Om Gam Ganeshaya Namaha
Shri Ambarisha Varma
(Worker of the Rishis)
A few reminiscences
H N Ananda Giri,
Bengaluru
In Uttara Raama Charitra, the essential characteristics of a Rishi are brought out beautifully in the following sloka:
Priyapraayaa vrittir vinaya maduro vaachi niyama
Prakrutyaa kalyaanee matiranavageetah parichayah।
Puro vaa paschaad vaa tadidama viparyaasitara rasam
Rahasyam sadoonaam anupadhi visuddham vijayate।।
Prakrutyaa kalyaanee matiranavageetah parichayah।
Puro vaa paschaad vaa tadidama viparyaasitara rasam
Rahasyam sadoonaam anupadhi visuddham vijayate।।
Meaning:
Universal love and affection, extreme sweetness in speech, utter humility, genuine consideration for the common good, an elegant dignity in demeanour. These are not adopted virtues but spring naturally from within and last forever as the greatest wealth for the Rishis.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master Shri Ambarisha Varma, worker of the Saptarishis.
I offer my respectful obeisances to Smt Susheelamma, spouse of the worker, Gurupatni swaroopini and her entire family members.
I offer my respectful obeisances to Swami Sachidananda and all his followers.
I offer my respectful obeisances to all the Rishis, especially Rishis Vishwamitra, Bharadwaja, Markendeya and Saptarishis- Bhrigu, Atri, Angirasa, Vashishta, Pulsatya, Pulaha & Kratu.
I offer my humble pranams to all the members of
Vishwamaitri & the inner circle – the Shambala Group.
Vishwamaitri & the inner circle – the Shambala Group.
H N Ananda Giri
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Introduction
The Master announced that the seven celestial sages, the order of the Sapta Rishis for the current human time are Bhrigu, Atri, Angirasa, Vashishta, Pulasthya, Pulaha and Kratu. He also told us, the members of Vishwamaitri organisation, that this order of the Sapta Rishis changes from time to time/manvantara to manvantara. As soon as one of the Sapta Rishis exhausts his tapasic Shakti, there is another Rishi to take his place in the order. The outgoing Rishi will perform tapas again, replenish his Kundalini Shakti and return to the order.
The master continued. The group of the Sapta Rishis, have been our guides since our first birth here on the Earth. They are entrusted by Supreme God with the task of taking us back to the Para Brahma Loka. Due to less coating of one’s karmic condition, one could behold and also speak to the Rishis, in the past.
As the inevitable wheel of Time turned on, and due to the Manomaya Koshas becoming excessively dense with karma accumulated, the human beings lost the faculty of seeing the Rishis!
To assist the Rishis in their phenomenal assignment to take the Souls back to Godhead, the Rishis selected 1,44,000 souls who had less coating of karma in their manomaya koshas, to be trained and ordained as “Worker”, in all parts of the world. And through these workers, the Rishis began imparting the knowledge of meditation and ascent of the Souls to go back to where we originally came from.
My master Shri Ambarisha Varma, was one such Worker of the Rishis. He also informed that the present leader of the Sapta Rishis on our earth is Atri Maharishi along with his spouse, Anasuya Devi.
Through an extraordinary out of body experience, at the age of 12, Shri Ambarisha Varma happened to come into contact with the Vishwamitra Maharishi, who trained him in astral travel and later inducted him as one of the workers of the Rishis.
We are told that the workers are to be perfect tools to be used by the Rishis and are cautioned not to do anything on their own. The worker’s life is full of sacrifice and total surrender to the Rishis round the clock, awaiting call from the Rishis, to carry out several works both on the physical and astral plane, at times at the cost of their physical wellbeing, due to their astral bodies getting exposed to different dangers and consequent effect on their physical body.
A brief study of a truly spiritual master‘s life would reveal that his whole life was a teaching in itself. How he responded to the various incidents in his life and how he faced the day to day situations, how he conducted himself with both his celestial Gurus and fellow humans, endowed with utmost humility, conscious all the time about the astral plane, leading a virtuous life, shunning all publicity, never passing judgments on others, always ready to uplift the ignorant beings- all this and much more can be learnt from the study.
Shri Ambarisha Varma, also popularly known as the Worker, Uncle, Amara, Belgaum Raja among others, was born on 01.02.1919 to Shri Sardar Bheemappa Giriappa Desai of Gokak Taluk, Belgaum District and Smt Puttananjammani, who hailed from Bagalur, Karnataka. Shri Ambarisha Varma married Smt Susheela Bai, who hailed from the renowned Palegar Family in Manjarabad, Hassan District, Karnataka, on 16.12.1950.
Shri Ambarisha Varma slipped out of the human body on 25.08.1982. He had told us that he would be taken to the Andromeda Galaxy (where the Manomaya koshas are manufactured), all his immediate past life’s earthly memories will be erased, with his Manomaya kosha made clean, to await next incarnation and assignment as worker of the Rishis in every birth.
As an adolescent, I was interested in subjects connected with spirituality, fond of visiting different heads of religious institutions, ashrams, temples, meet saints, mystics, was initiated into a few meditation techniques and despite all these, I was yearning for a right spiritual guide.
At the close of 1973, I was fortunate to come into contact with the worker of the Rishis. After meeting him, my yearning for a right Master was gone and I felt peaceful. I longed to meet him daily, just to sit near him in silence, to be in his company. He would often give on the spot examples to make the questioner understand better.
For instance; The time was around 10 PM. The period belonged to early contact I had made. Only the worker and I were present. I asked him as to how one should deal with the experiences we add to the Manomaya Kosha and while I was asking him this question we both heard a short and loud blast of a car horn in distance. The worker enquired from me whether I had heard the sound of the horn. I replied “Yes”. Did you make any conscious effort to hear it? The answer was “No”. The worker advised that one should treat all experiences of this earth as similar to the hearing of the horn, without any effort on one’s part.
