Swami Krishnananda Shashtyabdapurti Mahotsava Commemoration Volume

A Souvenir released on Swami Krishnananda's 60th Birthday

An Ideal Spiritual Guide

by Swami Yogaswarupananda

The great Acharya Sankara states that it is very difficult to get a human birth and it is only with the grace of the Almighty Lord that one can get an ideal spiritual guide. Those who have the good fortune to have contact with worshipful Sri Swami Krishnanandaji are, therefore, really blessed souls; for, they have no more fear of this Samsara. Adorable Gurudev His Holiness Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj himself had said more than once that Swami Krishnanandaji was an Avatara of Acharya Sankara and wondered how this young Swami held in his small head the vast ocean of knowledge and also remembered all that he had read in the scriptures!

In spite of having digested the essence of all religious and spiritual literature, Swamiji is still regular and punctual in his Svadhyaya, Japa and meditation. He also attends to all the daily routine of the Ashram activities. He solves very quickly all the administrative problems of the Ashram, as he is very clear in his thoughts and actions. Swamiji becomes very serious when he detects any negligence on the part of anyone in the performance of his duties, and sometimes, he puts on a severe and harsh attitude if it concerns any financial loss to the Ashram. Even on such serious occasions, Swamiji never fails to give spiritual advice such as can be never forgotten throughout one's life.

An Incident and a Lesson

During the annual functions of Gurupurnima, Sadhana Week and Punyatithi Aradhana of the worshipful Gurudev in the year 1966, Swamiji asked me to vacate my room in order to provide accommodation to the guests, and stay in his office room instead. While handing over the office key to me, Swamiji said: "This is the first time I am giving the office key to anyone; keep it carefully." The key being a very small one, as a precaution against its loss, I put it in a key-ring and tied the ring in the sacred thread on my body; and now and then I satisfied myself that the key was safe in its place. On the Gurupurnima Day, I had to finish my bath in the Ganga before 4 a.m. After the bath, when I verified whether the key was safe, I found to my utter surprise and bewilderment, that only the ring was in my sacred thread. The little key was missing. I waited upto 6 a.m. on the Ganges bank so I could make a thorough search clear sunlight. My search was fruitless. When I went up to report the loss key, Swamiji was in Gurudev's Kutir on the Ganges bank, where he was staying in those days.

On the holy Gurupurnima Day, it is the custom for everyone in the Ashram to go to the senior Swamijis to pay homage and receive blessings. But as I was in a miserable condition, I could not do this like the others. Not knowing what to do, I felt nervous and had not the courage to report the loss of the key to Swamiji. I stood in my wet clothes shivering with cold in front of Gurudev's Kutir. Due to fear and grief, I could not speak a word. On seeing pathetic state, Swamiji asked me what had happened and the cause of my staying with wet clothes. With a choked voice, I told Swamiji that the office key was in the Ganga in the early morning, from the key-ring which was tied to my thread. Swamiji became very serious said: "What is the purpose of the thread? Is it for tying the keys? In spite of my warning, you have lost it. Now, there is no other way except to break the lock. If every inmate does the same thing, from where can you get money for purchasing new locks and keys? In the first test itself, you have failed. In your spiritual life, Lord Yama, Satan and other forces will come and test you. You are not able to keep a small key without losing it. How is it possible for you to face Yama and Satan and get over the obstacles put by those terrible forces? It is better you go home now itself and eat and sleep there. This holy Ashram is not the place for you. You are unfit for Sadhana.” Saying this, Swamiji went inside and bolted the door.

With profuse tears, I stood at the entrance of the Kutir for more than half an hour. In the meantime, Swami Hirdayananda Mataji and Swami Dayanandaji came to the Kutir to meet Swamiji and pay their respects. On their enquiry, I narrated the entire story. Both of them pleaded for me before Swamiji. After a little while, Swamiji gave me the duplicate key of the office and said: “Go and change the clothes.” As I found that Swamiji was still very serious, I thought of leaving the Ashram that day itself, for he had said earlier that the Ashram was not a fit place for me. I went to Swami Hridayananda Mataji to return Dr. Radhakrishnan's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita which I had borrowed from her. Hearing my decision to leave the Ashram, Mataji laughed and said: “For a silly thing, you are losing your confidence and going back home leaving the spiritual path. Repeat the Lord's Name. Today is Gurupurnima. Pray to Gurudev, surely he will help you. I observed fasting and prayer throughout the day. In the early morning I dreamt that the key was there near a rock on the Ganges bank. I woke up. It was about 5 a.m. I went to the particular place where I had taken bath the previous day. To my surprise, the water level of the Ganges had receded and I saw a small piece of white metal lying there in the wet sand. It was the key!

