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Swami Karunyananda assisting Bhagavan in a ritual (Abishekam) to holds an urn upside
down over a silver statue of Shirdi Baba, which pours out unlimited vibhutti-more than tripple the
quantity the urn could actually hold.
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Karunyananda's
Story
Prasanthi Nilayam, India
Web Posted: July 28, 1999, Gurupoornima.
The anecdotes from Swami Karunyananda's experiences with Bhagavan are collected
from several interviews between 1994 and 1997.
Karunyananda passed away in August 1997, under the auspicious celebrations of
Dassara.
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I have the good fortune of being the first person to greet Bhagavan in the morning. I go upstairs,
and open the door of Bhagavan's room and have darshan and padnamaskar of Bhagavan.
There is Sakthi in the feet of Swami. There is power in the glances of Swami. His body is not like
ours, it is a Chinmaya Sareeram (divine energy form). Ours is a body made up of dust, which
dissolves finally, into the primordial elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether.
He is not limited to one form. He is the form of all deities worshipped by religions. He is the
very embodiment of Chaitanya (energy, force). He is the embodiment of all Gods. We cannot
probe into Him. Have you not seen Him during the mornings? He has a special effulgence in Him;
sometimes this effulgence is frightening. On the last day of Devi Navaratri (Dasara) when Poorna
Ahuti is performed, His body temperature becomes hot. I have touched His feet at such times and
found that they were very hot.
I saw Bhagavan for the first time in Bhadrachalam in the year 1936. Bhagavan was ten years old at
that time. That means that He started His mission even earlier to the fourteenth year, although the
manifestation of the Bhagavan was not announced in 1936. People who saw Him felt He was the Son of
God. Bhagavan's sister Venkamma, and uncle brought Bhagavan to Bhadrachalam during their pilgrimage
trip. Women were already worshipping Bhagavan as the Son of God. I saw Him casually, and they were
saying He was the Son of God. I thought, "Who is not a child of God?"
I was a member of a spiritual organization called Jeevakarunya Sangham in Rajahmundry. There was a
meeting in 1956 when Bhagavan came to Rajahmundry. My Malayala Swamy and myself then had the
darshan of Bhagavan. Bhagavan called me by the name "Karunyananda," and spoke to me as if he knew
me very intimately. I turned and bowed down to Bhagavan. It was night time, about 8:00 p.m.
Bhagavan said, "Will you come to Kakinada? We will go together."
I replied, "As you please, Swami."
I went to Kakinada with Bhagavan and during the car journey Bhagavan recounted my entire past
history. He gave very intimate details of my conduct when I was young. Bhagavan was born in 1926.
He was not even born yet when I was young, but all the same, He gave all the biographical details
correctly.
In 1959 I came with the Jeevakarunya Sangham [a spiritual organization] to Puttaparthi for
Shivaratri celebrations. We had two jeeps, one van, and a car with a driver with us, and a lot of
other paraphernalia. We had an office in Chittur also. We first went to our Chittur office and then
departed for Puttaparthi to obtain Bhagavan's darshan. Facilities for travel were very
unsatisfactory at that time. I traveled by bus. It was too cold to travel by bus. The bus came to
Horsey Hills area, beyond Madanapalle, and then went out of order and broke down! It was evening
and it was getting very cold. It soon turned into dark night. The women and children were shivering
due to the cold. I then thought, "These so called Baba's—why do they put us up to this trouble? Why
do they reside in the hills? Why can't they set up residence in a place accessible to common
people? How many people are suffering!"
I was thinking this way but did not mention these inner thoughts to anyone.
The bus was repaired and after many trials it started again and reached Mudigubba at 2:00 a.m. I
had to stop there until morning, took another old rattling bus to Bukkapatnam, and reached there
with great difficulty. At Bukkapatnam I hired a bullock cart and reached Puttaparthi after even
more difficulty. Puttaparthi had scarcity of water at that time. I kept my bedding and luggage in
the residence of one Sathyamma, bathed somehow, and then went to the Nilayam. Mr. Kasturi then
summoned Bhagavan, and Bhagavan sent word for me and I went up to His room. One Veerabhadra Sastry
[a scholar] and several other people were present with us. I paid my obeisances to Bhagavan, when
He asked me, "What Karunyananda! What is the news? How many cars do you have?"
I wondered why Bhagavan had interest in the number of cars! I bowed to Him and I replied, "Swami,
why should you talk about cars now?"
Bhagavan insisted, "No, no. How many cars do you have?" Veerabhadra Sastry then asked me, "When
Swami asks you, why do you not reply?"