During the early months, he patiently put up with my innumerable questions about the Creation, Solar System, Stars, Comets, Heaven, Hell, the Planets, the Rishis, means to attain freedom from the cycle of births and deaths, meditation, how the form of meditation taught by him could be superior to the rest of the others and the return journey to God and similar topics. One fine day, he declared- Throw out your questions, get ready for initiation!
Shri Ambarisha Varma taught us among many other things, the importance of cleanliness of the body and the mind, to put up our hearts and souls upwards for God to lift us up, elements of astrology, the values of time management, discipline, contentment, maintaining secrecy, to strive and become humble, to be aware of the activities of the ego, to reach divinity through humility, to have the courage of the Rakshasas, Meditation, Chaya Purusha Darshana, Astral travel, Samadhi, the list could go on.
He exhorted us to be ablaze with self-knowledge, not to cast a shadow on the earth, not to borrow knowledge from outside, always to carry a Vaikunta in one’s head with one’s feet on the earth. While leading a totally unassumed life, he would narrate many instances of his speaking with different Gods/Divine Beings/Heads of Lokas/Cosmic personalities and describe life on other planets and Lokas. He was simultaneously aware of the happenings both in the material and the divine cosmos.
A feeble attempt is made in the following pages, to narrate the experiences, to celebrate the life and teachings of Shri Ambarisha Varma, who called himself as an ordinary “Worker” of the Rishis and a tough task Master to his students, on whom he has left an unparalleled and indelible spiritual inspirations!
Bengaluru, H N Ananda Giri
25th August 2014
BOTH PHOTOS TAKEN ON 17TH MAY 1981 BY THE AUTHOR DURING THE SHAMBALA MEETING HELD AT THE WORKER'S HOUSE "SHAMBALA", KORAMANGALA, BANGALORE
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At the Lotus Feet of Shri Ambarisha Varma
- A few reminiscences by H N Ananda Giri
The Following is adapted from the Wikipedia:
Comet Kohoutek -its previous appearance was about 150,000 years ago, and its next appearance will be in about 75,000 years…. At its appearance in 1973 it suffered gravitational perturbations from giant planets… As such, it was believed that this was the comet's first visit to the inner Solar System…………….
Before its close approach, Kohoutek was hyped by the media as the "comet of the century". However, Kohoutek's display was considered a let-down…………… Although it failed to brighten the sky to the levels it was expected to, it was still visible to the naked-eye. ………….. This comet was observed by the crew of Skylab 4 and Soyuz 13 thus becoming the first comet to be observed by a manned spacecraft.-
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A German National given the Hindu Name Shiva Jyoti - a follower of Tapaswi Shiva Bala Yogi - first described to me the various aspects of Sri Ambarish Varma at the Shri Shivabalayogi Ashram, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore. He informed me that Sri Varma could speak in intricate detail about stars, planets and the whole of Creation and was an extraordinary human being. That was in the Year 1973 and I was barely 20 Years of age. In the following pages I relate many incidents that describe various spiritual experiences I had with Sri Ambarish Varma whom I will henceforth call by the honorific title: ‘Worker’. After several attempts we made, the German and I were fortunate to meet Shri Ambarisha Varma (Worker) at around 10.00 PM at his house named “MATRUSHREE” near the Ragi Gudda Temple in Jayanagar, Bangalore. He had just returned home in his Ambassador car and he invited us in and made us feel comfortable. After the initial introductions, I ventured to ask him about the comet Kohoutek which was then being reported in the newspapers as having lost all its lustre. “Is it not unusual for a blazing comet to appear so dull suddenly? Could you please tell us about it?” The Worker in his solemn voice replied that this was not a comet but was a spaceship carrying Rishis, Yakshas, Gandharvas and other celestial beings from the surrounding Lokas to Suryaloka (the Sun) for the darshan of Lord Maha Vishnu who had come down there. He also said that these beings would have to wait for a long time for darshan of the Lord Maha Vishnu at their Lokas. As the scientists and astronomers from our planet were probing with their telescopes, the Rishis had sent the Worker to visit the captain of this spaceship and ordered him to switch off its lights the previous night. The Worker had done so, and now the comet appeared without any brilliance.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:
The Worker later shifted his residence to Govindappa Road, in Basavanagudi, Bangalore, and into a building named “SANTRUPTI”. The Pooja Room on the first floor was rather small and compact. In those days, various manifestations of different kinds would occur in the Puja Room. There were bright coloured dark green, red, golden circular objects the size of a cricket ball sticking to the various parts of the ceiling. The fragrance inside was simply divine. On one occasion, there was an upturned lotus three feet in diameter, constituted of pure white vibhuti powder which contained two normal sized footprints. The entire manifestation was really wonderful to behold, and no mortal could have even conceived of such a design. The Worker would never volunteer to reveal anything by himself. On asking him whose footprints they were, he casually replied that Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had visited the Pooja Room and He had left his footprints there and that they would vanish after a few days!
Seeing imperfection everywhere :
Being rather young and immature I was full of questions. I was always seeking reasons for various happenings and would pose many queries to the Worker who patiently tried answering them all. One day at his Jayanagar House near Nanda Theatre, late in the evening at around 8.30 PM, the Worker and I were standing inside the compound at the gate. The Worker shortly gazed at the sky and said “In the word Ambarisha which is my name - Ambara stands for the sky and Isha means Lord”. The Rishis had ensured that he becomes the Lord of the Sky! He was aware which sign was rising and which star was setting; he knew the movement of the planets; and he also knew of the heavenly systems out in space - true to his name! I asked him why was it that there were few stars in one direction, a cluster in others, and none at all in some of the other directions in the sky. I also asked whether this was proper and whether the Earth was also in its proper place in our Solar System. The Worker replied – “We have imperfection in our eyesight, so we see imperfection everywhere. Go home, go out of your body this night, go high up into space, reach God’s level and view the Earth from there. Our Earth is somewhere in our Solar System which is somewhere in the Galaxy and from here we cannot say whether or not it is placed perfectly!”
