This riveting memoir by Sri Ramanujamji, disciple of Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji, was first published in 2012 on the global Namadwaar website and the Tamil Madhuramurali magazine. In this series, Sri Ramanujamji details a divine journey to interior Karnataka with Sri Swamiji (in late 2011), with a lovely unfolding of their experiences and studded with lovely insights shared by Sri Swamiji throughout the trip.
We are re-publishing this series in this GOD USA newsletter with permission, so all devotees can once again relish and travel on this divinely insightful journey.
Read the earlier episodes of this travelogue here:
Part 1 The Journey Begins: https://godivinity.org/vriddhim-karnatake-gatah/
Part 2 The Journey is the End: https://godivinity.org/vriddhim-karnatake-gatah-2-a-unique-throwback-series/
Part 3 Sri Swamiji’s Nectarine Downpour: https://godivinity.org/vriddhim-karnatake-gatha-part-3-travelogue-of-a-divine-journey-with-sri-swamiji/
Part 4 A Surprising Discovery: https://godivinity.org/vriddhim-karnatake-gatha-part-4-a-surprising-discovery/
Part 5 Sri Sridhara Swami’s Inspiring Life: https://godivinity.org/vriddhim-karnatake-gatha-part-5/
Vriddhim Karnatake Gatah Part 6 – “If You Seek Sri Rama’s Darshan…”
Great souls who spread the fragrance of love and wisdom, always use the nectarine words of our shastras, sages and other great masters who adorned the earth in the past. Will we not accept if our own beloved Master says, “This is what I have to say?” Yet, they put forth their experiential golden precepts by quoting Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayanam or the divine words of earlier masters! Be it Sage Narada expounding Ekadasa skandam (11th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam where he answers questions of Vasudevji with the words of the Navayogis), Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavadpada, Sri Ramanujacharya or any great Acharya from any sampradaya – all great masters follow this method of quoting other great ones to take a point across! Such is their love for Sanatana Dharma and, above all, such is their inherent and natural humility!
Our beloved Master, with this little anecdote from Sri Sridhara Swami’s life answered a very profound question about sadhana (spiritual practice) and its fruition (phala/result).
It was the period when our Sri Sridhara Swami was serving his beloved master, Sri Samartha Ramdasji at Sajjangad. We saw in the previous episode about how he performed his service. One day, while he was doing his service, an elderly retired postmaster came to have the darshan of Sri Samartha Ramdasji. He was a devotee of Sri Samartha Ramdas but had the appearance of one who was frustrated and angry. Sri Swami Samartha in his teaching has said that Sri Rama’s darshan is certain for people who chant the 13-syllabled mantra of Sri Rama 13 crore times. The postmaster had accordingly chanted it 13 crore times, and had apparently not been blessed with Sri Rama’s darshan. Now in his holy master’s sanctum, he began to disrespectfully shout and rant at his master. Soon his shouting fell in the ears of Sri Sridhara Swami. Sri Sridhara Swami could not bear for a moment such false and disrespectful allegations being thrown at his Guru!
He immediately looked at the postmaster and said, “Our master never utters a lie! One who utters the Rama nama 13 crore times with unwavering faith will certainly see Him!”
The postmaster threw his ‘account’ notebook at samadhi room and retorted that he too was not lying about the figures.
Calmly Sri Sridhara Swami answered, “Both Guru Samartha’s words and your assertion are true!” The postmaster was surprised. How can both be possible? He asked.
Then Sridhara Swami revealed some very personal details about the postmaster that only he (the postmaster) knew, to bring him clarity and also prove to the world that a master’s word can never be false!
“When your wife was bedridden with a dreadful ailment, you prayed to the Master offering all your merits to effect a cure for your wife! Your wife was immediately cured. In fact when you returned home, your wife, who had been sick for years, greeted you as she would do before, with a pot of water and a smile, didn’t she?
“Not only that. You tried so hard to find a suitable groom for your daughter. When your efforts were all in vain, you again pleaded with the Master to set things right, and the Master blessed you with an alliance that was far greater than you could have ever hoped for, didn’t he?
“Also, your son failed his exams thrice. Then after your prayers to the Master he passed and did well in his studies, didn’t he?”
“Because of prayers such as these, your balance has only 9.5 crores of Rama Nama. Even now if you complete 13 crores, Sri Rama’s darshan is certain!”
Hearing this, the postmaster was humbled and fell at the feet of Sri Sridhara Swami. At a later date, by Sri Samartha Ramdasji’s grace, he actually had the darshan of Sri Rama.
‘Prayers offered with specific desires bring fulfillment of those desires. Prayers with no desires except purely for Bhagavan’s darshan will bestow darshan of Bhagavan!’
What a lovely anecdote! What a profound lesson for sadhaks! Coming from the lotus face of our Master, it left an indelible imprint in our hearts.
Sri Swamiji added in his wonderfully unique and concise way:
“13 kODi japam seidhAl Ramar darisanam tharuvAr enDru sollavillai. Ramarin darisanatthiRkku AsaippaTTAl, 13 kODi japam sei enDru thaan solli irukkiradhu!”
(It is not said that if you chant the mantra 13 crore times, Sri Rama would appear before you; what is said is that if you seek the darshan of Sri Rama, you should chant the Rama mantra 13 crore times!)
Friends! Contemplate again and again on these divine words of our beloved Master. What a profound truth is hidden in these words! He has allowed us to understand this easily through such a simple incident.
(The madhura yatra continues…)
by Sri MK Ramanujamji
disciple of Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji
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Click here to go back to March 2025 issue newsletter page: https://godivinity.org/newsletters/nama-dwaar-newsletter-march-2025/
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