Shri Sharad Jaywant

Shri Sharad Jaywant with Shree Karunakar Swami (Matunga, Mumbai)

Shri Sharad Jaywant was an engineer working for Indian Railways (Central Railway). He came into the lineage of Bhagavan Nityananda through Shree Baburao Khade.

Desire for the Saguna Padukas

Sharad Jayvant’s mother often expressed a heartfelt wish to have the holy Paduka of Shree Janananda Swamiji in their home. To fulfil her desire, in February 1973, Sharad purchased a pair of wooden sandals and all the items required for performing a proper puja. He then travelled to Kanhangad to stay for a few days. During his visit, he was blessed with the opportunity to perform a Pada puja for Shree Janananda Swamiji, hoping that Swamiji would wear the wooden sandals he had brought.

Altar at Shri Sarad Jaywant’s home having Paduka

As the only visitor in the ashram then, Sharad had the rare privilege of performing the Pada puja to his heart’s content. He lovingly washed Baba’s feet with water, milk, coconut water, and rose water, wiping them gently with a soft cloth. Then, with great reverence, he placed the wooden sandals on Baba’s feet. He applied sandalwood paste, asthagandha, and heena perfume to Baba’s feet, offering sweet-smelling flowers in devotion. Sharad placed a garland around Baba’s neck and performed the arati, waving cotton wicks dipped in oil and camphor.

As he completed the holy Pada puja, with Baba wearing the sandals, Sharad silently prayed, “Baba, please bless me with these Paduka as a sacred memento.” But to his dismay, as soon as he lifted his head from Baba’s feet, Baba bent down, removed the sandals, tucked them under his arm, and carried them inside his room, closing the door behind him. Sharad’s heart sank. Tears filled his eyes as he realized he would be returning to Mumbai without the cherished Paduka. He was deeply disappointed, feeling as though he had failed in his mission.

In 1975, during one of his several visits to Kanhangad, Sharad returned with his brothers and sisters, staying for several days. On the second-to-last day of their stay, Sharad wasn’t feeling well and chose to remain in his room while the others went for the arati at Swami Nityananda’s shrine. Restless and unable to stay in the room, he eventually made his way to the main hall, where he saw Dr. Kamalakshi in deep meditation. Swamiji and Krishna Nair were in the inner hall, with Swamiji lost in deep thought and Krishna Nair standing quietly. The sound of bells from Baba’s shrine at the top of the caves echoed through the air.

Sharad slowly approached Swamiji, who remained silent and contemplative. Suddenly, without knowing why, Sharad blurted out, “Baba, I want your Paduka.” The words left his mouth before he could stop them, and immediately, Swamiji’s face turned red with fury. He rolled his eyes and roared, “Do you want to break my legs? Are you planning to cut off my feet and take them with you?”

Swamiji paced up and down the hall, his anger escalating with each step. Sharad was terrified, wishing the ground would swallow him up. He had never seen Swamiji so enraged and stood there trembling, shivering in fear. After several rounds of furious pacing, Swamiji stormed into his room. Moments later, Sharad heard Swamiji calling for him, but fear kept him rooted to the spot, unable to move. To his surprise, Swamiji came out of the room, holding the Paduka in his hands.

With a softened expression, Swamiji handed the Paduka to Sharad, who immediately fell at his feet, overcome with gratitude and joy.

The Paduka

Swamiji was indeed a form of Lord Dattatreya, and traditionally, the Paduka of Lord Dattatreya is considered highly sacred, requiring immense care and respect. At many pilgrimage sites dedicated to Dattatreya, the Paduka are revered as symbols of his formless, Nirguna avatar. Swamiji had shown the fierce Rudra aspect of Lord Dattatreya, but at the same time, he embodied the love and care of a nurturing mother.

Today, these holy sandals are kept in Sharad’s home and worshipped daily. During sacred festivals such as Guru Purnima and Datta Jayanti, Sharad performs special Abhishek to the Paduka. These Saguna Padukas, filled with the vibrant energy of Shiva and Vishnu, continue to radiate divine presence and blessings in his home.

The Art of Chanting

During one of her visits to the ashram, Sharad’s cousin carried a sling bag over her shoulder. It contained a small meditation mat, chanting beads, some money, and personal belongings. As she passed by Swamiji, Baba called her over and asked for the bag. With a playful expression, Baba began removing each item from the bag, and soon, a small crowd gathered to witness the fun.

Among the items, Baba found the chanting beads. Holding them between his fingers, he humorously mimicked the act of chanting, rolling the beads while closing his eyes in exaggerated meditation. After a few moments, Swamiji spoke: “When you chant, silently repeat ‘Rama, Rama’ within yourself. If your chanting is deep and sincere, Lord Rama will come and place His ear to your chest to listen. But if you chant loudly, Rama will run away! The meditation should be in your heart, not for show.”

Task assigned to a devotee before Mahasamadhi

This story was shared with Sharad Jaywant many years ago by one of Baba’s old devotees, though Sharad has since forgotten his name. It is retold here as faithfully as possible:

Just four or five days before Swamiji’s Mahasamadhi, this devotee visited Kanhangad. As Swamiji’s health was deteriorating, those attending to him initially prevented the devotee from seeing Baba. However, a few days later, Swamiji asked Krishna Nair to bring the devotee to him. How Swamiji knew of the devotee’s presence remains a mystery known only to him.

When the devotee appeared before Baba, Swamiji gave him a specific task. “Immediately go to Hejmadi,” Swamiji instructed, referring to the small village in Karnataka where he was born. He continued, “On your way to the village, you will come across a particular well. Draw water from the well with your own hands and drink a glass of it yourself. Near the well, there is a large tree with a parapet around it, where you will find several snakes. Offer water to each snake and say, ‘This water is offered by Shinha.’” Swamiji’s other name was Shinha Swami. “Then,” he added, “you will find a small house. On the veranda, there will be a pair of small sandals, meant for a young boy. Bring those sandals to me.”

