Ramalingam Life

“I am in this body.Henceforth, I would enter all the physical bodies”
(in Jan.1874 before dematerialization)

Swami Ramalingam (popularly known as Vallalar in Tamil).
The Supramental Avatar – Dear son of the Lord of Cit-Sabha (i.e.Supramental Divine),
who had attained the highest Supramental Deathless Triple Bodies of Suddha Deha, Pranava Deha and Jnana Deha, in order to give himself freely in play everywhere(i.e. Universal Grace-Rule; he wished to share his body’s Deathless powers of transformation with others for the purpose of individual and collective supramental evolution).

(Birth: 1823. Supramental Deathless Body Siddhi: 1874)

Mantra of Swami Ramalingam (Vallalar)

Om Namo Bhagavathe Cidambaram Ramalingaya
Cidambaram Ramalingah Sharanam Mama.

Arut Perum Jyothi Arut Perum Jyothi
Thanip Perum Karunai Arut Perum Jyothi

Vast Grace-Light Vast Grace-Light
Supreme Compassion Vast Grace-Light

SWAMI RAMALINGAM (VALLALAR)
BRIEF LIFE SKETCH

Swami Ramalingam, popular known as Vallalar, the Great Munificent, may be regarded as the foremost of the saints and sages of the nineteenth century, considering the heights, widths, depths and intimates of his integral realization of the Divine in all the “inmost, inner, outer and the outermost parts of his being”. He was a yogi who put before the people deathlessness of body as an essential part of the realization of the one blissful Divine, a saint whose very soul-stuff was made of infinite love and compassion, a sage of Truth-consciousness who possessed the divine knowledge and science of deathlessness of body and attained its deathless transformation along with the self-creative power of creating all substances of whatever kind including bodily substances, a born Tamil-poet of divine inspiration who could distinguish the various levels of inspiration and who received in silence the “Word of Truth and Grace from the Cit-Shakti of Grace in the transcendence of Cit Sabha, the transcendent and universal world of Truth-Consciousness”. Besides, he was a critic, writer and commentator and also had knowledge in occultism, alchemy, astrology and medicine particularly in the nutritional and medical values of herbs and leaves. He was a musician too with a keen musical taste for lyrical songs and he composed lyrics to express, in an easier and popular style, his highest and sublime realization of the Divine, particularly that of Truth-consciousness (Satya Jnana).

 

Of the six volumes of “Arutpa”, the poems of divine inspiration, the last volume is unparalleled in spiritual history as it gives expression to his realization of the vast world of Truth-knowledge and the Beyond, and touches on subjects like transformation and deathlessness of body. If any sort of comparison has to be made at all or even for its own proper understanding, it can be done only with reference to the vast and infinitely detailed spiritual and yoga literature which Sri Aurobindo has fortunately and gracefully left us behind.

 

The Swami was the one who affirmed openly and clearly in an unmistakable language the deathlessness of his body, which he attained by the power of what he called “Arut Perum Joti”, the Vast Grace-Light of the Divine which he identified as the Truth-Light of knowledge, Satya Jnana Jothi. In the last decade of his life he started first in 1865 an association of spiritual fellowship called “Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Satya Sangam”, the association for the path of purity, truth, the right and harmony, opened in 1867 a Dharmashala at Vadalur for the feeding of the poor and the hungry, inviting the people to express to their fellow-beings and creatures compassion which is the grace of one’s soul for meriting the Greater Grace of the Divine for His realization; and lastly founded at Vadalur, 40 miles off Pondicherry, in the significant year 1872 a symbolic shrine of worship called “Satya Jnana Sabha:, the sanctum of Truth-knowledge in honour and respect of the universal coming of the God of Vast Grace-Light who was about to manifest, requesting the people to receive Him and His rule on earth in all joy and enthusiasm. In this shrine the diffused light of a lamp is worshipped as the divinely sanctioned and blessed symbol of the divine Light of Truth-knowledge or Truth-Consciousness. He even wrote to suggest that this lamp of light, which is kept behind seven coloured screens of cloth representing the seven veils of Ignorance, might be lit up in the shrine until the God of Vast Grace-Light becomes manifest on the earth with His siddhis or miracles such as the changing of the aged into youth and re-awakening of the dead into bodily life; these siddhis are indications of His manifestation.

 

Swami Ramalingam was born in 1823 in Marudur near Chidambaram in a Hindu Saivaite family as the fifth child and last son of his father Ramayya Pillai and mother Chinnammayyar who had borne him in her womb after she received vibhuthi, the sacred ash of blessings from an unknown guest of honour, a Siva Yogi who blessed her with a son like himself. Ramalingam was conscious of his birth not merely at the time of birth but even during all the processes that culminated in fertilization, as he wrote to say in “Peru Vinnappam” that the emanations of his soul took active part in the formation of the sperm-cell of his formal father and of the egg-cell of his formal mother with the divine inner light of protection for keeping up the divine qualities of his soul and good physique.

 

In the fifth month of its age, the child, as was the custom, was taken by the parents to the Chidambaram temple where it broke into mirthful laughter before the deity of Nataraja during the formalities of worship. In front of the adjacent sanctorum called “Chidambara Rahasyam” signifying according to popular notion the vacant sunya or void, the child sensed infinity, which is expressed by the Swami in one of his songs (Arulvillakkamalai – Stz. 44).

 

His divinity came to be recognized by the devotees in his early age of eleven years when he began to visit the Shiva shrine at Tiruvottiyur, a suburb of Madras, where he sang impromptu devotional hymns and songs in praise of the one Divine, the Impersonal Person of Formless-Form, in the forms of Shiva and the goddess Uma. Even in these early songs we meet with his intense and fiery aspiration for the Grace-World of Truth-knowledge (Arul Veli) and for deathlessness of body. These songs also touch on his aspiration for spiritual life, purification, consecration, devotion, surrender, compassion and reverence for all beings and creatures and oneness with the Divine. These poems of this period form three volumes of his Arutpa.

 

Many miraculous events are attributed to the Swami in this period of life at Karungkuli, which is two miles off from his later resort of Vadalur. He had mastery over mind, water and rains, fire, etc. and over living beings and creatures like serpents, ghosts and spirits of this world and also on vital beings of the other worlds.

 

The Swami withdrew himself in seclusion for about six months at Mettukuppam three miles away from Vadalur and in the concentrated state of realization of the World of truth Consciousness and the Beyond, he wrote his masterpiece of “Joti Agaval” in 1872. This piece of poem describes the self-determinations of the Vast Grace-Light, the poises of the world of Truth-Knowledge, planes of ascent, involution and evolution, golden plane of the earth, purifying and transforming powers of the Light, transformation of his body, knowledge and science of deathlessness of body, general nature and characteristics of the world of Truth-Knowledge, the world of Satcitananda beyond etc.

 

The Swami unfurled the flag of his Sanmarga Sangha on 22-10-1873, marking the day as its effective beginning and also gave the Mahamantra of Vast Grace-Light by Divine sanction, to the disciples on the same day since when he more actively expected the coming of the God of Light to the earth for His direct reign. About this period he also expressed his will to enter into all physical bodies (i.e., on an universal level). The Swami withdrew in seclusion in a closed room in Mettukuppam on 30-1-1874, promising the disciples that the God of Light was imminently coming and he would disappear from their sight for a period and would come back when the Divine Light became manifested. From his last songs, message and spoken words, it is seen that his dematerialization of his deathless body occurred in the Divine presence and in the process of the stable manifestation of the God of Vast Grace-Light on this earth. Thus the dematerialization of his body was a sacrifice and consecration for a supreme purpose. The Swami was never seen thereafter, and the place of his disappearance was soon inspected by the then District Collector and Medical Officer and they have reported confirming his disappearance. One can very well feel today the spiritual and supramental forces of deathlessness in the place of his last resort i.e., Siddhi Valaga Maligai at Mettukuppam as also at Vadalur where the shrine of Satya Jnana Sabha stands as a symbol and monument in honour of the coming of the Supreme Divine to the earth.

 

Courtesy: Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol I

SWAMI RAMALINGAM – THE SUPRAMENTAL AVATAR

We quote Swami Ramalingam’s words which suggest his “Avatar Conciousness.”

” I bear the great name and title as the true and dear son of the Lord of Cit-Sabha (i.e.Supramental Divine).” [12-13-10]

 

“O Father! Thou hast made me one with Thyself and Thy Grace-Sakthi; the Lord has taken my life and soul, substance and body and instead given me His Life and Soul, substance and Body; I play on earth the Grace-play of the Lord, My Father; All my actions are the Lord’s own. Know that my nature is the Nature of my Father, the Lord; the words I speak are verily the words of the Universal Lord Himself; O God of Light! Thou hast declared that I and Thou are one; Thou hast crowned me with Thy direct Crown of Light. O Father! Thou hast given me Thy sceptre of Grace-Light and asked me to rule over. Thou hast enjoined me to take upon myself all the difficulties of the beings of the world in order to remove them and thereby rejoice.”[12-1-795]

 

” O Lord! Though hast given me the power to perform five-fold universal functions so that the multitudes of beings of the world shall get into the path of Light.” [12-1-789]

 

“My way is Sanmarga (the path of Truth, the Right, Harmony and Purity) that abolishes death).” [12-34-26]

 

“I have received the Grace of the Lord who has brought me in this yuga or Age so that I shall make all people of the world who are impure and dark within and even with a deceitful show of outward purity, get corrected or mended so as to join the way of Sanmarga and become happy by attaining life of the Heaven (i.e. a blissful life of deathless body) here itself.”[12-28-9]

 

“By the Grace of the Universal Lord of Truth-Knowledge even the shawl I wear will resurrect the dead into bodily life of flesh.”[12-29-39]

 

“I have got(the triple indesructible bodies of) Suddha deha, Pranava deha and Jnana deha in order to give myself freely in play everywhere(i.e. he wished to share his body’s powers of transformation and deathlessness with others).” [12-29-17]

 

– Swami Ramalingam’s Tamil Divine
Poetry translated by T.R.Thulasiram.

Swami Ramalingam never called himself an Avatar, much less allowed the disciples to designate him even as Swami. However, this humilityapart, it is apparent that in his last three years of earthly life, he lived continuosly in the fulness of a Supramental state of “Avatar Conciousness” as can be deciphered in the light of Sri Aurobindo’s general observations on ” Avatarhood and its purpose” ( Ref:”On Yoga”, Tome ii,pp.405-437).

