Koti Koti Pranams to our Guru !!! The STORY OF SADGURU SRI SESHADRI SWAMIGAL !!! A group of about 30 families following the cult of Sri Vidya upasana (introduced by HH Adhi Sankara) lived in Kanchipuram, known as “Kamakoti Vamsa” . Kamakoti Sastri was born in one of these families. His daughter was Maragatham. When she grew up Kamakoti sastri she was married to Varadarajan one of his own students. They gave birth to a baby boy on 22nd January, 1870 (Hastha Star). Since he was born on a Saturday he was named Seshadri in honor of Lord Srinivasa. This child Seshadri was different a child and never playing any games but was more inclined to pujas, bhajans, religious activities etc., - a Divine child. One day something strange occurred. Everyday Seshadri’s mother Maragatham carried him to the temple. On the way a shopkeeper was selling Lord Sri Krishna idols. Child Seshadri, seeing the dolls, got down from her and suddenly took a Krishna doll. He would not return it. The shopkeeper was so happy and gave the idol free of cost. Maragatham was embarrassed. The next day on seeing child Seshadri with his mother,on their way to the temple, ran to them and prostrated at her feet, took the child’s hand and saluted it saying “Golden Hand…Golden Hand” (Thangak Kai). Everyone was astonished with his action. The shop keeper then explained loudly to everyone, “my entire consignment of idols were sold out yesterday which never happened earlier and attributed the luck due to the golden touch of the young Seshadri- He is THANGA KAI SESHADRI ” When he was 5 Seshadri had his upanayanam. He mastered Vedanta,Gita, Upanishads and Brahma Sutras besides Vedas, Nyaya and Vyakarana. He mastered music and astrology also. When he was 17 it was discovered from his horoscope that he was destined to become a Sanyasi and Yogi. So his marriage plans were cancelled. Maragatham, his mother was disappointed, fell ill and was dying. Just a day before her death she called Seshadri to her bed, recited a sloka from Adi Sankara’s Baja Govindam and then both the mother and son sang the song “Sambasive”. Finally, keeping her hand on his chest she called out thrice “Arunachala, Arunachala Arunachala” and died with her head on Seshadris lap. Later, Seshadri drew a picture of Arunachala by instinct and worshipped this picture. After his mother’s death, Seshadri’s uncle took charge of Seshadri and his younger brother Narasimha Josiar. In his room Seshadri did numerous pujas and continuous japa to pictures of Goddess Kamakshi, Lord Ram and to one of his own drawings of Arunachala Hill. He would lock himself up in his room at about 5 am and refuse to come out before noon. He regularly fasted and often loudly uttering repeatedly “Arunachala, Shonadrinatha” or reciting Vedic hymns late at night. His uncle and aunt were frightened by his strange worship and begged him to stop. But Seshadri would not listen. He was seen in Chakrathazhwar temple and Kamakshi temple chanting for several hours mantras, slokas, etc. His uncle and aunt were much concerned with his actions. He got immersed in Sri Kamakshis divine form and regarded himself as Goddess Parvathi (Sakthi aspect of Brahmam). He began meditating in Rudrabhoomi (cremation ground)and wandered in the streets of Kanchipuram, One day he met a Gouda Sanyasi, Sri Balaji Paramahamsa, who found him worthy and fit and gave him sanyasa (the fourth stage of asrama in ones life). The day he was given sanyasa dhiksha coincided with Seshadris fathers annual ceremony. So he was dragged home forcibly and kept locked in a room. When the room was opened to bring him out to receive blessings of Pithru, his relatives noticed that the room was VACANT; Séshadri had disappeared from the locked room. He was just 19 years then and his spiritual powers were recognized by them. He always wandered from place to place. Was always found in the temple precincts of Sri Mukteswara at Kaveripakkam, 20 miles away from Kanchipuram. One day, in the temple, a big serpent came out; Seshadri beckoned it, it came and coiled over his body and held its hood over his head!! Those who witnessed were awe-struck. Seshadri now known as Seshadri Swami was unperturbed. His act showed that all creations of Almighty are alike and is all pervasive. Seshadri wandered everywhere, eventually ending up at Tiruvannamalai in 1889 AD at 19. He stayed there for next 40 years till attaining Mukthi. Given below some accounts of Miracles by devotees. One Vitoba Swamigal was at Polur - about 10 miles away from Thiruvannamalai. One day Sesahdri Swamigal was running in the streets of Thiruvannamalai shouting “ Vitoba is flying to Heaven..” Later the news about Vitoba Swamigal having attained Mukti at the same time Seshadri Swamigal ran shouting in the streets. Every one was spell bound by the yogic power, siddhi or the spiritual power of Sri Seshadri Swamigal. Mr. John, brother in law of Mr F.T. Peters (Post Master General in