Inner Journey

It is interesting to briefly compare  their early lives. Sri Ramakrishna was a rustic youth--with very little formal schooling and was exposed to bhakti cults as practized in rural Bengal.Bhagwan Ramana was brought up  in a middle-class family background,with good formal school education ,taught by Scottish missionaries running schools in those days in a well-developed city of Madurai.Therefore Ramana understood what intellectuals looked for and learn. He terminated his schooling at the age of sixteen and  became a beggar-sanyasin . a mendicant,in Thiruvannamalai.He was also given to Tamil literature and grammar and wrote poems and hymns in that language.He was also fluent in Telugu and Malayalam; He did read books in later years and edit the works of close devotees.He did proof-reading and also book-binding at odd moments!

  Sri Aurobindo's early life was entirely different. He had the best of  western education one can hope to get during the British rule.He studied school in England, later University  education for degree at Oxford,and even attempted the British  Civil Service examination of the Indian bureaucracy.He was greatly influenced by Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. He was a scholar in English and wrote in Sanskrit and Bengali.He was a great poet and could write poems at great speed.His choice of words thrills us even today.He started his career as a professor at  Baroda.Then he was drawn into nationalist freedom struggle  in Calcutta.He was an accused in a murder trial,but acquitted.He moved to the French colony of Pondicherry near Chennai and stayed for the rest of his life,devoted to spiritual pursuit.
So we have three mystics ---one a rustic boy, another English educated school boy and the third,university professor

with education in England---What a great combination of Giants!

 Sri Aurobindo           Ramana Maharshi              Sri Ramakrishna

There is less written material on women saints/mystics of India.I hope that this will be rectified by scholars [both Indian and Foreign] studying them in depth.[I am not referring to women poets/seers of vedic period.] I list only a few names here: Lalleswari [13th century,Kashmir],Akka Mahadevi [12th cent, Shimoga and Srisailam],Karaikal Ammaiyar[Tamil Nadu,perhaps 10th cent]Mira bai [the Rajasthani Princess of 16th Cent]Ananda mayee Ma[Benares,Haridwar] Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi [consort of Sri Ramakrishna],Mother Krishnabai [Kanhangad,Kerala].There is much literature on the last three saints..
Many of these mystics were great poets and composers too.For several of them, temples have been built.A deep study of these saints/mystics will remove the vague apprehension that Hindu mysticism had been dominated by male saints/philosphers.
 Among Hindu women mystics,Mirabai, born a Rajasthani princess in medieval times,,deserves special mention. She left the palace life and wandered around with mendicants and sadhus, singing lyrical songs on Lord Krishna,her Cosmic Beloved.She moved to Mathura and spent time lost in Krishna's love.Her romantic songs could not be easily understood by her court people..One day,entering a shrine, she disappeared or merged with Her Lord.Her songs are sung in musical concerts even today.According to her,only Krishna is a male in the world; all others are females only--the jivas seeking the Paramatman.
Sri Andal, a devout saint of Tamil nadu,the female Alwar of Vaishnava tradition ,called Goda Devi,born in Sri Villuputtur near Madurai, troubled her father,himself a saint and an Alwar, that she be married to no one but Lord Ranganatha [Vishnu] in Sri Rangam.The little girl was taken to Sri Rangam temple where she disappeared or merged with the Lord.Her songs are sung regularly in South Indian homes and temples in a winter month.Sri Andal is considered an Avatar[incarnation]  of Goddess Lakshmi,the consort of Vishnu.
Abhirami Amman temple ,Thirukadaiur, near Chidambaram, is well known and worshiped by thousands everyday.The Bhagavathy temple in Chottanikara in Kerala is another famous shrine.
Several women saints/mystics,who lived in recent years or living now,such as Ammachi [Amritananada Mayi] have been well publicised  by the print media that I need not describe here.I hold them in high regard,whatever may be the different views about them in the media..
In Hindu tradition, Mathru Bhavam [the attitude of Mother] is very sacred and sublime,capable of bestowing Divine Grace in a short time.Hence the worship of Goddess, with various rituals.Some distortions ,in the name of Tantra ,took place in middle ages.That can be corrected by proper worship of the Mother in temples.Scholars like Arthur Avalon [Woodroffe]  brought these rituals in the proper light.
Many saints like Sri Ramakrishna practized worship of Goddess as Mother and felt that bhava [devotional attitude] to be the easiest for modern persons.Further Goddess Worship removes gradually lustful thoughts from men, purifying their minds.[See  also  the page on 'temples' in this site.]

