Sri Venkatesa Battachar Swamigal
Life Sketch of Mantra Murthi Dasan Sri Venkatesa Battachar Swamigal
Our Bharat is a Punya Bhoomi. There are many countries engaged in the development of science. But our country is the only one that has developed the Spiritual Science, which encompasses all other sciences. Countless are the great ones borne by our Mother Bharat.
Innumerable are the ones born in the South, in particular. Among such luminaries is the revered ‘Mantra Murthi Dasan’ Poojya Sri Venkatesa Battachar, a veritable spring of Divine Grace. A small village called Sitthamalli (near the famous Sirgazhi which gave us Saint Thirugnanasambandar) has the honour of giving to this world Thavathiru Sri Venkatesa Battachar, an illustrious exponent of Mantra Sastra, a noble soul who has spent his life for the benefit of others and welfare of humanity.
Many are those who saught the blessings of this Swamiji and many have been the recipients of his grace and blessings. The Swamiji was born in 1927, in the small village of Sitthamalli, to the devout Vaisnavite couple, Sri Srinivasa Battachariar and Srimathy Alamelu Ammal. In the lineage of Sri vaikaanasa, known for their service to humanity after the ideal of “Service to Man is Service to GOD”.
Even before the age of 7, Swamiji learnt how to perform pooja in temples from his maternal grand father. He became a trained archaka at a tender age. At the age of seven, he was duly invested with the sacred thread. He was then sent to the Vedha Patasala at Thiruvasainallur. He remained there for two years and acquired a good grasp of the essence of the vedas. From his tenth year onwards he lived with his grand father, performing temple worships in several villages. He learnt the Scriptures from Mahavidwan “Vyakarana Siromani” Sri Ubhaya Vedanta Srinivasa Battachariar.
In 1943, at the age of sixteen, in deference to his parents’ wishes, he married Sowbhagyavathi Rukmini, daughter of Sri Seshadrinatha Battachariar. At the time of marriage, Swamiji came into contact with Poojyasri Rangaswami Battachariar of Anathandavapuram, near Mayavaram. Swamiji was fortunate enough in becoming the chief deciple of Poojyasri Rangaswami Battachariar at the age of twenty-one.
Poojyasri Rangaswami Battachariar’s mastery over Mantra Shastra can be understood from what is narrated there under. Sri Rangaswami was doing temple duty in Anathandavapuram. One of those days he came across a sage Sri Ramanandanatha who was seeking food and shelter. Sri Rangaswami took care of this sage for a number of days. One day the sage declared that he is going to confer all his spiritual knowledge of Mantra. Yantra and Tantra shastras and all his spiritual powers accumulated by stringent penance and mantra-japa on Sri Rangaswami.
Though Sri Rangaswami was not prepared for this, the sage, who was a Siddaha Purusha conferred all his knowledge and powers on Sri Rangaswami and disappeared. Sri Rangaswami started to chant the various Mantras handed over to him and immediately he was able to perceive the presence of the Mantra Devata. When Sri Rangaswami chanted aloud the Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami Mantra, a 10 years old ignorant Brahmin boy playing in front of him started to speak in chaste Sanskrit.
Sri Rangaswami who has not studied much, did not understand. He immediately sought the help of learned people who came to the conclusion that it was Lord Hanuman who spoke through the boy. One day, when some villagers were making fun of Sri Rangaswami, Lord Hanuman came on a boy and went on to assault those persons. Sri Rangaswami demonstrated his prowess before His Holiness, the Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. The Paramacharya, after conversing with the boy on whom Lord Hanuman was made to descend, requested the God to be present only when invoked through the Mantra and not otherwise.
The Paramacharya organised a Sadas of learned Pundits where the spiritual powers of Sri Rangaswami could be demonstrated. At the Sadhas. Sri Rangaswami, through the power of his Mantra, invoked the presence of God in an ignorant 10 years old boy.
The learned pundits at the Sadhas asked him questions at random, relating to Vedas, Puranas, Ithihasas, Mantras, Tantras, Shastras,Agamas etc., The 10 years old boy replied all questions effortlessly and perfectly with supporting lines from the original works in Sanskrit. Because of the Divinity made to descend upon the boy, he was able to reply all the questions so well.
Seeing this stupendous feat and mastery over Mantra Shastra of Sri Rangaswami the Paramacharya conferred on him the title of “Mantramurthi” on the spot. It was this illustrious Sri Rangaswami Battachariar whom our Sri Venkatesa Battachariar was fortunate enough to attain as his Guru at the age of twenty-one.Sri Venkatesa Battachariar was living in Aduthurai with his wife and two children.
