Let That Golden Vessel be Broken

Janani Satvika Jnana Thapaswini & Janani Amala Jnana Thapaswini

Hiranmayena Patrena Satyasya Apihitam Mugham - the face of truth is hidden by a golden vessel. Several sages tried to open that golden vessel undertaking great pain and suffering and disappeared behind the veil of time. Although we have known about such souls from Guru, it was when we witnessed the wailing soul of a great Rishi, the magnitude of that pain twirled and seized the chords of heart.

A dry morning in the month of Makaram (Malayalam Era 1161): We were on a pilgrimage to Kanyakumari along with Guru and the children of Santhigiri Vidyabhavan. The long-held desire of these children who were fortunate to receive Gurukula education - the lost tradition of modern India - was getting fulfilled. They were chanting the Guru Gita verses, which they had memorized, with an unknown passion during the trip. The atmosphere reverberated with the mantras glorifying Guru, which were denied and unapproachable to their ancestors. Let these echo shaking all living beings that are unaware of this truth because of the selfish motive of the priestly class and its willful treachery.

We reached the precincts of Sucheendram temple around twelve. In all the traveled paths, the ancestral souls of different characters, traits and tendencies were screaming and running behind us, understanding the presence of Guru. Some of them ran away and hid themselves. Some of them danced with joy. Some of them cried for liberation, while some were annihilated. They were souls wandering for many ages seeking salvation through the dust fallen from the feet of a mahatma. Those who sought refuge attained peace. At our arrival, the population of such spirits surrounding the temple increased than the normal. The deities appeared in front of us even before we could enter the temple. There were great rishis, devas and celestials among them. There were Atri Maharshi and Anasuya in front. The great Rishi ran up to Guru and prostrated offering flowers.

We entered the temple. Normally, Guru does not enter any temple. There is a reason. If it were worship time, the deities there would beseech us to tell Guru not to enter then because it was the worship time. ‘If Guru comes inside, we have to get up. And when we receive worship, we are unable to do so’. Therefore, at this place too, Guru waited outside the temple courtyard. Sitting inside the temple, we meditated on Guru. The kundalni was aroused.

The origin, existence and dissolution aspects of the temple flashed before our mind’s eye. The sacrificial life of Atri Maharshi, his soul effulgence and its status could be known. Then the ethereal figure of Guru became manifest with the radiance of a billion suns. The Maharshi touched the feet of Guru and said with tears: ‘I have one submission before You; the people should know the reality, truth and prominence of this place. Your grace should be there for that. It was the heart-rending cry of a soul of self-sacrifice - the cry of a Mahatma who did penance without even a spare cloth and whose hunger had to be satisfied with a morsel of food by begging, and who, suffering mist, sun, rain and wind, left the frame reaching the heights of spiritual realization.

It is that power of penance, which is maintaining the greatness of that place in reality. That truth is hidden with the golden vessel. The name Sucheendram is so known because Indra was purified in that place. The people do not know the Soul who was capable of sanctifying. In his place, the priestly class is worshipping Indra, Trimurti, Sri Ram, Sita and Hanuman. Pity, the poor people offer garlands of vada to Hanuman, who is installed on the Maharshi’s samadhi. When the holy water from the Maharshi’s feet was sprinkled, the Trimurti gods were turned into infants - that is the story. That story is sculpted on the walls too. Ironically, however, the worship is to the Trimurti.

In the history of which temple has the truth not been concealed? Were the Devi temples not established on the blood of Buddha Bhikshus? Even if it is the samadhi of a mahatma, a devi or deva would be installed there and people will be misled. With the passage of time, the number of devas and devis would increase according to the desire of tantrics. Some irrational myths also would be created. The sacrificial lives of mahatmas who had come until now were covered by myths related to the worldly drama of devas.

Is there no escape for these mahatmas? Generations that had blindly believed in all these. Is there no escape for them too? There is now the modern generation, which does not believe in these myths, denying them with rationality and intelligence. Just by denial, you are not going to get salvation. The ancestral souls of your family are entwined with the deities and gods, and they are after you wielding their swords. You have to seek a Guru for their liberation. Break the golden vessel that hides truth and relish the truth.

The Soul of that Mahatma who is painfully trying to show you the golden vessel - that pain has been submitted at the right place, at the feet of a Jnani, who has known the depth of that pain. It has been submitted at the feet of the medium that Brahman has deputed to lead humanity to Satya Yuga, redeeming it from all deviations. Have Your eyes also moistened from the reflection of that submission! You raised him up with compassion as if he were your own soul and consoled him.  ‘Let twelve years pass away! Then there will be an occasion’.

These words made the Maharshi full of joy. However, the pain of the Maharshi still stirs the mind. Pity the people who do not know this. O’ God! If you had given the ethereal vision to all to observe these things happening in the subtle! I declare loudly to the liberationists, compassionately avoiding the rationalists who ridicule this as mental delusion. What is the way for you to know the actual truth of this kind of experiences? If there are Jnanis, let them experience it. Otherwise, there is only the help of astrology. Let them clarify it with astrolabes. 

(Santhigiri Malayalam Adhyatmika Masika, September, 1986, translated into English by Mukundan P.R.)