Part-I
The series of ‘Who are you?’ posts was wrapped up beautifully and the results rewarding. In the process of its completion which lasted for more than three weeks, I too have been floating in benign sublime thoughts because it pertained to issues such as our beautiful Divine Soul.
The theme of this new segment is about our Soul and how to find it; it is critical. We began with who we are in this new segment and it will gradually lead us to how to find our soul. However, in between these two themes, we take a halt and will focus on an important issue-Why is it important to know our soul?
The next subject matter of why it is so important to know our soul is a very gentle one. This will demand our sensitivity to understand the sublime ideas and require enough mental strength to hold on to those sublime thoughts long enough. And by doing so when we are successful in these attempts, it will enable us to catch hold of the unseen, our secret Self, our own Soul.
About two weeks ago, when I returned from Pondicherry, I randomly turned the leaves and read a few beautiful lines from the epic Savitri by Sri Aurobindo. It is Sri Aurobindo’s major literary work inspired by a narrative in Mahabharat. It is based on the mythological story of Savitri and Satyavan where Savitri brings back her dead husband from the clutches of Yama, the lord of death in a forest. The return of Satyavan to life was possible only because of her austerity, nobility, penance, purity, devotion and strength of character.
Through the story as a backdrop, the poet conveys how the soul degenerates and falls because of covering of the Supreme Truth. The degeneration is caused because of darkness produced by ignorance. But with the arrival of Supreme knowledge, the darkness disintegrates slowly progressively and the Soul ascends towards the bright Sun or the Truth of God.
Quoting just two lines for you as each word is enough to convey the theme.
The Absolute, the Perfect, the Immune,
One who is in us as our secret Self-the Absolute .
Part-B
Dear friends, I leave this post at this point only to finish it in the next one as I have just returned home a few hours ago. I visited a place that is connected to Shri Mahavatar Babaji’s spiritual life called Palani in Tamil Nadu near Madurai. It is the resting place or samadhi of Shri Boganathar. The mountain top in Palani has a big temple of Murugan Swami as well in the same place. Shri Boganathar was the disciple of Swami Murugan and he has installed the idol of Swami Murugan there and had worshipped him. Shri Mahavatar Babaji took deeksha from these two great spiritual luminaries during his early years. I meditated for only a short while in the cave of Shri Boganathar since there was a big population visiting the temple from neighbouring states.
I have visited Kanya Kumari as well, it is one of the char dhams or places of liberation and mukti of India. Kanya Kumari has an ancient rock temple of Goddess Parvati as a young girl or kanya called the Kanyakumari temple. I visited the Vivekananda Memorial Rock and the nearby rock where Goddess Parvati did penance to get Yogeshwar, the Lord of Yoga, Lord Shiva as her husband- oh my God! what a dynamic place this is in spite of countless visitors thronging everyday!!!
I am unable to write more than this today, nonetheless I would like to share with you some pictures of Kanya Kumari only. Photography was prohibited in Palani and other temples. I can show the full moon- light pictures of Kanya Kumari and hazy sunrise as well as Swami Vivekananda’s Rock Memorial too- please enjoy them, they were mesmerizing moments! We woke up very early to catch the phenomenon of the rising Sun in the Indian Ocean.
A view of Swami Vivekananda’s Memorial in the early hours.
Emerald sea…
We are at the steps of Pada mandapam. It is this place where Mother Parvati as a kanya, girl did penance to obtain the hand of Shiva in marriage. Behind us is the memorial where Swami Vivekananda meditated for three days before he went to the West in Chicago to give sermons and lectures on ancient Vedant knowledge to the world.
A cute baby singing and dancing to the chant of ‘Swami Ayyapa’ with grace, joy and pure devotion
The outside view of Kanya Kumari temple. It was not affected by tsunami!
A Gothic style church seen from my balcony.
A sparrow warms up in the first rays of the Sun on the window sill.
A crow sitting on the next balcony without moving for quite sometime as if in contemplation, inspired me to take his photo….
Hazy yet tranquil sunset time. KanyaKumari is a place where one can see distinct sunrise and sunset without any obstruction in our view. This place is called sunset point
Silvery waters, dancing boats and effulgent rays of the moon falling on the singing sea- surely a very mystic night.
This place looked like a fine piece of glittering jewellery when the houses were shining with dim yellow lights on a full moon light.
Updated on 24.04.2020
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Significance about Kanya Kumari temple and Vivekananda Memorial Rock.
The Sage came closer and invited me with a gesture. I took his hand and we both instantly reached a bed of a very, very quiet, rather soundless ocean. In the water bubbles were erupting from below the many big rocks and boulders. Inside the water, I saw an opening which resembled the mouth of a cave. Indeed, it was a cave and the next moment I saw this Sage sitting in deep Samadhi unaware of anything around him. His eyes were closed and his contour was made of pure, white Light and his countenance was radiating unseen peacefulness. I went on looking at the towering figure first then his very serene face and found his presence extremely captivating.
I was quick to understand that it was an encounter with an advanced Sage but beyond that my capacity to understand lapsed.
He only told me, “I come here to meditate, this is a cave under an ocean.”
It is the same place, Kanya Kumari at Indian Ocean.
Dearest Sarika!