In those days, in addition to attending to temple duties and domestic works, he used to visit and serve his Guruji regularly at Anathandavapuram. After two years, on account of transfer of temple duties and other situation, he had to leave Aduthurai and go to Kallur, a small village about 10 kilometers from Kumbakonam. At that time Swamiji was 25 years old, and the year was 1952. He would attend to the temple duties at Kallur and also at some neighbouring places like Tennalur, Kadichampatti etc.,
Despite being so occupied, he also regularly did Sadhana – practice of the Mantras initiated by his Guru. Occasionally he would also participate in the various Homas performed by his Guru. Besides, in accordance with Guru’s behest, he rendered free service to the people by curing them of poisonous insect bites. In this way, he spent about 15 years with his spiritual mentor, getting well trained in the performance of Homas for various deities-Ganapathy, Navagraha, Lakshmi Sudarsanam and Panchamukha Hanuman. As a result, he grew in his spiritual stature, with ability to use Mantras with efficacy.
In 1965, at the age thirty-eight, his Guru bestowed upon him his blessings and gave the approval to make use of his Mantric powers at his own discretion for the well being of others. By now Swamiji’s family had grown, being blessed with 4 sons and three daughters. Right from the day his Guru granted him permission, he has been redressing the sufferings of those who approached him by instructing them on the right course of action to be taken. Many are the families that have prospered through his blessings.
In the year 1977 he left Kallur to settle in Kumbakonam. Here also he carried on with temple duty and serving the afflicted. Welfare of the people continued to be his focal mission for several decades. In 1985 he came to Chennai. He continued to be much sought after by devotees in Chennai as well as from Kumbakonam for invoking the Divine Grace so as to enable them to perform poojas effectively. Swamiji is a highly blessed soul. He has helped many families out of their afflictions caused by the spell of wicked or sinful influences and made them proper.
“Nadi Josiyam” (naadi jyotish or naadi astrology) is very popular in the South. That is, fortune telling with reference to ancient scrolls. Several of those engaged in this profession in Chennai, Bangalore etc., have sent their clients to Swamiji in accordance with the dictates of the scrolls, to seek ways of expiation(Parihaaram). Swamiji uses his Mantra shastra only for the welfare of the people. The Divine Grace attained by stringent penance-Deiva Balam-helps Swamiji to pinpoint, the cause of misery of any individual and proper and effective remedy for the same.
The power of his Guru Parampara makes the remedy prescribed even more effective ensuring the eradication of the misery completely. Elaborate Mantra Siddhi of his upasana deveta ( Savikalpa Siddhi ) empowers him to trace the poorva janma of a particular individual.Knowing the poorva janma (previous birth ) of any individual is highly essential for advocating the right solution ( parihara ) for problem of any kind.
Swamiji has attained the siddhi powers of his upasana deveta – Sri Panchamukha Hanuman and this helps him to trace the poorva janma of anyone and also in suggesting the right solution, after only knowing the date of birth of any individual. This type of guidance is highly distinct from general preaching. Among the important initiations Swamiji got from his Guru, one is on Lord Panchamukha Hanuman. He was initiated into the Mantra at the age of forty.
Considering his advancing age, Swamiji wanted to confer the Panchamukha Anjaneya Moola Mantras to a eligible person so that these powerful Mantras are available to the posterity. The eligibility for acquiring these Mantras is the person concerned must be a Bramhachari or vanaprastha or sanyasi .
Since his own sons were in Grahastashrama he could not pass it on to them. Swamiji did not want the great Mantras to vanish with him. Not knowing what to do, He surrendered to the divine seeking guidance. He did receive the Divine guidance through a small girl appearing in his dream. The Goddess wanted him to submit the Mantras for logashemam(human welfare) by transferring all his spiritual powers to a Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami Yantra and install a Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami murti over it.
The Moola Mantras of Sri Panchamukha Hanuman are available on the walls facing each Mukha and anybody without any discrimination on the lines of caste,creed,religion,gender or status can chant specified number of times for specific period. The specific Moola Mantra relevant to the remedy the devotee is seeking and the remedy will be readily available to such devotee.
Thus the Moola Mantras of Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami are available for the welfare of the world community. “Logashemam(welfare of the entire humanity) is the sole goal for Swamiji and he continued to direct his efforts towards this goal till his last. It was his life mission.
The project of establishing “SRI VISWAROOPA PANCHAMUKHA ANJANEYA SWAMI ASHRAM”at Tiruvallur is yet another manifestation of the aim and ambition of Swamiji,namely,Logashemam. This project was the lifetime ambition of Swamiji and to implement this, a Charitable Trust SRI VISWAROOPA PANCHAMUKHA ANJANEYA SWAMI FOUNDATION was formed with eminent people in 1993. The project costed Rs.4 to 5 crores.
Swamiji attained the lotus feet of God on 31-March-2003. Guru Aradhana was performed in his honour on 13-April-2003 in which a large number of devotees participated. The Kumbhabhishekam of the Viswaroopa Panchamukha Hanuman temple was completed on 6-Jun-2004.
