Of the many Seers and Saints born to Bharathamatha, in our Motherland India that is Bharath is one Higi Surathkumar of Thiruvannaamalai, Thamizhnadu .
Here is a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY STORY!
Yogi Ramsuratkumar always encouraged those who came to him to pursue whatever religion, faith or philosophy they were accustomed to, in keeping with the individual’s own orientation. He never wished to draw anyone to himself, but only pointed out to one and all, the same path, that is surrender to God and remembrance of the Divine Name.
He used to ask devotees, who came to him, to sing and speak in praise of their gurus. With the devotees of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, he would discuss Ramana and make them read passages from books on Ramana. He would make devotees of Ramakrishna speak of the trinity, Sri Ramakrishna, Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. To a devotee of Pagal Haranath, he would sing and speak not only of Pagal Haranath but also about his wife Kusuma Kumari, who was also equally spiritual. (I was present with the devotee Sri Haragopal Sepuri on that day). He would ask devotees of Satya Sai Baba to read “Guru Purnima Lectures” by Baba and hail it as “Voice of God”.
When more people started coming from Gnanananda Tapovanam to him, he would turn them back to the source of their devotion – back to Sadguru Gnanananda and the incomparable teachings they had received from his presence and his words. Yogi would direct them saying, “Everything is for you there.” Yogi introduced the chant “Gnanananda, Gnanananda, Sadgurunatha Gnanananda” at Gnanananda Tapovanam which is still being sung there at the time of partaking of Prasad.
Yogi would declare frequently “My father alone exists, nothing else, nobody else, in the past, present and future, here, there, everywhere. Father alone, all in Father, Father in all. Nothing is separate, nothing isolated. One without a second, indivisible, total, whole, absolute, Father alone.”
Yogi had declared “the abode of “Shiva is Arunachala hill.”
Yogi had great respect and reverence for Kanchi Paramacharya (Chandrasekhara Sarasvati Swamigal). A photo of the Paramacharya is kept in the then darshan hall (dining hall) with a dipam burning always on the left side of the raised platform where Yogi used to give darshan for some period of time.
A song, very dear to Yogi was the benediction song, written by Kanchi Paramacharya and sung by Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi in the hall of United Nations on 23.03.1966. Yogi would have this song sung daily during the darshan sessions in Tamil and English versions by Sudama sisters, mostly by Mother Vijayalakshmi which continues till date.
The song (translation)
Cultivate friendship which will conquer all hearts
Look upon others as thyself
Renounce war. Forswear competition.
Give up aggression on others which is wrong.
Wide mother earth, our mother is here,
Ready to fulfil all our desires
We have the Lord, our father compassionate to all
You peoples of the world, restrain yourselves, give and be kind.
May all people be happy and prosperous.”
Ma Devaki has recorded that Yogi would ask her to read the 13rd chapter of “Mîndum Shankara Vijayam” (The visit of Shankara again), a serial on Shri Kanchi Maha Periava Chandrasekarendra Sarasvati, very dear to the heart of Bhagavan and it never failed to draw a deep response from him.
Yogi had told Justice T.S. Arunachalam several times that the whole world owed deep gratitude to the Paramacharya of Kanchi who was greatly responsible for the preservation of our Vedas and culture.
Paramacharya used to enquire of one Sri Chandramouli about Yogi, referring to him as “Virimattai Samiyar.” In December 1985, one day he had asked Sri Chandramouli to get Vedic Homas Prasad from Ekambareshvar temple at Kanchipuram and give it to Yogi, who later received it with reverence. During February 1985, Paramacharya asked him to go to Tiruvannamalai, engage a taxi,, and take Yogi to Govindapuram, the site of Jiva Samadhi of Bhagavan Nama Bodhendra Swami, who is known for his profound devotion to the sacred name “Rama”. However Yogi asked him to take him to Kanchi saying “Wherever Acharya is, there is Govindapuram for this beggar.
At the Kanchi Ashram, Paramadcharya came out of the darshan hall and stood close to Yogi. They looked at each other for a few minutes. Yogi prostrated before Acharya. Acharya remarked that Yogi belonged to Surya vamsa, the lineage of the Sun God, a descendant of Sun.
Yogi used to say that continuing to do puja at the family temple was very important (as told to Om Prakash Yogini) (Yogi had once given me also the same advice when he enquired about my native place, family deity, etc.)
Yogi had told a devotee, while he was inside the temple premises, “Only strength is religion. Anything that weakens cannot be religion. You are all powerful, you are all knowing, you are all bliss. Don’t be pessimistic. If you are pessimistic everything is lost. Have hope, you are the Atman. Say that to yourself. Say that for years together. And see what happens.” When a devotee told Yogi that the spirit is willing but the flesh is week, Yogi replied, “Yes, the flesh is weak. The body is perishable. That is why I am asking you to identify yourself with the Atman. Say you are Atman, then see what happens.”
When a retired judge asked him why there are so many gods, so many gurus and so many idols and types of idol worship, Yogi replied, “Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi used to go round the hill. The hill is considered as Lord Shiva himself. You can say this is idol worship, if you like. This is murti puja. People need something, some form to worship. If you want to worship God in a male form you do that. Freedom… My friend, it is freedom… If you want to worship God in the form of hill Arunachala, or a tree or water, you do that. It is freedom, God is everywhere. There is no place where he is not. Father is omnipresent. He is everywhere and in everything. There is no place where he is not. So, if you want to worship Him as a male or female, or a hill or a river, do so, it is freedom, or if you want to worship Himself as formless, to it.
A sacred day indeed! Great!
Envius Thoughts 