“The camphor has lit up, what could I do?”

Om SathGuru Sri Seshadi Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Mahaan Sri Seshadri Swamigal

Self-Illumination (Self-Realization) – Attained by a devotee of

Sri Seshadri Swamigal of Thiruvannamalai by His magical touch

“The camphor has lit up, what could I do?”

Murugesa Mudaliar of Chittoor (A.P.) was the co-brother of Sivaprakasa Mudaliar, the police prosecuting Inspector at Thiruvannamalai. He had retired as a Sub- Registrar. Having heard so much about Swamiji, he developed a yearning to see him. On one occasion he had to come to Thiruvannamalai with his entire family to attend to some obsequies. At that time he met Swamiji and prostrated before him. One day he prayed to Swamiji to impart spiritual knowledge. Seeing his pure heart and strength of determination, Swamiji one day took him to the sanctum of Lord Muruga (Lord Kartik) at the Kambathu Illayanar Shrine, made him sit down and lightly pressed his head with right hand. Right away, Self-Illumination dawned on Murugesa Mudaliar, who became ecstatic and jumped with joy.

He ran out shouting loudly, “Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Seshadri Seshadri!” He danced, sang and jumped up, and down. He did not even notice that his dhoti had slipped off. He was totally bereft of so-called decency and his body senses. People started gathering wondering whether it was a disease or what. Siva Prakasa Mudaliar and other relatives were un-nerved and asked Swamiji what had happened.

Swamiji replied, “He is Pattinathu Pillai (a saint of that name in his previous birth) and was ready for spiritual instruction and sought it and I imparted the same.”

“The camphor has lit up, what could I do?”

Siva Prakasa Mudaliar and other relatives ran after him. For two or three days he was in ecstasy and ran to Ramanashram and other places shouting Rama Nama and doing things in a peculiar manner and did not pay any heed to the relatives plea to come back. Therefore Siva Prakasa Mudaliar requested Swamiji to bring him back home. By chance Swamiji saw him near the Sadhu Chatram and in gentle voice told him, “You can go home.” Immediately after that Murugesa Mudaliar returned to his co-brother’s house.

Siva Prakasa Mudaliar saw Swamiji that midnight at the temple of Lord Muruga (Lord Karthik) (Kambathu Ilayanar Srine situated inside Sri Arunachaleshwar Temple). Swamiji told him that Murugesa Mudaliar could not bear the illumination. It worked on his brain. Since that was very powerful, it will take few days to become normal. Accordingly, he became perfectly peaceful and returned to his normal self after few days. Later he was living at Chittoor as a spiritually enlightened person.

Swamiji imparting spiritual instruction through touch! (Sparsa Diksha)

“ Love rules the court, the camp, the grove,

The men below and saints above,

For love is heaven and heaven is love.”

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The Sathguru, the Bhaktha, Self-Realization

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

One who cultivates the heart’s natural love obtains the guidance of a Guru, and starts his Sadana (Path of spiritual discipline). He becomes a pravartaka, an initiate.

“Man, when endowed with the heavenly gift of pure love, naturally becomes disposed to avoid the company of what is Asath and to keep the company of what has been described as Sath.”

– The Revelation- Sutra6. The Holy Science,

– Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri (1855-1936 – Disciple of Sri Lahari Mahasaya and Guruji of Sri Yogananda Paramahansa)

By affectionately keeping the company Sath he may be fortunate enough to please one whom may kindly stand to him as his SathGuru or Spiritual Preceptor. By keeping his preceptor’s God-like company there grows an inclination, Pravritti, in the disciple’s heart to save himself from the creation of darkness, Maya, and he becomes Pravartaka, an initiate in the practices of Yama and Niryama, the ascetic forbearances and observances necessary to obtain salvation.

Self-Realization:

God makes the law of karma and if God cannot set aside the law, then the law is greater than God. This cannot be. Generally God does not interfere. He allows the karma to work out. But He may in special case go beyond His law and by His grace free the soul from the bondage of karma. God’s grace comes without deserving it. We cannot get grace by virtue of our so-called merit. Worst sinners have received grace and become pure and glories.

Without initiation, all actions and rituals are fruitless. Without initiation, spiritual perfection cannot be attained. The Guru transmits His own innerself, His Divine Shakthi (Universal Energy or Cosmic Energy or Kundalini Shakthi), and His message directly into the disciple. Only a Guru (Sathpurushas or SathGuru) who has been empowered by the blessings of the Supreme Power can awaken the Kundalini permanently.

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Upadesas

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

“What business you are doing?”

The query was addressed to Sastrigal five times and a reply was expected. Swami did not at all like Sastrigal spending all his time in worldly pursuits and wasting his time instead of seeking to attain spiritual liberation (Moksha).

“Do you take castor oil? Shall I rid you of your entire ailment?”

Half an hour after asking the above question, Swami said, “It is dirt (malam). Para-Brahma (Creator of the universe) is nirmalam (without any dirt, i.e. Pure). Swami conveyed that instead of wasting one’s pursuits on dirt-laden unspiritual matters, it would be better to get rid of all desires and pursue the Eternal Entity (Para Brahma).

“If you find who is Iswara, the body is got rid of.”

Detachment from the body, and other desires, conquers death. Self-realization is the only means to develop such a detachment.

“Ullankya sinthau salilam saleelam”

Hanuman had the blessings of Lord Rama, that enabled him to cross the seas. In a similar manner, one should use the Master’s (Avathar or SathGuru) blessings to cross the ocean of sins.

