions with his mother. She answered some questions but urged him to carry on his internal search more intensely.
The year 1953 rolled in. Mother was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. In this fourth pregnancy she felt much discomfort. To assist her, Narasimha Sastry’s widowed sister Venkamma moved in with them. Sivaratri of the Nandana year arrived. Narasimha Sastry went out of town to conduct his priestly duties. Venkamma was a devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Lord Arunachaleswara. She was fasting and was in meditation in the kitchen. Jayalakshmi Mata also wished to fast, but she was persuaded to consume at least a small quantity of food because of her condition. Mother was lying in bed on the cot. Satyanarayana also lay down on his mat and was lost in deep thought.
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Jayalakshmi Mata led the 11 year old son Satyanarayana to the Hanuman temple next door at midnight, the time of Lingodbhava. Mother stood at the doorway to the sanctum sanctorum, leaning against the wall. Satyam offered a full prostration to the Lord inside.
Bhajan: Vande santam Hanumantam
Victory to Lord Hanuman!
Satyanarayana prostrated to Lord Hanuman and to his mother. Mother was quietly chanting some mantras. She placed her palm on top of Satyanarayana’s head. Energy was transmitted to him through that divine touch. No one can describe what actually happened. It was a yoga procedure. In that instant by the touch of her palm on the top of his head, by Hastamastaka Samyoga, Sri Jayalakshmi Mata transferred to Satyanarayana all the Sri Vidya knowledge and power which were transferred into her by her Guru Sri Karapatra Swami by the touch of his spiritual staff.
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Satyanarayana felt a sensation as if a mighty internal thundering waterfall had directly descended upon his head in that instant.
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When he opened his eyes, what he beheld before him was not his mother Jayalakshmi, but the Mother Goddess Sri Rajarajeshwari Herself with four arms. She still had the face and body of his mother. It was a beautiful depiction of Mother Goddess in all her majesty and grandeur, seated on her throne with every detail vividly presented, starting from her crown, her ornaments, her silken robes, the weapons held in her hands, and her enchantingly divine smile. This is the way one should envision one’s mother. One should view one’s parents as Siva and Parvati, or as Lakshmi and Naryana. Only then life gets fulfilled.
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The spiritual essence of Sri Vidya descended on Satyanarayana like the river Ganga descending from heaven upon the crown of Lord Siva. Satyanarayana felt like Lord Siva glancing at Mother Goddess Sri Rajarajeshwari.
Bhajan: Sri Rajarajesi kuru satkrupam
Victory to Mother Sri Rajarajeshwari
With this great Upadesha of Sri Vidya, all the doubts that troubled his mind till then got dispelled, all except one. Mother said to him that the remaining question had to be answered by himself. She said: You yourself have to find the answer to the question ‘Who am I?’
Mother blessed the child.
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Mother and the Universal Mother were both present. There is no higher form than that of the Universal Mother. Those who can contemplate on both of these forms are blessed by you, Mother. You fulfill all their wishes and you make them fearless, felt Satyanarayana. He sang this verse of praise.
Thus Satyanarayana was blessed with the vision of the divine mother in her Universal Form. It was almost dawn. Sounds of people stirring outside was heard. It was time for them to return home. Mother slowly resumed her normal form. Satyanarayana also saw the divine form withdraw from his mind. Slowly the mother and son returned home. They acted as if everything was normal. Venkamma intuitively knew what had occurred.
For 40 days mother and son did not speak to one another. They remained silent. Venkamma quietly observed them. Sri Rama Navami arrived. A beautiful baby boy was born to Jayalakshmi Mata. He was more handsome than Satyanarayana was at birth. On the 11th day the naming ceremony took place. The child was named Kodandarama. Mother would not allow Satyanarayana to hold the baby or cuddle him, much as he desired to do so. Mother was furious when he attempted to disobey her word and tried to pick up the infant. So was Venkamma. Satyanarayana was puzzled and sorely disappointed. He could not understand why he was being denied the pleasure.
Narasimha Sastry, as he was leaving to go out of town on his priestly duties, since the following day was Sankara Panchami, said the night before: It is your mother’s birthday tomorrow. I have brought some mangoes because they are her favorite fruit. Please enjoy the fruits tomorrow. He left.
That night mother herself placed the baby in Satyanarayana’s lap and asked him to play with him.
Satyanarayana asked his mother:
Is this child Datta?
Mother said: No.
Then who is Datta?
You are Datta.
Then who is this child?
He is Time.
Why has he come?
He has come to take me away. He will also follow me.
I cannot narrate this part of this story. It is too difficult for me. (Sri Bala Swamiji wipes His tears)
I cannot reconcile that I could not directly see Mother Jayalakshmi. Swamiji fulfilled my desire, no doubt. At Manasarovar, Mother gave me a clear darshan.
But, if we feel like this, how should Swamiji be feeling?
How could Satyanarayana bear to hear these words spoken by his mother? He had seen her not only as his mother, but also as Mother Goddess Sri Rajarajeshwari.
