Practice of *Brahmacharyam (*Self- Restraint ) : 22.4. : Swami Sivananda.

Chinmaya Mission 

Swami Prakarshananda suggestions and guidance led to the successful organization of the first-ever Bala Vihar Camp outside Chinmaya Mission premises from 5th to 23rd july, 2023. The camp catered to 150 children from the Nai Disha Educational and Cultural Society, an NGO in Vasant Kunj. Spearheaded by Sharmila Bhowal from Chinmaya Ranjan, the camp embraced the theme "Vande Bharat." Children learned shlokas, songs, dances, indulged in art and craft activities, and absorbed value-based stories, as well as knowledge about indigenous foods, nutrition, unsung heroes, freedom fighters, and daily yoga classes. International Yoga Day was celebrated enthusiastically. The camp also featured a science workshop and an online Magical Bus journey, offering insights into India's diversity. Sewaks from far and wide took sessions, displaying immense dedication and support.

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Monday, 17 Jul 2023  05:30. 

22.4. Dawn of Viveka and Vairagya. Yogi Vemana

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4. Dawn of Viveka and Vairagya. Yogi Vemana

Vemana was born in the year 1820 in a small village in the district of Godavari in Andhra Desa. He had a brother by name Anu Verna Reddy. His parents passed away when he was quite a young boy. He was born in a rich family. He was a Reddy by caste.

Vemana was sent to a primary school. He was not able to prosecute his studies. He fell into evil company and became a rowdy boy. But he was very handsome and active. Anu Verna Reddy and his wife Narasamma liked Vemana very much. At the age of fifteen, Vemana became debaucherous. He spent much money for the sake of women. Yet, his brother and sister-in-law liked him very much.

Anu Vema Reddy and his wife wanted to correct the ways of Vemana. They stopped giving him any money. So Vemana stole at night the ornaments of his sister-in-law and gave them to a prostitute. When his sister-in-law came to know of the loss of the jewels, she asked Vemana, “Where are my jewels?” Vemana answered, “As you did not give me money, I took them and gave away to my beloved.” Narasamma did not speak a word. She did not even inform her husband of the loss of the jewels. She liked Vemana very much. She locked up all her ornaments in the safe.

The prostitute urged Vemana to bring some More money or ornaments. So, again at dead of night, Vemana woke up from his bed and tried to remove some of the ornaments from the neck of his sister-in-law. She was wearing only the sacred Mangala Sutra that was tied round her neck at the time of her marriage; she had kept all her other jewels in the safe. Vemana wanted to remove at least this ornament. When he was attempting to remove it, Narasamma woke up and caught hold of his hand and asked him why he came to her bedroom at midnight. He replied in a daring manner: “My beloved asked me to bring some ornaments. I came here to take them.” Narasamma asked him to get out of the room at once. Then Vemana cried and fell at her feet. Narasamma prayed to God to give good Buddhi to Vemana and make him a pure, virtuous soul. Then she promised to give Vemana an ornament, provided he would strictly obey her words. Vemana fully assured her.

Narasamma said: “Vemana! Ask the girl to stand naked in front of you. Let her back be turned towards you. Then ask her to bend down and take the jewel from your hands by passing her hands through her thighs.” Vemana promised to do so and took an oath also in the name of Goddess Kali. Then his sister-in-law gave him a valuable ornament.

Vemana proceeded directly to the prostitute’s house and asked her to do in the manner his sister-in-law had instructed. While the prostitute was bending down, he saw very clearly the private parts of the woman. At once intense Vairagya dawned in his mind. He retraced his steps to his house with the ornament in his hands. He gave back the ornament to his sister-in-law and related to her all that had happened. He said, “My dear sister-in-law! Thank you so much for all your kind acts. I am a changed man now. There is no real happiness in this world. It is all jugglery of Maya. I am going now in quest of real happiness.” He left the house at once and went to a Kali temple near his village and sat near the image of Kali.

Now it so happened that, for some years, a man named Abhiramayya had been praying to Kali for Her Darshan. One day She appeared in his dream and said, “Come tomorrow at midnight. I will give you Darshan.” But the unfortunate devotee could not come the next day. When Kali came, Vemana was there instead. Kali asked Vemana to seek a boon of her. Vemana said, “O Mother! Give me Brahma-Jnana.” Mother Kali then initiated him into the mysteries of Jnana. From that day onwards, Vemana became a virtuous man with great devotion, Yogic powers and Jnana.

In course of his wanderings, Vemana went to Cuddapah. He lived in a forest near Cuddapah. He planted various fruit-bearing trees like melons and cucumbers. The cucumbers were all filled with gold. With this gold, Vemana built a temple at Sri Sailam. Even today, this temple at Sri Sailam contains the famous Jyotirlingam of Mallikarjuna. It is a famous place of pilgrimage. One day some thieves came to rob the cucumbers containing gold. They all became senseless due to the Yogic powers of Vemana.

Once Vemana entered the cottage of a poor Brahmin at midnight and went to sleep on his bed. During the night, he answered the calls of nature on the bed itself. That portion of the bed, which was soiled by his excreta, became transmuted into gold.

Vemana cast off his physical sheath in 1865 in Katarupalli in the Cuddapah district. He wrote several books in Telugu on Yoga, chief among them being “Vemana Tattva-Jnanam” and “Vemana Jivamritam”.

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Next

5. Beauty lies in imagination. The story of Hemachuda

To be continued

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