25. SESHADRI SWAMI
IF to the inhabitants of Arunachala the Maharshi was thesun, Seshadri was the moon. Both were unique, each in
his own way. Seshadri was born an Ashtasahasram Brahmin
in 1870 at Vazhur of Vandavasi taluq. As he lost his father
quite early his mother's uncle Kamakoti Sastriar, a musician,
pouranic and scholar brought him up. Seshadri had a
retentive memory and, was proficient in vocal music, and
puranic lore. At a very early age he mastered the principal
Sanskrit classics and was able to compose poetry in Sanskrit.
Seshadri's favourite Deity was Goddess Kamakshi of
Kanchipuram. Reciting the five hundred slokas in her
praise, Mukapanchasati, he went round her shrine day
and night. In his fifteenth year he got initiated in the
sakti (Bala) mantra and carried on spiritual practices at
the dead of night alone in a burial ground adjoining a
river near the Periandavar shrine. He obtained a vision of
the Goddess Sakti.
Thereafter, Seshadri went round several places for
acquiring knowledge in mantras and finally reached
Arunachala in 1890 where he stayed till his end. He had
acquired occult powers such as reading other peoples'
thoughts, clairvoyance and vaksiddhi.
Seshadri avoided the company of people and to ward
them off acted like a lunatic throwing stones at people.
Page 116
On seeing Ramana he noticed that he was a realised soul
who abided in the Self. He developed great affection for
Ramana.
Seshadri who declined invitations from anyone, on
his own used to visit Ramana's place at Pavalakundru
occasionally and sit along with Ramana's devotees for a
meal. While having his meal Seshadri would sprinkle rice
all round, at which Ramana's devotees would object.
Seshadri would agree with them and take care to ensure
that the rice did not fall on the ground. He also used to
visit Echammal's house even without being asked by her.
Seshadri loved Maharshi's disciples too and used to advise
them to surrender themselves to the Maharshi.
One, Venkatarama Ayyar stood before Seshadri,
though with a desire to have the darshan of the Maharshi.
Seshadri who read his thoughts said, "The Maharshi's
darshan will purify the mind" and encouraged him to
go. Another devotee of the Maharshi, Somasundara
Swami, left the Maharshi's ashram for certain reasons
and was looking for another guru and in that connection
sought Seshadri's advice. Seshadri Swami grasped what
Somasundara Swami was about to ask and said, "Go
back to Ramana." But Somasundara Swami was hesitant
to do so. Seshadri shouted at him saying "Go, go to
Ramana Swami" Somasundaram thereupon returned to
the ashram immediately, It was midnight by then.
Seshadri always said that one should follow only one
path and one guru. So if any one with devotion to Ramana
came to him he would urge him to go to Ramana. On
Page 117
one occasion he asked T.V. Subrahmanya Ayyar, who had
great devotion towards the Maharshi, "There are three
lingas here, do you know?"
Ayyar: The hill is the only one. It is the jyotirlingam.
Seshadri: Not at all and you know that there are three lingas.
Ayyar: I do not know, but what are the other two lingas, Swami?
Seshadri: You know them too.
Ayyar: Sorry, I do not know.
Seshadri: People say it is Ramana Swami.
Ayyar: Alright, what is the third?
Seshadri: You know that too.
Ayyar: I do not know, Swami.
Seshadri: The third lingam [?] is known as `Seshadri'.
Ayyar: Is it you?
Seshadri: You know it, isn't it?
Ayyar: I don't know.
Seshadri: Yes it is me. There were occasions when Seshadri said he was not different from Ramana.
Lakshmi Ammal came to Arunachala in order to serve
the Maharshi and stayed with Echammal. One day on her
way to the Maharshi's ashram, she ran into Seshadri Swami
and regretted that she was not able to serve him. Seshadri
grasped her unspoken thought and to lessen her grief said
to her, "What if the service is there (i.e to Ramana) or
here (i.e. to Seshadri)?"
Page 118
In order to facilitate dhyana [?], a Sastry of Chidambaram
used to resort to opium though the Maharshi advised him
against it. On one occasion as the opinum was not pure,
the mind of the Sastry became perverse and all sorts of
thoughts sprang up. Not knowing what to do, he ran to
the Kambathu Ilayanar shrine and waited for Seshadri. As
soon as he came the Sastry prostrated at his feet and even
before he could say anything the Sastry was admonished
thus: "I had already advised you against using the drug
but you persisted." These were not the words of Seshadri,
but of the Maharshi. The Sastry realised that Seshadri said
those words to demonstrate that there was no difference
between him and the Maharshi.
Tiruvallur Subrahmanya Mudaliar was a businessman
who got entangled in litigations in his thrist for acquiring
more wealth. Seshadri rebuked him several times on this
score. In 1910 Seshadri went to the Mango tree cave
where Mudali was in the presence of the Maharshi and
said to Mudaliar, "Look, the income of the younger
brother is ten thousand per month; for me it is one
thousand, Why don't you try to earn at least a hundred?"
Mudaliar understood that the `income' mentioned by
Seshadri meant spiritual wealth and that `Younger brother'
meant the Maharshi, yet he replied, "Where is the time
Swami, I am immersed in various transactions". Persisting,
Seshadri told him several times that `atma vidya' was easy
but to no avail. On one occasion Seshadri sudddenly said
to him "You will be branded a sinner for having killed a
Brahman." Mudaliar's heart skipped a beat at that. He ran
to the Maharshi for whom he had great reverence and
told him what Seshadri said. The Maharshi consoled him
saying "Yes it is true. Because you do not desire to know
that you are the Brahman, it amounts to killing Brahman,
nothing wrong with that description."
Page 119
Whether Seshadri worshipped God with attributes
or without attributes is dealt with in the chapter on
"Giripradakshina". It is shown therein that he appeared to
have had devotion to the Lord with attributes. He also
demonstrated nirvikalpa samadhi. Hence it may be
appropriate to conclude that he worshipped the Formless
One also.
One day, Seshadri stood watching a buffalo in the
agraharam. V.C. Narayana Ayyar came there and asked
him what he was looking at. Seshadri said "This." Ayyar
asked him if he was referring to the buffalo. Seshadri turned
towards him and asked him to tell him what it was. Ayyar
replied, "It is a buffalo". Seshadri said, "Is it a buffalo? You
beast, you had better refer to it as Brahman" and walked
away. Recollect the upadesa of Seshadri to Natanananda
also in this context.
Seshadri Swami attained Siddhi on January 14, 1929.