It is Vedanta on one hand. But love on the other hand. We have no choice but to learn this part of the biography. Why? Because of the 12 commandments. That incident comes up next. Therefore, we cannot skip this part. See, how Jayalakshmi Mata has linked the events together!
She had taken Satyanarayana once before, at Sivaratri, to the Hanuman temple. She did not tell him these things then. Now she tells him. Now she took him there again, to the Hanuman temple. The two entered the temple and offered prostrations. Jayalakshmi Mata made Satyanarayana sit in the lotus position. Once again she did the Hastamastaka Samyogam. She placed her palm upon his head. Satyanarayana experienced an inexplicably divine sensation.
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What appears like an ordinary stone, which I have been worshipping all along, is not really a stone, my child. He is Chintamani Ganapati. I am giving Him to you today. From now on, it is your duty to offer Him worship regularly. She placed Chintamani Ganapati in his hand with the words: He won’t remain with you for long. He will vanish but will reappear when the time is right. Do not search for him. At the time of your Sacred Thread ceremony, Ganapati Himself will give you initiation. His name will become a part of your name.
You will have to establish a Peetham – spiritual Foundation, for the purpose of establishing Dharma. Ganapati will protect your Peetham. You will have to keep traveling as Lord Dattatreya, to spread your message and to spiritually uplift people. Whenever necessary, this Chintamani Ganapati will answer your questions and clear your doubts.
The Chintamani Ganapati disappeared.
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Child, first continue with diligence the sadhana that I have placed you into. Take good care of your sisters.
She did not mention the care of his brother.
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What your future course of action should be, will be disclosed to you by Ganapati Himself. You will have to keep making several trips around the world. I will now teach you the mantra that you would have to chant during your travels. When you cross the oceans you have to chant certain mantras. I will now teach them to you. I will also teach you all the Datta mantras.
Jayalakshmi Mata taught Satyanarayana all the Datta mantras, from the one syllable mantra to the extensively long garland of mantras.
Your spiritual path is extremely tough to traverse. Your scheme of responsibilities is very stringent to follow. To smoothen your path, I will give you 12 rules for you and your disciples to follow. Register them firmly in your mind. Never forget them. These rules are as crucial to you and to your disciples as the mantras which I have taught you thus far. Listen attentively.
With such strict words of caution, Mother conveyed her message. What are the rules which she had imposed upon him?
1) See me alone, in all the women. This was her first commandment. She had already made him a sanyasi. She said instead of: ‘Consider any other woman as your own mother’, ‘See me alone, in all women’.
2) Show compassion towards the destitute and the downtrodden.
3) In all circumstances follow the stipulations of the scriptures in your thoughts and actions. One should not apply independent thinking. The Sastras know everything. One must abide by their rules. The scriptures are strict statutes.
4) Even if it should cost you your own life, you must protect a good-hearted soul. No good person should be made to suffer.
5) Treat all living creatures alike. Do not differentiate. Develop the vision of seeing the soul in all.
6) In any situation, do not forsake your daily spiritual austerities. Ensure that your practices do not cause inconvenience to anyone. Also, make sure that your worship always benefits others.
7) See me alone in all living beings. This makes the practice easy to follow.
8) Never give up Truth.
9) Develop the sharpness of mind that facilitates the conveyance of your messages to the public at large in a pleasing and palatable manner.
There is no one in this world who can teach others in an easier and more interesting manner than Swamiji. It is because of the power of His mother’s command. That is why Swamiji makes us laugh and enjoy as He teaches us.
10) Do not disclose publicly the details about your future incarnations. It will be a mistake if you do so.
11) Resolve to spread dharma. But this too has to be done in a manner that is easiest to grasp and follow.
12) It does not matter if you suffer. But, live in the world in a way that because of you, no one else ever suffers any pain.
These are the twelve sayings of Sri Jayalakshmi Mata.
Victory to Sri Jayalakshmi Mata.
Jayalakshmi Mata, the Mother of the Universe proclaimed the 12 commandments. With this the initiation was complete.
May you flourish. May mankind thrive because of you.
Now we see that not only men, but even birds and beasts are benefiting because of Swamiji.
Mother gave her blessing.
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I have to hurry up and leave now. Time awaits my return.
Time has arrived in the form of Kodandarama.
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See everyone as a part of you. See yourself as a part of everyone. Live happily in this world.
This was both her instruction as well as her blessing.
By then the night had passed and day was beginning to dawn.
Sankara Jayanti has arrived. I was born for a purpose. That purpose has been fulfilled. The purpose was to gift you to the world. That purpose has been achieved. Now I take my leave.
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Satyanarayana did not cry or protest. He merely chanted ‘OM’ and held her feet.
Mother, whatever is your wish, so be it.
There were no words of protest such as: Please don’t leave me and go. Who will feed me if you go away? No such words were uttered.
OM.
You have spoken the Truth. So be it. That is all.
Satyanarayana followed his mother home. Mother lay down on the cot. The day became bright.
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On the day of her birth, Jayalakshmi Mata relinquished her body and returned to her original home. Although now we celebrate her birthday on Durgashtami day during the Sarannavaratri festival, at the time the book was written, it was accepted that she was born on Sankara Jayanti.
