by Sri H.V. Prasad
Executive Trustee, Avadhoota Datta Peetham
Part 2
Pujya Sri Swamiji was in Trinidad in April 2023. Maha Rudra Yaga about the upcoming US tour in summer. When I explained the tour schedule and mentioned about the planned boat music session on Lake Michigan in Chicago, Pujya Swamiji smiled. "Nice," he said. Then, Sri Swamiji asked me to check for possible venue inside a cave. After searching for a while, I found the carverns in Tennessee, which spoke of a concert venue inside a large natural cave. I showed it to Pujya Swamiji. He said, "Good. Tell Krishna and make arrangements." I texted Krishna Gurram about Pujya Swamiji's instructions and sent him a link of the venue.
Krishna was already deeply immersed in the planning of a music for meditation and healing session in New York City. The venue was not finalized yet. Finally the music session took place in the prestigious & historic Carnegie Hall in New York City on December 2, 2023. By then, Prabha Ghantasala & Srini Chundu from Yoga Sangeeta were instructed by Sri Swamiji to help arrange the cave session.
Things started to gather pace in the organization of Puja Swamiji's session in the caverns cave in Tennessee state, USA.
On January 6, 2024, Pujya Swamiji gave the name: Guru Guha Raga Sagara for the healing session in the cave.
What an apt name I thought. Guru in Guha. Guha means cave in Sanskrit. Guru Guha was the signature name in all the compositions of Sri. Muttuswami Dikshitar, divine composer of the trinity composers.
When I recalled the various divine travels with Pujya Sri Swamiji to the caves, several incidents stood out. The first was when I traveled with Pujya Swamiji to Sabarimala in April 1980. We travelled from Guruvayur town to Sabarimala base came on April 14, 1980. The long walk uphill to reach Swami Ayyappa shrine atop Sabarimala was a divine experience. Somehow, Sri Swamiji asked everyone in the group to travel ahead. It was just Gurudeva and me walking up the path of the mountain. It was water for Sri Swamiji in the butti. I asked Sri Swamiji if he wanted some water. Sri Swamiji looked at me, smiled and asked if I was thirty. I nodded. He said soon we will get buttermilk.
There was no one around us and I wondered who would bring us buttermilk. A while later, Sri Swamiji digressed from the path and went inside the bushes. I followed wondering what was there. Lo and behold, there was a cave and an old Sadhu white beard was seated. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit interior of the cave. Sri Swamiji went and sat next to him.
Sri Swamiji conversed in Tamil with the Sadhu and asked if he had any buttermilk. The sadhu smiled and took out a flask from his bag. Sri Swamiji said - this boy needs buttermilk. The Sadhu gave the flask to Sri Swamiji who opened the flask and poured buttermilk to my cupped palm. I thankfully drank generous amounts of buttermilk. Sri Swamiji instructed me to do Sashtanga Pranam to the Sadhu. I did as instructed. The Sadhu smiled and conversed with Sri Swamiji.
The cave was not too big but cool and nice. The oppressive summer heat of Kerala was absent in the cave. I wished we stayed longer. But Sri Swamiji got up and said long way to walk still. For me this was the first cave visit with Pujya Swamiji
The next cave is Batu Caves in Malaysia. Pujya Sri Swamiji has visited this cave numerous times. The cave is part of Kuala Lumpur now. The steps lead us to a large cavern where the VEL (spear) of Lord Muruga is worshipped. Since the opening of the cave appears like a spear, Indians installed a VEL and started worshipping Muruga here. Pujya Sri Swamiji has visited this Batu Caves on numerous visits to Malaysia.
On April 23, 1991, Sri Swamiji visited Nerur, a town in Tamil Nadu state. Sri Swamiji highly reveres Swami Sadashiva Brahmendra, a 15th/16th century mendicant philosopher & composer. Sri Swamiji entered the cave of Swami Sadashiva Brahmendra's Samadhi and sat in meditation. Sri Swamiji then slowly hummed two compositions of Swami Sadashiva Brahmendra. The first was "Manasa Sanchara Re" and "Brahmaivaham Khila Guru Krupaya". Though Sri Swamiji was just humming, the architecture of the cave resonated with the deep voice of Pujya Swamiji.
On August 8, 1988, Sri Swamiji visited several exhibitions of minerals and crystals. The Swiss government granted special permission for Sri Swamiji to visit a Crystal Cave. The story of the cave is a peculiar one. It is situated near a hydroelectricity plant located inside the Alps mountains. In the summer, the water melting from the glacier is collected in several lakes. When water rushes through one pipe to the electric plant situated under the lake in the mountain, when the company was digging tunnels in the mountain, they accidentally broke into this amazing and fascinating cave.
One will be electrified when one enters the cave. The cave is about 2 kms under the earth. The atmosphere is so peaceful that Sri Swamiji meditated there for some time. I got goose bumps. I was just very happy being in the cave where tranquility prevailed. It was wonderful. Those who are close to Sri Swamiji might be aware of Sri Swamiji's passion for natural Crystals and stones.
