A Brief Biography of Sri Brahmananda Maharaj - 2

          A brief biography of a Great Saint – Sri Brahmananda Maharaj

                                                             2

At Indore, with a feeling of disappointment at not finding his Guru, Sri Anantha Shastry  went on his journey and came to NarasimhaVadi, a holy place.. He prayed before  Lord Dattatreya, weeping with anguish that he was not able to find his Sadguru in spite of all his travels and prayers. At night, he had a dream. The Lord Dattatreya presented himself before him and told that He had really taken him to his Guru at Indore, but Shastry had spurned and not met him. Soon he woke up to his dismay for missing to meet his Guru, and started immediately for Indore. Reaching Indore, he went straight to Bhayya Saheb’s house, and enquired whether Shri Brahmachaithanya Maharaj was still in Indore. Shri Bhayya Saheb told him that Shri Maharaj had gone to Gondavale, but had returned to Indore on the previous day only. As Shri Anantha Shastry was in a hurry to meet him, Bhayya saheb took him to Shri Maharaj.

This time, as soon as he saw Shri Maharaj, he fell down on his feet with intense devotion, with tears in his eyes. It seems Shri Maharaj had shown him his real form of Hanuman. This made him realize that Shri Maharaj is not an ordinary human but is actually an incarnation of God Hanuman. So, later he composed the Bhajan:” Maajhe sadguru rao maruti avathara” On reaching his Guru, he at once surrendered himself to Him effacing his ‘I and Mine’ attitude. He accompanied Shri Maharaj to Gondavale.

Gondavale is a small village on the bank of river Mana Ganga, in Maharashtra. Here lived the saint Sri Brahmachaitanya Maharaj. His house was like an ashram, where many of his devotees who came to him wanting something or the other stayed. Many of them came to be cured of the ills of this world. But some of them came with a desire to see God. For all of them, Shri Maharaj initiated chanting of Rama-naam. He showed that one need not renounce the family and the world to attain God. He was married and never left the domestic life. But his family was universal. He converted his house to a Ram-Mandir. He installed the idols of Shri Ram,Sita mai, Lakshman and Maruthi. A shiv linga was also installed in his house. Later, as this Rama-mandir was considered as small, he constructed another bigger Rama Mandir.

Ananthashastry was in attendance of his Guru, all the twenty four hours. He was always on alert when Shri Maharaj needed any assistance. His dress was just a loincloth and a small dhoti covered from waist to knee. This used to be his attire all the time, summer or winter. He was always chanting the Ram-nam initiated by Shri  Maharaj. A Sanskrit scholar, learned in Vedas, surrendering himself to a Guru who preached only Nama-smaran(chanting of the Divine name), could have surprised many.

Shri Maharaj had a large number of cows. He had collected many cows which were being sold to Butchers, by buying them. With his parental care, many of them considered to be barren, delivered calves and began to yield milk. It was a habit of Shri Maharaj to go to the cow-shelter, early in the morning, pat and massage each of the cows putting fodder or water before them. Shri Shastry got up in the morning earlier than Shri Maharaj, and used to clean up the cow-shelter before Shri maharaj went there.

Shri Anantha Shastry was so much in to the service of his Guru, that he did not even care for his own modesty and safety.

Once, Shri Shastry was taking bath in Managanga river. The people who were also taking bath near him were surprised that he suddenly ran as he was, in the wet clothes, helter-skelter. on hearing Shri Maharaj calling him.

On another occasion, he was taking out the fodder for the cows which were placed on the roof of Shri Maharaj’s house. On hearing Shri Maharaj calling him, he jumped from the roof, loosing not a single moment, and placed himself before Shri Maharaj.

Thus was his daily routine. There were many attendants to Shri Maharaj. But Shri Shastry used to do all their work.

Once, Shri Maharaj was about to leave for Pandharpur. He called Shri Shastry and told him that he was going on horse-back and asked him to accompany him. Immediately on hearing his Guru, he took out all the items that his Guru may need, packed them in a bundle, and carrying it on his head, began to run, bare-foot, behind Shri Maharaj. On the way, Shri Maharaj, as though to test his disciple, diverted his horse, on a short-cut road but full of stones and thorns. But this did not deter the disciple from following the Guru. As soon as Shri Maharaj arrived at his destination, Sri Rama Mandir in Phandharpur, Shri Shastry took hold of the horse, tied it at a safe place, arranged for the bath of Shri Maharaj. He was massaging the horse, when Shri Maharaj, after taking his bath, came out and asked Shri Shastry to bathe in Chandra bagha river, When Shri Shastry returned having bathed in the river, Shri Maharaj was sitting for meals. Seeing Shri Shastry, he suddenly remembered and told him, “It has been my custom to go round the town of Phandarpur, before lunch. But, to-day, I have started taking the food forgetting my custom. So, come back after going around the town.” 

Shri Shastry without even considering that he had not yet rested after running nearly 70 kms, on bare foot, went round the holy Phandarpur, and returned. Now Shri Maharaj kindly asked him to take food.  As soon as Shri Maharaj patted Shri Shastry on the back, with affection, his tiredness vanished.              

Sadguru Shri Brahmachaithanya Maharaj, observing the devotion, steadfastness, and    disinterestedness in the worldly life, of this disciple, considering him as the fit person to realize the self-knowledge, ordered Shri Shastry to go to Omkareshwara temple on the shore of Narmada river, and stay there for some time, repeating the Taraka Ram-Nam, initiated to him. Obeying his Guru’s order, Shri Shastry went to that sacred temple of Omkareshwara. The temple was in the middle of a deep forest, and the river Narmada flowed near it. It was a place of solitude. Sri Omkareshwara was considered as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and is an ancient temple. Shri Shastry was impressed by the sacred Shiva Linga, in the ancient temple and the beautiful surroundings. He started his Nama-Japa after praying the Lord Shiva. Every day, he used to get up early before dawn, took bath in the river, performed pooja to the Lord Shiva, and then sat with padmasana, with eyes closed and Shri Maharaja’s image installed in his heart, chanting the Ram-Jap. He used to sit like this till evening, before sunset, and then went out of the temple, gathered the freshly fallen dry leaves and ate them; and drank the sweet water of the Narmada River.

He did the penance for 6-7 months.

During that period, he had to experience many trying moments, and by the Grace of Shri Maharaj he withstood all. The forest was full of many cruel animals. One night as he was sitting doing Jap, he heard the roar of a tiger in front of the temple. Suddenly the tiger entered the temple and seeing Shri Shastry, went round him. Sri Shastry, opened his eyes and seeing the tiger, felt that his Guru’s orders cannot be carried out completely if it eats him. But, again, he concluded as his Guru knows everything, it may be His way of testing him.

So, closing his eyes he concentrated on the chanting of Ram-nam. The Tiger which sat near him, for a while, went away.