The walking Lord of Varanasi – Sri Thrailanga Swamiji

Pranams at the lotus feet of Swamiji!

Vidhyavathi was terrified at the sight of the venomous serpent with sparkling hood behind Shivram who was meditating upon the Lord.  She screamed for help and one of the servants rushed to Shivram and soon he returned saying that he did not see any serpent, he said only Baba was sitting eyes closed.  Vidhyavathi enquired Thrailanga about this incident but he remained silent. She informed her husband that Shivram is not an ordinary human being; he is divine personified on Earth.  But Narasimhdhar was not willing to believe any of these, instead he decided to keep an eye on him, soon he also witnessed the same sight Vidhyavathi was foretold him, he was extremely frightened at the sight, after this incident he did not encourage any argument with Thrailanga, he firmly believed that Thrailanga is not an ordinary human, he is divine personified.  Years passed, Sridhar took great care of family business and prosperities, Thrailanga as usual engaged in the veneration of Lord with his mother and spend hours and hours in meditation.  During this time, Nrisimhdhar passed away leaving his two wives and family, Thrailanga had little change in his behavior, he spends most of the time in the service of his two mothers and worship of Lord. Vidhyavathi passed away after ten years of the death of Nrisimhdhar.  Thrailanga abandoned all the relationship with his stepbrother and mother after the death of his mother, all these years he was tirelessly serving his mother after the death of his father, after mother’s death he felt no next of kin and he has no desire to take hold of the properties left behind by his father.  He started living in the funeral ground where his mother’s funeral pyre was performed; he smeared sacred ashes all over the body from the funeral pyre and sit for meditation for hours and hours.  Sridhar felt very sad for his brother, his stepmother requested Thrailanga to come back home, but he was not willing.  He advised his brother to keep all the properties with him, he has no desire for wealth or money which has fleeting nature, Thrailanga revealed his intention to pursue self-realization and God-realization which could provide everything that is impossible for an ordinary human.  He asked his brother to forget about him and enjoy living with the comforts left behind by his father.  Sridhar was deeply disappointed at the secluded nature of his elder brother, finally, Thrailanga asked his brother to build a hermitage in the funeral ground, and arrange to serve meals for the needy, after this incident, Thrailanga adopted funeral ground as his abode like Lord Shankara.

The walking Lord of Varanasi – Sri Thrailanga Swamiji

Pranams at the lotus feet of Swamiji!

Years pass by Nrisimhdhar felt the need to perform marriage for Shivaram.   Nrisimhdhar was  too old to take care of family business so he thought if Shivram get married he would show some interest in the family business and come back to normalcy, he discussed this matter with Vidhyavathi and the couple began to search for a bride for Shivram.  Soon, Shivram got to know the news of the search for a bride, he told his father that he is not interested to get married, therefore do not waste his good energies in search for a bride, he decided to remain unmarried in whole life, he does not like to get involved in worldly matters.  Nrisimhdhar was shocked at the response of his elder son, he discussed the matter with Vidhyavathi, and she said she will put all effort to persuade Shivram, within a few days she found that it is impossible to influence Shivram who was too firm in his decision, she told her husband that Shivram is unyielding and therefore it is impossible to do anything without his consent.  She requested her husband not to put pressure on him, and she revealed that she has strong faith in Lord Mahadev, He will do well for him. Nrisimhdhar worriedly responded that someone has to take care of the properties of the family and possession; someone has to carry out the spiritual and religious rites, who will do all these in his absence?  Vidhyavathi said to proceed with the wedding of Sridhar who is younger to Shivram, in the meantime Shivram will come back to worldly living.   Nrisimhdhar asked her why she is not against performing the marriage of stepson, Vidhyavathi said that she is keenly watching Shivram from childhood days, he is too different from others, he sits long hours in meditation with her as if he was copying her, she said once she noticed brilliant rays initiated from the idol of Lord Shiva and merged in the body of Shivram.  After this incident Vidhyavathi was meticulously following Shivram in all his activities, several times she has seen through the window of their house that Shivram sits under the Peepal tree hours and hours  contemplating upon supreme Lord, one day she saw a venomous snake with a sparkling hood behind Shivram who was immersed in meditation.  Narsimhdhar was gone into great astonishment after listening from his wife.

 

The walking Lord of Varanasi – Sri Thrailanga Swamiji

Pranams at the lotus feet of Swamiji!

