Dear Friends,
I am scripting this on the basis of 'Prerane' and it may stir the imagination of the readers 🙏
The other reason for scripting this is Sakharayapattna being the epi centre of "Satsanga" right now and many of us were provided with spiritual food for thought by Avadhuta Gurunatharu more than a couple of decades back🙏
A few of us ,including ಸಚ್ಚಿದಾನಂದ ( Sachi) were almost the regular visitors to the spiritual home of Gurunatharu at Sakharayapattna to be with Him for long time and to listen to His great words of spiritual wisdom uttered intuitively which we had never heard of before anywhere !
It was almost the routine of Gurunatharu to go a long round in the town of Sakharayapattna early in the morning visiting 2-3 temples for a while, followed by also visiting the houses of His ardent devotees where people used to wait for Him with their eyes, minds and hearts open to listen to Him and to be blessed.
The bare footed,half naked Gurunatharu used to walk elegantly with His long beard,flowing grey hair and looking at the eternal sky with His sparkling Divine eyes.
They were fortunate who got sweets/fruits/mantrakshate from Him as Prasada on the way or way back !
At that time a bunch of deeply devoted people- local and outsiders- used to follow Him silently, but listening to Him attentively and carefully throughout. Each word and episode was a spiritual lesson to the people who were around Him at that time.
Once, He asked some one in the Eshwara Temple premises to pickup " Nirmalya"( Dried flowers- prasada) and keep it for himself to take it home ,but that person hesitated a bit for the flowers were dry.Then Gurunatharu watching him sharply said-" So you think it was Devara Prasada once, when the flowers were fresh and decorated the Linga yesterday,but it is not so now; Just because it is dry.
Right? What makes you think it is not prasada now? What is the truth? Is it the flowers are one and the same whether they are fresh or dry or is there any change in your own perception of prasada based on the condition of the flowers? It all depends upon your perception and attribution to a thing and there is nothing otherwise to make it prasada or not.As long as your devotion is eternal,you see Divinity in everything ,there by making it not " anubhava", but "Anubhaava".
On another occasion in the presence of Gurunatharu someone was grumbling about some body else with all contempt.
As Gurunatharu kept on smiling, this man continued digging his grievances against that person.Later, Gurunatharu with such a peace on His face asked the man smiling- " Some days before you had all your appreciation for the same man and now he is a villain in your eyes ! What is this duality in your attitude? Is it he is good or bad ? or is his goodness and badness are your attributions based on your convenience or limitation? There is nothing good or bad in this world on its own,it all depends upon
how you look at it, therefore, first of all, you search your heart to understand yourself. If you can do so, then you can understand others, otherwise, this duality is always the outcome. Understanding the self is the basis to understand others and the world and then there will be no duality"
His words came as an eye-opener to the man concerned and in his context /pretext, it was intended to all.
One of the houses that Gurunatharu almost regularly used to visit was His Grand Father's house. Shatayushi Ghante Srinivasa Rayaru was His Grand Father( Mother's s Father)( His grand father and grand mother both lived for hundred years which is a history at Sakharayapattna).
This artistic gigantic mansion was hundreds of years old. It could be one of the oldest structures of Sakharayapattna highlighting its antiquity and cultural legacy. Before the present Rama Mandira was constructed almost all the religious and cultural activities were conducted in that mansion.
As time passed, things also changed that the heirs of that house several decades back migrated to different cities pursuing different professions and the mansion had to stay vacant.It was at this stage that at the behest of Gurunatharu the mansion was sold to one Shri.Bisalehalli Nanjundaiah navaru a close associateof Gurunatharu.Sri.Nanjundaiah navaru is the father of Sri.Srikanta.K.N. a dynamic and versatile personality, a native of Sakharayapattna and an active member of this group-Satsanga.
All the members of Sri.Nanjundaiah' s family have had high regards,gratitude and respects for Gurunatharu and Gurunatharu used to visit this great mansion of sentiments to know the welfare of the new occupants since the day they bought the mansion. Sri.Srikanta is a staunch devotee of Gurunatharu and he attributes all his success to the blessings of Gurunatharu.
This mansion had a wonderful
big " Parijata Tree" which could be as old as the the mansion itself.-hundreds of years old🤔. It was a treat to watch this great tree yielding countless Parijatha flowers and this historic tree was grown in the backyard of the mansion.
