“Swami Krishnananda” – The Ideal Saint
Divine Life
Society Publication: The Ideal Saint from
the inspiring pen of Swami Chidananda
(Released on
the auspicious occasion of the 82nd Birth Anniversary of H.H. sri
Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj on 25th April 2004)
SO SAID GURUDEV
Celebration of Krishnanandaji’s birthday is worship of Brahman. Many
people’s faculties are developed. Every man’s eyes are opened. Everyone begins
to think such celebrations are very necessary.
Krishnanandaji is a wonder to me! He has excelled me. He has excelled
Sankara. He has excelled Dakshinamoorthy.
He is very quick in his work. He has vast and deep knowledge of
Vedanta. It is all God’s Grace. It is not merely due to study in this birth. It
is all due to Purva Samskaras. His knowledge is a treasure for those aspirants,
who care to learn, study and imbibe the knowledge from him.
***
“Swami
Krishnananda” – The Ideal Saint
From
the inspiring pen of Swami Chidananda
Great is my happiness to
express my homage and high regards to our most revered Swami Krishnananda
Saraswati, my beloved spiritual brother and fellow disciple at the feet of our
most worshipful Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, upon this joyful and
auspicious anniversary of his Birthday.
Sri Swami Krishnanandaji is
the foremost spiritual personality of our Gurudev’s holy Ashram, who has
inspired, guided and enlightened countless spiritual seekers ever since his
advent at the Headquarters of The Divine Life Society in 1944.
Today, Swami Krishnanandaji is
enshrined in the hearts of countless Sadhakas and students of Yoga and Vedanta
all over the world by his loving disposition, his kindness to them and his
genuine keen interest in their spiritual progress and welfare. Beloved Swami
Krishnanandaji shines as the leading light of our monastic brotherhood at the
Sivananda Ashram and as the foremost amongst the spiritual teachers of The
Divine Life Society, whom worshipful Gurudev left behind to carry forward his
spiritual work.
Early Life
It makes a most interesting as
well as a rewarding study to look into the early life of this eminent spiritual
son of India, shining with highest knowledge, supreme dispassion, unequalled
renunciation, simplicity, austerity, desirelessness and dedication. Swami
Krishnanandaji is Vedanta and Virakti personified, and as such an embodiment of
Dharma, of Gurubhakti and of Samadrishti (equal vision) that the very presence
of this truly great-souled Mahatma adds luster to the order of Sanyasins today.
He was a Jignyasu right from his earliest days, and this trait later on
naturally took the form of spiritual Jignyasa for divine knowledge.
Gradually the spirit of liberation and the spirit of
renunciation was being awakened in the youth’s heart. Subbaraya began to feel
more and more that the only thing worth striving for was Kaivalya Moksha or a
divine state of spiritual liberation. Thus he became convinced that this was
the highest ultimate goal of human existence.
Sometime in 1943, Subbaraya
took up Government service at Hospet in Bellary district. But this phase lasted
only for a short period. The powerful pull of renunciation and monasticism now
drew him to itself, and the spiritual world claimed him once for all.
Arriving at Rishikesh in the
year 1944, the brilliant young seeker came face to face with his Guru, upon the
holy banks of the sacred river Ganga. Filled with the spirit of renunciation,
young Subbaraya met His Worshipful Holiness Sadguru, Sri Swami Sivananda,
filled with the radiant light of divine realization. Most blessed is that day
when the aspiring young Subbaraya obtained the supreme emperor among Gurus, and
the saintly Swami Sivananda found a rare gem among seekers and got a precious
jewel among his disciples.
II
Yoga – Way of Life
Ashram Life
Young Subbaraya now became a
Sadhak resident of the holy Sivananda Ashram. I could see that revered Gurudev
perceived in the newcomer certain very rare and unique spiritual qualities that
marked him out as being a class by himself. His conduct and his ideal behavior
constituted a model for others to copy. There was an innate saintliness in him
which none could fail to perceive. Even persons much elder to him in age felt
impelled to show reverence to him and behave with respect towards him. It is no
wonder then that within a short time he came to be regarded as an Acharya in
the Ashram, to whom doubts were taken for their explanation, questions posed
for answers, and disputes for settlements on the basis of scriptural
injunction. His opinion was sought in religious matters, and Subbaraya was
consulted upon questions of philosophy and metaphysics.
Knowledge and Clarity of Thought
Hailing, as we both did, from
the same part of India and consequently our mother tongue being the same, we
were drawn together in a close friendship and spiritual fellowship which has
steadily grown and progressed over the past more than a quarter of a century of
our companionship at the feet of the holy Master. Our daily duties were not too
many. Hence we had time for long religious talks and frequent philosophical
discussions. Even at that time, Swami Krishnanandaji made a deep impression
upon me by the exactness of his scriptural knowledge and his thoroughness of
grasp on any subject discussed. His thinking was precise and clear, and characterized
by a correct-logic. He would never allow prejudice or bias of any sort to cloud
his thoughts and opinions, nor permit mere emotions or personal sentiment to
blur his vision.