 

In the poem 12-25-5, Swami Ramalingam clearly expresses that he is the instrument through whom the God of Light is to become manifest on the earth. ” From now on, the Universal Lord of Play in Compassion begins his New Age for the happiness of the whole world when the Vast-Grace Light shall manifest progressively by and through me and only His days of happiness are ahead”. In a public notice to the disciples dated 25-11-1872 he observes that ” the One, the Supreme and Universal Divine, is making a move to manifest so that all the people of the world may generally and commonly get the great benefit of the State of Sanmarga and live an eternal life and that the members of the Sanmarga shall be full of faith to receive in that hour of manifestation the spiritual gain and shall fully cooperate in the discipline of worship.” In an earlier message to the disciples dated 26-10-1870, the Swami observes, “Have tru faith, that because of one person, infinitely multitudes of people will receive benefit. It is true that you will be benefited by me. Patiently await for some time till I come out within a few days in your midst by the Divine will (be blessed with the divine Truth-Conciousness of the Truth-world.” ( Vide Book of Letters p.109).

 

The Swami as befitting to an Avatar, became not only concious at the time of his birth, but rather as emanations of his soul entered conciously into the formations of sperm-cell and egg-cell of his formal (earthly) father and mother though with the protection of divine Light and thus prepared his birth even before conception.Again as a child of five months, he sensed the vacant Infinite at Cidambaram temple(11-36-44). He realised his psychic divinity at the age of nine. All through his spiritual disciplines since youth he was guided and supported by Grace-Light. Even his early songssung before realising the Divine in fulness, bear witness to his firy aspiration for deathlessness of body. His soul was the very stuff of compassion and grace and made for body’s deathlessness. In short he was born for deathlessness of body and by his universal compassion he willed to acheive deathlessness for man.

 

In short we may say that the Swami was and is a man of earth for the common man. God for devotees- Avatar from above, Swayambhu from below – Shambhu for the new race of Knowledge-souls self-formulating their own physical bodies, Vibhu of the concious Matter yet to evolve, Satya Jnana Siddhar (the perfect being of Truth-Conciousness) of the Supramental age. We may also say that Swami exceeded his Avatarhood or rather was completely detached from it , in as much as he emphasised and brought into fore front the role of the Supreme Divine by his insistent keynote that the Supreme Divine Himself is coming to the earth by His own will. We may further add that one who has evolved into a Supramental being would play the role of an Avatar, whether or not recognised as such by the people. In fact, an avatar by himself is the direct manifestation of the Supreme Divine, for a world-wide purpose or for individual cum collective purpose.

 

Courtesy: Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol I. p 691.

“Tiru Cit Ambalam (with the blessings of the Divine World of Truth-Consciousness). O my friends who have got human embodiment rare to get in this world!

 

I am enraptured by a Truth-Consciousness and by It I feel and become conscious, from now awards, of rare and wonderful experiences, visions, inspirations of hearing, actions, qualities and intuitions of knowledge which were never before experienced, seen, heard, done, attained and known, ever since the time I began to grow in maturity of knowledge.

 

I inform you of this because I have a great and rightful will of Desire which rise and overflows from within my being towards you as a result of the soul’s inherent right of oneness with all other souls which is the aim of my Path, the Suddha Sanmarga – the will of desire in me that all of you should realize the joy of these experiences.

 

The Supreme Divine is the One, the infinite and eternal Existence who is all-pervasive within and without as the pure Truth-Consciousness of the entire integral (supramental) world of all-pervasive equal self-extension (Poorna podu veli) i.e., at the summit supermind, who is realized by Truth-Knowledge and who manifests Himself according to all the ways in which the seekers seek to know, who is the supreme and incomparable Lord of Vast Grace-Light, the Self-Existence who is self-aware conscious Being, the Self-Conscient who is the self-manifesting consciousness-Force of the self-aware Being, the integral Being of perfect Bliss who is without division and who by His Force of Grace or Grace-Shakti performs in grace the great universal functions such as creation, maintenance, removal of impurities (i.e., by destruction), bringing about conditions or processes of purity (i.e., by through involution) and growth of clarified consciousness (i.e., by evolution) in respect of all the worlds and planes, all states and goals, all gods and goddesses, all inspired sciences and arts kala, all things and objects, all the powers and principles of existences, all beings, all actions, all desires of will, all knowledge, all results, all experiences and all other things all of which he has become by and through the Grace-Shakti and who is the universal All-existence but yet transcending it (i.e., the Transcendental and Universal Divine) and who is all-compassionate, all-powerful and all-possessing.

 

Jeevas or embodied ignorant beings of this world instead of living the great and deathless, perfect and integral Truth-life of Bliss by knowing and loving the One supreme Divine Being and by receiving His Grace, are resorting to the many different religions, philosophies and other ways of discipline under manifoldly various notions and aims (in mind), and becoming subjected to series of births and births over long generations of time and equally to a series of deaths and deaths which occur quickly to them under variously different conditions of grief, sufferings and dangers and thus wasting their life even without getting a little of consciousness.

 

To avoid in future the waste of life of these beings by quick deaths (i.e., indicating a quicker and more continuous evolution of men with a prolonged life over coming the impediments of quick deaths), the supreme Divine by His Will and sanction has made us found here a Jnana Sabha (i.e., Satya Jnana Sabha, the Shrine or Home of Truth-Consciousness) to manifest the Truth which is the basis of the Suddha Sanmarga movement so that they can live with true knowledge, true love, true compassion and with such good qualities and actions (implying a greater and higher evolution of men by the power of Light of Truth) and follow the true path of Suddha Sanmarga which is the real truth and basis behind all religions, philosophies and ways of disciplines, for realizing the great life of happiness and Bliss; And the supreme Divine who NOW IS CONCRETELY PRESENT HERE AS THE GOD OF VAST GRACE-LIGHT (i.e., referring to it as his personal experience at the time on that day and at his place including the place of the shrine at Vadalur where the shrine of Satya Jnana Sabha was built and opened in 1872 in honour of the coming of the Divine to the earth) and has given the assurance of His Will that FROM NOW ONWARDS up to illimitable time, He will stay and perform by play of manifestation, the innumerable siddhis or divine miracles of perfection (i.e., more indicative of a greater terrestrial evolution due to the divine manifestation).

– Courtesy: Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol I.

SWAMI RAMALINGAM’S LAST SPOKEN MESSAGES ON JANUARY 30, 1874- BEFORE DEMATERIALISING HIS SUPRAMENTAL PHYSICAL DEATHLESS BODY

According to the message on the eve of closing the doors of his house the Swami has informed thus:

 

” SO FAR I HAD BEEN PERSONALLY GUIDING YOU BY WORDS; NONE HAS REACHED OR RISEN UPTO THE CONDITIONS OF PURITY AS ADVISED BY ME. NONE HAS COME TO RECEIVE FROM ME. I HAD KEPT THE DOORS OPEN BUT NONE HAS COME TO RECEIVE FROM ME. I AM CLOSING IT. BUT I SHALL MOULD YOU OR SHAPE YOU(i.e. by purification) AND IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE ( i.e., if you resist it) I WILL MOULD YOU EVEN IN A COOKING POT (i.e. mould disciples and change them into conditions of purity if necessary by giving them pressure of circumstances or pressure on their conciousness). I AM NOW IN THIS BODY (i.e., in a deathless physical body). IN THE FUTURE I SHALL ENTER INTO ALL THE BODIES (i.e., all physical bodies). I SHALL BE UNIVERSALLY PRESENT (i.e., even after the intended dematerialisation of the body) AND WHEREVER YOU GO I SHALL BE THERE TO MEND OR PURIFY YOU. DO NOT FEAR” – (Vide Tiruvottiyur Ramalingam Swami Matalayam Tiru Arutpa edition 1964-p.84)

 

In a last spoken message on 30-1-1874 i.e., the day of his retirement into seclusion, the Swami is said to have informed as follows:

 

“I KEPT THE DOORS OPEN BUT NONE CAME TO RECEIVE FROM ME. I AM CLOSING THE DOORS NOW. TO RECEIVE THE DIVINE GRACE, WORSHIP THE DIVINE WITH FEELINGS OF COMPASSION AND REMEMBER HIM WHO IS IN THIS LAMP OF LIGHT(i.e., the light which the swami had kept outside his room since 14-11-1873). FOR AN HOUR ( two and half ghatikas) I WILL NOT BE SEEN TO YOUR EYES. BUT I WOULD BE UNIVERSALLY PRESENT IN THIS WORLD AND IN ALL OTHER WORLDS. THEN, WHEN THE GOD OF VAST GRACE-LIGHT COMES (i.e., manifests himself Universally), I SHALL COME IN THIS FORM OF BODY ( i.e., in the triple perfect bodies of Suddha deha, Pranava deha and Jnana deha) AND PERFORM MANY MIRACLES. I SHALL GOVERN WITH THE SCEPTRE OF THE DIVINE GRACE AND I SHALL GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE INNER PREPARATION THE BOON OF DEATHLESSNESS OF BODY AND TO OTHERS CONDITIONS OF PURITY. IF WHEN THE DOOR REMAINS CLOSED, GOVERNMENT SERVANTS COME AND ORDER IT TO BE OPENED, GOD WILL PROTECT BY HIS GRACE”- (Vide Kandasamy pillai Edition of the Swami’s works 1924-p.63).

A RARE VISION OF DEMATERALISATION OF SWAMI RAMALINGAM’S SUPRAMENTAL DEATHLESS BODY
By
Sri Gangadharan, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

It was by a rare virtue (Punya) that on the first day of Tamil month Thai (14-1-78), I had a continuous Vision between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. in my usual meditation in the night. The vision of dematerialization of the physical body of Swami Ramalingam into and as the Truth-Light of Supreme Grace which contains or possesses in itself Supreme Compassion and Bliss of Grace.

 

Though I have had occasions to ascend into and remain for sometime in the Truth-World of Grace -Light wherefrom I could see the earth as part of the universe, the said Vision came to me when my consciousness was on the earth itself, though aware of the Truth-World and the Beyond.

 

To begin with I sensed an ineffable Silence and Peace (Para Shanta Mauna) prevailing everywhere and I heard continuously Para Nada. The mysterious divine Sound in that Supreme Silence and Peace. Then the Vision broke out.

 

A small village was seen in its simple and beautiful surroundings, though not endowed with a rich beauty of nature. There was the concrete Presence of the Supreme and Universal Divine with the beautiful Truth-Light of Grace and Fragrance, which enriched the place all the more and enraptured my heart with ever increasing aspiration for Grace. At the center of the village was seen a small house in its purity and peace. Sweet Fragrance of Grace radiated everywhere from the house.

 

Vallalar (Swami Ramalingam), the Great Munificent, was seen entering the house. His face was calm and peaceful. He was seen as the very embodiment of Compassion and his body was filled with the Fire of Tapas of Truth-Consciousness as of the Purity of the Supreme Divine (Suddha Sivam). His whole body was radiating the Light of Grace. Besides, his body was of silken or light golden shining colour. He entered into the verandah and kindled the wick of a burning oil-lamp and it began to burn more brightly. Then he stepped into his room and closed the doors and bolted inside. At that time there was the Concrete Presence of the Supreme and Universal Divine in the room. The Presence could be sensed even physically and even by the born-blind. There was also Silence, Peace, Fragrance and the Light of Grace due to the Presence.

