The Amazing Grace”
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SHRI PARAMANANDA SMRITI-KANA “THE AMAZING GRACE” (The life of Paramahamsa Swami Paramananda Ji Maharaj based upon reminiscences) * Compiler and Editor Onkar Nath Agrawal * Translated by Shri Onkar Nath Agrawal Swatantra Kumar Pidara Late Dr. Diane M. Sot Marilyn Kapila * Introduction by Sant Prabhudattji Brahmachari, Jhusi, Prayag. * 1 Publishers: Shri Bhagawad Bhakti Ashram Shri Bhagawad Bhakti Ashram Rewari (Haryana) Jind (Haryana) Publishers: Shri Bhagawad Bhakti Ashram, Rewari & Jind. Rs. 10/- Where to get: Onkar Nath Agrawal, Bihariji ke mandir ke samane, Bara Bazar, Shikohabad, U.P. Ambareesha Agrawal, K-36 B, Saket, New Delhi 17 Umesh Agrawal, Nawal Prakashan, Kotwali Road, Mathura U.P. Shri Bhagawad Bhakti Ashram, Rewari, Haryana Shri Bhagawad Bhakti Ashram, Jind, Haryana Printers: VIJAYA PRINTING PRESS D-27, Industrial Area Site A, Mathura, U.P. 2 INTRODUCTION “MANASI VACHASI KAAYE PUNYA-PEEYOOSHA-POORNAA- STRIBHUVANAM-UPAKAARASHRENIBHIH PREENAYANTAH. PARAGUNA-PARAMAANOON-PARVATIKRITYA NITYAM NIJAHRIDI VIKASANTAH SANTI SANTAH KIYANTAH.” ‘Bhartrihari Neeti Shataka’ V.79 ( “How many such kinds of saints are in this world, who – with their mind, words, and body, fully replete with sacred nectar – irrigate always the three worlds with the pitchers of helpful grace and who consider and cherish in their hearts the tiniest virtues of others as the very noticeable mountain heap of virtues?” ) “JINAKE TANAMAN PUNYA PREM AMRITA TAIN POORITA, BAANI ATI EE MADHURA HIYE KOON HARASHI HILORAT. MUDITA KARAT JAGA PHIRAT NA PARA AVAGUN KOON NIRAKHAT, PARAGUNA ANU KE SARISA TAAHI GIRI KARI HIYA VIKASATA. SADAA MUDIT MANA TYAAGI MAD, SABAKE NITA GUNA GAHAT HAIN, KITANE AISE SANTA HAIN, JO PARAHIT DUKHA SAHATA HAIN.” ( Trans.: How many saints are there in this world: Who willingly undergo pain themselves in order to help others; Who possess a body and mind full of nectar of the heavenly love; Who by his or her so very sweet tongue delight the very heart of everybody; Who roam in this world making everybody happy, and don’t look at the defects of others; Who take note of the tiniest of virtues of others and turn them into a mountain heap of virtues in their hearts; and, Who are ever smiling, have no arrogance, and always grasp the virtues of others.) It is a very natural thing for a living being to be constantly busy fulfilling his or her own self-interest. Anybody becomes a great person to the extent of his or her ability to accommodate others. This is so because the smaller ‘self’ represents selfishness, and the larger ‘Self’ represents walking away from selfishness to God. The men who have smaller selves are ordinary men, and those who have larger selves are the great men, saints, mahatmas, sadhus, and extraordinary men. To think that only my body must be nourished and nurtured is the narrowest kind of selfishness. That only my family is looked after, and only my family may benefit is the broader selfishness. That my village, or my province, or my people or nation may benefit is even a more broad-based or expanded selfishness. But that every living creature of this universe may benefit is PARAMAARTHA (the greatest objective). Such sadhus or saints with that kind of ultimate objectives are very rare in this world and appear on this planet only once in a while. They always do well of others. They don’t have their own personal family; for them the whole world is their family. The idea is rendered in Sanskrit language quite aptly “AYAM NIJAH PAROVETI GANANAA LAGHUCHETASAAM; UDAARA CHARITAANAAM TU VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM” (This is mine and that is theirs is a calculation of smaller minds, but for the people with magnanimous hearts the whole world is their family). Our Swami Paramananda Ji of Bhagawad Bhakti Ashram, Rewari was that kind of a praise-worthy magnanimous mahatma. 3 In the Vedas and the Puranas many characteristics of the sadhus and saints have been spelled out. It is said that the saints are free of lust, anger, greed, infatuation, arrogance, and envy etc., the so-called six enemies of man. They have all the good virtues, have no desire, are forgiving, sacrificing, detached, holy, and truthful, have sadhu like characteristics, are free of ego, are devoted to serving mankind, have equanimity, are non-differentiating between a friend and a foe, and do not distinguish soil apart from gold. These are their inner qualities. But now how do we recognize them as saints from their outward behaviour? We can recognize the saintly nature by their helpfulness to others, and their good character in their physical actions. Some of the outer features of saints engaged in doing good to others are the following: 1. The saints are always cheerful. 