Swami Muktananda Paramahansa

Muktananda was born in 1908 near Mangalore in Karnataka State, India, into a well-off family. His birth name was Krishna Rau. At 15 he encountered Bhagavan Nityananda, a wandering avadhoot who profoundly changed his life. He studied under Siddharudha Swami at Hubli, where he learned Sanskrit, Vedanta and all branches of yoga, and took the initiation of sannyasa in the Sarasvati order of the Dashanami Sampradaya, becoming Swami Muktananda. He then began wandering India on foot.

In 1947 Muktananda went to Ganeshpuri to receive the darshan of Bhagavan Nityananda. He received shaktipat initiation from him in the early morning of 15 August of that year. Muktananda often said that his spiritual journey didn't truly begin until he received shaktipat from the holy man Bhagavan Nityananda.

His Spiritual Experiences

One evening I went for the darshan of Bhagawan Nityananda. After the darshan, he always asked me, "Are you leaving now?" But that day he did not put his usual question, so I stayed on. I spent the night immersed in the sublime joy of meditation on the Guru.

The morning of the fifteenth of August, 1947, dawned. What an auspicious day! How nectarean! What merit and exceptional fortune it held in its womb! It was the most remarkable day of my life—the most significant day, not only of this lifetime, but of many lifetimes! The holiest of the holy, O yes, the most auspicious of all auspicious days, broke.

The sun rose slightly above the horizon. The atmosphere was tranquil. I was standing in the eastern corner of the hall absorbed in contemplation of the Guru. In the opposite corner stood Monappa, Gurudev's cook. Inside the meditation room, Gurudev made his characteristic 'hunh' sound to indicate that he was about to come out from his meditation. Soon he appeared, revealing a form which I had never seen before. He was wearing beautiful wooden sandals. He moved forward and backward, smiling to himself, and walked around chanting certain mysterious mantras. Then he would stand in front of me, smiling and humming. He was wearing a white shawl, a loin-cloth and the sandals on his feet. He faced me again and again, uttering a loud 'hunh.' One hour passed in that way.

Then Gurudev came close to me and his body touched mine. This surprise completely benumbed me. I was standing facing west, while Gurudev faced east, his body adjacent to mine. I opened my eyes to look at him. Lo! His eyes wide open in shamhhavi mudra, were gazing straight into mine. I was dazed. I could not close my eyes; I had lost all power of volition. The divine rays emanating from Gurudev's eyes virtually paralysed mine. We remained in this stance for a short while. Then I heard the heavenly strain of his 'hunh.' When I had somewhat regained consciousness, I found he had stepped back about two feet.

 He was saying, 'Take these sandals, wear them. Would you like to wear these sandals of mine?"

Though amazed, I replied reverently and firmly, "Gurudev, these sandals are not meant for me to wear, but to worship. Sire, if you kindly agree, I shall spread my cloth. Please be so gracious as to place your feet on it and leave your sandals."

My revered Gurudev accepted my request. Making his sound of 'hunh,' he lifted his left foot along with the sandal and placed it on my cloth. Then, bringing the left foot down and lifting the right one, he put in the other sandal as well. He stood facing me directly. He looked into my eyes again. Watching carefully, I saw a ray of light entering me from his pupils. It felt hot, like burning fever. Its light was dazzling, like that of a highpowered bulb. As that ray emanating from Bhagawan Nityananda's pupils penetrated mine, I was thrilled with amazement, joy and fear. I was beholding its colour, and chanting Guru Om. It was a full unbroken beam of divine radiance. Its colour kept changing from molten gold to saffron to a shade deeper than the blue of a shining star. I stood utterly transfixed. Then as Gurudev moved slightly, chanting his 'hunh,' I stirred, partially recovering my wits. I bowed to the sandals in my cloth. I prostrated myself at his feet. I rose with my heart pulsating with bliss.

I said in a soft, tender tone, ''Gurudev! What divine luck! I have obtained the highest boon today. Kindly dwell in your fullness in these sandals and allow me to worship them, though I do not know the proper manner." As I uttered these words, he went towards the western wing of the hall. He returned with some flowers, two bananas, a few incense sticks and a pinch of kum-kum. He placed them all on the sandals.

