Gracious Gurudev
(Memories of Maharaj Sripadji)
Late Prof. N. M. Sazanovoy
Late Prof. N. M. Sazanovoy
Discussing spiritual teachers and gurus can always be difficult. Until the end of my life, I will be grateful to my fate for arranging a meeting with the mystic saint, Sripadji Maharaj, in India. It happened in 1968 in Agra, where I was on an internship at the K. M. Institute, affiliated with Agra University. I studied the medieval language Braj to understand the creative writings of Mahtama Surdas, a great 116th-centuryIndian saint-poet who was visually challenged from birth. My job led me to meet Dr. Mata Prasad Gupta, the director of K M Institute. I spent much time in a section of the institute, which had collections
of photocopies of manuscripts of the writings of the saint-poet. However, the most recognised forms of these manuscripts were available only in the private collections of the Maharaja of Jaipur and in the temple of Sri Nath Ji Nathdwara (near Udaipur), both situated in the state of Rajasthan. As these manuscripts are
revered and rare, access to them is limited only to a small number of
trusted persons.
In Agra, I was staying at the Imperial Hotel, a Victorian-style building where I had a massive room with a very tall ceiling, but a small window. After returning from the university, I usually preferred to work using my personal table and chair in the hotel’s overgrown lawn, surrounded by palm trees and flowers. Occasionally, my Indian friends from the university also visited
me on the lawn. One afternoon, Mr. K. visited and asked me if I knew the meaning
of M'ahatma 'and would like to meet ane. I was surprised by the question, but replied that I know, and I would very much like to see an Indian Mahatma. Mr. K.
said, smilingly, that your desire was fulfilled instantly. Our Sripad Baba ji, a great Mahatma, has expressed his desire to meet with you. I was
overjoyed to know this and enquired when and where it may occur. "Now and
here in the lawn”, said Mr. K. As soon as Mr. K finished his sentence, the Mahatma-
a young man of medium height, with long curly hair, wearing a yellow dhoti-
arrived in the lawn. Mr. K. prostrated at the feet of Mahatma, sprinkling the
dust of his feet on his head. I stood up, embarrassed, and bowed in the usual manner
of greeting. Mahatma smiled. Then, I looked at his eyes. They were huge
and brown with a frown, penetrating into the very heart of mine. I understood
that Mahatma could see through me. Therefore, it was useless to hide anything from
him and to be hypocritical. By gesture, he ordered someone to bring another
chair for himself and sat down smilingly in the lotus position. The chief and all
the servants of the hotel prostrated at his feet and ran to receive his orders.
After prostrations, they stood at a distance and looked at him with
indescribable awe. Sripad ji told me in Hindi that I read your interview in The Nav Bharat Times, a newspaper, where you were in a conversation with a well-known journalist, Pandit Haridutt Sharma.[1]
It seems that you mainly desire to follow the footsteps of Surdas and want to
peruse the manuscript of "Sursagar”[2]
at the earliest.
I confirmed adding that it is
even difficult for me to understand bhakti (devotional) poems of Surdas about Sri
Krishna, which inspired my camping here. Sripad ji paused and asked what I knew about Bhaktikti - the religion of love. I then knew little about Bhaktikti. However, I knew that it was useless to engage in medieval Indian literature without knowing Bhaktikti. Sripadji Maharaj said, Haridatta Sharma, you have acquired too
many qualifications and titles. 'But, RussianRadha (Krishna's beloved) wants
to leaBhaktikti. Sripad ji asked me, “Are you ready for bhakti”? I rose from the
chair and answered in the affirmative. Well, then, follow me now for a tour and replace
your Western clothes with a sari. In the confusion, I said, I do not know how
to put on a saree, nor do I have one. "No problem it is easy and fixable”
said Mahatma. In the meantime, collect all your belongings from the hotel”.
Looking into the eyes of Sri Padji, I realised that I would go anywhere with Mahatma. I requested Mr. K. to inform Dr. Mataprasad Gupta that I had no idea
at that moment how my embassy would react to my extraordinary act.
