The Beggar Who Always gives! Bhagavan Yogi Ram Surat Kumar

Faith Mysticism

oi-Staff

By Super

Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 14:06

He called himself as beggar and just owned only a coconut bowl (some big size kottangachi) and a palm fan (Visiri) as the symbol of simplicity. But He was the giver of energy and priceless peace to his loyal devotees. Though He had attained his Maha Samadhi, the devotees still feel His presence in the day today happenings of their life. The name of the great sage of this era was Yogi Ram Surath Kumar.

Popularly called as Visiri Swamiyar, Sri Yogi Ram Surath Kumar was born on December 1, 1918, along the banks of the Ganges in a village adjacent to Kasi, near Varanasi (Benares), Northern India.

Very early in his childhood He showed signs of a spiritual thirst, being equally drawn to the Saints and Sadhus who lived along the banks of the Ganges.

When He was 12 years old he had an initial spiritual awakening. When drawing water from a well one night he saw a sparrow on the stone coping of the wall of the well. In a child-like impulse He threw the rope towards it, striking the bird causing it to fall to the ground.

Stricken with uncontrollable sorrow and drenched in tears, He took the bird in his hands and attempted to make it drink some water as an effort to revive it, but the bird was dead. The bird's death raised a number of questions in his mind. He regretted his act and resented the fact that He had acted impetuously, and if had not, the incident could have been averted. The suffering that He experienced filled his heart with compassion towards all creatures.

When He was 16 years old, moved by an immense impulse to search for God, He left his home carrying nothing with him and began his journey in search of a Guru. In 1947, at the age of 29, He found him at the ashram of Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry.

A disciple there suggested him to visit Sri Ramana Maharishi at Thiruvannamalai. He stayed there for three days and was filled with an even greater spiritual energy. There He obtained a newspaper clipping that led him to Swami Ramdas at Kanhangad in Kerala. He then returned to Varanasi. The following year, in 1948, he returned to Sri Aurobindo ashram.

Yogi Ramsurath Kumar then went to Ramanashram and stayed there for two months, in the proximity of Sri Ramana Maharishi. He felt the need of a Guru and returned to Swami Ramdas, then returned once again to the Himalayas.

In 1952, moved by a powerful inner force, He returned to Swami Ramdas, and discovered his spiritual light.

Yogiji came to Thiruvannamalai in 1959 and for nearly 18 Years He spent his days usually with a group of followers under a Punnai tree in a farmer's field by the railway station, near the Arunachaleswara Temple (the big temple at Thiruvannamalai), or on the parapet wall near the 'Ther' (temple car or chariot) place.

In 1977 a devotee of Bhagwan arranged a house on Sannadhi Street near the temple. Devotees started visiting him in this house, spending hours discussing their spiritual and personal problems and Bhagwan solved their problems seemingly with ease. During the same period various devotees began writing books and articles about Bhagwan's life and the experiences they had under His auspices. They also created songs in praise of Bhagwan in books and on recorded tapes, and in doing so, his fame began to spread.

In 1993 devotees sought the blessings from Bhagwan for an Ashram and got the permission. The ashram was eventually constructed not far from the southeast Lingam on the circumambulation route in a place that was at one time called Agrahara Kollai close to theSri Seshadri Swamigal and the Ramana Ashram on Chengam Road, Thiruvannamalai.

On February 20, 2001 at 3:19AM in the Ashram at Thiruvannamalai, Bhagwan Sri Yogi Ramsuratkumar attained Mukthi with Maha Samadhi being celebrated the next day, February 21st, at 3 P.M.