Tembe Swami -Saint non pareil

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Dear Members of Smarthrugaami Dattavaibhavam, Earlier this week Subramnyamji asked me to give a posting on Tembe Swamy and also regarding the book(Message 2142). Since, i was preoccupied with some project work here with my MBA studies at New york so I could not give it.However, both the groups(Rajarajeshwari_Kalpataru and this group) are like my two eyes, so I will give this important posting here with no further delay. I apologize to Subbuji for my delay and Iam compensating now.(he waited for me and then since the deadline was approaching near gave the posting).Please excuse my typos as usual because I tend to type fast and there might be mistakes here and there. Please appreciate the essence of this

posting. I have some time and am venturing to give some additional information(not to steal the thunder of the earlier posting but given an augmentous posting to what Subbuji has already said.) First something on the saint before I go on to the topic of the book. Nineteenth Century Indian society epitomized cultural confusion. The Vedic religious traditions that withstood a millennium of Islamic tyranny were shaking at their very foundations by the systematic intellectual onslaught of the British rulers. The people were loosing their faith in the traditions, having forgotten the essentials of their own religion. The doctrines of Vedic religion appeared ambiguous and contradictory, the practices so diverse as to be conflicting and mythology bereft of any meaning. There was a dire need for a person who could not only make the people clearly understand these doctrines but also demonstrated, in the form of his own dedicated life, the ideal practice of religion and finally guided them on to the divine path. Such a

person indeed was Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati (Tembe) Swami, the great saint and ascetic who revived the ancient Dattatreya tradition and embodied in his short life the ideals of Brahmacharyashram, Grihasthashram and Sanyasashram. His father Shri Ganesh Bhataji Tembe was a devotee of Dattatreya, spending long periods, sometimes years together, in the remote Ganagapur temple of the Lord in Karnataka. His mother

Ramabai also used to spend her time in religious pursuits like jap (recitation of mantras), pradakshina, path(reading holy books), atithisatkar (hospitality) etc. After a particularly long stay in Ganagapur, Lord Dattatreya appeared in a dream and instructed Shri Ganesh Bhataji to return to Managaon and attend to the duties of a householder (grihastha), promising to incarnate as their son. Vasudeo’s austerities, dedicated practices and devotion soon led to his acquiring Mantrasiddhi i.e., supernatural powers manifested through Vedic mantras. There are numerous examples of these. Once he was traveling by foot with a fellow priest, to a nearby village through a forest. Suddenly they saw a snake slithering ahead of their path. His companion asked Vasudeo whether he could try a mantra on it. Quickly, Vasudeo holding some dust nearby in his hand and invoking an appropriate mantra, sprinkled it in a circle around the passing snake. Suddenly, the snake was stopped in his tracks. It could not cross the circle and started moving round and round within it. The two priests went about their way. Having finished their business in the neighboring village,

they returned to Managaon, forgetting all about the snake. Only the next afternoon, Vasudeo suddenly remembered the snake and went to the spot along with his friend. To his horror, the snake was lying listless in that circle apparently totally exhausted after unsuccessfully trying to break through the circle. Quickly, Vasudeo took some more dust and reciting a remedial mantra, sprinkled it over the poor creature. The snake, as if suddenly released from the bondage, sprang away into the bushes. This so deeply affected Vasudeo – we better now address him Vasudeo Shastriji, or simply Shastriji, that he never again used any restraining mantras on living creatures. Shri Maharaj propagated the path of devotion and Love on the largest scale. In this path, the seeker establishes an emotional relationship with the Lord and progressively focuses his mind on to the Divine. The relationship can be any, e.g., Father, Mother, Son, Brother, Master, Lover, Husband, etc. As the seeker advances, this relationship grows in intensity and obscures all other relationships. Finally, the whole world becomes unreal and the seeker’s mind gets immersed in the Divine and finally merged into it. This path can be followed by all human beings and has the maximum latitude in terms of conduct. What matters is the intensity of Love for the Divine and unconditional surrender to the Divine will. Actually, in most cases, the path of Bhakti starts as supplication to the Divine for some desire or