Perfect Sadhak - Dharma, Yoga and Mind Control
This young Sadhak had such a
highly developed ethical sense that he would never do anything without first
weighing the ethical implications, and until and unless he was convinced that
his action was in conformity with Dharma. He was scrupulous in the observance
of his daily duties of the Brahmacharya-ashram to which he belonged, and very
regular in his Sandhya-vandana, Arghya and Gayatri Japa. All this I observed,
and also saw how he was possessed of a settled calmness in his nature, which is
rare indeed to come across in present times. Praise and insult were the same to
him. He did not get annoyed or irritated on any account. Next to Sri Gurudev,
whom I have never seen to manifest anger, Subbaraya was the one person in the
Ashram in whom anger seemed to have met its defeat. One could call him a
"Jitakrodha" Shanta-murthi without exaggeration. His calmness and
absence of anger were the outcome of his "Amaanitvam" and
"Adambitvam", and these were prominent among the numerous
Daivi-sampatthi, of which he was a repository, and the indications of wisdom
which he personified. His nature and conduct would be found totally with the
description found in the five verses (7th to the 11th) of the 13th chapter of
the Gita.
Aspiration for the highest realization
Swami Sivanandaji, noticing
his love of study, encouraged him to use the books in the Ashram library, and
also provided for his study whatever books he wished to have. Austerity went
hand in hand with his study. His life at the time was of the utmost simplicity
and absolute self-control. He would never open his mouth and ask anything, even
if it was badly needed. His practice of "Aparigraha" was perfect. And
all the time he was ever-filled with an intense burning aspiration for the
highest realization. By temperament he was inclined more towards silence,
seclusion and inward living than towards external preoccupation or too much
activity.
However, finding that the
Ashram life necessarily implied some extent of participation in the general
service in one form or other done by all Ashramites, young Subbaraya willingly
undertook to work at the Ashram outdoor dispensary. He made a most compassionate
medical assistant and nurse combined to the afflicted and the sick.
III
Brahma
Nishta and Sidha Mahapurusha
Spiritual Stature and Eminence
Of souls like Swami
Krishanandaji, all cannot give estimations and opinions. It is said that one of
the rarest of qualities in this world is understanding. No man can understand
another man. We cannot understand
spiritual people of high spiritual eminence.
We cannot understand a saint
of the eminence of Swami Krishnanandaji. We will be able to appreciate some of
his human qualities. We may say that he expounds Vedanta wonderfully,—that is
not a very great complement to a soul who has dived into the very depth of
Vedantic knowledge and also has to his credit inner experience of the Vedantic
truths. Even so, we may say he does not waste his time, he leads a very
regulated life,—but all this is like trying to say that the sun shines, that it
rises punctually every day in the east. You bypass what the splendor is, and
say only what you can see.
To understand the secret of Swami Krishnananda’s great spiritual stature
and eminence, is a thing which we can try only by a devout and humble emulation
or imitation of his life. We must observe, learn and be filled with a spirit of
discipleship. Then alone will we be able to understand. Or else, we will
admire, but we will not be able to thoroughly understand what they are.
Specially so is the case with
persons with whom we are constantly living. By constant association, you lose
the real worth of a being. A sort of carelessness develops in you. It is only
people who don’t live with him, who visit him once in a while and hear
something from him which goes right into their hearts and at once flashes there
the light of illumination, of Atma-vichara,—they will treasure the light that
he has been able to kindle in their hearts. They will prize this experience of
contact with him and enshrine it in their hearts beacon light.
Spiritual man and a Sanyasin
The first is that Swami
Krishnanandaji is an unusual being—Manushyanaam Sahasreshu Kaschit Yatati
Siddhaye; Yatatamapi Siddaanam Kaschinmam Vetti Tatwatah. He is one of those
who belong to the latter category, the rare few who, having striven, attain Him
and know Him in essence, and who come in order to lead men towards
Self-knowledge. As this only we must view our Vedanta Acharya and Sanyasa
Acharya.
Viveka, Vairagya, Sadhana Chatushtaya,
Mumukshutva
His life, I have found, is
based upon absolute Vairagya. His renunciation and spiritual life is one that
is based upon Poorna Vairagya. It is the best foundation for spiritual life. The
exceptional feature of the Vairagya of Krishnanandaji is that it is
Viveka-Vichara-Janita Vairagya. It is Vairagya that slowly grew and beautifully
developed within his consciousness through the ceaseless pondering the facts of
life, and bringing to bear upon these phenomena of life a very penetrating and
a very highly discriminating mind. It is this discrimination and constant
enquiry that has brought out his Vairagya. Upon this Vairagya he has based his
spiritual life; thus it stands upon the surest of bases, upon a most permanent
and unshakable basis.
