Thought of the day !
This article courtesy of my colleagues from Salem - South India.
Sri Sri Swami Santhananda Swamigal attained Maha Samadhi on 27th May 2002 .
This site is a homage to him and all that he stood for.
Darshan of the Great Sage from the Avduta tradition.
In this world of hunger,misery and strife, H.H.Santhananda Swamigal has been a beacon of hope and solace to humanity. He achieved enlightenment by arduous Tapas and service to mankind. He is a great Siddhapurusha who is the Living Embodiment of MAA BHUVANESWARI.
Darshan of the Great Sage from the Avduta tradition.
In this world of hunger,misery and strife, H.H.Santhananda Swamigal has been a beacon of hope and solace to humanity. He achieved enlightenment by arduous Tapas and service to mankind. He is a great Siddhapurusha who is the Living Embodiment of MAA BHUVANESWARI.
H.H.Santhananda Swamigal belongs to the Avadhoota order and traces his lineage to Lord Dattatreya and to H.H.Sadasiva Bhremendra Saraswathi {Judge Swamigal} of Pudukkottai and H.H.Sri Swayamprakasha Bhremendra Saraswathi of Chenthamangalam, Tamil Nadu.
H.H.Santhananda Swamigal installed MAA BHUVANESWARI at Judge Swamigal's Adishtanam at Pudukkottai. In 1967 by Divine Revelation, Swamigal was impelled to found the Om Sri Skandhashramam at Udayapatti, Salem with MAA ASHTADASABHUJA MAHAALAKSHMI DURGA and SKANDA GURU NATHAN as presiding Deities.
The very embodiment of Prema, Sri Sri Swami Santhananda has been the fountainhead of Hindu Dharma and Vedic principles. In his lifetime he has conducted several Yagnas as elucidated in the Sasthras and challenged orthodoxy by bringing to light, guarded Moola Mantras that ensure common good, wealth and peace.
Sri Sri Swami Santhananda is the only sage in living memory to have conducted the DASA MAHA VIDYA YAGNA.
Swamiji was born in a small village near Madurai. His parents were orthodox Brahmins who were great worshippers of Madurai Meenakshi. They had nine children. Mayandi yogi a famous ascetic of that time visited them one day. He predicted that they would have one more child their tenth.
He said
“A son would be born. He would be a votary of the Vedas, a supporter of Yagnas, a repository of knowledge, an ideal disciple, a man of action for the welfare of the world and a devotee of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari. Call him Subrahmanyam. He will be yours only during his formative years. Then the world gets the monopoly over him.
Like Adi Sankara who left his house and village when he was barely eight, your would be son also would leave you behind. As you would be instrumental in causing his birth, you would get salvation automatically. Therefore from now onward you should cultivate detachment towards your would be son so that you would not obstruct him when the tome came for him to renounce worldly life.”
The Ascetic's prophecy was fulfilled and a son was born in 1920 to the pious couple. They called him Subrahmanyam. At the appropriate time the boy was admitted in a school. He had phenomenal memory. Whatever he learnt in school he was able to retain it. Whenever he had leisure he spent his time at the Meenakshi temple.
Mayandi Yogi made another visit to the boy's house. He was thrilled to see the boy. He suggested that the boy be admitted in a Sanskrit school to learn the Vedas and be sent to him after his studies were over. Accordingly the boy was admitted in the Naganathapuram Veda Patasala. In course of time Subrahmanyam became well versed in the Vedas.
On the Girnar Hill, Gujarat, there is a holy place known as Sri Datta Paduka Peetham. It is a favourite haunt of ascetics. Tradition is that only after initiation, Avadhutas used to visit there. Subrahmanyam reached there even before his initiation. It is an arduous task to climb the hill and reach its top. The place was surrounded by dense forests and was the habitat of wild animals. One had to climb hundreds of steps to reach the top. Subrahmanyam was indisposed and weak.
An unknown Sadhu appeared and said. " Why do you hesitate? Datta Guru is always with you. You swallow this pill and ascend the hill". He vanished. Who was he, whence he came, and why? Nobody knew. Subrahmanyam swallowed the pill. He felt rejuvenated and light. His mind became alert and his body strong. He climbed the hill and had the Darshan of Datta Paduka. He heard a voice commanding him to go to Chendhamangalam (Salem district) where a Guru was waiting.
One day he reached Chendhamangalam and had the Darshan of Swami Swayamprakasaji. At once he realized that the Avadhuta he saw in a vision at Tirunelveli was none other than Swamiji and requested that he be accepted as a disciple.
Photograph insert:
H.H.Santhananda Swamigal