I thought there was no escape and replied, "Swami, I have two jeeps, one car, and one van."
Then Bhagavan asked, "When you have four vehicles, why could you not come by one of them? Why come
by that bus, and blame later 'All these Babas reside only in the Hills!'?" Then I realized that
Bhagavan knew what I had thought miles away as if a telegram had been sent to Him.
There are many such incidents. Even now, Bhagavan would be hearing all the words in our
conversation [during the interview].
We would be sitting with Bhagavan at times, and He would be found as if He was somewhere else. He
would later say, "I have just returned from Madras. Papum (Alas)! Vijayalakshmi is suffering very
much. I went to the hospital. I gave her prasad and there is no problem with her now. She
will be all right."
Thereafter confirmatory telegrams or letters would arrive adding that, "Bhagavan was here but He
went away without taking [food or offering] anything." Take the incident at Tirupati, which
happened around 1989-90. It was 10:00 a.m. in the morning and Bhagavan was very much in Brindavan
at Bangalore. Yet, He was simultaneously seen at Tirupati! He was given a chair; He was seated. All
this happened. Should Bhagavan put on dramas like others? No, it is all the grace of Bhagavan. [A
similar incident has happened in Tirupati again in 1998]
In 1971, as we had returned from Ooty to Brindavan, Swami asked a schoolboy to take a photograph of
Him, and lo!, He appeared as Lord Dattatreya in the photograph. Everyone saw this miracle and was
astonished. Gangadhar Shetty wanted the photograph and I gave Him the photo. He then asked me if it
would be all right if he printed it in the Sanatana Sarathi. He wanted everyone to see this
beautiful picture. Swami took the photograph and tore it into pieces as He did not want publicity.
Gold remains gold wherever it is thrown. One day Swami asked me, "Karunyananda, from the beginning
I have always been simple, have I not?"
Swami was then wearing a torn dhoti that day. I did not like this. So, I asked Him, "Swami,
why do you wear a torn dhoti when you have so many good dhotis?" I tried to prevail
on Swami for removing the torn dhoti. Swami smiled and then pleaded, "Oh? Will you tear it
up? Was it not my leela that day when I sought for a handful of atukulu (beaten rise)
from Kuchela? [A story from Krishna's life] Are you not seeing me for the last thirty six years
like this?"
Once Suri Bhagavantam's wife had paralysis, which Bhagavan took on Himself to alleviate her
distress. We were going in a car after the birthday festival of Bhagavan. Bhagavan, Bhagavantam,
and I were in the first car. Several cars followed us. We crossed the borders of Andhra Pradesh
State and entered Karnataka State when Bhagavan fell ill in the car. On the advice of Bhagavantam I
got up and Bhagavan was laid upon the car seat. I got into the next car. Bhagavan got up after
sometime. He stopped the car and made me sit again by His side in His car. He then asked me, "Did
you worry about me? There is fifty to sixty years more time for this body!" Bhagavan will incarnate
Himself as Prema Sai. I will also be there before Him. Bhagavan showed me also the place in which
He will take re-birth.
Bhagavan eats only a few morsels of Ragi balls (a minor cereal eaten by the poor, prominently in
Rayalaseema of Andhra Pradesh). His dining is only a drama, a mere pretence, as He takes very
little food. He however, sees to it that people seated by Him are fed well. This He does Himself;
it is all the mother's affection. Some people bring and offer sweets and curries to Bhagavan, but
Bhagavan does not even touch these foods.
I keep telling Him to eat more because between dinner and breakfast, there is a gap of 15 hours.
But, Swami always replies that though He eats lesser quantity than we do, He is more active and
does not become tired and weak like we do. Divinity—that is the secret! It is divine energy. You
and I would be worried if our food were delayed even for a few minutes. But, He is above all this.
Some people bring Him and offer sweets and curries to Bhagavan, but Bhagavan does not even touch
these foods. I said once, "Why should they carry all these food stuff here? We have two cooks. All
the items are offered to you. They have to be taken back without you tasting iit. Then why should
they be brought upstairs?"
Bhagavan replied, "What is your objection? They bring the food here. Those who bring it, take it
back again and it gives them satisfaction to offer food for me." He is verily the embodiment of compassion!
Once when I was returning from Kakinada in 1956 Bhagavan said, "Karunyananda, you are clapping in
union seated before me now. A time will come when you can see me only from a distance." He told me
again in 1970, "You are able to sit and see Bhagavan now. A time will come when you have to see
Swami from a hill only."
On His 60th birthday in 1985, many devotees could only see Him from the distance of a hill.
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