Victory to the Universal Mother Sri Jayalakshmi Mata.
No one knew what had happened. Kodandarama also left this world.
Aunt Venkamma came into the room and checked the pulse. She announced that Jayalakshmi Mata had reached the abode of Mother Gowri.
The news spread. Narasimha Sastry returned home. The news was like a thunderbolt for him. What is this?
Linganna had wanted to come earlier to visit Jayalakshmi but he was in bereavement, having lost another daughter. His son was ill and bedridden. Suddenly he received a telegram that Jayalakshmi had merged with the Paramatman. How many tests he had to face! Everyone rushed to Bommeparti village. No priests were available to perform the funeral rites, that day being Sankara Jayanti.
The prevailing attitude in the village will give us pain if we read about it. We do not know why the village atmosphere was such that no single person seemed to care or come forward to offer any help to the bereaved family.
Four priests, when they heard that this woman had left her body on Sankara Jayanti, felt convinced that she must not be an ordinary person to have merged with Lord Sankara (Siva) on such an auspicious day. She must be Mother Goddess Herself. They felt privilege to perform her last rites. Therefore, they took the initiative to bring the required flowers also for the ritual.
Narasimha Sastry could not bear the grief. He was asked to bathe at the well and return to commence the proceedings. On his way back from the well, he collapsed in front of the Hanuman temple. The priests who were waiting for him, came looking for him and began preaching to him Vedanta philosophy.
Dinayaminyau .. (Bhaja Govinda stotram of Adi Sankara)
Night and day, spring and winter, keep alternating. O brother, give this some thought. Where have we come from? Where does our journey take us?
Please compose yourself. Be strong and come, to participate in the rituals.
Satyanarayana also came and gave strength and consolation to his father and escorted him to the place of the rituals. They went and after completing the procedures, took the body to the place near the large Ficus tree where it was to be cremated. That body which had been the home of divinity, now had a radiant glow surrounding it.
As they were taking the body there, a newly wedded couple came walking by and turned around abruptly, visibly annoyed at this bad omen and spoke unpleasant words. These were people who had earlier received favors from Jayalakshmi Mata. Satyanarayana felt pained at observing this.
Chetty from the village who had received help from the family before, banged shut his front door as the body was being taken along the street.
Not a soul came forward to offer a drink of water or a morsel of food to the family members. It is at such difficult times that one should render help. Please remember that. When there is a death in the family, to offer food to the household at gives the merit of having fed millions of mouths. But not a soul came forward to do so in this village. It was because they were not supposed to light a fire in their kitchens to cook. No one cared about feeding the two small children who were at home. Satyanarayana was only a little bit older, that is all. Narasimha Sastry had lost both his wife and infant son. He was drowned in grief.
What would have been the feelings of the child Satyanarayana when he observed this total apathy and negligence on the part of all the villagers? What kind of an attitude towards such people should have developed in his young mind as a result of their uncaring behavior? But no unfavorable attitude developed in his mind.
When all the final rites were completed, Satyanarayana had a vision of three pairs – Birth/incarnation, Death/liberation, and compassion/enlightenment.
Then he analyzed and wondered: What is this mentality? Why is there no bonding amongst people? Why is there a lack of humanness in the hearts of men? Some strangers have come to help. But those who had received favors are refusing to show any concern. They are turning their faces away. This has to change. The hearts of human beings have to be filled with kindness, compassion, and love. A transformation has to occur in the world. Who will make it happen? I have to make it happen.
Satyanarayana made the firm resolve then, in the presence of his mother.
That is Swamiji’s mission. Swamiji does not endorse any particular religion or philosophy. What does He teach? He teaches the Datta principle. Love is the Datta principle. Compassion is the Datta principle. Kindness is the Datta principle. That is what Swamiji teaches.
The cremation took place. A divine effulgence was noticed permeating the spot. All sadness and grief vanished from Satyanarayana’s heart. Mother is Mother Goddess Rajarajeshwari. She has no such thing as coming and going. She is the eternal Supreme Reality.
There were problems to face at the family front. Who will look after the children? Narasimha Sastry was overcome with anger and detachment. His situation was such that he had no obvious solutions to his problems. He said he would throw his small children into the village well. Linganna offered to take all the three children with him. He took them with him. But he himself was not settled, having moved away from Mekedatu. He left Satyanarayana with Seshagiri Sastry, his son-in-law, who lived in Bannerghatta at the Champakadameshwari temple.
There Satyanarayana continued his sadhana in the nearby woods. He made friends with a bear. It is no wonder that Swamiji is now friends with so many parrots. He has as friends bears, tigers, elephants, and even humans. Human beings have the traits of all kinds of creatures, birds, and beasts. When Satyanarayana was sitting in the forest with nothing to eat, a bear brought him a jack fruit and served it to him with honey. Relishing this treat, Satyanarayana continued his yoga sadhana in the forest.
Tomorrow we will learn more about his Yoga sadhana.
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Bhajan: Bhaja bhaja dattam
Sri Guru Datta