The Worker’s 24 Hour Cycle
During the days when I had not yet had much contact with the Worker, I was curious to know as to how he spent the hours of his typical day. Despite asking him several times I had never received any reply and had given up all hopes of knowing about it from him. One evening all of a sudden the Worker began narrating how he spends his 24 hour cycle. He told us that his day begins at 12 Midnight by visiting the Rishis’ Cave near Mount Kailash where he marks in his attendance and waits for the Rishis to allot him work. This meeting goes on till 6 AM. In the meanwhile, there is an unlisted telephone by his bedside which starts ringing. To answer this phone, he has to return to his physical body and due to his frequent changes into physical and astral bodies he needs to rest till 9 AM. At around 10 AM, he said he takes out his car to meet persons with whom he had spoken on the phone the previous night. He returns home late afternoon. By 5 PM he is ready to meet visitors who come to see him and this routine keeps him occupied till about 10 PM. “Sir, why should anyone call you on the unlisted phone?” I asked him. “Suppose that before going out of your body, you have given this unlisted telephone number to someone in your family …”, he said, “… and for some reason you cannot return to your body as the silver chord is entangled somewhere, then if the family calls me, I go out in search of you and put you back into your body! …”
Satsang at the Lunch Time
The Worker used to visit the Majestic circle area quite often in the late 1980’s. Whenever he visited K G Road, we would all assemble at what is presently the Navagriha Vriksha Temple, behind the Janata Bazar. I was then employed at the Vijaya Bank, K G Road branch. Opposite my office was the Bank of India where Shri Mohan - also a participant in these meetings - worked. Occasionally Shri L N Murthy (Swami Krishnananda) employed at the Telegraph Office nearby would also join the group. He was somewhat infrequent at such meets as he was restrained by his busy office schedule. Shri Babu from the Industries and Commerce department, Nrupathunga Road, would also be in attendance. Even though the assembly was for less than 30 minutes, we were scarcely conscious of the passage of the time, and the Worker himself would prompt us saying “Your lunch time is over. All of you get back to work!”
Rishi in the form of an atom
The event that I now relate happened at the house named “KAMALA KRIPA” near Nanda Theatre in Jayanagar, 7th Block, Bangalore. It was the initiation time. The Worker was alone inside the Pooja Room with the Rishi present. There were no members visiting the Worker for initiation. I was on duty to regulate the visitors if any were to arrive. As there were no visitors, I knocked on the door of the room and sought permission to enter. The Worker let me in. The room was so tiny that no third person could possibly sit down there. After a short pause, I asked him – “You say that a Rishi is present here inside this Room - what is he doing? Is he seated or standing? What is his activity now?” The Worker explained that sitting and standing was a mode for us with gross bodies! Somewhere in the space between the Worker and me, the Rishi was in the form of an atom! After the prescribed hours, the Rishi had to be given a proper farewell and only later could the Worker come out of the Pooja Room. “The Rishis are in the form of light”, he explained.
The art of connecting
On other occasions, when I happened to present a book to the Worker and later enquired from him whether he had read it, he would laugh and reply – “I do not have to read every page like you do. If I place my hand on a book, its contents get transferred to my brain!” When Aunty (Smt Susheelamma) once told Uncle (Ambarisha Varma) that the tube light was not glowing and that the starter had to be turned in its socket but she could not reach it at that height, the worker told her that Giri was on the way and that he would come shortly and attend to it! He seemed to have had such prescience of things. It once happened that I visited the worker in a disturbed mood! After receiving me, and after a period of blissful silence which lasted several minutes, he said “Others’ behaviour is not under your control. Your behaviour is under your control. So check yourself and do not get agitated unnecessarily”. Those were the days when I would seek causal explanations for everything. A scorpion had once stung me on my neck at the throat. The next evening I asked the Worker why had I to suffer the sting. He had laughed out loud and said “It is in the nature of the scorpion to sting! What else could it do? You don’t need a reason for it to sting!” At the house near Nanda Theatre, Jayanagar, grades were awarded to the members of the group for having practised the instructions of the Rishis. The Worker would pick up a small jasmine flower, hold it in his palm, look at the invisible numerals on it and announce the marks and hand over the flower to the member! As the expectations of the Worker itself were of the highest standard, it was quite a task getting high marks from the hands of the Worker let alone getting it from the Rishis.
The Worker’s car is stolen
One night during the late hours, a thief had managed to enter the Worker’s car and was attempting to steal it. He noiselessly took it out of the gate but the Worker in fact happened to observe this act of the thief from his bedroom window but chose not to interfere. The thief succeeded in ‘stealing’ the car. Aunty later joked in great hilarity “Your Guru simply watched his car being stolen!”
The Soul is the same in all humans
The Worker was once taking out his Ambassador car as I approached his residence. I sought his permission to accompany him on the drive and he readily agreed. The car needed some minor repairs and in a short while we arrived at a car repair shop. The mechanic opened up the hood even as the Worker remained seated in the car.
A little while later, having carried out the repairs, the mechanic pulled down the hood and shut it. The Worker got out of the car, opened his wallet and paid the fee, and I was surprised to see that he later bowed down in great humbleness to the mechanic. On the return drive the Worker said “One should never differentiate between man and man. We bow down to the soul inside the body and not to external appearances. Do you understand? Treat all as equals - be he a beggar or a King.”
Sumptuous Feasts
After seeking permission from the Worker, a small group consisting of about 7 to 9 members would visit places of interest/pilgrimage at short distances from Bangalore. Among half a dozen such places we visited I select two to relate how we were comfortably looked after and provided for by the Worker’s munificence. The two I choose are Siddhara Betta near Tumkur and Divya Giri near Nandi Hills. The experience at Siddhara Betta: We all were quite tired and hungry after the ascent of the hill which had commenced early in the morning. As we set about enquiring about a place to eat and the departure time of the return bus to Bangalore, a man arrived and announced that a person by name Sridhar Swami was calling all of us to his ashram near the bus stop. Sridhar Swami told us that a special meal had been cooked for some other party from Bangalore at his ashram but since they had not turned up, we could partake of the meals prepared for them. What a sumptuous meal it was! We had partially polished red rice, curds, sweets and many different dishes. It was a totally unexpected festival treat.