Madras ), was a Station Master in M.S.M. Railways. The English family were great devotees of Sri Seshadri Swamigal. Once there was a complaint against MSM Railways. A wealthy Gujarathi had filed a lawsuit, claiming damages for about Rs 1 lakh. If proved, Mr. John, would have lost his job and would have to pay the penalty of Rs.10,000. To prove his innocence, Mr John submitted the relevant records of accounts to the court. Unfortunately those records did not reach the court on time. This increased the suspicion against Mr John threatening his career. He immediately sent a telegram to Peter, his brother-in-law to seek Swami’s blessings. The PMG sent Govinda Swamy Iyer, another Post Master, to meet Sri Seshadri Swamigal in Thiruvannamalai. Despite his continuous search, Seshadri Swamigal could not be located. At 8 pm, he met the Swami. Swami looked at him saying, “Boos, boos, gup, gup, Ooh! Ooh! It went that way and came this way.” Shri Govinda Swamy inferred that Swami referred to the train by His initial words and gesture. Govindasamy iyer Telegraphed to Peter his inference. A few minutes later Peter received another telegram reading “RECORDS TRACED IN TRAIN AND LODGED WITH COURT All merchants, traders and workers of Thiruvannamalai always awaited Swamigal’s presence in bazaar streets. His arrival was considered the visitation of Gods! Swamigal frequently visited bazaar streets. Seeing Him , every merchant would get down from his shop, stand with folded hands and entreat Him to visit his shop because Swami’s visit would mean enormous boosting of business. There was one shop Swami would drop in without any invitation. It was Muthiyalu Chettiar’s shop. Swami would enter his shop, scatter and play with rice, sugar and candy etc. and sometimes would open the cash box and throw the coins around. Chettiar with folded hands, quietly watched such pranks (Leelas) and worshipped Him with tears of devotion. Siva Prakasa Mudaliar, a constable, was an ardent devotee of Sri Seshadri Swamigal. His earned Rs.70/-pm. One day he was on his way to his officer’s residence, when he met Swamigal. Swamigal looking at him stopped him and asked “ Will you accept Rs.10/- if I give you.” Mudaliar replied “Swami, my boss is angry with me and will not give promotion or increment” . Swami laughed and said “Never mind if your boss don’t give promotion; I give you promotion and you accept it.” Swami took Mudaliar’s headgear and wore it Himself. He took out his angavasthram and garlanded it around His neck . He said “Come with me” . Both of them proceeded to the Circe Inspector’s house. The Inspector’s wife told Mudaliar, “From today you should be happy. Your salary is going to be raised.” Hearing this Sri Seshadri Swamigal laughed. Mudaliar got his increment of Rs.10/-. Mudaliar learnt later, that even though Mudaliar’s boss, the DSP had vehemently argued against his promotion, the ASP had strongly recommended the promotion and increment of Rs 10/-pm. It happened elsewhere, when Swamigal offered Mudaliar if he was willing to accept Rs.10. Ramana Maharshi came to Thiruvannamalai 7 years after Seshadri Swamigal’s visit. Seshadri Swamigal was immediately aware of the young Swami’s state of Self-abidance. Swamigal felt a motherly love and affection for the bala yogi. Sri Ramana spent his time then immersed in the bliss of the Self in the Thousand Pillared hall of Arunachaleswara Temple. Some local urchins not realizing His state pelted stones. Sri Seshadri Swamigal protected the young Ramana who seemed quite unaware of his body and surroundings. To avoid this unwanted attention Sri Ramana then moved into the Patala Lingam temple underground vault. He remained there in deep meditation for many days oblivious to the ants, vermin and mosquitoes which feasted on Him. Sri Seshadri Swamigal found him there and asked his devotee Venkatachala Mudaliar to lift the Bala Yogi out of the vault. It was found that His body was affected with wounds caused by insect bites and it was Sri Seshadri Swamigal who instructed his disciple to clean Ramana’s blood oozing wounds. Swamigal later revealed the Greatness of the Ramana as a Saint to the whole world. Locals used to call Sri Seshadri as Mother Parvathi and Sri Ramana as Skanda. Many people addressed SeshadriSwamigal as Anna i.e. Elder brother and Sri Ramana as Thambi, Younger brother. Once a devotee of Ramana told Him that everyone called Seshadri a mad man. Ramana smilingly replied that there were three mad men in Arunachala. One was Seshadri, the second was Arunachaleswarar and the third was himself. Sri Ramana said “ Seshadri Swamigal does not allow people to come near him; here all are coming.” Experienced Devotees used to say “Seshadri was Ramana and Ramana was Seshadri” Bagavan Ramana was present Seshadri swamigal s body was interred and personal read and approved the script of Seshadris Biography. This Bagavan Ramanas reverence for this great Mahaan