I collected dictionaries and
books from the room hurriedly, and at the same time, I was terrified that
everything was happening like a mirage. I was led through the hotel lawn to a
car parked at the gate, where I was seated in the front seat alongside Sripad
ji, next to the driver. Five people were accommodated in the back seat, of which
I knew Mr. K. and graduate student R. Nobody told me about our destination. On my
question about where we were going, Sripad ji only smiled. How did I then explain to
myself? All races say that you cannot ask questions to a mahatma himself; if he
thinks fit, he will explain. Indian etiquette should therefore not be
curious, particularly in a relationship with a well-respected Mahatma.[3]
We stopped at a two-storey mansion in a locality of Agra, where we were offered snacks
upstairs on the roof, which often replaces traditional Indian home living. There, we waited
for the homeowners who, with extraordinary reverence, greeted Sripad ji
and me. All of us sat down on mats on the floor, where we were offered lovely
meals. Sripad ji was served first, but he ate little. Sripad ji ensured that I was given satwik khana, i.e., food without pepper and hot spices. After
eating, we rinsed our mouths and washed our hands according to the Indian custom.
Thereafter, we sat down again on the roof on mats.
Sripad ji picked up a large bundle, from which he selected a lovely antique miniature image of Sri Krishna. Showing him, he explained that this particular image of Sri Krishna was called Srinathji, which was sacred to the sect of the "Pushti” marg (tradition). Saint Surdas also belonged to the Pushti marg and was one of the eight foremost poets of the sect. Such miniatures are now dcreatedin Nathdwara at Hthe are Krishna
ccentreof miniature art.[4]
While all were admiring Sri Nath Ji, the deity of Nathdwara, the landlord
brought a camera. He photographed our congregation on the roof of the house with
the permission of Sripada ji. Thereafter, everyone left to rest. I was left
in the company of Mrs. Shanta Khandelwal — a beautiful, stately woman with huge
black eyes and a friendly smile. Mrs Shanta immediately became my closest friend and has remained so ever since. She helped me put on a sari that she had brought with her. She facilitated my comfortable stay and helped me have conversations
with others. No matter where I travelled, pretty Shanta has always been next
to me. It turned out that among those present at the dinner, one of the men was her husband, Banarsidas Khandelval, a businessman who owned a shop selling modern sanitary equipment in Agra. The Khandelval family, along with their children and
relatives, followed the sect of "Pushti Marg", in which Surdas is
revered as one of its eight great saint-poets. In the Samaj (congregations of
singers) in Krishna temples dedicated to "Pushti” marg, the singing of padas
(lyrics) of the saint Surdas is sung with music routinely and regularly. Shanta too adored Surdas and sang his padas while playing the tanpura, an important musical instrument.
By evening, we again started our travel. An hour
later, when it got dark and the night sky was lit with bright stars and the moon, the car reached a forest clearing on the bank of the Yamuna River. The place was
called Gaughat, situated in Runakta village, where Saint Surdas met his mentor, Swami Vallabhacharya, and used to compose and sing his poetry [5].
The place looked wild, with only an old, abandoned water well serving as a testament that some people had once inhabited it. At the direction of Sripad Maharaja ji, we carefully spread mats on the ground and sat down to listen to Shanta’s beautiful singing of the poetry of Surdas. My knowledge of the Vraj language in which the poetry of
Surdas is written was meagre, but I could distinctly hear the final strokes
concluding each hymn: "Surdas sang." Time slipped by unnoticed. Sripad
ji went into deep meditation. Coming out of it, he advised everybody to take a rest or go to sleep. Most people began to settle down to sleep in the car itself, while others lay near the vehicle on the ground. I was struck by the ability of
Indians to sleep anywhere and in any position. Because I was susceptible and could not rest on the ground, which was also under the open
sky, I rejected a proposal to sleep in the jam-packed car. Instead, I
resolutely sat on the ground to enjoy the full moon view.
I was told that nobody had ever
seen Sripadji sleeping. But, he could meditate at any hour of day or night, at
any place and under any circumstance. Noticing me sitting lonely with my head raised to the sky, Sripad ji called me saying, "If you want to meditate, you can do it now? I replied, “I do not know how to mediate, although I
theoretically know what it is." Sripad ji, judging by my voice in the dark, said:
"Sit down next to me. Look at the moon, concentrate on and chant the name
of Krishna." I followed his instructions in toto. I suddenly felt an aura
of light behind me, which was surely not moonlight. Gradually, light globules
filled the space between the ground and the sky. At the same time, I felt
weightlessness, as if the law of gravity was broken, launching me into the shining
sky. On the one hand, there was a growing desire in me to fly in the shining
sky; on the other, a voice inside me whispered, "But you cannot return."
