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Gopalkrishna Shenoy

In Honor of Those Who Serve the Master

There is a person in Mumbai, India who works very hard, day and night, to feed his family, care for his elderly relatives, and support himself. He has virtually no resources with which to spread the teachings of his Guru. Yet, with just his Love and Intention, he is reaching thousands of people everywhere with his Gurudev’s message. That person is Dr. Gopalkrishna Shenoy.

In early April of 2004 I had another vision of Bhagawan Nityananda in meditation. I found myself seated before him in his Ganeshpuri ashram. He was sitting where the Murti of his samadhi shrine is now situated. In this vision, I was bathing his feet and he was speaking to me very intently. Among other things, Bade Baba told me that he was making a connection, a bond for me with His Kanhangad ashram. Two weeks later, I received an unsolicited email from Gopalkrishna Shenoy.

Gopalkrishna is the trustee emeritus of Bhagawan Nityananda’s Kanhangad ashram, the ashram that Bhagawan left to one of his disciples, Swami Janananda Baba, which is now supervised by Swami Sadanand and run by H. Lakshmana. Gopalkrishna Shenoy is also a trustee of the Swami Nityananda Bhagawan public trust. In his family alone there have been four generations of disciples of Bhagawan Nityananda.

In the passing months, my relationship with my Gurubhandu (guru brother), Gopalkrishna, has grown into a wonderful Seva which he is responsible for providing; a Seva that we are now engaged in together, in service to Bhagawan Nityananda.

Dr. Shenoy is writing a book on the many shared stories and experiences that disciples of Bhagawan Nityananda have had of him, going back four generations. In this book, he is also sharing the principles of house-holder dharma and sadhana, as taught by Sri Jnaneshwar Maharaj in Jnanadeva’s Haripat (collection of bhajans/devotional songs).

Gopalkrishna has been kind enough to begin sharing these stories and experiences with us, which are being posted at our web site, in advance of the publication of his book. For this we are very grateful.

Acharya Kedar

Bhakti

Bhakti means intense longing for and love for the Master and His teachings. This Bhakti is also known as Supreme Devotion and Surrender to God and to the Master. Bhakti also means Dharma. Dharma is the act of loving Truth more than mundane life itself. Bhagawan Nityananda was the very embodiment of this Dharma, this Bhakti.

In Bhakti are all the other attainments. The journey to God-Realization is the process of Liberation from the ignorance that has kept you separate from God. Bhakti is the easiest and quickest way to make this journey. With Bhakti, it is your intense desire and longing for the Guru and His teachings that does all the work. It is this intensity that causes God to come looking for you.

There are many thousands of people on every continent on the globe who practice this Bhakti for Bhagawan Nityananda. Even though he is no longer in the body, people of every race, color and creed who worship his form share that they experience him in meditation and in dreams. Many who did not know him in his physical form share that they have been healed from illness by him in a dream or vision. There are those, even today, who receive Shaktipat (Kundalini awakening) just by meditating on a picture of Bhagawan Nityananda.

Those who gather in his name to celebrate his Divine Presence in Chanting, Meditation, Prayer and the taking of Prasad, all share that the presence of Bhagawan Nityananda is clear and palpable.

Truly speaking, he has never left. He dwells in perpetuity, in the hearts of those who love him and remember him daily.

This is true Bhakti.
The Endless One

There was a devotee named Padmanabh S. Prabhu from Murdeshwar (in India). He was known to most as Murdeshwar Mama. Mama means Uncle. In India, it is customary to call an elderly gentleman "Mama."

Lord Vishnu is the deity manifested by Lord Shiva who also shares equal status with Shiva. Lord Vishnu is often shown reclining on a snake with a hundred heads. The snake is known as Shesha. In that reclining pose on top of Shesha, Vishnu is called Sheshashayana Vishnu (Shayana means sleeping or resting).

Murdeshwar Mama once made a statue of Bhagwan Nityananda in this Sheshashayana pose. He then took the statue to Ganeshpuri to present it to Nityananda Baba. Bhagawan Nityananda was living in the old ashram then. When Murdeshwar Mama arrived, he placed the statue in front of Baba and bowed before him for his approval. Baba Nityananda was in a very jovial mood and began to speak about this Sheshashayana form of Vishnu.

This form of Vishnu is also known as Ananta or The Endless One. In Karnataka, God is also worshiped as this Endless One. Beginning on the fourth day of the month of Bhadrapad (from the Hindu calendar), Lord Ganesh (also known as Ganapati) is worshipped. This month of Bhadrapad is also called Ganesh Chaturthi. In India, Lord Ganesh is worshipped during Bhadrapad often by making a clay murti (statue) of Ganapati and then meditating on, praying and chanting to it as a means of cultivating intense devotion for God. Some keep their Murti for 1, 5 or 10 days. Then they immerse the Ganesh Murti in a river or the ocean.

The 14th day of Bhadrapad is called Ananta Chaturdashi. In Karnataka the Konkani speaking Brahmins celebrate this day as a festival of Lord Ananta. Now, Murdeshwar Mama was a Konkani Brahmin. When Bhagawan Nityananda began speaking about the Sheshashayana form of Vishnu, he also spoke of Lord Ananta and began describing the significance of The Endless One. Baba also described how one should worship him and what offering should be made. According to Baba, "One should offer a 14-course lunch to God Ananta." Lord Ananta becomes happy and satisfied with your Devotion and Surrender when this is done. Baba then asked Murdeshwar Mama, "Will you give Him this lunch?"

Mama was a poor man. So he quickly responded, "No Bhagwan. I cannot afford to give Him this fourteen course lunch." As soon as he said this, Bhagawan Nityananda fell silent. Until that point in the conversation, Baba was in a great mood. Murdeshwar Mama realized his mistake but he thought it was too late. It is very rare that Baba gave someone an opportunity to serve Him in this way. What Murdeshwar Mama should have said was, "By Your Grace, O Deva, I shall do as You say. By your will alone, I will be able to offer you this." Instead, Mama made the mistake of saying, "No," and many believed that Baba only gives this kind of opportunity once to a disciple. So, Mama felt he had missed his one and only chance. Having realized this, Murdeshwar Mama fell at Bhagawan’s feet crying and begging his forgiveness. With great humility, Murdeshwar Mama then said, "O Dear Deva. I shall offer You this lunch and You shall be my guest as Lord Ananta." Baba just said "Hum,’’ which was His typical way of saying "Yes."

Ever since that day, Murdeshwar Mama celebrated Ananta Chaturdashi in Ganeshpuri and offered food to all the devotees in attendance. Even today, this festival is celebrated by his daughters (as he had no sons) and those disciples of Bhagawan Nityananda who know that Baba promised Murdeshwar Mama that He would attend this lunch. Till this day, in Ganeshpuri and Murdeshwar, they attend and partake of the lunch as Prasada (blessed food). Each year on Ananta Chaturdashi, devotees of Bhagawan Nityananda do experience Baba's Divine Presence at this lunch and take this celebration as a great opportunity to be with Baba and to have lunch with him.
Read The Chidakasha Gita of Bhagawan Nityananda

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Photo Credit: M.D. Suvarna.

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