Making his 'hunh' sound, he went inside. This sound sometimes indicated different instructions. If he turned his head while uttering this sound, it was a hint for me to leave. But he had not yet made that gesture, so I remained standing. Bhagawan came out, holding a blue shawl which he put around me. What marvelous fortune! Since early morning I had been receiving precious gifts, one after another. Then he rushed towards the kitchen where Monappa was cooking hhajiyas of unripe bananas and putting them in a plate. Taking two handfuls of them, he came over and put them in the same cloth which held the sandals and other gifts. Finally uttering his blissful 'hunh,' he made the sign for me to depart.

What a significant day! How sacred and auspicious! As I came out I began to congratulate myself: "Aha! What an hour! How fruitful! What meritorious deeds I must have done to deserve all this!"

I was beside myself with amazement. I had never expected such an event to occur. It was unlikely for one such as I to receive the Guru's sandals, because at that time Bhagawan Nityananda had many ardent devotees who had been devoted to him for years. Some were quite old; some were business magnates. Each claimed to be an advanced and experienced seeker, being closest to Bhagawan, while I was an ordinary and unfamiliar visitor, rather new to the place. I had not performed any special kind of sadhana nor had I achieved any worthwhile stage. I owned neither a mansion nor a business concern. I was in every way a poor man. Therefore all that had happened showed that I was exceptionally fortunate.

That day he had gazed into my eyes with his eyes wide open in Parashiva's shamhhavi mudra, as if he had never seen me before. He had entered me with his divine ray of Chiti that grants all powers. Beholding that ray, I had experienced different states—tremors in the body, tears flowing from the eyes, stupefaction, detachment and supreme joy. Thus he had blessed me with sublime initiation.

I worshipped the Guru's sandals in the Datta temple and also meditated there at night. For a time my daily routine included a regular visit to Ganeshpuri for the darshan of Gurudev, preceded by a bath. My faith, devotion and reverence for my beloved Guru increased progressively. I spent a long period of time at the temple blessed by the grace of the Goddess Vajra, the Mother of consciousness. I drank Her water and ate Her food.

Several days passed. One morning I remained standing after the darshan of Sri Gurudev. He uttered 'hunh,* gave me a fruit and asked me to go. But I still remained standing. Gurudev spoke again: "Go ... to your hut . . . at Yeola . . . Yes . . . Yeola . . . Pursue knowledge . . . meditation there . . . Go." For a disciple there is nothing more rewarding than obedience to the Guru. Service to the Guru is the highest worship.. It is, indeed, adoration of the entire universe. Such was my belief. Being aware that obedience to the Guru's command is a disciple's noble duty, and I left for Yeola the following day.

My Confused Condition

As per my Guru’s instructions, I reached Yeola. The next day I returned to my hut at Suki for sadhana. My hut faced north, situated between two mango trees, one to the east and the other to the west. All these seemed to be awaiting me. I installed Gurudev's sandals inside. After eating the fruit given by him, I sat down to meditate.

I do not know why, but the next morning I passed into a strange state. I had had bad dreams the previous night and I was still feeling uneasy. I was seized by restlessness. My entire body began to ache. It felt as if every cell were being pierced with a needle. I could not understand what could have happened so suddenly. Where had my earlier ecstasy and joy vanished? My mind was moving to the other extreme. My pride and arrogance were humbled. I was once again rendered poor and destitute as before. My mind was filled with remorse. Where had that rapture disappeared? Alas! What had happened? How did my new world of unfolded bliss dissolve? I had been in such a wonderful state. What had vitiated it?

I came out of the hut to sit under my dear mango tree, which was always unperturbed. "What has gone wrong? How has this come about?" Such anxiety was gnawing at me. I was losing my composure. The anxiety deepened into dejection. My old companion, Babu Rao Pahalwan, used to come and stay with me for the night. I asked him to return to his house at Yeola and he left. I was tormented by the anxious questions: "Where is the ecstasy? Where has the new kingdom of joy, found at Ganeshpuri, evaporated?" My previous inner joy gave way to anxiety and all sorts of doubts and misgivings. Every part of my body was aching. My head was so heated up that anger, fear and worry took complete possession of me.

I forced myself to eat half a chapati and gulped some water. Then I stood up. I went and sat down in the swing hanging from one of the mango trees, old companions of my earlier sadhana days. I still lacked enthusiasm.