India has been the home of great sages and saints. While it is impossible even to list all of them, let us recall a few names whose biographies have been carefully noted in the last one hundred years. As a wide traveler in India, I have heard of so many of them that one feels overwhelmed:In th elast hundred years or so, we can mention the following s list: 1 Swami Sivananda [Rishikesh]  2 Ananada Moyi Ma [Benaras] 3 Trailinga Swami {Benaras] 4 Swami Ramdass [Kanhangad ,Kerala] 5 Pamban Swamigal [Rameswaram] 6 Swami Gnanananda Giri [Thirukoilur, near Thirvannamalai] 6 Sadasiva Brahmendra [Nerur] 7 Bodhendra [near Kumbakonam] 8 Judge Swamigal [Pudukottai] 9 Ramalinga Adigal [Vadalur] 10 Poondy Swamiar 11 Swami Ramatirtha [Lucknow,Haridwar] 12 Swami Thapovanam [Haridwar] 13 Swami Chinmayananda {Mumbai] 14 Nisargadatta Maharaj[Mumbai] 15 Swami Siddharudha [Hubli]  16: 14 Direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna

 Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh

17 Yogi Ramsurat Kumar [Thiruvannamalai]18 Swami Nityananda [Ganeshpuri,near Mumbai]19 Sri Narayana Guru {Sivagiri]20 Pavahari Baba 21 Neem Karoli Baba 22 Swami Ramsukhdasji 23 Meher Baba [though Paul Brunton gave a negative report on him in his book: "search in Secret India".]24 Akkalkot Maharaj 25 Shivapuri Baba 26 Lahiri Mahasaya 27 Paramahansa Yogananda  28 Several Sufi saints------The list can be long!

      Swami Tapovan 

Swami Tapovan, {1889 -1963]born in a princely family in Kerala ,retired to Uttar Kashi [north of Rishikesh and never came down south of Haridwar..A great Sanskrit scholar,he taught Upanishads and other scriptures to Swami Chinmayananda for nearly 8 years.He always roamed around in the Himalayas,in the midst of wild animals..he never built any ashram.

See the other website of mine: Click here:Sages and Saints of India

 It is almost impossible to give even small life-sketches of the saints and mystics of India---the list is long.I may add a few lines about some of them.
   Swami Ramdas [Beloved Papa] in Kanhangad was a beacon-light of spiritual power.Chanting Ram Nam, he gave the highest realization to many---including Mother Krishnabai and Yogi Ramsurat Kumar [1918-2001]
This yogi, Ramsuratkumar, born in Benaras [varanasi] or Kashi, Utter Pradesh,came to South in 1947 and had the blessings of Sri Aurobindo and Bhagavan Ramana,Later he  stayed with Swami Ramdas at Kanhangad ,got initiated in Ram Nam and attained realization.The latter years he wandered around Thiruvannamalai, spreading the chanting of Ram nam. Called Visiri Swami [Fan swami],holding a large hand fan, dressed in funny clothes in the hot Arunachala, he did not build an ashram but lived on the front porch of houses.In some respects, he resembled Sufi masters.Towards the end of his life, he permitted an ashram to be built---very close to Sri Ramanasramam-- where his body is interred.The story goes that he did not want anyone to write his biography....now I learn that two books of  biography have been written by  his devotees.A few western devotees have been following his life and teachings closely.

   Yogi Ramsurat Kumar    Thayumanavar , a sage in 17th century, lived in Trichy; He was a minister in Kings' court ,but left courtly life,came to Chidambaram...he wrote many great poems which are popular today. Paramahansa Yogananda quotes one of his poems in "Autobiography of a Yogi" , a classic book, in which Thayumanavar states clearly it is difficult to "tame the mind"---One can tame an elephant or a tiger and so on...In His name there is a Shrine in Trichy which is dedicated to Mother Goddess---He spurned Siddhis or occult powers, though they were child's play for him..see the page on 'Goddess Worship' in this site.

Pavhari Baba was another great mystic in late 19th century.He lived  near Ghazipur.His name is mentioned in biographies of Swami Vivekananda.Swamiji met him while wandering in the North India in Parivrajaka days.Swamiji became almost his disciple ,but was pulled back to Sri Ramakrishna...read about this in Romain Rolland's biography of Swamiji..Apparently Pavhari lived on 'air'--that is , practiced fasting for long periods.....One day his hut  was burning..It is surmised that he self-immolated ...the charred remains were found. 

