Chapter 3: Renouncing Home & Wandering

Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Fifteen days somehow dragged by. Sampat Kumar was able to sleep minimally since he had seen the vision of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Eventually the auspicious daybreak arrived as if the sun had risen with a happy visage just to whisk him away. Waking up much before dawn, he got up from bed. The idea of quitting home had already possessed him therefore he  just about managed to go through his daily chores.

“Shri Ramakrishna Deva is calling me! I am going! ” were the contents of the telegram which Sampat Kumar sent his father. 

“I am leaving for a good cause. Do not worry! You all should go home,” he wrote this  letter to Vedvalli and Rajgopal and kept it behind the picture of the goddess.

Alongside, he kept a message and a shloka[1] meant for his father.

Hemant, the Cold Season

Leaving his younger sister and brother asleep, and bidding home a final good-bye, Sampat Kumar exited the portal at midnight of the cold season season (Hemant[2].)

Baby Krishna is Born in Mathura

This was the hour when Sampat Kumar had been born and gained entry into this world. He had stepped out to attain Krishna after bidding adieu to worldliness at this very hour. It coincided with the moment when Lord Krishna had been born in Kansa's prison at Mathura at midnight. Vasudeva had left with Him and reached Gokul. Furthermore, it was in the middle of an autumnal night lit by the full moon, that the young cowherdesses had reached the side of their Supreme Lover Krishna on getting a signal from the melodious notes of His flute, . So also, Shriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, hurriedly quitting home at this very hour, had set out in delicious anguish to meet his beloved Krishna.

Sampat Kumar, an Intermediate Student

The incident of Sampat Kumar's renouncing home took place in November, 1935 when he was an intermediate student. Departing from Bangalore, 

 Hyderabad

 Shri Maharajji went directly to Hyderabad, the city of the Nizam.

He was sitting in the waiting room of a railway station when a policeman came and began questioning him, “Where are you coming from? Where do you live? What's your name?” Shriji gave evasive answers to get rid of him.

Getting suspicious the sepoy ordered, “All right, wait here! I will be back in a moment!”

Actually on getting news that Sampat Kumar had renounced home his father had reported this matter to the secret police. He took no time in grasping this fact and went elsewhere as soon as the sepoy left.

Kashi, the City of Shiva

Shri Maharajji had to go further to Kashi but he had no money for the fare. Besides, he had no experience of travelling without a railway ticket. Therefore he got employed as a supervisor under an engineer for a month and earning Rs.30/- reached Kashi by train, getting a rail ticket issued by this income.

Seated in the train, Shri Maharajji began day dreaming about the future. In his imagination, Kashi was a wooded region decked with dense lovely trees, on the banks of the sacred Ganges, wherein saints and sadhus had beautiful leaf huts and were engrossed in austerities, living on roots and fruits as their staple diet.  

 

Banks of River Ganga

Maharajji thought that he too would engage himself in devotional service by singing devotional hymns, which when done at the crystalline bank of the Ganges (Jahnavi) purify the sinful, readily bringing God realization. Absorbed in these thoughts Shri Maharajji reached Kashipuri. But as he stepped out of the railway station he saw the streets thronged by people and the urban environment, which was quite contrary to the wooded site of his imagination.

Shri Vishwanath, the Lord of Kashi

However, bathing in the purifying Ganges and thereafter having darshan of Vishwanath, the Lord of Kashi, gave Shri Sampat Kumar a lot of peace and joy.

Subsequently, Shri Maharajji took a round of the whole of Kashipuri which was a large prosperous city. Thousands of families inhabited the place. It was veritably a disorderly agglomerate of palaces, imposing buildings, bazars and vehicles. In fact, rows of trees were visible as one went further along the banks of the Ganges. 

 

 Ghats on the Banks of River Ganga

Wide pleasant ghats[1] having a flight of steps, adorned the banks of the Ganges but they too were overcrowded with noisy people thronging them, every morning and evening. Bathers in the morning and excursionists riding boats in the evening could be seen. Maharajji did not need any specific place to stay as he lay down here and there, by the banks of the river Ganges and begged for alms from wherever he got them.

Passing some time, Shri Maharajji set out in search of some place other than Kashi, which was suitable for bhakti. At times he walked and at other times he would travel by rail without ticket. Shri Maharajji never kept any money on him. If someone gave him money he would distribute it among the poor or buy food to feed them.

