My visit to Shravana Belegola
I was longing for it quite some time. It is the world's highest monolithic statue of a naked saint of Digambar sect of Jainism. This is a pure spiritual nudity where it symbolizes renunciation. Surprisingly, one can find some creeper climbing up along with his limbs.....he is part of nature. I sat silently in front of this nude saint for 2 hours.
There was a nude priest, doing Puja to this deity. He is a Digambar saint. The meaning of the word Digambar means - Cloud clad.
I reached on the hilltop on 12.12.12. It's very significant that I had the Darshan of Gomateswar on this date.
I was overwhelmed by the magnificent statue of a naked man - who renounced everything. I was sitting near the feet and was meditating. There was a huge crowd ...floating like bees.......filling the atmosphere with cacophony. There were two priests who were observing me (which I understood later). At 6.30 pm they close the temple. So I had to get up. When I came out I saw the Digambar monk was also walking. He looked at me and asked - where are you from?
Generally he does not talk to people. But I was fortunate in that way. Our conversation went on. I felt he was trying to assess my intention. I was very open and straight into talking. He asked whether I have come as tourists and this is en route.
I told him that I had the desire to visit this place for quite long and I have come here and here only. And returning back from here. I informed that I would come next day early morning.
He showed me some spots of the premises and said - Come tomorrow morning and have a seat at those places for meditation. There is a special power that gets transferred from these spots.
There were just two of us....climbing down from the hillock.
The naked and clothed man.
The enlightened and entangled.
I conveyed my pranam to him and said that I would like to climb down slowly....can't keep up with his pace.
He smiled and said - fine, you relax and come...see you tomorrow.
I sat down on a rock. It was almost dark.
I saw the nude silhouette slowly merged into the darkness. For a very brief period of time, we walked together in this universe.
Next morning, I reached at the foothill quite early. The temple door was not open then. i was waiting..reading a book - Conversation between a God and Man (Gita simplified). The door will open at 6.30 am.
I was all alone there and planning to do a nude meditation in front of Digambar Gomateswar. Suddenly at 6.27 am, two buses arrived with at least 100 students from a local school. It was there excursion tour.
OH MY GOD!!!
The pin drop silence was broken into pieces as 100 children started running, competing with one another, pulling and pushing, yelling at the top of their voice, the teachers started shouting even louder - "silence" "silence" !!
Some ones water bottle fell, another kicked it, the bottle flew and hit another kid who was eating pop corn...and his pop corn pack fell down....another kid found it funny and started laughing. This boy was upset and the laughter added fuel to fire, he gave a solid punch. The teacher rushed and slapped another kid who did nothing except standing over there and grinning.
Just imagine, everything happened in 3 minutes time...at 6.30 am, when I was planning for a nude meditation under the morning Sun...facing the nude staute.
Sharp at 6.30 am the door opened. All the 100 children ran inside the temple. And giggling started.
In my mind I told Gomateswar, i wanted to sit nude in front of you but if that is not what you want...then let happen what you want.
I started enjoying the fun and happiness that was there with the children.
After half an hour, these chattering children left and it was like a sudden drop of a curtain of silence. I took a deep breath. But little I knew this place. Within a second I heard a humming sound as if thousands of wasps swirling in. Now, a group of almost 50 men and 10 boys and 10 girls - all clad in black. There are on their way to Ayappa swami temple at Keral. And on their journey these people, clad in a black dress, visit all temples.
They were humming "smaranam smaranam Ayeppa", a mantra to be chanted continuously.
I just laughed at myself.
How can I strip to do a nude meditation in this market place?
Then a flash of insight occurred to me.
A realisation came to me........my nudity, though I claimed it to be a spiritual one till date...is far from that. I still become shaky...if there is a woman....children......non nudists.....if they object.......what if they bash me.......what if they snatch my belongings.....my mobile........my debit card.........my......this.....my ......that.........my....my.....my......my.......
But the digambar sadhu I met last night was completely unaware of anything......or aware of everything.
He is equal minded....when alone...when amidst 1000s of people....in winter....in summer........in presence of men......women...children.
The difference is he is not nude.....he is SKY CLAD.
I looked up and prayed silently to Gomateswar......All I want to be face to face with you, like you. Without cloths. If you wish that..let that happen........if you think the time is not ripe......I will wait.
He listened to my prayer and time was ripe.
I saw a person who was a guard cum helper of the priest of the place. I told him that I want to meditate in peace and requested him to open a gate that was locked..it leads to the roof. He was hesitant and was not agreeing. So he went to take permission from another gentleman. He said point blank "No".
I said - last evening I had a talk with babaji and he instructed me to take seat and read scripture in silence (which was true).
The man looked at me with suspicion. - "which babaji you are talking about?"
"The Digambar maharaj ji, He was tali=king to me last night"
The guard nodded to this gentleman. They saw the babaji talking to me, which is very rare.
The man thought for sometime and then gave his approval.
I was taken to the roof. I told the guard - "you can go to do your work, keep the door locked, come after one hour."
He left, leaving me behind.
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