Every summer around June-August, a multitude of devotees from North America (and other parts of the world) eagerly travel to India solely to seek the darshan of our Guru Maharaj, HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji, who is fondly called as Sri Guruji. They yearn to constantly be in the divine presence of their Guru, who is always in the thought of Bhagavan, who inspires them with his words, and whose mere presence brings forth Bhagavan’s divine name in their lips and peace in their hearts.
In these heartwarming conversations shared below, some devotees have enthusiastically recollected their fond memories and sweet experiences with Sri Guruji during their summer travel this year (2023). The memories of these devotees, highlighting Sri Swamiji’s compassion, love, and easy approachability, are truly inspiring for other devotees also who are seeking Sri Swamiji’s darshan and blessings.
A very memorable experience with Sri Guruji during this past summer was the time of Vasanthotsavam. Because Sri Guruji was in the ashram for an extended amount of time, we were always in his divine presence. In the mornings there was either always Srimad Bhagavata parayanam, or Sri Guruji would bless us all with darshan. This utsavam was an extraordinary and memorable occasion, as many children and youth from North America had the great fortune to also be the special recipients of Sri Guruji’s special care as a father. They were also blessed with the divine grace of singing often in the presence of Sri Guruji and Sri Premika Varadhan-Madhuri Sakhi. And Vasanthotsavam is always special because it somehow feels more informal and intimate, with Sri Guruji encouraging more children and youth to sing during each evening’s renditions of Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal’s Yugala Shatakam. This year Sri Premika Varadan and Madhuri Sakhi were decorated beautifully each day in extremely unique and never-before-seen settings surrounded by water fountains (a beautiful little handbuilt kuteer one day, a lovely swan boat on another, a mango grove with hundreds of mangoes on yet another day, and even a cosmic galactic setting on one evening…). Every evening, the scene was a feast to the eyes, with the Divine Couple seated majestically in their enchanting, new surroundings and enjoying the melodious renditions of Sri Guruji and His devotees, as Sri Guruji himself was immersed in a divine joy that did not fail to touch the hearts of every single devotee present there in some way or other.
Most importantly, the immense blessing of spending ten days continuously in the divine presence of Sri Guruji is an unparalleled experience. During this time, Sri Guruji exemplified boundless compassion towards his devotees as he engaged in meaningful conversations and interactions with everyone, including the children. His genuine care made the experience even more profound and unforgettable for all present. We are all blessed indeed to be the fortunate recipients of Sri Guruji’s krupa, a bhagyam to forever cherish and pray more for.
-Nisha Sriram, Houston TX
This was my first time in India where we had the bhagyam to follow Sri Guruji wherever he went. Sri Guruji blessed us with an unimaginable amount of darshan. Most of us devotees from America only come to India once a year or even once every two to three years, therefore, when we are in India, we feel we must soak ourselves with our Guru Maharaj’s darshan. Personally, seeing Sri Guruji during the summer is what fuels me for the next eleven months. While in Chennai, we would wake up, eager to attend satsang, eager to see Sri Guruji, and eager to be in his presence. It was honestly such a thrill seeing Guruji; I would immediately get a surge of inner joy by watching our Guru Maharaj. There is truly nothing better than seeing Sri Guruji all day. And on the rare days where we didn’t get darshan of our Sri Guruji, we felt sad. We would just await to get the darshan of our Guru Maharaj. I truly felt that we were encapsulated with Sri Guruji’s divine grace this whole trip.
This whole trip our Guru Maharaj played a fatherly role. He wanted us all to be engaged; therefore, he would sometimes arrange plans for us by sending us to temples and even other places. The amazing thing about our Guruji is that he puts the extra effort into thinking about us and showing us love. His compassion is a driving force for us to come back year after year. This trip showed us that Guruji is taking care of everything. The only thing we need to do is trust and follow him.
-Aparna Ramadoss, Dublin, CA
Whenever I behold the magnificence emanating from Sri Guruji’s divine presence, a sense of awe envelops me. While I’m in satsang, I bask in the divine presence of Sri Guruji. I feel an indescribable amount of serenity when I’m chanting nama with our Guru Maharaj and other fervent devotees. Fortunately, I had such a bhagyam to sing his divine compositions in front of him. When we had the fortune to be graced by Sri Guruji at our house, I felt beyond elated knowing that our Guru Maharaj was visiting, coming here and blessing us!
