Spiritual Preceptor (Guru's) Glory by H.H Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji - Last Part

Dear All,

Contd....

Pinnavasal is a village near Trichy (South of India). Here there once lived a Siddha Purusha (divine human being of great purity and holiness) by the name of Ramakrishnananda. He was one who had performed intense tapas for thousands of years. He was one who had performed tapas birth after birth. He was in Avudaiyar Koil (temple) where through his chanting of the Navasakshari mantra had attained several super natural powers. He met Swami Sivananda and requested him to bestow sanyasa ashrama to him. But for some reason the Swami had refused it then. Thereafter He took on Sadasiva Brahmendra as his Guru.

Though Sadasiva Brahmendra was of an earlier age and not a contemporary Ramakrishnananda 'saw' Him in his Yogic vision. Thus having the great Sadasiva Brahmendra for his Guru, Ramakrishnananda carried on his spiritual practices. In his last days Brahmendra appeared to him and said, "You have to take on another birth due to some karma". But Ramakrishnananda had no desire to be born in a womb again. So he searched out for a highly pure body for this. The body of Andavan Pitchhai was of such a stature -- pure and 'atma samadhi' secured - So, in 1949 in the month of Vaikasi (month beginning May 14th till June 14th) in Visakha star Ramakrishnananda moved into this body of Andavan Pitchhai and thenceforth performed wonderful lila.

Sage Chandrasekara saraswathi swamiji (called Maha Periyava) has said that this sort of a feat - moving from one physical body to another -has been seen in the life of only four viz. Vikramaditya, Adi Sankara, Arunagirinathar, Tirumular and now as the fifth in this Lady's life!

This indeed is a wonderful feat. Another Mahatma entered into this spiritually mature and pure body and spent his karmas. In this body he later met Swami Sivananda who then bestowed him with Sanyasa ashrama. In such a body he has wandered all over the country.

We find that Mahans can see Devas. We see this in Seshadri Swamigal's life. He says that he sees the Devas fly about in the space above singing 'Bilahari' raga. Even in Ramana Maharishi's life we find him saying that the three and thirty crores of Devas perform Giri Pradakshina (cirumambulation of Arunachala mountain). Such wonderful experiences are gone through by them. In the lives of many Mahans it is seen that the Devas had offered them flower garlands, etc. However, we have not seen these feats but learn of such occurrences only through the words of the Mahans. But in the life of Andavan Pitchhai, Lord Muruga appeared to her and said to her, "Vadadha poomalaiyana pamalaiyai en mel padu" (garland me with the ever fresh garland of songs). And as Ãndavan Pitchhi sang on Lord Muruga the latter plucked ('pitchhi', 'pitchhi') the feathers of the peacock and threw them down one by one. This was the reason for the name 'Pichhi' being conferred on her. The amazing fact in this is that after Lord Muruga disappeared the whole floor of this room was strewn with peacock feathers and this was seen by one and all. It was not as if it was visible only to this spiritually evolved Andavan Pitchhai but was visible to every layperson who came in! Such an 'occurrence' has not taken place in any other sages life. Though we learn that Devas had offered flowers it is not visible to us. It is said that in that house at Mylapore (Chennai) many saw peacock feathers strewn all over the floor of the room and even today it is being preserved by them as a priced possession!

There is yet another wonder in her life. It is 'gana' (music) that attracts Bhagavan.

In Kali yuga all Sages will show the path of Kirtan (chanting the name of lord). Bhagavatam says, "Kalau Kalau bhavishyanti Narayanaparayanah" - In this Kali Yuga all sages will show only the path of Nama Sankeetana. Thiagaraja Swami, Purandaradasa - all of them exemplified this path.

What is the glory of 'gana' (Music)? An innocent baby is placed in the cradle and the mother sings lullaby. The crying baby calms down. The mother then leaves the baby to attend to her chores. But what happens? The child begins to cry again because it has not slept with the music but had been bound by the music of the mother. The innocent baby is attracted to music. A snake that has poison stored in its fangs is also bound by the tune played in the 'magudi' (Musical instrument to catch snakes). Then will not the omnipotent Lord be bound by music?

Music binds the whole world. It possesses such kind of a power!

Even in Ramayana we find that it was music that attracted Lord Rama. Valimiki says that Rama was an adept in music.

In Bhagavatam, it is said that in 'rasa' (essential mental state) as soon as the Lord played on the flute( is a musical instrument) the Gopis (Gopi is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name gopi (sometimes gopika) is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion (Bhakti) to Krishna) suffered from what was called 'soupaka mada'.

When the Gopis desired to perform 'rasa' with the Lord, they did not perform yoga, tapas or japa to attain Lord but sang 'Gopika geetham' - 'ruthuh susvaram rajannu'. "So the gopis exerted a pull on Lord through their 'gana' and once again played 'rasa' ", says the Bhagavatam.

Hence, it is 'gana' that attracts God. There is none who is not attracted to music. Bhagavan Himself tells Sundaramurthy Nayanar, "Sundara, sundara tamizh ketka allavo ummai ãtkondom" (it is only to hear the melodious Tamizh that I have taken you unto Myself). All the Nayanmars, the Azhwars have sung innumerable songs ('pamalai')
on Lord.

Andavan Pitchhai has also received the blessings of Bhagavan through innumerable songs. There is a big difference between the writings of an ordinary poet and a Mahatma. A poet writes through his 'buddhi' (intellectual writing). They think and analyse while composing a song. But the songs of the Mahatmas are not such. It is born
out of their experience. Such songs cannot be said to have been written in a particular language, Sanskrit or Telugu or Tamizh, for, it is Samadhi basha (language of Silence)! The songs of the Mahatmas are born from their high state of Samadhi. This is the reason that Bhagavan is easily attracted when their Kirtans are sung in His Presence. We know not if we deserve the blessings of the Lord but the Kirtans of Mahatmas will surely help us earn it.
 
In this land of Bharat (India) many a Mahan like Thiagaraja Swami, Purandaradasar , has sung innumerable kirtans. But all these kirtans bears their stamp. We are able to recognize the writing of the particular Mahan. Thiagaraja swami's kirtans bear the stamp of his name, so does Purandasar's songs bear the stamp of his name and it is so in all the kirtans of other Mahãns, too. But the kirtans of Andavan Pitchhai bears no such stamp! The reason for this is that God Himself has sung all these kirtans.        
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Regards & Chant the Maha Mantra:
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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