Friday, April 17, 2009

Mystical experiences at Tirupati

My trips to Timmappa did not start till I graduated . It was fear of seven and half saturn that made me first make up my mind to go to Tirupati. Just as the day on which my seven and half saturn [sade sati] started, the same morning I was in Tirupati early 4.30am . Well bathed ,I was standing at the gates of speacial darshan Vaikuntham about to enter ,[this was my first trip as an adult independently] , A temple employee came up to me , asked whether I have enough time with me , whether I could spend time till evening in he temple premises? As I had no other work I replied in affirmative .

Then the temple employee said " follow me". I asked where ? he said " we need witness " . For what " For counting of the amount in the HUndi " . It was interesting , I just followed quietly , Slowly I was taken to a room which had cameras all over and like a cage , inside it were variety of boxes ,steel filters etc . There were few khakhi clad people and few archaka and few accountants . One of the officers asked me to sign the register with my name and identity . Then One of the archakas took me to the garbhagudi [ the sanctum sanctorium where LOrd Tirupati BALAJI stands ] via a a backdoor ,the entrance through which main preist enters . They closed the curtain , the door of the garbha griha was closed . All the devotees were made to wait outside ,[ Darshan was closed for others ] NOw it was a exhilarating moment in my life , I the main priest and one more to do aarti were the only people  in the room before LOrd TIrupati Venkataraman ] A grand pooja was made , tulasi archana was done LORD was decorated with Flowers , Then he was bejeweled with ALANKAR and then a grand aarti took place for nearly 20 minutes I was standing before LOrd VEnkateshwara  all alone gazing at him , the beauty which two eyes could never capture , the smile that gives immense peace to the beholder , the lord in his all majesty  was just not enough to take eyes off or think anything else . WHen after aarti , I was asked to go back to the counting session ,I could not think how lucky I am to have started my day with a experience which perhaps could not have been accorded to most influential or wealthy , here I a humble Bramhin , my Lord had called me so close to him . It enhanced the bhakti in me , I felt earlier that Tirupati was the place only where rich and wealthy have their way the poor always spends days to see the Lord . BUT I was wrong , if you love God ardently , he calls you very close .

But I could not believe my luck still , as archaka took me to the counting room it was six am . The bags [hundi coins] were poured in the steel filters , and only five rupees coins filtered out , there were few accountants counting them , I was told to keep a watch on them , as cameras above were moving , Another filtered only two Rs coins ,some filtered only one rupee coins . The whole lot were counted as the counting completed of the coins , it was noted and shown to me , I had to sign each register after making across check .

Then Notes [currency bills] were counted , Then Gold and diamonds were separated , jewelleries and biscuits and slabs were separated , everything was weighed ,  All were noted down , by the time ordeal finished it was 11 am , a pretty five hours grinding inspection . The total was 43.237 lakhs of rupees and etc , and 20 kgs of gold silver and other articles . I signed the register . and As I was about to leave , Archaka held my hand , took me back to the Temple garbhagriha , all doors were close again and Darshan was stopped . The curtain closed , and agin for another 10 minutes I had a eyes full of Darshan , Archaka asked me whether I was satisfied , I smiled , [ CAN we have enough of NArayana]  , He took me to the bhojanshala , I had a sumptuous pulivogare , pongal , vada and curd rice , sweets . then the Archaka handed over to me a a loadfull of laddos and vadas in a plastic bag . He bid me adieu till the gates of the temple .

I was out of the temple by 12 .30 am .

This was my first day of Sade sati [ seven and half saturn ] Aye , saturn is not that bad man ' I said to myself ' . I thanked saturn to give one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life . THe more I think of it the more I fall at the lotus feet of VEnkataramana .

Bharatiramana Mukhyapranantargata Laxmi Venkatesha supreeto bhava .

BUt this was not the only  time , believe me dear friends ,Lord always gave me a  unique experience whenever I went to Lord's abode Tirumala Tirupati . more in next posts .

Mantralayam - The Mystique

I had very special inclination to rayaru [ i bet everyone has] , with every opportunity available I used to run away to Mantralayam even as we were living central India . In the earlier such visits I found I was slowly accomplishing everything i desired for during childhood ,just by chanting the name of Raghavendra Swamy .

Rayaru was Kalpavruksha [ celestial tree that grants everything] for me .Mantralayam became a mystique place  for me . The mysticism grew as I grew up . But suddenly all that changed , I no longer wished for material aspirations . This was strange , though I knew , I could get it by a mere chant , something in me was not allowing me to go for such practise.

This maddened me . Events were worsening day by day with some hard fought days approaching , but mind was not chanting for desires but instead chants became more intense . I thought perhaps this was effect of Bhagvadgeeta recital . Then I rushed to Mantralayam again . But this time I was not able to even perform seva , my mind wandering  , all I could do was visit the local library and read the granthas , upanishad vyakhyanas . BUT  my answer to the question as to why i am unable to make a sankalpa of ishta siddhi and chant the rayaru japa?

I asked a local scholar , can we really make kamya japa for Rayaru ? The scholar said , nishkaam karma is for the viraktas , for the normal one must employ kamya karma . Moreover , if you need something , don't you ask your father with right . and would you feel it as runa onto your Father  ! NO ! thus Rayaru is the father Figure , there is nothing wrong in asking him your desires.