 

Vallalar sat on the white cloth spread on a low wooden plank and began to concentrate. In that poise he was seen as a Mountain of Truth-Knowledge with the Truth -Light of Grace and Peace and Fire of Tapas. He was verily a supreme form of the Divine. Flood of Light was radiating from his pure and luminous body into all the directions.

 

Supreme Grace, Supreme Compassion and the Light of Grace are expressive of the secret truth that they hold the key for transformation of physical body into the deathless physical body of Grace in its eternal youthfulness. One has to live in the depth of the ocean of blissful Grace- light for getting transformed into the divine nature and as the divinised body.

 

The intensity of the flood of Light that radiated from his whole body was very powerful and one shall have the strength and capacity to bear and receive it. My whole body vibrated with a joy and pleasantness because of the Vision of Light of his body.

 

After sometime of concentration, he rose up and saw the physical sky. Full moon was shedding its blissful cool rays over the earth. A little distance away from the moon was seen a very bright and concentrated Splendour of Light. It appeared like a bright dazzling star of Light. The Swami poured his concentrated gaze at it for sometime. He became enraptured with blissful joy in the heart, which radiated on his face. A little time thereafter, he again sat on the white seat of the plank and entered into deep concentration.

 

Though the Swami was inside the closed and bolted room, he could see clearly the whole universe (Vishwa Prapancha) with It’s tiers of many worlds of mind; life and the physical including the physical earth and sky with its moon, stars and clouds.

 

When he was thus absorbed in deep concentration, an effulgent Truth- Light of Grace broke out from his heart and with it’s unique Heat began to burn his radiant physical body very slowly, as if at a snail’s speed, and that in an upward direction, from the heart towards the head. The burning of the body may be somewhat likened to that of an incense-stick which however burns downwards by its inner heat of fire, forming ash-covering but without the falling down of the ash-form.

 

When the upper part of his radiant body was burnt completely from heart to head, there was left in its place a form of pure white substance, which also radiated its light of Consciousness. The burnt part, however, showed all it’s features intact and clearly and even the burnt hair of his head was seen distinctly as luminous white hair. Then the Heat of the pure Light of Grace descended to burn the lower part.

 

After the whole body was thus burnt, the Swami was seen as a bodily form of pure white substance from head to foot, radiating it’s Light. Even the blood had changed into a white luminous Substance. The form white kept intact all the different kinds of cells of his body and all the distinctive features and formations of his interior and exterior body. His bodily form did not shrink in size after the burning. I saw no visible flame nor sensed its heat during the burning of his living body, nor smoke, nor any bad smell as of burnt tissues, nor heard any cracking noise as of burnt bones. But instead, there was a sweet Fragrance since the time his body began to burn and it spread everywhere. I sensed in my heart an ineffable Calmness and Silence, which gave me in turn a state of Bliss.

 

Now a second stage of burning began. The unique Heat of Grace -Light began to burn slowly the Swami’s luminous Form of white Substance from head to foot downwards. When his white Substance-Form full of it’s radiating Light, was thus burnt completely, the white Substance became very fine sub-atomic consciousness particles which permeated and pervaded the entire universe and the farther pure worlds of consciousness beyond. The fine, white and conscious particles with it’s radiating Light also entered into and got distributed everywhere in the earth and even in matter and in the Inconscient. After the universal pervasive distribution of the particles, they could be seen no more and disappeared from my sight. But now there pervaded everywhere the sweet, soft and fine Fragrance of Camphor which gave my body a blissful sensation and enraptured my heart as well.

 

Then I had the rare vision of the Swami’s universal luminous golden Form. As a matter of fact the immensity of his golden form contained in it the whole universe (Vishva Prapancha). This form too disappeared from my view and was replaced by another vision in which I saw the Golden Light of Truth- knowledge and Grace entering into all the directions more speedily than the lightning. It permeated and pervaded the whole universe and the farther pure worlds of Consciousness. It entered into our earth and all it’s crores of the physical forms of beings and objects and in the apparently insensible matter (Jada) and even in the very dark realm of the vast Inconscient. All the forms that were permeated by the Golden Light of Truth changed into golden forms of beings and objects. The golden Light entered into my whole adhara including the physical body. My body felt in all the cells vibrations of ease and pleasantness.

 

Then I heard some words of Grace, but they were indistinctly heard and could not be deciphered, as I was absorbed in a rapture of Bliss due to the sublime vision and experiences. Thus the Vision lasted an hour of time and came to an end.

 

The visible physical light is the concrete symbol of the Vast truth-Light of Grace which is the source of all lights. Camphor is verily a solid form or symbol of that light. The Swami’s soul is inseparable from the conscious white particles of Substance which he has become and pervadingly distributed everywhere. When the Supreme Truth- Consciousness manifests in the physical world, it becomes the golden Light of Grace. The Will of the Supreme Divine in the Vast Truth-Light of Grace shall be fulfilled on the earth. The Golden Light of Grace will purify and transform man and the physical body too will become deathless physical Truth-Body, and the Sanmarga of Truth, Purity and Goodness shall prevail on the earth. As Anma (soul) realizes the pure Spirit, the body too shall realize its truth as the true body of the Spirit.

1-2-1978

(Sd) GANGADHARAN

Sri Gangadharan’s experiences were translated from Tamil by T.R.Thulasiram.
Courtesy: Arut perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, vol I,p

SWAMI RAMALINGAM’S INTUITION ON SRI AUROBINDO’S AND MOTHER’S ARRIVAL FROM THE FAR NORTH AND CONTINUING HIS MISSION OF SUPRAMENTAL MANIFESTATION UPON EARTH

Swami Ramalingam’s early disciple by name Toluvur Velayudha Mudaliar, who was a Tamil pandit in the Presidency College, Madras made a statement in 1882 (i.e., long after Swami’s dematerialisation in 1874) to the Theosophical Society of India, wherein he has given a short sketch of Swami’s life and about his last days before retirement into seclusion and has also dealt with the Swami’s univerally inspiring infleuence in the direction of Universal Brotherhood based on soul’s inherent right of love and unity with other souls and because of which universal influence the said Mudaliar held as his firm personal conviction that Madame Blavatsky of Russia and Colonel Olcott of America were inspired by the Swami to found Theosophical Society.

 

From the statement it appears that the Swami in his last days found his disciples and devotees lacking in sincerity to grasp and follow the high truths and told them that real and true members or brothers of the Suddha Sanmargam (Path of Supramental Truth-Conciousness) were living far away in the far North and that they would work a great many wonders in India and confer incalculable benefits upon our country and that the time was not for off when the message of the self-same truths of what he was preaching vainly about would come to be preached to them(the said disciples of Swami) and that they would perhaps wake up then to the truth of what he was preaching so as to appreciate and follow it up.

 

The said Mudaliar took the “brothers living in the far North” as indicating Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott from Russia and America. How far it is relevant is left to one’s opinion. However we find in the Tamil version of Mudaliar’s statement that these brother living in the far north are characteristically referred as ” Ambala Sahodarargal” which means “Brothers from the Supramental Truth-world,” i.e., Supramental beings (Refer: Thiru Aarut Prakasa Vallalar Charitram p.138 published in Tamil by Madras Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sangam). In the context of the Time-Spirit, the reference by the Swami to ” Supramental Brothers” living in the far North may possibly indicate that the Swami had the intuition that Supramental beings (such as Sri Aurobindo and the Mother born in 1872 and 1878 respectively and who hailed from the far North, the former hailing from England in his 21st year after about 14 years of stay there since boy-hood, and the latter coming from France) would come from the far North(closely in time) to continue the Swami’s work and preach the essential truth and message of the Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Satya Sanga ( the path of Truth, Purity, Harmony and the Right). Though there is a difference in the approach and attitude of the Swami on the one hand and Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on the other, in regard to the divine manifestation of Light for a collective evolution on the earth, it is a difference in degrees rather than a difference in kind.It is also worthnoting that both Sri Aurobindo and the Mother settled in Pondicherry which is only 36 miles off Vadalur, the Swami’s place, in order to carry out their divine mission which they have fulfilled.

 

Courtesy : Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol I, p 561

South Arcot Manual by J.H.Garstin, I.C.S., Collector of S.A. District, First Edition, 1878; Second Edition, 1906 as South Arcot Gazetteer by W.Francis, I.C.S., Collector of South Arcot District, pages 316 & 317 :

PARVATIPURAM

 

A village of 1, 189 inhabitants lying 23 miles south west of Cuddalore on the Vridhachalam Road. The place is connected with one Ramalinga Paradesi(Swami Ramalingam), a somewhat curious example of a later day Saint who has been almost deified by his followers.

 

Born in 1823 in the Chidambaram Taluk of Vellala parents in humble circumstances, he developed, while still little more than a boy, an undeniable talent for versification, and his poems brought him into notice. They dealt with religious matters; some of them like those of the famous saivite saints of old, were composed in eulogy of the merits of the deities of certain shrines such as the temples at Tiruttani in North Arcot and Tiruvottiyur near Madras; others took for their subject the beauties of the higher life. It was these that led to his becoming gradually regarded as a spiritual guide and teacher. After visiting many of the well-known sacred places of the south, he finally settled at Karunguli, the next village to Parvatipuram. At its height his influence must have been very real, his admirers and disciples, who included even level-headed Government officials, are said to have changed their residence and gone to live where they could be constantly near him.

 

About 1872, the curious octagon-shaped Sabha with the domed roof which is to be seen at Vadalur, a hamlet of parvatipuram, was erected by him from subscriptions. It is said that the spot was chosen because from it are visible the four great towers of Nataraja’s shrine at Chidambaram. It is not an ordinary temple, the detail of the worship in it being unusual. Ramalinga Paradesi(Swami Ramalingam) seems to have persuaded his disciples that they would rise again from the dead and he consequently urged that burial was preferable to cremation. Even Brahmins are said to have been buried in this belief and people who died in other villages were in several cases brought to Vadalur and interred there. In 1874, he locked himself in a room (still in existence) in Mettukkuppam (hamlet of Karunguli), which he used for Samadhi or mystic meditation, and instructed his disciples not to open it for sometime. He has never been seen since, and the room is still locked. It is held by those who still believe in him that he was miraculously made one with his god and that, in the fullness of time he will reappear to the faithful.

 

Whatever may be thought of his claims to be a religious leader, it is generally admitted by those who are judges of such matters that his poems, many of which have been published, stand on a high plane, and his story is worth noting as an indication of the directions which religious fervour may still take.

 

-Courtesy : Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol I, p.893.

