Foreword by the author - B Radha Krishna Murthy (BRK)
Swamiji told us a lot about Sri Omkarananda Swamy, also known as Rakhadi Baba. Swamiji said that Baba was a true form of Lord Siva, He liked to stay alone, would not prefer crowds and that even today, Baba is somewhere in Northern India in anonymity. Accompanied by Swamiji, I traveled to the birthplace of such a great soul. Swamiji spoke to Baba’s family very warmly and enquired about their well-being. Baba came from a very poor family. They made the ends meet by working as daily waged farmers. Swamiji took me to a portico (mandapa) near to Baba’s house, in which a Sivalingam was installed. On seeing the portico covered in dust, Swamiji felt bad and narrated the story behind it.
Swamiji met Rakhadi Baba in 1965. In Varuna’s cave by the Banateertha waterfalls, Swamiji did severe penance for 26 days, without surrendering to hunger and sleep. That led to the arrival of Rakhadi Baba to Varuna’s cave. Between 1965 and 1968, Swamiji and Baba toured the southern part of India and reached Kalavai one day. Baba introduced His family to Swamiji. As the family members spent their day working hard in agricultural fields, Baba thought it would be a good idea to build a small portico for them to indulge in devotional activities in the evenings. To fulfil His Guru’s wish, Swamiji took the responsibility of gathering money for the construction. Swamiji left Kalavai to collect money and in every village He went to, owing to Swamiji’s divine beauty, many people offered money and other gifts. Swamiji returned to Kalavai after gathering enough money and meanwhile, Baba lit a nitya-agni and created a Sivalingam from its vibhooti. After constructing the portico, Swamiji and Baba installed the Sivalingam with Their own hands. That Sivalingam which was installed by two siddhapurushas at the same time is extremely unique and holds a great significance.
Swamiji said, “This was constructed on Baba’s will. If we clean this place and light a deepam here, we will be blessed by Him”. We stayed in Kalavai for three days on account of cleaning the place. Swamiji stayed in a nearby Subrahmanya Swamy temple. As I started cleaning and whitewashing the place, Baba’s family members also volunteered. On the third day, after the cleaning was finished, Swamiji lit a deepam by the Sivalingam. As Swamiji was walking back from the Sivalingam, something touched His head and He looked up. Swamiji took out a parcel wrapped in a paper from the roof. On opening the parcel, Swamiji’s eyes turned moist and He was pervaded with a deep sense of reverence. It was my first time seeing Swamiji in that state of emotion. There were a pair of wooden sandals having leather thongs in the parcel. Swamiji showed them to me and said,
“These are Rakhadi Baba’s paadukaas. The last time He visited Kalavai, He left them here. We are blessed by Him today in this way. I will keep Guru Bhavam with me, you keep the paadukaas with you”
, and handed them to me.
I was deeply moved by seeing the devotion Swamiji had for His Guru. I learnt the significance of Guru Paadukaas through Swamiji that day. The paadukaas that we found in Kalavai with the grace of Rakhadi Baba and Swamiji, are the same paadukaas present in the Baba Hall of our ashram. On constantly devoting our thoughts towards the Gurupaadukaas, we can break the cycle of rebirth with ease.
|| Praathare vahi maanasanthar, bhaavayeth guru paadukaam ||
to be continued...
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