!! Om Sharavana Bhava !!

India has been blessed with the presence of innumerable realized masters throughout her history. From time immemorial, the grace of the Supreme Being has ensured that the teachings of Sanatana Dharma{1} contained in the Vedas and the Upanishads{2} have not only been constantly preserved and validated, but transmitted from generation to generation in a way that is relevant and appropriate for the times we live in. This is a unique and priceless blessing that has saved India from certain ruin and destruction. The blessings of our Rishis (seers) in the form of the fruits of their penance have helped our civilization survive from ancient times.

The traditions of Sanatana Dharma in Hinduism are unanimous in their insistence of a Guru who can guide the saadhaka (seeker) in the path of self-revelation. The question is often asked: how does one identify or find such a Guru? It is said that it is the Guru who finds us, not the other way round! The intensity and earnestness of our search paves the way for the Grace of the Guru to descend upon us. Sri Shirdi Saibaba once said that devotees did not come to him of their own volition but it was he who pulled them to himself.

The story of Sadguru Murali Krishna as it unfolds before our eyes certainly lends credence to a similar impression. In this Dark Age, (Kali Yuga), he has become the sole refuge to innumerable devotees who seek His guidance, protection and counsel. He is widely believed to be the avatar (living incarnation) of Lord Murugan, the second son of Lord Shiva. He is also associated with Aadi Dakshinamurthy{3}, the jnana-avatar (wisdom incarnation) of Lord Shiva.

We speak of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda, we speak of Sri Basavaveshwara, Sri Madhava and other saints like Sri Tukaram, Sri Mirabai and Sri Jnaneshwar, but little do we realize that we have a living personification of the eternal truth of Vedanta{4} in Sri Sadguru Murali Krishna.

Born of the essence of Lord Shiva{5} and His consort, Goddess Parvati{6}, Lord Muruga was nurtured by six mothers (the krithikaas); it is said that to please them, He developed six faces. He is also the son of Agni, the God of Fire, and Ganga Devi, mother of the holy Ganges. Intensely revered by His devotees, Lord Muruga symbolizes jnana or transcendental wisdom. He is that.

There is an extraordinary story surrounding the birth of Lord Muruga in the Shiva Purana{7}. It is extraordinary precisely because it is so beautiful. There was a time when the Devas (gods) were unable to defeat the demon Tarakasura{8}. Conquered by the demon, the gods were soon expelled from devaloka (their plane of existence). Thanks to a boon Tarakasura had secured from Lord Brahma, he could only be killed by a son born of Lord Shiva.

Shiva’s seed in the form of six rays emanating from his third eye – it is said – was first borne by the earth and later by Agni (fire), then by the wives of the seven Rishis, and in turn by a mountain, the river Ganges, a bank of sara grasses in a vana or forest of Saravana, (this is why he is also known as Saravanabhava) and later the golden child was nursed by the six Krithikas (the Pleides). When he was eventually brought to Kailasa{9} to see his father Shiva and his mother Parvati, the child was embraced by Agni deva the god of fire, who embraced the young boy and called him “My son”. Seeing this Lord Shiva joyously declared: “As your son, he will be known as Mahasena and Agneya; as Uma’s son, he is Skanda; as Ganga’s son Kumara; Karthikeya as the Krithikas’ son and Guha as mine. As the son of the sara seeds he is Sharadvata; six faced, he is Shanmukha!”

Karthikeya received a spear of fire from Agni, the King of the Gods, Indra{10} gave him an elephant born of Airavata, Yama{11} gave him his own staff, Varuna{12} a parasol of white silk and a necklace of pearls, Surya the Sun god gave him a vimana (aeroplane), Soma gave him an urn full of amrita (nectar of immortality), the God of love Kama{13} gave him an arrow of love, Garuda{14} gave him his son Chitabrahma, the Goddess Lakshmi{15} gave him a matchless necklace, Lord Vishnu{16} invested him with sovereignty of the universe and Savithri gave him the entire siddhavidya (divine healing powers). Lord Shiva then declared: “Kumara shall be the master of the army of devas, gandharvas{17} and kinnaras{18}. He will kill the demons Tarakasura and Mahisha for you.”

