Recollections Of Hallowed Memories
Vombatkere Vivek mām recounts how H. H. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram Swāmījī’s blessings and grace manifested in the form of miracles at every stage of his life and that of his loved ones.
When I sat down to pen my thoughts about HIM, the opening lines of an old Hindī film song came to my mind, “Woh jab yāda āye, bahot yāda āye”. The memories came gushing in and I felt the need to collect my thoughts, trim and arrange them, preferably in chronological order.
My first exposure to our Mat̲h̲ and Mat̲h̲ādhipati came in the early 1950’s when I was barely 10 years old. Families with large premises in Madrās would host the Mat̲h̲ādhipati during His visit and I was fortunate that our house-owners, the Sānāḍī-s were one such family. As their tenants, occupying a part of their compound, I had the good fortune of being a part of this experience. Daily pūjā-s and bhajana-s would take place. Shaṅkaranārāyaṇa Gīta particularly appealed to me and still does. Shrīmad Ānandāshram Swāmījī was in every way the epitome of a saintly person that a young boy could imagine - serene in appearance, manner and speech.
By the early 1960s I left Madrās for 5 years to study at an Engineering College. Return and service in a Corporate, and later, marriage left me with little time for anything else. I found no opportunities for contact, and what I heard of our next Mat̲h̲ādhipati, left me somewhat confused. Shrīmat Parijñānāshram Swāmījī had taken the unprecedented step of abdicating the Pīt̲h̲a, was residing in a cottage at Kārlā near LoṇāvaῙā, meeting sādhaka-s who sought His darshana, playing the tablā to their singing, interacting with small children and so on. However, a single photo brought back by Padminī from Bangalore of our infant daughter on His lap, and His benign expression began to change my views.
The revelation came with Padminī’s visit to Kārlā with her cousin. Swāmījī had treated everybody to Baṭāṭā vaḍā-s from a nearby stall. Spicy, with a fiery chuṭṇey, Padminī dared not eat them as she had problems with spicy food. Swāmījī had merely said “go ahead and eat them, nothing will happen”. She meekly ate, but was filled with fear of indigestion. To her surprise nothing happened and to this day she does not suffer the worst effects of spicy food. I had heard of the utterances of Saints coming true but this was close to home! I was stunned. Parijñānāshram Swāmījī had to be an evolved soul.
In the 1980’s I was transferred to our company’s factory at Bombay. My entire family stayed back in Madrās for the education of the children.
Staying alone and coping with the culture of a new workplace left me dejected. Something made me go to Kārlā and meet Swāmījī. There was a serenity about the place that soothed, which made me visit often. Soon an opening came up for me in the Southern Region from where I had been transferred to the Bombay factory. However, everybody warned me that our boss had a reputation for “owning’’ his men whom he had handpicked and trained and not releasing them for any other duties. I again sought solace in Kārlā and confided in Swāmījī. He merely said “he will not stand in the way” and that was it.
The next working day I was summoned by the Boss. The bad news was imminent but surprisingly he announced that he was making a first-time exception by releasing me to re-join my parent Madrās -centred Group! My wonderment mixed with joy knew no bounds and at the first opportunity, I rushed to Kārlā to express my gratitude. Swāmījī made light of the matter and even changed the subject.
In 1990, Parijñānāshram Swāmījī made a private, unannounced visit to Madrās and to our joy stayed at our house. Shivshaṅkar (my brother-in-law) and Kavitā who were married the next day had the unique privilege of receiving His Blessings at our house.
By the 90s, one of our daughters was seriously pursuing classical dance. We were doubtful whether she would continue with her art and justify the expense, and whether we could afford it. Swāmījī assured us she would, and the money would come, and it did happen so. Padminī had entreated Swāmījī to attend the Āraṅgetram (maiden performance) and bless her. He assured us of His presence. Sadly, by that time Swāmījī had attained Samādhi. That day the hall was packed with only standing room but a front-row centre-aisle- seat remained unoccupied throughout and we were convinced He was present.
In 2005, another daughter was diagnosed with a birth-defect, which the Neuro-physician was astonished enough to say should have progressed to imminent surgery (just to arrest further deterioration) by the age of 5 but was beginning to manifest only by age 20 !
Our prayers to Parijñānāshram Swāmījī; resumption of Nāga-pūjā-s at our ancestral place as Directed by Shrīmat Sadyojāt Shaṅkarāshram Swāmījī, Lord Bhavānīshaṅkar’s and our Guruparamparā’s Blessings, and Homeopathic medicines prescribed by the late Koppikar Shaṅkar mām, all resulted in the defect being resolved to a stage not requiring surgery which left the neuro-physician dumbfounded. Such a recovery was unknown in medical history and literature. We were convinced with the fact that Parijñānāshram Swāmījī having taken her on His lap as a baby was a Blessing and was responsible for this miracle. We recollected the words of Shrīmat Sadyojāt Shaṅkarāshram Swāmījī who had chided us for our worry. He had said the fact that Parijñānāshram Swāmījī had taken her on His lap and Blessed her and our association with Him, meant that we were assured of His protection.
If ever assurance was required of the ever-present Anugraha of our Guru-s, it happened less than 3 months back. I collapsed from weakness, likely induced by asymptomatic Covid which resulted in skull fractures and brain-haemorrhage rendering me unconscious. I was admitted to an ICU for a few weeks. The care of my family members and neighbours, the hospital’s medical infrastructure, the Nandādīpa at Kārlā Samādhi, the prayers on my behalf and Divine Blessings, resulted in miraculously limiting the damage and in a speedy and near complete recovery of my faculties with the result that I am able to write this piece.
Our Guruparamparā is the closest to the Supreme that we can aspire for. Our community is Blessed with their benign presence, the grace of Lord Bhavānīshaṅkar and of the guidance of our 11th Guru Shrīmat Sadyojāt Shaṅkarāshram Swāmījī.
Jai Shaṅkar!