Vriddhim Karnatake Gatah 5: Sri Sridhara Swami’s Inspiring Life

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/

Vriddhim Karnatake Gatah Part 5 – Sri Sridhara Swami’s Inspiring Life

Sri Sridhara Swami

As our Guru Maharaj began his divine downpour about Sri Sridhara Swami’s divine charitram, we all listened intently as we journeyed towards the adishtanam.

Sri Sridhara Swamiji, a 20th century saint, was initiated by none other Sri Samartha Ramdas Maharaj in the Yoga marga. He was the very embodiment of dispassion, filled with compassion and devotion, had involved himself entirely in Guru seva, and had attained advaita siddhi. Sri Swamiji said, “When I think of his kainkaryam to Sri Samartha Ramdas, I feel ‘pulakAnkitam’ (horripilation / goosebumps) all over! Do you know how he served his master? His lips would ever repeat the holy names; his hands and feet tirelessly engaged in the Guru’s service; his mind immersed in brahma nishTA – such was Sridhara Swami. Listening to his daily schedule itself is inspiring for spiritual aspirants.”

Sri Swamiji continued. Sridhara Swami used to wake up at three in the morning. After meditating for a brief period, he would prostrate before Rama and his Guru Samartha Ramdas. Then he would clean the yard in front of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum with cow dung. He would then have his bath.

By then it would be four. He would sweep the ‘shayanagraha’ where Sri Samartha Ramdasji would sleep daily, and light fragrant incense sticks. He would begin the aarati at around half past four and complete it by five. After distributing the milk and fruits that had been offered, he would then begin to clean the samadhi of Sri Samartha Ramdas and the floor. He would decorate the floor beautifully with rangoli. Then, offering worship Sri Rama, Anjaneya, Ganapati and Sri Samartha Ramdas again, he would pray for grace to progress in his spiritual endeavors.

This is how he would pray: “Vouchsafe that I may toil for the world conscientiously. May my bed always be a rock. May I look upon all women as my mothers and may every woman regard me with the affection of a mother. Rama, may my spiritual progress be unhindered.”

Sri Swamiji often emphasizes the deep importance of such prayers for spiritual life.

Thus, right from early morning to late evening Sri Sridhara Swami would engage himself in constant service, alongside Nama kirtan and meditation. He did all the menial service of cleaning the sanctum, cleaning the vessels used, serving food to the pilgrims, cleaning the areas where pilgrims ate, making floral garlands for Sri Rama and Sri Samartha Ramdas, making sandal paste for worship, washing the divine clothes of the deities, bringing 20 to 30 pots of water from a nearby pond, cleaning the place with cow dung… indeed he did all the service one can imagine.”

Then Sri Swamiji told us something to show the bhAva with which Sri Sridhara Swami did this puja! What our beloved Sri Swamiji said truly touched the deepest recess of our hearts. It would melt your heart too!

What he would do is, when he went to wash his Guru’s clothes, he would bow down to them. As far as he was concerned, it was not an insentient cloth. The divine cloth had had the fortune of serving his Guru! Not only that, he would also bow down to the stone on which he had washed the cloth! When we read this, even our stone-like heart melts, doesn’t it?

Sri Sridhara Swami’s adishtanam was atop a hillock that could be reached only by climbing about 300 steps. When we reached there, it was dusk already and the sun was setting. The gatekeeper informed us that vehicles were not allowed up the hill. When we heard this, we were disappointed and mentally prepared ourselves to return without darshan. We had come eagerly with Sri Swamiji. We were saddened that we could not have darshan.

Then started the divine play of grace…

As we were thinking that we could go enquire in the nearby office, we saw a man coming down the hill on a two-wheeler. We casually enquired of him if it was possible to go atop the hill on some conveyance. The rider promptly answered, “Go enquire in the office. They may even allow the car!” This was totally unexpected. We were excited to explore the possibility.

Wherever we go, Sri Swamiji always instructs us not to speak about him or refer to our master as a Swamiji from Chennai, etc. We went to the office only as normal devotees. The first person who listened to our request refused entry to the car. But all of a sudden something changed and another person, possibly a higher authority, came out, saw our car and said, “You can go up. Go in this car itself!” An iron gate was unlocked for our vehicle to pass through. It was a short travel to the adishtanam uphill. The road up the hill was muddy and full of stones but it was well-laid. We, who had come there with Sri Swamiji, were overjoyed and truly felt blessed.

Sri Swamiji then shared a very profound incident from Sridhara Swami’s life.

(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 Feb 2025 issue newsletter page: https://godivinity.org/newsletters/nama-dwaar-newsletter-february-2025/

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