Monday, October 17, 2011

Deepam(1) with Sri Nannagaru - (By Dr.Mithin Aachi)

I was in a big dilemma whether to go to Arunachala Deepam on Nov 21 2010 or not. I phoned a close associate of Sri Nannagaru and he asked Sri Nannagaru about this.

Sri Nannagaru said “Wont be there a heavy rush…” or some words to that effect.

I was not able to get a concrete reply.

I phoned him after a few days again and this time when he enquired the response was more positive.

“Ask him to take a flight and come” He had told his associate.

I was communicated the same and I happily booked a flight on 21st morning from Hyderabad to Chennai.

I reached the airport in the early morning and boarded the flight. During the journey I had a surreal revelation.

The flight was landing and the sun was up. It was being reflected in the waters below and I noted with amazement when the flash of the sun blinded my eyes when it hit a clear water body. I also saw that the sun was more dull in murky water and was totally absent when solid land came.

This is it! I thought excitedly.

The Atman is always there.

But if the mind is unclear or opaque due to thoughts it is not known to exist. But a pure mind will reveal it.

I knew this truth before but to see it from a flight on a day of the Deepam was highly revealing.



On landing I took a taxi and raced towards Tiuvannamalai.

I reached Tiruvannamalai by afternoon but there was a huge rush of cars trying to get into the town and there was a serious jam.

I got out of my taxi and instructed my driver to remain there for the night whence I would come back again to return.

I took an auto on the outskirts of Tiruvannamalai and asked him to drop me in Ramanashram.

The auto driver had looked at me wide eyed and told me that it was next to impossible. I promised him 400 rs and he readily agreed.

It takes 400 rupees to convert impossible to possible on Deepam day I thought.

On landing in Chennai I had called a friend in Tiru who had promised to book a room for me in Ramanashram.

I had called her and she said “But you never called me back and did not confirm your travel plans. I don’t know if the room remains.”

On hearing that I had not felt worried.

I thought of Sri Nannagaru.

“I am coming to you and the responsibility is yours “ I said.



Now as the auto rushed through chaos and dodged angry policemen I reveled in seeing Arunachala in various darshans and angles.

“I will not fret nor be irritated at this at all” I told Arunachala. “If you make me go round and round like this I will watch the Deepam standing even on a drain pipe!” I jokingly told It.

I finally reached Ramanashram after a long time.

There was a huge mass of people filing past it on the Girivallam route.

I approached the ashram accommodation manager and asked him for a room.

I was pretty sure he would refuse with so much of rush of people.

But surprisingly he had a room…in the ashram compound! Just next to the Dining Hall.

I happily took the room and got ready to meet Sri Nannagaru.

I had not eaten since morning except for a banana and I was slightly hungry.

When I reached Sri Nannagaru ashram I went to the Guru’s room.

There was already a huge rush of people in the ashram and many were there waiting for him outside his room.

I entered his room along with some of them.

After having blessed them he suddenly looked at me and said “Ah!”

He asked for a chair to be placed for me.

I prostrated to him and sat beside him.

“You have been delayed in coming here” he said smiling at me.

I knew that he was aware of my adventures on the auto and also my friendly taunts of Arunachala.

I smiled at him.

Next a young couple brought there infant daughter to him and asked him to name her with a name with the same significance of Arunachala.

“ Aruna” he said.

Another devotee asked him for mantra deeksha.

“Om Namah Shivaya, Shivaya Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaaya etc” he said.

The devotee left grateful.

Another devotee came and told him that his wife’s boss was creating a lot of trouble for her.

Sri Nannagaru looked compassionately at him and said “ He will have a change in mind and will treat her nicely soon.”

The man too left happily.

Now Sri Nannagaru looked at me and said “ You will realize Truth in this life.”

I looked on at him.

“You are feeling Peace, yes?” he asked.

“Yes” I replied truthfully.

“You also felt and realized that Peace which does not have any relation to body conciousness?” he asked

I remembered my recent transcendental experience and said “Yes”

I had a recent experience of peace while watching Robot movie of Rajnikanth. I doubted it. But Nannagaru asked me about it and laid to rest my doubt.

It followed a scene where Rajnikanth is shown as the Divine Mother and something in me looked at the scene in tremendous awe. Awe and worship welled up in my heart for the Supreme Devi. Subsequently in a few mins I suddenly lost my body conciousness and my mind. I was an infinitesimally small point of infinite peace. I was not someone or something. I just was. I felt I was the Universe in a nutshell. It was a peace I never knew. A peace that was incapable of the mind. I could see my friends and others in the movie hall but I could not see myself for I was the Universe. A point of extreme peace and extreme Universality. It was as if the world had decided not to exist in that small ball of peace which I was. Outside there was all chaos but in that ball of peace I just was. It had no attachments, nor joy, nor sorrow. It was transcendental. And it was Me. I encompassed the entire cosmos but was not of it...it is very difficult to describe that state. It was like a tap of water with thin stream of water trickling, dripping infinite Peace. It lasted a few seconds and then was over.

I immediately knew that I had had that experience out of Pure Grace of Guru alone.

Nannagaru asked me " Did u realize that Peace is not related to body?". I remembered that experience and said yes

He nodded happily.

He looked mischievously at me and said “ EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ARRANGED FOR YOU. Your room in Ramanashram, your coming here…everything has been arranged for you.”

I nodded happily.

“But what about my lunch?” I thought.

He looked at me and said “Did you have lunch?”

I shook my head.

He looked at his attenders.

“Is my food ready?” he asked.

When they nodded he got up to go to the next room.

I too went inside and sat down before he could come.

We were about five people in the room .

He came, sat down and ate for fifteen minutes.

As he finished I noticed with a peculiar curiosity that my hunger was appeased. I had lost the craving for food or water.

What is this leela? I thought. I did not touch a morsel of food that day except for a solitary banana in the morning. I was a voracious eater and here I was at 5.30 in the evening having my hunger appeased and thirst quenched when Sri Nannagaru had finished his meal.

God satisfied, the whole world is satisfied.

I was noting all this with a subtle awe in my being.

Sri Nannagaru looked at me and said smiling “You can have dinner in Ramanasharam.”

Even though he said those words I knew he knew that I knew.

I was silent.

He smiled and gestured me to follow him downstairs where they would light the deepam following the Maha Deepam on Arunachala Hill.



Dr.Mithin Aachi is an orthopaedic surgeon by profession. He is a star-gazer, painter, and writer. He is an amalgamation of all kinds of arts and activities. He is a happy go lucky person, who just sees love in everything. From the very tender age, he had an quest to know the truth. He admires and worships Rama Krishna and believes Nannagaru is an avatar of Rama Krishna and worships him in this form. He is a simple person who is an embodiment of love.

3 comments:

  1. Dr.Mithin,
    God (Naanagaru)'s grace is amazing isnt it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is...

    Its beyond my understanding! :)

    Mithin

    ReplyDelete