Though Sri Aurobindo and the Mother have left the body after achieving their main essential aim and purpose, our age has become more vibrant with potential possibilities of further developments in the lines of supramental collective evolution and fulfillment, which are made possible by the universal manifestation of the divine Light since 1956. Thus, the conditions are now ripe for the incarnation of the Swami in a new embodiment, as he himself said on the eve of dematerialization that he would come in body when the God of Light manifested and ruled upon the earth. Even as Sri Aurobindo and the Mother quickly followed him in time and place, as it were by divine will, to come to the scene of earthly life, by taking their due births in 1872 and 1878 and even settling at Pondicherry near Vadalur his place of tapas and fulfillment, in order to continue the divine Mission – an event also foreseen by the Swami in the last period of his life – so too the present conditions now promise the swami’s coming into earthly life particularly after the passing of the Mother in November 1973, and in as much as She aspired and envisaged as recently as in June 1969 the incarnation of some one in glorious luminous body. Above all the Swami himself promised to come again in body. Now this is the centenary year of his Siddhi of supramental sacrifice by dematerialization of his deathless body. Let us hope that he may come soon to continue the divine Mission of supramental evolution.

 

Courtesy : Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol I

Vallalar’s Supramental Grace Power Settled in Ashrams, Avatars, Yogis and Saints

HOW SWAMI RAMALINGAM HAS USED SRI T.R.THULASIRAM, HIS HUMBLE DIVINE INSTRUMENT, TO MANIFEST HIS SUPRAMENTAL GRACE-LIGHT POWERS IN SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM, PRASHANTHI NILAYAM ASHRAM OF SRI SATYA SAI BABA, MUKTI NILAYAM ASHRAM OF SRI VASANTHA SAI AMMA, MATA AMIRTANANDA MAYI DEVI ASHRAM, ANANDASHRAM OF SWAMI RAMDAS, SAINT NATANA GOPALA NAYAGI ASHRAM, YOGI RAM SURAT KUMAR’S ASHRAM, SRI SHIRDI SAI BABA ASHRAM AND ALL OTHER SAINTS, SAGES, AVATARS, TEMPLES, CHURCHES AND SHRINES OF WORSHIP OF ALL RELIGIONS?

MIRACLES AND OTHER INCIDENTS IN SWAMI RAMALINGAM’S (VALLALAR’S) LIFE

( as translated, compiled and spiritually interpreted by Sri T.R.Thulasiram from the point of Swami’s Spiritual Play ( Divine Leelas of Avatar ) with his Supramental Physical Deathless Body )

 

We have already dealt with some of the miraculous events that took place in Swami’s life such as burning of oil-lamp with water, taking multiple forms of his body at various points in crowded gatherings so as to facilitate the people to see him as near to them, speaking in an even voice and tone so as to be heard by the audience equally alike irrespective of the distance etc. Some of these may have a bearing on his transformation. The miracles that are connected closely with the transformation of his body and deathlessness have been already narrated in the first and eighth chapters. Here in this chapter we propose to deal with a variety of miraculous incidents that may or may not be necessarily connected with the supramental transformation of his body, but yet would fall within the category of divine miracles played by the Divine through him. These miracles are not of a category falling within “occultism” of the subliminal consciousness so as to be shunned or avoided by one in pursuit of yoga but are a representative of his siddhi, in tune with the divine will.

 

Sri Aurobindo observes on miracles thus:

 

“Yet can the mind of man receive God’s light
The force of man can be driven by God’s force
Then is he a miracle doing miracles”

( Savitri Bk 6 – cto 2 – p. 518 )

 

These miracles performed by the Swami are of different periods; some took place in Madras and its suburb Tiruvottiyur in his early life; some others at Karungkuli between 1858 and 1867 and yet others at Vadalur (1867-70) and at Mettukuppam (1870-1874). They are not given here in a chronological order. Some do not fall in the category of miracles but are incidents that portray the Swami’s nature in dealing with men and matters both at a human level and the superhuman. God plays at the human level as much as He does on the superhuman. He is both human and above the human at the same time. His dealings in the human way are sometimes better understood and appreciated. The Swami was not against doing miracles, as they form the powers and plays of the Divine. However he was not after miracle-mongering. His eventful life was interspersed with many divine miracles of various kinds. He promised in his last part of life that the Divine Himself was soon to come to the earth to rule and play Siddhis of Grace, such as resurrection of the dead and transforming the aged into youths. Thus the Swami progressively grew into the Divine Nature, as he went on writing inspired poems and doing miracles since his early life and both of which he did not stop till the last moment of his life which ended in dematerialization of body, a supreme sacrifice for an evolutionary purpose of the earthly life.

 

1.MERCURY TURNED INTO A BEAD

A magician came and requested the Swami who was a Siddha, to turn mercury into a bead. The Swami gently poured into the hollow of his palm a little mercury and after keeping the same closed for a while, dropped it as a mercury bead.

 

2.FEEDING THE UNEXPECTED GUESTS

One night, food had been cooked in the Satya Dharma Shala for a limited number of people. Unexpectedly about a hundred additional guests came at the time of serving the food. Shanmugam Pillai, the man in charge of the food section, reported to the Swami that food was not sufficient to serve all. The Swami immediately rose up voicing forth “pich”. This was Swami’s characteristic exclamation at the time of performing miracles, possibly signifying that it was a child’s play and there was nothing impossible and there was the divine blessing to do what was need. According to Ooran Adigal, the biographer of the Swami’s life in Tamil, “pitch” is a short form of “Pichchu” (name of the divine Lord) which is derived from “Pichchu”. We may add that the Divine Lord performs miracle as if a play of a tender child (Pinju Pillai or Pichchu Pillai) or by an inexplicably miraculous way as in a divine madness (Pichchu or Piththu). Thus with the exclamation of “Pich”, the Swami asked him to supply guests in sitting rows, leaf for serving food. The Swami himself served food by his hands. All took food sumptuously but there was still food left remaining in vessels after serving all.

 

3.PREMONITION OF FRESH SUPPLIES OF RICE

One day Shanmugam Pillai, the manager of Dharma Shala reported to the Swami that there was no stock of rice to cook. The Swami sat alone in a place and concentrated for a few seconds and then assured him that rice and all other things needed would come the next day. Exactly so, the next day a devotee from Tirutturai village brought three cartloads of rice and other provisions and reported that he had been asked in his dream the night before, to bring in supplies of food.

 

4.MASTERY OVER FIRE AND RAIN

In the summer month of April, many who came to the Dharma Shala at Vaddalur suffered due to the drought and heat. The Swami knew about it and asked them to pour vessel of water over his feet. The devotees did so. Shortly, there was a heavy down pour of rain. Devotees of the village Pudupet (near Cuddalur) heard of this and came to Vadalur and implored the grace of the Swami, as all wells of the village had become dry for want of rain. The Swami asked them to pour six pot-full of water over his head. They did so; There was heavy down pour of rain immediately; and the springs of the six wells which had gone dry, once again became active bringing in fresh and very tasty supplies of water in the wells. The village thus had good rains to support and nourish its life and activity.

 

5.DRY LAND TURNED INTO WET LAND

A relation of the Swami’s devotee who was a tahsildar by name Murugesa Pillai failed in his several attempts to have dry lands changed into wet-lands through petitions to the Government (possibly for facilities of irrigation). He implored the Swami for grace and received from Him the sacred ash of blessings. Therefore, the dry lands could be converted into wet-lands.

 

6.FIRE DIES BY SIGNAL

In Pudupetta near Kurinjipadi, a house caught fire. The Swami who happened to be in the opposite house at that time waved his cloth and the fire soon died down.

 

7.RAIN WITHOUT DRENCHING

One evening the Swami went out for a walk with the devotees. Suddenly it rained. All of them except the Swami got drenched in the rain. Not even a drop of rain was seen on the Swami’s body.

 

8.FIRE WITHOUT BURNING

In “Siddhi Valakam” cottage house at Mettukuppam the Swami used to keep on his two sides flaming fire in iron bowls of burning coke. The Swami sat in between them on a tub-like seat. (His direct disciple and biographer Kandasamy Pillai writes to say that the Swami perhaps wanted to enjoy thus more intense heat that what was normal to his body, which was golden). One day a devotee of the Swami by name Sabapathy Sivacharya who was a priest in charge of the Shrine of Satya Jnana Sabha happened to enter into the Swami’s room suddenly when his leg struck a bowl of burning coke. The burning coke scattered hither and thither and hit the Swami and himself. The visitor got alarmed and hastened to remove by his hands the burning coke that fell on Swami’s thigh. He got his hands burnt. But the Swami remained unaffected in his body and not even his cloth bore any mark of the burn. The Swami however said to him “Why are you anxious? It (fire) will not affect me in any way”.

 

9.PHOTOGRAPHIC FAILURE

Once some devotees of the Swami brought a famous photographer by name Masilamani Mudaliar from Madras to take photo of the Swami. He attempted eight times; but each time he failed to get a picture of the form and figure of the Swami in the photo negative; only the white cloth which the Swami wore came in the picture.

NOTE : The Swami’s body by transformation, had become full of divine Light within and without.

 

10.CLAY-IMAGE OF SWAMI

A pot-maker from Banrutti village heard of the above said incident. Being a devotee of the Swami he made Swami’s image in clay and duly painted it. He offered it to the Swami. The Swami remarked: “The golden body had become a body of mud”. (The Swami seemed to have felt about the antithesis of the siddhi of his golden body in the clay-image of his form at the hands of the pot-maker). So the Swami dropped it down and it broke into pieces.

NOTE : It is said that the printed pictures of the Swami now in use are from an oil-painted picture of the Swami then in use at Tiruvottiyur Mutt, Madras.