Sanity had reached its limit; I was scared and said to myself, "I must come
back to earth; I am not ready to go to the shining stars". This idea
immediately materialised in action. I came back from this experience in the Nela galaxy. The distant sky was still strewn with bright stars and the moon, but the magical light had disappeared. I stretched my legs, which had become stiff due to sitting for a long time in an uncomfortable sitting posture. I looked at Sripad ji sitting
next to me; he shuddered as if he was slowly recovering from the meditation. In
the moonlight, he appeared fine. He said, "You did not trust me and were afraid to enter into the domain of divine light; you need to know that I could always bring you back to the earth." Subsequently, many Bhaktas inquired about this esoteric experience and were jealous of his favours to me. I must admit
that I was not initially inclined towards yoga practices. Somehow, I am convinced by the writings in ancient Indian books of respected Maharishis that women should not practice rajyoga, which leads to the state of samadhi (trance). Particularly, hath yoga never attracted me. Despite this, Sripad Ji Maharaj
tried several times to introduce me to yogic meditation. He granted me devotional
meditation later, after noticing my indifference and lacklustre efforts towards
yoga meditation.
It was in Agra as well as in the
wild forest that I heard for the first time the live singing performances of the
verses (padas) of the poems of Surdas being sung in the tradition of the
"Pushti Marg." In the future, during my more serious engagement with Krishna bhakti and the creative writings of Surdas, Sripad ji repeatedly sent me to various live programmes where I listened to the beautiful lyrics of Surdas in the Samaj singing style. Later, I too learned to sing many of my favourite padas of
"Sursagar". After spending a whole night in the wild forest, we started the next morning for a detour to various places associated with Saint Surdas. Sripad ji told everyone to enter the hut called Surkuti, where he gave me flowers for laying the images of Krishna, Surdas, and his teacher, Vallabhacarya. Each one of us, except me, sang
a pad of Surdas glorifying Krishna. It was evident that they sang their favourite and familiar verses. From the heart, Shanta began to teach me how to sing the pads of surdas and play the anpura. Thereafter, we all went to bathe in the
Yamuna. After bathing, we proceed to a famous lake through the forest thicket. For centuries, this place has been revered as sacred. Bringing me to the lakeside,
Sripad ji showed me the tree that Krishna used for jumping into the lake. At
that moment, I was astonished to clearly see in the body of the tree boy
Krishna's figure. When I reported this to Sripad ji, he laughed. When I
narrated this incident to Shanta and Gopal, they unanimously declared that Sripad
ji granted me a "darshan" (vision) of Sri Krishna and felt terribly
jealous of me.
On another occasion, while
taking a bath in Chandra Sarovar, a pond at Parasauli, the place where Saint Surdas performed his sadhana. I lost my amber necklace and was a little upset. When
this news spread, the people gathered around the pond to try to find the necklace.
However, they could not succeed. Suddenly, a five-year-old little boy with curly
hair ran up to me and handed over the necklace. I tried to hug the boy in a feeling of love and gratitude, but he ducked away and disappeared as suddenly
as he had appeared. Shanta and other bhaktas froze in amazement and began to
say: "It's been very Krishna! You're greatly blessed to receive his favour
with His darshan”. Of course, this is all due to the grace of Sri Maharaj Ji
Pad. Permeated with this consciousness, I offered my thanks to the altar of
Shri Krishna at a temple. I must say that Sripad ji has granted me rich experiences and "darshan". Repeatedly, Gopal Pandey and other bhaktas confidently told me several times that since Sripadji is an avatar of Shri Krishna, he can do wonders. However, such experiences are given only to those who seek to realise God through Bhakti. I soon realised that without an understanding of Bhakti, one cannot comprehend the creative writings of Surdas. There are many essential books in Sanskrit (e.g. Narad Bhakti Sutra) and Tamil (Tamil Prabandhas), but all
require knowledge of these languages. Surdas is accepted in the first place as a great devotional poet; therefore, it is absolutely necessary to immerse oneself in the world of Bhaktikti to understand and follow his writings. Without this, in my
view, any study or research on the writings of Surdas would be reduced to the
"Europeanized formalised scheme" by which one cannot appreciate and
understand the creativity of Surdas. I must say that Sripadji Maharaj helped me tremendously and inducted me into Bhakti by granting several personal and spiritual experiences.
