Sivananda's Personality-93.

05/01/2018
Sri N. Ananthanarayanan


Over some months, a gradual change began taking place in the Brahmachari’s nature. If Kaul approached the Master after Satsang and asked any question, or got his doubts cleared, or if he asked for some spiritual instructions, this Brahmachari would not like it. He began resenting the Kashmri approaching the Master. He would tell Kaul, "When I am here, why should you go to Gurudev?"

No one noticed this change. It went on within like a glowing ember covered by ash. It went on for several months.

One evening, as the Master was coming on his usual walk, some disciples were chatting in front of the present post office. It was twilight and soon became semi-dark. They knew that the Master would be coming now, so they stood respectfully outside to have his Darshan.

Soon they saw a swinging lantern, the signal of the Master’s approach. But they began hearing a very unusual, high-pitched voice. They were puzzled as to what was happening. As the Master came nearer and nearer and reached the road approaching the disciples, they heard the voice at its highest pitch—very angry, furious and talking non-stop.

The Master was walking along, and the person, raging and shouting, was walking along with him. When they came quite near the Ramashram Dharmasala, the disciples were stunned and tongue-tied seeing the party—Brahmachari Vishweshwar, the Hatha Yogi, was coming with the Master’s lantern!

The Master was silent and his countenance appeared very serious. The Brahmachari was raging at the Master at the very top of his voice, "Who are you to instruct him? Why should you instruct him? Am I not here?"

The Kashmiri was trailing along saying, "Vishweshwar Swamiji, Gurudev is my Guru."

The Brahmachari shouted back, "I am your Guru. You should take instructions only from me."

The Kashmiri had left everything to the Master, and here was a man saying, "Where is the necessity of going and asking him?"


Brahmachari Vishweshwar appeared completely off his proper senses. In this situation all three came near the office. The secretary came out of the office in an angry mood. He enquired of the Master what the matter was. The Master calmly replied, "Ask him."

The secretary was a very intelligent person, and some words from the Brahmachari had already reached his ears. He sized up the situation and went to the raging man. Taking the lantern away from his hand, he said, "You may go now. I will accompany Gurudev. I will talk to you later."

So he took over and escorted the Master to his Kutir. Even while the Master was going to his Kutir, the Brahmachari was raging at the top of his voice. The disciples who were witnessing the scene were wondering how such a thing could happen.

The next day the secretary told the Brahmachari, "You may take to some other department. You need not go to Gurudev’s Kutir anymore." From that day onwards, his going to the Master’s Kutir stopped.

After a few weeks he went to see the Master for seeking permission to go to Sri Badrinath. The Master did not take any offence or show any displeasure. But he warned him as an aspirant, "Look here, if you don’t control your temper, one day you may commit murder."

This made Brahmachari Vishweshwar break down and he began crying. He was afraid because whatever came from the Master’s lips used to come true. He started crying before the Master like a child.

So the Master said, "No, no, I am not telling you that such a thing will happen. I am simply advising you to get rid of anger somehow or the other. All murders and acts of violence are due to fits of uncontrollable anger. Anger is demoniac. It leads one directly to hell. So you should control it. You have my blessings. Go to Sri Badrinath and come back."

The Master gave him some money and other useful things. The Brahmachari went on foot to Sri Badrinath and stayed there for many months till the temple closed for the winter season. When he came back to the Ashram, he was a totally changed person. There was a peculiar transformation in him. He was previously a Hatha Yogi and Vedantin. Now there was a great change: he had become a Sankirtanist. It was a complete transformation.

He had a very strong physique and always wore a turban. "Narayana! Narayana!" he would chant, sing and dance for hours on end, with sometimes tears rolling down his cheeks. Later on he became well-known and people called him "Mahapurusha" or "Jivanmukta Maharaj".

This incident was indeed something very strange and wonderful. His own disciple, who was supposed to regard the Master as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, berated him right and left in a fit of towering rage. And yet the Master did not utter a single word! He was absolutely calm and silent. If there had been anyone else in the Master’s place, he would have probably taken a club and given the enraged Brahmachari a blow.

Next : - Another incident

To be continued 

Swami Sivananda