Happy Birthday Swamiji

Jai Sri Hari to my beautiful OS family. Today is Swamiji’s birthday. What can you offer the divine but your love and your devotion? Hence, I offer that in the following stories. 

First Story

A person asked King Janaka once how did manage to have everything in life. He was an emperor, and yet he was a Jivanmukta or liberated. His daughter was Ma Janaki – the mother of all creation. His son-in-law was Lord Rama. The emperor pondered over the question when he went to sleep. He saw a dream that directed him to sage, and he went through a small quest to get the following answer. 

A brahmin widow and her four young sons lived in a small hutment. The widow barely made a living, and on that fateful night, she had procured four pieces of bread and distributed one to each child. Just as they were about to eat, they had a visitor. It’s customary in Indian tradition to feed the guest. Since the lady had nothing to give him, she told the guest he could have whatever her children willingly offered him. The first three children declined, but the fourth child remembered his dharma and offered the guest his food. The guest happily ate and went away. The fourth child died that night, went to heaven, and was reborn as King Janaka, a mighty emperor, liberated saint, father of the goddess, and father-in-law of Lord Rama. 

Why does this story remind me of Swami? He narrated Gautam Buddha’s story during the meditation hall’s inauguration in 2021.  

Buddha was relaxing in a grove. An astrologer saw his footprints and followed them to the grove. He asked Buddha who he was and got a response that he was a simple traveler. He said you have all the signs of an emperor. You should have all the belongings in the world. Buddha smiled and said you can see I have nothing. The man shook his head and said it was impossible. You should not lack anything. Buddha said when did I say I lacked anything. I may not have wealth, but I don’t lack resources. Swami went out and said that’s how we run our ashram. We never went and asked for anything but got everything we needed to develop the ashram and the region. He summarized that Lord Krishna has said anyone who prays to me wholeheartedly will never lack for anything. 

Every emperor does not need to wear a crown. Their presence is a testament to their majesty and royalty. Dear Swamiji, you are the emperor who rules all our hearts and minds. 

Second Story

King Janaka took Yogic Samadhi to visit Swarga Loka. He was in a celestial vehicle, and it was passing over Naraka. The inhabitants of Narka felt a cool breeze calm their sorrow and pain as Janaka flew over them. They screamed and begged Janaka to hover over them to give them some respite. Janaka being an ocean of mercy and compassion, stayed back. Lord Yama was passing by and was surprised to see King Janaka in Naraka. When Yama invited King Janaka to heaven, he declined, saying he could not leave these suffering souls behind. Lord Yama stated that these souls had never uttered the name of god in their lives, so the only way for them to get liberated was for Janaka to give them his good karma. 

Janaka said, “Let these persons be released from hell due to the religious merit earned by me from birth by the worship of Raghunath.” and freed them. 

Swamiji initiates so many people and takes on their karma. He does not stop at that. When he sees his children going off track, he gets them back by any means necessary to ensure they continue progressing on the spiritual path. His love and care manifest in so many ways when you are down that you wonder what you have done to deserve such love. 

Happy Birthday, Dearest Swamiji. Thank you for manifesting in all our lives and holding our hands. I am such a complicated child of yours that I cannot even say I love you without writing 600 words in a preamble.

Sources for Story: King Janaka’s birth, King Janaka liberating people from Naraka – Part 1 and Part 2.