Divya Giri at Nandi Hills
After descending the Divya Giri, a lavish lunch with many dishes was served as usual to the visiting team. When we enquired from the caretaker as to where he had procured the supplies for the meals served, he replied that Swamiyavaru (meaning the Worker) had brought all vegetables, rice, pulses and other provisions by car the previous day and had asked him to cook a special lunch for us! In this way the Worker silently ensured the comfort of the members!
Publishing the Rishis’ works
To my repeated requests that he publish works of the Rishis which he frequently narrated to us, he would say that it was not yet required. He stated that in the future the Rishis would do whatever was necessary.
The unexpected visitor
We had a Shambala Meeting once and ten minutes had elapsed. The Worker asked for two lighted incense sticks which was brought and placed. After a while an unexpected visitor arrived. He sat for a while without realising that a meeting was in progress. After preliminary exchanges of greetings and a few minutes of silence, the visitor said that he was “allergic” to the smoke from the incense sticks and that he may be permitted to leave. The Worker agreed. As the visitor left, the incense sticks were removed and the meeting continued. This way the worker, swiftly, dealt with the unexpected visitor.
The unexpected visitor
We had a Shambala Meeting once and ten minutes had elapsed. The Worker asked for two lighted incense sticks which was brought and placed. After a while an unexpected visitor arrived. He sat for a while without realising that a meeting was in progress. After preliminary exchanges of greetings and a few minutes of silence, the visitor said that he was “allergic” to the smoke from the incense sticks and that he may be permitted to leave. The Worker agreed. As the visitor left, the incense sticks were removed and the meeting continued. This way the worker, swiftly, dealt with the unexpected visitor.
Visitors to the earth
During the years from 1974 till 1981, we the youthful ones, would meet the Worker almost every evening and listen to him talk about the astral activities he performed the previous night. Besides, we also had weekly satsang meetings held in different parts of the city wherein the works of the Rishis were narrated. We all were hence immersed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the Worker! He on his part, in his own mysterious ways, would cause us fantastic experiences in the spiritual realm. The scene opens up at the Go-Dhuli Muhurath, when the cows are returning to their sheds, after the day’s grazing. The rays of the setting sun is falling on the ground, illuminating the dust particles rising up. I was sitting all by myself by the ashwatha katte which contained a huge peepul tree, dense with green foliage, taking in all that could be seen. I looked up at the branches of the tree and to my surprise found half a dozen huge parakeets holding something in a cloth bundle, between their beaks. My gaze went further up beyond the tree and I now saw huge creatures (imagine a hippopotamus or a rhinoceros with wings) flying out far in the sky, descend in a funnel fashion, encircle the tree, and turn into normal looking humans on the ground! One of them approached me and said - “We are from other planets and want to visit pilgrimage places here on this earth, can you name a few?” I mentioned the names of Thirumala, Shrishaila, Varanasi, Rameshwaram, and Palani. The visitor bowed down in a typical gesture of an Indian salutation - Namaste - and simultaneously the scene came to an end. Such experiences are vivid in my memory despite the many years that have elapsed since those days!
The Ganesha idol immersion
Once on the occasion of Ganesha festivities, the Visarjana of the idol after the Pooja had to be performed. We had assembled at Shri Bansal’s house in Shantinagar, Bangalore and the Worker had alerted us that it was better to perform the visarjana before dark. The Worker, Shri Bansal, I and a few others constituting the group reached the Ulsoor Lake in two cars packed to their capacity, carrying the clay Ganesha idol in a big plate for immersion. The Sun had set and darkness was creeping in. After the harathi, the idol was to be lowered into the water. Just then a married couple arrived on a motorbike carrying a small Ganesh idol for immersion. Many boats were harnessed under a boat-shed and the husband of the couple who had arrived leaped from one boat to another looking for clear water where his idol could be immersed. He suddenly slipped and fell into the water! Shri Bansal extended his hand to pull out the person and in the process both Bansal and I lost our balance and fell into the water causing the people present there to scream in utter confusion. Fortunately nothing serious ensued. The Worker admonished me for the incident saying that there were spirits at the Lake who wanted company and that’s why he had earlier suggested that the immersion should be performed before sunset. On my part, I submitted to the Worker – “Sir, I was convinced that nothing bad would happen in your presence!”
A Siddha Purusha (1979)
Every Tuesdays there were weekly meetings at Benson Town in the house of Shri Sridhar Rao. I regret to say that he recently expired. His residence was just off Nandi Durg Road. Sri Sridhar Rao who was also a classmate of the Worker also happened to be a very close devotee of the Late Shri Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi. The Worker once, at the house of Shri Sridhar Rao, told all of us that he had on one occasion happened to meet Shri Satya Sai Baba who enquired of him about Baba’s incarnation. The Worker told him that he was the incarnation of one of the Rishis -Jamadagni Maharishi. At this reply the Baba was supposed to have laughed out loudly. The Worker then clarified that only in the case of the descent of Lord Maha Vishnu are the parents selected earlier so that the karmas of the parents do not stick to the avatara. This is not the case in the birth of siddha purushas and others, wherein the karma of the parents overshadows their own, and they forget the purpose for which they have assumed a human body.
The Mosquitoes
King sized mosquitoes would descend by the hundreds at a Koramangala House. The Worker would be wearing a half sleeve shirt and about a dozen insects on each arm and foot would be busy biting him and drawing blood. I asked him – “Sir, how is that you are not bothered about these mosquitoes? Do something and let them not harm you”. The Worker pointed to his head and said the switch was there. This went on day after day.