“How is the Ramayana to be read?”

Swami’s concept was that a mere reading of the Ramayana, without conducting oneself like Lord Rama, will not suffice.

“This is Siva Lingam . It is enough to worship this. One can become spiritually enlightened and attain liberation.”

Sastrigal had told Swami that he had devotion for Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Goddess Gowri and several other deities. Nevertheless, he was grieved that he had not developed any real lasting devotion to any particular deity and he requested Swami’s blessings and advice on this. Swami, by way of response referred to HIMSELF as the Shiva Lingam, By this, He meant that A Prayer to the Guru is a prayer to the Lord!

Guru Himself is Shiva, and Shiva is the Guru!

“Differences based on caste, enjoyment of women, should be got rid of to attain Samadhi.”

This was oft mentioned by Swami.

“Is Brahma greater or, Vasishta?”

Sastrigal who was questioned thus, replied that since Brahma was Vasishta’s father, Brahma was greater. Swami was not convinced.

Swami said, that “ Vasishta was the greater of the two! Since, when Brahma revealed Vishwamitra that he had become Brahmarishi, Vishwamitra rejected Brahma’s acknowledgement, and expected to hear it from Vasishta’s own words! Hence, the Guru is more vital than the deity.” From this, it is evident that (like Vishwamitra), one should have devotion towards the Guru.

“This is Moksha, this is moksha, See!

These words were uttered by Swami when HE was in Subbulakshmi’s house. Swami picked up a big mirror from the house and handing it over to Sastrigal, put his hand around Sastrigal’s neck, embraced him. Pointing to the image in the mirror He said, “This is Moksham.”

The significance of the above is as follows: “If the mirror is removed, the shadow is eliminated leaving the image. In the same manner, the Jeevan disappears and only the image of the Para-Brahman remains.”

“You can go in Royal Style by repeating Rama, Rama.”

Sastrigal was ordered by Swami to sleep in the Kambathu Ilayanar (Lord Muruga) shrine, of Sri Arunachaleshwara Temple, for seven days.

Swami appeared in his dream on the third night. Sastrigal saw a flourishing banana plantation. While he was sitting there, Swami got a big cluster of about 200 bananas and said, “These should ripen.” This was repeated twice, after which Swami disappeared. When describing the style in which one could leave, Swami speedily threw up his hands. He then noticed a few bananas which were red and on the point of getting ripe and the rest were totally unripe.

Swami conveyed to Sastrigal the unripe state of his spiritual pursuit and advised him to do Rama Nama Japa to attain liberation.

“You should forget the body that way”

The above upadesam is the outcome of Sastrigal’s dream on the sixth night. The dream was as follows:

Sastrigal was doing Rama Nama Japa sitting under a tree.

Swami came from behind him brandishing a knife with which to cut him. Sastrigal without getting up was trying by his hands to ward off the above struggle; Swami threw away the knife and laughing boisterously said:

“What kind of meditation are you doing ?” You should not have any awareness of the body. This is absolutely useless. You should totally remove the awareness of the body.”

In the morning Sastrigal tearfully bowed to the Swami. Swami said, “Have no worries. God will take care of all that.”

This incident illustrates the need to meditate with all body senses eliminated even under threats to one’s life.

“Parithraanaya Sadhunam Vinaayaacha Dhush-Krithaam

Dharma Samsthaapanaarthaya Sambhavami Yuge Yuge.”

Swami referred to HIS incarnation to remove evil and establish righteousness, and that he would perform the task of wiping out ignorance and instilling spiritual enlightenment in those who sought refuge in HIM.

“Don’t you know the route?” Kamakshi, Meenakshi, Vishalakshi all three are one and the same. They will confer liberation on those who contemplate them.”

Do you not know the path to attain liberation? The route consisting of yagas, yoga, etc; is very strenuous. The path of Bhakthi (Divine Love, for a deity) is the best. And in that path of love, worship of Devi is the most effective.

The mother’s concern for a child is much more than that of the father. Hence Devi who is the mother of the entire world has manifested Herself as Vishalakshi in Kasi, Kamakshi in Kanchipuram and Meenakshi in Madurai.

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Understanding a Sathpurusha

Om Sathguru Shri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

There are three principal modes of comprehending the words of a Sathpurusha:

Scholarship – One is to explain by various references, comments and examples; this the most common mode; for this the interpreter has to be a great scholar with wide reading, thought, research and experience, and in that too, he himself must have learnt in a traditional way; the student in this case also, has to be a person of no mean intelligence, work and capacity.

Self-realization – A person, who has no such scholarship, (from the worldly point of view), but who has attained the Para-Brahma, goes on talking about whatever he experiences in that state, either in a plain or a couched manner. His simple talks always have a subtle and deep meaning even though superficially they may not strike as of much importance. To understand these talks and derive the significance of their meaning can only be beneficial; in short, every listener cannot grasp what is spoken to them. His talks are not only very simple but they are illustrated with various common examples from one’s daily life.These talks of his run in the traditional groove. This mode is indeed, superior to the first.

Guru-Sishya tradition – The best way to self-illumination is the Guru-Sishya tradition. The Guru and his disciple may be far away, or, very near to each other. Even when they are together they are never seen to exchange a single word. The guru secretly acts on the mind of the disciple; the mind of the disciple gets linked up to that of his guru; and as the mind of the guru is in that state of Brahma, in due course, the mind of the disciple also passes into that state. There has been no talk, no explanation, and no external sign of any communication between them. In this the disciple spontaneously begins to understand everything by himself.

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