"Anna Maharaj Of SriKshetra Sonai"

              ~  ANNA MAHARAJ , THE YOGI & DEVOTEE OF MAA JAGADAMBA IN DIFFERENT MOODS ~

Brahmaleen Sri Hariharanandnath Maharaj also called ANNA MAHARAJ with love , of Sonai, Ahmednagar,Maharashtra. He appeared in 1918 and took Samadhi somewhere in 1999. He was an enlightened yogi , devotee of Sri Jagadamba Maa.
It is through my nanaji that is my maternal grandfather , that I was fortunate enough to be blessed by HIS Darshan, I was around 7 yrs old then and have a very hazy image of Anna Maharaj.

Please feel free to share more details about Him. 

~at thy lotus feet,
radhika.

"Kanhaji Ka Ghoda" / "The Pony / Horse Of SriKrishna" ~ A Beautiful Leela Of Sri Krishnas Childhood, With A Great Lesson Behind It ~

Translation of SriKrishna Leela, kanhaji no ghodo in gujrati....srikrishna leela translated in english by me from Vaishnav Parivar.

This is a beautiful n touching Leela of Lord Krishna.

Kanhaji Ka Ghoda !!!! The Pony/Horse Of SriKrishna !

The natkhat son of Sri Nandbaba is none other than our Kanhaji, Nandrayaji's elder brother's son's name is Vishal, he is a little older than our sweet Kaanhaji, but a little younger than our Daubhaiyya , Balramji.

Just like his name Vishal too had attributes of not only being well built with broad shoulders but also of being Large Hearted, he is simple, innocent and blessed with a nature of being kind hearted to all and is loved by all due to his pleasing & happy disposition. Vishal too loved little Kanhaiya greatly & enjoyed pampering The Lord with his brotherly love. Since childhood it was a daily habbit of Little Kanhaiya to jump over brother Vishal & break the Pots / Matkis of Gopi's / Cowherd Women.

All the Gopa & Gopis in the village affectionately called Vishal as Kanhaji Ka Ghoda. Vishal never felt offended being called by this name, but secretly loved being called by this name.

Little Kanhaiya easily jumped on Vishal's shoulder 's & Vishal carried Kanha on his broad shoulders , wherein little Gopals little legs hanged to Vishals chest & Vishal carried His Lord n ran all over the lanes of Vrindavan.

One day, as soon as Krishna saw Vishal, He quickly jumped on His shoulder and Vishal gladly asked Him....so where does my kanha want to go today......?"

"Dada aaj to aam ke ban mein jaana hai/ I wish to go to the forest of mango trees"

Now, "dada" was the name exclusively used only for Daubhaiyya in Braj , but is our Kanha bound to any rules?! It is not surprising if Vishal, elder to Krishna, is called dada, but no....Kanhaji called His friends Stoka, Bhadra, Subal etc , sharing the same age group as HIM, as dada !

Sometimes He even called "Sumangal Gopa" who was younger to Him as dada.....its all Kanhajis wish....! No one dared to ask questions to this little prince of Braj...as everyone was deeply intoxicated in Love For Krishna..!!

So Vishal caught SriKrishna tightly and ran towards the lush green forests full of trees laden with mangoes in Vrindavan. No sooner did they reach , did Krishna with His little soft hand , hit on the head of Vishal, instructing him to stop.

"Hey dada......loooook there, said Krishna pointing towards a mango on the tree, I want to pluck that mango dada..."

Vishal turned his head to the mango Krishna was pointing to and saw a small mango hanging on a thin branch high on the tree top. Kanha immediately loved the little mango, although it was small.

If any gopa sakha asked krishna, "Arre kisna tujhe kaisa aam chahiye?" / "what kind of a mango do you want?"

Lord Krishna would spread His little hands and answer "itni badeee..." / "this big"

"Hey , u dont find such a big mango, krishna, just forget it." the gopa boys replied.

Be it any friut, flower or peacock feather, it was Krishnas habbit to spread His little hands wide n say I want it this big.

...but when actually it was time to select, he always loved things, small and delicate.

Krishna Leela's are beyond the understanding of great sages, then where do ordinary people stand.