Swamigal, an ascetic with total disregard for either name or form had no home, dependents, property or any regular habit or system. His acts were dramatic and deeply impressive. He would avoid rich food from wealthy persons but beg for cold gruel at a poor man.s house. Sometimes he would take no food at all and on other occasions consume enough for ten people. He would eat and drink like one swallowing medicine or one being forcibly fed. Although he did not accept money he would sometimes receive expensive clothes but immediately transfer them to a poor person or tear the clothes into pieces and garland the tail and horns of a calf. He will enter any shop on the roads and pull out anything from them. The shopkeepers at Thiruvannamalai revered him and considered his visit and touch as a great blessing. If he was given plain new clothes, within a couple of hours, they would reach the state of his original clothes. He wore only a dhoti which would cover his toes and another piece of cloth swathed over his back and shoulders. He would squat anywhere regardless whether it was slush, dirt or refuse. When sitting, it was always in his favorite swastika asana. Swamiji was handsome of medium height and fair countenance. His hair hung in short ringlets to the nape of his neck. His voice was soft and his smile was as sweet and sunny as a child. His body would not be at rest for a moment. He walked fast and those following had to run to keep up with him. He loved music, delighting his devotees with songs. If one asked, he would break forth into melodious song often drumming rhythms on nearby surfaces. Sometimes he would place his hands on his hips and dance. He was a tapasvi of a very high order. One result of the mantras and sadhanas he practiced from his earliest years was the development of various siddhis and psychic powers. He could tell about the past and the future and read minds with ease. With this power, he fulfilled the desires of people by showing visions they wanted to see, both in dreams and while being awake. His miraculous touch is said to have cured many of those who came to him with devotion. Often when people saw him in the streets they would prostrate before him and he would get near to enable them to touch his feet. Seshadri Swamigal had deep devotion to Goddess Kamakshi, Lord Ram and Arunachala. He loved service and by his own example showed it as a noble ideal to live up to. People worshipped him as “ a talking God, a divine incarnation, a great yogi, and a great siddha adding that there were three lingas in Tiruvannamalai: One, Lord Arunachala, another Ramana Maharshi and the third Seshadri Swamigal. Swamigal indeed was a Jivan-mukta (a realized soul while in body). He did not have body-consciousness and was in ever communion with his Atman (Soul). He saw atman in everything-animate and inanimate. He was seen going round and round a stone pillar and doing pranams (offering his worship) and saying that he was seeing God in it. Similarly he used to worship animals-buffalo, donkeys seeing God in them. After serving humanity for over 40 years and helping all kinds of people Seshadri swamigal decided to finally shed his body. One day in 1928 during Karthigai month He asked a devotee, “shall I build a new house and go away? Subbulakshmi, the devotee thought it was his usual prank. Since Swamiji repeatedly for many days repeated His question, she answered that He should construct and move to His new house and practice Yoga. Sri Seshadri accepted Subbalakshmi.s words as Parasakthi’s approval and replied, „Yes, yes, it shall be done!. Some days later his devotees, who wanted to photograph him, gave him an oil bath and then bathed, dressed, scented, garlanded and photographed him. Immediately Seshadri caught a fever. For forty days his condition worsened and on the forty-first day he found the strength to visit Arunachaleswara one last time. On returning from the temple he sat down in a puddle of water and refused to change his wet clothes when he got back to the house. Within days, on January 4, 1929, Sri Seshadri Swamigal left His body. His body was brought out in procession amidst a very large crowd. Camphor was lit everywhere making the night a day. The air was filled with group-singing, devotional songs and the music of instrument players. It was at Agni Theertham that Sri Ramana Maharshi joined the procession. A samadhi was constructed and Sri Swamigal interred. The samadhi is now within Sri Seshadri Ashram on Chengam Road, Tiruvannamalai. The Seshadri Swamigal Ashram is located next to Sri Ramanasramam between the Second and Third Lingam on the Circumabulation route. Regular pujas are performed at the Samadhi of Sri Seshadri Swamigal. Sri Seshadri Swamigal is ever present helping, blessing and guiding his devotees to everlasting bliss.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 04:54:54 +0000
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