Towards spiritual consciousness: An interveiw

There is a yogi who has friends, disciples and well-wishers throughout the world. He is a highly learned scholar, multi-skilled, up-to-date in knowledge and who holds a doctorate for his thesis. Coming from a respectable lineage is the 68 years old charismatic Swami Jagannathan of Chennai, who has many experiences that touch the simple and complex areas in spiritualism. On the way to seek a soul searching effort, Mr.S.Chandrasekar on behalf of The World of Great faces has interviewed Swamiji. Hope this interview will be an eye-opener to all spiritual knowledge seekers as it is going to unfold the faces and truth of spiritual consciousness from a different angle. The glimpses are given below.

Namashkar Maharaj, pranams to you.

Question: I have read your bio-data which is enticing and impressive. I understand that you have been a successful practising Chartered Accountant by profession for nearly three decades. Through your disciples in the south and north, I came to know about your gnyana, tapas and spiritual power.

In this modern world, one who practices his own job with sincerity and ethics is deemed to be labelled as a yogi. What made you incline towards the spiritual track and earn an identity?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: Spirituality has always been a hot and fascinating subject to Indians and foreigners. We have been traditionally brought up with spiritual affinity and entwined with culture. Many gurus have tried to fathom the depth of spirituality travelling across the length and breadth of the nation and had reasonably found a satisfying reply to the queries of the self and soul. Many spiritual teachers in the past had projected Hinduism as the mother of all religions in which the very essence of spiritualism is exposed as bakthi. Besides the early gurus of dvaitha and advaitha that our history has recorded, the reverential list includes Swamis like Vivekananda, Sivananda, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Sri Aurobindo and et al. Since my boyhood, I have tried to probe the basic understanding of what is that element that elevates a man to the highest orbit in spiritual galaxy. Through ardent devotion and continuous interaction with my holy guru, I was able to reach a stage where I analyzed and succeeded.

The bakthi is a wonderful media to link God and man. For, it integrates the nuances explained in our ancient texts about the Mind-Body relation and Physical-Eternal abstract link phenomenon. It is truly an undeniable fact that many of our brothers and sisters today are seeking peace in daily life from outer consciousness and not inwards. Our scriptures rightly say that our body is the temple and mind is the sanctorum of lord. The finest way to ease pressure and overcome difficulties in life is by fine-tuning the activity of mind and use the optimum energy built inside the body to regulate and control the mind.

To earn an identity in the spiritual arena has not been a bed of roses. I met several sadhus (and sadhinis) and spiritual people who came in my way of knowledge search. Some sidha purushas had even accompanied and guided me physically during my pilgrimage to the north and south.  It was sheer hard work of sadhana and I have attained a stage wherein I have established a hotline with the almighty.

Question: Generally it is expected that a sidha purush of higher order has powers of miracle, a vision of third eye and dematerialization. They never had a job or earned salary, never cared for the physical body but dedicated their career to increase their inner strength. Is it the same with the modern-day yogis like you who have well defined professional career? Why not a full time job of sadhana?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: Yes. The divine people with ashtama sidhis performed acts without effort. The main purpose of the tapas is to elevate the soul and not the body. In the course of a rigorous sadhana under a guru, the performer is blessed with certain powers that we call ‘magic’ in layman’s words. Siddhi, magic and black magic are totally different. Performing miracles of siddhi is the result of untiring spiritual sadhana, magic is done with a special material that you perform on the dais, and black magic is anti-divine and performed with the help of yekshini, durdevatha and departed souls.

Essentially these acts need not be performed by wasting the powers but purely to satisfy the followers and explain to them the outcome of sadhana. Frankly speaking, we misconstrue, visualize and relate what we have framed in our mind about saints and acts. There were saints who never performed miracles in spite of the acquired siddhi. They travelled on different wavelengths to focus on the liberation of the soul.