What a pleasure to look at the beautiful photos and read of your travel. The insights you must have gained at such holy places must have been so intense. I am now eagerly awaiting your next posts, as you slowly unravel the great mysteries with your characteristic subtlety….Your journeys have now become ours..we travel and discover through you. I thank you for these illuminations. I also bow to the Supreme Lord and Mahavatar Babaji who in His Compassion and Love has enabled us to share your life in this way. Lots of love,
Vanita
My dear Vanita, if by sharing my life in this way will enable to unravel the great mysteries and if other friends are willing to get inspired and will try hard, then so be it! I feel good today to know through you that my journeys have become yours. The hard journeys that I undertake is fulfilling a wider scope now and I never knew that one day my journeys could be so inspiring for others. It is a fact that I did pray for all of you at a particular holy site ; in fact I do that in most of the places wherever I go. There is a reason behind it. I know that God has been very compassionate towards me and I feel that God’s unconditional love and kripa should be secured by others also-there is nothing like it anywhere in the world and there is nobody who can give you such seamless ananda or joy.
May God give us enough power, perseverance and spiritual wisdom to know the Truth, our Self.
I wish you and other friends, brothers and sisters a wonderful year ahead full of health, supreme love and gentle submission for God.
Sarika
Dear Sarika Ji,
My humble pranam to you and dear Babaji…
I have already wished you by mail but again would like to wish u here A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY with lots of love and light. The only purpose to wish here is that all the sadhaks like me who are blessed with your divine guidance and energies, can wish you from the bottom of their heart.
And thanks a lot for this lovely post and amazing photos. I am feeling so blessed as if i have travelled with u at such divine places, Palani and Kanyakumari.
Sri Paramhansa Yoganda Ji have very beautifuly written ‘ Behind the light in every little bulb is a great dynamic current; behind the waves, vast oceans, and behind the individual lies the Supreme Spirit ‘
The nature of the supreme spirit of God is infinite bliss, peace, divinity, simplicity and same love for all.
We all have such nature and qualities in us but its hidden under the dark clouds of ignorance and are not visible for us. So once we start to know our soul and its divine nature, slowly it comes out of the dark clouds of ignorance and shall shine very brightly like the full moon, which not only helps us to god realization but also helps and illuminates the path for others with its divine light’s reflection. ( Inspired by your full moon photos and the old pista on he blog )
Namaste with love and gratitude.
Nirav
You know Nirav, this segment was supposed to have very few visuals and then the sudden decision to upload many pictures of my travels! But as Vanita has very rightly said, ‘Your journeys have now become ours..we travel and discover through you’ because indeed so many blog readers will discover a lot and many will also receive abundant illumination even if they do not travel to those places in physical forms. So let’s unravel those mysteries and slowly discover our souls…..
Let’s all wish and pray with all our heart and mind for the fast and speedy progress of all those seekers who are sincerely trying here. Birthdays and other special days are surely days for sharing and caring and giving huge happiness to others. It is the day when our soul goes to meet God and we are again making affirmations to God and ourselves that we will not afloat or drift aimlessly and we will fulfil the purpose of human life.
Thanks and God bless you
I liked the words of wisdom of Paramhansa Yoganada very much- ‘ Behind the light in every little bulb is a great dynamic current; behind the waves, vast oceans, and behind the individual lies the Supreme Spirit’
Hi pls tell me why does darkness dispel slowly and progressively ?when the supreme light shines doesn’t or shouldn’t the darkness dispel instantaneously .should the sadhak burn in that period where the darkness is intense or should he cry out for his grace ?
Dear Sangeeta, the darkness in man is very ancient and rubs off slowly because it is very dense!!! it has so many layers and the speed at which we travel is so slow…..When the Supreme Light shines, the darkness begins to dispel slowly and it rubs off progressively only if the process of illumination is continued for a very long duration. Until then have patience my dear…..
Dear aunty,
Needless to say that your journey must have been very beautiful and full of divine experiences. Before you mentioned it here, I was not aware of the city of Palani and its spiritual significance. Thanks for showing us world through your eyes and also your collection of pictures is awe-inspiring.
Wish you a very happy new year.
Loads of Love
Garima
Dear Garima, I have been contemplating to go to Palani ever since I read in a few books as to how this place is conncected to Shri Babaji’s life. It was calling me since the last eight to ten years and at last it materialized. I wish to visit those places which are connected with times and life of Shri Babaji; this is my way of paying my respects to the Glorious Holy Soul. Palani is a very dynamic place and needs to be revisited in off season so that we can sit in that highly charged place for a longer period, Anyway, whatever I got was also so mesmerizing and plentiful.
The pictures were aimed at showing you that even if you could not make it to the holy places, you can still visit them mentally and get the blessings. Thanks for liking the photo gallery. God bless you, have a blessed and beautiful year ahead.
Sarika Aunty
Very beautiful pictures aunty esp. the falling silvery moonlight…heart feels joyous and happy.. 🙂
Beautiful pictures here esp of crow in the balcony and the last moon picture taken by you is just superb, looks so fab as if it has been taken out of a Top class, award winning Travel magazine 🙂
ohm namo narayana
dear ma, thanks a lot for thi pictures.
love,
Midhun
“The pictures were aimed at showing you that even if you could not make it to the holy places, you can still visit them mentally and get the blessings.” Thank you dear Maa for sharing the pics out of so much concern. May we all embody all your divine qualities. I really liked the second last picture. And thank you for sharing that Maa Parvati did her penance in Kanyakumari. I was under the belief that it was the Himalayas where she did her tapasya. 🙂