This series chronicles interesting experiences recounted by the devotees of HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji. These articles are translations from the series, “Madhuramaana Mahaneeyar” that is published every month in Madhuramurali Tamil monthly magazine.
A Guru is Always Aware!
Once, Sri Anupindi Subramaniam, who was studying Yajurveda in Hyderabad, was assessed by Sri Mallikarjuna Somayaji in Vijayawada. He performed extremely well in the test. Impressed, Sri Mallikarjuna Somayaji asked him, “Will you come and join Sri Guruji’s (Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji) veda patashala in Chennai?”
Anupindi Subramaniam agreed, and in order to obtain Sri Swamiji’s permission to join, he went to Bangalore in 2003 during Samrajya Pattabhishekam function. As he was not sure of Sri Swamiji’s response, he went to Bangalore without even taking any clothes or other things with him. Upon meeting Sri Swamiji, Sri Swamiji asked him to recite a panchati. When he recited it, Sri Swamiji immediately said, “Go right away with Sri Mallikarjuna Somayaji to Chennai and join the Veda patashala there. You can get all the things you need at the patashala itself.” He who joined the patashala as a student then, is now a teacher there – Brahmasri Anupindi Ganabadigal.
The very next year after Anupindi joined as a student, he along with four other students were supposed to appear for a Vedic examination. But a function was also scheduled at the same time as the exam, and as a result, none of them could go. Anupindi wanted to attend the examination desperately. He inquired of his teacher but his teacher said, “When nobody is going, how can you alone go? Still, I will give you a suggestion. Tell Sri Guruji that you are being called to your hometown for 10 days and then go to the examination instead.” Anupindi did not have the heart to utter a lie, that too, to Sri Swamiji Himself.
But Sri Swamiji did not give a chance for something like that to take place. As Anupindi approached Sri Swamiji, prostrated and broached the topic of his trip, Sri Swamiji said, “Are you going for the examination? Good. You will do well”.
On hearing this, Anupindi was taken aback. Even though Sri Swamiji knows everything without being informed, the casual way he asked about it without showing that he knew, was what was very surprising. And just as Sri Swamiji had blessed him, Anupindi excelled in his examinations.
Anupindi’s parents live with his brother in Hyderabad. Once, his father wished to buy a house in Hyderabad. With all the money he had, his father paid the down payment and also completed the registration. But he could not make the rest of the payment. No bank was ready to lend him money. Anupindi also tried, but to no avail. Since his father could not get any loan, he called Anupindi (in Chennai) to tell him that he had decided to cancel the registration. Anupindi was very sad on hearing the news, so he tried approaching the bank once more, but had to face the same disappointment. He went to Premika Bhavanam (Sri Swamiji’s satsang place in Chennai city) with a heavy heart.
Sri Swamiji had not been informed of any of this. But on seeing Anupindi, Sri Swamiji called him alone and asked, “Anupindi, were you not able to get a bank loan? Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.” As soon as Anupindi heard these words, tears rolled down his cheeks. Surprisingly, the very next day, they got a solution to their problem and Anupindi’s father was able to buy the house.
In 2012, Anupindi injured his arm, and since then, he could not be involved in Sri Swamiji’s kainkaryam (service) like before. Last month, he lamented to his fellow Veda patashala teachers, “I do not know if I will ever get a chance to do kainkaryam for Guruji again!” Even without him telling Sri Swamiji anything about this, that very afternoon Anupindi was called in by Sri Swamiji for kainkaryam. Elated, Anupindi kept recounting this incident.
In June of 2006, Sri Swamiji asked Brahmasri Anupindi Subramaniam Ganabadigal to be a teacher at the patashala. Considering this to be his greatest fortune, he has ever since been serving as a teacher at the patashala.
Whenever Sri Swamiji performed japa at the Ashram, Anupindi used to sit alongside and perform japa. Once, seeing Sri Swamiji performing japa continuously through day and night for 18 hours straight, Anupindi thought to himself, “Nama is chanted here all the time. Guruji has no personal wants. Why then does Guruji perform such intense japa and dhyana?” As he continued to think like this for the next four to five days, Sri Swamiji then called him and explained, “I don’t have any needs. The japa I do and the Nama being chanted here (in the Ashram) are all only for the welfare of all the people who come here. When they (people) come to the Ashram and pray, all their prayers will be fulfilled. Whatever problem they have, will be solved. All this (japa and Nama chanting) is only for that!”
Original Tamil article by Dr. A Bhagyanathan,
Jan 2014 issue of Madhuramurali
Translated by Sankar Ganesan, Dallas TX