For instance, there are sidhas in T-shirt and stylish jean, punk cut, sporting power shoes and goggles. We seldom accept them because of the appearance and co-relation that we have conceived are age-old and expect to go in-line as projected in Amarchitrakatha, mythological stories, TV serial and films. (Swamiji laughs with a guffaw).

Question: Do you mean to say that ‘What we think is what we expect’? If so how yogis like Babaji and others appeared to all?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: If you have read the ‘Autobiography of a yogi’ authored by Paramahamsa Yogananda, there is a clear exposition of this outlook. They never sported jatamudi, kamandal or had holy ash smeared throughout the body. Their appearance was simple yet powerful to carry us away.

In ancient days, sadhus lived purely on biksham (alms) and in gurukula style. Though they had a specific job for earning, invariably they never bothered but exhibited liking for spiritual sadhana. Some didn’t fare well in the family and business while some did. There are many people like them today but I am different. With declining values of culture and tradition, offering biksham has become a ceremonious act seen only pose for the photograph for publicity. The present-day compulsions won’t allow you to perform sadhana until you have allocated a reserve to fulfil your family needs and for yourself. Now the mind is without burden and worries, making you step forward with sincerity to involve in full-time sadhana. At one stage, with the onset of maturity, one relinquishes the liking for money, material and modernity. Getting into spirituality is bestowed at the time of birth. When a child is blessed, it is pulled along the high voltage current without its knowledge and the preprogrammed planetary properties run the execution command until the mission is complete. The purpose of a rebirth of a soul is prewritten at birth.

Question: Maharaj, can you cite a few incidents where you exhibited your powers and how has it helped the society?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj:  Definitely I would say that the powers had helped the society like the rain quenching the thirst in parched throats of innocent birds and animals. Devo manushya rupena.

It was five years ago when my north Indian disciple Mr.M.K.Soni rang up at night to convey that his diamonds worth twelve crores were taken away en route when sent for approval and wanted to know where they are. After a pause, I told him that the person who had taken them sold a part of the lot in Mumbai and buried the rest near Thirumala. It was difficult to locate the person and his accomplice as they had gone hiding and changing their stay on day-today basis. I located his accomplice with a headgear travelling from Bangalore and was leaving the city by Northbound express train. Having had a vision about his compartment and seat number, I conveyed his details. Within an hour, he was apprehended and later stolen diamonds that were hidden in a farmhouse near Thirumala were recovered. The ecstatic joy experienced by my disciple was beyond words and knew no bounds.

Question: Maharaj, can you tell your real experience with siddha purush?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: There are quite a number of incidents to say but would restrict with a few interesting experiences.

In 2008, on a visit to Parvathamalai hills (near to Thiruvannamalai), I went along with my two sons and two experienced mountaineers.  I decided to climb the Parvathamalai hills on the day of my birthday. I could not climb further and was exhausted after some initial climb. I asked my team to leave me and pick me up when they descend. I was lying down and sleeping when I heard the soft voice of a fragile lady. She enquired why I was alone and asked me to follow her.  Mesmerized by her command, I followed her almost 8 kilometres who escorted me to and from the temple atop the hill. The access was rough and tough with natural terrain and valley on either side. My sons and others were surprised to see me and were enquiring how I could climb so quickly. I told them that one lady brought me up. When I wanted to show them, I realized that she was not present there.  On my return journey which was more cumbersome and difficult, I asked my team to leave me and I would climb down on my own. Once again the old day appeared and asked me to follow her crossing over the boulders and huge rock gaps. To all her commands I obeyed like a pet obeying its master. I reached my car to the surprise of my team.  After reaching the base, she gently vanished after blessing me. The 12-hour mountaineering did not leave behind fatigue in me and the next day I was fresh and energetic. 

Once in Kasi, on the Karnataka bathing ghat, I along with my spouse gave alms to a sadhu who had a boney cage, sunken belly and with closed eyes looking upward. My team member clicked it and to his dismay the outcome of the shot had no presence of such a person. It appeared as if we dropped coins into a bowl of air.

