Chapter 14 - Bibliography of Shri Ramanand Swami: His meeting with Atmanand Muni

Bibliography of Shri Ramanand Swami as an ascetic. 

The king said:- 

O Suvrat, I request you to tell me, as you know properly, who was Ramanand Muni? Whose disciple was he? And where did he live? 1. 

Suvrat said:- 

O king, listen, I will tell you the life and deeds of his preceptor (Sadguru), who was incarnation of Uddhava himself, born on this earth to promote and protect the path of righteousness. 2. 

In the beautiful city of Ayodhya, there lived a Brahmin born of Kashyapa family (Gotra) of Ashvalayana branch of Rigveda tradition. 3. 

Ajaya by name, who had worshipped god in his previous birth, he was virtuous by nature, well educated, modest, truth speaking, and had conquered his senses. 4. 

To Ajaya’s wife Sumati, Uddhava, bound by Durvasa’s curse, was born; to enhance love for Shri Krishna, like moon to Kumudini (Lotus blooming in moonlight only). 5. 

He was manifested (on this earth) on the eighth day of dark fortnight of the month of Shravan of the year in Vikram samvat (A.D. 1795). 6. 

He was born with a well-built body and reddish bright in colour, face beautiful with a charming smile, eyes attractive and reddish at the ends, broad forehead, hair black and curly, lower lip red like Bimba fruit, arms long and strong, chest broad, naval deep, and pair of feet tender like a sprout. 7. 

At that time, Ajaya, having bathed, invited senior Brahmins and performed rites, customary to a child birth. With great festivity, he celebrated the birth of his son. 8. 

Overwhelmed with joy, he named his son as Rama: ‘giving happiness’, commenced with auspicious chanting on the twelfth day. 9. 

In a short time, cared by his parents, he grew up like rising new moon giving delight to their eyes. 10. 

At the age of eight, his holy thread ceremony was performed according to the ritualistic order. He, the virtuous soul, observed the vow of celibacy unfalteringly. 11. 

Unwilling to be settled as a householder, and wishing to live a life of avowed celibate, mostly he used to keep company with virtuous ascetics only. 12. 

O king, with great love, he listened to Shrimad Bhagavata, read by his father, every day, all though he was just a teenager. 13. 

Afterwards, firm devotion for Lord Vishnu was developed in his mind and he worshipped the image, daily. 14. 

With a passionate desire to see Lord Vishnu in person, he became disinterested in households; he left home under the pretext of going for Vedic studies. 15. 

Set on pilgrimage, wandering from place to place, putting away all other desires and meditating on Shri Hari, in heart, he reached mountain Raivataka. 16. 

His meeting with Aatmanand Muni. 

There he saw a sage by name Aatmanand, disciple of Yogi Gopalanand staying at the Gopanatha temple. 17. 

Yogi Aatmanand was well versed in eight-fold Yoga, and respected by Yogis, firmly set in meditation-resulting in oneness with the Brahman. 18. 

By the grace of his preceptor, he was endowed with a free will to live as long as he desired, or to leave his body at any moment. 19. 

There he was sitting surrounded by number of disciples, who also had acquired Yogic powers by his grace. With great respect, he saluted Ram Sharma. 20. 

Respected by him and by the Yogis, renowned for his brilliance, he (Ram Sharma) stayed there for a month, strictly following his own duties. 21. 

Ramanand’s urge to have perception of Lord Vishnu. 

O King! Once Ram Sharma, with folded hands saluted and urged him whom he thought to be having direct perception of Lord Vishnu, while meditating. O Master! I wish to have direct perception of Shri Hari. Please be gracious to tell me by what means will I be able to accomplish the same. 22-23. 

Thus requested, the sage said, ‘’You may practice (eight-fold) Yoga, at the best; by that only, you will be able to attain your desired objective.’ He was delighted at receiving the instruction. 24. 

Beholding him to be a perfect Yogi, Ram Sharma, for his own ascertainment, respectfully and modestly approached him as his disciple. 25. 

The sage, pleased as he was, named him as Ramanand, and taught him Yoga with all its characteristic features. 26. 

In a short time, he, the best of the students, became a perfect Yogi; and like his preceptor, acquired unity with Brahman. 27. 

While meditating he used to see a glimpse of Brahman, the supreme spirit spread all over; on all the ten directions; but never could he have any glimpse of Narayan Himself. 28. 

Unsatisfied and agitated as he was, he said to his preceptor O sir, by your favour, I have acquired perfect state of contemplation. 29. 

While meditating, I see formless glow of Brahman; but there is no vision of Brahman in the form of Shri Krishna, which is my cherished desire. 30. 

