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.
Guru Maharaj said, “Come! Krishna is calling. Let us go to Bangalore via Udupi!” When we heard that, our faces immediately reflected the joy that had risen in our hearts! We hurriedly finished our breakfast and continued our joyful journey, now with a new turn. Sri Swamiji spoke to us about Udupi and told us how it is known as Annabrahma kshetra in our shastras. Rain or shine, from time immemorial. annadaanam is offered every day to all pilgrims in this kshetra. The fact that this is happening continuously even in this day and age, in this Kali yuga, is proof that this kshetra is indeed Annabrahma kshetra as the shastras say.
A devotee called Kanakadasa lived in Udupi. Every day he would perform bhajan in Sri Krishna’s sannidhi, losing himself in love of the Lord. Once, as he was singing, unaware of the world around him, he unknowingly stood in the way of temple priests who were bringing water for the Lord’s service. As he was blocking their way, the priests told him, “You need not do bhajan in the sannidhi from now on.” Kanakadasa was in the state of samadhi through bhajan. When he came down from his state of samadhi, he deeply regretted his action. Remorseful that he had been a hindrance to others, he prayed to Sri Krishna, and began to do bhajan standing behind the temple sanctum. Here, Sri Krishna has a churning rod in his hand. When Kanakadasa moved behind the sanctum, Krishna also turned towards him and hit the wall with His churning rod. An opening was made in the wall. He could not be without seeing His dear devotee Kanakadasa. He called out, “Kanaka… Kanaka…” through the opening in the wall. The way Sri Swamiji called out like Krishna and showed us how the Lord called out to His dear devotee, touched our hearts. As the love that Kanakadasa had for this archavatara Krishna was limitless, Bhagavan changed His ‘immovable’ nature as an archavatara, and began to speak and play with him! How amazing!
As we moved around Udupi, in one area we saw firewood, to be used for cooking, stacked up neatly. Those stacks themselves looked like a huge chariot. It is wood that is the vehicle for agni! Perhaps that is why it was stacked like a vehicle! Sri Swamiji pointed to it and exclaimed, “Annabrahmam! Annabrahmam!” As he exclaimed thus ecstatically, our hands automatically folded together in reverence.
We crossed a lovely tank and went to Sri Krishna’s temple. The temple was very crowded. Sri Swamiji saw that and said, “I am truly happy! But it is difficult for me to go have darshan in the crowd.” As he was saying thus, a friend of Naveenji who served in the temple there noticed us. He himself took Sri Swamiji amid the crowd, for the darshan of Sri Krishna.
In the sanctum, it appeared that Sri Krishna had adorned Himself with a golden armor, in anticipation of Sri Swamiji’s arrival. Sri Swamiji urged us to have darshan more than twice, of that beautiful dark Krishna who was showering His immense grace through His eyes, and who shone radiant in the flickering light of traditional lamps.
There were several beautiful paintings on the walls of the temple. Sri Swamiji saw them. In one of them, Krishna was depicted as tied up by Yashoda, and Ganesha was offering modaka to that tied-up Krishna. That picture was immensely beautiful. About eight months after this yatra had been completed, when asked what picture to depict on the cover of a Gopa Kuteeram book, Sri Swamiji told to show this picture.
We next went to the storage house where grains and vegetables were stored. As soon as he saw it, Sri Swamiji folded his hands. We could again clearly see his lips whispering, “Annabrahmam!” What can we say! What mahans see, is what shastras speak of. And what the shastras say is what mahans see.
We had prasad at the temple. Sri Swamiji praised the sevaks who served energetically and efficiently there. Sri Swamiji asked Hariji to purchase some music CDs. In one of them there was a lovely folk song with beautiful, sweet lyrics, called “pandharipurA vemba doDDa nagara.” Sri Swamiji listened to it several times and enjoyed it. Later, it was sung many times in Sri Swamiji’s satsangs. Sri Swamiji also went reverentially into many of the mathas in Udupi.
Just as the onward journey was sweet, the return journey was also sweet!
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.
