Sri Idaikadar Samadhi

In the previous posting about the great Siddhar Sri Idaikadar, I mentioned that there has been a debate as to the exact location of the samadhi of this great Saint. The Samadhi is believed by most to be located in one of two places inside the Compound of the Arunachaleswarar Temple.

The first spot is located near the Temple Goshala and is maintained by the "Idaikattar Sithar Welfare Association". While there I spoke with a priest connected with the Association and he assured me that this is indeed the recognised Samadhi of Sri Idaikadar. In addition I purchased a book published by the Welfare Association and after perusing it will post any additional biographical information on the great Siddhar.

Wall adjoining Goshala

View of Arunachala from Goshala

Temple Cows

The Nursery

Distant View of Samadhi

Inscription on side of Samadhi

Samadhi of Sri Idaikadar

Samadhi alcove

Closer View

Samadhi of Sri Idaikadar

The second site believed by some to be the location of the samadhi of Sri Idaikadar is at the shrine dedicated to Arunagiri Yogeshwara, which is located at the back of the Shiva Sannidhi. However now that the Trust associated with Sri Idaikadar has declared his samadhi to be the one located near the Temple Goshala, worshippers will probably start congregating at that spot. However below are some photographs at what was previously thought to be the samadhi of the Siddhar.

Shrine of Arunagiri Yogeshwara

Shrine with Arunachala in Background

Samadhi of Sri Idaikadar at Arunagiri Yogeshwara Shrine

Arunachala from Shrine

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

An official medical bulletin issued at Prashanti Nilayam Specialty Hospital announced that Sri Sathya Sai Baba died at 7.40 a.m. this day April, 24th, 2011 due to cardio-respiratory failure.

His body will lie in state at Sai Kulwant Hall, Prashanti Nilayam, for two days (i.e. Monday and Tuesday, 25th and 26th April). Andhra Pradesh has declared 4 days of State mourning in observance of Swami’s death.











The first spiritual teaching Sri Sathya Sai Baba is reputed to have given to the world was at the age of 14 years when he left his home and took a seat on a boulder outside his Puttaparthi village. It was at that boulder (which would later mark one of the boundaries of his vast desert Ashram), that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai sang:


Manasa Bhajorey Guru Charanam
Dusthara Bhava Sagara Tharanam
Guru Maharaj Guru Jai Jai
Sai Natha Sad Guru Jai Jai
Om Namah Shivaya, Om Nama Shivaya,
Om Namah Shivaya, Shivaya Namah Om
Arunachala Shiva, Arunachala Shiva,
Arunachala Shiva Aruna Shiv Om
Omkaram Baba, Omkaram Baba,
Omkaram Baba Om Namo Baba


"O mind, worship the Lotus Feet of your God and Supreme Teacher that will take you safely across the ocean of life and death. Victory to our Lord and supreme Teacher, Sai Nath!

Mind, also chant and worship; the Divine name of Lord Shiva and Arunachala mountain (which is no different to Shiva) and Baba whose form is OM."

In this bhajan Bhagavan exhorts devotees to worship the feet of the spiritual preceptor and explains that there is no difference between the Pranava Om (which pervades the Universe), Arunachala and the Lord. Bowing to one is as bowing to all.

Since that early age of 14 years and his first teaching, Sri Sathya Sai Baba often encouraged, suggested and even ordered devotees to come to Arunachala. As well as his love of this Holy Place, Sri Sathya Sai Baba often guided people (as did Ramana Maharshi) in the method of Self Enquiry.


"All agitation will cease the moment one enters on the enquiry. 'Who am I?' This was the sadhana that Ramana Maharshi achieved and taught to his disciples. This is also the easiest of all disciplines."
[Sri Sathya Sai Baba]


The following is a speech made by Sri Sathya Sai Baba on Shiva, the Divine Consciousness:


“Who is Shiva?” Divine Consciousness which pervades all living beings is none other than Shiva. This Divine Consciousness permeates not only human beings, but all other creatures. Shiva-consciousness is all-pervading. “With hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire Universe.”

All that we witness is Shiva Consciousness; nothing else. Shiva does not mean a particular form with matted hair and tiger skin. Wherever we look and whichever form we come across – whether a child or an elderly person, whether a woman or a man, in every form Shiva Consciousness is resplendent.

How can you describe the all-pervading Shiva-consciousness or limit it to a particular time and place? God is described by different people in diverse ways depending on their imagination and understanding. But the nameless, formless God is omnipresent and all-pervading

Who can describe such Divinity? There is only one sign for Divinity, that is, Consciousness. In whichever form this Divine Consciousness permeates, it will assume that form – it may be the form of a dog, a crow, a crane or a human being.

All that you witness in this objective world is a manifestation of Shiva. It pervades the three worlds; earth, space and nether world and exists in the three periods of time; past, present and future. It is indescribable.

Man today searches for God everywhere, not understanding that he himself is an Embodiment of Divine Atma.

One has to realise Divinity by cultivating love for God. It is only love that can bind God. Through such Divine Love, the oneness of God has to be realised. If the attributeless God has to be described, the description would be “One without a second, eternal, pure, unchanging, witness to all functions of the intellect, beyond one’s imagination and beyond the three conditions (gunas).”

The best sadhana is to realise unity in Divinity and worship God as such. “To see the One in all you see.”



****************



Sri Sathya Sai Baba entered my life in 1982 and soon thereafter became my Satguru. I have been fortunate to have spent time near him when he was healthy and accessible to his devotees. I look at gratitude at all he has given me and inspired me towards. I owe him everything and to me, no such other will walk upon the face of this earth again.

