http://tavayogi.webs.com
September 19, 2009
The role of women in Hindu spiritualism
In the book on Kavyakantha Vasistha Ganapati Muni entitled Nayana, a Biography of Kavyakantha VasisthaGanapati Muni by Dr. G Krishna from the original Telugu texts by Gunturu Lakshmikantam, the author says Ganapati Muni had described his wife as a tapa sakhi meaning comrade in tapas just as Arundhati was the tapa sakhi of Vasista and so were the wives of many of the rishis.
"They never considered their wives as hindrances to tapas."
Ganapati Muni advised that women should not be barred from any spiritual or religious chores when it was prevalent at that time that women were not considered fit to worship agni, study the Vedas and recite vedic mantras and were denied the benefits of upanayana.
Ganapati Muni himself used to initiate women into mantra japa. Many were the women who were initiated into Gayatri Vidya which was considered to be exclusive to men. Visalakshi, wife of Ganapati Muni took to the worship of agni whenever Ganapati Muni was out of town.
"Visalakshi paid equal attention to housekeeping and mantra upasana."
"Ganapati did not share the belief that a woman was the source of sin and maya. The study of scriptures had convinced him that the ancient rishis had practiced austerity and attained self-realization without giving up family life and responsibilities."
"Women were not treated as objects of pleasure by our ancient rishis. They were as qualified as men to discharge spiritual responsibilities. The ancient rishis by their exemplary behavior became spiritual preceptors to their wives and helped to establish a well-ordered society."
A reader posted a comment as follows back then,
Dear Sir, I can't thank you enough for the valuable information on your website. I went through the indianheartbeat.com. It is very inspiring for a woman like me, who was sitting on the fence till I read about your experiences with the Nadi and the great Siddhars. I am like a blind horse running everywhere in confusion without a proper guide and path. Your website has encouraged me to go forward with what I need to do in my life. The article above is very comforting, as I came across many who discourage women from doing spiritual practices like mantras or sadhanas. According to some, mantras are sacred and so rules and restrictions have to be followed which deters women from doing the sadhanas. I always wondered why is it so, because it is god who created both man and woman. God will surely not be biased on spiritual advice when it comes to different genders. I still don't understand why even Vedas restrict women from doing some sadhanas. This is what I was told by a person who knows about Vedas and all. Oh yes. I am ignorant. Obviously, I won't understand many things. But I hope with all my heart that god forgives me and gives me a chance to walk on his path from now on. Please keep up this good deed. It surely is an eye-opener for many.
http://www.indianheartbeat.20m.com/SupramaniaSwami.html
Supramania Swami of Tiruvanamalai
Supramania Swami's grandfather, Thuraisamy Pillai was born in Ladhavaram near Tiruvanamalai. He worked as an Accountant at the Arunachaleswarar Temple. Swami's father, Jayaram was a teacher in Reddi Kuppam, Anaikoyil. Swami was born on Monday, 17th July 1943, at Tirutani Murugan Temple grounds.
Swami lost his memory as a teenager and roamed the streets curing the public of their illness, with 'vibhuti', 'panjamirtham', and 'kunkumam' that Swami produced out of sand. Swami indicated the site where a 'vel' was buried. That 'vel' was kept by Swami. Finally, a lady gave Swami milk and rice which eventually brought Swami to his senses.
Swami sold flowers to devotees at Tiruchendur to earn money to support his mother. For seven years he pulled the chariot of Lord Murugan at Tiruchendur wearing spiked sandals and hooks on his back. Swami had adorned the costume of Lord Murugan and acted out in dance dramas too. Once when chopping down a 'kalli' tree, the milk from the tree hit his eyes and blinded him. The politician MU. Karunanidhi who was undergoing treatment in Madras at that time sponsored the cost (Rs 950,000) of the operation on Swami's eyes. Swami who was good in astrology predicted the future for those who came in search. He was married at the age of 31.