"Kanhaiya, ye aam toh bahot chota hai.....udhar dekh kitne bade aur meethe aam hai ,doosri daali pe" / "hey krishna....this mango is really small, look at those other mangoes they are much bigger & sweeter than this one"

"Nahiiiiiii........" / "Nooooooooo" shouted Krishna by moving His head, left to right....along with His beautiful and thick black curly tresses flowing all around.

" I want only that mango dada, and I will pluck it myself", said Krishna, by beating His little legs with *jhanjars making a beautiful noise on Vishals shoulders.

* an ornament like a bracelet worn on the feet.

So swiftly like a squirrel He quickly climbed the tree....but this mango was on a weak branch, so Krishna stood over the shoulders of Vishal & stood on His two little legs like a professional, without losing His balance. O yes!! our Krishna was a born professional in balancing Himself on the shoulders of others , and this was the same way through which He climed over the gopa boys and broke the matki/pot to eat the maakhan of the villagers of braj.

He easily pulled the mango from the branch and started examining the mango by turning it all around, till He finally gave a satisfied smile of approval and a mysterious twinkle in His eye.

He slowly sat down on the shoulders of Vishal.

Vishal caught Kanhaiyas little legs and lovingly asked Him ," now where does my little brother wish to go?"

And Kanha immidiately replied..."dada....." and pulled Vishal's face towards Him and before Vishal could react , or understand what Krishna was doing, Krishna immediately thrust the mango into Vishal's mouth.

and clapped His hands with joy....."Hey dada isn"t the mango very tasty?"

The author say's this is how our little Kanha is ....if He liked something, He will never keep it for Himself, He will give it all to others.

Even after releasing Devaki & Vasudev, He never ruled Mathura but gave away the kingdom to His grandfather Ugrasen.

when He ruled Dwarka, it was with total detachment, He was the same, nonchalant Krishna when Dwarka was created & when the yadavas fought among themselves ultimately leading to its destruction.

He has no needs or wants....as saint tukaram maharaj says,

Sri Hari bhukela faqt bhavanacha.....If the Lord ever wants anything its just True Love....!!!

Even today if any body has pure love for Him,.....Krishna completely becomes the devotee of HIS devotee.

Sabse oonchi prem sagai...!!

No wonder the people of Braj loved Him Madly , infact still LOVE HIM MADLY !

No wonder the Gopis gave away personal liberation and even their egos for Krishna.

Moral:

jeevan ko sache marga par jo bhejta hai woh hai hamare shastra.

hamare ashubh baavo ko jo pighlaata hai aur shubh bhaavon ko jo viksaate hai woh hai sache sant. Aur jahan sant aur shastra dono ka samanvaya hota hai, ve hai bhagwadiya avatar.

Bhagwan Srikrishna ne is dhara bhoomi par avatar leke , apni sundar leelaon ke aadhar par hume jeevan ko nihswartha bhaav se jeene kee seekh dee hai, doosron ko khushi dekar unhe swayam param anand prapt hota hai........kisi ne sach hee kaha hai HARI ANANT HARI KATHA ANANTA"

JAI SRI KRISHNA...!!

~ Always at thy lotus feet,

radhika :o)

~ The Real Healing ~

Why do we fall ill??  How to overcome them??

Sharing the below chapter that answers these questions.

LIVING WITH GRACE

Extract from "Touched By Fire" An Autobiography of blessed Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Direct Disciple Of Sri Swami Ram Of The Himalayas.

Then one day I received news that my mother,still living in the village,had been having terrible headaches for more than a month and had recently lost her eyesight. I made plans to go home and bring her to the city for treatment. Before I left, I went to Swami Sadananda and begged him to give me some medicines for her.

"Medicine can help", he replied, but it will take too long for her to get cured."

"Then swamiji, what can we do to help her to get rid of her headaches & regain her eyesight?"

"Physical medicines are only one way of curing a disease ,"he replied,"and in fact , such medicines are too weak to change the course of our KARMA , which is actually the root cause of any disease.Forget about such weak medicine.It will be better if you do the recitation of a special set of prayers dedicated to the Sun.

[Here as the chapter unfolds Panditji was given a special prayer known as ADITYA HRIDAYAM.[These set of prayers were given by Agastya Rishi to Lord Ram before His final combat  with Ravan in Valmiki Ramayan.]

After he recited daily for his mother, for twelve days with faith, his mother was completely healed.