The Peppermint Treatment (1978)
My sister-in-law’s brother Shri Shashi was basically an introvert very much attached to his father Shri Harohalli Ramaswamy of M/s Shaw Wallace. He was the eldest son of the family and could not bear the loss of his father upon his demise. Shashi would lock himself up for days on end inside his room without speaking to anyone, and his behaviour caused considerable concern to his mother and other family members. On my prayer to the Worker to restore Shashi to a normal state, he decided to visit Shashi en-route to Shri Sridhar Rao’s house on Tuesdays. Before entering the house near the Swimming Pool at Palace Orchards, the Worker would stop at a small shop to purchase a peppermint costing 10 paise. We would then proceed to Shashi’s house, climb up the stairs, and wait for Shashi to come out of his room. No dialogue would take place between the Worker and Shashi and the Worker would request Shashi to place the peppermint on his tongue in the Worker’s presence. This went on week after week for a few months and eventually Shashi became normal and the Worker stopped his Tuesday visits. The family members were ever so grateful to the Worker who worked in his own mysterious ways.
Was the Worker present?
My father’s Guru Bhai Shri Jayarama Iyer was from Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. My father and he were disciples under His Holiness Ananda Giri Swami alias Tanjore Swamigal! Having heard about the Worker from my father, Shri Iyer was keen that the Worker should visit his house at Cambridge Layout, Ulsoor. Shri Iyer was repeatedly urging me to bring the Worker to his house, The year was around 1978, and after a polite reminder, the Worker announced that he had to seek the permission of the Rishis before he could visit Shri Iyer. One day the Worker announced that he was ready to visit Shri Iyer with me and a few others accompanying him. And so we all went - the Worker, Anand, Sathish, Babu and I and a few others and we landed at Shri Iyer’s house. For more than one and a half hours, Shri Iyer blasted out at the Macrocosm Theory and put forth his contention that it was all humbug: there was no heaven or hell in space - they were only in our mind. The pancha bhootas were also inside us. He concluded that atma sakshatkara accrues with one’s own effort and nobody from outside can help. Shri Iyer was at his oratorical best and was fond of recounting his personal experiences. All the while, from the beginning of the monologue right till its very end the Worker sat immobile, eyes open and his arms crossed over his chest, seeming to be paying attention to every word that Shri Iyer had uttered. After receiving a reverential farewell, the Worker stopped driving his car at a little distance from Iyer’s house and enquired from us all as to what Shri Iyer was speaking about all the while? It appeared to all of us that he was there and was listening but he said that he had gone out of his body to attend to some work of the Rishis. He exhorted us to meet Shri Iyer often and gather much knowledge from him.
The incomplete experience (1979)
The physical time was about 3 AM. The time in the astral experience was about 7.30 PM. On the narrow footpath beside the Bishop Cotton Girls’ School, on Residency Road (leading to the then Imperial Talkies), the scene opens up with the Worker, Anand, Mohan and I walking in a single file-due to the narrowness of the footpath. Suddenly the Worker entered a small wicket gate leading into the compound of the school the grounds of which was full of green grass. The Worker enters; a stone slab seat appears; the Worker is seen lying down on the stone slab; He pulls up a blanket up to his neck when three white horses appear - Mohan and Anand mount their horses and they disappear! I am standing there wondering what to do next while my horse is waiting for me and the Worker is seen sleeping. On the physical plane, a burglar was trying to gain entry into our house with a knife wedged between his teeth, grappling with the iron grill at the front of our house, and attempting to climb up to the roof. I open my eyes and look at the burglar and at the same time, wonder where the horse is and how did it come about that this burglar had appeared there. After a few seconds it dawned on me that the burglar was real - the horse was seen in an astral body! This experience brought the astral and the wakeful states so close to each other! The following evening when I recounted this experience to the Worker, all he said was that the robber was sent to wake me up from the experience!
Appearance of Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi. (1979)
The astral scene opens with me removing my footwear inside the verandah of our house. There was a life size photo of our family saint His Holiness Shri Ananda Giri Swami, visible to all those who passed in front of our house. It is evening time. My mother is lighting the oil lamps as usual, below the Swami’s life size photo. Having noticed that I had returned home, she calls out loudly and informs me that Ramana Maharishi had come home and that he was upstairs. Very excited after hearing the news, I literally run up the staircase which leads to the terrace and the two rooms - one used by my father to sleep and the other the main Pooja Room. Ramana Maharishi is lying down exactly on the spot where my father used to rest, having covered his entire body with a dark blanket. Only his radiant face without a beard is visible. As I stand at his feet and wonder when the Maharishi would wake up, he suddenly pulls himself up, reclines his back to the wall and throws away the blanket with his left hand. He is clad only in a white loin cloth, the entire thin body lustrous, and his bright eyes shining with a deep penetrating gaze.
Taking his permission, I run out of the room to the terrace calling out to my wife, ask her to fetch milk for the Bhagavan in an unused silver cup, and also coffee for me to help me keep awake for a long time listening to the Bhagavan! The Bhagavan later motions me to sit down near him, tells me a few things. I beg him to initiate me as he had now visited our house. To this he replied “Not here, you come to the North and I will initiate you. While he mentioned the direction “North”, I wondered why he was calling me to North India, whereas his headquarters were at Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu which is actually south of Bangalore. He does not answer this question in my mind. After a long dialogue, the Bhagavan, gestures that I should go further near him, when he reaches out in his reclined posture and embraces me! This was the most benevolent act I ever witnessed in a dream. The following evening, I narrated the experience to the Worker. I enquired about the word “North” used by Ramana Maharishi and what the experience signified to me. The Worker said – “There are other members outside the Pooja Room. You repeat your dream outside and I shall answer your questions there”. Outside the pooja room the Worker explained that in the language of Ramana or any spiritual Master, the term “North” always implies Gods’ direction/their Headquarters. The Headquarters of Ramana though situated in Thiruvannamalai to the south of Bangalore, I would have go there for initiation by Ramana (in divine terms this is north) and not take it literally to mean that he would have to go to the Himalayas which are physically in the North, The Worker further stated that the Rishis had sent Ramana Maharishi to the sadhakas to turn inward and seek answers for the question - “Who am I?” To symbolise Bhagavan’s support in the process of the search, Ramana Maharishi had hugged the sadhaka. In this manner the Worker gave me an opportunity to share my experience with other members present.
