HOW SAINT MANIKKAVASAGAR MELTED INTO SHIVA

Many years ago in an informal interaction with late Mrs. Rani Subramaniam, a sincere spiritual seeker from yesteryears, Bhagawan said, “You don’t have to read too much! Read whatever is necessary for inspiration.”

Guiding her further, He said, “Different authors will only confuse you with their contradictions. Great philosophical and intellectual discussions are of no use. If you want to read, study the lives of saints. It could be any faith: Christian, Muslim, or Hindu. They have gone on the path. They have done the spiritual journey. Their path is clear. They have known the pitfalls and the obstacles. Their life will indicate all the problems to you and how they ultimately came to be a good example.”

This is exactly what Bhagawan has also told the students time and again. That is perhaps why in every drama staged by the students one always finds scenes from the lives of exalted devotees and servitors of the Lord.

In January, 2016, we started a series “Saints — The Soul of India.” Our first discussion was on Saint Andal. We now offer the second episode in this series, on a saint whose devotion to Lord Shiva has no parallel. His outpourings of love in the form of soul-stirring compositions continue to metamorphose millions of minds, taking them away from everything material to the joy of everything spiritual.

We hope and pray the story of this exemplar devotee Saint Manikkavasagar inspires us to attach ourselves to the Lord more than ever before and experience the bliss that we are perhaps yet to explore.

Presented below are edited highlights of a four-hour radio conversation between Radio Sai’s Bishu Prusty (BP) and Radio Sai volunteer Mrs. Lalitha Shekhar (LS).