Shirdi Sai Baba Stories,Leelas and Teachings.: B.V Narsimha Swami Ji-Meeting The Disciple.

Dear All,
Happy Thursday and Happy Baba's day
Today I am posting 19th chapter.In this part we shall read Swami ji's meeting the disciple and disciple's experience with Swami ji .Readers who have missed earlier parts of biography can read by clicking on the links which are given below at the end of post , chapter by chapter.Jai Sai Ram.

Chapter-4
Part-IV
MEETING THE DISCIPLE .

Narasimha Swamiji thought for a while and then said;“If you really want to know the meaning of Radhakrishna,I will let you know, but you come and stay in Madras.” Narasimha Swamiji had already told Radhakrishnan’s brother that he wanted men of the caliber of Radhakrishnan to help him in spreading Sai Baba’s message and Rajagopala Aiyer had agreed that Radhakrishnan should join Narasimha Swamiji in Madras.

They young devotee,Radhakrishnan,started reading literature connected with Sai Baba, but he was disappointed that there was no good book available in English giving complete details about the life and teachings of Sai Baba. He learnt that the material for writing an exhaustive biography had been collected after years of research and patience by Narasimha Swamiji. Radhakrishnan had already read a remarkable book by Narasimha Swamiji,‘Self Realisation-a biography of Sri Ramana Maharishi’about which he said: “So complete was the atonement of the author with the subject of his study that the book compelled my admiration and I got absorbed in it.”However,he was nagged by a doubt which was- how was it that a person like Narasimha Swamiji who had the benefit of personal contact with a living sage of the eminence of Sri Ramana Maharishi,had been drawn towards Sai Baba,a saint who was no more and whose method of teaching differed considerably from that of Sri Ramana Maharishi?”

Strangely enough,Radhakrishnan found that Narasimha Swamiji was at that very moment in Ooty and he sought an interview with him to clear his doubt. Narasimha Swamiji explained to him at some length the circumstances and reasons which had guided his footsteps in his search for a final resting place where his heart could abide in complete faith,with a mind which is in repose because it is no longer assailed by doubts.

It is not known when exactly Radhakrishnan came to Madras after he accepted Narasimha Swamiji as his Guru.It might have been somewhere in 1943 or 44.He lived with a family in George Town for some time and then in a room in the auditor’s firm in which he worked.It was while staying with a couple that he had a remarkable spiritual experience,which had a profound effect on him. After his meeting with Narasimha Swamiji he was thirsting to know the meaning of Radhakrishnan, which his Guru had promised would be revealed to him if he came to Madras.

After some days he took a vow that he would not eat until the Lord revealed himself to him to show the significance of Radhakrishna.He started fasting. On the second day he ran high temperature and the couple with whom he was staying were worried and called in a doctor.But he would not take the medicine prescribed and continued his fast.On the third day he had darshan of Radha and Krishna.This was how he was described it: “I was lying in an easy chair on the terrace of the house and was wide awake.I was praying to Radha:‘Mother, you have to show Him to me soon’.Suddenly I saw a bright light in the sky.Gradually I perceived the light to be none other than Radha,who appeared to be an 18-year old girl.After a while Krishna came in the same way and they stood in front of me hugging each other as you see in the traditional pictures and idols.Radha was holding me by one hand and Krishna by another.She took me nearer to Krishna and said:‘This is Krishna’.Then the vision disappeared.My fever began to subside.It was a great vision.I had actually prayed to Radha to show me Krishna and this had proved effective.”

Radhakrishnan had another experience, which revealed to him who Sai Baba was.One day Sai Baba told him: “Read the tenth”.He could not say if it was in a dream or in a vision.He mentioned this to Narasimha Swamiji and added that perhaps Sai baba wanted him to read the tenth chapter of the Bhagavadgita,which referts to the Vibhuti yoga. Radhakrishnan started reading the tenth chapter of the Gita.

One night he was lying in the open at the All India Sai Samaj premises he suddenly saw the entire sky filled with the various forms of Gods and Goddesses, including Krishna, Rama etc., He prayed to Sai Baba: “Oh, Sai Baba, I do not want all these. I want to know your real form, who you are and that alone. Please show that to me”. All the forms in the sky vanished and only those of Sri Rama and Maruthi remained. Radhakrishnan exclaimed: “It then became clear to me that Sai Baba and Rama are one and the same. I told Narasimha Swamiji about this and he was happy to hear of this experience and said: ‘So it is definite Sai and Rama are the same”.

