SHRI SWAMI VENKATAPPA
PROLOGUE
My late father, Shri Hosur Srinivasaiah Narasiah, Member of Rajya Sabha (1972-1977), took me along for the darshan of Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj, at one of the flats at the North Avenue, New Delhi, in early 1972. During darshan, Shri Shivabalayogi asked me to visit his ashram at Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore.
Soon after, I started visiting regularly Shri Shivabalayogi’s Ashram, participate in group Dhyana, Bhajans, and Satsang, and seek blessings of the renowned Tapaswi, Shri Shivabalayogi.
It was in his ashram that I first came to learn from a few foreigners there about Swami Venkatappa and my Master Ambarisha Varma. The American and German devotees of Shri Shivabalayogi had merely mentioned that Swami Venkatappa is residing somewhere in the Malleshwaram area of Bangalore.
It was December 1973 when I set out for the usual task of delivering invitations of our family Guru- Bhagavan Ananda Giri’s annual Aradhana function. I reached Margosa Road, Malleshwaram, Bangalore, where the house of Sri T S Ananthamurthy, Retired Judge, was located, to hand over the invitation. He was also a disciple of His Holiness Bhagavan Ananda Giri Swami.
I politely enquired from Shri Ananthamurthy whether he was aware of whereabouts of Swami Venkatappa. He replied, “Oh yes! You can find him close by, on the opposite footpath, stringing flowers and selling them”.
I located Swami Venkatappa, sat down on the footpath near him and introduced myself. I told him that I had enquired about him from Shri Ananthamurthy.
Swami Venkatappa stood up leaving his round cane basket on the ground and said “Be silent! Just follow me” and led me to a small roadside cafe and fed me Idly and Vada. Later, he took me to his shanty dwelling nearby, which I found was adorned with posters of Hindu deities along with Muslim and Christian images.
He then said that he had approached his Guru (Shri Chikkanna Swamy, who had lived up to 105 years and a native of Shaktibeedu, near Kunigal) for Deeksha into Tapas and that he was ready to give up even food and water during sadhana. Surprisingly, the Guru commanded the young lad, to get married, have children, experience the life of a “Grihasta”, (a householder), and then come for Deeksha (initiation). Swami Venkatappa obeyed his Guru’s command and got married before entering into serious sadhana for “Atma Sakshatkara”, self-realisation.
We know very little about the Guru of Swami Venkatappa. However, Swami Venkatappa quickly reached a state when a part of his brain would constantly repeat the Panchakshari Mantra, through all the three States of Jagrat, Svapna and Sushupti- Waking, Dreaming and Deep Sleep, ever conscious of the Divinity within himself. This happened only because of his rigorous practice of tapas.
Thus began my first contact with Swami Venkatappa and frequent visits to him. He would also visit Shri Ambarisha Varma, with both of them seated quietly without any exchange of verbal dialogue, for long periods. It was a sight to see both of them bowing down humbly paying respects to each other several times, with each one repeating the action of the other, at the time of their taking leave.
We were very fortunate that Swami Venkatappa also visited our house, at least twice a year at No 23 Car Street, Halasur, Bangalore. He would call out my name loudly – “Ananda Giri!”, when I would first welcome him with folded hands, rush in for a bucket of water and a mug for him to wash his feet. He would take up his seated posture on the deer skin at the puja room, shut his eyes, and go into deep meditation for long hours. There was not much conversation during his visits to our house. However, he would speak a little with all family members and enquire about their well-being.
Having just grown out of adolescence and full of curiosity, I once dared to ask him whether I can also produce items out of thin air just as Shri Satya Sai Baba would do. He replied that there were a few conditions to be fulfilled. First of all, you have to take permission from your parents to stay with me day and night in a graveyard for six months. Secondly, during the six months, no cooked food was to be consumed-only khanda, moola and phala were to be eaten. Can you do this? If so, I shall see that whatever Sai Baba produces, you too can do. Swami Venkatappa continued- it is not our intention to waste time on such trivial powers, instead we should strive for sadhana to obtain Sakshatkara, Self-realisation. “Forget such cheap tricks!” he warned.
