Mantralaya-2042

(Sri RaghavendraTeertharu is capable of erasing even the hardest of fate)

Date : May 15, 2025

Dear Devotees : Namaskara.

| Sri MannMoolaRamastu Mannmathe Moolamahasamsthhaana Mantralaya Sri Rayaramathe||
|| OM SRI RAGHAVENDRAAYA NAMAHA||

Background

A miracle that underscores how Sri RaghavendraTeertharu is capable of erasing even the hardest of fates, what is known in Kannada as Hane Baraha, is described here. is described in Mantralaya (2042).

Meaning

With the divine blessings of my Kula Devaru, Sri Venkateshwar Swami, Kuladevi  Sri Huligema Devi and Sri Guru Raghavendraru, I humbly offer my heartfelt gratitude as I write my 108th article since the passing of my beloved father. At every step of this journey, I have felt the invisible yet powerful hand of grace guiding me, especially the boundless blessings of my revered Guru Sri Raghavendra Swamy, whose presence in my life has been nothing short of miraculous.I also bow in reverence to the sacred memories and blessings of my late father, whose teachings and devotion continue to live within me and my brother, whose quiet support has strengthened my resolve. This milestone is not an individual achievement. It is a divine orchestration,  a testimony to the grace (kripa) of Sri Rayaru, who has been my inspiration, my guide, and my strength through every word I have written.I owe a special debt of gratitude to the two unwavering pillars in my life, my mother and my wife. Their silent sacrifices, constant encouragement, and spiritual strength have helped me pursue this path of devotion and writing. In times of doubt or fatigue, their words and prayers have lifted me up.

This 108th article is more than a number. In our tradition, 108 symbolizes completeness, spiritual attainment, and divine connection. I feel this milestone has been reached only because Sri Raghavendra Swamy has consistently showered me with ideas, insights, and inner strength to continue. Every week, as I sat to write, it was not my own ability but Sri Rayaru’s anugraha (grace) that flowed through the pen.

To all my readers, your continued support, feedback, and devotion have given meaning to this journey. Each kind word and prayer has motivated me to keep going. Special thanks to Sri Rajaram, whose encouragement rekindled the flame of the Mantralaya Series.

All that I am today and all that I hold dear in life, is entirely due to the boundless grace of Sri RaghavendraTeertharu and Sri VadeendraTeertharu. Through every phase of my life , be it in moments of joy or in times of deep sorrow, in seasons of strength or in periods of struggle ,their compassionate blessings have remained constant, uplifting me, protecting me and gently guiding my steps.I am neither a scholar nor someone with deep spiritual knowledge. I am just a simple devotee, trying to walk the path shown by our great Guru Sri Rayaru. Whatever little understanding I have, I offer it with sincerity and devotion. These articles are not written from intellect but from the heart , they are a humble offering, born out of love for Sri Rayaru and guided by the divine grace that has touched my life through the teachings and memories of my beloved father.

My father often used to say something profoundly moving , Sri Raghavendra Swamy has the divine power to erase even one’s written destiny, Hane Baraha as we say in Kannada by humbly pleading to Sri Hari Himself. It is with this firm faith that I now wish to narrate a miraculous, devotion filled incident from the life of my father, Sri Raghavendra Patwari, which stands as a living testimony to the truth of that belief.

In our home, the festival of Sri Venkateshwara Navaratri is celebrated with immense devotion and grandeur, spanning nine sacred days. Each day holds its own spiritual significance, but the ninth day is particularly special. On that day, as was his unbroken tradition, my father performed the Navaratri pooja with complete dedication and devotion. The pooja itself would take nearly three hours, involving deep rituals, chanting, and a sincere offering of the heart to the Lord.

After completing the pooja, my father would usually sit quietly on the floor of our hall, either with the fan or AC running, and enter deep meditation. During this stillness, he would fix his mind entirely on Sri Raghavendra Swamy, his guiding light, his eternal Guru.

It was on one such ninth day of the festival, in a state of peaceful contemplation, that my father experienced something extraordinary. As he sat in meditation, he felt the divine presence of Sri Raghavendra Swamy before him. In a voice clear and compassionate, Sri Rayaru told him, “Your lifespan (Ayush) has come to an end. I will request Sri Hari to grant you an extension.”

