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Sri Vasudeva Parabrahmam

Sri Swamigal, " Ever since Rajagopalan had darshan of the ‘Kothanda’ (bow) of Sri Rama he became further involved in the thought of Rama. He instructed his mind,”Hey! Mind! How much have you wept since your childhood! As a result of this you have seen the Lord’s Kothanda. Beware! Never doubt His Presence! And do not think of anything other than this Sri Rama!” After this he was ever, while awake or asleep, in Sri Ramadhyãna. He could not involve himself in any external worldly matters. After resigning his job in Madras he returned to the village. The family mistook this behaviour to be mental illness. So several treatments were given to cure him of his mental instability, as they called it. But, Rajagopalan was forever jumping about singing Ãzhwãr’s pãsurams and rolling about on the streets. Many months passed thus. But, gradually the deep feelings of Bhakti came under control. Rajagopalan then received Rama Mantra upadesa from Sri Krishna Chakravarty Swami who lived in the same village. He chanted the mantra incessantly. He also listened to Srimad Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita and other such Bhakti Texts from the same Swami. With a desire to rise up in his spiritual life he gathered children around himself and performed bhajan of “Rama Rama Rama Sita”. He wandered around in forests and holy kshetras where he would be lost in deep japa.

After the ‘poison’ incident at the banks of the Lake he moved over to Perumbakkam village. To support the family he conducted ‘thinnai’ school. He taught the children in the pyol of his house. As he taught Vedanta to the children the parents removed them from his school. Many a job he secured and resigned. Thus, he moved from one place to another until he reached Tanjore. But no place, no job suited him as he was ever steeped in Rama Bhakti. By now, his mother had attained the Lotus Feet of the Lord.

Finally, Rajagopalan installed a Kodandaramamurti alongwith Sita, Lakshmana and Anjaneya and worshipped regularly. Everyday he chanted hundred Gayatri japa and a lakh of Rama Shatakshari japa apart from Srimad Ramayana reading. Very frequently he conducted Sita Kalyana Mahotsva and fed everyone sumptuously with ‘prasada’. He gave up rice and water. He began consuming three mouthsful of any one of the these - Neem leaves, ‘kathãzhai’, milk, fruit, curd, jaggery and tender coconut drink! Since his 32nd year till his last breath he kept away from food but he was hale and hearty. He never lay flat but would recline on a chair all through the night and be in dhyãna or sing Nama Sankeertanam. Now and then he would suddenly disappear. He would run away to some cave on a mountain and return after the completion of his tapas. In spite of many trials and tribulations he remained mentally strong never once swerving from his devotion to the Lord. Nothing affected him - joy or sorrow; praise or abuse; gain or loss. As there was no outward sign of who he really was, none could understand that he was a Mahãtma. He appeared to be an ordinary Vaishnavite. He considered himself the lowest of the lowly. He was not a ‘Guru’ to anyone. He did not like anyone prostrating to him but treated all with respect. He could not tolerate anyone behaving against vaideehic norms. So people mistook him to be short tempered. All the offerings from devotees were immediately used for Rama Utsav. He had not a pie to his account to the last. To the last he lived with faith in Sri Rama. And Sri Rama also never failed him.

Vãsudeva thatha went on Bharata yatra seven times, at times with the family and at other times all alone. Though Sri Rama had always been with him, Vasudeva thatha had not ‘seen’ the Lord directly (‘pratyaksha’). He went deeper into his japa. His father attained the Lotus Feet of the Lord while in Srivilliputtur. Vãsudeva thatha reached Srirangam. By the grace of Rama Mantra and tapas performed for ages Vãsudeva thatha attained Atma sãkshãtkãra.

Vãsudeva thatha entertained a deep desire to show Bhagavan to the world for he felt this would bring ‘adharma’ to an end. He began performing deep tapas with this aim. But Sri Rama said to him that as far as he (Vãsudeva thatha) was concerned the Lord would show Himself. He should not worry about the way of the world. That was His (the Lord’s worry). Finally, in the year 1969, 31st January (Keelaka varsha, ‘thai’ month, suklapaksha trayodasi, Friday) in the early hours of the morning (around 3’o clock), amidst the sound of Upanishad and Bhagavan Nãma, Vãsudeva thatha (Sri Rajagopalan) attained Parama Pada (the Lord’s Lotus Feet). "

"GOPIKÃ JEEVANASMARANAM
GOVINDA! GOVINDA!"

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