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SADGURU NARASIMHA SWAMIJI
THELAWYER TURNED SAINT
 
Sri Bhavani Narasimha Iyer was born in A.D. 1874 on Friday, the 21
st
August, in theHindu cyclic year of Bhava in the bright half of the lunar month of Ashada, on the 9
th
day, and on the 7
th
day of solar month Leo (Avani) at about 11 a.m. when theconstellation of Jyeshta was ruling and when the chief period of Mercury was to ruleover him for fourteen years, one month, and 3 days from that date. This washoroscope drawn at the birth of our Swamiji.Sri Narasimha Iyer was born in the Coimbatore District in an orthodox Brahminfamily, and his parents were Sri B. Venkatagiri Iyer and Smt. Angachiammal. It issaid that Angachiammal took a vow and performed pooja at the holy shrine of LordSri Narasimha at Sholingur, and immediately there after she was blessed with thisillustrious son, and was named after that great deity. The parents moved to Salemwhere Sri B. Venkatagiri Iyer practised as a Second Grade Pleader. He had greatsuccess at the Bar, and his house was one of the biggest in the Second Agraharamat Salem. Sri Narasimha Iyer had a brilliant educational career. He graduated fromthe Madras Christian College and the B.L. examination from Madras Law College. Hestraightaway joined the Bar at Salem and began practice. Very soon by his brilliantand analytical presentation and arguments, he became the foremost leader andremained so till 1925, when he himself gave up the profession.Sri Narasimha Iyer never believed in unnecessary litigation. He insisted upon factsand critically examined each case. He even brought clients together anddiscouraged fissiparous litigation. He rendered justice, and in the law courts, he wasvery much feared as he was a lion among all, and his advocacy of truth and justicewas unparalleled. Not only he was the leader at the Bar, he had a lot of social workto his credit. He became the Chairman of the Salem Co-operative Bank, and forsome time served as the Chairman of the Salem Municipal Council. He became anactive member of the Literary Society, where he used to play tennis and billiards. Hewould stop playing at 6 p.m. everyday when he would go home to offer his eveningprayers and puja. His prominent contemporaries were Justice Sundaram Chettiar(who was his classmate), Sri. C. Rajagopalachariar, the first Indian and lastGovernor-General of India, and Sri Muthukrishna Iyer. He was a fiery nationalist andespoused the cause of freedom and became a leader in the Home Rule Movement.He was an admirer of Bala Gangadar Tilak, and he was considered to be anextremist. He became an elected Member of the Madras Legislative Council in 1914.He was again elected in 1920 and was the first Council Member to speak in Tamil,expousing the Freedom struggle and he challenged the British Might. He was anactive participant in the Home Rule struggle started by Mrs. Annie Besant and hewas one of the three members of a mission that went to Britain to propagate theright of India for freedom and self-government. Sri John Joseph of Madurai and SriManjeri Rama Iyer were the other members. The British feared the oratoricalprowess of Narasimha Iyer and detained all the three at Gibraltar and sent themback to India after 15 days detention. Sri Narasimha Iyer offered non-cooperation in1920.When he was in the peak of politics, there was a sudden stroke of tragedy thatchanged the life course of Sri Narasimha Iyer. When he was performing the Sraddhaceremony of his first son, even before the ceremony was over, a terrible tragedyoccurred in the loss of his two children, who accidentally fell into the well in his
 
bungalow and died. This tragedy changed the entire outlook of Sri Narasimha Iyer;then and there, he wished to renounce all worldly pursuits. He decided to turnspiritual and serve God and humanity. The Divine call was perceived by Sri Narasimha Iyer. The double tragedy conveyed asingular message. His only object became the Realisation of what is ‘Self’ and God.He resolved to give up everything mundane to which he was attached. He resignedfrom the Legislative Council and stopped taking part in politics. He returned the VakilSanad to the High Court. He completed the work of reconstruction of theLakshminarayana temple in Second Agraharam at Salem and left pilgrimage tovarious centres to seek Truth.His first trip was to Tiruvannamalai, and stayed in one of the caves observing silencefor 3 years and concentrated on the study of Vedanta. He closely observed SriRamana Maharishi’s life, and wrote out a book in English styled "Self Realisation". This gave a deep insight into the life and work of Sri Ramana Maharishi. This bookresulted in many seekers from Europe and America to flock to Tiruvannamalai. Withthe blessings of Sri Ramana, Sri Narasimha Swamiji resumed his pilgrimage tovarious centres.Sri Narasimha Swamiji, inspite of his meeting various saints and religious leaders,was still unsatiated. He was in search of a Master who could fully possess him andclear all his doubts. One saint told him that his failure was due to subjective causesin that he had not surrendered all
vasanas
, subjugate his penchant for criticism,develop docile submission to superior wisdom and superior goodness. NarasimhaSwamiji had not until then got the immense good fortune of meeting a Godman whocould transform him fully.Hence in such a search, he once resolved to meet the famous Datta Upasaka – SriNarayana Maharaj of Khedgaonpet, which is 40 miles from Poona. This NarayanaMaharaj was a great Datta Upasaka who rendered many miracles. Swamiji sat inmeditation before Datta shrine. He saw some sparrows there and, closing his eyes,he prayed that if Datta is going to bless him, a sparrow should sit on his head and goaway. With this thought he prayed. Lo! The sparrow did sit on his head and flewaway. Swamiji could then have the conviction that Sri Dattatreya installed in theshrine and Sri Narayan Maharaj were having really superhuman powers. SriNarayana Maharaj blessed Swamiji that he will get the ‘precious gem, which he isseeking’.Sri Meher Baba (disciple of Upasani Baba), met at Nasik Sri Swamiji, and followed hisadvice, went to Sakori to meet Upasani Baba. Sri Upasani Baba advised him to followthe
Bhakti Margas
and lead a life of a holy ascetic –
 Akinchana
. Somehow his life atSakori near Upasani Baba was not to his liking, as he felt that there was something‘missing’ and decided to leave Upasani Baba. He returned to Madras and planned apilgrimage to Dwaraka. Meanwhile, Sri Upasani Baba was commenting "Where wouldthis Madrasi Swami go" and he would be drawn to him (Upasani Baba) again.Somehow as Providence willed it, (just as Sai Baba’s akarshana was powerful indrawing Upasani Baba to Himself), here also Upasani’s akarshana was powerful.Because of a sadhaka’s insistence for settling him in a proper religious place (adevotee at Hubli met Narasimha Swamiji at the Siddharuda Mutt), Sri Narasimha
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