TELUNGA SWAMI – A RARE MAHAN. – NANGANALLUR J K SIVAN
i have a feeling that many of you,my friends, may not have heard of ‘Telanga swami’. I frankly admit, I did not know about him until my friend Sri V.V.Rao from Hyderabad, sent me a book written by him about this Yogi sometime ago. When I read the about I was astonished to know the mystical yogic powers of the swamiji. Let me share a few observations I made about the swamiji, gathered from the said book. No doubt Telunga swami is one of the great Mahans produced by Bharath. He was known by various names such as Ganapathi Saraswathi Swami, Kasi Ganapathi, Telang Swami, Trailinga Swami, Kuzhandhaiyaanandha Swami, and may be many more names. He lived in Varanasi (Kasi) for many years. Miraculously his devotees claim that he lived for more than 280 years . He was regarded as an Avathar of Lord Siva. Though he attained Moksha sometime late in the last century, Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna Parama Hamsa referred to his disciples about this swamiji as ‘’Walking Shiva of Varanasi” which must be more than 160 years ago. Trailinga Swami was born in Andhra in 17th century (1607) in a Brahmin family. He was given the name Trailingadhara. His mother experienced a a miracle one day when she observed something like a bright light was entering inside the child, while sleeping. He was different from other children. He preferred solitutde, doing meditation and bhajans to himself. He refused to marry when he grew up.
After his parents died, he wandered in search of a Guru. In 1685 he found Bhagiratha Swami, who initiated him into Sanyasa naming him Ganapathi Saraswathi. He attained many siddhis in due course and was recognized as an ASHTAVADHANI and later a SATHAVADHANI (one who can perform one hundred things at the same time). He was however not interested in these attainments and was seeking Brahma Gnana. He wandered nude as an Avadhutha. For many days in a month he never ate any food! The sage Ramakrishna Parama Hamsa met him once and asked the swamiji ‘’Is God one or many?’’ – Trailinga swami answered ‘’In transcendental state He is one, though materialistically He is viewed as many”, plausibly a perfect answer.
Once some miscreants gave the swamiji deadliest poison mixed in food. The swami knew it and ate it but there was no effect on him. At Manikarnika Ghat, of River Ganga, he used to lie on bare hot slabs with blistering heat, motionless for many hours or found swimming or floating on Ganga for many hours. He did not preach or talk for long hours. He spoke a very little.
A wicked man once offered a bucket full of calcium-lime mix, used for white washing walls, which Trailinga Swami drank without a break, fully. Nothing happened to him but the wicked one, who offered it fell down writhing in pain! Once the king of Kasi while hunting was chasing a tiger, which tried to escape and came running to a place, where Trailingaswami was sitting in a secluded forest area. The angry tiger on seeing the Swamiji sat like a cat near him. Swamiji bade the king away saving its life. The king was startled by this miracle and bowed and prostrated before the Swamiji.
A grieving mother brought the dead body of her 7year old son, and Swamiji by simply touching the dead body, gave life to the dead boy.
Once he foretold many around him that at a particular time a loaded boat with many passengers will capsize in River Ganges and they should be saved. Nobody took it serious and ignored him as a mad man. Swamiji himself swam in the Ganges at the proper time near a boat at the particular time which suddenly capsized. He saved as many as possible from drowning.
He cured the diseases of many who came to him without any reward.
An English magistrate once offered him non-vegetarian food to eat with him, and the swamiji accepted the offer, subject to the condition that the whiteman should eat what he ate. He then ordered a disciple to bring cow dung and began eating. The magistrate withdrew his offer and went away asking the swamiji to forgive him.
One of his disciples, Umacharan, wanted to see the Goddess Kali. Swamiji showed him the real form of goddess Kali. ‘’Guruji how is it possible? asked Umacharan.
’If only you believe in God, by His Grace everything is possible” replied the swamiji.
Once he dived into Ganga and brought out a big stone weighing about 200 kg , much to the surprise of everyone,and requested a Siva Linga of 5 ft tall, be made out of it. It would have taken minimum 20 people to lift it even on a flat surface. How could the Swamiji dive into the bottom of the river and lifted it up, all by himself without any effort!
Swamiji knew when his end was due. ”Seal me inside a box and drop it in River Ganga ” he said one day in 1887.
In his ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ Yogananda writes that his guru Lahiri Mahasaya, was a friend of Trilinga swami. For days together Trailinga swami would sit on water in River Ganga or remain under the water. He was superhuman. a pure Hata Yogi.
It is a miracle that Trailinga swami moving naked was caught by the police and taken before an English magistrate who imprisoned him inside a locked cell but Swamiji was seen walking on the roof of the locked cell within moments of his having him locked up inside the cell. He was something like air which could not be locked or imprisoned.!
There are many saints and Swamijis like Trailinga Swami, of whom we have no knowledge. Some of them we know by the name Siththars in Tamil.. They are not after publicity, cheap tricks and name or fame. They are godly and protect us and this world. This is what we should understand and remember with folded hands in respect for the great souls.