Deeply grateful and curious about the relationship between prayer and my mother's recovery,I went to see Swami Sadananda & asked him,"Swamiji how can prayer help not only the practitioner, but also someone at a distance ?"

"Intense austerity ,intense meditation,recitation of mantra,grace of GOD,selfless service, and living in the company of saints ,create a powerful, positive karma in a short period of time. The energy created by spiritually vibrant actions can neutralize the effect of previous negative karmas. If karmas cannot be changed or modified,then why should anyone bother to do anything good in life?"

I asked "Is it that karmas created by these kinds of practices neutralise our negative karmas, or is it the grace of the divine that erases our negative karmas?"

Swamiji replied." 

In my opinion, repetition of mantra, charity, company of good souls, prayer, & austerity help you eliminate your karmic impurities. Once the inner impurities are gone , you are able to retain the grace of the Divine. GRACE is the true source of the healing force , but the purification is what enables you to become a conduit through which grace can flow.

Swami Sadanand had also explained panditji on the importance of serving nature, which also enables in healing all kind of physical or mental ailments.

He said, [On serving foodgrains to birds] Birds are a part of nature ,their relationship with humans is not contaminated with selfishness & expectations . They are happy when you serve them, but they do not mind, if you don't.They operate on instinct alone -- they make no personal choices and have no agendas.Serving them is serving nature. Nature is the repository of all our karmas, the impressions of our past deeds.

"In our unconscious mind , " he continued ,"we have the seeds of disease as well as its cure. This unconscious mind always works in conformity with nature . By nature ,I don't mean only plants , rivers , and the rest of the natural environment. What we call  nature,infact,encompasses an entire primordial energy field that is the source of , and, locus for this material world . Everything & everyone evolves from this primordial energy field, including our natural world."

"By sacrificing your comforts , and giving away that which you beleive to be yours , you pay off your karmic debts in the subtle realm. And it is these karmic debts that are the cause of our present misery . Although we dont have access to our own unconscious mind, we can still pay off our karmic debts by serving nature, of which we are a part."

With deep reverence & love at the lotus feet of the Sages / Lord Krishna.

Love,Light & Peace,

~radhika.

GOD BLESS US ALL !

MORE ON THE DIVINITY OF SRI TARKESHWAR SIDDHAPEETH, LANSDOWNE,UTTARANCHL.

Swami Ram Initiating Swami Hari In Tarkeshwar on 23rd OCtber 1992

Pictures Of Swami Hari , also known as the laughing swami.

Swami Hariharananda Bharti OR Swami Hari - The Beloved & Direct Disciple Of Sri Swami Ram Of The Himalayas.
Swami Hari is more than 70 years old now.
Swami Hariharananda was born and raised in the foothills of the Himalayas and after becoming a monk he spent 15 years living and meditating in the mountain forests. Swami Hari is charismatic and a true forest monk in the 4,000 year old tradition of Himalayan sages and also a direct disciple of the legendary Swami Rama. As a teacher he is known for his ability to guide students into a state of deep meditation. His lectures are filled with practical knowledge, inspiration and humour. Swami Hari's friendly, cheerful and compassionate personality attracts to him new friends in all the countries he visits. He spent many years at the 600-year old sacred shrine of Tarkeshwar in the Himalayas, where his master Swami Rama attained enlightenment in 1930s.
Swami Hari is spiritual head of the temple and ashram at Tarkeshwar in the Himalayas and has undertaken the ongoing SRIVERM Project. Swami Hari's wisdom does not come from books, but from having connected with the Source of wisdom. For many years he did special meditative practices in the enchanted valley of Tarkeshwar, where he gained the blessings of great wisdom and sacred knowledge. His purity is evident in his frequent and spontaneous joyful laughter. Although he often claims to know nothing, the wisdom of his pure heart shines with each word. For the last three years he has traveled each summer to many countries teaching his peacefull and practical wisdom and knowledge. Over the years Swami Hari has undertaken and completed the following Major projects:

1) SRIVERM Project

2) Tarkeshwar Project

3) Doodharkhal Project

4) Madhu Ganga Project

5) Toli Project
[aS pER tHE iNFORMATION fROM http://swamihari.com/aboutus.aspx ]


Swami Hari , however left his mortal body in june 2008, but he is ever present through his teachings and in the heart of his devotees.
NOW READ THE GREATNESS AND DIVINITY OF SRI TARKESHWAR SIDDHAPEETH, WHERE LORD SHIVA BREATHES , WHERE THE AMBIENCE IS HALLOWED BY HIS MAGNIFICENT & DIVINE PRESENCE & WHERE KALIYUGA HAS LIMITED ITS FRONTIERS.