The Monday Meetings
The Puranic name of Halasuru region is Mandavya Kshetra and the Shivalinga in the Someshwara temple is believed to have been worshipped by Mandavya Maharishi. This Rishi is known for his ruling that children below 12 years of age should not be punished for their actions. There are two figures at the entrance to the Moola Sthana. One is Mahishasura Mardhini - the Devi killing the demon Mahishasura and the other figure depicts Ravana, the mighty King lifting the Kailasa Parvata. On my asking the Worker as to why these figures were placed there, he explained that the two figures denote the antiquity of the main Deity i.e. , Lord Someshwara- and that the period is pointed to an era after Ravana attempted to lift Mount Kailas and before the event of killing of Mahishasura by Adi Shakti. The Worker also gave explanations about the figures on the outside walls of the sanctum sanctorum - figures placed on level with the panel meant that the figure depicted was shown to be on earth, whereas figures found in the centre of the panel should be understood as moving in the skies! The Worker would be present well before the commencement time for the weekly Monday Meetings at Shri Someshwara Swami Temple, Ulsoor, which were held for one hour between 7 PM and 8 PM. He would humbly describe himself as just another member present like any of the rest of us as we sat on the stone slabs lining floor, forming a part of a circle of 15 participants. At the close of the meeting and chanting of Shanti Mantra promptly at 8 PM, the temple bells could be heard simultaneously. It was time for the night Mangala Harathi of Lord Someshwara. After the darshan of the presiding deity and His consort Kamakshi, the group would be seated on the steps of the Kamakshi shrine listening to the Worker. We often would delay our departure and be the last persons to exit the temple. In a few instances the Worker would announce that Someshwara was not present that day and we need not go in for the darshan. We all then would exit from the temple! In certain instances when it became too late, the person manning the footwear stand would approach us with a request that we leave so that he can be relieved of his duty for the day. The Worker would bide us to leave the temple as it was getting late for the hapless fellow!
Night at the Cubbon Park (1979)
This incident happened when the Worker was residing at a house near Nanda Theatre, Jayanagar. It was a Sunday - the day of initiations which went on till late in the evening. Only three of us, i.e. Anand, Mohan and I were the last to take leave and we entered the pooja room one by one where the Worker was seated and sought his blessings. When I entered the pooja room and sat before the Worker, everything was quiet and normal. The Worker had given me the prasadam. I noticed that in one of the two small oil lamps, the flame suddenly flickered rapidly for several seconds, whereas the flame in the other lamp was normal and unwavering. The Worker too noticed this and also observed me looking at the flickering flame. He did not make any comments then. Outside the Pooja Room, after the Worker had come out, I forget who, but either Anand or Mohan suggested that we all (including the Worker and Aunty) could go and watch the Hindi movie ‘Jai Santoshi Ma’, then being screened at the Nanda Theatre. This request was politely turned down by the Worker.
After the group broke up, the three of us began walking from the Worker’s house towards Lalbagh and we were in no mood to return home immediately - Anand and I lived in Ulsoor, and Mohan in Malleshwaram. As we approached the Lalbagh Main Gate a little past midnight, we were reminded of the ghost that was rumoured to be seen those days at Fuller’s hostel near Lalbagh. Though keen to see the spectre we saw nothing and we moved on towards the Bangalore City Corporation offices. Beyond these offices, at the entrance to Cubbon Park, to the right, there still is an Ashwatha Katte with Nagadevatha idols in stone. It was about 3 AM, and hardly any vehicles were seen on the roads. As I happened to carry one of the volumes of Bhagavatha (Gita Press, Gorakhpur), we all decided to read it, sing bhajans, meditate and pass time till the break of the dawn, and only later return to our respective homes. We first read a few pages of Bhagavatha. Later, having decided to concentrate on Bhrigu Maharishi who had come for initiations that day, the three of us sat for a long time praying to him. This was followed by the bhajans. The early morning twilight broke in and we continued to sing, and suddenly from the bushes nearby, an old man fully clothed in a new ochre coloured dhoti, with a luxuriant grey beard almost till his eyes, carrying a brand new walking stick, appeared at the site. He first went around the Peepul Tree thrice, looked up to towards the East made pranams to the Sun God. After this, he sat on the cement bench near where we were singing. We offered our namaskarams to him and he said Lord Narayana will bless all of us! After a while he got up, went towards the bushes and disappeared from the scene. The following evening after I recounted the experience to the Worker, he said that he was aware of the entire night’s happenings the previous evening itself, when the single flame flickered vigorously in the Pooja Room. That was the reason why we could not go and see the film Jai Santoshi Ma, the Worker informed me with a titter!
Bhagavan Veda
The following is told in brief about the Late Mahamandaleshwar Swami Shree Gangeshwaranandaji Maharaj, who belonged to the order of the Udaseen Sect: A little over 100 years ago, as an adolescent, the Swami was part of a group of pilgrims visiting Brindavan. On the way, a Sadhu accosted the boy alone and told him that he would show the boy the real Krishna - why go and gaze at a stone idol of the Lord? The Sadhu took the boy into a nearby cave and Lord Krishna, in all His resplendent glory and dazzling form, appeared before the boy and asked the boy to seek a boon. Looking at the magnificent form of the Lord, the boy said that he would like to retain His form as He had appeared throughout the earthly life and that he did not wish to look at this material world!