On another occasion, while travelling from Gaziabad to Rishikesh with four friends, I eagerly enquired whether I could meet any siddha prursh. I was suggested to go to the other side by taking the rope bridge. I crossed aside only to meet the Kriyah yoga guru, Paramahamsa, who smilingly enquired about my trip. He told me that I would get his prasad when I visit again the next year.  Later, I totally forgot the entire episode as I was immersed in my profession but time compelled me to visit Rishikesh the following year. I went to see the Paramahamsa who offered me holy prasad as promised. My friend told me that Paramahamsa Yogananda, whom I met and spoke with, attained samadhi 50 years ago. I stayed there for a few minutes to realize a strange sweet aura engulfing me and it was a divine experience that could only be felt.

Question: Here is the same question that was put forth by Swami Vivekananda to Sri Ramakrishna. Have you seen god and what is your experience?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: Yes. My athma guru is Lord Ganesha, the presiding deity who portrays the symbol of pranav - Om. Being with my lord is an experience of oneness that cannot be explained with meagre words of vocabulary; it has to be experienced, felt and enjoyed in every cell of the body. The divine forces appear in a real sense with physical tejas or in subtle existence that send vibrations in us. It is this that we perceive in the natural sensations of prapancha and his manifestations.

Not contained within the four varnas prescribed by Lord Krishna, anybody with dedicated sadhana can have the glimpse of god in reality and dreams. Man always lives and believes in the falsehood of physical existence and forgets the role that cosmos plays with his inner self or subtle body ‘atman’. The mind has to be spiritually cooked to understand and appreciate the powers seated in him. It is for a social cause of humanity that it has to be used and absolutely not for commercialization. When you do good service to mankind, humanity takes care of you and you have no needs of your own. The vision of god gives you a fresh leaf of life that exposes the outer planes of human life and divine cosmos.

Question: Any spiritual lineage you inherit, Maharaj? May we know about your ancestors?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: We belong to the Konaseema Telugu Brahmin community of South India. Our ancestors have an indelible history in the fields of Vedic scriptures, alchemy, political governance, medicine, spiritualism, charity, and education. Tracing one’s genealogy is a thrilling experience.

One of our ancestors is Madhyarjunam Subbarao (Approx. 1520 AD) who was a minister and advisor in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagaram. After the downfall, migration to Tamilnadu and settlement along the banks of the Cauvery happened for better prospects.

My maternal great grandfather Sri Anantharama Srowthigal, an erudite scholar of Kumbakonam, was the prathama adhyapana Vedic tutor from 1913-15 to the late Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamiji, the Sankaracharya of Kanchi mutt whose tenure as its head spanned from 1907-1994. 

There were a few siddha purushas among our ancestors whose presence and vibrations are being felt at our ancestral home in Kodumudi (Near Karur). I firmly believe that their strong subtle presence and blessings are guiding us through the ups and downs of life.

Question: I see some prominent MPs and ministers with you in the photographs here. How did you enter into the political circle? What effective role do you play at central level? Have you visited abroad?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: Oh, my entry into the political arena was purely coincidental and kick-started during my college days. In 1968, I was the General Secretary of Students Congress in Karaikudi. In 1996, I was the Vice President of Tamilnadu Youth Congress (I). After serving several other coveted positions in the Congress, I became a member of Committee on WTO & Trade and later a special invitee of Public Finance Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

My extensive travel to European and South East nations, gave me a good insight of the global Finance, Trade and Commerce. Perhaps this has improved my knowledge on advisory services. As a loyalist of Shri.Rajiv Gandhi, I participated in many rallies, dharnas, padayatra and went into custody four times for social cause. In 1995, I participated in a conference convened by Tamilnadu Congress Committee under the leadership of veteran Shri.B.P.Maurya with Shri.G.K.Moopanar, Shri.Polur Varadhan and a host of MPs/ MLAs.

Currently, I hold no positions in Congress. My name was recommended for Directorship in NTPC and SAIL and also for nomination to Rajya Sabha to represent a linguistic minority... yet to hear from them.