My glance returned terrified from wherever it fell. I was far away from Gurudev. Whom could I ask about my present condition? I got up from the swing, climbed my dear mango tree and sat peacefully in it for a while. But soon the same anguish returned. My mind became more unsteady. I do not have the heart to confess what impure feelings dominated it. This is true. I was occupied with unclean, hostile and sinful thoughts until 3 o'clock. The landlord came again with a hot drink. I took it and then began to pace up and down near my hut, east to west and back again. All this time people from neighbouring villages were coming to visit me. I did not treat them well. If anyone put a question, I did not give a proper answer. I was constantly shifting my seat. I sat in my favourite places, for example under the mango tree, but acute discontent chased me away.

Unnatural, impure and painful emotions overwhelmed me. My body moved independent of my will. I was becoming more and more confused. At sunset, Babu lit a lamp and an incense stick.

In a short while my breathing was affected. At times my abdomen became distended and I exhaled forcefully. Quite frequently, after exhalation, the breath was held outside, and after inhalation, inside. This disturbance, which seemed to threaten an early death, shattered my composure. I became more terrified. I went outside in this befuddled condition. It was about 8 p.m. The moon was shining but I found it dark. Strange noises, coming from afar, fell on my ears. I was frightened. I called Babu Rao and said, "Babu, you had better go home now. The condition of my heart is not good and my mind is disturbed. I am certain I shall die of heart failure tonight. Go away; otherwise people will harass you. I feel certain I am not going to survive the night; but even if I do, I may go insane. My brain is becoming affected. Do what I say and go away." He left me with a sad heart.

The night advanced. The atmosphere was completely still and silent. The landscape around was bathed in pure moonlight. I was repeatedly visited by a strong inclination to dance, jump about and scream. This desire gathered momentum. Deluding and harmful thoughts flooded my mind. My body became heated up and my head became heavy. Each cell of my body began to groan. The whole earth was spinning. The sky was twirling and so were the trees. I would rise from one spot only to sit down there again. I could understand neither what was happening to me nor who was responsible for it.

Suddenly I felt drawn towards the mango trees. As I looked in their direction, I saw Sri Gurudev sitting between them, facing me. It was now past 9 o'clock. Somebody seemed to have overpowered my eyes, showing me all sorts of sights. Again and again I looked towards the trees and saw Sri Gurudev appearing and disappearing. During those experiences I felt that some Shakti was overpowering me, forcing me to behave in queer ways. I had lost my freedom of will and was behaving more and more crazily. My mind had become thoroughly ruffled. I went round the mango trees thrice. I bowed to my Guru and entered the hut.

As I looked outside, I saw the sugarcane field on fire. The flames were spreading rapidly. This scared me all the more. I heard multitudes of people screaming frightfully, as though universal dissolution had begun. I espied strange creatures in human forms, ranging from six to fifty feet in height; they were neither demons nor demigods. They were dancing naked with their mouths agape. I again heard terrified screams. All this time I was fully conscious, objectively witnessing a state of madness. Soon I remembered I was going to die.

As I sat down, my legs locked themselves in the lotus posture. I looked around. The flames of a vast conflagration were raging in all directions. The entire cosmos was on fire. A burning ocean had burst and swallowed the entire globe. An army of ghosts and other evil spirits encircled me. Meanwhile, my lotus posture became firmer. My eyes were closed and my chin firmly pressed against my throat, so that no breath could escape from the lungs. Then the knot of nerves in the Muladhar was rent with acute pain. My eyes opened. I wanted to get up and run away, but my legs were still locked. It seemed as though nails had been driven through my feet to maintain the posture. My palms were also closed. I was fully aware that everything I was seeing was unreal; yet I was very frightened. I tried to close my eyes but couldn't. I could still see the earth submerged in the waters of dissolution. The whole world, except for me and my hut, had been destroyed.

Then a moon-like sphere, about four feet in diameter, came floating over the water, entered the hut and stopped in front of me. The radiant white ball struck against my eyes and pierced me. All these events were not dreamt or imagined, but sights actually seen. The white sphere, having descended from the sky, entered me. As this light penetrated my nerves, my tongue curled up against my palate. My eyes were closed. I saw a dazzling brightness in my head and was terrified. My head moved downwards and was stuck to the ground while I was still in the lotus posture.