The second dwelling of Swami Venkatappa was a rear annexe comprising of two small rooms inside the compound house of a wealthy man at Malleshwaram. As was his wont, he would draw out water from the well, pour water on himself and after his bath, change to washed dhoti, apply Vibhuti on his body, put on the Rudrakasha and Spatikamala, cleanly wipe with cloth -about 10 large sized posters representing various Religions and Deities, light oil lamps, remain in dhyana posture for considerable time.
Once, before noon, as I reached this rear annexe, he had just then finished bathing, and was getting ready for his daily routine. He bade me to sit down, asked his wife for some oil for the lamps. And there was no oil at the home!
My mind immediately began racing- Here’s a Swami who has attained all the Siddhis. Will he now pour water into the lamps in the place of oil as in the case of Shirdi Sai?
Swami Venkatappa immediately looked at me sharply and said - “I know what you are thinking! Get up! Go and buy a few candles”. I rushed to the nearest shop bought a few pencil thin candles that were available, and ran back to him. He lit them saying –“These are the oil lamps to the gods today!” He demonstrated that he could read my thoughts thus, but he never exhibited any miracles nor admitted that he had the power to perform them.
He recounted that once near his native village Madikehalli, Kunigal Taluk, the villagers were drawn to a person who claimed that a particular god would possess him and was cheating the gullible and innocent. Swami Venkatappa accosted the sadhu and gave one slap on his cheek, thereby freeing the Sadhu from his “possession” and the villagers too, from his grip.
Swami Venkatappa would often remark about the Lingayats. Due to intense devotion, the Lingayats are expected to realise that their Body, Mind and Soul has become a Linga itself! In other words – “Linga Aayathu” (Lingayat) realisation should come, whereas the present day Lingayats wear a metal Linga along with the thread at their waist and profess to be Lingayats!
On one occasion, Swami Venkatappa declared- it is utterly foolish for one to refer to himself as a “Brahmin”, just because one’s parents are Brahmins. He said contemplate on this! There is no rule that only Brahmins should be born to Brahmins! Any caste can be born into any caste! He was scathing at times and seemingly spared no one.
Being a father of four daughters and a son, he had totally surrendered to Lord Shiva. He never seemed unduly worried about the marriage of his daughters, family comforts. Once, when there was a heavy downpour, he took shelter in a bus stop. One among the crowd, who had also similarly taken shelter and waiting for the rain to stop, approached Swami Venkatappa and offered his son in marriage to one of his daughters. Swami Venkatappa replied “Let the Lord Shiva’s wishes be fulfilled!”
The year was 1976. A group consisting of Sriyuths- Anand, Sathish, Ramesh, Babu, Balasubramanyam, Mohan, and I, decided to visit Swami Venkatappa at Madikehalli. We got off the bus, commenced walking towards the village. Enroute, we observed there were sugarcane fields, harvesting of sugar cane was under progress. A few of us wanted to taste sugarcane. We picked a field for this. After we all had nibbled at the sugar cane, the owner of the plot who supplied us water asked us where we were heading? “To visit Swami Venkatappa”, we told him. He announced that Swami Venkatappa was present there itself and said that there was no necessity to go all the way to his house at the village.
Soon, from the same plot’s open area, where a huge well was being dug, climbed up Swami Venkatappa, who happily received all of us and said- “See this is a miracle! (pa-vaada). All of you are meeting me at this field! A miracle is not a miracle where it is announced beforehand that at such and such a time and date, something will happen”.
One of the visiting members had a peculiar problem. Shri Balasubramanyam from Jayanagar, cherished that Bhagavan Adi Shankara Himself should initiate him into meditation and none else. Swami Venkatappa declared – “I am Adi Shankara, will you take initiation from me?” However, Shri Balasubramanyam was not able to decide on the offer made by Swami Venkatappa.