Later the boy became blind, and at the age of about 18 he began “dictating” the four Vedas to a group of 50 pundits over a 17 year period, which included several rounds of discussions among the scholars, to finalise the precise words and syllables by which it was composed. The Swami was instrumental in setting up a brand new printing press with new “types”, to be set up for printing 200 volumes of the four Vedas in a single volume. After this was accomplished, the Swami personally distributed the same all over the world to various spiritual institutions, temples, universities and organisations involved in propagating Sanatana Dharma. One of the senior members of Vishwamaitri arranged for a visit of the Swami to the Worker’s Pooja Room. After visiting the Pooja Room of the Worker, the Swami decided to give one copy of the Bhagavan Veda to the Worker. The Worker was the only individual selected to receive this work directly from the hands of Swami Gangeshwaranandaji. With due honour, the Worker brought the volume from Madras City by car. The Bhagavan Veda was placed singly on the rear seat as no one was to be seated next to it. Shri Somayajulu, from IISc Bangalore, who was a Sanskrit scholar, attempted its reading and explanation initially, followed by Shri Ambalpadi Vasudev Ballal. At the end of these Veda Classes, I would be instructed by the Worker to perform the Harathi, first to the Book, and later at the Pooja Room. While performing the harathi, I would develop a strong desire to have a darshan of Swami Gangeshwaranandaji. In 1979, I happened to visit Mt. Abu and the “Agastya Muni” temple there. While discussing with the priest of the temple I found out that Mt Abu was a Centre for several spiritual organisations including that of the Brahmakumaris which had its Headquarters there. I hence asked him if there would be any organisation representing the Udaseen panth or whether he had heard of Swami Gangeshwarananda. The priest replied “Yes, we have his ashram inside the town”. Though I had already spent a few days at Mt Abu I was thrilled at the prospect of meeting Swami Gangeshwaranandaji and quickly ascended the dozens of steps to get back into the town and rushed to meet the Swami. The time was about 2 PM when I reached his ashram. His Chief Disciple who was blind in one eye confirmed that Swami Gangeshwaranandaji was present and was resting. In the meanwhile as it was lunch hour, he pressed me to lunch at the ashram. Swami Gangeshwarananda with a smiling and benign face, aged well over 85 years at the time, simple in appearance and looking frail, was lying on his wooden cot. After touching his feet and seeking his blessings, I mentioned his name and said that I was a follower of Shri Ambarisha Varma and was from Bangalore. Swami Gangeshwarananda replied- “You are very fortunate to come across Shri Varmaji. The Gods and Rishis visit his Pooja Room. Follow the instructions given by Varmaji and all good will happen to you”. So saying, the Swami fell silent.
I sought his permission to ask another question and on securing it I queried: “Swami, people consider you as an incarnation of Bhagavan Veda Vyasa - what do you have to say about this?” He replied “I do not know all that. I am just an ordinary fellow, I do only what Lord Krishna wants me to do.” Then I begged him to give me an initiation/deeksha. He said “No new instructions; follow Ambarish’s instructions and go on Yatras! Who knows, what happened to him at his young age, may happen to others also!” Only through the fortunate association with the Worker, we could gain darshan of this extraordinary and humble, unsung spiritual personality.
PRASADAM
Shri Ambarisha Varma once explained the meaning of the word Prasadam. “Pra” stands for prakriti (Nature), and the best of its products like- flowers, fruit and milk which are offered to the Gods, by the devotees. These are not man made. The second word “Sa”- stands for the four stages a devotee attains- Salokya, Sameepya, Saroopya and Sayujya states: attaining the deity’s loka; attaining nearness to the deity; attaining the form of the deity; and merging into the bosom of the deity. By “Dam” it is signified that the deity has consecrated the offering of the devotee and while giving it back, the deity commands the devotee to go beyond these four states- not to get caught in these 4 stages and reach Mukti!
MOVEMENT OF THE SOUL IN THE HUMAN BODY
After requesting the worker about the location of the Soul in the human body, he began narrating about the movement of the soul in the human body: At 12 Noon the soul is at the Anahata Chakra. It is like the King seated on the throne. All present at the Court are now alert and attentive. If one were to take of food at 12 Noon the food gets absorbed and one does not feel hungry till the following Noon! As soon as the Soul touches the Anahata, it starts ascending towards the Sahasrara Chakra and at around 8 PM it is at the Vishuddhi Chakra when one can take light meals for sustenance till the morning breakfast. As the Soul passes through the Vishuddhi and beyond, it starts locking up the various departments of the body-similar to closing up of an office- first the drawers, safe, all doors, windows, grill gate and shutter gate etc.- one should allow the Soul to do this job and not be awake late night. Before midnight-one should be comfortably asleep in order to allow the Soul to have its passage between the Anahata and the Sahasrara Chakras. As soon as the Soul touches the Sahasrara Chakra at midnight, it starts descending down and around 8 AM it is near the Vishuddhi again when one take in a light breakfast. This way, the worker explained about the movement of the Soul in the human bodies.
PREMONITION AND THEREAFTER
Shri Ambarish Varma, would often visit (four to five occasions in a year) our house at “Chid Akas” No 23 Car Street Halasuru Bangalore 560008, during the early years of my contact, and would spend a few hours talking with my father about the Rishis and their works. I also remember my father asking the worker whether he could also offer his service to the Rishis/ carry out their instructions, if any. The worker replied that only a few are selected at an young age itself as workers, to carry out the commands of the Rishis and that only those selected as workers can execute the work of the Rishis and not others. On one occasion he condescended to taste the Ragi Mudde with avare kayi sambar with ghee, my mother telling him to swallow the ragi mudde along with the avare seed. He would smile and retort - it is fine to swallow mudde, but how can I swallow the avare kayi beeja?
Now, about the premonition - This happened during end of November 1976. My late father Shri Hosur Srinivasiah Narasiah (born on 14th April 1905) was seventy one years of age, a gigantic personality, busy attending Parliament, having been elected to Rajya Sabha for a six year term commencing from April 1972 to April 1978. In my dream, the scene opened up at late evening time, with my father speaking to me at the ground floor of the house and pointing to upstairs (first floor where there were two rooms one which he used to sleep and the other was the Puja Room).
