My Sadguru – Part- I

Bhagavan Nityananda

From His earliest days, Bhagavan Nityananda was always Himself—unbound by any external symbols or affiliations. He did not wear any insignia or marks, such as the nama associated with various religious schools like Vaishnavism, Shaivism, or Shaktism. His attire did not signify monastic orders or any particular tradition. While He did shave His head, He never grew the matted hair (Jatha) typically associated with Himalayan yogis.

During His early years in Mangalore, Bhagavan was often seen wearing a simple shirt. Devotees, like Madhav Hegde and others who spoke Konkani, would gather around Him at the Mangalore station to listen to His words, despite Him being a young boy. Occasionally, He wore a long robe or kafni, but only for brief periods and never as a consistent dress code. He visited no temples, nor was He seen bowing to any deity or person, whether monk or elder. Bhagavan eventually gave up all forms of clothing, wearing only a loincloth, and even that was due to His devotees’ insistence for legal reasons. This loincloth was always white, made of two pieces of cotton cloth about a meter in length. One piece was tied around the waist and the second piece was passed over it. It was so closely tied that often it used to slip down and He used to pull it up! Sometimes, He carried a checkered blanket made from raw wool, slung over His shoulders. He often slept on gunny bags without a blanket, even in winter, though devotees would cover the bags with bed sheets. They offered Him warm clothes, which He would wear briefly to please them, but as soon as they left, He would revert to His simple attire.

Though Bhagavan urged His devotees to adhere to their Dharma, family traditions, and rituals, He Himself was not bound by any such practices. For instance, He instructed Shri Mahendrabhai Hingwala’s father to conduct nine Navchandi Homas in front of Shree Bhadrakalidevi, with Shri Joglekar Guruji of Gokarna officiating over nine years. Despite this, Bhagavan personally conducted no rituals, nor did He attend any. He did not entertain astrology, yet had profound knowledge of it, along with astronomy and numerology. He could read a horoscope without even looking at it. During late-night talks under the open sky, He would point to celestial objects and discuss astronomy, often elaborating on the significance of numerology and the influence of numbers. When P K Nair, a devotee came to Him with the horoscope of a prospective bride whom the renowned astrologers had rejected, Bhagavan recommended the girl as a good match. Mr. Nair told Him that the astrologers had declared it as not matching his horoscope, Bhagavan gave Him justification through another angle of horoscope matching. When Mr Nair took this aspect with the astrologers, they were surprised at this angle of matching.

Though He installed Lord Krishna and Bhadrakali in a temple dedicated to them, He went to no temple or was found bowing to any deity or man, be it a monk or an elderly person. He lived next to Bhimeshwar temple but never went inside to pay obeisance to Shiva. Once He placed His right foot on Shree Bhimeshwar Linga and asked Shri Mangalore Sanjeeva Kamath “Whis Shiva?”. He said that all the holy places are at the Lotus Feet of Gurudeva and often admonished anyone desiring to go on pilgrimage. He wanted them to understand that if happiness is not experienced wherever they were placed, they would not find it anywhere. Pilgrimages made without understanding their essence were of no use. However, He accompanied elders in my family to various holy places like Palni, Rameshwar, Dhanushkodi, Madurai Meenakshi, etc. He visited these places and recommended to my elders to pay obeisance, but He did not join them in any of these temples. He waited outside for them to join Him.

In His early days, He had travelled all over India from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari. He also travelled outside India. He had been to Burma, Ceylon (Shri Lanka), and other countries. For Shri Madhav Hegde, Bhagavan Nityananda manifested in London. Thus, He had travelled far and wide in India and neighbouring countries. He used to give details of His travelogue and spoke of the life and style of people of various states.

Thus, Bhagavan travelled extensively across India and neighbouring countries, sharing detailed accounts of His journeys and insights into the lifestyles of various regions. He spoke about the great Rishis and Munis of ancient times and offered biographies of saints such as Shree Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Shree Ramana Maharishi, Sai Baba, and others. He also discussed various incarnations, gods, and demigods, advising devotees on specific rituals to gain their grace as mentioned in the scriptures. For those seeking guidance in life, He recommended particular poojas.

While Bhagavan was often silent, when He did speak, His words were full of humour and wisdom. He was cryptic and only those who were familiar could easily decipher. He talked about Yoga, the grace of the Guru (Guru Krupa), devotion (Bhakti), how to lead a beautiful life, and how to balance the spiritual (Parmararth) and worldly (Prapancha) aspects of life.

Bhagavan did not encourage being worshipped. On rare occasions, some were allowed to touch His feet, prostrate, or offer a garland. Only a fortunate few were permitted to perform His Padpooja. He recommended reading the Bhagavad Gita, the works of Swami Ramteertha, and Vivekananda. He discouraged keeping His pictures and never took credit for any miracles that occurred around Him, attributing them instead to the Shakti of the place. He used to call it Sthalmahima. 

Raghunath Shenoy with folded hands near Baba’s head.

Bhagavan was like an ocean—vast, deep, and serene. In His early days, He visited devotees, but once He settled in Ganeshpuri, He never left. He did not visit other saints or any ashram. He visited the Samadhi shrine of Shree Dnyaneshwar Maharaj. Bhagavan remained in one place, and those who wished to see Him came to Him. He sought no recognition, acknowledgement, or certification. He stood in His splendour, acknowledging no one as His Guru or disciple. Bhagavan Nityananda was a self-sustaining entity, radiating His power and brilliance.

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