Dancing Baba

It is believed that at any one time rishis and saints inhabit spots at Arunachala. Sometimes these holy people are in disguise and living invisible lives as beggars, madcaps or nondescript people. In this respect saints like the one pictured below who was known as 'dancing baba' and the 'walking no talking swami,' breezes through our lives for an instant in ways that changes and inspires.

Dancing Baba was run over by a motorcycle on the girivalam roadway near the Hanuman Temple in the second week of December 2008. His body was preserved in a samadhi constructed at the place he met his end. It is reputed that in the morning of this death whilst taking 'chai' at a roadside tea stall, he informed several people that it was the day of his departure when he was ordained to leave the body.

Excerpt by V. Ganesan

"There is a person whom I call the walking no talking swami who goes round Arunachala whenever he happens to be there. It is a pure joy just to look at him. Alone he dances around the mountain day and night!

Once, I confronted him saying; "Swami, You are ever immersed in ananda. Why don't you give us the perennial ananda in which you are always soaked and saturated?" He burst out laughing. Then he gesticulated in a powerful way, pointing his hand towards Arunachala, as if to convey, "What else is there, except ananda? That which IS, is only ananda. Everyone is submerged only in it, as if under a deluge of water. Also who is to give ananda and to whom?" He laughed again.

Waves of ecstasy reigned and looking at him, instantly filled me with bliss! This experience of bliss was the direct blessing of the walking no talking swami. And it happened without a word, sans explanations or discussions."

Samadhi of Swami Ramananda

In an earlier posting, we wrote about the death of Swami Ramananda

To find out more about the Samadhi ceremony for Swami Ramananda held at Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram (including photographs) please check this link here:

Sri Tinnai Swami

While visiting Yogi Ramsuratkumar ashram I had to pass Sadhu Om colony, a small Brahmin compound on the southside of Arunachala. At this compound there are two samadhis, the first, Sadhu Om and the second, Tinnai Swami. I took the opportunity of being near the compound to visit the house where Tinnai Swami lived during the later part of his life. A little known jnani, who had chosen to live a self-effacing and almost invisible life here at Tiruvannamalai.

Photograph of Sri Tinnai Swami
reclining on his masonry bench

Swami attained samadhi on 7th December, 2003 (at the age of 91 years) on the morning of Deepam Day culminating a period of 54 years spent in the supreme state of atma-jnana. In 1948 Tinnai Swami had approached Bhagavan for permission to leave and take up a new position at Pondicherry, whereupon Ramana replied, 'Iru'. 'Iru' is a Tamil word that means 'Be', but in such a context would normally be taken to mean 'Stay' or 'Wait'. From that moment Tinnai Swami never left Tiruvannamalai and also remained fixed in the state of Self-abidance.

Eventually a house was built by a family of devotees of the late C.P. Nathan, and Tinnai Swami, lived on and seldom moved away from the tinnai (masonry bench) on the verandah of that house.

This is the masonry (concrete) platform
that he lived during his later years.

While he was alive, although his presence was shielded from the barest minimum of public attention, some of us were fortunately able to sit in the silence of his being and I personally experienced great help and inspiration by spending some short time with him.


The writer Michael James has said of the life of Tinnai Swami:

"In the eyes of the world, which attaches importance only to doing, overlooking the true importance of mere being, there may appear to be little greatness in the extraordinary life of Sri Tinnai Swami. He did not speak, write or teach anything, nor did he perform any other "useful" function. But whether we are able to recognise it or not, his mere being was a great blessing bestowed upon the whole world by Sri Bhagavan, the effect of which cannot be known or measured by our finite intellects."

The life of Sri Tinnai Swami is recorded in more detail at this link.

Ramana Samadhi

8.47 p.m. 14th April, 1950

From the day Ramana Maharshi set foot in Tiruvannamalai, he remained continuously for fifty-four years. In 1949 a lump began to grow on the lower portion of his left upper arm. At first the lump was very small but grew bigger after two operations, bleeding profusely and continuously, and proving to be cancerous. All kinds of treatment were tried, including radium application, but in vain. Even after the fourth operation, which was done on December 19th, 1949, the disease was not cured.

Ramana Maharshi was unconcerned and indifferent to the suffering. Instead he sat (like a spectator) watching the disease waste the body. Crowds came in large numbers and Ramana insisted they should be allowed to have his darshan. Devotees wished the sage would cure his body through supernormal powers, but the Maharshi never exhibited even the slightest interest in siddhis.

Even during the period of great torture caused by the disease, Bhagavan comforted the devotees whenever they were worried about this health. He remarked:

‘The body itself is a disease that has come upon us. If a disease attacks that original disease, is it not good for us?’, and remarked to another devotee lamenting over his illness:

‘Oh! You are grieving as if your Swami were going away? Where to go? How to go? Going and coming is possible for the body, but how can it be possible for us?’

No-one was prevented seeing him till the end which came at 8.47 p.m., Friday, April 14th, 1950 (he was 71 years old). Earlier that evening the sage gave darshan to devotees. All present knew that the end was near and they sat singing Ramana's hymn to Arunachala with the refrain Arunachala-Siva. The Maharshi asked his attendants to make him sit up. He opened his luminous, gracious eyes for a while; there was a smile; a tear of bliss trickled down from the outer corner of his eyes; and at 8.47 p.m. the breathing stopped. There was no struggle, no spasm, none of the signs of death. It is said that at that very moment, a comet moved slowly across the sky, reached the summit, of the holy hill, Arunachala, and disappeared behind it.

Please check link for a biography on Ramana Maharshi.