Question: Do you firmly believe that spiritualism, education and experience would influence us?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: Education is the basic tool to build our welfare. Goddess Saraswathi ensures that every human gets her kataksha (blessings) in some way or other. Some would have had basic elementary education but would have gone further to win accolades with practical experience in life learnt from anubhava. Some would have done higher degrees, yet without a purpose to self and society. The buddhi is stuffed with elements of knowledge and it is his effort to develop and succeed.

Being a Physics graduate, I went on to pursue B.G.L. and F.C.A. In 2007, I was awarded a PhD by the Bharathidasan University, Trichy, for my thesis “A study of Environmental Accounting and Reporting – An Empirical Analysis”. These degrees helped me to shine in my chosen profession with a vision.

My association with Tamilnadu Youth Congress Committee as its Senior Vice President enabled me to study the socio-economic problems prevailing in every state. When spiritualism comes into the picture, the need to exercise ethics, sincerity, dedication and empathy automatically sets in for a better character shaping of mind and body.

Altogether, a perfect blend of the above parameters has made me into what I am today with substance.

Question: How do you Maharaj justify the spiritualism and politics will go together?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: It depends upon the spiritual strength of the personality engaged in politics to overcome the desires and aspirations. In fact, the spiritual strength in the political arena has always an edge and advantageous to the party. There were living examples in the pre-independence days when Sri Aurobindo, Poet Bharathi and many spiritual personalities helped in the freedom struggle with their innate spiritual strength, an undercurrent that always kept the desire for freedom alive. But once the mission was accomplished, they set their eyes on their sadhana realizing implications of the post-independence scenario in their vision. But history quotes that whenever confusion and chaos prevailed, some siddha purush emerged to set right things.  I feel that India is at crossroads and the current scenario befit such emergence of siddha purush. There is a saying that “A blind can not lead another blind”. At least “guidance and advice will make things to work in the desired way”.

Question: Your involvement in the mainstream of politics has projected you as an active player and advisor. Can we at least expect you to occupy a responsible position this year in Congress?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: For now I have no answer because the party only has an answer to decide and act upon the course of action. I think my Lord has showered me with many feathers on my cap with wisdom, relevant experience along with global and multi-domain exposure, only to offer my services to people in a bigger way. It is time to give back to the nation that nurtured me. It is like a train travelling from Kanyakumari to Kashmir that continues with all bogies intact from start to finish but it is up to the passengers to choose the duration of their journey or association with the train from start to end.

Question: Coming back to spirituality… how do you interact with disciples through telepathy? Do you produce objects from the air and dematerialize?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj: Whenever my disciples are in need of me, through the cosmic medium I contact them and answer their needs. However, I have already pointed out that dematerialization is a waste of your tapas from your “tapas bank”. The replenishment is time-consuming and proportionate to the level of energy spent. It is like selling the house and betting the proceeds in gambling. The capital is always essential to pursue your sadhana and help the needy. It is pertinent to say that many great gurus remained detached as non-entity because the world always exploits their powers for sensual needs. The tapas is thus wasted and ultimately exhausted. It is apt to recall the experience of sage Vishwamitra who wasted his tapas in creating materialistic heaven for Trisangu and later recharged the spent through rigorous penance.

Question: Can you predict any possible change at the centre this year? How do you foresee the future?

Swami Jagannathan Maharaj:  I can only say that Indian polity is passing through a bad patch till late November of this year. The year 2012 would be better and prosperous.

Maharaj, thank you for taking me on a wonderful spiritual tour with you. Now I understand that many great tapasvis were catalytic inducers of patriotism in the pre-independence era. Some of your minute experiences when visualized, trigger gooseflesh. I faithfully hope that even a very little of the substance explained by you can bring about remarkable changes in one’s life if followed consciously. Pranams.

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*The World of Great Faces, New Delhi, Nov 2011 (Editor: Abilash Awasthi)