longing (Sakaam Bhakti), Thus, the above-described instances of relief from distress or fulfillment of desire are actually examples of Sakaam Bhakti. This will intensify the faith of the seeker propelling him on to the Path of Devotion sans desire (Nishkaam Bhakti). As mentioned earlier, this path is open to all, men and women, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, race, education or the lack of it.He used to emphasize that a "Jaathi Chandala"(Chandalas was a

reference to the lowest of lowest among castes(in fact even out of caste perview)who used to eat dog meat considered to be highly uncouth and dirty in those days) who prays Dattatreya/God is a million times better than a "Karma Chandala"(meaning a high caste brahmin who is given to uncouth behaviors). Of this great saint, a great Dattatreya Upasaka by name Sri GVLN Vidya Sagara Sharma(Gurrappadeeya Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Vidyaasagara Sharma) of Guntur has ventured to write a translation of the original Marathi text. He has already written it and because

of the cost factor of printing is just waiting. This great Upsaka is none other than the elder brother of Vishwayogi Vishwamji(a great Datta-saint in Andhra). But he has not approached his younger brother for funds because he lives in an anonymous fashion being of a very divine yet shy nature. (GVLN Vidyasaagara Sharma garu with his Dharmapatni Sreemathy Kamalaamba Garu) He has written many books/granthas like Gopikaa geetham,Sri Sathya Sai shatakam,Bhuvana Vijayam,Dattamantra sudhaarnavam,Dattatreya Sarvaswam,Bhagavan Sridhara Gurucharitra,Hrudayashree,Taajjuddin Saccharitra,Manikya Prabhu Gurucharitra, Gangaadhara Saraswathy Moolaanusaara Gurucharitra, Mana Puraana Kathalu-Rahasaayalu, Raamayana Kalpavrukshamloni Kathaakathana Shilpamu,etc He has many awards which he has humbly and anonymously received like Sarasa Saahiti Charanachaarana Chakravarthi, Kalaasagaara,Kalaavaithaalikaa,Kavikulaalamkaara,Datta-vaagmaya Mahaadhyaksha,Kavikula Thilaka,Navarasanatanaalankaara,Kalaavaachaspathi. He is not just talented in Litreature and poetry but also has vast knowledge in Music and dramatics and has penned many novellas and novellettes.He has also acted in many pouraanik Dramas. ---------- Despite these many achievements he leads a simple life in a poor corner of Andhra and doing Dattatreya Upasana with meager resources. All the books were published because of devotees like you and those devotees were immensely

beniffitted out of such donations. Some of the examples of people's benefits because of donations to his Datta-book's cause: 1. Marriage

Settlements 2. Job procurement with high salary 3. Health problems avoided. 4. Aabhichaara problems and problems related to spirits and ghosts 5. Childless couples being blessed by His grace begetting children. 6. Spiritual development. Dattatreya loves when people help his devotees(especially on a lofty cause like this!) and thus sends out his grace instantly to such people even if they have not doen any arduous tapas or great mantras! ----------------------- Additional information: He wants to print the book by Datta-Jayanthi which comes on 23rd december 2007. Till date only two members have responded to his project! I for one have read his books on Dattatreya and have found to be immensely useful in developing spiritual prcatices related to Dattatreya Panthi. He is a walking

encyclopedia when it coems to Dattatreya related matters. We should encourage such people and giving money is the least we can do. Iam also giving rs.10,000 for the cause. Last date for contributions is 20th november 2007. Those who contribute rs 10,000 or more will find their photos(or the photos of their choice liek parents or children) printed on one whole page of

the book, if they wish.(This is done to encourage contributions and those who want to dedicate it to their kith and kin). These days people "dedicate" songs on TV for their girlfriends and useless "friends"(cigaratte mates as I call)--Why not for such a noble cause? which will save you and also seven generations before and after? You may contact Sri

Subramanyam Garu if you wish to join this divine project @ datta_gururaya or @ his cell phone number: +91 9440820130 Dont miss this wonderful opportunity to be part of Datta-divine-history! Yours yogically, Shreeram Balijepalli Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam... Click to join Rajarajeshwari_Kalpataru