SESHADRI SWAMIGAL MAHAN (Excerpt from an article..source: Arunachala Samudra) Swamijis interaction with the world was very strange. A person couldnt take advantage of previous proximity - every moment was a new moment. People loved him, but some fearing they might be beaten, were frightened to come close. Generally, he would not call people by name, ask them how they were doing, suggest they come or question why a person did not come. He would neither talk sarcastically nor show intimacy on account of a past connection. Sri Seshadri Swami had deep devotion to God especially in the form of the Goddess Kamakshi, Lord Ram and Arunachala. In the practice of concentration (for days in his boyhood at Tindivanam and at Tiruvannamalai), he sat steeped in samadhi, oblivious of his body. He loved service and by his own example showed it as a noble ideal to live up to. He was regarded with great respect and he was thought to be a sage not a mad man. People would say, He is a talking God, A divine incarnation, a great yogi, a great siddha. Others would say there were three lingas in Tiruvannamalai: One, Lord Arunachala, another Ramana Maharshi and the third Seshadri Swamigal. Seshadri Swamigal and Ramana Maharshi (Seshadri actually arrived at Arunachala six years earlier than Ramana) were contemporaries. It was Seshadri who found Ramana in the Pathala Linga at Arunachala Temple, protecting him from urchins and bringing him to the notice of the world. Locals used to call Sri Seshadri, Mother Parvathi and Sri Ramana, Skanda (Lord Subramanya). Sometimes Sri Seshadri Swamigal, the older by ten years would be called elder Seshadri (anna) and Sri Ramana younger Seshadri (thambi). One time a devotee told Sri Ramana 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 of Swamji, Sri Seshadri does not allow people to come near him. Here all are coming. Throughout his life and teachings Sri Seshadri continuously emphasised the glory of Arunachala: This is Siva Lingam. It is enough to worship this. One can become spiritually enlightened and attain liberation. And illustrating the similarity of the Annamalaiyar-Unnamalai Temple to Arunachala he said to those wasting their time discussing worldly affairs and neglecting God: He spreads his shop in the morning. Closes it at night. He does not see Lord Arunachaleswara. What is the use? Visit the temple. Visit the temple. Visit the temple. He was ever emphasising the inestimable value of giripradakshina instructing: One should pray to Lord Arunachaleswara all the time. In particular perambulation of the hills should be done on Tuesdays. Deep devotion will arise.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 11:08:01 +0000
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