SWAMI VISITS BADRINATH - PART 1
The Lord in the Badri Hills - June 1961
Wednesday, June 07, 1961 to Tuesday, July 04, 1961
Swami and His party left Madras for Badrinath via Delhi on 7th of June, 1961.
After a four day stay at Delhi, Swami proceeded to Badrinath along with Dr. B.
Ramakrishna Rao, Governor of Uttar Pradesh, and His group on the 11th of June.
Even before leaving Delhi, Swami had described in great detail the sacred
shrine at Badri. Swami mentioned facts that were hitherto unheard of. For
instance, no book has any mention of Shri Adi Shankara having brought from
Kailash five Lingams, and installing them one each at Badri, Puri, Sringeri,
Dwaraka and Chidambaram. Swami revealed to His devotees this secret.
Nandaprayag: The Confluence of the Nandakini and Alaknanda rivers
Enroute to Badrinath, Swami visited Brahmakund, Srinagar and Joshimath. Swami
halted at Nanda Prayag, the famed Kanva Ashram, and directed the devotees to
bathe at the confluence of the Alakananda and Mandakini.
Rudraprayag: The Confluence of Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers
On 14th morning, Swami and party began the sacred 18 mile trek to Badrinath.
The luggage were fastened to horses, mules and donkeys. Swami walked the first
11 miles to Lambagarh and halted the night there. The remaining distance too
was covered on foot, and the party reached Badrinath on 15th noon. The rest of
the 15th and the 16th were spent in granting interviews to civil and military
officers, and the members of the temple committee.
The Badrinath Temple
During the morning Abhishekam on the 17th, Swami chose to re-infuse the sacred
shrine with eroded potency. While in the shrine, Swami materialised a beautiful
Narayana idol. Soon, a thousand-petalled golden lotus followed by the
Netralingam that Shri Adi Shankara had procured from Kailash, and installed in
Badrinath, appeared mystically. Swami ordered all the devotees to sing Bhajans.
He materialised a hundred and eight golden Bilva leaves, and the magnificent
“Thumme” blooms to adore the Netralingam. Swami performed the Puja with His own
hands, and after the adoration, the “Netralinga” returned to its secret niche
where it was installed 1,200 years back!
That day in the Divine Discourse, Swami said:
"This morning, I took out from its resting place the Netralinga (egg-shaped
stone, representation of Shiva, with the eye of wisdom in it) which
Shankaracharya had installed as the chief source of spiritual sustenance in
this Shrine, and after Abhisheka (consecrating by sprinkling holy water and
Pooja (ritual worship), it was sent back to the original place from where it
will continue to scatter even more Grace on the pilgrims who come here.
Shankaracharya, when he first came here, he must have known this place and
journeyed up by means of yogic powers had with him five Lingas, which he
brought from Kailasha; the other four he installed, in strict conformity with
the Shastras (scriptures), at Shringeri, Dwaraka, Puri and Chidambaram. Just as
the mountains Nara Parvata and Narayana Parvata which form the back-ground of
this temple have the Neelakantheshwara Parvata shining on the horizon between
them both, this Narayana Shrine has a Linga from Kailasha as the core of its
spiritual halo. The Ganga is born from the foot of Vishnu and it is sanctified
by contact with the head of Shiva. Such stories are formed to teach that there
is no difference between one aspect of God and another."
Source: Sri Sathya Sai Digvijayam Part 1 (1926-1985)
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