NOTE : TOLI IS THE NEARBY VILLAGE WHERE SRI SWAMI RAM HAD APPEARED ON EARTH.

THE DIVINITY OF TARKESHWAR AS EXPRESSED BY JUSTIN O'BRIEN OR SWAMI JAIDEV BHARATI.

Exposure in tarkeshwar renders your spirit such serene lightness that you hate to depart its life-enthralling ambience. Sleep is an after thought. More than for rest, we climbed in bed to stay warm. Impossible as it sounds, I arose at 3:ooam for fun and peeked my nose outside . The silence was palpable : hearing seemed to expand effortlessly through the forest. When I looked up, some celestial beings playing jack with the stars had obviously strewn them in all directions across the glittering sky. There was more brilliance than darkness as I spied falling star after falling star descent into the void.
Our host yogi, Swami Hari or Swami Hariharananda,the charming 60 year old renunciate,clad in various hues of red and ochre, was caretaker for the sacred area. With his usual infectious joie de vivere he unhesitatingly shared enticing forest stories of his adventures & his ongoing tug of war with the aloof LORD SHIVA,the supreme ,trancendental master of meditation.

The Great one has taken up residence in one of the two adjacent temples,300 meters from the main house. Swami Hari regaled us with hilarious episodes in which he reverentially contended with Shiva over the years. During the past decade, there were times when maintenance and house development challenges intruded into his otherwise serene life. Ofcourse, one should take the serious problems to SHIVA & let the AUSPICIOUS ONE handle the outcome, provided you did your accountable best to bring the issue to resolution. SWAMI HARI stratigized whenever he was in dire need, the approach to the AUGUST & MIGHTY ONE shouldn't be too direct; for Shiva has been known to respond like a father toward his son,that is, he might refuse the request ,just as father might at times for the son's own good.
Now in Swami Hari's mind this rejection was alright with minor requests but for serious tasks he needed definite assurance on Shiva's part and, whats more, he needed special assistance in producing the desired outcome on time. Therefore,recalling full well that sons, as well as daughters , sometimes get turned down by their fathers but never by their grandfathers, crafty Swami Hari,knowing he had nothing to lose and everything to gain, petitioned the Auspicious One as DADA, "Grandfather." What grandfather can refuse his grandson anything?
Swami Hari told us that a cement floor had really been needed to be laid around the temples to prevent dirtying the inner temple with mud & he wondered where & how the workman could get the wooden forms to hold the pouring in place. This forest hamlet was more than an hour's ride by taxi to the nearest town.So he paid a visit to the temple one night imploring DADA SHIVA ;) with much beseeching, entreating & elegant gesticulations about the indispensable importance of this holy project. After all, it wasn't for him, but for the ominous DADA.
That evening in meditation,LORD SHIVA loomed before him briefly. That vision,surmised Hari,portended a positive sign. The next morning as he walked toward the temple, both he and the workmen were astonished to find two otherwise healthy giant pine trees lying on the ground, thus providing the wood necessary for the forms. The acoustic environment of this forest glen, mind u ,is so composed that you can hear every sound for a quarter of a mile around.
Yet no one heard those mighty trees tumble to the ground. By the way,the trees are considered, according to the lore of the area , the daughters of the divine mother, who just happens to reside next door to Shiva in her compact temple.
In My view, Shiva had to get permission from someone else and, ofcourse, that elegant lady came smilingly through. For me this region [tarkeshwar], with its erie beauty, ten stories - high pine trees, naturally arranged in expanding concentric circles from the centerpiece of the two temples,symbolizes the ultimate principles of manifestation : the divine presence of male & female.

So that's how Swami Jaidev or Justin O Brien shared his divine experience of SRI TARKESHWAR DHAM.