Immensely popular in the Indian sub-continent and deeply venerated all over South India, Lord Muruga is known to ever come to the rescue of His devotees. He is revered for having taught the meaning of the Pranava Mantra (OM) to Lord Shiva himself and hence known as Swaminatha. He is worshipped throughout the Tamil year. He is cited in the sacred Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna who says: “Among generals, I am Skanda, the Lord of War!” His consorts are two deities, Valli and Devasena, who symbolize jnana (wisdom) and karma (action) respectively…

Lord Muruga represents the four Vedas, (father, mother, Guru and God) and the six vedangams or auxiliary disciplines. These include nirukta (etymology), vyakarna (grammar), siksha (phoenetics), chandas (metre), jyotisha (astronomy) and kalpa (ritual and sacrifice).

Born into a humble family in the village of Sreekrishnapuram, Swami Murali Krishna is the eighth child of Smt Lakshmi Ammal and the late Sri Krishnankutty Gupthan. Despite the definite signs of divinity (always absorbed in prayers and helping others, snakes would frequent His cradle), he displayed after his birth, he was often the cruel victim of ignorance of people who failed to understand, appreciate or acknowledge his real identity. He was born self-realized: fully aware of his divinity.

Swamiji studied in a local village school till the age of eleven and due to poverty, had to drop out to fend for himself. As a young boy he worked several jobs. Food was scarce at home. For small sums of money he worked as a hotel errand boy. Such was the hardship he endured in rural Kerala, that to earn only a small breakfast he would carry sacks of meat on his head for a local butcher and walk miles to deliver it to restaurants. In his teenage years, he regularly visited temples and prayed. Nothing else interested him. When necessary, he begged to survive and shared what he received with others.

Despite these hardships and poverty, many people recognized his divinity and sought his wise counsel. Due to his loving nature and unexplained abilities people also invited him to their homes to perform devotional ceremonies and prayers. They sought his advice and blessings and when his followers grew Swamiji went public with his mission and started holding public prayers and addressing large audiences in several towns and cities in India.

His message is powerful because it is simple; it is addressed directly to our hearts and the fact that we are able to experience the truth of His utterances in our daily lives. If his message were to be captured in two words, then they would be “unconditional love” of which he is a living embodiment. His words are inspiring, his actions selfless and his life is dedicated to spreading the message of love, positive energy and compassion among humanity.

Sadguru Murali Krishna has a unique and distinctive approach to spirituality that is extraordinarily appealing. If both Sri Shirdi Sai Baba and Sri Sathya Sai Baba symbolize the path of karma-yoga or selfless service, Sadguru Murali Krishna undoubtedly represents a unique combination of jnana-yoga and karma-yoga through his insistence on performing our karmas (actions) wisely, diligently, mindfully and cheerfully. For that to happen, it is absolutely essential to receive the Grace of the Guru.

As Swamiji expresses it: “A Guru is one who is suffused with wisdom. He invites respect, worship and adoration from all. He is a storehouse of positive energy like the shining sun. The acceptance of a devotee or a disciple by a Guru occurs as a result of their purity and dedication.” This means the Guru comes into our lives when the seeker’s heart has matured to receive His Grace.

All life is based on sacrifice. On closer reflection, there is no life without sacrifice. Parents sacrifice for their children, the earth for its inhabitants, the Guru for his devotees. It is therefore essential that the quality of sacrifice is consciously instilled and developed: “Develop a temperament of sacrifice. We have to dig deep to secure water from a well. Similarly, liberation is possible only through the instrument of sacrifice. Become a role model worthy of emulation through sacrifice and the performance of good deeds. Service is more effective through a mind disposed to sacrifice. We should love each person with the same intensity that we love God.”

Sadguru Murali Krishna’s stand on the virtues of vegetarianism is uncompromising. Among other reasons, this is because the food we consume influences our minds. Our thoughts are a reflection of the food we consume. Consequently, it is critical to control what we eat: “Consumption of dead bodies (meat or fish) must be avoided. It is permissible to consume plants that have life (vegetables). One can plant a seed in soil and nurture it into a fruit growing tree or crop but one cannot do so with meat i.e. chicken or livestock. The presence of meat or fish is akin to the presence of hell.” Or: “Satvic (pure) food nurtures good thoughts and deeds. Tamasic foods (fish and meat) act as fuel that nurtures an asuric (demonic) character. Vegetarian food helps to keep our minds under control, develops maturity and cultivates good thoughts and deeds. In the process, our minds become calm. The desire to become good and perform good actions to other living beings should lie at the core of our being.”

