 Introduction
Kashmir,
as also the rest of India, produced a galaxy of great saints, seers and
savants during the last millennium. While India was graced by
illustrious God-men like Tulsi, Kabir, Surdas, Tuka Ram, Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu, Narsi Mehta, Tyagaraja, Dhyaneshwar, Namdev, Tiruvalluvar,
Mirabai, Dayanand Saraswati, Guru Nanak, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa,
Vivekananda, Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi, Shri Narayana Guru , Mahatma
Gandhi, Ramana Maharishi, and Sri Aurobindo, Kashmir has had the good
fortune of giving birth to great saints like Lalleshwari, Rupa Bhawani,
Sheikh Nuruddin, Parmanand, Reshipir, Jeewan Sahib, Anandji, Swami Ram,
Sahib Kaul, Maanas Razdan, Grata Bab, Swami Vidya Dhar, Bhagwaan
Gopinath, Kashkak, Nandlal Ji, Sati Ded, Mathura Devi and, last but not
the least, Lakshman Joo.
All
of them without an exception enriched, elevated and refined life and
helped revive and strengthen the ancient cultural, religious and
philosophical heritage.
In
the present troubled times when the people of the Valley, Kashmiri
Pandits in particular, are passing through untold miseries, the only
solace comes from the saints and mystics of the purest ray serene like
Swami Ram, who by their very exemplary living taught people to rise
above caste, creed and color and see the light within.
The Birth
The
great mystic Saint-Philosopher, Swami Ram was born in a pious and
god-fearing Brahmin family of Braroos near Ganpatyar in Srinagar on Pausha Krishna Dwadashi, December 16, 1854 AD (Bikrami Samvat
1911). His father, Pandit Sukhdevji, a highly respected practicing
Brahmin of his time, eked out his livelihood by attending to religious
activities of his yajmaans, While Pandit Sukhdevji was a great devotee of Anandeshwar Bhairav himself, his brother, Pandit Ishwar Sahib, was a great Yogi who never married.
At
a time when no one could even imagine the lofty spiritual heights the
newborn attained in his later life, the family astrologer, who drew
Swami Ram's birth chart, predicted that baby Ram would turn out to be a
saint of a very high order.
Swami
Ram not only displayed mystical leanings from his very childhood but
also evinced keen interest in learning scriptures. He received early
education at home from his own learned father who perfected his
knowledge of Sanskrit and Karmakaand. He served his father as an assistant in his day-to-day religious assignments.
As
was customary in those days, Swami Ram was married to Saraswati Devi
when he had just turned 14. But his marital life did not last long
following the untimely death of his wife within three years of marriage.
She died of small pox.
Swami Ram's instinctive detached outlook and ascetic
temperament was not lost on those who came in contact with him even in
his youth. All and sundry could not but be touched by his humane
approach and true spiritual perspective.
Meets His Masters--Vidya guru & Parmaarth guru
As good luck would have it, the precocious boy Ram was noticed by a great Shaiva scholar of the time, Shri Lal Joo Kokru who initiated him into the study of Agama Sastras.
Endowed as he was with a sharp intellect and the lure of things
mystical and spiritual, further strengthened by his upbringing and the
family background, Swami Ram seriously pursued the study of Shaiva philosophical literature.
His otherworldly disposition confined Swami Ram to lonely spots in the valley where he undertook not only deep study of Shaiva Agamas
and literary works of great masters like Abhinavgupta, but also
practiced yoga sadhana so intensely that it did not take him long to
finally merge with the blissful consciousness of Shiva.
After
he had acquired a clear comprehension of the school of philosophy by
dint of his intelligence and hard work, destiny brought him in contact
with a great mystic-seer, Shri Manas Ram Monga, popularly known as Maneh
Kak. Being a Siddha, Maneh Kak found in Swami Ram a deserving Shishya
who, he felt, had the potential of understanding and apprehending the
subtleties of Trika system. The guru was convinced that the boy Ram was
the most deserving person to transmit his knowledge and experience to
others through time-tested guru-shishya parampara.
Guru-Shishya Lineage
The Guru-Shishya lineage,
to which Swami Ram belonged, is said to have originated from Shri
Kanthanatha. Elaborating on this theme, Shyam Sundar Jatoo says in his
book entitled Vidyadharstava published in 1953 AD: “That the world may
not be deprived of the Trika way of liberation, Lord Shiva incarnated as Shri Kanthnatha who imparted the sacred teachings to the supreme ascetic and sage Durvasa at the beginning of Kali Yuga.