Those who want to go to TARKESHWAR can hire a private vehicle from haridwar or buses that go from kotdwar [Pauri,Lansdowne,uttaranchal] right into the zigzag narrow & winding roads to BABA BHOLENATH TARKESHWAR, there is a dharamshala for accomodation there & foreigners from all over the world throng to this place that's untouched by kaliyuga. Tarkeshwar, a siddhapeeth more than 600 years old , which is charged with the ethereal spiritual vibrations of yogis like babaji who had lived & meditated here 600 years ago ,and also blessed by our modern sages of himalayas Brahmaleen Swami Ram & Swami Hari or the laughing swami, who passed away from his mortal frame in June 2008.

Here is an account of his Mahasamadhi.

        

 BELOVED SWAMI HARI TAKES MAHASAMADHI

                            Swami Hariharanandaji, a disciple of Swami Hari, who lived at Tarakeshwar for over a decade and was known for his joyful laughter and wonderful stories, and for his sincere attention and care for students, left his body approximately 3:30 AM on Sunday in India.  Swamiji had been very ill for weeks with respiratory crisis and was in Jolly Grant hospital at the time.

Kani Ilangovan, attended Swami Hari's darshan at Rishikesh and cremation ceremony in Malethi, and sent in this report:

Although we unfortunately did not get to see Swami Hari before he left his body, we rode to Tarakeshwar with one of his students Roya, who was with Swami Hari during his last hours. She said that he was very joyful, laughing frequently, and said that Baba was with him. She said that Swamijiwas embodying his frequent saying "laugh in life, laugh in death."

 The cremation ceremony was held in Malethi at a tributary of the Ganges. Family and friends from the ashram, HIHT, and from all around the world were there. When Swami Hari's/span>'s body was placed on the ghat, a snake came and viewed the body before the pyre was lit.

Swami Hari's work in Malethi is really awe-inspiring. He created a free vocational educational center for the Gahrwali men and women, a B.A. College for women, a public school for kids K-5, and a meditation center. He also has buses to transport the students to and from school from more remote areas. The Malethi Center is located on the lush mountainside and must have been incredibly difficult to construct as it is built on a steep slope. It is amazing how much he accomplished in such a short time.

Swami Hari was truly an exceptional, loving, gifted, generous, joyful human being and we are all so fortunate to have known him.

No doubt, all who Swami Hari touched with his humour, kindness, and love hold a special place in their hearts for him.  

May Baba Tarkeshwar Bless Us All With His Eternal & True Prembhakti.
Jai Tarkeshwar Mahadev.

Pranams at thy holy feet,
radhika.

SWAMI RAM & MY VISIT TO TARKESHWAR!

TARKESHWAR BABA'S PAINTING INSIDE TEMPLE.

&

PICTURES OF TARKESHWAR SURROUNDINGS.

SWAMI RAM & MY VISIT TO TARKESHWAR!
THIS IS MY JOURNEY TO TARKESHWAR.....! 







I came across the
books of Swami Ram in October 2006  I am so thankful to God as Swami Ram's books really strengthened my roots in spirituality &enhanced my understanding towards God. His books are a must read for every spiritual aspirant.

I will not get into the details on how I got to know Swami Ram & his Books. It was through nobody but God or divine Providence that introduced me to Swami Ram & was quite an experience in  itself that I shall always remember & cherish.


Tarkeshwar is the siddhapeeth in the beautiful Garhwal region Of Uttaranchal which is located at about a 6500-7000 feet, from where you can see the beautiful Himalayan Ranges.

I have therefore mentioned everything about Tarkeshwar before writing about my pilgrimage to this sacred n holy place of Bholebaba. 

After I read the chapter PROTECTING ARMS in LIVING WITH THE HIMALAYAN MASTERS in 2006 I promised myself that one day I will definitely visit this blessed place. Bholenath has been so very kind to me (which is not new). He is indeed the most compassionate & can be pleased very easily even with  little devotion. 

I am deeply thankful to Bholebaba as he blessed me with an opportunity to visit His divine dham TARKESHWAR. I visited Tarkeshwar in March 2008 & however its still fresh in my memory. It's not possible to verbally describe the divine experiences that I embraced in Tarkeshwar .