Referring to this Radhakrishnan said: “You see, Sai Baba did not say, “I am Rama”. He just showed Rama. This indicated one thought that Sai Baba was a great Rama Bhakta. In Sai Satcharita you might have read about his eagerness to celebrate Sri Rama Navami. Also whenever he saw a Maruthi temple he would jump in ecstasy. This is the characteristic of a true bhakta”.

It is not certain when Radhakrishnan broke off all family bonds after he settled in Madras. There was pressure from his people to return home. His close relations used all means to persuade him to change his mind. They also approached Narasimha Swamiji to intervene. But Radhakrishnan was adamant and they had to give up their efforts. He gave up the job of steward of the Race Club, worked in an auditor’s firm and later became a director of the Mylapore Permanent Fund. Outwardly he was a handsome young man, neatly dressed in a clean dhoti and white jubba with an upper cloth thrown over one shoulder. Those days, he gave an impression as the one who was extremely attentive to his appearance and manners. He was a voracious reader and his favourite haunt was the Theosphical Society Library at Adyar where he spent many hours pouring over religious and occult literature. At the Theosphical Society gardens he found a quiet place under a tree to do meditation.

A Sanskrit book, ‘Mantra Mahodari’ was always to be found in Radhakrishnan’s hands those days. The book was a mine of information on japas and mantras prescribed by the sages of yore to achieve various siddhis. T. Kesava Rao and V.K. Panthulu were close associates of Radhakrishnan. They would not do anything connected with the All India Sai Samaj without consulting each other.

Radhakrishnan supervised the accounts of the Samaj and helped Narasimha Swamiji in other ways in his personal and public work. Narasimha Swamiji put him in charge of the library and he would always be found surrounded by books, very happy and contented. Radhakrishnan was a person who never pushed himself up. He was physically much better built than in his later days and he was an ‘impressive figure’. His surrender to Narasimha Swamiji was total and whatever Narasimha Swamiji said was law to him.

Radhakrishnan acted as liaison in legal and other work connected with the All India Sai Samaj. He spent most of his time in the Samaj premises when he was not busy otherwise. Every evening Narasimha Swamiji used to ask Radhakrishnan to read verses from the Gita and he would explain their meaning to the assembled devotees. It was one such occasion that in Narasimha Swamiji’s presence that Radhakrishnan recited Vishnu Sahasranamam, which became so much a part of his divine mission later on. By 1946, these discourses became rare, as Narasimha Swamiji was busy with the fast expanding activities of the All India Samaj.

Radhakrishnan was a dynamic young man but was never showy. He always remained in the background. He used to avoid photographs too in public functions of the Samaj.

Radhakrishnan was deputed by Narasimha Swamiji to Shirdi for liaison with the Shirdi Samsthan of his behalf and to ensure proper facilities for pilgrims from the South. He later became a member of the Shirdi Samsthan Committee. Narasimha Swamiji sent him on Sai prachar work to many centres in North India and this entailed long separation from his Guru, which became permanent when he was asked to go to Bangalore in 1952 for Sai prachar.

About this itinerant life, Radhakrishnan has reminisced as follows:-

“I was leading a comfortable life in Ooty. Then my contact with Narasimha Swamiji brought me to Madras. Swamiji gave me a plank of wood to sleep on and I had to sleep on that plank without a pillow, using one of my arms as a pillow. You see from the comfort, which I enjoyed at Ooty what hardship I had to undergo in Madras. This was a test. God will enter us only when we maintain equanimity of mind whether it is ‘sukha’ or ‘dukha’. Right from the day I started following Narasimha Swamiji I have found that Sai Baba gives a number of tests and even hardships. He put me in Bombay, Shirdi and later at Bangalore, depriving me completely of my contact with my Guru. I became unhappy but later felt it was His will and should be quietly followed. All these Sai Baba will do to make one evolve as a devotee. He will be going on giving such tests until one passes them successfully. The essence of ‘Bhakti marga’ is this. And when once the Lord through bhakti takes a person, he is taken forever. The Lord will never forsake him.”

Narasimha Swamiji sent Radhakrishna Swamiji to Bangalore in 1952 for ‘Sai prachar’ work in old Mysore area. In 1953, Narasimha Swamiji gave the title ‘Saipadananda’ to his devoted disciple. Radhakrishna Swamiji is the greatest gift of Narasimha Swamiji to the public of Karnataka in general and Bangalore in particular. He established Sri Sai Spiritual centre and attracted thousands of devotees to the Sai Marg. We are eternally grateful to Narasimha Swamiji for blessing us with Radhakrishna Swamiji.

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