Nisargadatta Maharaj [1897-1981]was a great advaita master,though following  devotional means and revered his Guru.A beedi-seller [native leaf cigarette] by profession,he lived in a modest one room apartment in crowded area of Bombay [Mumbai]. He talked to those who came to see him of the self-enquiry path, much like Bhagwan Ramana to meditate on "I Am"...Thousands of seekers came to him.The teachings were compiled into the book : "I AM THAT" by Maurice Frydman...He lived a family life ,in the Navanatha tradition and attained Samadhi in 1981.His simple life style and direct perceptive remarks made great appeal on westerners.He spoke in Marathi language.Among his many main followers, we find Ramesh Balsekar, Pradeep Apte,Jean Dunn and Robert Powell .

Sadasiva Brahmendra, a great mystic and Advaitin, is better known for his music compositions,sung even today in South India.He lived between 16th and 18th century,perhaps for more than a hundred years.He renounced the home at the time of his child-bride attaining puberty.He wandered about as an Avaduta [naked sadhu], sleeping on floors with hand as the pillow. He moved about near Trichy. He used to argue with scholars in his younger days.On being admonished by his guru, he became silent and observed mouna for the rest of his life.Several miracles are attributed to him.A few are mentioned by Paramahansa Yogananda in his classic 'Autobiography of a Yogi'.His work "Atma Vidya Vilasam" is a short advaitic text. .He wrote several works on philosophy and mysticism.At the same time, he sang lyrical songs of devotion to Rama,Krishna and other deities.He was honored by princes whenever he was found, especially by Raja of Pudukottai..His samadhi is in Nerur,near Trichy. Like other great    mystics, he combined Bhakti and Jnana in his  teachings---a fact to be remembered by dry philosophers who talk of only Jnana or advaita as the superior or only  Path.

Trailinga Swami was a familiar figure in varanasi.He used to roam around naked.He was a realized master who blessed many people.Paramahansa Yogananada had mentioned him in his "Autobiography".He perhaps hailed from Andhra and did penance near Narmada river and settled in Benaras.Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa ,during his tour of Benaras, met him,He called Trailinga as "Incarnation of Shiva".Many miracles are ascribed to him.A huge man with pot belly,he was a typical Siddha who had gone beyond the control of the five elements.

         Sri Narayana Guru

Sri Narayana Guru, the great sage and social reformer of Kerala in India, was born in a caste of 'untouchables' -- outcastes from the Hindu society--in the year 1856.Nanu, as he was called, was studious and learnt sanskrit from one Raman Pillai, and became proficient in that classical language.He studied scriptures and challenged the religious groups;he became a teacher for local groups and ran a school for his caste children,and became a respected leader of his caste people.He was bold and wanted to socially uplift his down-trodden poor 'Ezhavas'.He built Shiva temples  for them, thereby angering the caste-Hindus.He educated them with opening of schools in the rural Kerala.This changed the tide and slowly the outcaste 'ezhavas'  became socially acceptable  and were lifted above abject poverty.He exhorted them to give up drinking native liquor which they themselves tapped from palm trees.
   He was not only a social reformer, but a great bhakta and sage.He stayed with Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi for some time and received his blessings.His knowledge of scriptures made him a saint in a short time and pundits from Kancheepuram invited him for discussion.Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore visited his ashram near Thiruvananda Puram.It is said that Tagore was awestruck on seeing Narayana Guru and fell at his feet.The Guru  started a  monastic order and established a Missionary society for widespread development in Kerala.His message was: There is only one caste,one religion and one God for mankind.He passed away in the year 1928.
It should be noted that such a combination of sage-saint-reformer is very rare in Hindu milieu---  there were a few others such as Maharshi  Karve and Vinobha Bhave in Maharashtra.