As we all know 'Parijata' is the only rare flower that can reach Paramatma, inspite of falling on the ground,but without losing its purity,chastity and validity. Therefore, Paramatma
Sri Krishna is so much pleased with this heavenly flower-Parijata !
The fallen flowers in plenty around the tree used to create a white fragrant bed in the morning and this tree was a living legend and a house hold name in the town of Sakharayapattna.
During His visits most of the time Gurunatharu also used to look at the Parijata tree and the flowers for a while and then He used to take leave of the place.
In the house of Gurunatharu in the room adjacent to kitchen the holy "Padukas" of Sri Sringeri Maha Swamigalu were kept and (they are still there) Pooja offered regularly with all devotion.
Gurunatharu used to tell His
" Antaranga Bhaktaru" to go inside, have Darshana of the Divine "Padukas", do "Namaskara " and get the blessings. This is the experience of thousands of devotees.
One day I went to the house of Gurunatharu with a packet. Gurunatharu asked me casually with a smile on His face- " Is it you have brought mangoes 🥭for me? Your grand father used to fetch delicious Badami mangoes from your garden for my father long back "
I said "no"
"Then?"
"Parijata flowers "
"From where?"
"From the backyard of Nanjundaiah navaru.Your ( erstwhile )grand father's house "
"What for have you brought these flowers?"
"For ' Samarpane' to the holy Padukas kept inside".
Gurunatharu became a little serious and with a grim face he said " there was no need to bring these Parijata flowers from there. What you bring as a matter of devotion and dedication must be of your own hard earned one. It should not be from the sweat and efforts of others. Guru or Paramatma will be more delighted and pleased with the things of your earnings. What one brings with him/her over here is secondary ,but,what really matters is personal "shraddhe". Dedicating something with a pure mind is "Bhakti" and doing something without expecting anything,for that matter, to the extent of not even remembering it , is "Vairagya".
"Somanna you grow "Parijata" flowers in your place,no matter how much time it takes and bring them here, then I appreciate you, not bringing them from the place of some one. This is the true test of a devotee.To put a step further I wish to say that what you bring out of inheritance is also not great compared to something brought out of your own earnings.Then the Guru and Paramatma are more pleased. I did not intend to hurt you, but I had to say that much to make you think it over."
He continued addressing all present over there- "Daana, annadana,archane, shraaddha and the like require absolute "Artha Shoucha" ( honest earnings),otherwise, it will have no fulfillment, on the other hand
the use of "apa sampadane"(wealth earned out of dishonest means ) to please others only leads to money sin and eternal bondage " Every one was found in dumb silence 🔕.
Gurunatharu stopped.
But, unknowingly tears rolled down my cheeks.....I touched the holy feet of Gurunatharu and left the place quietly and quickly After reaching Shri.Nanjunaiah' house in the backyard I kept the flowers at the trunk of the Parijata tree and requested the tree to bless me.
( My feeling that Gurunatharu would be more pleased with the "Parijata" flowers grown in the backyard of His grand father's house was disproved and He had transcended all such worldly bondages long back and was able to look at things clearly and dispassionately).
After returning to Tirthahalli, I planted the Parijata in the backyard of my house. This plant does not grow easily and quickly. It needs utmost care and nurishment.By the time the plant was about to yield flowers in my backyard, Gurunatharu had already left His physical body to be one with the eternity.
He used to say that He would be more powerful after He would leave His physical body.This is true because the physical body has its own limitations, unlike the " Sukshma" and " Karana Sharira". (Subtle and causal bodies)
Some time back when the Parijata plant yielded flowers in my garden, the first thing I did with great "Ananda"was to place them at the holy feet of Gurunatharu ( Photograph) with all my devotion and dedication and requesting Him to accept the same which I could not achieve when He was alive in His physical body.
I some how feel that Gurunatharu has seen this all from wherever He is.
Today-where ever at the sight of Parijata flowers, I see the smiling face of Gurunatharu.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Jai Guru Deva Datta
Sri Venkatachala Sadguru
Samarpanamastu.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
somashekhara.d.s.
( somanna)
Sakharayapattna/ Tirthahalli
10/6/2021
Guruvara/Thursday