Supramania Swami went into samadhi on 7th February 2007 at Tiruvanamalai. He leaves behind a wife and four children. Swami's samadhi is at the foothills of Tiruvanamalai adjacent to Bhagawan Sri Ramana's Ashram.
Supramania Swami Sees The Light
I could not get through to Supramania Swami for some time now. This evening there was someone trying to call me on my phone numerous times. But each time we answered the like went dead or disengaged. I then thought if it could be Swami. When I called he answered. Finally, I managed to get in touch with him after a long absence. “I have not forgotten you,” he said. “How can I forget you; you have given me a place to stay, referring to the kudil that we had built for him. You have been my son in the past birth” he said. He asks that I meditate. He blessed me. Then he said, “I am seeing the jhoti. At times it stays on for half an hour. My time is nearing. Ask Ramesh - referring to the Nadi reader - to see when my day will come so that I can send you word and you can be present”. I cried like a child.
He told me he wanted to start a fast where he would not speak to anyone and survive on fruits and milk beginning 31 January 2007 for a forty-eight-day period. The day he chose to start the fast would be the eve of the day that Saint Ramalingam vanished into light.
I called Swami on the 3rd of February 2007. He was already observing the fast. But he spoke to me. When I apologized for calling him and making him break his fast, he replied, “No harm done. I shall talk to you”. He told me he had started the fast on wheat porridge, chapati, and milk since the last Pornami day, 1st February 2007, and would end his fast on Pangguni Uttiram day – a fast that would last 60 days. He did not speak to anyone, only writing out on paper if required.
He told me I was letting loose of my senses. He asks me to meditate and be focused. He asked that I gather some funds from Thayalan and his father so that he could feed a thousand devotees when his fasts ended on 1st April 2007.
Supramania Swami Attains Samadhi
On 8th February 2007 Mages called me in the office at 3.40 pm to inform me she had received a call from Tiruvanamalai. Supramania Swami’s wife was crying over the phone saying, “I have to tell Swami’s wish that was not fulfilled". Mages asked me whether Swami had gone into Samadhi?
I called Tiruvanamalai. Swami’s wife broke down and cried. I consoled her that we should be happy Swami had seen the Jhoti. Swami passed away at 10.20 am, 7th February 2007. On complaining of chest pain, he was taken to the clinic and later referred to the general hospital. They found nothing wrong with him and sent him home. Back at the kudil he went into samadhi and passed away. His son, Ramajayam who was a driver to another Swami in Tiruvanamalai informed his employer who arrived to assist. Twenty sadhus came forward to conduct Swami’s last rites. No one cried. Only songs of praise to God were heard. The sadhus took his body to the vicinity of Ramana Maharishi’s ashram and Easanya lingam where he was laid to rest the same day.
When I was with him in his kudil, he mentioned to me he would like to be laid to rest in the spot where he had his altar in the kudil. So when I was informed by Ramajayam that he was laid in another spot and not in the kudil that he longed for, I was disappointed.
That weekend Ramesh called me over to have the nadi read. To my surprise, Sage Agathiyar revealed that the spot chosen for Supramania Swami's burial was indeed a very auspicious spot. The Sage confirms that it was true Supramania Swami had indeed gone into samadhi. He shall gain fame. “Devotees will gain by visiting his samadhi, including you too”, the Sage tells me. The sage adds further, “You have chosen a true guru. This was the right moment for him to go into samadhi”. The Sage instructs me, “When the opportunity comes for you to travel to India, place a garland of flowers on his samadhi. Do prayers, and meditate and feed the poor too”.
Swami’s wish was to have a small temple erected above his samadhi. Ramajayam wanted to put up a lingam and build a small shrine but was advised against it by some sadhus.
Swami being an astrologer told me when I visited him last that he would pass away when he was 65 years of age and that coincided with 2007. Ramajayam tells me later that they come across Swami’s diary where he had written down the date and time of his demise. This entry was done on the 23rd of May 2005. Swami also mentioned in the diary that he wanted his body to be buried within eight hours of passing away. He had also written down how to attend to his body.