Parisevanam

“A Talking God!”

In our precious, ongoing series – Sahavasa- we bring you some treasured memories of our Guru Swami – Parama Pujya Parijnanashram Swamiji III, penned by Vinayanand Kallianpur      (March 2024)

We were taught to say "Swami Dayya Pampa" by our parents when we were very young. They had given us an impression that this "Talking God is our Swamiji". I was just about 8 or 9 years old then. Swamiji asked what I was studying. My happiness knew no bounds, for when His Holiness spoke to us, it was as if we were interacting with a 'Talking God'.

I met HH Parijnanshram Swamiji III sometime in 1964. At that time, my brother - Vijayanand  and I were regularly visiting  our Math in Bengaluru. Once it so happened that when we were present, HH Anandashram Swamiji and HH Parijnanashram Swamiji were planning to go to Cubbon park, Lalbagh for a walk. Out of the blue HH Parijnanashram Swamiji asked whether we would like to join them. We were overjoyed! During the walk HH Swamiji was interacting with us freely. That was my very first interaction with Guru Swami.

I was in seva when Swamiji went to Mumbai from Bengaluru. At Mumbai, because of severe diabetes, His Holiness was reportedly admitted in Bombay Hospital and Hattangadi Appa was with Swamiji as His personal assistant. After some days, Appa had some personal work. Then, Heble Ramanand mam, then  President, Bengaluru Sabha and Nalkur Shripad mam of Mumbai had a discussion after which Heble mam asked me if I could step in to serve Swamiji. I was very happy and, at the same time, sad too, about Swamiji’s illness. Heble Ramanand mam briefed me about the formalities to be observed. That was a divine opportunity I got to serve our Parama Guru and that is where my journey in seva began…

When I was with Swamiji, many people used to come to take His Darshan and share their problems. Once, the parents of a child with 'Down’s Syndrome' had come. While interacting they expressed their difficulties to Swamiji. They told Swamiji how difficult it is to bring up child with such a handicap. While they were narrating, I was also present in the room as Swamiji had asked me to sit there. I was also listening to their woes. Swamiji told them that They will pray for the child to lessen its hyper activity. Swamiji told them to admit their child to a school meant for special children like theirs. The parents said they would do so, although the school was far away.

After they left, Swamiji said that we must do something for such children. This event took place in 1979. In 1981, Shree Trust was formed. One of the main objects of Shree Trust was to give  educational and vocational training to the physically or mentally challenged. His Holiness Swamiji wanted to bring a smile on the face of every child with these problems and this led to the establishment of a school for such special children in Virar.

I was able to be in the Sannidhi of HH Parijnanashram Swamiji on many occasions. I was attending evening college when Swamiji was at the Math in Bangalore. At the time I used to help Shri  Shivanand Bhat mam in segregating flowers, preparing for the puja and so on. I would also collect names of people who wanted to receive mantra-deeksha from Swamiji and organise the  phala-vastra for them. Whenever there were no classes at college I would rush to the Math and often I was blessed with the opportunity of being in Swamiji’s Presence.

The divine Sahavasa of Parama Pujya Parijnanashram III  helped me gain lot of knowledge and I also learnt many lessons in my nascent years. If at all I have achieved anything in life, I attribute all of it to our Parama Guru and offer it at His Lotus Feet.

This was His invaluable Upadesha :
1.    Always cultivate a hobby with patience.
2.    Always think about how best you can give to others, rather than get what you want.
3.    Always help the needy.
4.    Show no ill- will towards those who hate you, or speak ill of you.
5.    Always keep smiling.
6.    Always put in your best efforts to achieve your goal.

During interaction with Parama Pujya Parijnanashram Swamiji, when the parents of a mentally-challenged child shared their difficulties in bringing up a ‘special child’, Swamiji had said, “God has given everyone some ability, it is for us to search for that ability within their disability”. This became the very foundation of our Institution SPEVC, Virar (Swami Parijnanashram Educational and Vocational Centre for the Handicapped). 

Parama Pujya Parijnanashram Swamiji  gave me the sacred mantra-deeksha in the year 1974, during the second Rathostava. I have experienced Guru Swami’s Presence and Protection  in many incidents which can be only described as miracles …

Many a time, when the School (SPEVC, Virar) was in dire need of funds, Dr. Mohan Mankekar maam and I would pray for donations. Invariably, from unsuspected sources, donors would materialize to fill the gap. 

Then, there was a policy of the Govt. of India whereby, if they give a recurring grant for a particular year, then the next grant would be given only after three years. Despite urgent need-based requests, the authorities would not oblige. Once, we sent a request for grants for construction of the first and second floor of the building. We were expecting a negative reply, but by the Grace and Blessings of Swamiji, the Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare, Govt. of India came personally to Virar. He saw our requirement himself and the grant was sanctioned without any further queries. We had a student by name Namita Vyas. She was hearing-impaired and totally dumb from birth. But she began speaking by the Grace of Guru Swami. As it is rightly said in Vedas, “Mukam karoti vachalam”.

Dr. Mohan Mankekar mam had bought a new jeep. By then HH Swamiji had attained Samadhi. We took the new jeep to visit Karla for puja and arati. Mohan mam's mother, Tarapacchi, Sheelapacchi, my wife Vandita, Vaishnavi, Vaibhav and myself were in the jeep. All of a sudden, we got a burning smell. It was a brand new jeep. We all got down. That was the old Bombay-Pune Road and there was heavy traffic. Unlike these days, there never used to be any S.O.S. facility for assistance. We told our driver to get the vehicle repaired and reach Karla, while we started walking. Just then, a shining, new bus driven by a Sikh driver stopped and told us to get in. He said he was heading for Pune and asked where we are going. He said he would drop us at Karla. The seats of the bus were wrapped in plastic sheets indicating it was brand new. He dropped us at Karla. We insisted he should come inside and partake of the prasad bhojan. But he said he had to reach Pune fast and vanished. I know this was Guru Swami’s miraculous manner of helping us so that we could reach Karla in time for the puja and arti. In the evening our driver reached Karla with the repaired vehicle and we returned home safely.

H.H. Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji’s sweet and contagious smile and His immense ability to comfort the needy and solve problems always reminds me of H.H. Parijnanashram Swamiji. Like a totally devoted Shishya does, Pujya Swamiji – our present Mathadhipati-is leaving no stone unturned in His dedication towards completing all the unfinished tasks of Guru Swami.