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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

Miscellaneous

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Religion

 

 

Raghavendra, a saint of many excellences

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHENNAI, DEC. 28. In a song that touches the heart, a saint, to propagate the

glory of God, has posed the following questions: ``Who provides food to sustain

the tadpole in the crevices of a rock? Who waters a growing plant on the top of

a cliff? Who has painted the several colours on the plumes of a peacock and who

has made the parrot look so attractive with its multi-hued feathers?'' The same

source of protection, the Supreme Lord, will also take care of His creations.

This assurance, citing the hymn, was pointed out to a reputed scholar when he

was asked to become a religious torchbearer as he hesitated to get his family

ties snapped. Though well-versed in scriptures, yet he did not desire to get rid

of his bonds but the Goddess of Learning commanded him in his dream to take up

this distinguished assignment and enter the monastic order. The person, who then

became an ascetic, worshipping the idol of Rama that has been in the custody of

several previous generations of reli!

gious guides and whose name is popular as one bestowing benefactions on his

devotees was Raghavendra Swami, whose ``Brindavan'' (final resting place) in

Manthralaya is a place to which men of faith rally round. He embodied in himself

complex excellences and ruled the spiritual empire from 1624 to 1671 A.D.

 

Venkatanatha, as he was called before taking up ``Sanyasa'' was in the grip of

growing poverty and expressed to his master, Sudhindra, his inability to accept

the ascetic life but due to Divine dispensation, he was prevailed upon to become

an ascetic at the age of 25 and led an austere life for over four decades. Not

that saints like him need to win popularity through the performance of miracles

but one outstanding event, among so many others, reveals his spiritual power.

This refers to the recital of ``Agni Sooktham'' when he was asked to rub sandal

paste as a dredge which resulted in scalding the evil-doers and the subsequent

chanting of ``Varuna Sooktham'' to make it cool. In his Harikatha, Sri K.

Hariharan said Saint Raghavendra, towards the close of his spiritual

administration wanted to enter ``Samadhi'' and requested his disciples to erect

a ``Brindavan'' on the banks of river Tungabhadra at Manthralaya. After his

daily ablutions, he entered it with a smiling face and!

by his control over respiration, the flow of his consciousness was completely

stopped. The Brindavan was then closed. His declaration that he would continue

in his astral body for over 700 years to bless mankind is indeed true and

through his Brindavans, numbering about 350 erected all over India, the saint

spreads his message.

 

 

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