    Hazrat Babajan

Millions of people have heard of Shirdi Sai Baba and Meher Baba...Only a few have heard about the woman Sufi saint Hazrat Babajan who lived under a neem tree for nearly 25 years in Pune. Infact it was She who initiated Meher Baba when he was a boy.When Meher was walking by the road, Babajan pulled him and affectionately kissed his forehead.Meher became god-intoxicated and could not lead a normal life at all.He was brought before Shirdi Sai Baba who called him "Parvadigar' and blessed him.Sai Baba asked him to take lessons from Upasani Maharaj who lived in Khandoba temple at that time.Sri Upasani Maharaj brought Meher to normal consciousness and gave him perfection...
Hazrat Babajan was probably born in Afghanistan and lived in Baluchistan for sometime.She was born in a rich family,but renounced home life and wandered around with both some Hindu masters and Sufi saints for several years near Rawalpindi...Later she reached Bombay in 1900 and later settled in Pune...Living under the neem tree,begging alms ,she resembled Shirdi Sai Baba in many respects...She did not preach or give discourses.Her look, with blue eyes,full of compassion was sufficient for her devotees to receive happiness and spiritual  knowledge.She performed many miracles for her devotees and could learn the past and future of people.Later a small shed was built around the neem tree.She attained Samadhi on 21st Sep 1931,under the neem tree.She was ,probably,110 years old ,when she shed the mortal coils.
     Tajuddin Baba is another mystic , who lived in Nagpur.He was a Sufi saint ,who did many miracles and considered one of the great Perfect Masters.There was some link with Shirdi Sai Baba in that some devotees were directed by Tajuddin Baba to Shirdi.The apparent connection between Perfect Masters cannot be easily understood by ordinary devotees or scholars.They operate in close communication with each others.
   Akkalkot Mahraj lived in Akkalkot,in Solapur district of Maharashtra for more than 20years. There are many similarities in the life and work of Shirdi Sai and Akkalkot Maharaj.Swami Samarth as he is called ,the Maharaj performed many miracles and protected His devotees like Shirdi Baba.He also used to do mass feeding.He belonged to Dattatreya tradition and may be a reincarnation of Narasimha Saraswathi of that paddhati [lineage]. Many consider Sai Baba an avadhuta in this tradition.Akkalkot Maharaj sent many devotees to Shirdi ,saying that he would be there here after.This was close to the last days of the Maharaj in 1878.The closeness of these two masters make people believe that they are one only in two different bodies.There are many legends about Swami Samarth.He travelled widely in younger days, perhaps to China too.He performs miracles even now for devotees who call on him.Like Sai, he blessed people of all religions. [See the website : shrreswami.org ]

 Very few of this generation have heard of Shivpuri Baba...This extra-ordinary saint was born in Kerala in 1826 in a Namboodri family.After marriage and children,he left home in his twenties,went to Narbada river region and did tapas;.he attained illumination and took sannyas from Shringeri Sankara Mutt.
He left India to travel throughout the world for the next 40 years,mostly on foot..He went thru  Khyber pass to enter Afghanistan.He met Pope and also had audience with Queen Victoria 18 times.He later went to US and met Theodore Roosevelt.He also met Bernard Shaw and Leo Tolstoy.After wandering thus ,he returned to India in 1915; helped  to found the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi; taught Sri Aurobindo in Baroda and Tilak in Pune.Later he settled in Kathmandu Nepal, in a small hut ...He also lived in Shivapuri forest in Nepal,amidst tigers and lions.
The only biography known was written by John Bennett towards the end of Baba's life.The Baba attained samadhi in 1963, at the age of 137 years...He did not teach specific methods or build an ashram.He discounted formal yogas for householders,though he stressed meditation for serious seekers..He taught people to do one's duty,maintain body and mind and worship God....Several miraculous powers were attributed to Baba...Shivpuri Baba was the first to spread knowledge of Hindu methods in the west , much before the storm of Swami Vivekananda in the West.

Sufi traditions took roots in India after 10th century...Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer is the one who established Sufism in India when Gawri Mahomed invaded India from Afghan states..He encountered Prithvi Raj Chauhan who was defeated at that time.The Ajmer dargha is a  highly venerated shrine.Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi is the chief disciple of Chisti..Hazrat Nizamuddin trained several Sufi masters who spread throughout India.----The Nagoor shrine or Darga in Tamil Nadu coast  is another venerated shrine..The famous Tajuddin Baba at Nagpur was a later-day Sufi saint,during the British days...It is almost widely accepted that Shirdi Sai Baba is of  Sufi tradition though he accepted formal Hindu forms of worship and spoke of Hindu scriptures.[There is ,of course, the well known story that he was born in a brahmin family,but was later abandoned by the parents and brought up by a muslim fakir, and so on..].But much of behavior of Baba closely resembles that of the Sufi masters.While I do not wish to dilate on this here,the devotees of Baba may keep an open mind on this question......
All the Sufi shrines and dargas [tombs] are places of worship and credited with healing and showering of prosperity and grace.In India these shrines  are visited by Hindus and  Muslims alike...The Sufi traditions helped to bring the two religious communities together all through the past ten centuries.
These mystics,given to devotional practices,chanting,singing and dancing,mainly stressed 'constant remembrance'[Dikhr] of God...Shirdi Baba was also of this nature...As a rule,the Sufis do not build ashrams or write books and lead a simple life, begging alms and live under neem trees...They do not emphasize reading scriptures .Their tombs 'speak' their glory.They  may teach through dreams and are strict disciplinarians.

