Prayer on GaNapati during ThyAgarAja ArAdana

SuklAmbaradaram vishNum SasivarNam chathurbujam
Prasannavadanam dhyAyEth sarva vignopashAnthayE |

     We should pray to Lord GaNapathy to remove all obstacles when we start any plan of action.  He is all pervading, wears white dress, possesses moon like lustre, has four hands and has ever bliss radiating face. ( the Lord GaNapathy chooses to present before his ardent devotees, in a form suited for their heart's desire.)
   
     Sri ThyAgaraja swAmigaL in his kruthi, "Shri GaNapati ni sEvimparE,.......".  in rAgam, sourAshtram and ThaLam- Adi,, ethusiastically invites all devotees to adore Lord GaNapati, when He is coming dancing gloriously after being worshipped by Brahma.This kruthi forms the first kruthi sung before the "pancharathna kruthis"-( 5gems like kruthis composed by Thyagaraja swAmigal). These are sung When SwAmigaL's ArAdana is offered in different karnAtic music-centres and by groups of musicians all over India and abroad too.

     The context chosen by our SwAmigaL, to worship Lord GaNapati with other devotees is a special occasion. Swamigal gives a picture of GaNapati thus:-" Brahma has worshipped Lord GaNapathy. After accepting that worship, GaNapati is coming out gLoriously dancing. The Lord part-took the offerings, jack fruit coconuts, jambu fruits, and then comes to earth treading with  his heavy resounding steps.Lord GaNapati Himself has installed the holi feet of Hari in His heart.He also comes out dancing in a variety of rhythms.Lord GaNapati is also praised by ThyAgaraja swAmigal in all humility."      

     We will go through the text-sAhithyam of the kruthi with the meaning. That is an interesting  experience as well enlightening experience. Next time one hears the kruthi, is definitely going to enjoy the music-ragam along with the meaning, the thoughts expressed by Sri ThyAgarAja swAmigaL. He-swAmigaL invites devotees who usually adore Lord GaNapati to join himself in worshiping the Lord in a special context.

      P.  ShrigaNapatini sEvimparE, shritamAnavulArA!...........                                    (Shri)

      AP.VAgAdipAdi supUjala chEkoni
            BAga natimpuchu vedalina.........................                                                       (Shri)
         
    In the pallavi, swAmigaL calls out"oh men of devotion! come and adore, worship Lord GaNapati."

     In anupallavi swamigaL describes the context, as  well the Lord's captivating appearance.
          "Adore GaNapati, who, having received the worship of BrahmA, is coming, dancing gloriously!"

     ch. Panasa-nArikElAdi-jambU-palamulAraginchi
           Ganatarambuganu mahipai padamulu
           Gallugallana nunchi
           anayamu HaricharaNayugamulanu hruda-
           yAmbujamuna nunchi
           vinayamunanu ThyAgarAja vinuthudu
           vividagatula dalangumani vEdalina.................................                                  (Shri)    
       
    Here,  swAmigaL further explains thus in the charaNam:-" Lord GaNapati, after partaking of the offering of jack-fruit, coconuts, jambu fruit etc., is coming treading the earth with his heavy resounding steps! Who, with the holy feet of Hari installed in His heart, comes out dancing in a variety of rhythms! GaNapaty whom TyAgaraja praises in all humility."

     This kruti on Lord GaNapati is one among the many krutis on Lord GaNapati. In general any    
kruti by Sri TyAgarAja SwAmigaL is fully charged with pure devotion, bakti. They are, if sung with
pure devotion, in one's family-altar, the kruti of the saint-singer is capable of earning the grace of the
divinity. To earn the divine grace, one's concentrated thought of the divinity with the yearning to worship, offer a prayer are the powerful tools that are capable of guiding one nearer to ones adored
deity.When I say nearer, it means one will be shaped to mentally spend more time in god-thought, as well an interest to offer scheduled, unfailing prayer routine, which is the first platform for our progress.