Firstly, nobody in Haridwar was aware of Tarkeshwar, to my dismay. As we further inquired one travel agent informed us that it would take one day for us to visit Tarkeshwar and come back to Haridwar. 
The information that this travel agent gave to father really did not make him happy, a place that was not much frequented by visitors and definitely was not a famous shrine like Chandi Devi Or Mansadevi. This meant we had to hire a private vehicle & quickly come back home before sundown as it would be dangerous to travel in the ghats of Lansdowne at night.  

I felt terrible when father decided to cancel our visit to TARKESHWAR. 

I tried to convince my father but still he was very firm in his decision. I finally gave up. I was in the depths of despair.My father immediately took the disapproving decision as we moved out of the travel agents office. That day was a Monday and I had to worship Shivji with Bel leaves n milk, so we were also looking for Shiva mandir/temple. We found it not much far from the travel agent's office and with a heavy heart I offered my prayers and pooja to a beautiful Shivalinga. Next to this Shiva Temple was a beautiful Radha Krishna Mandir too, the pujari was kind enough to let me click the deities pictures. The deties were extremely beautiful and there was hardly anybody in the temple.This gave me an opportunity to speak my heart to the divine consorts. I prayed deeply that my pilgrimage to Tarkeshwar could now be possible only if Sri Krishna could somehow change my father's decision.I left everything at His lotus feet & moved out of the temple.

The Radha Krishna Deities at the temple in Haridwar.

My father suffered from Bronchital Asthma , & couldn't travel to places of high elevations. I had not known that Tarkeshwar was almost 7000feet high nor did the travel agent ,or else I would have refused to travel to such a high summit.But Bholebaba wanted to bless us & the next morning as soon as I woke up my father was in a very good mood & declared that he wanted to take me to Tarkeshwar .I was elated but also thought that he was joking. Nope, he was not as he took me to the travel agents office & made arrangements for the trip early next morning. All this while I was in a daze , really did not know how to react. My father made all the arrangements. The next morning arrived & our journey began sharp at 6:30 am. We passed through a jungle that was close to Rajaji National Park, it was as if I was in cloud number nine. Our driver was a very kind person n took us safely, this was his first visit to Tarkeshwar & even he was not aware that our destination was on such a high elevation.I thought it must be as high as the Chandi devi & Mansa Devi Temples. The drive through the jungle ended and our journey through the winding roads ,through the forests of the Garhwal mountains began.Round and round and round we were moving up on the narrow lanes of Lansdowne.One hour ,two hours but Tarkeshwar was yet out of reach. The localites told us "AUR OOPAR HAI...AUR OOPAR HAI"by this time the climate was really getting cold & we were on a very high summit. It was really scary to look out of the car, gazing down the deep cliffs. My father was hiding his anger but I could clearly read the expressions on his face , he reprimanded me due to my lack of information on Tarkeshwar. I prayed to Lord to protect us. We just couldn't find Tarkeshwar . Atlast , a kind Garhwali told us that we were much above, so now our car started descending.

This time we found the shrine! I was highly elated !!!


There was another car parked near ours,of a family , who had a three year old boy with them,also some couples etc, so there were many people who visited this divine shrine. I told my father about this as he was cooling down. I peacefully visited all the small shrines there , clicked snaps and took video recordings.


Unfortunately, His disciple Swami Hari was not there, he was ill & was hospitalised as he could not tolerate the thin air of the heights.My father slowly walked and bowed before the main shrine of Tarkeshwar baba and asked a glass of water to a young boy living there, but that kind boy was so hospitable he brought a hot refreshing cup of tea for father. Papa felt very good after having tea.

No words can describe the divinity of Tarkeshwar, where Swami Ram had been enlightened. The spiritual aura & the charged holy vibrations elevated my spirit to some mystical realms. I knew that Babaji was watching me secretly & it was He who safely brought us to Bholebaba & thus fulfilled His promise that everyone who comes to this holy place is protected. 

The entire area is surrounded by huge , tall pine trees as if speaking to the Gods in their celestial homes.There was a melodious music of birds that enveloped the whole area. One day I will again visit this place n will definitely stay overnight. With this thought I bid farewell to Tarkeshwar , promising Babaji to come back again.
 I have never left Tarkeshwar mentally, maybe physically  I am back but I am always transported to that divine place, as soon as I close my eyes!! Just like I am transported to Krishna's Brajdhaam. My father's health was not at all afftected & he was fine.On our way back the clouds had gathered & it was slightly drizzling but it did not rain, a million thanks to Bhootnath Mahadev.


at thy lotus feet,
Radhika.eet, Radhika.