Baba continued, “Further ahead, you’ll find a cowshed. Stroke the cows gently and lovingly. Do not worry about how you’ll find these places; you will be guided.”

Trusting Baba’s words, the devotee set off for Hejmadi with a few friends. Swamiji had not returned to his village in over 80 years. They arrived late at night, around 9 pm, embarking on their journey into the unknown with only Swamiji’s assurance: “Do not worry how to reach there; you will be guided.” In those days, the villages had no electricity. As they walked in the darkness, two bright lights appeared before them, guiding their way. These lights led them directly to the well, where an otherworldly glow illuminated the water. Following Swamiji’s instructions, the devotee drew water from the well, drank it, and offered it to the snakes.

In villages, it’s common for a place beneath a banyan or peepal tree to be dedicated to snakes, often with a round parapet built around it and statues of Nagas installed. Villagers light lamps there in the evening, and during Nag Panchami, they worship Nagdevata. Beneath the tree, the devotee found statues of snakes and, as foretold by Swamiji, a live snake. He carefully poured water over both the statues and the live snake.

Having completed this task, he proceeded to the cowshed, where he lovingly stroked the cows. He then found the small house, and on the veranda, as Swamiji had described, there was indeed a small pair of sandals, possibly belonging to a child. He placed the sandals in his bag. As soon as the tasks were accomplished, the two bright lights that had guided them vanished.

That night, the devotee returned to Mangalore with the sandals. The following day he went to Kanhangad and he presented sandals before Swamiji and recounted the entire journey, Baba acknowledged the completion of the task.

The Show Must Go On

One day, Swamiji was in a talkative mood, and in a state of trance, he remarked, “Atman, Prana is like air. It has no form, colour, or shape.”

Sharad asked, “Baba, why don’t all living beings attain liberation?”

Baba smiled and replied, “If all beings were liberated, how would Brahman carry on the play? The universe must continue—this show must go on.”

You Cannot Capture Brahman

Sharad Jaywant, fascinated by the moments he experienced with Shree Janananda Swamiji, always sought to capture these memories on camera. However, Baba rarely gave permission for photographs. Once, Sharad decided to photograph Swamiji secretly, hoping Baba wouldn’t notice. He hid behind a pillar and snapped a few shots from a distance. But Swamiji, all-knowing, turned and said, “If you take my photograph secretly, you will never capture the Brahman within me.”

Sharad at Guruvanam

In 1980, Sharad Jaywant, along with his relatives and his Muslim friend Kadri, visited Kanhangad. Early one morning, Sharad and his family went to Guruvanam, bathed in the sacred Papanashi Ganga, and performed puja and arati at the Avadhoot Nityananda shrine. However, Kadri did not join them.

That evening, Swamiji sat with Sharad and his group. After listening to their experiences, Baba turned to Kadri and asked, “Why didn’t you go to Guruvanam with them? What were you doing?”

Kadri replied, “Oh, all-knowing one! You are aware of what I was doing.”

Baba immediately commanded, “In that case, you must go to Guruvanam now.” He pointed to Sharad, indicating that he should take Kadri immediately.

Sharad protested, “Baba, if we go now, we’ll have to stay overnight. It’s getting dark, and we don’t have a torch. We’ll struggle to find our way.”

But Baba interrupted, “Nothing doing. Go now. You will be guided.”

With no choice but to obey, Sharad gathered essentials for an overnight stay and set off with Kadri, who walked barefoot without any provisions. As they reached Alampali, Kadri suggested they buy some bananas for dinner. While they were at the shop, an old man appeared and asked if they were heading to Guruvanam. When they said yes, the man offered to guide them.

Surprisingly, this elderly stranger led them with a torch through the dense forest and across the river, disappearing once they reached the Guruvanam gate. Both men bathed in the Papanashi Ganga under the starlit sky, performed puja, and meditated. Kadri, especially, had profound experiences, seeing visions of Lord Shiva, Bhagwan Nityananda, and Swamiji.

The next morning, after arati, they returned to Kanhangad, where Baba greeted them with a joyful smile.

It Stopped Raining

In 1979, two friends of Sharad visited Kanhangad shortly after Guru Purnima. After lunch, they sought Baba’s permission to visit Guruvanam. At that very moment, heavy rain began to pour, typical of Kanhangad’s monsoon. Baba advised them to carry umbrellas, but they only had one among the five of them.

“Baba, we’ll get wet anyway while bathing at Guruvanam,” Sharad said. “We’ll just change when we return.”

Baba looked at the sky and granted permission. Astonishingly, as soon as they stepped out of the ashram, the rain stopped. They enjoyed their visit to Guruvanam, and not a single drop fell during the trip. When they returned, just as they stepped back inside the ashram, the rain began to pour again.

Delay in Seeking Alms

Every morning around 8:30 am, Swami Janananda would sit quietly on a wooden chair near the large pond close to the railway tracks. He remained there, motionless, for several hours. Sharad and his friends wanted to ask Baba for advice on personal matters, but they never had the opportunity to approach him privately.

One morning, noticing that Baba was alone near the pond, they decided to take their chance. However, the ashram’s watchman, PT, repeatedly blocked their way, distracting them with gossip. Eventually, they managed to slip past PT and reach Baba.

The moment Baba saw them, he flew into a rage. “Why do you come to harass me? I’m getting late to collect alms. Leave at once!”

Only later did Sharad realize that although Baba appeared physically present by the pond, as Lord Dattatreya, his spiritual body was travelling far and wide, collecting alms. PT had been preventing them from approaching Baba for good reason, following strict instructions.

To be continued…………………………