how Bhagavan helped a devotee out of mano-laya

Sri Sankarananda, a devotee of Sri Bhagavan, was

employed in Madras in the Postal Department. As

a result of practising mantra japa for a long time, he

attained mano-laya, i.e. stillness of mind. He lost

interest in all mundane things and he could no more

attend to his duties either in the office or at home. He

was all time in laya samadhi. It was at this juncture that

he came to Bhagavan, having taken six months leave.

He sat in the old hall with Bhagavan and soon lost all

outer consciousness. Even after the lunch bell was

given he sat unmoved. Bhagavan brought him back to

consciousness by giving a mild push with His foot and

took him to the dining hall.

Since mano laya samadhi would not lead one to the

ultimate Truth, Bhagavan asked Sri Kunju Swami, Sri

Visvanatha Swami and others to take Sankarananda to

the temple in the morning, to Samudram lake in the

evening and engage him in one way or another throughout

the daytime, thus preventhing him from relapsing into laya.

For many days this process of keeping him awake in the

day time continued till he was overpowered by sleep.

After some time, by the Grace of Sri Bhagavan, Sankarananda

became normal. At the end of his leave he returned home to

continue life in the normal way and also earned a promotion.

It was this Sankarananda who later took Sri Niranjananda Swami

to Burma to procure teakwood for the construction of the Matru-

bhuteswara temple.

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Mountain Path, 1982

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