SIX MYSTICS OF INDIA

Description

In this book are the stories of six extraordinary persons – Raghavendra Swami of Mantralaya, Saibaba of Shirdi, Seshadri Swami of Thiruvannamalai, Bala Yogi of Mummidivaram, Jillellamudi Amma and Poondi Swamiyar. The first was a yogi who attained Jeeva Samadhi, the second a rare mystic, the third a Brahma Jnani, the fourth was immersed in life-long tapasya, the fifth embodied universal love as tapas and the sixth was an enigmatic Siddha.

     Bharanidharan narrates their life stories, describes their ashrams, and talks of the miracles they performed, providing a wealth of hitherto unknown detail.What he tells is extraordinary absorbing and profoundly moving, as he brings out the great compassion of these mystics.

    Yet these are no conventional biographies. Bharanidharan goes to the very roots of these mystics, in a physical sense — travelling to the places where they were born, lived and attained self-realisation, visiting the spots associated with them, and meeting and talking to people who knew them. He searches for the sources of their respective uniqueness and details graphically the environment , the circumstances, and the manner in which they became transformed into persons revered by tens of thousands. Drawing attention to every detail connected with their lives and often pinpointing the moment of their transformation, he maps out vividly the road each took on his or her spiritual journey.

  Six Mystics of India is a travelogue of the spirit. It is also a travelogue which takes you on a vicarious pilgrimage to the places sanctified by these six mystics; in a sense, to the holy India which remains still hidden to most of us.

  Don’t be surprised if, after reading the book, you set out on this pilgrimage yourself. When you do, Bharanidharan’s book will be  a useful guide and companion.