TARKESHWAR SIGNIFICANCE -- AS PER THE BOOK "Living With The Himalayan Masters"

PICTURES OF SWAMI RAM.

TARKESHWAR SIGNIFICANCE -- AS PER THE BOOK "Living With The Himalayan Masters"

Chapter : Protecting Arms I know many calm & quiet places in the lap of Himalayas where one can live & meditate without being disturbed. Whenever I get tired I think of recharging myself by going to the Himalayas for a short period. One of my favorite places for sucha retreat is in the district of Garhwal, twelve miles north from Lansdownne, where at the height of 6500 feet there is a small Shiva Temple surrounded by thick fir trees. In that region nobody eats corn without offering it to the deity of that temple.According to local folk lore , if anyone does this by mistake , their house starts shaking and the people act in a funny way. When I first heard this, at the age of fourteen ,I had a desire to visit that temple. I thought that people create such myths out of their imagination, and that the myths then travel far and wide and are beleived by everyone , though they have no basis in reality. I decided to visit that place to see for myself. I was approaching there at 7'o clock in the evening. It had already become dark.I was travelling along the edge of a cliff. I did not have a light with me, and in those days I used to wear wooden sandals which were very slippery . I slipped, and was at the verge of falling down the cliff, which was vey steep, when suddenly a tall, old man dressed in white caught me in his arms and brought me back to the footpath. He said, "This is a holy place & you are fully protected .I will take you to your destination."He led me along the path for about 10 minutes,until we neared a thatched cottage which had a torch burning outside. When we came to the stone wall surrounding the cottage, I thought he was walking just behind me - but when I turned to thank him, I could not find him anywhere, I shouted after him , and the sadhu who lived in the cottage heard me & came out. He was pleased to have a guest & told me to follow him to his small room. where a fire was burning. I told the sadhu about the old man who had shown me the path in he dark. I described his appearence, and explained how he had saved from falling off the cliff. This sadhu started weeping & said," You were fortunate to encounter that great man. Do you know why I am here? Seven years ago I also lost my way at exactly the same place. It was eleven 'o clock at night. the same old man took hold of my arm & brought me to this thatched hut where I now live. I have never seen him again . I call him siddha baba. His loving arms have also saved me." The next morning I searched the whole area, but did not find any such man. I went to the cliff and saw the marks where I had slipped. I often remember those loving arms that protected me from falling from then cliff. It was a very dangerous place,and had I fallen from the cliff there would have been no chance of my survival. Later I talked to the villagers about my experience and they all knew about this siddha. they beleive that he protects their women & children in the forest - but none of the villagers have seen him. During that time I was strictly following the austerities & instructions given to me by my master, and I did not possess or carry anything with me. My experience has often confirmed the belief that those who have nothing are taken care of by the DIVINE. The thatched cottage in which the sadhu lived was just a hundred yards from the small shiva temple. The temple was in a little clearing in the woods and was surrounded by tall fir trees. That place was highly charged with spiritual vibrations. I learned that a great siddha had lived there 600 years ago. He instructed & guided those who lived in that area, although he remained in silence. After his death the people built a six-foot-square temple where he lived. Inside there was a shiva-linga. the villagers even today visit the temple once in three months before the new season begins to keep their memories of the great man alive. Some say it was he who saved me from falling off the cliff. I stayed in a small room near the temple for several months, remaining alone and practising silence & certain austerities. A few years after my visit to that temple some brahmins decided to bulid a larger , more solid, and more majestic temple in place of the small, old temple which was no longer in good repair. When the laborers began digging around the foundation to remove the old temple they found that the earth was full of small snakes of various colors. so they started picking up the snakes along with the dirt, and throwing both aside. But the deeper they dug, the more the snakes would appear. An old woman from a nearby village would come to the temple each morning and evening. In the evening she would walk three miles to the temple in order to light the lamp inside, and in the morning she would come extinguish it. /she had done this regularly for several years. She didnt want the temple to be modified and warned the builders not to disturb it, but the engineer who was in charge of the project didnt pay her any heed. After digging for six days, they found there was no end to the snakes. The more they removed , the more there seemed to be left. They dug around the shiva-linga in order to move it, but found that it was buried deep in the ground. They dug down eight feet, but could not remove it. On the eighth night the engineer had a dream in which the old yogi who had rescued me appeared with his white beard and long gown. He told the engineer that the shiva linga was sacred and should not be enlarged. So the old temple was rebuilt to the exact dimensions in which it had stood for six centuries. I visited this place again in the spring of 1973 with Swami Ajaya and a small group of students. We stayed there for six days in a small two-storied earthen and stone house which had been built a few 100 feet from the temple. Another old sadhu lives and as a sort of priest to the temple there now.He is very hospitable and serves anyone who comes there.That place is very serene and very beautiful.At the top of the tall hills that surround the valley one can see the long ranges of the Himalayas as though all the snowy peaks are tightly clinging to one another and are determined to stand firmly from eternity to eternity. By Swami Ram - His Experiences with the Himalayan adepts.