Sripad ji Maharaj was also a
"learned" mahatma, who read and collected manuscripts on bhakti
literature in Braj, Awadhi and Sanskrit languages and had a great interest in
Indian classical music. No wonder he founded the "Vraja Academy” during the mid-1970s to promote Vraj culture. Thanks to Sripad ji, I
was now better equipped to capture the spiritual essence in the poetic writings
of the Saint Poets of Vraja. Soon, I, together with Sripad ji, boarded a bus with pilgrims of Rajasthan. First of all, I wanted to peruse the famous manuscript
of Sursagar. However, I became acquainted with several medieval manuscripts
containing the padas of Surdas. In addition to a rare opportunity to see the manuscripts in the temple libraries of Rajasthan, including Sri Nathdwara, I also met the Maharaja of Jaipur. Later, I also visited Vrindavan and other places of the Vraj region, including Parasouli, the sadhana sthali of Surdas. The rare manuscript of Surdas is a collection of poems on the life of Krishna in Braja, which are sung and performed by artists and visitors in Radhe-Krishna
temples in Rajasthan. Well-versed in reading these manuscripts, Sripad ji helped me not only in reading these manuscripts but, more importantly, to understand the content and esoteric meanings of these verses.
Sripad ji was not only well-versed with the bhakti tradition of the olden days, but also had a keen interest in all modern achievements of civilisation. Therefore, "Vraj Academy"
was one of the first institutions in the Vraj region to acquire a computer. Sripad
ji very quickly mastered all kinds of computer-related wisdom. In this direction, Vraja Academy extensively used computers to prepare materials for organising its conferences and seminars in Vrindavan. Vraja Academy also has a large collection of rare manuscripts, books, miniatures and artefacts of the medieval bhakti period. During my later visits to Vraja Academy, I was pleasantly surprised to see Swami ji at the computer, on the phone, or reading English newspapers. Imagine a typical Indian Sanyasi in a loincloth with long hair up to the waist holding up an antique white phone. However, all the movements of Sripada ji were so natural that they fitted into any environment, whether a Himalayan Cave, the presidential palace, a peasant hut or a palace of the king. Sripad ji’s eyes, shaded by
thick, curved lashes, were full of light sparkle. He had wonderful, thin,
flexible fingers of a musician! He even taught me how to carefully unroll
a manuscript. He instructed me not to breathe directly on such a sacred
manuscript as the breathing could "desecrate" it. Once in the temple of
"Banke Bihari", a goswami (the priest) in the presence of Sripad
ji showed me the glass jar with the vials of liquid perfumes meant for the service
of Shri Krishna. I leaned over and began sniffing one of the vials. Pujari grabbed
the bottle out of my hands, uttering something in annoyance. Sripad ji explained
to me that I had profaned the perfume by inhaling through my breath. This cannot be used for puja or the decoration (sringar) of Shri Krishna.
He took from Pujari the small bottle with a dark, brown, oily liquid and
gave it to me for the service of my Krishna idol at home. On another occasion, Sripad
ji gave me a bronze idol of Gopal Krishna (baby Krishna) with butter in his
right hand, along with the items needed for his decoration - his clothing,
jewellery and a collection of perfume bottles. Later in 1974, I was presented with bronze idols of Krishna and Radha, along with skillfully made silk and brocade skirts, saris, blouses, dhotis, scarves, blankets, coloured beads, gold thread, pearls, hats, and crowns for the idols' decorations. Once Sripad Ji Maharaja explained to me that the sringara, or decoration of the deity Krishna in the temple, combined with his adoration, arati with lights, and singing kirtan, increases the intensity of Bhakti. That is why the most famous Krishna temple
in Vrindavan, such as "Banke Bihari" and "Radha Vallabha" decorate
the deities and perform araties and offer tasty foods to them several times in a
day. This is also called astyam seva (eight times service) to God, including
"Mangala Arati", "Dhup Arati", "Sringara Arati",
"Rajbhoga Arati", "Sandhya Arati”, "Bhoga Arati" at
dinner time and last "Shayan Arati" when Shri Krishna is laid to
sleep at around 9 PM.
