Who was Gajaraj Swamigal?
The world has witnessed the work of many great souls. The greatest of them remain forever in the annals of history. They are worshipped, revered, remembered for time immemorial. Their work touches countless lives, long after they are gone.
Sometimes, in this world are born some blessed souls, that many do not know about. They too come to contribute something to the world and once their task is accomplished, they leave without any fanfare. They may or may not be known to a wider circle of people. However, their work lives on.
One such was Gajaraj Swamigal. He never called himself a Swami, Guru or even a Guide when he was alive. He is referred to a Swamigal, only because the Mahan Sri Vallai Maharishi, of Agastya Gnana Peetam, Malaysia addressed him as such when referring to him. Even though Vallai Maharishi had never met Gajaraj Swamigal, this term of respect came naturally to him when he read Agasthiyar Vazhipaadu that was given through Gajaraj Swamigal. And so, the term 'Swamigal' has remained.
Humble. Righteous. Courageous. These are just a few words that describe Gajaraj Swamigal. He was born in Ambur, in Tamilnadu to a Gandhian Munirathnam Mudaliar. The family moved to Bengaluru Karnataka. Gajaraj lead a simple life. What he acquired in life in terms of love for the arts, was all self-taught.
He took up teaching as a profession and remained a lecturer all through his life. Much loved by his students, friends and family alike, Gajaraj Swamigal had a personality that touched everyone who was blessed to know him.
He was a family man with a wife and three children. He accomplished all his worldly duties and yet, the greatest gift he left for the modern world, are these sacred discourses of Agasthiyar Vazhipaadu. They were received and given to the world as he sat in meditation.
Many have asked if they are naadi readings. No. Gajaraj Swamigal never sought astrology or naadi readings. What was received was through his connection go the consciousness of the greatest Sages of India: Sage Agastya.
How did this come to be? Is it even possible? We know that it happened because of the content of the Agasthiyar Vazhipaadu discourses themselves. The truth that is contained in them, can come only from the great consciousness that only a Rishi of that stature has.
These discourses that are presented in the Tamil books, are as they were received and transmitted verbally by Gajaraj Swamigal. There was no research, no thought, or pause, as the discourses came through steadily. Sometimes for over an hour or two without interruption. Majority of these discourses were received between August of 2002 to 2005.
These were written down by his blessed wife Arul Thai Vijayalakshmi as Sage Agastya himself referred to her. When these written discourses were typed out to be published in the form of books in 2021, not a single word had to be changed, sentences rewritten, or paragraphs adjusted.
If anyone has attempted to write a book or is an author, you would know that it is next to impossible to write an entire chapter without any corrections. And definitely not at a continuous stretch. But that is exactly how these discourses were received, as a continuous stream verbally!
Many were the times that these discourses were in response to questions posed by people who gathered after they learnt about the giving of the Vazhipaadu. Without having heard about the topic that people asked questions about, Gajaraj Swamgial would simply close his eyes and out would flow the most profound responses!
One such was a question posed by Surya Kumar. He asked suddenly, what is the essence of Thirumandiram? Gajaraj Swamigal had never read this sacred text of over 3000 verses. He quietly put the question to his Guru Sage Agastya and closed his eyes. Out came the most profound response in 12 lines! The entire gist of what is considered a most difficult philosophical treatise in a simple 12-line rendition! That is the beauty of Vazhipaadu!
So how did an ordinary man get such a great blessing to receive these discourses directly from the great Sage Agastya?
Details of the events and miracles that lead up to the giving of Vazhipaadu are given in the book: "Agastya's Disciple: Firsthand Chronicles of an Extraordinary Life".
 |
| Seated on his father's lap. |
 |
| Awarded a medal for putting out a fire in a tenement singlehandedly. |
 |
| As a young couple Gajaraj and Vijayalakshmi |
 |
| Well loved teacher |
 |
| Carving a statute as directed by Sage Agastya |
 |
| Wearing the powerful Rudraksha |
 |
| Satsangs and Discourses |
 |
| Arul Thai Vijayalakshmi |
 |
| Gajaraj Swamigal |
No comments:
Post a Comment