B.V.Narasimhaswami

From the Notebook of B. V. Narasimhaswami

14.10.1929 - Enter K. K. Ganapati Sastri, Kapali Sastri and his wife Parvathammal, who bow and seat themselves. Many others are present.

Kapali: When after a long struggle and development (by sadhana) one attains siddhi, is the attainment due to his effort or to the action of the Spirit or Power which is the object of his upasana?

M: It is the action of the Current.

Kapali: So it is not the aspirant’s actions that make him get siddhi but it is the act of the Current?

M: Yes.

Then Kapali Sastriar points to the Maharshi’s own case of quitting home, and being drawn to Tiruvannamalai as an instance of the above and asks: It is That which drew Bhagavan from Madurai to Tiruvannamalai?

M: Yes. You see in the letter left at home before leaving, I first wrote “By His command...” and then added above it “In search of my Father”. He drew me. I wrote that down and left. Finding funds was not due to my efforts. My brother, of his own accord told me, “You had better take five rupees and pay my school fees at the school,” and out of the five I only took three rupees for the train to Tindivanam. Judging the distance from an out-of-date atlas of India, Tindivanam was the nearest railway station to Tiruvannamalai.

Again, the train, which usually leaves at 11.45 a.m., was unusually late. I left home after 12 noon for the station and still reached there in time to catch it. The correct information about my destination was given to me by an old Muslim, with a silvery white flowing beard, one or two stations after we left Madurai.

“Where are you going Swami?” he queried.

“To Tiruvannamalai and so I have got a ticket to Tindivanam,” I replied.

“You are a strange passenger to go to Tindivanam for Tiruvannamalai. I am also going there,” he said and added, “and we should change trains at Villupuram. You should not go to Tindivanam at all.” He informed me that he was going to Tirukoilur, but strangely, I did not find him when after some time I looked for him in the carriage. After that I did not think of him at all.

Kapali continued: Did Bhagavan come straight to the temple?

Maharshi: Yes. The doors were all open then and I went straight to the garbhagraham (shrine). There was no one else present.

Kapali: And Bhagavan reported his arrival to Arunachaleswara.

M: As though Arunachala did not know of it otherwise!