     Our India/BhArath is blessed with many, many saints and saint singers who who spent their whole lives in working out their spiritual unity with the Supreme Being. They were all born, understood the goal of the human birth, and worked out their salvation, in their own way. There are innumerable realised souls from time unknown, in all the yugas. They all loved humanity at large, and left ways and means, for every human being born, to seek the same goal.Once we understand the purpose of human birth, one day or other every one of us will start working along the spiritual path laid down by their personal experience.

     Sangeetam-karnatic music is one vidya, a divine art. Any knowledge or art has it's source only in and from the supreme Being. So they all should be dedicated only to Divinity. Dance, sangeetam, painting, sculpture, knowledge of any branch are all to be dedicated only to Divinity. If we and our society are to flourish, we have to follow these creative guidelines, and consciously honour them for our own good.

     Dr.RadakrishNan in his foreword to"The Spiritual Heritage of TyAgaraja", says" We have had in our country from the time of the Rg Veda down to our own days a long line of torch bearers who stress the primacy of spiritual values,  who point out that even as the human being is above the animal, the spiritual man is above the human. We are not yet; we hope to be."....."it is good to be reminded of the supreme values of knowledge, discipline and devotion..... We have had a few great spirits in the last century who emphasised the ideals of the race and demonstrated their vitality and power of survival and one of the most notable of these saint-singers was TyAgarAjA"

     Around 800 krutis of Sri TyAgarAja SwAmigaL have been collected, saved and brought out as books with text(sahityam), commentry in tamil/english, and even with swara notations. Each kruti is a gem of it's own kind,a treat for the ear through it's sangeetam-dimension; in their thought force, pregnant with puranic-itihasic-epic-links, they educate and uplift our inner core to unimaginable fields of refinement and bliss.The love, intimacy, purity of the right claimed by a deeply sincere devotee are all a welcome treat for one's soul.

     There is an introductory thesis by Sri.V.Raghavan. It helps us to educate ourselves, to deeply understand the life, dedicated by Sri ThyAgarAja swamigal purely for adoration and love of Sri RAma. Sri Raghavan details for us thus:- "One of the distinguishing characteristics of ThyAgarAjA
as a composer is the large number of songs he has given us on the noble art that he handled, and the many references he has made to it in his other songs. These songs and references cover every aspect
of the art, musical criticism, elucidation of musical concepts, the best way to practise music, music as a help to spiritual effort and above all, music itself as a Yoga and a siddhi, a path and a realisation."
The 206 pages of the thesis is a constant enlightening guidance for an enthusiastic aspirant; one can become a sincere student, why even a sishyan /sishyai too of ThyAgarAja SwAmigal.For one interested in learning enthusiastically, about the saint singer, his musical thesis on  bakti/devotion, and Sri Rama, a university, of oceanic dimension is awaiting. Fortunate souls will surely awaken themselves to start their exploration. It is my sincere prayer and authentic dream that more younger generation should educate themselves about all the eternal saints, saint-singers, and the heritage they have bequeathed for the posterity, with universal love; what do they expect from all of us? Nothing
but spiritual upliftment of one and all. We all owe it as duty towards our great realised souls.          

     Note. In anupallavi- the text is "VAgAdipAdi"=VAgAdipa+Adi ;This means, Brahma and other devas. SwAmigaL tells here that we are having darshan of Lord GaNapati right after He received worship from Brahma and other Devas, Indra,Vayu, Agni, VaruNa, and other devas.

Ela ni daya RAdu?paraku jEsedavela? samayamu gadu....... - IV

Charanam-1.

RA Ra Devadi Deva! RaRaMahAnubAva! RARA Rajiva nEthra! Raghuvaraputra!
sAratarasudhApurahrudayaparivAra! Jaladhi gambira! thanuja sam
hAra! madanasukumAra! budajanavihAra! sakalasruthisAra! nAdupai.............(Ela)

                                                                                                                                            

Lord of the Devas! 

Come dear lad come! 

Please come, come lad with great rich experiences!

Welcome,oh the prince of outstandingly broad eyes competing with broad lotus petals!

oh the son of the best of the Raghuvamsam! One ever surrounded by associates with hearts sweeter than nectar! 

