#sanyasi

Mughals visit Ascetic camp

Mughals Visit an Encampment of “Sadhus,” Mughal painting, ca. 1635. St. Petersburg Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, f.47r Such a colourfull beautifull painting showing a group of mughals visiting a camp of Ascetics. Usually Sadhu Sanyasi, Yogis always stayed on edge of community. while doing their meditation tapasya etc they stay away from society or human settlements, and most often in…

Nirkaya Yogi - A yogi who has no sense of his body

One evening, in 17th century South India, a Nawab was enjoying with his begums in his garden. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a naked Sanyasi walks into the garden. While the disgusted begums shriek obscenities, the Sanyasi walks on, as if in trance, oblivious to sight and sound. The angry Nawab orders his guards to chop the Sanyasi's arms. The guards obey and chop off one of his arms. The severed arm falls onto the ground. But the Sanyasi neither flinches, nor shouts. He continues to walk-on in his trance, feeling and showing no pain, though his bloodied arm is bleeding like a tap. The Nawab and his guards realize this man is no ordinary person. He is some kind of a Siddha - one who, through intense sadhana, has acquired Siddhis - mystical powers. They pick up the severed arm from the ground, run up to the Sanyasi and beg for his forgiveness. The naked Sanyasi is, till that moment, unware of the loss of his arm. He smiles, forgives them, gently puts back his arm in its rightful place, and walks on as if he had just dropped his handkerchief and it had been returned to him.

The Yogi's name was Sadashiva Brahmendra and he was a Nirkaya Yogi - one who had transcended his physicality and had no sense of his body any more. (Kaya = Body, Nirkaya = No body). Since he had no sense of his body, he had no need for clothes any more. Nirkaya Yogis roamed blissfully naked, in constant communion with the Absolute.

Here is another story to test your faith.

One day, Sadasiva Brahmendra was sitting in deep meditation on the bank of River Kaveri. Suddenly the river flooded and people saw water submerge him completely. They thought he was drowned. But three months later, when the floods subsided, he was still sitting in the same posture, still in trance. A while later, he just stood up and walked away!

Here is yet another one.

One day, a few kids saw him meditating on the river bank. They requested him to take them to Madurai, about 150 km away, to see the annual fairs and have some fun. The Yogi perhaps felt an overflow of compassion for the kids. He asked them to close their eyes and in no time they were in Madurai. They had their darsan of the Lord and the Goddess there, feasted at the festivities and in due time, before it was night, they were back to the same river bank. The parents of the children could not believe their kids but their graphic description of the Madurai festivities right to the last detail baffled them. They ran to the Kaveri bank to look for the Yogi, but he was gone.

Unbelievable, huh?

Such stories cannot be read or understood with belief. They can only be grasped with faith. Because belief is based on logic, a necessary tool for survival, but woefully inadequate for expansion into other dimensions. Faith, on the other hand, is that dimension of intelligence, that has transcended intellect and its able tools - logic and belief. This great land called Bharat is full of such stories, one more amazing than the other. Wasn't it Mark Twain who said after his trip to India - Everything that can be done by man or God, has been done in this land!

In any case, Sadashiva Brahmendra was also a composer. Because when Gyana is true, it flows out as Bhakti. His simple Kritis are so melodious that one uninitiated with music can also enjoy them. I have heard two of them - Manasa sancharare and Pibare Ramarasam.

Here is a small clip of Manasa sancharare from the movie Shankarabharanam.

The lyrics are as beautiful as its meaning. It personifies Krishna as the representation of the Supreme Brahman and extols the mind to dwell on him. I hope you enjoy dwelling on it.