2. They have a kind of glow on their face, which attracts the aspiring and ready soul (samskaaree jeeva). 3. Their devotees experience in their own unique ways that the saint loves them the most. 4. They are engaged constantly in the tasks of doing well of others. 5. They are very particular about cleanliness. They want to see the human residences, bodies, clothes, and minds, and all other things always clean. 6. They are very happy in feeding others, distributing things, planting trees, and building ponds, wells, tanks, and temples. 7. They are always ready to do anything to remove the misery of others. 8. Their handwriting is very lovely. 9. They never attach much importance to money and wealth. They never hoard wealth for a tomorrow or the next day. They believe in the slogan ‘let today’s needs be taken care of today, and God will take care of the needs of tomorrow.’ They don’t believe in raising funds and taking care of things with the help of the interest earned upon the principal sum. 10. They have a firm belief in the presence of God. They never worry, and they do not grieve. 11. They carry out all worldly actions like child’s play. They are not attached to the results of actions which are carried out in the mundane world. We see all these things in the life of Swami Paramananda Ji. It is not very long since he departed from this world. He lived right in our own lifetime, although I didn’t have any close relationship with him. I did not visit his Ashram in his lifetime. Afterwards I have been to the Ashram several times. The brahmacharis of his Ashram and his devotees did come and stay at our ashram on the occasions of Kumbha and Ardha-kumbha fairs. My articles were published in ‘Bhakti’ the monthly magazine of the Ashram. The reason for my not visiting his Ashram while he was alive may be attributed to my own arrogance and sense of superiority. Later on when I went to his Ashram and saw his creations, then I regretted that why didn’t I live close to this great man? Why didn’t I establish a close relationship with him? 4 I have had close relationships with his devotees. I have been close to Lala Nandakishoreji Morepankhawala, his son Prabhu Dayal, his three daughters, Shri Bhoomanandaji, Prabhudattaji, and many other saints of the Ashram. I came to know all the things about Swami Ji from their association. It is from them, I learnt that Swami Ji - 1. Remained always cheerful. His nature was very childlike. He mixed with everybody. With children he would behave like a child and with older man he would be like an old man. 2. The people with their good samskaaras inherited from the actions of previous lifetime would become his very own after having his darshan. Even a person like Rao Balvir Singh Ji given to sense pleasures became his unswerving devotee and placed everything at his disposal. [Editor’s note: Padmashri Rajkumari Sumitra Devi sent us a note with a correction regarding the comment, saying: “My respected father was a man of aristocratic nature... He took rich food, wore elegant dresses, led a rich life of pomp and show, rode horses and hunted. But his character was absolutely spotless without any of the vices which are a part of sensory pleasures in the present age. He would not even touch cigarettes or alcohol. Moreover alcoholic drinks could not even cross the outer threshold of his gate.” When the feelings of Rajkumari Sumitra Devi were brought to the notice of Respected Shri Prabhudatt Brahmachariji, his response was of the nature that “the desirousness for objects of roopa (beauty), rasa (taste), gandha (smell), sparsha (touch) etc., falls under the category of the word the sense-pleasures (vishayas).” That means he did not use the word lover of sense-pleasures strictly in the sense of a ‘person given to sexual pleasures’.] The whole family of Lala Nandakishoreji began to live there. His daughters did not marry. Many other girls and boys remained unmarried and served Swami Ji all through their lives. 3. Everybody considered himself or herself dearest to Swami Ji. And Swami Ji loved them equally the same way. 4. In the beginning, he wandered through the woods, forests, hills, and villages. But then in order to demonstrate the ideal of service to others in real life, he built the Ashrams. These Ashrams engaged only in activities, which benefited others. 5. I have seen his Ashram. The cleanliness of that place even in his absence charmed my heart. Without him Ashram looked dull, lifeless, and dead. The people over there requested me to take care of the Ashram. But I cannot live in a place, which is not a teertha (holy place), and which does not have rivers like the Ganges and the Yamuna.