One noble and majestic like the ocean! Slayer of the evil forces like demons!

One possessed of body soft like the cupid!

One who spends time with scholar-lore! 

The churned out essence of the Vedas! 

Why your grace does not descend towards me ?.......................(Ela)

CharaNam2-

RAjAdirAja! MunipUjitapAda! RavirAjalochana! sharNya! athilAvaNya!

RAjadharanutha! VirAjathuraga! SurarAjavandhithapada! Aja janaka! dina-

RAjakOtisamathEja! DanujagajarAjanichayamrugarAja! Jalajamuka!..................(Ela)

Emperor! (King of kings!)one whose feet are worshipped by the spiritually great sages!

Unfailing protector of the righteous people! Lord with lustrous divine glory of the body!

One with feet worshiped by the moon-crested glorious Shiva! one with unique carrier in the Garuda!
One with feet constantly worshiped and adored by the very Lord of the devas!

Oh! The creator of the four-faced Brahma! Lord possessing the effulgence of crore suns!

Oh! The fearful lion, the destroyer of the  group of elephant-kings in the form of group of terrific demons!

Oh! The royal prince with face like the full-bLown lotus! ................     .................(Ela)

YAga rakshaNa! Parama BAgavathArchitha! YOgindra suhrudbAvitha! Adyantharahitha!

NAgashayana! varanAgavarada! PunnAgasumadara! sadAgamOchana! sa-

DAgathijadruthapada! AgamAnthachara! RAgarahitha! ThyAgarAjanutha!.............(Ela)

Protector of ViswAmithra's sacrifice! one adored and worshiped by the loving servants of God!

Oh! The deity constantly meditated upon by the good ,devoted and righteous hearts of rank-sages!

One eternal eternal creator who has transcended begining as well the end! 

One taking your bed on the great snake Adisesha! 

One deity who answered the call for protection from the crocodile of the best king of elephants! 

The Deity wearing with pleasure the flower called punnai! 

Ever vigilant in nullifying the sins of sincere devotees! 

Your sacred feet ever carried with respect and love by the son of 'the constantly mobile wind god! 

In your aspect of Brahman, the mover through the vedAntha which ever tries to Identify your mighty stature to some extent! 

The eternal god principle ever free from grief and happiness! 

Oh! One adored by me, Sri Thyagaraja!                                                 

                 

The above cited elaborate beautiful welcome was given by Sri Swamigal, to his heart's Deity Sri Rama, who ever enjoyed his abode in in the heart of his unique Baktha. All krithis sung by our swamigal are all flowing from the bakthi-drenched soul of a sincere baktha. We can never say that Swamigal composed the krithis. Sri Rama's divine grace flowed out through the Baktha's Divinity-charged krithi's for the welfare of humanity at large.     

Ela ni daya RAdu?paraku jEsedavela? samayamu gadu...... - III

Soon Swamigal was his usual self and he was deeply moved by the heartfelt, unbounded grace of his beloved deity; that handsome prince of Ayodhya, standing before the entrance of his residence was in full divine glory; Lakshmana the very essence of service to his Lord and brother was there standing in all glory.

The unsurpassed beauty of the two princes had its own impact of a very high order. Swamigal's mind just melted for the award of divine grace by his beloved Rama.

"My dear Rama, all these days before this darsan i spent even a yugam (time) as a second. But, oh! now after having your darsan, I feel that each moment of separation from you has turned a yuga by time for me.How can I survive dear Rama, separation from you?" 

Divine discontent is a great indicator of a true devotee.

Then Swamigal paints the picture of the unequalled 'roopa lavanyam' of Sri Rama as well his lord's boundless and immeasurable 'guna mahathmyam', in the kruthi 'Ela ni daya radu?........samayamu gadu.....(Ela)   

     

Now swamigal describes the two princes, Sri Rama and Lakshmana  standing there in full divine glory. when they left for yaga rakshanam with Viswamithra they both were just 14 years by age. 

Now only we come to the meaning of the anupallavi.