In the next scene I climb up the steps quickly and open the door to his bedroom and am surprised to find his lifeless body lying on the floor, as if had passed away just then. The following evening, I recounted this dream to the worker and requested him to tell me what the dream meant, as on the date of dream, my father was hale and hearty, active at Delhi, attending to the parliament session. The worker announced that through the dream the Rishis have given me a fore warning about the demise of my father which incident is going to occur within six months of the dream. The worker said with a smile and a casual tone- “Get Ready to face the event”.
Although, I often remembered this premonition with the passing time, the event did take place as fore told by the worker, within six months of the dream. On 15.05.1977, my father was proceeding by train from New Delhi to Madras Central, accompanied by my mother, to change trains to Kumbakonam, on his way to attend the annual Aradhana celebrations of his Guru’s Guru i.e., Swami Satchidananda Giri Swamigal at Thiruvayuru. A few hours before the train reached Madras Central, he suffered a minor stroke of the heart and was advised to discontinue his journey and get medical attention. But he is reported to have said “Nothing is going to happen to me, I am on the way to Guru’s work”.
As advance information was conveyed to the doctors at Madras General Hospital (Opp Madras Central), that the MP’s condition was serious, he was brought on stretcher to the OT and later by about noon and despite the then immediate treatment, was declared dead at the hospital. I promptly informed about the demise of my father to the worker on phone on 15.05.1977. The following morning, Shri Ambarisha Varma, arrived with a garland and placing it on the body, he stood aside with others, in his usual quiet posture. After the customary rituals and earliest opportunity, when I met the worker and requested him to tell me as to what actually occurred after the death, he first announced that as he is busy with works of Rishis, he would ask one of his friends to look into the akashic mirror and inform me as what happened.
The worker began saying the following one evening: Immediately after coming out of his body, he proceeded straight to the aradhana function at Thiruvayuru and met his Guru Swami Ananda Giri and Guru’s Guru i.e., Swami Satchidananda Giri Swamigal, both of whom were present there. My father pleaded with them to take him away with them, for which they said he is not yet ready. The Guru mentioned that there are two strong desires in the mind which are stopping him from being accompanied with the Guru- the first one- you wanted to do something big for the country and the second- you have a desire to establish a Mandir containing idols of acharyas - Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa in the background and your Guru’s idol in the front to symbolise that your Guru represented all the three philosophical schools- Dwaitha, Adwaitha and Vishishtadwaitha! Go now, leave us, to spend time with your ancestors at Pitru Loka, be born in the same family, fulfil your pending desires first- commanded the Guru.
This way the worker would inform as to what took place at the astral level. This Akashic Mirror contains a record of all activities of man- both on physical and astral planes and beyond, the worker explained.
Now, about the premonition - This happened during end of November 1976. My late father Shri Hosur Srinivasiah Narasiah (born on 14th April 1905) was seventy one years of age, a gigantic personality, busy attending Parliament, having been elected to Rajya Sabha for a six year term commencing from April 1972 to April 1978. In my dream, the scene opened up at late evening time, with my father speaking to me at the ground floor of the house and pointing to upstairs (first floor where there were two rooms one which he used to sleep and the other was the Puja Room).
In the next scene I climb up the steps quickly and open the door to his bedroom and am surprised to find his lifeless body lying on the floor, as if had passed away just then. The following evening, I recounted this dream to the worker and requested him to tell me what the dream meant, as on the date of dream, my father was hale and hearty, active at Delhi, attending to the parliament session. The worker announced that through the dream the Rishis have given me a fore warning about the demise of my father which incident is going to occur within six months of the dream. The worker said with a smile and a casual tone- “Get Ready to face the event”.
Although, I often remembered this premonition with the passing time, the event did take place as fore told by the worker, within six months of the dream. On 15.05.1977, my father was proceeding by train from New Delhi to Madras Central, accompanied by my mother, to change trains to Kumbakonam, on his way to attend the annual Aradhana celebrations of his Guru’s Guru i.e., Swami Satchidananda Giri Swamigal at Thiruvayuru. A few hours before the train reached Madras Central, he suffered a minor stroke of the heart and was advised to discontinue his journey and get medical attention. But he is reported to have said “Nothing is going to happen to me, I am on the way to Guru’s work”.
As advance information was conveyed to the doctors at Madras General Hospital (Opp Madras Central), that the MP’s condition was serious, he was brought on stretcher to the OT and later by about noon and despite the then immediate treatment, was declared dead at the hospital. I promptly informed about the demise of my father to the worker on phone on 15.05.1977. The following morning, Shri Ambarisha Varma, arrived with a garland and placing it on the body, he stood aside with others, in his usual quiet posture. After the customary rituals and earliest opportunity, when I met the worker and requested him to tell me as to what actually occurred after the death, he first announced that as he is busy with works of Rishis, he would ask one of his friends to look into the akashic mirror and inform me as what happened.
The worker began saying the following one evening: Immediately after coming out of his body, he proceeded straight to the aradhana function at Thiruvayuru and met his Guru Swami Ananda Giri and Guru’s Guru i.e., Swami Satchidananda Giri Swamigal, both of whom were present there. My father pleaded with them to take him away with them, for which they said he is not yet ready. The Guru mentioned that there are two strong desires in the mind which are stopping him from being accompanied with the Guru- the first one- you wanted to do something big for the country and the second- you have a desire to establish a Mandir containing idols of acharyas - Shankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa in the background and your Guru’s idol in the front to symbolise that your Guru represented all the three philosophical schools- Dwaitha, Adwaitha and Vishishtadwaitha! Go now, leave us, to spend time with your ancestors at Pitru Loka, be born in the same family, fulfil your pending desires first- commanded the Guru.
This way the worker would inform as to what took place at the astral level. This Akashic Mirror contains a record of all activities of man- both on physical and astral planes and beyond, the worker explained.
The End.