Swami Murali Krishna exhorts his devotees to develop iccha shakti (willpower and self-confidence), jnana shakti (power of discrimination and wisdom) and kriya shakti (power of positive action). He is forever at the disposal of those who need him. The only remedy for natural disasters is mass prayer. There is actually nothing ‘natural’ about these calamities because they are a direct result of our misusing or abusing nature and the play of her five elements. According to Swamiji, it is imperative that humans respect nature and her elements to prevent these disasters. Only good actions, mass prayers and rituals like yagnas (food offerings given in sacrificial fire) can restore nature’s balance.

Finally, Swami Murali Krishna emphasizes the importance of inter-faith harmony. According to him: “All religions are but paths to God.” No man or woman when born is bound by vows to live a life of religious worship or service of a religion. Problems emerge when one religion believes it has a monopoly over the Truth. Medicines for human illnesses remain fundamentally the same. Sickness is not bound by man’s sectarian beliefs! God is our only consolation in times of pain.” Love should be the center of our existence: “Love should be our lifeline and not rituals. Be united by love. Nobody can achieve salvation by mere reading of scriptures. It is important to     practice the insights contained in them and internalize them into our lives and act according to our conscience.”

Sadguru Murali Krishna has established Ashrams (spiritual retreats) at Palakkad, Kozhikode, Gudalur, Coonoor, Polachi and Bangalore head quarters to spread his vision of global peace and security: “I want to extend my humble service for the benefit of humankind by opening hospitals, orphanages, schools, centers for the study of the scriptures, meditation centers, naturopathy clinics and rehabilitation centers for providing relief to the sick, old and poor all over the globe.” His reach is global without sectarian distinctions of race, religion, caste, sex, creed, ethnicity, language or nationality.

All the Ashrams of the Om Saravanabhava Matham (ashram) are engaged in four essential tasks that are critical to the pursuit of Swami Murali Krishna’s mission. These include the provision of food for the needy, medicines to the poor, clothes to the destitute and books to under-privileged children.

Protecting, nurturing and preserving the welfare of the human race by maintaining the balance of the five elements (earth, air, fire, water and ether) to ensure universal peace and brotherhood is indeed central to Swamiji Murali Krishna’s mission. The major instrument used by His Holiness for the accomplishment of these objectives is Vishwa Shanti Yagnas (food offerings given in sacrificial fire for world peace). The first such yagna was performed in Kozhikode in Kerala in South India on 19-20 January, 2008 while a more recent yagna was performed on 9-10 May, 2009 in Marad, again near Calicut in Kerala.

1. Sanatana means that which is indestructible and is present in all i.e. eternal and Dharma means one’s righteous duty
2. Vedas are the most ancient Sanskrit scriptures and Upanishads constitute the core teachings of Vedanta (culmination of knowledge)
3. Dakshinamurthy – Aspect or Avatar of Lord Shiva as Jnana Guru, personification of supreme awareness, understanding and knowledge
4. Vedanta means culmination of knowledge. Philosophy based on human nature being divine and purpose of human life is to realize that divinity
5. Shiva means Auspicious One, Supreme God, One aspect of Hindu Trinity representing transformer
6. Supreme Divine Mother, consort of lord Shiva
7. Puranas are ancient Hindu religious stories and narratives
8. Tarakasura the demon, was born of Vairanga the son of Diti and Kashyapa
9. Mountain in Tibet part of Himalayas, abode of Lord Shiva
10. Indra: King of Gods, Lord of Heaven
11. Yama: Lord of Death
12. Varuna: God presiding over skies, water and celestial ocean
13. Kama: God presiding over sensual gratification, aesthetic enjoyment
14. Garuda: Mystical Eagle, mount of Lord Vishnu
15. Hindu Goddess of wealth and prosperity and consort of Lord Vishnu
16. Vishnu: Hindu God, that aspect of Trinity who protects, sustains and governs the universe
17. Gandharvas: male nature spirits, husbands of the Apsaras (celestial maidens)
18. Kinnaras: celestial musicians, depicted as half human and half horse