Sripad ji had no permanent place of residence and regular times for meeting
people. He used to disappear or appear suddenly whenever and wherever he wanted
it to be necessary. Thus, no one could tell exactly where he was and when he
could be seen. Sripad ji Maharaj more often chose to visit the temple of "Banke
Bihari" at the time of "sringar arati”. I remember that many Bhaktas (devotees),
including those from afar, came to the temple of "Bank Bihari"
looking for Sripad ji but not all succeeded in seeing him. Sometimes some people
were fortunate to catch him searching his tracks. I remember one of the cases
of such "disappearances". Bhakti Group comprising five people, including
Shyam and me, was traveling together with Sripad ji in the foothills of the
Himalayas. At some point of time, however, Sripad ji disappeared. Several hours
passed but no one of us could find him. We began to panic as none of us had any
idea where we were. Adults with honorable positions in society suddenly became helpless
children. I too decided to look for Sripad ji. Knowing his habit of hiding in
the most uncomfortable places for a man, I suggested that we should look for Sripad
ji in nearby thorny bushes. However, I did not find anyone there. I told Shyam
that, as per Bhagavata Puran, Shri Krishna disappeared even from his beloved
gopis in the forest. Shyama corrected me saying that Sri Krishna went “antardhyana"
i.e. He assumed the state of non-survival or un-manifestation. I recalled that
once Sripad ji told me that Bhagavan can be in the state of non-survival or
manifestation or Nirguna or Saguna. Sri Krishna - manifested as saguna (with
qualities and form) but his everlasting state is nirguna (without form and
qualities). In the meanwhile Shyama while photographing me found Sripad ji sitting
in meditation under a large tree in the bushes. I still have that photograph.
Ready to leave, I looked back and saw just a scratch away Sripada ji sitting in
meditation. Shyama, frozen in amazement, automatically pulled the trigger. At
the same time, Sripad ji straightened and stood up. I exclaimed "This is
You Gurudeva, not a mirage, but a while ago you were not there”. All of us have
been looking for you. Nobody knew what to do, where to go. Sripad ji grinned and
replied that he was sitting in meditation among these bushes under the tree, but
you could not see me. As your appearance and photographing distracted me, therefore,
I broke my meditation. Bowing her head low Shyama begged forgiveness with
folded hand from Gurudeva for photographing him without his consent. "I
know, dear Gurudeva, without your consent we cannot do anything! But, kindly
leave the testimony of your antardhyana imprinted on the pictures.” I said joining
Shyam’s requests. Sripad ji agreed. Thus, I have two significant pictures of
that event. In on one of them in the bush under the tree no one is visible, in
the other one Sripad ji visibly exist. I still cherish the memory of this
photographic event.
(Source: Photographs and Excerpts from a translation of an essay published in Aryavarta Herald, 2008 (10) in Russian language by Late Prof. N. M. Sazanovoy)
(Source: Photographs and Excerpts from a translation of an essay published in Aryavarta Herald, 2008 (10) in Russian language by Late Prof. N. M. Sazanovoy)
[1]
It was revealed to me later that Sripad ji visited
the home of Shri Banarsidas and Smt. Shanta Khandelwal before my first meeting
with him and showed them the Haridatt Sharma’s newspaper article with my prominent
portrait and a title "Russian Radha". After reading the article, Sripad
ji expressed his desire for a meeting with me which was arranged with the help
of professors of Agra University.
[2] A
major book of poems of Saint Surdas.
[3]
Sripad Maharaj ji by that time was widely known as
a mahatma and mystic saint in Agra, Delhi, Prayag (Allahabad), Varanasi
(Benares), Haridwar, several places in Rajasthan and North and Central India. After
Sripad ji’s pilgrimage to South India in the early 1970s, he was also known to
various people and places in South India. Ten years after the first meeting
with Sripad in Agra, we were again together in Hyderabad at the invitation of Hon’ble
Chenna Reddy, then Governor of Andhra Pradesh.
[5] Many years later Dr. Srivastava created "Memorial
Society of Surdas" at Runkta in honor of the poet, Shri Surdas.
