Reminiscences of Shri Kunju Swamigal - 30

[Guest guest]

Sri Bhagvan ofter used to say that going for bhiksha is a good

sadhana and would remove one's

ego and body consciousness.Ramakrishanaswami wanted to live on

bhiksha.He took the permission

of Sri Bhagvan and stayed in Virupaksha Cave.He would go into town

and shout "Bhiksha!Bhiksha!"

in the street.Some urchins thought that he was pedlar and tried to

riducule him by asking

how much was each bhiksha.Sri Bhagvan used to say that one should not

go to the same street

on two consecutive days.He followed Sri Bhagvan's instrunctions

strictly.On the fourth day

he went to a street and shouted 'Bhiksha! Bhiksha!' He was recognised

as an ashramite by

one Lakshmi Ammal who invited him into the house,washed his feet and

served food.Then she

asked him to recite Siva Purana,of which he knew nothing.She herself

recited it,lighted

camphor and prostrated before Ramakrishnaswami and asked him to

eat.Ramakrishnaswami was

very embrassed.He felt ashamed that he did not know the traditional

procedures.He stopped

going for bhiksha after that and returned to the ashram.

When Sri Bhagvan heard this,He said laughingly,"What to do?If you beg

because of poverty,

you will have to bend your knees,plead with others.Doesn't he have

money?Doesn't he have

food?He wanted to follow a tradition.That's all.That's why he asked

for bhiksha in a

dignified manner.I too used to ask for it with indifference but with

dignity.It is something

that naturally comes to one.Sadhus should be familiar with Siva

Puranam and the song from

peria puranam.When you are offered bhiksha by someone,you must recite

these before starting to

eat.In the north you should recite the 15th chapter of the Gita and

Sivamahima Stotra."

Only after I heard this from Sri Bhagvan did i learn Gita,the song in

Peria Puranam and

Siva Puranam.If there was any function in any mutt,Sri Bhagvan used

to ask me to go there,

and i was bold enough to go as i knew the tradition.

 

in Sri Bhagvan,

sriram