' Bala! kanakamaya chela! sujana paripala! SriRamalola! vidrutasara-

                      jala! subada! karunalavala! gananila! navya vanamalikabarana! .....................(Ela)

All these are sambodanams, i.e.addressing Sri Rama thus:- 

                      

'Young boy! 

dressed in silk garment of gold weave! 

protector of the righteous people!

very well in unison with Srimahalakshmi devi! 

bearer of the the different arrow units!

awarder of auspiciousness!

carrier canal of the perennial river of the divine grace! 

one having his body in the deep blue like the rain-clouds! 

you who wear the fresh plucked Thulasi leaf garland as ornament!   

Ela ni daya RAdu?paraku jEsedavela? samayamu gadu.........- II

 Anu pallavi.;- BALA! Kanakamaya chEla! sujanapari-

                    pAla! SriramAlOla! vidhruthashara-

                    jAla!  shubada ! karuNAlavAla! Gana-

                    neela! navyavanamAlikAbaraNa!                            (E)

      Here SwAmigaL had Darshan of Sri Rama and the description is totally what SwamigaL  actually saw and experienced and lost himself in.IN THE 4 LINES OF ANUPALLAVI, EACH LINE CONTAINS 16 AKSHARAS. THE 16- FOR THE 4TH LINE includes 15 + (E) 

      Karnataka sangeetham means perfect mathematics, progrssions and perfect TALa control, as well laya beauty.

This way it was presented by a class musician a reasearch student of karnataka sangeethem, in her relevent lecture demonstration.This is only an example.

  

       We will try to understand the spirit of the kruthi, these 4 lines which form the anupallavi. Our SwAmigaL addresses Sri Rama, giving a beautiful word painting of the darshan he was bLessed with.

       

       Actually Swamigal heard a call from the from the front of his residence at ThiruvaiyARu. He reached the front door, opened the door of his residence for his visitor or visitors. Sri Rama with his very dear brother LakshmaNa was standing. Sri Rama chose the scene of ViswAmithra's yaga rakshaNa event,  Sri Rama presented himself and LakshmaNa in the same 'thirukkolam' holy forms, as they were when they left with ViswAmithrA for 'yAga rakshaNam'. Sri Rama chose to give His darshan to his great devotee Sri Thyagaraja swamigal that eterNal ever living event of the great grand epic Ramayana.  

       

     Sri Swamigal did 96 crores of Rama-nama japam and was about to offer the same to SriRama, his heart's deity, and right at that time Sri Rama came with Lakshmana to his residence and gave Darshan. SwamigaL was immersed in bliss and totally stupefied, could not think or act for some few minutes.The wave of bliss engulfed Swamigal; his mind and body and all of him stayed action less.What a great descent of Sri Rama's grace. Here we have to spend time to understand that Swamigal studied all scriptural lore of our sages, practiced strictly the sastaic injunctions with the full back up of pure unalloyed faith; fully qualified himself for the descent of divine grace (Sri Rama's) grace. Swamigal fixed his goal and did achieve it.

Ela ni daya radu? ParAkujEsedavEla? samayamu gAdu........ - I

Sri ThyAgarAja SwAmigaL in this Kruthi, in the RAga ATANA, asks Sri RAma thus,"Why do I not get your grace? why this indifference? This is not the time for such attitude. Come, oh Supreme Lord?" 

     SwamigaL asked his father, when the later was in death bed,"            "Father!, how can I get darshan of Lord Sri RAma? kindly bless me with your guidance." Sri Rama Brahman accordingly blessed his son with the guidance as follows, "my dear wonderful child, with determination offer 96 crores of Rama tharaka manthram at the feet of your beloved Lord. Sri Rama is sure to grace His darshan, in answer to your prayer". Then the father dropped his body. Our SwamigaL dedicatedly  followed his great father's guidance. Offered  RAma nama japam at the rate of 1,25,000 Rama japam per day for 20 years. Yes, for 20 years. Sri Rama readily responded the great bhakta's heartfelt desire,and did stand with his devotee-brother Lakshmana, at the door step of Sri Thyagaraja swAmigaL's residence. Sri Rama and Lakshmana  in the same form as Dasaratha handed over Sri Rama and Lakshmana to Viswamithra for his yAga samrakshaNam. Our swAmigaL lost himself in the boundless grace of his beloved Sri RAma,

