[Advaita-l] JAGADGURU SRI CHANDRASEKHARA BHARATI MAHASWAMI – MYSTIC AND SEER - 12

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from previous post)
 
 
(Book condensation from Tattvaloka, July 1999, Volume XXII No. 2 )
 
http://www.svbf.org/journal/vol5no1-2/mystic.pdf
 
The  Swami’s  Spell-binding Worship  -  V
 
Being keen on setting an example, the new
Mahaswami would, without fail, do the
Chandramouleeswara pooja and Sri Chakra
Pooja, whenever he was not indrawn.
 
To the Mahaswami, worship was a means of
direct communion with God. It was not a
formality to be gone through mechanically. He
would emphasize that it should be done with
total absorption.
 
On the day when Sri Abhinava Vidya Tirtha
was nominated as his successor, on May 22,
1931, the disciple and Guru were about to enter
the	sanctum  sanctorum.  Noticing  the
understandable eagerness of the disciple, the
Mahaswami counseled patience and the
following conversation took place.
 
M:  Where are we going?
D:  To Sharadamabal‘s temple.
M:  It is not just Sharadamabal’s temple we
are going to but to mother’s inner chamber...
She is transcendent and grants all wishes.
Whatever you wish for, she will confer. Hence
enter with full faith and tranquility.
 
There is a convention that on their birthdays
the heads of the Peetha should worship Siva in
the Malahanikaresvara temple, on a hillock in
Sringeri.
 
On an occasion when the Mahaswami was
performing worship at Malahanikaresvara
temple, even though the place had been
thoroughly cleaned, red ants started attacking
the Mahaswami. They kept coming out of the
crevices in swarms. The attendant could not help
coming  out.  But  the  Mahaswami  was
unperturbed and the red ants did not make the
slightest impression on him. He completed the
elaborate pooja after which he emerged.
 
To the Mahaswami, worship was something
sacrosanct and nothing should be allowed to
interfere with it. Once while the Mahaswami
was performing Chandramouleeswara pooja, a
king cobra came in, causing consternation among
the devotees. But the Mahaswami signaled to
them to be calm and proceeded with the worship.
The cobra went near the place of worship. The
Mahaswami took a small cup, filled it with milk
and extended his hand with the cup of milk to
the cobra. The cobra licked up the milk, took a
good look at the Mahaswami and slithered away.
When there is no fear the response of reptiles
and animals would be normal and fearless. But
who except a jnani can be fearless?
 
The way the Mahaswami would offer worship
was a sight for Gods to see. He would
meticulously observe every little detail and yet
be wholly absorbed in the deity. The atmosphere
would be charged with spirituality and those
witnessing the worship would be uplifted and
elevated to a new dimension.
 
 
(Continued in next post)