-Diya Jagadish from Dublin , California
Whenever I see Sri Guruji, my mind immediately transcends into a state of calmness, and any agitating thought immediately suppresses. A wave of peace hit me when I saw Guruji for the first time this year in Kumbakonam. We had the rare bhagyam of constantly being with Sri Guruji and lingering in his divine presence.
Fortunately Sri Guruji also came to our house this year. Through his kataksham, I had the opportunity to ask him to bless my violin. Excitedly, I took out my violin and played sarali varasai. Sri Guruji would enthusiastically ask me to ‘play this and play that.’ Though I had just been learning for a week, I had the mindset that I’m playing for Bhagavan; he will not judge. What a bhagyam this was. He also told me to sing a few of his divine madhurageethams. It was really uplifting and inspiring to sing in front of Sri Guruji, because whether I sang well or not was not a matter of concern, rather his sheer enjoyment was all that mattered.
-Kaavya Jagadish from Dublin, CA
Nothing makes our Guru Maharaj more happy than when we chant Bhagavan nama. For this yuga, the dharma is Bhagavan nama. During this trip, Sri Guruji emphasized his desire for us to propagate the divine name to individuals including westerners. We are all familiar with nama bhiksha- a practice where we visit individuals’ homes and chant the divine name. To reach westerners and share Mahamantra, we sought after a known contact. Members of Atlanta satsang gathered in the park to chant Mahamantra. Chanting Bhagavan nama in a common place allows us to reach out various groups of people. However, we highlighted that Bhagavan nama illuminates the idea that singing is healing. Our intentions were not to emphasize a religious preaching but rather we tailored our perspective to westerners. People at the park relished the Nama. It was truly so heartwarming to see people dancing to the hymn that is the Mahamantra.
Sri Guruji aspires to spread Mahamantra to everyone. Indeed, the divine “Bhagavan nama” is universal, transcending all boundaries and affiliations. Sri Guruji’s mission is to bestow the immeasurable benefits of Bhagavan’s name upon the entire humanity. His vision is to make sure the divine name is on the lips of every soul, regardless of their background, culture, or beliefs. It is our bhagyam to be instruments in fulfilling Sri Guruji’s vision. Through his krupa, we are bestowed with Bhagavan nama and it is our job to always chant!
-Kishoreji, Atlanta GA
Slowly with time, I realized that being with Sri Guruji is a greater joy than spending our time elsewhere. Whenever I am with Sri Guruji, my worries decrease because that is the power of a mahan. The way he approaches us, the way he gives tirtam, the way he always gives us darshan, and the way he talks to us is so mesmerizing. Sri Guruji is the epitome of perfectness. The more I was with Sri Guruji, the more I realized I want nothing more than to be in his divine presence. This year I felt a surge to be with Sri Guruji. The more I was with Sri Guruji, the sadder I felt when we left. The more I was with him, the more I longed to be with him.
This trip I realized even if you chant nama once, Guruji knows, and nothing makes Sri Guruji more happy than when we chant nama. Our Guru Maharaj is our Bhagavan and I was able to truly feel that during this trip. Being in the footsteps of Sri Guruji was such a bhagyam. Singing along with Sri Guruji was such a bhagyam. There is nothing more that I can ask for than to always be with our Guru Maharaj, and during this trip he fulfilled that request.
I also had the bhagyam to get a Divyanama Krishna and Sri Guruji blessed it. Because none of the suitcases were able to fit the Divyanaama Krishna, I went to Sri Guruji to ask him how we should proceed. He simply lifted up the Krishna, brought it to his hands, and blessed it. I felt so much at ease knowing Sri Guruji blessed it as I took it to the US. I knew Sri Guruji would personally bring our Krishna because he blessed it. This incident is a prime example of Guru krupa.
As I kept spending time with Sri Guruji, I finally realized that my soul purpose was to be with him. Sri Guruji’s play is making us feel so comfortable by conversing with us. He is so conversational and comes down to our level. Only our Guru Maharaj would do this. Only our Guru Maharaj is so compassionate and caring. Usually, he would ask us what our plans are. This time I prayed and mentioned I wanted to be with him. Looking back at this trip, Sri Guruji answered my prayer. I had the bhagyam to be with Sri Guruji during this whole trip. What else can I ask for? When you see a mahan, there is truly divinity everywhere. And there are so many benefits of being with our Guru Maharaj. He made himself available for all of us devotees, and he’s constantly blessing us without us even knowing. Sri Guruji has guided me through everything and even when you don’t ask him, he is always guiding us.