What our Swamigal actually saw, flowed out in ataNa ragam as the kruthi "Ela ni daya Radu? ParAku jesedavela, samayamu gadu...              (Ela) 

     Our swAmigal, drew the very picture of what he himself was blessed with, in this kruthy;A wonderful painting or sculpture may not suffice, and swamigaLs word -picture-lyric has survived eternally for all the future generations, who are fortunate souls. 

      The entire krithi, falls under the structure, a welcome, bubbling with inner happiness and adoration of Sri RAma and LakshmaNa standing in their full glory.Like how we will express our heartfelt happiness when a dear relative / friend next to our heart pays a surprise visit. Our welcome will bubble like a fountain.

श्री त्यागराज आराधना

माणिक्य कृति पुष्प मोदितम् परम् 

साहित्य दळ लावण्य नन्दितं देवम् 

विविध राग सुगन्ध मोहितमनन्तम् 

अनन्य भक्ति मधुधाराभिषिक्तमच्युतम् 

भक्तिज गानाराधितम् नादब्रह्मम् 

भ्रिङ्गीकृत  पट्टाभिरामम्  पावन मूर्तिं 

निश्शंक निर्मोह निलयीकृत परभ्रह्मम् 

श्री त्यागराज हृद्सदनं साकेतसदनम् ||

अहं वन्दे, अहं वन्दे, अहं वन्दे |

ThyAgarAja ArAdhanA-meaning.

I bow down to that SriRAmA, again and again. That SriRAmA was ruling over  koshala country from the capital Ayodhya. It was also known as SAketha puram.

      Sri ThyAgaarAja swamigal was dedicatedly devoted to Sri RamA.  The bhakthi of Swamigal forms the very grammar (ilakkaNam of Bhakthi itself )as codified by Prahladha in BAgavatham.  

PrahlAdha says to his father HiraNya kaShipu, when the latter asked his son to tell him the best thing that he had learnt at school-:”That I consider as the best lesson, worthy to be learnt, if man could practice devotion to the Lord’ characterized by nine forms: listening to the Lord’s song and glory, singing of the Lord, contemplation of the Lord, worshipping His feet especially saluting Him, serving Him like a servant, moving with Him as a friend, and offering oneself to Him”. Our SwamigaL,  dedicatedly followed this ‘Ananya Bhakthi’ , single minded devotion ,  (not having attachment to any other fields that attract the five senses).Saint singer, Sri thyAgaraja SwamigaL offered all of the breathing moments of his life to the loving service of his heart’s deity, SriRama of Ayodhya.

     All the karnAtaka sangeetha kruthis of  our Swamigal are worthy treasures of our BhArath. It is the bounden duty of this generation of musicians, music lovers and parents to handover this unique wealth in it’s prestine glory to our posterity. House, gold, cash are not worthy treasures before “The Bhakthi pravAham of ourSwAmigaL’s kruthis.

     I never learnt music-karnataka sangeetham. But I had my natural love for the Sanskrit language and by god’s gace I started going through all the kruthi’s of Swamigal with meaning . A world of supreme happiness was expanding before me I felt. It was a perennial happiness that was expanding. That is how I understood it to be. I composed the poem given above as an ARADHaNA of our swamigaL.

     I am saluting and prostrating to that SriRAma, who was adored by our swAmigaL through “NADHOPASANA”. Songs drenched with Bhakthi, are the very flowers with which our SwamigaL worshipped SriRama.

     MaNikya Kruthi-pushpa modhitham Param:- SwamigaL’s kruthis  are gems of kruthis’.Sri Rama is extremely delighted by these Ruby-like kruthis.We should also not forget that The Deity pleased and delighted is not just SriRama of Ayodhya, but the very Supreme Being, Brahman, creator Himself. In many kruthis, SwamigaL himself draws our attention to the fact, the basic truth revealed in Ramayana  that the supreme Vishnu offers solace to Brahma and the Devas that He Vishnu himself will be born as Sri Rama, Dasaratha’s son  to annihilate RAvaNa.

