Letters from India

41. Sivabala Yogi & Back to Parthi - Oct 1985

Sivabala Yogi & Back to Parthi

October 1985

Prasanthi Nilayam

Dear Ones,

Jai Sai Ram! Everything’s fine. Hope all of you there are keeping well.

I’ve had an interesting experience. Next-door neighbor Madhuri visits this yogi named Shivabala Yogi Maharaj. He had a vision of a lingam at age 14, then Siva appeared before him and instructed him to meditate. From then on (1949), he entered into deep austerities, meditating most of the day, taking only milk and sometimes fruit to eat. Siva gave him many visions during this time. At the end of 12 years of austerities (in 1961), Siva instructed him to start a small ashram, and instruct people in the path of meditation. Now he has ashrams in several places, including Anantapur, Deha Dun (near Rishikesh) and Sri Lanka.

Soo, me being open of course to Darshan of any exalted being, I eagerly accepted Madhuri’s invitation to come with her. Sivabala Yogi had been gone a month - the day we went to see him was the day he returned to his Bangalore (main) ashram. We just got into the compound at 4:30 PM (we left Whitefield to Bangalore at 2:30 PM, then a bus to his ashram) when he drove up in a big light green car, fresh from the airport! He’s short and chubby like a teddy bear, bright and smiling face. Spiritual vibrations. He went straight into the Mandir (a huge hall with shed roof, the main alter being a large canopy bed that he sits on for bhajans), and then he went into his room, though an attached doorway from the Mandir hall.

Bhajans went 6-8 PM and were nice, but rather amateur. He came in at 7 PM and hopped onto the bed and sat. When he comes, all gather around and bow to him (much like the Mataji bed Darshan in Anandashram), sometimes touching his knee or robe.

He kept his eyes open, staring straight ahead, unconcerned. The plight of all devotees in the world – an unattached God! As we pine for some attention. Churning I guess. :-)

Anyone who has a question may come up to the right side of the bed and ask him, only you need a translator for English because he speaks only Telugu (he’s from Sai’s state) and Hindi. He answers then gives vibhuti (white, in small blocks), telling to put on forehead.

I made several visits with Madhuri – almost every night up to the time I left (on October 1st). Whereas Sai is God and I thought of Mataji Krishnabai as God also, Shivabala Yogi seemed like a friend only. Well Sai says, “Yogis are your friends”! :-) Ram Sarat Kumar (from Tiruvannamalai) I thought of as a highly advanced being. My number of saints the Lord has let me visit in India has now risen to three - Mataji in Anandashram, Ram Sarat Kumar and now Shivabala Yogi.

Anyway, he stays an hour to 90 minutes, then arathi (bhajan only stop when he gives the signal), and after padnamaskar again, he goes in and all leave (we receive a sweet as prasad on the way out – the night he arrived, he served everyone dinner!). One good thing about Shivabala is he wears a different color robes all the time - I saw him in white cotton, and colors in silk: dark blue with designs, golden, cream, and dark Swami orange. Anyway, it was a nice experience to have Darshan, to see a saint. And one who practiced bonafide austerities in this Kali Yuga!

The last night (30 Sept) I said I was going to Puttaparthi to stay. He bobbed his head in the Indian “Yes, yes” style. Madhuri was my translator and said, “But there are troubles there (meaning my Public Relations saga of ‘don’t come till late Oct’), he nodded again & again and said, “Teek hai” (“It’s OK, it’ll be alright.”) I was very happy to get this answer! I had been feeling strongly, intuitively that I should say I was going to Parthi, not to ask for blessings or anything, just to say I'm going. Very nice that my “friend” approved!

Well then, I was going to spend the 30th in Whitefield then leave for Parthi on 1st morning, but Madhuri suggested I see Shivabala on 30th night, spend the night in the city (with Madhuri) then go to Parthi as planned. It seemed like a better plan cuz I wouldn’t have the hassle of taking an early Whitefield to Bangalore bus, plus I’d get Darshan again of Shivabala. Soo, did that.