 

From the above two incidents under 9 and 10, it is not proper to infer that the Swami was against the preservation of his own form either in image or pictures or that he was against worship of the form of his image or picture; rather they point out the state of a transformed triple body which defies all attempts at limiting itself within a particular mode of physical form. The Swami’s dropping down of his clay-image seems to be a result of the bodily reaction (rather than a psychological reaction) of his transformed golden body. Possibly the clay-image should have been felt as a caricature of his vast and deathless golden physical body
The Swami has held in a discussion with followers of Brahma Samaj that God is not merely the formless Brahman but also the form. He lit up the flame of light of the lamps at Vadalur and Mettukuppam for due worship by devotees and disciples. Thus the light or flame of the lamp is a form or as some put it a formless form. According to “Arutpa” poems God is at once form, form-formless and the formless. The fact that the Swami did not leave behind any of the image or picture as approved by him for worship by his followers is meant rather to remind us that one should not get struck up to the habit of conceiving and worshipping Him or the God merely as a form, or merely as form-formless or as the formless and that each should grow according to one’s temperament and aptitude of worshipping Him or the God in this or that mode as the occasion and state of spiritual evolution demand of him without confining himself for ever to any particular or exclusive mode of worship and there by limiting the Divine Himself in the possibilities of His realization. Though the formless is the supporting base for the form, we have also to admit the fact that Swami Himself has been in his form by many devotees in their vision, as much as He has been felt in his formless presence. The Swami has persistently pointed out that It is the supreme Divine, God of Light, Bliss and Grace who is the Goal and He is to be worshipped, and as an outer symbol of the Divine, light of the lamps has been duly installed in the shrines at Vadalur and Mettukuppam. Human as we are, we are likely to fall in the error of attaching ourselves passionately and instinctively to the human form of the Guru, the Mahan or the Avatar and to that extent we are liable to become circumscribed in our right attitude and approach to the supreme Divine. When the Swami in his physical form or the sacred light of the lamp at the said shrines or in fact light of any lamp anywhere is considered as a form of the Divine that form itself would lead to the integrality of the Divine who is at once form, formless and formless-form.
Further we may remember that the Swami himself wanted in his last days to dematerialized his vast and deathless golden body which, according to his keertan “Mei Arul Vyappu” had become like a fully grown and luminous golden Mountain (l-v-10-36). This dematerialization was for the purpose of entering into all the bodies universally. What was visibly seen as the deathless material physical body was not the whole truth of even his physical existence, which was other than the subtle-physical. In and around and coextensive with the material physical body was a vast limitless physical existence which had also become golden and deathless and luminous with golden light and several as the eternal physical base of the outer body in the very earth-nature – a result of the transformation of the material vesture.

So the truth of his whole and entire physical body could not be properly represented even by a photo or statue. However the fact remains that the Swami himself allowed the photographer to take his picture or still earlier the painter to paint his image and so he could not have been against the preservation of his outer form for use of the disciples but the very fact of the divine luminosity of his body stood against a representation of his form as a photo. This, apart, the Swami psychologically discouraged to worship of his own figure and image and instead persistently kept the supreme Divine, the Lord of Vast Grace-Light, as the goal to be pursued and presented Him in the form of the light of a lamp duly sanctified and lit by himself. This attitude was the need of the hour of God as the Swami wanted his disciples also to aspire, without diversion through the worship of the said form of light and through the mantra of Light, for the universal manifestation of the divine Light of Grace.

As willed by him, the Swami seemed to have made his golden physical body universal so as to influence and enter into all the physical bodies as is seen from the nature and mode of working of the “Superman Consciousness” which is elaborated in the last chapter 18 – part 3. Thus his dematerialized diffusion of his bodily substances leaving no trace of his body and its form and at the same time universalizing his physical existence in a formless way for an impersonal action, i.e., for entering into all the bodies amply justifies his psychological discouragement, if not by an absolute taboo, of the worship of his bodily form by the devotees.

But still forms other than the physical he has and wears on and projects in vision – the form of his soul and spirit as distinguished from his formless self-existence, then the form of his mind, the form of his vital life and the form of his subtle-physical which is nearest to our material earth. Only in his vast and limitless and deathless physical existence he remains now formless but with power to precipitate himself in a new divine body at the ripe moment.

 

11.“CIDAMBARA DARSHAN” SHOWN AT VADALUR

It was the usage for devotees from mofussil areas to come to Vadalur in order to take the Swami with them to Cidambaram on important festive occasions thereat. On one such occasion devotees came in advance and waited on the Swami to go to Cidambaram. As the day of the festival neared, most of them left for Cidambaram. But there was no sign of Swami’s starting as yet. Only a few stayed with him in the hope of starting at least on the day of festival itself. The Swami did not leave Vadalur even on that day. The devotees felt unhappy s they lost the chance of seeing the Lord of Dance, Nataraja of Cidambaram. The Swami understood their grievance and assured them all “you can have Cidambara darshan here itself; wait and see”. So saying the Swami put up a screen of cloth in a portion of Dharmashala building and asked them to go inside the screen and see. They went inside the veil and saw the rare sight of the “Cidambara darshanam” i.e., of the Lord of Dance and play and they were highly overjoyed.

 

12.On some occasions, the Swami sat outside in the open sun-shine at mid noon. At that time devotees at the Dharmashala used to see a column or pillar of fire (agni sthamba) rising up between the place of his seat and the sun.

 

13.MERCUROUS COMPOUND WITHSTANDS FIRE

The Swami used to wear sandals of a very high quality called “Sakalath Padaraksha`” made at Tanjore. He had said, “if Jatilingam (a compund of mercury and sulphur) is kept within sandals which a Suddha dehi (a man of perfect and pure body) wears on, it will stand against fire or endure in the heat of fire (i.e., without melting)”. A devotee-priest namely Sabhapathy had special sandals prepared for the Swami in which four tolas of the said mercurous compound had been kept. At his request, the Swami wore the sandals for 15 days and then later on the mercurous compound was removed from them and it was observed to withstand the heat of fire without change.

 

13-A.SILVER RUPEE MELTS IN SWAMI’S HAND

One day two Brahmins who were worshippers of sun came from Vishakapattinam. They reported to the Swami their inability to attain, by practice of the methods given in shastra, either “apara marga siddhi” such as melting iron, silver, gold and other metals by keeping it in hand or “Para marga siddhi” by which one can move and travel in space like sun. Vallalar took a silver rupee coin and kept it in his hand for a few minutes. Then the coin melted and ran down as silver.

 

14.SHADOWLESS BODY

One day the Swami was standing in the sun-shine along with a devotee by name Ayyasamy Pillai of Cuddalur. The Swami asked him, “What is the sign of a Suddha Jnani?”. The devotee remained silent, unable to answer. Then the Swami told him that there would be no shadow of the body of a Suddha Jnani. The fact that the Swami’s body did not cast shadow on the ground came to be known thus. This proves the glory of one who had realized Suddha Satya Jnana the pure Truth-Consciousness, and the Siddhi or perfection of the triple body.

 

15.SIGNS OF THE FUTURE GURU

One Devanayakam Pillai of Cuddalur became Swami’s devotee according to the wish of his father who was a yogi. The said yogi at the time of his death advised his son to become the disciple of one who would come with a cane in his hand and with a hood of cloth covering his head and would strike with his cane at his samadhi (tomb of burial) asking “Is this the Samadhi of your father?”. Three years after the death of the yogi, the Swami came to Cuddalur once and went to the house of Devanayakam and asked him by striking with his cane at a tomb “Is this your father’s tomb?” The latter replied in the positive and took the Swami as his Guru.

NOTE : Cuddalur is a town about 25miles from Vadalur. The Swami frequently visited Cuddalur to give lectures.

 

16.The said Devanayakam was spending much to learn alchemy with a desire to convert baser metals into gold. The Swami wanted to put him in the right path. First He showed him the method of alchemy. He converted an iron sheet into gold of sixteen carat, by treating it with a herb and heating it by dry cakes of cow-dung. The Swami then throwing away the gold, advised him further “One who is without desire alone can get this knowledge. Leave off this pursuit of alchemy”.

The Swami not only knew the process of alchemy which is a physical-chemical method or occult process (mantra, tantra), or both combined (see his Upadesa on “Rasavada”). The former uses herbs and different gases of gaseous heat on different metals. But according to him transformation of body into a golden deathless body implies and includes the possession of the power to transmute or transform baser metals like iron, copper, etc., into pure gold. This power too the Swami had, and by mere look or touch of the baser metal or keeping in his hands for some time he could transmute it unto pure gold. Some incidents of such transmutation are also recorded in T.V.G. Chetty’s and Kandasamy Pillai’s biographies on Swami’s life. Once the Swami transmuted sand into golden particles by putting the sand into a vessel of water and keeping its mouth closed by his hands for some time. Then he threw away the golden particles into the open street. This he showed to one Naina Reddiar of Alappakkam who sought after alchemy and told him that only the pure without desire could transmute substances.

The Swami’s deathless body had come to posses a divine radio-active power of transformation or transmutation of substances. This is evidently a direct power of supramental transformation of physical body. The Swami’s performance of miracles such as melting the metals, turning mercury into a solid keeping them in his hands or by touch of his hands point to such a radio-activity or radio-active heat of his body. The Swami clearly observed in his poems that his deathless body was immune from the dangers of radio-active rays of the outer cosmic space, though such rays could penetrate his plastic non-obstructing body without injury and that the Divine gave him the knowledge and power of transmutation of metals into gold. His upadesha on ‘Rasavada’ mentions that by touch of the dust of feet, or by breath of air or by word or even by look or by mere will metals can be transmuted. Transmutation can also be effected in a causeless or mystic way by the biological cells of the body i.e., by cells of a transformed body. The last implies that metallic substances that enter or penetrate into the body can be transformed by the cells into substances of the body through a process of interchange (Pravese visrimbita). In fact the Swami affirmed that the divinised principles or elements such as non-burning gaseous substance of the deathless body (i.e., a kind of radio-active divine physical heat of the body, heat and gas being always associated) have the self-creative power of creating all substances of whatever kind and evidently it includes the power of self-creating all the bodily substances of the cells and transforming one substance into another. Hema siddhi and Deha siddhi according to his upadesha are the two powers namely the power of transmutation of metallic or physical substances into pure eternal gold and the power of transformation of physical body into an eternal golden deathless body and they are the concomitant powers of supramental transformation, that is to say, the purity of gold and the purity of transformed deathless body would last for an eternal time due to such transformation. In such a case it may be inferred that the purity of a deathless body (suddha deha implying the other two bodies, Pranava deha and Jnana deha) would remain unaffected for all time, and even if the soul were to depart from such a body by voluntary will or by Divine will when one’s mission on the earth came to a close, the body as a physical unit of existence would retain a consciousness of its own and continue to be or exist without decomposition and possibly it might influence other bodies that come near it to be transformed.

 

17.Once the Swami took the said Devanayakam to Senji hills and roamed about. The latter became hungry and tired. The Swami left him below the shade of a tree and walked some distance and returned with a big laddoo (sweet-meat) and a vessel of water in his hands and gave them to him. After Deavanayagam had satisfied his hunger and thirst, the Swami told him that he was going back to return the vessel and thereafter He came back to join him.

 

17-A.THE SWAMI AND A SIDDHA PURUSHA

At Cuddalore, the Swami once stayed in the night at the house of a devotee by name Appasamy Chettiar. It was the occasion of a festival when the deity of the local temple would be taken round in procession in a chariot. So, many were sitting at the pial of the said house. One who looked like a saint was seen to enter the Swami’s room and after a chat with the Swami went away. One devotee by name Duraisamy Pillai (from Puduvai Uraiyur) who was sitting in the pial with others became anxious to know about the man. He went inside and asked the Swami about him. There was a big laddoo before the Swami. The Swami took in a little of it and gave it to be distributed to others and said “it was given by the Siddha Purusha who had come to him and by now he would have reached Benares (i.e., about 1500 miles far off). Tasting thus a part of the laddoo, the Swami exclaimed, “whether the sweet rice cake (pittu) given once to Lord Siva by a woman-devotee (vanti) tasted like this?”.