The sage, by his yogic powers, created a maanas putra, Tryambhakaditya,
and initiated him into Shaiva Agamas. And thence onward an un-broken
chain of fourteen realized souls (Siddhas) spread this teaching in this world. The 15th Sidha,
Sangamaditya, who lived the life of a householder, came to Kashmir
where his great grandson, Somananda, the celebrated author of the
well-known ‘Shivadrishti’, followed by a chain of disciples from Utpalacharya down to Abhinavgupta spread monistic Shaiva thought in Kashmir between the 9th and 13th centuries.”
It
was after a gap of a few centuries that the scholar-saint Sivopadyaya
appeared on the scene in the 18th century to revive the tradition
initiated by sage Durvasa.guru-shishya parampara And this tradition was carried further in the 19th century by Swami Ram, who taught the lore to his avowed disciples-Swami Mahtab Kak, Swami Vidyadhar and Swami Gobind Kaul, who, in turn, continued this Again, it was only Swami Ram’s grand-disciple, Swami Lakhsman Joo, who popularized Pratyabhijna philosophy through his writings during the 20th century among the seekers of truth in Kashmir and the outside world.
|
|
Shri Ram Trika Shaivashrama
Silent and steadfast in wisdom, Swami Ram had realized oneness with Shiva. A perfect Siddha that he had become, he was looked upon as Saakhshaat Shiva by those who approached him for fulfillment of mundane desires and for guidance in their spiritual pursuits.
After acquiring a thorough and extensive knowledge of Kashmir Saivism, Swami Ram would normally visit secluded places and spend days and nights in his spiritual sadhana, caring little for food and other comforts. One of his favorite sports was the seat of Mangaleshwar Bhairav in Malikangan, Srinagar, where he began drawing aspirants and a large number of common people seeking to invoke his blessings.
As destiny would have it, one of his ardent devotees and a worthy Yajmaan,
Pandit Narayan Das Raina, a merchant and a houseboat owner of Srinagar,
begged him to grace his small three-storied house, which he owned, just
300 meters from his residence in Fateh Kadal. The offer of Narayan Das,
a man of high ideals and simple habits, and who held the great mystic
in great respect, was accepted by Swami Ram, ostensiby for the simple
reason that the place could .be fruitfully used by him exclusively for
spiritual work. It is said that Narayan Das's business touched skies
after Swami Ram moved to his vacant house.
It is this house that virtually turned into a veritable Ashram, known since as Shri Ram Trika Shaivashrama
in downtown Fatehkadal in the capital city of the northern Indian State
of Jammu & Kashmir. Here he shared his knowledge and explained the
deeper aspects of Shaiva philosophy to the growing number of
disciples and devotees..The Ashram echoes with the recitations from
Shaiva scriptures and the chanting of devotional hymns by Swami Ram's
devotees even to this day.
Scholarly Exposition
It is in this Ashrama that Swami Ram taught the Shaiva philosophy to worthy disciples like Swami Mahtab Kak (the celebrated guru of Swami Lakshman Joo), Swami Vidyadhar and Swami Govind Kaul. The three-some had been his personal devotees who received inspiration and personal guidance to rise to their full stature.
An erudite scholar in Sanskrit and an epitome of Jnana (knowledge), Swami Ram was a great exponent of Shaiva Siddhanta. His scholarly exposition of the Agama Sastras attracted a large number of devotees, aspiring sadhaks and admirers, mostly house-holders. He taught and guided them all in the mysteries of Shaiva philosophy.
Among the texts he taught were Vasugupta’s Stotravali, Abhinavgupta’s Tantraloka,, Utpalacharya’s Shivastotravali.and Panchastavi. Swami Ram would become ecstatic while explaining each verse of Panchastavi, which consists of five hymns with a distinct theme addressed to the Supreme Mother of the Universe.
Swami Ram with his disciples & devotees
Since Pancastavi
eulogizes the female aspect of God in a religio-philosophic poetry of a
very high standard, it has become very popular with the Shaiva devotees
of Kashmir. One of the hymns, Laghustava (21 verses) highlights the dynamic power of the goddess; the second, Charchastava (31 verses) elaborates the attributes of the divine Mother; the third, Ghatastava (24 verses) speaks of the creative union of Sakti with Shiva; the fourth, Ambastava (32 verses) invokes the goddess as the benevolent mother and the fifth, Sakalajnanastava (38 verses) celebrates the glory of Adi Shakti, the Source of All. All the hymns are devotional in character.
In his later years, Swami Ram, it is said, sat in one pose
with knees held to his breast and did not move out for 20 long years.
Regular visitors to the Ashram would remain spellbound to see Swami Ram
immersed in undisturbed Samadhi for hours, nay, for even days together.