Honestly, because of that, I feel myself unsatisfied and dejected, that I am not seeing Lord Vishnu, the consort of Kamala. 31. 

Then the preceptor said: ‘O Brahmin, truly Lord Vishnu is formless, the glow is only His form, and all that can be seen in this world is illusory. 32. 

Form is perishable; Formless (Brahman) is imperishable.’ O king! The moment Uddhava heard these words of his preceptor, he fainted. 33. 

After a few moments, when he got his breath back, he wept very much. Immediately, he left his preceptor who had stated that Shri Hari is formless; and fled away from there. 34. 

Search for a guru who propounds Sakar-Brahma. 

Even though he was forbidden by his preceptor, that virtuous one did not stop there. He went away in search of a preceptor, propounding the doctrine of personal god. 35. 

With anticipation that he may find such a person at the seat of Sri Ramanujacharya, he went to Shrirangam, known as the best-loved place of Shri Hari. 36.

There, the Brahmin made his residence in the vicinity of Shrirangam temple and remembering Shri Hari visited the temple every day. 37. 

Everyday bathing in Kaveri water, doing his daily rites, he used to go to the temple to see Lord Shri Ranganatha, regularly. 38. 

He was desirous of listening to the scriptures preaching ‘personal god as the Supreme Being: Shri Hari only and not of other beliefs. 39. 

In search of a preceptor who could guide him to have sight of the divine form of god, he spent most of his time in company of Vaishnavas. 40.

Once, in the group of Vaishnavas, he had a chance to listen to a work named ‘Prapannamrutam’, in which full account of Ramanujacharya’s life was given. 41. 

Sri Ramanand initiated by Sri Ramanujacharya in dream. 

He intended to worship Ramanujacharya, the head of the Shrivaishnavas, as his preceptor whose idol was installed near Ranganatha temple, where he himself lived. 42.

He, the best of Brahmins, passionately listened to the works written by Ramanujacharya, like Sheshshya and others, which he much appreciated. 43. 

With great devotion, he chanted 108 words of praise to Ramanuja, every day and he meditated on what he had heard of him. 44. 

Following such a routine, O King, three months passed away, and on the fifth day of the bright half of the month Chaitra, he had a dream. 45. 

In the dream, he saw the divine figure of Ramanujacharya himself, shining with splendour, like a shining sun, with a smiling face, and beautiful eyes, with twelve vertical upward marks on his forehead and body. From all these indications, he immediately recognised him as (Ramanujacharya) Shrimannatha’ (as he is praised in Prapannamruta). 46-47. 

Then, the best of ascetics, said to him, standing with folded hands,‘O Brahmin, know that I am Ramanuja myself. Ask any boon from me’. 48.

Thus said, he was highly pleased; he respectfully uttered: O master of ascetics, my long cherished desire is fulfilled, as I am beholding you. 49. 

I wish to have direct perception of Lord Narayan Himself. O Master, you may please suggest the way by which I will be able to achieve this soon. 50. 

Pleased by his request, he (Ramanujacharya) initiated him into Vaishnava order and gave two sacred words to him (to chant). Then he said: 51. 

O, the best of the devotees, with love, do worship Lord Narayan and study my works regularly, unwearied and without laziness. 52. 

Be ‘doing your own duties, worshipping Lord Vishnu; and keep company of fellow Vaishnavas, together with control of the senses; never miss to observe these four rules. 53.

Practising this way, O sinless one, in a short time, you will have direct perception of Lord Narayan. 54. 

By my order, initiate in Vaishnava tradition, those who will come to your refuge. No doubt you will achieve your goal and they will also achieve the same. 55. 

If there is any distraction in worship of the Lord, at any sacred place, do not stay there’. Uttering these words revered Lakshmanarya (Ramanuja) disappeared. 56. 

When he awoke, he found his body with the impressions of Chakra and Shankha on his shoulders and upward marks on his forehead; he presumed the dream to be true. 57. 

Doing his own duty accordingly, worshipping with devotion, in his own heart, soon he visualised Lakshmi and Narayan in the supreme glow. 58. 

Thereafter he, whose desires were fulfilled, travelled through the land, visiting holy places; gave initiation in Vaishnava order, to those who took his refuge. 59. 

Disciples initiated by him, strictly followed their own duties, having no ostentation, with firm devotion to god. 60. 

Thus they were able to visualise god, in a short time. Due to this he became well-known to people everywhere. 61. 

By the blessings of the great ascetic, who was highly pleased with him, and by the grace of Shri Hari; and due to his own genuine, intelligence, and by his deep devotion, he was known far and wide on the land. 62. 

Thus ends the fourteenth chapter entitled ‘An account of the descent and life of Ramanand Swami’ in the first Prakarana of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 14