Shri Balkrishna Das ji Maharaj

Maharajji had only one wrap cloth and a water pot as far as possessions was concerned. Sometimes he would not even keep a water pot. A renunciate in every respect, homeless and an itinerant was he. In this manner he visited several pilgrimage sites, traversing hundreds of miles during the course of a year.

In the meantime Shri Maharajji came to know that the grand Mahakumbh Mahotsav was going to be held in Haridwar. 

 Lord Krishna Instructs Uddhava

 He ardently desired to go to that most sacred pilgrim centre Badrika Ashram where Lord Krishna had sent Shri Uddhava, the best of the Bhagvatas, for spiritual practice: ' gachhodwav mayadishto badaryakhayam mamshramam | ' Keeping this resolve in mind, he proceeded to Haridwar.

Shri Maharajji used to travel alone, with an intense longing to have a glimpse of the Divine. He lived in seclusion wherever he went. Whatever alms he got, Shri Maharajji ate indifferently. He stayed merely for a day or two at a particular place. 

Shri Tirupati Balaji

With a restless heart he constantly remembered the name of God, worshipping Balaji, his family deity. The incantation of 'Om Krishnaya Namaha' would go on without a break.

It was going to be a year since Maharajji had renounced home. Hair of his five body parts, head, arms, lips, arm pits and pubic hair, had grown. His face was adorned with beautiful locks of hair and his radiant face reflected the spiritual lustre of sadhana and bhajan. Thereafter, he went on foot to Haridwar to see the Kumbh Mela.

The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar

Shri Maharajji roamed about in the Kumbh mela[2] to see the assemblage of saints. Since he had no baggage except a blanket, a wrap cloth and a utensil, he used to wander around freely, and listen to satsang wherever it was held. Likewise he would do bhiksha [3] and sleep at some place or the other. He moved about in joyous abandon, unattached, and all by himself.

Impressed by Shri Maharajji's irradiating appearance, some devotee would take him to his residence, serve him a meal and listen to his divine discourse in rapt attention. After bathing in the Ganges he used to stroll around to see the Kumbh Mela, which was teeming with lakhs of pilgrims, and bustling with kirtans [4] and pravachans[5].Tents and canopies of the four sampradayas of saints and mahatmas had been put up and so had food providing stalls been opened. Groups of sadhus were staying at some places. Seated firmly on their asanas [6], some of them had thick matter hair, whereas some sported long nails, while others were smeared with ash, yet others wore reed-stringed girdles, and a few of the sadhus sat next to the smoke fire they had lit.  'Mahamandaleshwar[7] Sanyasis' were busy sermonizing on the Vedanta at many spots. 'Ramcharitmanas' of Goswami Tulsidas was being recited at some other spots.

Sadhus at The Maha Kumbh

Thus Maharajji was enjoying his visit to the Kumbh Mela when a heart-rending incident took place, because of which he was very pained. .Fire broke out in the Kumbh Mela, all of a sudden. Tents, canopies, animals and human beings began to burn up in flames. He stood aghast at the sight of people burning, seeing their agony and hearing their piteous screams. The cause of this accident was a Naga Sadhu who had asked a halwai [8]for fire. He had refused to oblige the Sadhu who was endowed with supernatural powers. Picking up fire, the sadhu had tied it in his cloth and given a curse as he walked away which had caused the fire to break out. Soon after, Shri Maharaj ji decided to go on a pilgrimage to Badrinath for attaining inner peace. He left with just a blanket without making any provisions for the journey.

Badrika Ashram

A pilgrimage to Badrinath used to be very tough in those days. Pilgrims used to go Badrika Ashram only after giving up hope of coming back alive. It is said that most of them embarked upon the journey after performing their funeral rites in advance. While leaving they were ceremonially escorted to the borders of villages, with much pomp and fanfare. Most pilgrims lost their lives on the way itself. If any person was fortunate enough to complete his pilgrimage without any obstacle, the villagers welcomed him to the village on his return. They celebrated the event for many days by reading religious tales, doing kirtans o, feeding brahmans and adulating that pilgrim like a god. Arrangements had been made on behalf of Baba Kali Kamliwale to supply items to pilgrims for cooking food at halting places en route. Saints got slips from the Kali Kamli Ashram in Haridwar and ingredients for cooking food were given on producing the same slip. However, a hundred rupees had to be shown to the issuer to get the slip. Shri Maharajji knew this fact but he never kept any money with himself. Hence, solely relying on God for his well-being Maharaj Shri decided to go without making any arrangements.

