IV§
The year 1897 was very significant in Yogaswami’s life. It appears that Swamigal quit His job at the end of that year and returned to Jaffna. He was about twenty-five years of age at that time. It was a period when Swamigal was advancing systematically in spiritual life. Swami Vivekananda (prime disciple of Swami Ramakrishna of Calcutta) came to Sri Lanka in January 1897 enroute to Jaffna. A reception procession was given to him in Jaffna and Yogaswami took part in that reception. The procession started from the Fort main street in Jaffna and ended in the Jaffna Hindu College. Yoga Swami participated in that procession.§
Swamigal used to describe with great enthusiasm, in later years, about the way Vivekananda delivered his speech in the specially constructed dais after the procession reached Hindu College. Swamigal said that Vivekananda walked criss-cross both ends of the stage and began his speech with the words,§
“The subject is large but the time is short.”§
He said that Vivekananda’s bright and electrified eyes enchanted the audience. Swamigal had great respect and devotion for Ramakrishna Paramahamsar and Vivekananda till to the end. Swamigal made arrangement to translate the book, “In the Hours of Meditation” written by Vivekananda’s disciple, Alexander in 1925. This was the first publication which was published under Swamigal supervision. Later in 1955 Swamigal arranged for publications of small-size books on the “Essence of orations of Swami Vivekananda” as Sivathondan publication.§
Swamigal had special respect for the monks of Ramakrishna Mission. Swamigal had issued directives that whoever hailed from the Mission, they should be received in full respect in the Sivathondan Nilayam. Moreover, Swamigal had supported and blessed Swami Vipulanandar when he wanted to become a monk in the Ramakrishna Mission. Swamigal gave the first donation to the students’ Orphan Home in Mattakaluppu, which was originally started in Jaffna by Ramakrishna Mission.§
Swamigal must have had His first Darshan of His Guru Chellappa Swamigal at this time. We earlier saw how Chellappa Swamigal met his Guru, Kadait Swami and received initiation. The parents of Chellappa Swamigal moved from Vatukottai to Nallur to do farmimg. Like now, in those days the fields in Semmani division were fertile agricultural land. Chellappa Swamigal was living in a hut in Southeast of Nallur Street. The hut still exists with some renovations there. It is said that Chellappa Swamigal worked as a researcher in Jaffna office. Chellappa Swamigal was the brother-in-law of the famous doctor, Sinnathurai. Chellappa Swamigal though most of the time wandered in the streets of Nallur, he used to visit his devotee’s places in Columbuthurai, Thirunelveli, and Kaithadi. He used to ask and get food from his devotees there.§
Chellappa Swamigal was an expert in crafting hand held fans and also in making handicraft articles out of coconut leaves. In the Silver Jubilee publication of Ramanathan’s College, Mr. Somasundaram, a teacher, had written:§
“On the day when Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan laid the foundation stone for the Ramanathan College, Chellappa Swamigal went to Maruthanamadam and gave him a hand made fan and said, “There is no intrinsic evil”, “All Finished long time ago”, “Everything is true”, and “We know nothing”. §
Yoga Swamigal had described His Guru’s inner and outer appearance in many places in Natchinthanai. Swamigal had pictured His Guru’s appearance and personality like this:§
Wander in Nallur streets§
laughingly Glaring eyed He,§
desired no disguise§
Dark skinned and in rags He §
clothed §
He sleeps after midnight §
Talks to mischievious §
streetwalkers to confuse §
them§
Desire no decoration§
Snarls like Yama at devotees who§
approach with much love§
He has joyful walk §
He is capable of others§
calling him a lunatic §
Praise and humiliation§
He treats the same§
Graceful walk with§
laughter He possess §
“Who knows?” He often said §
Gracefully lie down in the steps of§
chariot None knows him as a great§
intelligence being§
The world rebuke him as Lunatic§
As explained in Natchintanai song below, Chellappa Swamigal is beyond the bounds of philosophy and qualities :§
Neither religion nor caste restraint Him.§
No message He delivers Oh, Sinna Thangam§
They (all ) say he is lunatic. §
Justice or injustice, none He in the situation§
Displays no examples – §
Oh, Sinna Thangam, He wander like a§
crackpot.§
Doesn’t don Holy ash nor pottu in§
forehead, Nothing he repeats §
Oh, Sinna Thangam§
He is without attributes.§
Be Patient, Remove ego he§
speaks Contradictarily he§
speaks §
Oh, Sinna Thangam§
He had lost his mind, they will say. §
It is the Saiva religion’s tenet that Siva Himself comes down as Guru to grant Grace to the matured souls. As such, there is no difference between Siva and Guru.§
This concept has been well explained by Swamigal in many of his Natchinthanai songs. As an example we will look at two of the songs below:§
With eyes on forehead,§
He dances with Kaali in jungle §
Came down as Ngana Guru in the country§
He saved, redeemed me, as I saw the flower feet of the Guru at the lofty Chariot step of Nallai §
Vishnu and Brahma know not the Holy Feet §
He came down gracefully as Guru on this earth§
Removed all the deep rooted enmity §
He took over me§
Saw him at world fame Chariot step of Nallai.§
Yogaswami recalls the imparting of MahavakyasSacred Utterances-( by His Guru Chellappaswami ) unto him in the four songs below:§
The Holy Chellappan, on the steps of chariot coutyard§
Said – “No intrinsic evil”, praise to him§
“All is Truth Absolute”, the sage said§
Unable to write it down(its true deeper inner meaning)§
“We know not” He said the holy words for good.§
“It has been determined”, He told long ago in the presence of devotees§
Moreover when Yogaswami received the Darshan of His Guru on the chariot steps, He received the spiritual sayings “Who are you”, “Search within”, and “Give up desire”.§
Yogaswami had rendered His ecstatic experience of His Guru Chellapaswami’s grace. He had described this in his songs below, in a manner that the readers would have the same experience:§
Two searched in vain the God”s form §
He came down in human form like me§
In Nallai, where everyone worshipped§
Unnoticed, He ran around and walked leisurely with smiling face§
One day he stared at me saying §
There is no intrinsic evil§
He showed me the form and the formlessness§
And the grace beyond the beyond§
And the form that has no beginning nor end§
And immersed me in absolute silence §
Joy and sorrow disappeared§
Engulfed in light, light, Siva’s light. §
For many years Yogaswami wandered with His Guru without missing His Holy Feet. The Guru subjected Yogaswami to many tests. Both will cook the food but Guru Chellappa will throw all the cooked food and break everything (the earthern pots). Both will walk to Keerimalai to take bath but return without taking one. One day both of them stood for alms in front of a Chettiyar shop. After making them stand in scorching sun, the accountant gave them two pennies. Chellappa Swamigal was very happy and said, “Today we have earned after working very hard. Our forefathers had said, “One should eat from the earnings of hard work.”§
Every year, on the first Monday of Panguni month (March), both will go to Maduvil Pandithalaichi Amman Temple. They will cook rice and eat there.§
Yogaswami was not tired of those tests. Swamigal always regarded Chellappa Swamigal above mother, a better leader. Very few had sung in praise of a Guru as Swamigal. These verses, remind us about Thayumanavar who had sung about his guru, Mounaguru. §
Swamigal listened to His Guru very attentively. Chellappa Swamigal normally talked like a mad man. But in between his blabberings some gems would fall, and Yogaswami used to say he would wait for hours to receive some of these gems. For discussion and clarification on religious matters, the right person to discuss would be Chellappa swami, Swamigal used to say. §