In August 2000, Sri Swamiji spent two quiet days of silence and solitude in the fiery yet beautiful nature of Arizona / Mexican mountains. On August 2, 2000, Sri Swamiji visited Krachner Caverns, a wonderful cave with millions of stalactites and stalagmites which are millions of years old. One such natural pillar called Kubla Khan is 53 feet high. It was amazing to see that in an arid and dry desert like Arizona such a huge wet cave was secretively held by Mother Earth. These cave formations have endless beauty of amazing sizes and shapes of stalactites, stalagmites, soda strays and crystals. Situated in the depths of Mexican mountain chain, the caves gives us a peek in to the hidden treasures of Mother Earth. Pujya Sri Swamiji's fascination with powers of crystals made Sri Swamiji stay in this cavern for some time.
Next is the cave incident in Venezuela in 2011. Sri Swamiji went on a world-wide waterfall tour. Sri Swamiji said that Lord Hanuman had installed Yantras in selected waterfalls.
Sri Swamiji visited world's tallest waterfall, Angel Falls, in Venezuela.
On August 10, 2011 while visiting nearby Hacha falls the next day, Sri Swamiji climbed a small hill to reach the top of the Hacha falls. The Hacha falls was a frenzy of swirling brown and trepidation, Sri Swamiji was not visible for about 20 seconds. We felt as if our life forces were sucked out. Mind was numb. Some twenty seconds later, we spotted a saffron blob
across the river.
But, where was Appaji?
Slowly, we found ravishingly black hair sweeping out and Appaji's head became visible. Swamiji started waving at us. The surge of happiness in me was with such force that I have never experienced before. It was as if the whole world has come to life again and all that was ever known and heard was back to life again. We reached Appaji 20 minutes later with a climb down a very slippery, mossy, rocky, Hacha falls, side. We had to pass through a water curtain and inside that water curtain was a rock cave and Appaji was seated on a rock, eyes closed and oblivious to the world. Most amazing was the sight of a group of birds going around Appaji's head in a circle. It was a marvelous sight. Appaji in deep penance and birds circling around him. Appaji opened his eyes a while later and beckoned us to close our eyes and meditate. as so anxious to ask Appaji how he was feeling and if he worrying. Appaji gave a gorgeous smile and said "I am fine Prasadi. Don't worry, I was mentally chanting Shata Shloki Ramayana and as I fell in to the pool, the water force was side. It was none other than Hanuman himself". These words heard amidst the deafening roar of the water fall were most reassuring. Imagine. We were some four hours away from Caracas, the main city and in deep Amazon forest in Camaina National park and there was no doctor or medicine facility thousands of miles around us. But such is Appaji.
Later, Appaji asked us to chant Mantras. We chanted Om Namo Hanumate Namaha and Jana Samrakshana Mantra given by Appaji (Om Aim Hreem Shreem Shiva Rama Anagha Dattaya Namaha). Around an hour later, Appaji and all of us exited the cave and climbed up the same slippery mossy rock wall back to to the waterfall top. Appaji was continuously chanting Shata Shloki Ramayana.
After we came back to our cabins. Appaji said, “Ramayana Shlokas saved me today. Hanuman's promise to protect anyone who chants Rama mantra with devotion, is proved today.
Hanuman saved me. I have to spread the Shata Shloki Ramayana everywhere. I must make my devotees chant, listen, watch Shatashloki Ramayana as many times as possible."
On September 30, 2012, Puja Sri Swamiji visited white magic caves, once an anthracite mine, in Norway. As we entered, Sri Swamiji instructed us to be silent. We were let in one by one to the dark cave lit by path-side candles. It was wonderfully quiet and nice. lights shone in corners and on specified objects. Appaji lit a candle at the altar deep inside the wet damp cave and prayed.
On January 9, 2014, Pujya Sri Swamiji visited a natural wonder inside a cave on Lake Te Anau in South Island of New Zealand. By geological standards, the caves are very young. Just 12,000 years old and the caves are still being carved by the gushing waters of rivers that flow through them. From the mouth of the cave, Sri Swamiji was taken inside the cave in a small boat. As the roar of water receded and the boat traveled deep inside the cave, darkness enveloped. A few minutes later, the boat enters a marvel of nature. A grotto inhabited by thousands of glow worms that emit light from their body. In total darkness, they glow on and off. Thousands of them.
It feels like a twinkling otherworldly wonderland. To watch Pujya Sri Swamiji's divine face lit by these amazing worms... their iridescent light - all natural - was amazing & unforgettable.
Now the visit of Pujya Swamiji to the Caverns in Tennessee is happening and it is for the first time that Sri Swamiji has agreed to play healing and meditation music inside a cave. Caves have unique architecture and vibrations. The musical sounds from Pujya Swamiji's playing will be extraordinarily special. Who knows which Devata or Yogi meditated in this cave? And in which Yuga? The very fact that Sri Swamiji agreed to make music in this cave will be a historical event forever etched in our memories.
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