One of the well-known Sufi masters, who lived in Kanpur was Bhai Sahib, a Hindu by birth, who trained many sufi masters. Irene Tweedi was his chief disciple and wrote the classic "Daughter of Fire"...

 Please see my other  website titled:Saints and Sages of India

.I have mentioned briefly about Sadasiva Brahman who was a mystic and composer-- a great Advaitin..There were several in 17th century to 20 the century.In earlier period, in 15th and 16th century ,we had several such mystic-composers...the most notable was Purandara Dasa,who gave structure to Karnatic music, an itinerant singer,who renounced his life being a  rich jeweler in Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi...His songs are regularly sung even today by musicians and devotees...these mystics,though were mainly devotees of personal gods like Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, attained mystic heights of  Advaitic experience...They saw oneness with the Absolute in trance like experience or samadhi...In this tradition,we find other haridasas [servants of Hari or slaves of Hari or Lord Vishnu] such as Kanaka Dasa,Ramadas of Bhadrachalam in Andhra, Yogi Vemana,Annamacharya of Anantapur whose soulful songs are sung by musicians and also in temples.

 The music  holy Trinity ---Saint Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Sama Sastri--  were also mystic-composers of 18th century and could reach sublime heights through singing the praise of their Lord or Goddess in hymns and songs set to music and repeated chanting of Lord' s name....There were several Haridasas and Maharashtrian saints of this class.....Note that for this path, caste was no barrier...They carried multitude of bhaktas or devotees with them...In Bengal, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Saint Ramaprasad also followed this tradition...In later times, we find the prince of Travancore [Kerala] Swathi Thirunal, and several Bhagavatas [literally ballad singers] of Tamil Nadu.

These are followers of early alwars and nayanmars who were canonised in the tradition in South India..these humble devotees--mystic-composers ----were not canonised by the religious tradition as such but venerated by all...there were too many that could not be canonised by traditionalists!....they were simply called 'Bhagavatas' or ballad singers like troubadours in Europe....

The rich literature of their songs and experiences are thrilling accounts of devotional path which had sustained Hindu faith against the encroachment and proselytising of other religions which also had  royal patronage at various times and money power...in the period10th to 17th century CE.

A deep study of these mystic-composers is still wanting ,except for some isolated studies on a few of these composers... There is much material for several Ph D's in this field.!

NOTE:See also my website: www.freewebs.com/nksrinivasan1   on "Saints and sages of India"

n Indian philosophy/religious traditions, there is a thin line dividing a mystic.singer/musician and poet..A poet/singer may attain mystic heights and experience advaitic 'Oneness" with God/the Absolute or Brahman ,but may not state as such or expresses in cryptic/poetic terms....

Tulsidas [who wrote Ramayan ,the epic, in Hindi],Surdas,Kabir , Meera Bai and others belong to this category.But lay men and scholars often miss this point and label them as mere siingers/poets or even rabble-rousers because of their radical views. Often it takes a few centuries before their mystical heights are recognised and praised...One thing that we can say is that they were not burnt at stakes or killed as martyrs,though they suffered some harshness or ridicule or  persecution from their neighbours....Think of all the burning/killing/inquisition that took place in Medieval Europe...Nothing of that sort happened in India---that is the level  of religious/spiritual tolerance witnessed in India.

Religious persecution in medieval India was very rare,unlike in other cultures/countries.

As a result, Jews came to Malabar coast in Kerala and settled around Kochi [Kerala]; Parsees came from Iran and settled around Bombay[Mumbai] ,Armenians  came to East coast and Chennai and Sufi saints came from Iran/Afghanistan and established their schools throughout India .What is more,most of them fluorished socially as traders/small busineemen to start with.Many jews then moved out or settled back in Israel...their population dwindled mainly because they did not intermarry with other communities.The same thing can be said of Parsees whose population is decreasing.Armenians,Iranians have mingled with others...This is the social aspect of religious migration of these ethnic groups.

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