Swami Ram's Philosophy
The primal aspect of life is movement, a vibration (spanda).
Without movement, without vibration there is neither action, nor
speech, nor experience. If there is no movement, there is no growth, no
progress. If none of these are there, then there is no life, no
universe.
As
the name implies, Trika philosophy deals with the three fundamentals of
human existence: Man, Universe and the Ultimate Principle governing the
world. Man and his personality are the main themes of Kashmir Saivism.
Swami Ram believed that emancipation (Swatantrya) is the final goal of human life. The state of pure bliss leads to the ultimate state of moksha or salvation. Every one of us is Shiva. In the ultimate analysis, Jivatman, an individual soul has to merge with Parama Shiva, the Absolute Self.
According
to Swami Ram, the outer glitter and temporary pleasures of this world
overwhelm the senses and one cannot evolve and be free from the bondages
of the world until one realizes one’s true nature, i.e. Shiva. He would
quote Shiva Sutras to declare, “Our bondage is due to ignorance, avidya”.
The aim of Trika Sastra is to awaken man to the fact that Jivatman is nothing but Shiva, the all-powerful (Sarva Shaktimaan) Lord of the Universe. Swami Ram believed one could achieve liberation from this causal body (deha mukti)
only through anugraha or grace. But it all depended on the enthusiasm
of the devotee or the pupil. Almost a hundred years later, Ramana
Maharshi echoed Swami Ram’s belief when he said, “The grace of the guru
is like an ocean. If one comes with a cup he will only get a cupful. The
bigger the vessel the more one will be able to carry”
Occult Powers
"Mystic
experience", declares the great psychologist, William James, "is not
the aberration of a diseased mind, but is a genuine experience of God,
which illumines the intellect, purifies the will and exalts the
emotions."
As
is the wont, legends grow around great mystics all over the world.
Swami Ram, a mystic of a very high order, could not be an exception.
Though Swami Ram strictly guarded his treasure trove of powers, he used
them very scarcely out of compassion for the lowly and the lost. Many a
sick person was cured by his mere touch. His very darshan provided a
healing touch to the afflicted souls.
 Stories about his Siddhis are still current in the valley. My father, Pandit Sudarshan Shastri,
a well-known Sanskrit scholar of his time, was almost a regular visitor
to the Ashram during the last years of Swami Ram's life. He bore
witness to many anecdotes of Swamiji's acts of benevolence and miracles.
He would often tell me how he and his friends during their visit to the
sage would experience the thrill of a mysterious joy running through
them while receiving Swami Ram's touch on bowing at his lotus feet.
People
from all walks of life, men, women and children, including the then
ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Pratap Singh, visited his Ashram for
blessings. He was candid enough to tell the Maharaja that he was not
destined to have a progeny in this birth. He was often heard muttering
to himself, “Where-from shall I get Pratap a son?”
Once
the son of his ardent devotee and host, Pandit Narayan Dass was taken
seriously ill and the doctors had almost lost all hope. Swami Ram, who
used to go in samadhi for days together, had just come out of it. It was dead of night and he felt the need to eat something. He
asked one of his devotees to visit Narayan Das's residence and get some
potatoes. The said devotee went and knocked the door of Narayan Das's
residence. Out came Naraya Das's wife, Shrimati Arnyamal, who expressed
her unhappiness for disturbing them at that unearthly hour for just a
few potatoes. The devotee returned empty handed. Swami Ram sighed and
said to himself: "Well, I was trying to beat back the god of death and
save their son. But, alas! Let destiny take its course.now." Pandit
Narayan Das's son left this world the next morning.
It
is said that a Muslim neighbor in the meantime, on learning that the
Swami wanted some potatoes, went to the Ashram with a basket of
potatoes. Swami Ram said: "why this basketful of potatoes? You cannot
handle all of them." He just picked up three potatoes and gave them as
prasad to the childless Muslim lady who had brought the basket. Legend
has it that she later bore three sons.
After
the tragic death of their only son, the dejected couple, Pandit Narayan
Das and his wife, Arnymal, who were now left with just 3 daughters and
no male progeny, surrended completely to Swami Ram and made fervent plea
for a son. The ever-compassionate sage stretched his hand, picked up a
single almond and gave it to Arnymal to eat. Nine months later, she was
blessed with a boy. As soon as the news of the birth of the baby boy
reached Swami Ram's ears, he became ecstatic and proclaimed, "I am Ram;
let the child be called Lakshman."