I thought of God. The office key appeared as the key to the realm of God. With confidence and jubilation, I ran to Gurudev's Kutir and prostrating before Swamiji, told him the recovery of the lost key. With a serious tone, Swamiji asked me to return the duplicate key. I at once returned it. Receiving it Swamiji said: "God is with you. Be careful in future." With hesitation, I stood there. I wanted to ask Swamiji whether he would permit me to stay in the Ashram. His harsh words, "The Ashram is not a fit place for you; it is better that you go home now itself", were ringing in my ears. But to my great surprise, he brought a big tin of biscuits, and with a smile in his face, presenting it to me, said: "Be happy."

From that time onwards, I became more vigilant and more careful. For the benefit of spiritual aspirants, Swami Krishnanandaji very often puts on a serious mien. Spiritual and moral instructions are given by him through appropriate anecdotes. Good work he praises and encourages in such a way that the Sadhak concerned is tempted to do more Sadhana.

Swamiji's thinking is always on the import of the scriptures. Quite often, when I went to him in the mornings, instead of giving me some work, Swamiji used to put some questions very difficult to answer. "What is the difference between doing and happening?" he asked me once. On another occasion, he said: "As per the aphorism of Patanjali, in the presence of one who is established in the practice of Ahimsa, there will be no feelings of enmity and hatred and peace would prevail. Lord Krishna was a great Yogi, but in his very presence, there were so many wars and battles. Either Patanjali is wrong or Krishna is not a Yogin. What do you say?" If Atman is everywhere and in all beings, it should be in the cow also; and if the cow turns its neck, do you mean that Atman also bends? Think and tell the answer," said Swamiji on another day. On still another day he said: "As per the declaration of Lord Krishna in the Gita, 'Mattah parataram na anvat kinchidasti Dhananjaya. Nothing exists other than Me, O Arjuna!', you must see only Krishna everywhere. But you are seeing so many things in the world. Just look here—table, chair, doors, windows, you and me. Do you perceive 'things' or Krishna alone? What is your understanding of this statement? Go and meditate on this verse and then come and tell me your experience." Repeating some of the phrases in the Gita verses, he used to laugh loudly and whole-heartedly like an innocent child.

Swami Krishnanandaji is a friend of all and a well-wisher of everyone. Some devotees, with an intention of giving some presentation to Swamiji, used to ask me: "Do you know what Swamiji likes most?" My reply to them used to be in the negative. One day, when Swamiji was in a humorous mood, I put the question to Swamiji himself. What was it that he liked most? The reply was: "Nothing." Nothing he likes or dislikes. It is very difficult to understand Swamiji.

Like Prahlada in Sahaja Samadhi

Here I recollect a beautiful narrative in the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata about the spiritual status of Prahlada, the great devotee of the Lord who had the rarest privilege of sitting on the lap of Lord Narasimha. This occurs in the course of a conversation between Bhishma and Yudhishthira. Bhishma says: “Prahlada was unattached to all worldly objects. His sins had been washed away. He was possessed of great learning. Free from all evil qualities, he was a repository of the quality of goodness. He took praise and censure equally. Realising the transitory nature of all beings and things, he was angry with what displeased him and rejoiced at what pleased him. Steadily engaged in the study of the scriptures, firm in knowledge, he had arrived at the conclusions in respect of Truth. As he was seated one day in a solitary chamber, with his senses under complete control, Indra, the king of the celestials, approached him and said: "O king, I behold in you those qualities by which a person wins the esteem of all. Your behaviour is like that of a child, free from attachment and aversion. You have realised the Self. What is the best means by which the knowledge the Self may be attained?" To him Pralada replied: "He who is acquainted the true nature of all beings, mobile and immobile, is never deluded. All entities and non-entities come into being and cease to exist in consequence of their own nature. He who regards himself as the doer of acts, good or bad, possesses a wisdom that is vitiated. Such a person is unacquainted with the Truth. If the person were really the actor, then all acts undertaken for own his benefit would certainly be crowned with success. But it is not so at all times. Even among persons struggling their utmost, the avoidance of what is not desired and the attainment of what is desired, are not seen always. What becomes then of the personal exertion? In the case of some we see that without any exertion on their part, what is not desired is avoided and what is desired is accomplished. Therefore, this must be the result of Nature. He who is acquainted with only the transformations of Nature, but not with Nature itself, which is supreme and exists by herself, feels stupefaction in consequence of his ignorance. But he who understands the difference between Nature and her transformations is never deluded. All existing things have their origin in Nature. In consequence of one's certainty of conviction in this respect, one would never be affected by price or arrogance. When I know the origin of all Dharmas and whenn I am acquainted with the instability of all objects, I am incapable of indulging in grief. Without attachments, without pride, without desire and hope, freed from all bonds, and disassociated from everything, I am passing my time in great happiness, engaged in witnessing the appearance and disappearance of all created objects. I behold all things with the light of Self-knowledge, and therefore, no trouble or anxiety exists in me. I do not behold anyone as my foe or friend. Hence I desire nothing."

Now the reader will have a fair knowledge of the supreme state of Sahaja Samadhi of Prahlada. If he has understood Prahlada, he can understand Sri Swami Krishnanandaji. Revered Swamiji is an ideal example to emulate for Sadhaks who desire to lead the divine life and get God-realisation.