 

LORD SIVA AS SERVANT OF A WOMAN-DEVOTEE

NOTE : The reference is to an old legendary incident that took place in Madurai several centuries before. There was flood in the river Vaigai. The king ordered that the citizens should play their part in raising an embankment to check the erosion of flood. An old woman by name Vanti was a devotee of Lord Siva and she was too old to fulfill this order by herself. She hired a labourer to do the work on behalf. Her occupation was to cook by steam sweet rice-cakes called “Pittu” and sell them. So she offered in lieu of wages sweet rice-cakes to the said labourer in whose disguise the Lord Himself had come to serve her and through her the king in raising embankment. The Lord as her servant, dug and carried earth over his head in baskets to the bank for raising its level: but it was found that he did not complete Vanti’s portion of the work. The king found him not doing the work properly but singing and dancing and eating and enjoying pittu. So the king of Pandya Kingdom got angry and struck him with a cane. The pain of the beating stroke was sensed universally by all in all the worlds and naturally the king too felt its pain. The flood subsided. The Divine labourer too vanished. All came to know that it was a play of the Divine.

 

18.The Swami in his last part of life at Mettukuppam was used to give address to his devotees. It was an open audience. Every one sat on the ground rather uncomfortable as it was full of small pebbles. The Swami could not bear their uncomfortableness and requested them to bring soft sand and spread it as a cushion over the place. But none heeded to it. One evening, the Swami moved out from his place towards a section of the audience where there was soft sand. He took sand in his towel and carried it to the front. The devotees followed suit and gathered sand in their upper clothes and shawls whether made of white cotton cloth or silk, and whether bordered with or without golden-lace, and they poured it into the front of the Swami’s seat and spread it over the entire place. When this incident of carrying earth and spreading it over the place was completed, and all had sat now comfortably and were hearing the Swami’s words, sweet rice-cake (Pittu) in large quantity was brought by some disciples from the Dharmashala at Vadalur for distribution among the gathered audience. The Swami too took in Pittu and enjoyed it observing thus: “It is as it were I ate pittu two thousand years ago”.

NOTE : The reference of eating pittu two thousand years ago is to the same old incident narrated earlier. The Swami is identified with the Divine and remembers now the play of carrying mud and eating pittu prepared by Vanti, the devotee-woman. Here at Mettukuppam the spirit of the same incident is more or less repeated or reenacted though in a different form.

 

19.SWAMI’S BODY AND LIMPS DISMEMBERED

One day at mid-noon the Swami went out from Dharmashala. Shanmugam Pillai of Velur who was in charge of Dharmashala waited for sometime for Swami’s return. Growing impatient and anxious, he went out in search of Swami. He was bewildered and shocked to find at a place Swami’s dismembered body and limps in several pieces and he began to swoon. Suddenly the Swami appeared before him and advised him not to come out any more in search after him (the Swami) and returned to Dharmashala.

 

20.SWAMI SEEN AT UNAPPROACHABLE DISTANCES

One day the Swami went out alone from Dharmashala for a walk. He saw some devotees following him up and ordered them to stop and not to follow him. But they still followed him. Suddenly the Swami was seen walking at a very far off distance. They ran with the aim of reaching to him. But again the Swami was seen still father off.

 

21.At Karungkuli, one evening the Swami had gone out for a walk near pond. A devotee thought that it was the fit occasion to get upadesha from the Swami when alone. So he was approaching the Swami in haste. But suddenly the Swami was seen in a remote distance. As the devotee went nearer, the Swami was seen at remoter and far remoter distances. Finally the devotee got perplexed and left the attempt to reach the Swami.

NOTE : The above incident is evidently a phenomenon of dematerialisation and materialization while in life. The Swami absorbs his physical body into the subtle physical and reappears at a far off distance, projecting again the physical body from out of the subtle-physical.

 

22.MYSTERIOUS SHORT WAY TO A SUBURB

While in Madras, one day the Swami was going by walk to Tiruvottiyur to worship at the Ishwara temple thereat. He was accompanied by devotees and disciples among whom were Somu Chettiar and Velayuddha Mudaliar. On the way there was a heavy down pour of rain. Those who accompanied the Swami suffered the difficulty of the journey because of the rains. The Swami showed them a short-cut way and in an instant reached Tiruvottiyur. To quote a relevant portion of the incident as described in T.V.G. Chetty’s “Life of Swami Ramalingam”. They had reached half the way to Tiruvottiur. There was heavy rain. His followers began to run pell-mell. But the Swami “rallied them all together and darted though some mysterious by-lane” and got the entire body in front of the temple in a second of time.

NOTE : The above incident seems to be a case of collective dematerialisation and materialization, that is to say the Swami took them within his subtle-physical body or possibly enveloped them in his environmental body, which is its extension and reached the destination instantly and projected them out again. His devotees should have felt the whole process as going through a mysterious way and reaching the temple in an instant.

 

23.SWAMI FED BY THE GODDESS

One day the Swami returned late in the night after worshipping at the temple of Tiruvottiyur. The door of his house had been closed by his elder sister, as it was late in the night. The Swami did not like to disturb her sleep by calling her or by knocking at the door. So he slept outside on the pial of the house, though tired and hungry. After some time he was woken up by some one bearing food in a plate. The Swami found it was his sister who had come with “rice pongal” (cooked rice with ghee and fired spices) for him. In tender love she asked him, “Are you feeling hungry after going to Tiruvottiyur?” and without waiting for his reply gave him food in that mid night. He ate it and again slept. Then after some time his sister came and woke him up asking in tenderness “Why have you slept on an empty stomach. Could you not tap at the door and wake me up? Come in and take food”. The Swami replied that some time before she herself had come and given him food. But she denied that she ever came and gave him food like that and that she only woke up just then. Then the Swami and his sister came to know that it was the divine Mother who came in Swami’s sister’s form and fed him with food by grace.

NOTE : The Swami refers to the incident in its bare essence in some of his songs (11-36-43 & 48 Arul Vilakkamalai). He observes that the Divine fed him when hungry, not only with material substance of food but also with Grace.

 

24.CURES OF DISEASES: INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE

One day eleven of his followers who were inmates of Dharmashala at Vadalur laid down with fear (possibly due to influenza) in the summer month of Citrai. Out of compassion for them, the Swami asked each of them in an endearing tone and language “Father (an endearing term to address in Tamil, signifying “O soul of the Divine Father – used irrespective of age and relationship) will you give your fever to me?” Then he remained in a room when his body became quite hot like fire and after five minutes he came out quite in a normal condition. The fever of all the patients was gone.

NOTE : The Swami should have absorbed the disease and fever of his followers into his body freed them from the disease and finally thrown the disease and its symptoms from out of his own body. However the incident is interesting because of its collective treatment.

 

25.One day when the Swami was going to Cidambaram to attend “Tiruvadirai darshan” at the temple, a man affected with dyspepsia prayed him on the way to be relieved of the disease. The Swami gave him “tulsi” leaf (a leaf symbolizing devotion for the Divine) and water as treatment. The man was cured

 

26.A man of Sevalai village suffered for 12 years from dyspepsia. He prayed to Vallalar for relieving him from the disease. The Swami (i.e., Vallalar) asked him to pray God. The man replied firmly that the Swami Himself was God for him. Then the Swami gave him sacred ash (Vibhuti) with blessings. The man took it reverentially and applied it on his forehead and put a little of it in his mouth. He got cured.

 

27.SWAMI AT TWO PLACES AT THE SAME TIME

At Cuddalur, one Ayyasamy Pillai, son of Vedanayakam Pillai was seriously bed-ridden with disease. Death was awaited at any moment. His father who was a devotee of the Swami became anxious and helpless. The Swami (who was then giving a discourse at Vadalur – a fact which was later verified) came and knocked at his door. The door was opened. The Swami sat near the patient, applied sacred ash on his forehead and in a short time made him open his eyes and sit on the bed. Then he left. The next day the father took his son to Vadalur in a cart. They came to know that the Swami was giving discourse at Vadalur throughout the previous night, when he had also visited them at Cuddalur and spent some time attending on the patient. The Swami told them that what took place yesterday was a play of the Divine and requested them not to divulge it. The father and son were moved with surprise and surging waves of love and gratitude for the grace of the Swami.

 

28. An old woman of Kongara Palayam village aged 96 years suffered from a nervous shaking of her body. She saw Vallalar and by His darshan, she got cured.

 

29.Vallalar cured leprosy by giving sacred ash to a patient, the maternal uncle of Purushottama Reddiar of Karungkuli village.

 

30. A case of eye-disease was cured by the Swami by giving sacred ash with blessings and the patient Muttu Narayana Reddiar volunteered to endow and settle all his property in favour of the Swami.

 

31.A case of excessive growth of adenoid was cured by the Swami by giving sacred ash to the patient, a servant of a merchant who had come from Salem to Cuddalur.

 

32. While at Karungkuli, once the Swami was approached by a devotee namely Appachamy Chettiar who prayed for His Grace to cure his elder brother from cancer. The Swami gave the patient three small packets of sacred ash. Cancer was cured.

 

33.MASTERY OVER VITAL BEINGS AND SPIRIT

One night four magicians started from Vadalur to see the Swami at Mettukuppam. On the way a kali (i.e., a female vital being of bad nature; She is to be distinguished from Kali, the divine goddess) came in her terrible form and frightened them. They replied that while returning they would chain her, and proceeded on the journey. They saw the Swami and paid their homage and obeisance to him, informing about the frightened kali and the action they had proposed to take on her. The Swami asked them not to do so, but simply tell her that they had been to the Swami. On their way back, kali came in a big frightened form, but as soon as she was informed of the purpose of their journey, she became very small in form and went away humbled.

 

34.One night two devotees followed the Swami on hi sway to Tiruvottiyur. On the way a mohini (a female vital being with charming and fascinating influence on man) attacked the said devotees. The Swami at once voiced forth “pich”; the mohini went away and vanished. The Swami gave them sacred ash with his blessings.

 

34-A.One constable by name Vijaya Raghavalu Nayud of Kurinjipadi suffered because of black magic or witchcraft operated against him. He became lean. He approached the Swami craving for His grace. The Swami wrote and gave him a poem on the divine glory of Sri Rama to practice it as a form of mantra japa. The constable did so and got relieved of the suffering.