Though
Swami Ram is no more with us in mortal frame, his Immortal Spirit
continues to exert its spiritual influence and guide his devotees and
the seekers after truth. The invisible hand of his mystical powers is
not lost on those who invoke his blessings.
Vivekananda Meets Swami Ram
Swami Vivekananda and one Dandi Swami Narayan are among some of the great saints from outside Kashmir who visited Swami Ram.
Swami
Ram was in deep meditation when Swami Vivekananda visited the Ashram.
He found solace in his presence which he acknowledged with the remark
"there is still spiritual light present in Kashmir." When Swami
Vivekananda apprised Swami Ram of the difficulties still facing his
mission of spiritual rejuvenation of the world, he was advised to seek
the blessings of Ragnya Mata at Tullamulla. The advice was followed, resulting in Vivekananda's memorable experience at the Kshir Bhavani
shrine, as later described by Vivekananda in his autobiography. Soon
after, Swami Vivekananda left for Chicago, USA, to attend the Parliament
of World Religions in 1893.
Swami
Vivekananda also sang a soul-full hymn to Shiva in Swami Ram's
presence. While singing Vivekananda went into ecstasy before completing
the hymn. Swami Ram immediately took up the recitation of the said hymn
where Vivekananda had left it. Such was the divine mystical meeting of the two great souls.
The
Dandi Swami Narayan has in his Travelogue referred to Swami Ram's
clairvoyant prowess while narrating details of his meeting with the
sage. He says that during his brief visit to Srinagar in 1892, he
visited the Ashram and while he was ascending the staircase to Swami
Ram's room, his doubts were all removed. He decided to return without
seeing the saint. Swami Ram all of a sudden told one of his disciples, Lal Joo Kaul
to go and bring that Dandi Swami back. The devotee rushed out of the
house and brought the ochre-robed Swami to the Ashram. Once he was in
the presence of Swami Ram, he made his obeisance thus:
Anandam Khalu Imani Bhootani Jaaynate Anandena Jaatam Jeevante
Anandam Prayanti Abhisamvishanti Anandam Eva Brahma.
Accepting salutations, Swami Ram said:
Mato Vaa Imani Bhootani Jaayante Mayi Jaatam Jeevante
Maam Prayanti Abhisamvishanti Aham Eva Brahma.
While
the Vedantin proclaimed that Ananda, i.e. Bliss is Brahman-the Ultimate
Principle (Anandam Eva Brahma), Swami Ram, true to the Shaiva concept,
asserted that I am Shiva-the Ultimate Principle (Aham Eva Brahma).
Mahasamadhi
January 14, 1915, the day of Makara Sankranti marked the end of the earthly journey of this great philosopher-saint who revived the legacy of Shaivism toward the close of the 19th century. He entered the eternal abode of Shiva on the 14th day of the dark fortnight of the most auspicious lunar month of Magha in Bikrami Samvat 1971.
But before he merged into the Universal Divine Self, Swami Ram ensured the continuation of the Trika
heritage by entrusting aspiring disciples and the 8-year-old boy
Lakshman to the tutelage of his principal disciple, Swami Mahtab Kak. In
fact, Swami Ram himself acted as the guru of his grand disciple,
Lakshman Joo, till his Mahasamadhi.
Divine Rapture
While
immersed in what is known as Sahaja Samadhi, Swami Ram would often
times go in divine rapture. And in that meditative state, his close
disciples normally heard him utter one of the Shlokas penned by Swami
Ram himself.
(Moha shaanto guruvara mukhaan maayatatwovalambhaat
magnam cheta samarasasamaswaad lolam chidabdau
bhaavvraata prashamamgaman nirvikalpe samadhau
siddabhaasa sa bhavati hi may ko api samavidvikaasa
“All my ignorance got dispelled when I learnt the Truth from the lips of my respected guru whose word was as sacred as the Sastra itself. As a result, the mind (Chitta)
realized oneness of life, tasted the loving nectar of equality and
dived deep into the ocean of divine consciousness. The web of thought
finally settled down in the state of nirvikalpa samadhi (unqualified meditation). Thus the indescribable Supreme-Consciousness was revealed to me in its perfection.)
This one shloka speaks volumes of Swami Ram’s experience of Supreme Divine Consciousness.
Sources:
1 Personal notes by the author, based on his father's reminiscenses.
2 Personal notes by Sri Triloki Nath Ganju of Shaiva Trika Ashram, Fateh Kadal, Srinagar.
3 Swami Ramji by Pandit Janki Nath Kaul 'Kamal'-(Koshur Samachar)
4 Swami Ramji-The Shaivite Acharya by Opinder Ambardar (Koshur Samachar)
|
No comments:
Post a Comment