Nrisimhdhar sternly warned Vidhyavathi that if any arguments or conflicts take place in the family after the second marriage, Vidhyavathi should take complete responsibility for it.   Thus, Nrisimhdhar got married for the second time, Vidhyavathi happily offered all the responsibilities of the family to the new bride, she promised the new bride that she will always be on her side to perform the duties and responsibilities of the house, afterward Vidhyavathi spend her large part of her life in the veneration of supreme Lord Shiva.  After some time there was a miracle happened in the year 1607, on the Shuklapaksha Ekadashi day, Vidhyavathi gave birth to a beautiful child with the birth star Rohini.  There are two occasions men reach the state of ecstasy; one at the time of marriage and another one is the birth of a child.  Nrisimhdhar’s happiness has no bound, that too after several years of marriage he became father, therefore the whole village went into festive mood, sweets were distributed in the whole village, debts of the peasants were written off, the entire village wholeheartedly participated in the happiness of Nrisimhdhar and Vidhyavathi, who attained child after several years of worship of Lord Shiva. They named the child ‘Shivram’ followed by the traditional name ‘Thrailangadhar’.  After some time, Nrisimhdhar’s second wife gave birth to a child; he was named ‘Sridhar’.  These two children were brought up with all the happiness and comforts in the family, even though these two children had entirely different nature, Sridhar was too handful, revealed his presence in the entire house and always immersed in childhood pranks, but Shivram was quite an aloof, he will keep himself distant from childhood mates, he does not like crowd or noises.  His one of the pastime is when his mother Vidhyavathi performs veneration of Lord Shiva, young Shivaram sits close to his mother and immerses in meditation.  Nrisimhdhar was worried about the aloofness of Shivaram who is too young to contemplate upon Lord and spend hours in silence, he wants to see him like any other child of his age, as the elder son of the family Shivram has to undertake the family occupation and wealth, he has to take care of agricultural and farming, he has to collect tax from peasants and to be with them in their happiness and difficulties.  Whenever Nrisimhdhar explains about family business to Shivram, he pays less attention, it often irritates his father, Shivram leaves home silently.  Later, Nrisimhdhar realized that Shivram is not going to take care of his business, he has no interest in worldly matters, hence Nrisimhdhar stopped to discuss any family business with him.

The walking Lord of Varanasi – Sri Thrailanga Swamiji

Pranams at the lotus feet of Swamiji!

The sacred land Varanasi has been the ultimate asylum of Mahayogis, Siddha Purusha, ascetics, and numerous enlightened souls for several decades; they are elevated souls who had attained perfect unison with the Bramham, they are void of passion, worldly desires, worldly bondage and impurities, they required nothing for their existence on the Earth, a complete renounced soul.   They represent supreme bliss, they do not require necessities of life like ordinary people, and they have achieved that supreme state with the several years of tireless meditation, Yoga and contemplation upon the supreme spirit.  Thrailanga Swamiji was born to a pious Bhramin couple Sri Nrisimhdhar and Smt.Vidhyavathi, in the Holiya village, Vishakhapattinam, Andhrapradhesh.  Sri Nrisimhdhar was a Zamindar in the Holiya village, he was well respected in the whole village, people were treated him as the deity, he was a noble-minded, kind, generous, and always look for the welfare of the people of the village, he sincerely followed all the spiritual and religious rites of a Bhramin, he performed various charitable work.  Smt.Vidhyavathi was a chaste woman engages in household duties, worship of God, reading and reciting scriptures, undertake strict austerities.  Nrisimhdhar was anxious about his wife who spends most of the time in the veneration of Lord and observing vows, they had all the comforts, there was nothing missing in their life other than a child after ten years of married life.  Whenever Vidhyavathi see her husband with a gloomy face, she equally felt distressed and continued to undertake numerous vows, she spends more time in the shrines praying to Lord for a child, so that it will remove the stains in their life as a childless couple and she sincerely prayed for the continuation of lineage.  She apologized to her husband saying that she is unfortunate to give him a child, and requested him to marry one more time, so that he can have a child to carry out the religious rites, Nrisimhdhar was shocked at her request, he made her understand that bringing another woman in the family will create unnecessary chaos and arguments, he explained her that he is extremely happy with the peace and serenity at home, even though there is a lack of a child in their life.  He flatly refused to perform another marriage; she tried to persuade him saying that this second marriage might present them with a child, Nrisimhdhar discouraged her saying that it is all her fruitless hopes, and warned her never repeat the request again, if she wants he is willing to adopt a child for her happiness, he sincerely does not want to take away her happiness and rights in the family.  Vidhyavathi did not leave her hope, she put forward her request whenever she finds a suitable time, they have constant arguments regarding this matter, finally, Nrisimhdhar was agreed for second marriage.