Masthan Swami

When Masthan Swami became ill, he moved from his village to another village because he did not want to give anyone trouble. Rarely did Bhagavan go out of his way for anybody, but in this case Bhagavan called Desurammal and said, "Wherever Masthan Swami goes, be with him and look after him." 

I have rarely heard of Bhagavan giving this kind of instruction for the sake of any other devotee. Masthan Swami's last days were very beautiful. After he dropped his body, Desurammal came to Bhagavan and narrated, "Bhagavan, in his last days we thought he was in delirium. He was saying, 'Nandi has descended and Siva's celestial devotees, the bhutaganas, are dancing, saying, 'Masthan! Come, come, come to us.'" 

She continued, "Perhaps, he was blabbering in his delirium. But Bhagavan, in his last moment he stood up. It was absolutely impossible for him to stand up in that state. He stood up and then with tears in his eyes said, 'Apeethakuchambal has come to receive me, I am going Desurammal,' and he dropped dead."

On hearing this, Bhagavan commented, "Maybe the Universal Mother personally came to take him. All his descriptions tally with the world of Siva described in the Puranas. Masthan Swami was an unassuming devotee. He had a wealth of hidden spiritual experiences." Not only did he extol Masthan Swami, the master thanked Desurammal as well, "It is a matter of gratification that he passed away in your care, under your supervision." He did not stop there. 

After this, Bhagavan picked up a copy of the two thousand five hundred year old Tamil book, Tirumandiram. In it, are instructions on how a realized being's dead body should be buried. Bhagavan marked those passages and sketched out how the tomb had to be built and the body entombed with sacred ash, camphor and other ingredients. 

Following these clear instructions, the samadhi was built.

The whole village turned out that day despite a pouring rain. The local temple, even though it was a simple one, gave the temple chariot in which God's image was carried to carry the corpse of a Muslim. Most Hindus can feel the profundity of this. On that day, the rain was so heavy that the water was up to hip level. Amidst chanting, the body was carried into the samadhi built according to Bhagavan's instructions. It is said that whoever goes there and offers prayers at the samadhi has his wishes granted. 

Let us offer our salutations to one of the most beautiful devotees of Bhagavan. Masthan Swami was the simplest soul one could meet, but Bhagavan paid the highest tribute to him. He said that, of all the people who came to him, Masthan was the ripest. One look and the fruit fell!

Ramana Periya Puranam
(Image : Mastan Swami's Samadhi in Desur)

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