17. PREPARATION

DID Venkataraman who attained Self knowledge at
Madurai itself need any further initiation or penance,
ask some. The saint-composer Thyagaraja also questioned,
"Did one who knew that he was not the body need any
japa?" For such a one who had no desires, any penance
cannot be for any selfish reason. So, it is implied that the
penance of such a one can have some other meaning.

"One with the knowledge of Brahman must be
Brahman itself." Yet in this illusory world his physical
body was very much visible, it was performing some
functions. Hence for a liberated being there might be no
karma ^[?] but his body did not escape the efforts of karma ^[?].

      All liberated beings may not be involved in family
affairs. Some like Janaka ruled the land, yet some others
like Dattatreya acted as teachers to seekers. Those
appointed to be teachers needed certain credentials, they
had to have practice, knowledge and oratorical skill.
Without these, their position would not have the
imprimatur of the cosmic force. Did not Sri Ramakrishna
say, "People will accept the orders proclaimed through
public announcements only if they are made by one
authorized by government to do so."

      For acquiring all these and to occupy the position of
a teacher, time and practice are needed. One can see such
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stages of preparation in the lives of every prophet. After
acquisition of Self knowledge Jesus spent forty days in
seclusion. Everyone is familiar with the experience of the
Buddha. Mohammed became a recluse in mountain caves.

      Such being the case, why doubt the need for a period
of preparation to those divine beings in human form who
were to become World Teachers?

The moment Sakti entered Venkataraman it was
decreed that the body was meant for the world. Hence it
had to be prepared for the prescribed duty in seclusion.
Likewise, it had to sever all family ties which were opposing
forces and also move to a distant place ? Arunachala. For
every atom of the body to be filled with Sakti and be
ready for the benefit of humanity, time was needed. It
was due to the inspiration of that Sakti that Swami's body
abided in the atma and did not even look at the world or
people; speech also got internalized.

      Nobody, except those great ones with divine eyes,
can ever know what chakras were pierced, what occult
powers accumulated in that body during that period.
Hence, no one can describe these events when they were
actually going on. By the time it came to the practical
world, the body was not the same. It was the body of
Parameswara, every atom of it was sacred, powerful.
Having said that Arunachala was the guru of preparation
let us now turn towards mundane activities.

      It was at the mango grove of Venkatarama Naicker
near Gurumurtam that the Swami's activities in the form
of teachings commenced.

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      During the period of intense preparation the Swami's
power of speech receded, and when he resumed speaking
it was difficult. All that the Swami could do was to utter
a few words to Palaniswami, his attendant.

      Uddandi Nayanar came to know that the Swami had
knowledge of Tamil. Thereupon he begged him to give
him some upadesa. By then the Swami was not familiar
with any scriptural literature, whereas Uddandi Nayanar
had already read a lot of it — what he looked forward to
was some teaching born out of experience. As if to suit
him, the Swami wrote the instructions on scraps of paper.
Nayanar retained them until his last days, as precious
treasures. He recited them with the reverence reserved for
the mahavakyas.

      This was how Uddandi Nayanar became the Swami's
first disciple. The instructions of the Swami were lost.
Possibly they were specific to that person. But this would
scarcely be sufficient for a World Teacher. Sakti would
certainly provide him an opportunity to acquire
knowledge of the sastras.

      Tambiran would constantly be singing Thevarams or
Tiruppugazh, which were a treasure house of spiritual
thoughts — by listening to him the Swami had by then
become familiar with them.

      Palaniswami could not read well but was interested
in doing so. He took great pains in reading the Tamil
spiritual texts borrowed from the Nagalingaswamy Library
in the town. He could read with great difficulty but could
not understand. Sympathizing with him the Swami would
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go through the texts in a short time and explain them in
easy language to Palaniswami. The Swami was intelligent,
he had the experience of Reality and was capable of
memorizing the terminology. Thus because of Palaniswami
the Swami became familiar with the Tamil texts of Kaivalya
Navaneetham, Vasishtam, Viveka Choodamani and the like.
Palaniswami became the second disciple of the Swami.

      The Swami never initiated anyone. But it was said
that by his look or appearance in their dreams and touching
them on the head or heart he had granted initiation to
some. His upadesa consisted mostly in the replies he gave
to the questions of seekers. Each one would come to know
by his experience whether the Swami accepted him as a
disciple. For them there was never any doubt. But there
was never any practice of formally accepting anyone as a
disciple or initiating with a mantra or some such thing.

      By then Sakti had provided sufficient book-
knowledge to the Swami, it remained for him to assume
his role. But to become a World Teacher a seat was necessary
and we shall now see how it was provided.