Ashtakshar Mantra Mahima

Ashtakshar Mantra Mahima

The Ashtakshara Mantra or the 8 letter mantra,which is first given to the devotee who comes under Lord Shri Krishna, is no ordinary mantra. It has divine capabalities. The mantra says " Shri Krishnah Sharnam Mamah:" literally meaning "Shri Krishna is my shelter."On superficial view, these words may sound like ordinary ones, but they are definitely not so. They contain the meaning of the Vedas in them.The one who is bestowed with this mantra by the Grace of God and the Guru should be considered extremly fortunate.The vedas are treated as the highest authority among the ancient Indian scriptures.The four vedas along with the Bhagwad-Gita, Bhramasutras, and Shrimad Bhagwatam, collectively indicate that "Shri Krishna alone is the ultimate reality or the innermost soul of the whole universe" , he is "Purna-Purshottam","Paramatma","Para-Brahma".Through this mantra, one comes under the protection of Lord Krishna, the ultimate reality. Once Shri Krishna, accepts one as His dasa, one doesn't have to fear anything or anybody. Shri "Vitthalnathji", who is popularly known as "Gosainji" has this to say about the "Ashtakshara mantra". The one who remembers Shri Krishna is assured a place in "Vaikuntha" (abode) of Shri Krishna). (Vaikhuntam Tasya Nischitam) He further assures that Yama (deity of death) cannot even touch you if you always remember Him. All this because He loves His devotees very much.This mantra is not a man made mantra, nor is it derived from any of the scriptures. Instead, it is a mantra which was taught to Shrimad Vallabhacharya by Shri "Govardhannathji". It is taught to those wanting an entry in Pushtimarg, in order to deviate them from worshiping any other deity apart from Shri Krishna , as no other deity has the qualities of Shri Krishna.The name Shri Krishna itself is capable of removing all sorts of worldly miseries. The letter "Shri" : suggests fortunes . "Shree" means Lakshmi which also means luck or fortune.Therefore, one who recites this name also becomes fortunate just like Lakshmi. The letter "Kru" destroys all the sins that are performed by us in our previous lives and the current one. The letter "Shna": keeps at bay all the miseries that one experiences in the world.The letter "Sha": saves one from having to take birth again and again in thousands of forms and suffer miseries. The letter "Ra": enables one to experience and understand the heavenly form and heavenly deeds of the Lord. The letter "Nam": makes one's devotion towards Shri Krishna strong. The letter "Ma": initiates eternal love for Shri Krishna The second letter "Ma": enables one to enjoy accompaniment of Shri Krishna till eternity and keeps one from undergoing the circle of life forever. According to Shri Gosainji, a person who chants this mantra loses his worldly attachments and develops heavenly bonds with Shri Krishna. He gains fortune and salvation. He also experiences eternal bliss. God alone becomes dear to him and he becomes dear to God. He has no fear of any kind of evil. The rough becomes smooth for him and the difficult becomes easy. The enemy becomes friend and no evil eye can affect him. He experiences no kind of pain or misery as in his heart resides Shri Krishna , who is "Eternal Bliss" Himself. Therfore, one should chant this "Ashtakshara Mantra" with complete faith and devotion. God will fulfill wishes of all without fail.

Credit: Extract from a spiritual magazine.