     SAhithya daLa lAvaNya nanditham DEvam:-The literature of  the kruthis are compared to the beautiful petals of flowers, by which Rama is gladdened. All the kruthis are feeding with details of the themes inculcated through the Vedas, puraNas, epics, shasthras etc. The kruthis are gold mines of references to related events and upadesas. Sri Rama is the Deity Deva(God) extremely pleased by  our SwamigaL’s  weaving of beautiful bakthi literature.

     Vivida rAga sugandha santhushtamanantham:-The excellance of the ragas in which the kruthis flowed from the bhakthi drenched consciousness of our Swamigal  is unique.Rama himself is a sangeetha Rasika-enjoyer of sangeetham,  The different ragas lend elegance of sweet fragrance to these kruthi flowers. Srirama extremely enjoys  the Ragas’ fragrance. Anantha is another epithet for Brahman which tells Brahman is endless.

     Ananyabhakthi- dhArAbishikthamachyutham:- Achyutha is another epithet for Vishnu.The Deity Rama/Brahman is given sacred bath-abhishekam of unique, singleminded devotion by our SwamigaL. The flow of bhakthi and sangeetham from the consciousness of Sri ThyAgaraja swamigaL, was a breakless continuous flow of bhakthi gAnam , with which Swamigal performs abhishekam for his beloved Deity. Achyutha means that  the supreme Being does not undergo any change.

     Bhakthija-gAnAraditham NAdaBhrahmam:- From the fountain of Rama-bhakthi of Sri SwAmigaL, is born the honey- river of ThyAgarAja kruthis,which many FORTUNATE SOULS ENJOY. Through karnAtaka sangeetha -based kruthis in various soul-touching ragas ,SwamigaL worshipped RamA, also the very Supreme Being, Brahman.

       

 The sound form or the sweet melody ‘s source –form , worshipped is  NADABRHMAM. The source and base of all knowledge is only “The Supreme Being”. The supreme Being is the only fountain-source of all branches of science, art or any other branches of learning, all emanate  from and merge only in the Supreme Being. Brahman is omniscient or all knowing.This melody- form of the Supreme Being, NAdabrahmam is worshipped by SwamigaL through his “honey-river of “gAna pravaham”.-

     Brungikrutha  PattAbirAmam PAvanamUrthym:-Pattabirama is made a honey bee while enjoying the madhura-bhakthi-gAnam of our SwAmigaL. This PattAbi- Rama was not only the crowned king of Koshala country, but he is also “ the SuguNa SamrAjya’s Crowned emperor”. All good qualities that a man should possess, find their abode in Sri Rama. He is the very form which supreme purity     has taken, PAvana Murthy. The very Name “RAMA” is super purifier, which is initiated in the ear of the dead bodies, in The holy Ganga, at Kasi-kshetram. These bodies are held by Parvathy Devi, and Lord Shiva gives the upadesam(intiation) of “TAraka Nama”, “RAMA”.  This Rama nAma is capable of transporting the departed souls to salvation. SwAmigaL himself has offered a kruthi in which he adores Shiva as the one who knows the supreme efficacy of the RamanAma. Saint SrirAmakrishNa , a devotee of KaLi Devi , had Darshan of this unique scene on the river ganges.

     Nishshanka nirmoha nilayikrutha para Brahmam:- ThyAgarajaSwamigal had gained the knowledge of the Supreme Being, Brhma gnanam, thoroughly through his studies of all the holy scriptures. He did not entertain even an iota of doubt about a brahmagnani attaining salvation by worshipping Brahman with singleminded God’s love; he established Brahman in his soul’s depth and worshipped the Supreme Being who was Rama the Hero of our epic, RamAyaNa.