BUT as I make a sankalpa , rayara dhyana becomes an impossibility ! whats wortha chant without a dhyana. But why am I not able to retain Rayaru dhyana moorthy . HAve I lost ishta siddhi , BUt when without desires , i chanted rayaru dhyana was a spashta , but at the same  time new shastras became clearer and clearer . Slowly I forgot ishtakamya prapti .

Then years passed by seva concept gave way to intense dhyana , no more My body would long for dehik seva , i spent most of the time in japa at tunga teera .

thirdly as I gazed at people around me i found even normal guys who did not have formal education seemed more rich in aura . the canteen guy was also nearly radiant .

I had kept all this thoughts very near to my heart , but One day i could not help but asked my guruji , what was all this about ?

My guruji said , this is a  common experience for all the people [sadhakas ] , Rayaru grants wishes in the initial phases with rapid frequency and slowly the phenomenon stops . why?...........[ next post]

Then he showed me many characters around , one was a staying in mantralayam for 12 years to accomplish something , he had come years ago with a resolution that he would achieve something but 12 years gone by ,he could not ............... [ the reason will be given in next astro blogs] .

Someone was practising 11 namaskara for five years , would not leave mantralayam, then there was a IAS officer retired , he had permanently settled down in mantralayam while on some quest . Many seers expressed sadness at non darshan of Rayaru even in dreams , whereas roadside people claimed they had a divine vision .

One couple had come to Mantralayam for a short visit , and in the after noon after a nap after sumptuous meals , hurriedly went towards the railway station , the train was about to leave back to mumbai , i was also along with them . we were helplessly watching the train speed away before us . Loss of ticket price and a overnight stay all were disheartening, Just then a the canteen bramhin boy came by[ he seemed little retarded ], laughing at us , said " raise your hands call back the train , say raghavendra raghavendra!  , your train will come back " The couple standing were gave him a wierd look , sad as they were , this was becoming another tease . The boy did not give up . he forcefully took the hands of  male among the couple ,raised it and shouted jumping , "Raghavendra Raghavendra ! " the man too hushed Raghavendra Raghavendra ! , and lo the train was coming back in reverse gear  after full fifteen minutes of departures , The driver and lineman ,gangmen all started fighting among themselves for having forgotten to halt for watering .[ Incidentally Mantralayam is a watering station , though officially the stoppage is less , under the pretext of watering trains stop unduly for long time ] .

ANd when we looked back the boy had left hurriedly , we could reach mumbai on same reservation. On my journey back next time I made it a point to inspect this boy and his day today activities . I asked my guruji what rendered this guy [ retarded ] so much aura . My guruji showed me early morning at 4 am this boy sincerely reciting vishnusahasra nama fills the tanks of the locals with a pitcher , thats his lively hood , but reciting vishnusahasra naama , while performing duties for livelihood . He cannot be a normal person.

Gopaldasaru has declared this place MAntralayam is easy for achieving siddhi . Here one need not perform full scale shraddha to pitrus , even if one says " oh father I give this to you and leaves something in Tungabhadra , reaches the manes just like gaya" Devatas reside in this vicinity .

Second I was introduced to a shopkeeper , who could just by waving his hands in air  could tell which part was affected medically ,or was about to get affected, He had mastered pranic healing , he waved from a distant of 10 ft at my uncle and said your heart has blockage , my uncle laughed it out . 10 days later he suffered a severe stroke [but survived ] .

This uneducated shopkeeper , how could he master this art , he waved his hands at my body , he declared I was suffering from abhichara , but since i had no desires in the heart , my vishudha and anahat were clean rest all were disturbed . had i nurtured any desires I would have become insane by disturbed anahat and vishudha .

This was real shocker I refused to believe it .But my guruji agreed with the shopkeeper . BUt guruji , I recite so many mantras ,vayustuti  , how come this happen to me. Because you do the abhichara has not entered your body it is revolving around you . " declared my guruji .

Then I said " i cannot take this like this , i need to inspect , if there is abhichara ,then what is the medium ?"

My guruji told lets go to his guru , we went to archaka of Panchamukhi [ a octogenarian spiritual master] . My guruji requested him to dispel my thoughts . The master smiled , he told I recite a mantra , holding your hand in my hand , I am clean of abhichara , you are carrying abhichara dosha , so my mantra will pull it towards me , the dosha will try to get away from me . so you will experience a jerk . if you get a jerk or a shock , you are affected , else you are not . 

I was a 28 years age well built man, he had crossed 80 so normally he could not pull me physically was a foregone conclusion . But as he recited mantra , i fell pretty 15 feet away in the meanwhile pulling the aged master along with me .

So it was confirmed I had the dosha , but what was the medium , from where did it originate , but who were my enemies ?

An astrological chart was cast , the chart showed the medium was on my body , the origin was in Egypt . now what was the medium on my body , the only thing I was wearing was a gold watch gifted to me as a part of business deal. The master asked me to remove it , he held it in his hands  ,it started jumping in air , then we decided it to put it in the rayaru hundi .

Meanwhile Rayaru restored my ishtasidhdhi and kamyasadhana . I went on to learn more and more things with every seva i continued at MAntralayam . But mysticism too continued with unravelling mystery .

krishnarpana.