Vairagya is not an easy thing.
People may suffer again and again; yet they cling to worldly life. By merely
coming to know of the harmful and painful nature of sense-objects, by Viveka
alone, Swami Krishnanandaji has got himself established in Para-vairagya.
There is nothing that he wants
in this universe. He does not care for these names and forms. He has acquired
that sense of Paripoornata which springs from the constant consciousness that
‘I am Nitya, Shudha, Buddha, Satchidananda Atma’. His Viveka and Vichara have
given him a very correct lead in the spiritual life.
If you want to know about
Parabrahman: Tadviddhi Pranipatena Pariprasnena Sevaya. Eradication of egoism,
Seva—all these mean a complete change of your entire old, unregenerate,
self-arrogating nature. Then alone have you to approach the Guru. Krishnanandaji
has made his Vedantic life to be based upon perfect Adikaritwa. As such, you
see in him an ideal exemplar or Sadhana Chatushtaya. His Viveka is twenty-four
hours’ Viveka. Every moment of his life he is ever discriminating. His mind is
never slumbering, never relaxed. This is his criterion,—whatever he does,
whatever experience comes to him, ‘will this help my spiritual life or retard
my spiritual life?’ This is the measuring rod which he has. He is absolutely
firm in his principles and in using this measuring rod. If it is unspiritual,
he rejects it without a second thought. It is a discrimination which always
chooses the Sreya Marga.
Swami Krishnanandaji is an
embodiment of the Nachiketas element. Sadhana Chatushtaya are proud to come and
have their dwelling in such a worthy receptacle. Whatever suffering, whatever
diseases, and whatever troubles and difficulties come to him, he would never
mention it to anybody, and never make any effort to correct it. This is
Titiksha. Swami Krishnanandaji has always tried to keep this ideal of Titiksha
before him in his daily life. For that, he always goes to the original source
of wisdom. Whatever definition Sankara has given for all these Sadhanas, he
always takes Sankara’s definitions as his ideal, and tries to keep to them.
His inner life is a shining
flame of aspiration. Day and night he is consumed with the aspiration for the realization
of the Absolute. All other things don’t exist for him. That is the type of
inner life that Swami Krishnanandaji has got.
Yoga of Synthesis – Hand, Head and Heart (Karma
Yogi, Jnana Yogi, Bhakti Yogi)
Even though ordinarily
Vedantins are supposed to be theoretical and do not take part in Karma Yoga,
Swami Krishnanandaji has done wonderful service in our dispensary. Day and
night he has served as the sole ‘in-charge’ of the dispensary. Even though his
nature was something inward, introspective, yet when the call of duty came, he,
in spite of his nature, came out and served wonderfully. He never wastes a
single moment. His is a most systematic life in this Ashram.
I have never heard him raise
his voice and speak or utter a harsh word. He has made himself an embodiment of
tolerance that Gurudev is.
His life is one permeated by
one of pure Brahma Abhyasa. He is constantly thinking, dwelling in, and
absorbed in the thought of the Highest Reality, in the thought of that One
Transcendental, Imperishable, Infinite, Nameless, Formless, Ever-present,
All-pervading Reality. That is the sort of spontaneous Sadhana which he does,
and he lives as a Jivanmukta would live.
His life is an ideal which
everyone should try to emulate. Socially and individually, his conduct and behavior
may well be the enviable ideal of a perfect gentleman. His speech, the decorum
of his behavior, his conduct, his social interaction,—everything is that of an
ideal gentleman.In his daily life, in his routine, in the discipline which he
practises, he is an ideal for a Sadhaka.His attitude towards life, and his
vision of the world, is an ideal pattern for any saint to adopt.The
consciousness which he always holds within himself is the ideal for a
Jivanmukta.
He has tried to mould himself
upon the highest ideal of perfection in which Indians and Hindus have, viz.,
the life of Purna-avatara Sri Krishna. Early in life, Krishnanandaji was
inspired by the Gita; he has followed and striven earnestly and successfully to
grow into the likeness of the Gita ideal and the Krishna ideal. Happily, in his
intuitive wisdom, Sri Gurudev has given him the name ‘Swami Krishnananda’, one
who partakes of the Bliss of the Krishna-consciousnes. Krishnanandaji knows
that the entire world is a shadow play; he is not affected by it. At the same
time, he is ever centered in the consciousness of the Highest Reality,
Satchidananda.
We should realize this, and
reflect seriously on what he stands for, and the ideal he embodies in his life.
The highest compliment we can pay to these great people is to emulate them and
become blessed.
Excerpts from:
“Swami
Krishnananda” - The Ideal Saint from
the Inspiring pen of Sri Swami Chidananda
If you would like to purchase the print edition, visit:
http://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?
http://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?
If you would
like to contribute to the dissemination of spiritual knowledge please contact
the General Secretary at:
No comments:
Post a Comment