Another incident worth recounting. Swami Venkatappa had instructed Shri Anand not to sleep during daytime. However one day, Shri Anand, unable to control himself, dozed off into deep sleep. Soon, he heard Swami Venkatappa’s thundering voice calling him to wake up from his slumber. Shri Anand, woke up with a start and it took him a few seconds to realise that it was only the voice of Swami Venkatappa, and that the Swami has not come in person!
Swami Venkatappa exhorted us to contemplate on the Gunas of the five elements, the Pancha Bhutas. He said the Akasha Tatwa has only one Guna, that is- Shabda (Sound), Vayu –Shabda and Sparsha, (Sound and Touch), Agni- Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, (Sound,Touch and Form) Appu-(Jala), Shabda Sparsha, Rupa, and Rasa, (Sound,Touch, Form and Taste) whereas the Prithvi tatwa- contains all of the five- Shabda, Sparsha, Rupa, Rasa and Gandha!- (Sound,Touch, Form, Taste and Smell) Is it not wonderful how God has created the Pancha Bhutas and their inherent features, he announced.
Years later, in 1981, Swami Venkatappa, was attacked by throat cancer, and used to frequent Bangalore from Madikehalli for his chemotherapy treatment. He usually stayed at the house of Shri P G Srinivas at Jayanagar for treatment and visit to the Doctors.
With prior permission from Shri P G Srinivas (who was of the opinion that the devotees should not visit and disturb the Swami, who could then barely speak), my wife and I, met Swami Venkatappa at Shri P G Srinivas’s House. After a long silent pause, I politely enquired as to whetherhe had come alone from the village. He immediately replied with his eyes wide open- “I can see Lord Ganesha dancing in front of me. There are hundreds of Shivaganas also on the scene with Nandi. When I am seeing all of them, how can I say I am alone? We have punished this physical body during tapas hence all this is natural. I am not concerned about what happens to it”.
I had the privilege of performing the Kailas & Manas Sarovar Yatra during the months of June & July 1982 and was returning back to Bangalore when Swami Venkatappa attained Mahasamadhi.
Swami Venkatappa attained Mahasamadhi on 16.07.1982.
The sum and substance of Swami Venkatappa’s life and teachings can be summarised as - “Samsaradolagiddu, Satsanga Bidadhe, Saadhisu Sugnana Margavannu”. Roughly translated it means- While staying in the world, without giving up the fellowship of good souls, practice sadhana to attain Godhood. One another most notable character of Swami Venkatappa, despite abject poverty, he was extremely generous and warmly hospitable, showering love to all those who visited him.
EPILOGUE
Smt Sarojamma, daughter of Swami Venkatappa calls me on phone to attend the Puja and Consecration of marble idol of Swami Venkatappa, on Sunday,16.07.2017, at the Gunnagere Village, 11 KM from the Kunigal town, about 93 km from Bengaluru. This author was fortunate to
accompany Shri J N Gurudutt and Shri Ramaprakash, both ardent and life devotees of Swami Venkatappa, and witness the event. This author is indebted to both of these gentlemen for their kindness and enriching spiritual company.
A Shiva Temple with Shiva Linga named as Suguneshwara, installed in June 1993. By the side of this temple is the Samadhi area of Swami Venkatappa, in basement from ground level. Construction of a separate temple for Devi Mahakali is under progress. In between, the Shiva Temple and the upcoming Kali Temple, has been placed the life size marble idol of Swami Venkatappa, right atop his Samadhi, radiating peace and serenity all round. The area is silent and tranquil with divine vibrations. It is believed that this area is going to become a famous Shakti and a “Sthree Kshetra” in future, with Lord Shiva and Mother Kali, both blessing the visitors.
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This memoir is most humbly dedicated to
Shri J N Gurudutt and Shri Ramprakash
In token of my admiration and
Their sustained faith and unwavering devotion to Swami Venkatappa.
Lokaha Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu
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H N Ananda Giri
Bengaluru
Email- girihosur2@gmail.com
22nd July 2017
