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.
On that day, Dec 28, Sri Swamiji’s entire conversation was only about Vinayaka. We were on the way to Naveenji’s home from Ramachandrapura. On the way to his home, we crossed a temple that appeared truly spick and span. The outer gopuram (temple tower) was freshly painted colorfully and looked wonderful. The inner part of the gopuram had walls decorated with glittering glass! We visited the temple, and the moment we crossed the gopuram entrance, we realized that we had entered an ancient, traditional, lovely and quaint Vinayaka temple! The priests welcomed us warmly, and Sri Swamiji had darshan of Lord Vinayaka in the temple. As we were about to leave, the priest gave us a pamphlet that said that they perform Ganapathy homam daily in the temple. Sri Swamiji immediately was very pleased and ordained us to sponsor the homam for the day, and we did accordingly. They said that we could have prasadam in the temple. But as we were to have lunch in Naveenji’s place, we left for his
residence.
After lunch, we returned to the matha. “Where shall we go this evening?” we asked Sri Swamiji eagerly. Sri Swamiji ordained to come up with proper details about important places in the area, including the distances and their importance. I did an electronic search and was trying to get the details, when Sri Swamiji himself decided that we would go to a historic place called Ambu theertham! For us, the journey itself was our ‘destination’. All we wanted to do was just go with him. Our only prayer was that the place be as far away as possible!‘Ambu theertham’ arrived. This place was associated with the Ramayana. We could see a big lake dotted with trees all around. There was a temple structure which was adjacent to the lake.
In the early hours of dusk, the place had a mystical quality of serenity and beauty which transcends any description.
There was a temple of Shiva, a few seps below road level. Naveenji took all of us to the temple, a few meters below the road in the hills. The stony road was sloped downwards and we walked down to the temple. This lovely abode of Shiva also had deities of Vinayaka and Devi. This temple of father and son was looked after by two priests, who were also father and son. They welcomed us warmly. This is the holy place where the Sharavathi river originates. We had seen glimpses of this big river as we travelled around the region. The Shiva lingam was consecrated just above the trickling stream of the river source. Sri Swamiji circumambulated the sanctum.
The river flows through a channel to a big pond and then becomes a flowing river across the hills. It is such a wonder to see how a mere trickling stream of water gathers strength to become the Sharavathi and flows 132 kms westward to join the Arabian sea after showing its might in the Jog falls. In Tamil, we have heard an adage, ‘Do not draw conclusions about the might and greatness of a river or a sage from their origins’. (Rishi moolam, nadhi moolam paarkaadhe!)
The temple was constructed in such a way that we could see the gurgling flow of the river till it reaches and fills the nearby pond. The priests explained to us the ancient history of the holy place. After Sri Rama won the Lanka war, when Sri Rama and Sita Devi were returning to Ayodhya, Sita Mata felt thirsty and requested water. Sri Rama immediately shot an arrow in this very place and a water sprouted from the ground to quench the thirst of Sita Devi. What a wonderful place! It is called ‘Ambu theertham’ (Water from the arrow of Sri Rama) and the river came to be known as ‘Sharavathi’ (which originated from the divine arrow (shara) of Sri Rama). Even until today this water benefits millions of people!
After having darshan, Sri Swamiji was about to leave, when the senior priest suddenly came rushing close to Sri Swamiji and asked out of the blue, “Is everything all right in the temple?” Sri Swamiji had been there just like an ordinary ‘devotee’ visiting a holy shrine. We too had not said anything. It was clearly divine grace at work, for the senior priest to come rushing and ask a seemingly odd question.
As soon as the priest asked the question, Sri Swamiji stopped and asked Naveenji to enquire a bit deeper into the matter. That is when we noticed the ancient Vinayaka deity kept in a corner on a bed of sand, and that a new one had been installed in his place. We learned that somepeople had performed this exchange. Sri Swamiji looked at the traditional ancient deity, with much devotion and love. We picked him up and placed him gingerly. Then he asked us to get all the materials required for abhishekam (bathing the deity). Where we were was truly a remote hilltop. We drove a few miles to find a shop and got milk, tender coconut, etc. We found everything Sri Swamiji wanted in the same shop.
We rushed back to the temple to find Sri Swamiji initiating the younger priest with a moola mantra and the younger priest was prostrating to Sri Swamiji as a token of respect and gratitude. Sri Swamiji had also placed the ancient Vinayaka close to the pond. As Sri Swamiji performed the abhishekam, Naveenji beautifully recited the verses of the sweet Sama Veda. In the pale shadows of the evening, it was quite a sight to see Sri Swamiji performing abhishekam to Vinayaka with water sanctified by Sri Rama’s bow, amidst tall trees covering the nearby hills! Sri Swamiji also taught the priest how to perform puja, going forward.
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.