 

35.The Swami cured cases of spirit-possession. One of the two wives of the zamindar of Vettavalam was possessed by a “brahma Rakshasi” an evil female spirit. The other suffered from the disease of dropsy. In spite of several treatments by medicine, by occultism and magic and by offering of animals in sacrifice, their sufferings could not be relieved. At the request of the zamindar, the Swami went to Vettavalam. The zamindar had provided two identical chairs for the Swami to sit on. As soon as the Swami reached the house and was about to step into it, the spirit-possessed wife came out and joined her hands in prayer to the Swami and assured him that she (the female spirit) was waiting to leave the affected person (i.e., zamindar’s wife) at Swami’s bidding. She received sacred ash from the Swami. The spirit departed leaving zamindar’s wife to enjoy the freedom of her life. Then, the Swami gave sacred ash in three small quantities to the other wife of the zamindar and cured her from dropsy. The swami sat in the very particular chair which the zamindar had chosen in his mind in preference to the other chair as a method of finding for himself whether the Swami was a yogi or not. However the zamindar asked for the Swami’s pardon for such a behaviour in his thought. He converted the whole family as vegetarians in food, stopped sacrifice of animals at the “Kali” temple of that village and instead asked the people to offer milk-rice (i.e., rice cooked in milk) for the goddess. All the poisonous creatures such as serpents were asked to be removed to a distant forest outside the village, instead of killing them or doing any harm to them. For this purpose a snake-charmer was engaged at the request of the Swami.

 

36.MAN WITH THE LANTERN

In those days the Swami used to give discourses daily at Cuddalur. To hear his lectures people gathered from all sides. From Manjukuppam village, one Ramakrishna Pillai came daily to hear the Swami. On the return journey, he felt fear for the darkness of the night, but he saw at some distance a man with a lantern in his hand going in advance of him, till the former reached the borders of his villages. Then the man with the lantern vanished away. If any attempt was made to closely observe the man, his form would not be seen. When these events were informed to the Swami, he replied that they were the play of the divine Grace.

 

37.TORCHES WITHOUT TORCH-BEARERS

One lawyer by name Venkatesa Iyer of Vruddhachalam and his wife would attend the Swami’s lecture on Sundays at Vadalur. For this purpose they used to come to Vadalur on the previous night itself. On the way to Vadalur, during the night a distance of three miles, which was thick with bushes and trees forming a lonely forest, had to be crossed over. On such occasions two torches were seen to go in front of the couple. But no form of the torch-bearers would be seen. The said couple was so much moved by this miracle, that in the later days of retirement from the profession they came and settled in Vadalur to enjoy the Swami’s Grace.
NOTE : Even after Swami’s dematerialised disappearance, his devotee and disciple Subbaraya Paradesi who was managing the Dharma Shala saw on several occasions two laterns (without form of the bearer) going before him in advance, when he passed through dangerous ways for collecting funds from villages for Dharma Shala. Thus he walked the way safely without fear.

 

38.One contractor by name Arumuga Mudaliar wanted to receive a talisman (Kulikai) from the Swami. The latter gave him one which was og the size of two peppers. But the former felt them so heavy to bear in his hands that he dropped them. Then the Swami gave him a printed notice about “the way of Truth” and advised him to follow it so as to live on well.

 

39.SWAMI AS GUEST OF HONOUR

At Cidambaram, one siddhar by name Pandinatha Siddhar renovated a shrine dedicated to god “Murugan”. He gave at the end of the day to masons and labourers sacred ash, which got mysteriously converted into monies equivalent to the value of work each actually performed for the construction. Thus the renovation was completed. On the day of opening of the renovated shrine for worship (Kumbha`bhisheka) Vallalar was invited as the chief guest of honour. The said “siddhar” (i.e., one who could do siddhis or miracles of a divine nature) seated Vallalar at a prominent central place in the midst of other dedicated and devoted servants of God (Adiyargal) and performed “Maheshwara Pooja”. Then after serving food to all, the said siddhar received with great joy a handful or a morsel of food from the Swami (as prasad).

 

ON SERPENTS

40.One Nataraja Pillai chased a serpent in order to catch it. But it got itself wound on his right hand. Then he ran immediately into the presence of the Swami who addressed the serpent “Thou art Ananda Nataraja, the playing Lord of Bliss”. It went off from the hand of the former soon, without harming him.

NOTE : The Swami sees the Divine in all beings and creatures. He sees the Divine in the serpents.

 

41.One night a devotee while going around the “Siddhi Valagam” building where the Swami stayed, he accidently stepped on a serpent which bit him in the leg and its fangs has pierced into the flesh. He prayed the Swami, and the poison did not affect him in any way.

 

42.On a Sunday when a devotee of the Swami went out and squatted at an open place near a bush for ablution, a serpent came hissing to bite him. He at once called Swami’s name and vowed saying “On the commanding authority of Ramalingam” ordering the serpent to obey to the Power of Swami, as he had taken His sacred Name as a shield of protection). The serpent became rooted to the spot without food for three days and he felt grief and sympathy for the suffering serpent. When the said devotee came on a Tuesday which was his usual day of visit on the Swami, the latter told him “What a trouble to a jeevan which is hungry without food for three days! “Pich” Go and release it from the Power of oath of authority taken in my name”. The visitor went to the spot of the incident and released the serpent from the power of oath. The serpent then moved in to its pit.

 

43.At Madras when the Swami was returning in the night from Vyasarpadi, a suburb, along with devotees after giving a lecture there, a big serpent appeared in the middle of the road. When all others ran away from it, the Swami kept unmoved. It came and wound itself in his leg. The Swami then commanded it to leave off and it went away.

 

44.A SERPENT BITES SWAMI

At Cuddalur the Swami once visited Appasamy. There were plantain tress in his warehouse. A serpent on the leaf of a plantain tree bit the Swami at the top of his head and blood oozed out. He applied sacred ash at the spot of the bite. Devotees who were around him asked anxiously what had happened. The Swami replied coolly that the serpent on the leaf bit him in order to die. Then it was found that the serpent had died on the leaf.

 

45.ON THIEVES AND ROBBERS

One day while living in Madras, the Swami went to Tiruvottiyur. A thief came, while he was sleeping at a choultry there, and removed from his right ear a gold earring studded with gems. The Swami knew of it, but to facilitate him to remove his left ear-ring also turned to the other side in his sleeping posture. After this incident the Swami did not wear ear-ring again.

 

46.On day Vallalar came from Cuddalur and stayed at a place near Kullanchavadi. A muslim head-constable offered him a new upper cloth to wear on. While the Swami was sleeping at a local choultry, a thief came and drew the new cloth slowly and gently. Swami knew of it but turned sides so that he could take away the cloth. But the constable caught the thief and threatened him with punishment. In the meanwhile the Swami got up and pacifying the constable gave away in kindness the new piece of cloth to the thief, advising him not to do theft.

 

47.Once Ramachandra Mudaliar, shrastadar of Manchakuppam court, was taking the Swami in a bullock-cart to his village. It was night. As the cart drew near Kullanchavadi village, two robbers daringly ordered the cart to stop. The cart-driver and the servant of the said Mudaliar were afraid of them and got down and hid in the groves of cashew-nut nearby. The robbers came to the back of the cart, asking Mudaliar in a threatening tone to remove diamond ring from his finger and give it to them. The Swami intervened asking “Is it so urgent?”. They raised lati (cudgel) against the Swami in order to beat. Instantly their hands became immobile; their eyes lost sight. Then they felt and expressed their sorrow at their behavior and prayed for the Swami’s pardon. Vallalar voiced forth “Pich”. Instantly they were restored to normal conditions of sight and movement of hands. They joined hands in prayer to the Swami and took leave of him.

 

48. By Swami’s influence, the villagers living around Vadalur were converted from their non-vegetarian diet into the vegetarian.

 

49.SWAMI AS A MUSICIAN

Once a musician by name Cidambaram Krishna Iyer came to Vadalur and sang before the Swami the first stanza of “Mahadeva ma`lai” in the tune of “Apuru`pa ra`ga”. The Swami heard him and then himself rendered the song in melodious music in a still better way. The said musician came to know of the Swami’s great knowledge, taste and talent in music.

 

50.The Swami called for, by letter, one Sabapathy Sivacharya of the Brahmin priesthood-class who was well versed in Vedas and Agamas, the ancient spiritual and religious literature, and explained to him in secrecy the true significance of Gayatri Mantra (i.e., the Mantra of prayer to the Supramental Sun of Truth-Knowledge). The said Sivacharya became his disciple and later served as the priest in charge of Satya Jnana Sabha. His descendents continue to serve as priest of the Sabha.

 

51.TAMIL AS ROOT FOR ALL LANGUAGES

Once a Shastri, well versed in Sanskrit and Tamil, came to the Swami and in the course of discussion with the latter emphasized that Sanskrit was the first language. The Swami wrote at once an explanatory article affirming that Tamil is the original root (technically the “Father language” Pitru bhasha) for all languages and gave it to the scholar.

 

52.CONVERTION TO VEGETARIANSIM

Once the Swami asked Amavasya, the head-man of Harijans of Vadalur to stop eating carcass of dead oxen and instead bury them. He promised to follow it but he needed eight annas daily for his maintenance. The Swami tied eight annas in a piece of yellow cloth and asked him to keep it in a box. He did so and got daily eight annas as his earnings. He stopped animal food and became pure in diet i.e., became a vegetarian.

 

53.One day Vallalar called for two persons by name Arunachala Padayachi and Venkatachala Padayachi who had large families to support, and blessed them saying “If you stop eating animal food of flesh and meat from this day onwards, the yield of your dry crop of indigo and the wet crop of paddy will become fivefold”. They followed the Swami’s advice and became followers of His movement of “Jeeva Karunya” i.e., compassion and reverence to animal life. The yield of their agricultural crops went up and they became prosperous too.

 

54.PRODIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES

One Pina`kappa`ni Mudalia`r, Manager of Telegraph office at Pondicherry was proud of his knowledge in seven or eight languages. He came to Vadalur to advice the Swami about learning many languages. The Swami by premonition knew of the purpose of his visit. So when the said Mudaliar was approaching him, he said “Here is one coming to give me advice”. When he came, they had a mutual talk for sometime. Then Vallalar took before the said multi-linguist a young boy of four years old, who was the son of his first disciple namely Velayada Mudaliar. Holding the boy in his hands the Swami asked him (the man) “how many languages do you know?”. He replied “I know five or six languages”. Then the Swami told Pinakapani Mudaliar to ask the boy any question on any topic in any language and that the boy would reply suitably in the language he chose to ask. The said Pinakapani became dumb-founded with surprise and even fainted. The Swami again asked him after sometime to ask the boy patiently any question he liked. Immediately the said Pinakapani opened his mouth asking for Swami’s pardon for the wrong committed by him in his presence; and after worshipping Him repeatedly with joined hands, he went away.

NOTE: In Swami’s presence and influence the boy seemed to have become His instrument ready to perform in case of necessity the function that Swami proposed to do through him. On an earlier occasion and in another situation, though of a different kind the boy’s father i.e., Velayuda Mudaliar, in the Swami’s Presence and by His blessings explained some hard passages in a Sanskrit text to Sri Sankaracharya. The said Velayuda Mudaliar received inspiration from the Swami to write poetry in Tamil. The Swami used to send to him devotees seeking clarification on points, which could be dealt with by him on an intellectual and human level of understanding.

