73. मोदिताखिलभक्तालिः Moditākhila-bhaktāliḥ

One who delighted the entire multitude of devotees

This nāma describes His Holiness as One by whom akhila, the entire, bhaktāli, multitude of devotees, were modita, delighted. He delighted all by His actions, speech and mere presence. Indeed, He was a delight to even just behold. In fact, to those who have had even a single darśana or interaction with Him, merely reminiscing about Him would bring joy. The description of Lord Kṛṣṇa, “His words are sweet; His character is sweet; His robes are sweet; His posture is sweet; His gait is sweet; His roaming about is sweet. Everything about the King of Sweetness is sweet,”²⁰⁸ was true in the case of His Holiness as well.

He had a wonderful sense of humour by which He delighted even large gatherings during His public discourses. Whenever appropriate, He proffered simple illustrations on the spot, often with an added touch of humour, to explain profound matters, philosophical, religious or scientific.

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Jagadguru Śrī Bhāratī Tīrtha Mahāsvāmin had His first darśana of His Holiness when His Holiness visited Narasaraopet. Later, His Sanskrit teacher took Him and some other students to Vijayawada when His Holiness was camping there in 1961 and asked Him to deliver a talk in Sanskrit in the presence of His Holiness.

Recalling the impact that His Holiness’s darśana in Vijayawada had on Him, He said years later, “I had the good fortune of beholding the Jagadguru early in life. Once, I was asked to talk in Sanskrit by my teacher before His Holiness, in Vijayawada. I got a special prize from Him. At that time, it struck me that His Holiness was my teacher and my saviour. His beatific smile, I felt, was giving me a message. I felt that I got what I wanted. That day onwards, His benevolent looks were etched in my mind. The affection that He showered on me was more pleasant than the affection of my parents. I decided then that He was my Guru. Whenever there was a problem, I felt that I was guided by the Jagadguru. My feelings towards Him grew to such an extent that I could no longer stay in my house.”

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The following is excerpted from an article by Sri S. Y. Krishnaswamy published in a souvenir in 1983.

His discourses are always tempered to the occasion, and by logic, analogy and often by illustrative anecdotes, He makes what is difficult look easy. Once, when I ventured to ask Him about a concept of salvation in which God and the individual continued to remain separate, He said, “What kind of salvation is this? Even after obtaining mokṣa, you are Krishnaswamy and I am a pontiff and I must keep wondering if you are going to do namaskāra to me!”

Once, in order to expound the variety in God’s creation and God’s endowment to each of a particular skill for survival, His Holiness said, “Take the bees. They fabricate a hive consisting of many apertures. There is a uniformity and perfection about the honeycombs which are remarkable. Birds make nests. One is surprised at the intricacy displayed in joining the little twigs together so as to make the nests stable. The mosquitoes sit on our skin to drink our blood. They do not take as much time as a doctor does to take blood specimen from our body.” He could go on and on with hundreds of such examples. Only the great can simplify the non-simple.

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His Holiness had a prodigious and eidetic memory. Many people were pleasantly surprised that even after a lapse of several years, He not only remembered them but also the particulars of their families. He was able to do this in spite of the fact that thousands of people flocked to have His darśana.

Smt. Sarada Kalyanasundaram recalled this experience: “In 1964, when I was not yet married, I went to Courtallam with my family to have darśana of His Holiness who was camping there. We arrived in time to attend the night Candramaulīśvara-pūjā performed by His Holiness. Two people were singing during the pūjā. His Holiness, noticing me, asked for a microphone to be brought and placed before me, and asked me to sing. That day, I continued to sing for long but He did not seem to mind.

“More than 15 years later, in 1981, His Holiness graced our home when He camped at Thiruvananthapuram. We were astonished to say the least, when, with a chuckle, He pointed to me and told my husband, ‘At Courtallam, I gave her a microphone and asked her to sing. She was so happy that she sang for a very long time that day!’”

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Dr. A. G. Ramesh had just completed his post-graduate medical degree in ophthalmology and went to seek the blessings of His Holiness who was then camping in Chennai. On hearing the news of his successful completion of the course, His Holiness said, “People here are saying that I need to undergo an eye check-up to see if I need a change in my eyeglasses. Your specialization is Ophthalmology, isn’t it? Then why don’t you yourself conduct the necessary tests?”

The young doctor was struck by the simplicity and readiness with which His Holiness was trusting even a fresh graduate. He was also overjoyed at the fact that it was His Holiness’s eyes that he was first going to check in his medical practice. He got the required instruments and conducted the tests, after which he not only prescribed new eyeglasses for His Holiness but also, sought and obtained His permission, to procure and submit them to Him.

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Sri S. N. Parameswara of Bengaluru had once gone to Sringeri during Navarātri. While having the darśana of His Holiness, the devotee submitted to Him that his birthday falls in Navarātri, and that that year, he was blessed to be at Sringeri during the time and seek His blessings. On the morning of his birthday, there was a knock at the door of his room in the guest house at Sringeri. It was an attendant of His Holiness, who handed Sri Parameswara a cup of oil, saying, “His Holiness asked me to give this to you,” and left. Sri Parameswara did not understand why His Holiness had sent him oil, and when he went for darśana, asked His Holiness about it.

His Holiness responded, “It is the tradition to have an oil bath during one’s birthday, isn’t it? I sent the oil to you for that purpose.” Sri Parameswara was overwhelmed by the motherly affection of His Holiness. Ever since that day, whenever he went to Sringeri during Navarātri, His Holiness always remembered to send him oil for his oil bath on the morning of his birthday.

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