RAGHUPATI YOGI
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It was one of the miracles of Existence
that brought Rajasekaran to Raghupati
Yogi. With a body taut as a bowstring,
disciplined by years of rigorous tapas
in India, Tibet and Burma, Raghupati
Yogi was the perfect foil to the timid,
curious young boy who sought him
out. In an unusual companionship that
blossomed over five years, Raghupati
Yogi trained the young Rajasekaran in
the mysteries of Yoga. Recognising
that the boy was destined for sannyas,
Raghupati Yogi one day summoned
him to the Kritika Mantap of the
Thiruvannamalai temple. There he
bestowed upon him diksha (initiation),
a rare honour for one so young.
In the moment of his initiation, Rajasekaran was blessed with a vision of Parashakti, whom the Yogi pronounced his ishtadevta (favoured deity). Too young to realize how precious this gift was, Rajasekaran returned home absorbed in the loveliness of the vision he had just glimpsed. Once home, he proceeded to carve in soapstone the very figure that had graced his vision. That marvellously sculpted figurine (seen in picture) remains with him to this day.
The earliest photograph of Rajasekaran in meditation. (original photograph)
DHANAKOTI AMMAL, grandmother
MATAJI KUPPAMMAL in meditation, seen against the backdrop of Arunachala.
SRI ISAKKI SWAMIGAL, the Guru of Mataji Kuppammal
The sacred Sri Chakra, carved by Rajasekaran’s own hands at the age of ten. The Sri Chakra represents the Mother Goddess Devi, and is believed to be the diagrammatic representation of the Cosmos. The complicated central structure of the diagram makes it difficult even to copy, leave alone reproduce without a reference. When questioned about this, Rajasekaran is said to have nonchalantly explained that it was only a combination of nine triangles placed at different angles to each other, and reproducing it was ‘easy once you understand the concept’ (!)
Rajasekaran (left) and friends
before the image of Durga
specially decorated by him for
the Navratri festival.
Rajasekaran's zeal for the Divine
was such that it captured the
hearts of all around him - from
the spirited young boys of the
neighbourhood to venerable old
men and women, who could
already glimpse in the boy the
spark of the Divine.
How long can the Divine remain hidden from the eyes of the ardent seeker? Rajasekaran's true nature revealed itself to devoted seekers in the most unexpected of places and times.
One day, the young Rajasekaran happened to be late for class. As per the rule, he waited in the corridor for permission to enter the classroom.
The Math class was in progress, and the teacher was bent over his book. The teacher was a staunch devotee of Lord Ayyappa. By some intuition, he turned suddenly and looked in the direction of the corridor where Rajasekaran stood waiting. He stood up slowly, as if in a trance, gazing all the time at the boy. Then he silently brought his palms together, saluting the puzzled boy with the deepest reverence.
Later, the teacher urged the boy to visit his home and join his family for a meal. When Rajasekaran went, the teacher promptly prostrated before him and declared himself the boy's disciple. He disclosed that he had seen none other than Lord Ayyappa in the form of the young boy in the classroom. Rajasekaran was, of course, lost for words at that moment!