This divine vision immediately reminded my father of an earlier conversation with his revered Guru, Sri Joshi Master , a staunch devotee of both Sri Hanumath Devaru and Sri Raghavendra Swamy. Sri Rayaru himself had appeared in a dream to Sri Joshi sir and given him a sacred Mantrakshate (blessed rice), which remains carefully preserved in the home of Joshi Master’s son to this day. Years ago, Sri Joshi sir had told my father that his life would likely not go beyond the age of 69 or 70.

Upon recalling his Guru’s words, my father simply responded to Rayaru, “It is all your will, Rayaru.” At this point in his life, my father had already written over 500 devotional articles. His heartfelt wish was to write a total of 1008 articles in service of Sri Raghavendra Swamy.When he completed his 500th article, we had visited Mantralaya. There, in the sacred presence of Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s Brindavana, Sri SubhudendraTeertharu Swamiji blessed my father and affirmed that Sri Rayaru would accept his service and enable him to fulfill the goal of completing 1008 articles.

Then, just two days after the divine vision, something miraculous happened.

At around 3:00 AM, while asleep, my father had a profound out-of-body experience. He felt his soul gently rising from his body, ascending higher and higher into the sky, surrounded by an overwhelming sense of bliss and lightness. Eventually, his soul arrived at a celestial temple , a heavenly shrine dedicated to Sri Vitthala Devaru. The temple was filled with divine beings, many of whom were partaking in a spiritual feast.

Someone offered my father food, but he politely declined, saying he was not hungry. Suddenly, from the sanctum sanctorum the Garbha Gudi  emerged the temple priest. To my father’s astonishment, the priest looked exactly like Sri Raghavendra Swamy. With authority and compassion, the priest turned to the ones who had brought my father there and said, “Why have you brought him here? Sri Hari has instructed that he must be sent back , he still has duties to fulfill on Earth.”

In that instant, my father felt his soul rapidly descending, re-entering his physical body with great force, as though a heavy object had landed. He woke up with a jolt, and for the next three days, his body ached from the intensity of the experience. But in his heart, he knew  Sri Raghavendra Swamy had granted him an extension of life. The merciful Guru Rayaru had fulfilled both his own divine promise and the blessings spoken by Sri SubhudendraTeertharu . My father’s cherished wish to complete 1008 articles was no longer a dream, it was a divine commitment.

And indeed, with Rayaru’s blessings, my father went on to complete not just 1008, but a total of 1033 articles. He would often say to me with a gentle smile, 'See, Rayaru has given me such a generous extension.' He lived a life completely dedicated to Sri Raghavendra Swamy, with every breath devoted to chanting the divine name of Sri Rayaru.

Today, as I look back on these events, I feel deeply blessed to be the son of Sri Raghavendra Patwari,  a man who introduced me to the path of devotion, who taught me the unwavering truth that when all doors are closed, the door of Sri Raghavendra Swamy always remains open.

This incident is not merely a miracle. It is a divine reminder that the compassionate Guru, Sri Raghavendra Swamy, is indeed capable of erasing even the hardest of fates ,  the Hane Baraha through his accumulated punya and his boundless love for his devotees.

As I offer this 108th article at the lotus feet of Sri Raghavendra Swamy, my heart is filled with humility, devotion, and profound gratitude. This milestone is not just a personal achievement, it is a sacred offering, a small gesture of love and reverence to the great Yati whose compassion knows no bounds.

May Sri Rayaru continue to guide us all on the path of devotion (Bhakti), wisdom(Jnana), and Seva (selfless service). May He protect our hearts from the subtle traps of ego, so that success never makes us arrogant, and failure never leads us into despair. Let our minds remain grounded, our hearts humble, and our spirits ever-grateful.

Let us pray that Sri Rayaru blesses us with the strength to see beauty in every breath, and the wisdom to whisper with each moment: “Life is a divine gift. Thank you, Lord, for giving me this life.”

May this spirit of gratitude, devotion, and inner joy stay with us always, lighting our way through all seasons of life
.

The devotion towards Sri Raghavendrateertharu is the ultimate truth and is the most simple and effective way to reach Sri Hari  - "NAMBI KETTAVARILLAVO EE GURUGALA"! “Those who have complete faith in this Guru will never be disappointed.”

   || BICHALI JAPADAKATTI SRI APPANACHARYA PRIYA MANTRALAYA
   SRI RAGHAVENDRATEERTHA GURUBHYO NAMAHA||