-Jagadishji, Dublin, CA
It was a Thursday, guruvaram. Our Guru Maharaj was in Govindapuram. That early morning Sri Guruji went to Sri Bodherndra Saraswati Swamigal’s adishtanam to perform a pooja. This was such a sight to watch because surrounding Sri Guruji was a divine presence, entrancing us all. The morning sun was rising and the rays of light adorned Guruji. As Sri Guruji completed abhishekam for his guru, there was one particular thing that inspired me. When the water from the abhiskeam splashed onto the floor, Sri Guruji himself effortlessly cleaned the place with a mop. The priest was trying to catch hold of the mop, however, Sri Guruji did not let go. This shows how Sri Guruji exemplifies dedication and devotion. The way Sri Guruji takes care of his guru’s adishtanam shows how we should selflessly do kainkaryam for our Guru Maharaj. Furthermore, this incident reminded me of one of Guruji’s kirtans- Alla Alla Kuraiyada. In particular, the line-kuTrEval unakkE seydiDa vENDum- beautifully related to this situation. Any job you do such as cleaning a place, washing plates, or making a garland is not a coveted job. Sri Guruji was not preaching us about humility rather he was seamlessly showing us and doing the kainkaryam himself. Later, Sri Guruji also came out of the sannidhi and went to Swami Balakrishnananda’s adishtanam nearby. He asked me to get the broomstick, and once again he started cleaning the place himself. Again, kutreval unnaku rang in my head again. It was truly so inspiring.
Since it was Guruvaram, Sri Guruji planned to go to Senganoor that day to get darshan of Sri Sri Anna’s Holy Padukas. If Sri Guruji is in a 100km radius from Senganoor, he has the immediate urge to have darshan. When he gets in the vicinity of Senganoor, he is beyond eager to get the darshan of his guru. Sri Guruji was leaving to go to Senganoor that morning. However, as he got into the car, it broke down. Sri Guruji, still eager and longing to see his Guru, decided to go in my car. On that day Sri Guruji might have thought to not go to Senganoor since his car was down, but Sri Guruji decided to go in another car because he wanted to see HIS Guru. I could feel how eager he was to get the darshan of his Guru. He was not bothered what car he was going in. In fact, the car I was driving was dirty, but it didn’t bother him at all. Come what may, he got into the car. We went straight into Senganoor. Again, personally this was so inspiring to see our Guru eager to get darshan of his guru. Sri Guruji’s bhakti and eagerness to see his Guru made me realize that our single goal should be to see Sri Guruji. It is common for us to think about seeing family, shopping, eating delicious food, but our mind should not stray from longing to see our Guru Maharaj. For the first few minutes of the car ride, Sri Guruji was doing japam. He then broke the silence and spoke to me. His presence rendered me speechless in the face of such transcendent beauty. I was so awestruck, but as he spoke I felt so comfortable. That is the beauty of our Guru Maharaj. He knows everything. He is always compassionate. As we entered Senganoor, Sri Guruji asked if I noticed the medical center that he had inaugurated in May. I couldn’t help but ask Sri Guruji if this medical center was useful/helpful to the people there. Guruji remarked that is something we shouldn’t worry about. Sri Guruji looked at me and said “do good since it is good.” He asked me to repeat “do good since it is good” three more times. How fortunate was I to be with Sri Guruji that day.
Coincidentally it happened to be the birthday of my wife, Sandya. I had casually mentioned this to Sri Guruji. I also told him that her flight back to Canada was the next day. Our compassionate Guru Maharaj, being in the state that he is, celebrated that day. He told us to get icecream for all the kids in Senganoor. He was so happy to distribute the icecream to all the kids. Sri Guruji’s joy paralleled with his divinity radiated throughout. He doesn’t need to do that but it is a gesture he showed, further showing me how fortunate we are to be with our Guru Maharaj. That day we, along with other devotees, went to the Aravamudhan temple in Kumbakonam that evening and brought back sakkarai pongal for Sri Guruji and all the devotees in Govindapuram. This whole day was truly a bhagyam for me. Being guruvaram and spending it with Sri Guruji are some things I will closely cherish forever.
Skandaprasad Hariharan, Toronto, Canada
Interviewed and compiled by
Meera Srinivas, Bay Area, CA
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https://godivinity.org/newsletters/nama-dwaar-newsletter-july-2023/
