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Author Topic: PROPHETS ALIKE — Yogacharya K. B. Sahasrabudhe —Swami Raghavendra  (Read 3890 times)

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Offline JR

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Let us this month recall to our mind the pious life and philo­sophy of Swami Raghavendra of Mantralayam. It is beyond doubt that the Sai devotees would very much be moved by the inspiring accounts of the divine life of Sri Raghavendra, for the miracles performed by the Swamiji during his life time and after his entering Brindavan compare well with those of Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi.

To begin with, it is interesting to note that both these saints were recipients of the grace of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupathi in their early lives.

As we are aware, Sai Baba's Guru was none other than Ven-kusa or Venkatesa of Selu who was so known after his devotion to the Lord of Seven Hills.

The pious parents of Swami Raghavendra namely Thimmana-bhat and Gopikamba had propitiated to Lord Venkateshwara for progeny. They begot a child who grew into Sri Raghavendraswami. He was quite appropriately christened as "Venkatnath".

The boy showed keen interest in music. He could play adroitly on veena and he was later called as Veena Venkannabhat. When he came of age, he was married to Saraswati Bat. His married life was a tale of woe and suffering. The grinding poverty he was con­fronted with reminded one of the proverbial kuchela. He and his wife wore tattered clothes and remained on empty stomach for many a day. To add fuel to the fire, one day even the few utensils they possessed were stolen.

Sri Raghavendra then took to the life of the mutt and came under the tutelage of Sri Sudheendra Swami. Sri Raghavendra's mastery over shastras, and vyakarna astounded many a pundit and scholar. During a heated debate, he once quoted Mahabhasya line by line to the amazement of the listeners and earned for him­self the title of "Mahabhasyacharya".

Sri Sai Baba very often used to say that he was Kabir in his previous birth. It is believed that Swami Raghavendra was re-: incarnation of Bhaktha Prahalada. He appeared in the 17th century! to sow the seeds of faith, love and devotion in the hearts of the I people.

Just as Shirdi, the Mantralayam now ranks foremost among: the holy places of India. Situated on the banks of river Tunga-bhadra, this sacred village is seen drawing a never-ending flow of devotees whose silent prayers are answered by the astral form of Swamiji.

"My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees" so declared Sri Sai Baba. Likewise, the Brindavan today is believed to bless the devotees and fulfil their needs. The hungry is given food, the blind is given sight, the needy is given the money and so on.

Like Sai Baba, he conferred temporal benefits on the devotees. But their objective was to draw the devotees by the lure of earthly benefits and then turn them over to spiritual fold.

Both Sai Baba and Swami Raghavendra were equally averse to the show of occult powers. But there was an ulterior motive behind their performance of miracles. As we are aware, reason is now too much with the modern man leading him to scientific lunacy, and spiritual bankruptcy. It has been carried to such an extent that the very existence of God and His Leelas are denied for the simple reason that the same are not amenable to the Laboratory-tests. Miracles are performed to inculcate faith in the people.

If Sai Baba could grind cholera into flour, turn water into oil, convert storm into calm and so on Swami Raghavendra did no less breath-taking miracles.

Once Swamiji visited Kirtagiri near Gadag (former Karnatak District) where he was the guest of Venkat Desai . While arrange­ments for puja etc., were being made in a hectic manner, the child of Venkat Desai fell into a big pot of mango juice and lost his life. Every one was grief-stricken at the mishap. Then Swamiji ordered the boy to be laid before him, sprinkled holy water over the dead body, recited holy hymns and restored life into the corpse.

From Kirtagiri, Swamiji went to Hubli where he saved the son of the Nawab of Savanur who had died of snake-bite. The Nawab in gratitude gave Krishnagiri and other villages as gifts.

An incarnation of Bhaktha Prahalada, an ardent admirer of Madhwa, Swamiji spared no efforts to teach the ideals of faith, love and devotion fulfilling thus his mission of establishment of Dharma in Society.
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