     SrithyAgaraja-hrud-sadanam saketasadanam:-Parabrahmam born as Dasaratha Rama  had taken joyously his abode in the very heart of our Swamigal. In  not less than four kruthis we find Swamigal explaining his manasa puja for Sri Rama. Different metaphysical approaches help swamigal to build a gemdecked alter for his beloved deity and  mentally offers total worship upto mangaLa hArati to Sri Rama. They are soul satisfying and soul elevating when we go through the meaning and the soulstirring bakthi bhavas in them. One is bound to shed tears of bliss (Ananda kaNNeer), if one is really a rare, fortunae soul. I have no better way to convey the spiritual upliftment one is to be blessed with  if they are able to merge with the frame of bhakthi drenched consciousness of our SwamigaL. This Sri Rama is also known as Saketha sadanan, whose abode is Ayodhya.

      In my concluding line I offer my humble prostrations  to that sriRama, the Supreme Being, who has taken his alter in Sri TyAgaraja Swamigal’s  heart of hearts . I also offer my humble prostrations to Sri SwamigaL himself for blessing us a bit of his spirit of singleminded devotion.

       Note. SwAmigal’s  father sri RAmabrahmam, was also a devotee of SrirAma.When the father was in deathbed, Sri SwamigaL, as a boy enquired his father, “ How can I get Darshan of Sri Rama?”. The father replied,” Do 96-crores of Rama-japam and Sri Rama will bless you with his Darshan.” The boy ThyagaarAja did perform 96-crores of Rama-japam and had Darshan of SriRama.           

“India’s truest wealth”

    A Yogi, Sri Paramahamsa YogAnanda says, in the very beginning of his ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ thus:- “My own path lead to a Christ like sage; his beautiful life was chiselled for the ages. He was one of the great masters who are India’s truest wealth. Emerging in every generation, they have bulwarked their land against the fate of ancient Egypt and Babylonia”

     Here Sri YogAnandaji, pays his heartfelt adoration to the great unbroken chain of great masters (Gurus), from unknown ancient time; they, the Guru parampara had, with indescribable might had protected our Indian civilization and culture from destruction, because of invasions. If not protected by those mighty dedicated Gurus, Indian civilization and culture would have met the same fate, (disappearance) as that of Egypt and Babylonia.

 We will try to gather some few accounts of one or two true Yogi’s, as presented by Sri YogAnandaji.   Before proceeding along those lines, I would like to draw your attention about droplets of the basement of our Indian spiritual culture that runs as an undercurrent all along, from unknown ancient time. Even the most uneducated raw field worker or aged women deeply handling family responsibilities, held the basic knowledge that one  who dies drops the body alone, cuts off family-ties and has continuity of life in the next birth. The aged old man or the old lady will easily express, “I have settled my children, and am ready to leave when the ‘CALL’ comes.” Our great,God realized souls have sown the seed of that culture in our soil, in the bygone ages.    

     The Guru of Sri Yoganandaji’s parents was Sri LAhiri MahAsayA. “This Guru’s picture in an ornate frame always graced our family altar. Morning and evening mother and me meditated before an improvised shrine. With frankincense and myrrh as well as our united devotions, we honoured the divinity that had found full expression in Lahiri MahAsayA.” says Sri YogAnandA.

      The above few lines unmistakably announce, what the altar was and what the picture of the Guru was for the school boy Mukunda. The family members worship the divinity in the altar; when the boy Mukunda meditates and worships, he had already realized the divinity expressing itself in his guru.

      His guru’s picture was no more just a picture. It was the very person of the guru, interacting with Mukunda. He loved his guru with the thickest cream of devotion. The boys love and devotion has worked out an intimately acting bond with the guru. Mukunda expresses himself thus:-“His picture has a surpassing influence over my life. As I grew, the thought of the master grew with me. In meditation I would often see his photographic image emerge from it’s small frame and, taking a living form, sit before me. When I attempted to touch the feet of his luminous body, it would change and again become the picture. As childhood slipped into boyhood, I found LAhiri MaHAsayA transformed in my mind, from a little image, cribbed in a frame, to a living enlightening presence. I frequently prayed to him in moments of trial and confusion, finding within me his solacing direction.”