One would invariably come across fierce wild animals on the way to Badrika Ashram. Therefore pilgrims made groups of five to ten persons to proceed for the hazardous journey. But Maharajji was all alone. Initially he was sitting by himself under a tree, on the banks of the Ganges when an old woman was cooking food at some distance. Her ascetic son was also by her side. The old woman caught sight of Shri Maharajji. When she came to know that he had not got hundred rupees she insistently took him to the Kali Kamliwale Ashram and got slips for Maharajji by showing a sum of hundred rupees from her side. She even cooked a meal for him with her own hands and lovingly coaxed him to have it.

Pilgrims on Way to Badrinath

Thereafter, mountaineering began for Badrika Ashram. The hearts of pilgrims were instantly attracted towards Maharajji due to his harsh ascetic endurance and radiant countenance. People would either call him or go and give him bhiksha of cooked food if he was sitting in seclusion, or serve the food themselves and make him eat it. If this did not happen he would proceed on the journey without food. Due to an ardent longing for darshan and absorption in accomplishing his goal, neither did he feel physically weak because of not having food nor was he exhausted because of climbing speedily. Godly assurance of looking after his well-being, made arrangements for his essential needs, and he did not get a chance to use the slips of Kali Kamli Wale Baba.

Badrinath,by  the Banks of River Alaknanda

Shri Maharajji completed the pilgrimage of the lofty mountainous peak of  Badrinath, situated at a height of ten thousand feet in a span of just seven days. Maharaj ji beheld Shri Badrinath posited on the snow clad lofty summit of the Himalayas by the banks of the crystal clear, rippling waters of Shri Alaknanda. On seeing Shri Badrinath and  observing the silent peaceful tranquil environs amidst rows of snow clad mountain peaks of the many-sided silver mountain he reached the heights of elation and ecstasy. He stayed for a night at the holy feet of Badri Vishal. Bathing in the cool waters of Alaknanda, the next day, and having darshan of Shri Badrinath he set out for Haridwar, and reached there in seven days.

Thus he completed this journey from Haridwar to Shri Badrinath and back from Badrinath to Haridwar, in just fifteen days.

Kumbh Mela, Haridwar

On reaching Haridwar Shri Maharaj ji resided for a couple of days beneath a tree on the banks of the Ganges to recover from the fatigue of the mountainous journey. Thereafter, he visited the Kumbha Mela again and lived at the ashram of Mahant[1] Shri Shravan Nathji. He used to stay in a hut here and do japa of 'Om Krishnaya,' mantra in seclusion. Besides, he did bhiksha in the ashram itself. The other disciples of Mahant Shravan Nathji would be busy attending to the chores of the ashram. Seeing Maharajji taking bhiksha and remaining aloof, these disciples became jealous. One day Mahant ji happened to suffer from stomach ache. The entire day passed by but the pain simply refused to subside.

They went to Mahantji and incited him, “Why don't you tell that balyogi   who simply eats and drinks, idles away his time and does not do any work, about your state.”

Hearing this Mahantji sent a sadhu to call Maharajji and told him of his stomach pain.

 Uplas, Cow Dung Cakes

“Okay, get me the warm ash of uplas [2]and I will consecrate them,” instructed Maharaj ji. The ash was brought. Chanting the mantra 'Om Krishnaya,' Maharajji took the ash and rubbed it on the stomach of Mahantji whose pain subsided. Thereupon Mahantji began to hold Maharajji in high esteem and he was kept in the ashram with great respect. The jealous disciples were ashamed of themselves.

Rasiya Songs by Denizens of Braj

One day some denizens of Braj were singing padas in Mahantji's Ashram. Maharajji's attention was suddenly drawn  towards them. Dancing emotionally they were singing Rasiya [1]folk songs of Braj, which depicted the lilas of Lord Krishna. They had put colourful tilaks on their foreheads, wore awkwardly wound turbans and had tucked flower bunches into their ears. They hopped, jumped and danced in joyous abandon as they sang. How could Shri Maharajji remain unattracted by the madhuri of this rasa of Braj because he was leading such a pure life and had a heart which was always pulsating with an intense longing to behold the Divine!