 

55.“UTTAMA PURUSHA” AND NAKED SANYASI

While in Madras, the Swami used to go to Tiruvottiyur temple through a bye-lane instead of the main car-shed (chariot-shed) street. But one day he happened to go instead through the main street. There was a naked sanyasi sitting on the pial of a house in that street. He would comment on people going that way as “an ass is going, a bull is going”. On the day the Swami passed through that road, the naked sanyasi hailed him in praise as “Here is one highly noble person (Uttama Purusha) coming and, so commenting he immediately covered the parts of his body (as if in honour to the great man who was passing through). The Swami said a few words to him and that very night the latter left the place.

 

56.KALPATTU AYYAH – A YOGI

One yogi by name “Kalpattu Ayyah” intuitively knew that a man of Knowledge (Jnana Acharya) would come of his own accord to him on a particular day and time, accompanied or surrounded by a retinue of devotees, in order to accept him (the former) as a disciple. The said yogi informed many about his intution. Vallalar accompanied by many devotees, visited the yogi at his village Tirunarung Kunram on the day and hour as foreseen by the latter and accepted him as His disciple. Vallalar took him to Vadalur and gave him a separate cottage to pursue and practice his yoga. Whenever the Swami happened to deal in his lectures to the devotees, any subject, which would benefit Kalpattu Ayyah, he would send for him immediately. In his later days, the said yogi was managing Dharma Shala. He died at Vadalur and his remains have been preserved in samadhi near Dharma Shala. He was a realized soul among the Swami’s disciples.

 

57. ARTS, SCIENCE AND OCCULTISM

Vallalar apart from his spiritual and occult knowledge of things had much of what may be called knowledge of the world. Thus he knew about medicines particularly the indigenous “Siddha” system of medicine, medical herbs, literature, music, logical argumentation, alchemy, astrology, philosophies such as Vedanta and Siddhanta, mantra shastras, powers behind talisman and gems possessing extraordinary powers and qualities. He could readily discuss in great detail on any such subject with one who came to him seeking explanations.

 

58.A LITERARY OPPONENT

The disciples of Vallalar published the first four volumes of the Swami’s poem in 1867 under the name “Aurtpa” meaning “Songs of divine inspiration”. One Arumuga Navalar, a well-known contemporary and Tamil scholar who had not the far insight of understanding or grasp of its sublime spiritual significance and who was too thorough a conservative and adorer of the old traditions to appreciate the sublimity and heights of the spiritual literature of his own times, wrote articles objecting to the naming of Swami’s poems as Arutpa and classifying its volumes as “Tirumurai”, a name which had been applied to the volumes of ancient Tamil spiritual works. Thus one who had the highest of the supramental and spiritual experiences of the land, along with a vision of the collective evolution – not to speak of his transformation into deathlessness of body – was hardly understood and appreciated by some of the literary scholars of his times. But with the passage of time and with the due publication of the entire works of the Swami in poetry and prose running into six volumes a definite background of intellectual understanding and appreciation of his writings, to say the least, has now been created.

The said Tamil scholar not satisfied with his writings against the Swami even went to the heights of his folly when he sued a defamation case against the Swami on a false ground that the Swami in his discourses at Cidambaram had spoken ill of him. The case was heard in the Manchakuppam court in 1869. Swami too was summoned. He had no lawyer to represent. The court hall was packed to the full. The Swami came in when summoned. All assembled in the court rose up and joined their hands as a mark of respect and honour, reverence and obeisance to him. Even the plaintiff the said Arumuga Navalar also rose up and joined his palms in Swami’s honour which showed that he too had respect for the Swami, an act of saving grace in him. The judge too, it is said, had half-risen up from his seat. This graceful event of honour and reverence of the entire gathering in the court shown to the Swami decided the issue. The plaintiff when questioned admitted that he too respected the Swami because all others assembled at the court paid him their respects in acknowledge of his greatness. On this ground the judge dismissed the case.

 

59.TAHSILDAR AND HIS HORN-BLOWER

Venkatasubbha Iyer, tahsildar of Manchakuppam used to come daily to Cuddalore to hear the Swamis discourses. His visit was used to be signaled through a blowing-horn which his servant, born of a low caste, carried and ran blowing it in front of the tahsildar’s cart all the way from Manchakuppam village to Cuddalur. One day the horn-blower reached Cuddalur very hungry and tired and shaking in body because he had to run fast that day. The Swami, unlike on other occasions, did not show any gesture by signs or words indicating warmth of reception to the tahsildar who had come just then to take his seat in the audience for hearing the former’s discourse. After some time, the Swami admonished him thus, “For how long the life is going to endure? Is it not proper to send the horn-blower in advance to the place you visit and ask him to blow the horn just at the time when you are drawing near that place?” Tahsildar agreed to do so and asked the Swami’s pardon. The Swami started his speech of the day only after the hungry and tired horn-blower was fed with food at the Dharma Shala.

NOTE : The practice of engaging horn-blower has been dropped long time since.

 

60.SANKARACHARIAR AND HIS DOUBTS

Once when Sri Sankaracharya Swami (the religious head of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam) had been to Madras, he enquired whether there was any Sanskrit Pandit who could clear off his doubt in a Sanskrit book. One of his Brahmin devotees referred the name of Vallalar. Then Vallalar and his disciple Toluvur Velayuda Mudaliar visited on Sankarachariar at the latter’s request. Sankarachariar’s doubts in the Sanskrit text were cleared off.

 

NOTES ON VELAYUDA MUDALIAR

Velayuda Mudaliar who was also a scholar in Sanskrit and Tamil became a fitting instrument of the Swami (Vallalar) on this occasion, and by His blessings and in His presence the said disciple too participated in explaining the passages to Sankarachariar.

 

61.DO NOT BEAT STUDENTS

Once Vallalar, while at Madras, came to know that one Ponneri Sundaram Pillai who was a teacher resorted to beating his young students with cane. The said teacher and the student so beaten were respectively the son-in-law and son of the Swami’s elder brother. Swami wrote a poem on the incident and sent it to the teacher through the boy who had reported the matter, admonishing him not to beat his students any more, as beating goes against the fairness of his name “Sundaram”. The said Sundaram Pillai threw away the cane and stopped beating once and for all, as soon as he received Swami’s poem through the said boy whom he was about to beat again for going out of the school without his permission.

 

62.A LAME TEACHER AND A LAME LAMB

One Ramasamy Pillai of Karungkuli was regularly sending food as offering to the Swami who was at Mettukuppam. The Swami asked it to be distributed to the lame teacher of the local school and to the lame lamb of that village. The lame lamb used to stand at a distance and hear the Swami’s lecture when its left ear would become bent up a little and the eyes stop winking. After the speech was over, it would go around, along with the devotees, in circumambulation of the Swami’s residential house called “Siddhi Valagam”, dragging on its two hind legs.

 

63.KA`RANAPATTU KANDASAMY PILLAI

Karanappattu Kandasamy Pillai was a scholar and musician. He suffered from fainting. Medicines and treatment failed. He approached the Swami for grace. The Swami saw him with eyes of compassion and blessings and gave him ash for the cure of the disease, assuring him further that he would be taken as a disciple and given suitable work. The disease was cured. Since then Kandasamy became a staunch and dedicated disciple of the Swami. The Swami approved him to sing His life and glory (as a part of the latter’s sadhana). Kandasamy began to spread his message of “jeeva karunya” and ideas of the Sanmarga movement by lectures and through songs and Bajans (devotional music in congregation). By the Swami’s grace he got the inspiration to compose poetry and lyrics. He has written poems and keertans on the Swami’s life, and songs of devotion and love in glory of the Swami. He has complied in one volume all the works of the Swami and published it in 1924. in that volume he has given authentic information on several incidents in Swami’s life which he gathered personally from devotees and disciples who had lived and moved with the Swami, and kept notes on information about the Swami in their note books. Kandasamy has published in his “Arutpa volume” a list of names of such persons in acknowledgement of the information given by them.

 

64.PURUSHOTTAMA REDDIAR: SWAMI’S PERSONAL ATTENDENT
When the Swami was staying at “Siddhi Valagam” at Mettukuppam he used to remain absorbed in the Bliss of Suddha Sivanubhava for some days continuously and then he would come out to give discourses to the disciples. Purushottama Reddiar who served the Swami as his personal attendant during Swami’s stay at Karungkuli and Vadalur, continued to attend on him at Mettukuppam also. The Swami in the last periods of his life used to take in sugar-solution prepared in hot boiling water, that is to say, water was well boiled so as to reduced to three-fifth of its quantity and then sugar was added to it. The attendant would prepare and take it to the Swami. The Swami drank it as such in its boiling state.
The said would sweep and clean the rooms and inner apartment where the Swami used to remain absorbed in his blissful state, and fed in time the sacred lamp (originally lit by the Swami) with oil and kept it trimmed and ever burning. One day he happened to enter Swami’s room for his daily routine of work. It was just the time the Swami, after a blissful absorption, had opened his eyes of Grace which met incidentally (or rather by an act of Grace) the eyes of his attendant. At once the latter was transported into a trance of higher consciousness, and he remained absorbed in it. Other devotees were surprised to know about the incident and asked the Swami what was to be done with the said Purushottama Reddiar. The Swami replied, “Do not disturb him; He would get up his own accord”. After four or five days of unmoved and absorbed trance, he got up to move out, but yet he remained in a state of silence continuously for months without speaking to anyone.
It was this attendant who had asked once to the Swami to show him Grace by giving him a Sadhana, i.e., a way of practice for his spiritual development. The Swami said, “You are humble as I am. If you do sadhana (i.e., practice of yoga discipline such as meditation) you may receive some light within and a power to do some siddhis (i.e., lower siddhis of an occult nature) and you would grow proud of them to boast of and you would get ruined. So, you do not need any sadhana. But follow the practice of seeing all beings as your own self (i.e., cultivate the vision of equality with all beings) and get it as your habitual nature. One who gets in his nature this habit of seeing all beings alike, is verily the omnipotent Divine”. Then by Swami’s blessings Purushottama Reddiar took up the work of receiving all the visitors and devotees coming to Vadalur with warmth and tenderness of love and served them with food and drinks at the Dharmashala after making kind and due enquires as to their needs in that respect. Thus by his attitude of equality, tenderness of love and dedicated and humble service to one and all alike he came to discharge many and varied functions, notably as secretary of the Dharmashala and Satya Jnana Sabha for many years in the later part of his life. It is no surprise that into such a one, the Swami poured his eyes of Grace and uplifted him to a state of higher consciousness as happened in the foregoing incident at “Siddhi Valagamaliga”.

-Courtesy: Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol II, by T.R.Thulasiram.