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Renunciation

Radhanath Swami’s Heart — Renounced, Yet Soft.

26 June 2006. My mother and I awaited Radhanath Swami’s arrival at Bhubaneshwar airport. He was flying from Mumbai and was headed to Jagannath Puri, a two hour ride from Bhubaneshwar. Bittersweet emotions churned in me. Soon I would be basking in the association of my guru Radhanath Swami on the car ride to Puri. But then, I would be missing my mother. The yearly visit to my home in Bubaneshwar was sadly ending. I stayed in a monastery at Mumbai emulating the life of Vedic monks, a life centered on studying and teaching the scriptures under the supervision of a guru. After the pilgrimage at Jagannath Puri  I was returning back there; my duties at Mumbai called me.

An hour later, while Radhanath Swami sat in the car, I loaded my luggage into the car’s rear. When I approached the door, I found my mother standing there. She spoke to Radhanath Swami through the open window. Emotion cracked her voice as she expressed a mother’s feelings. Radhanath Swami asked me to translate her Oriya into English. “She is saying that I am now under your care,” I told him. Through gestures he assured her that her son would be taken care of nicely.

As we cruised along the highway, Radhanath Swami turned to me, “Why was she crying? Where they tears of joy, or where they tears of separation?” He still mulled over my mother’s sentiments.

“That was a confluence of both kinds,” I replied. My mother felt proud that I had dedicated my life for the welfare of society. Yet, her heart always wanted me on her side.

Silent moments passed. “That I now belong to you was what she actually intended to convey,” I now rendered the corrected translation. Swayed by emotions, I hadn’t translated accurately earlier. Instantly, Radhanath Swami replied, “No. It’s not that now you belong to me. You now belong to God.”

I had surfaced his renunciation from the depths of his heart. Though having a following of hundreds of monks and thousands of householders, he never thought they belonged to him. He felt himself only a caretaker, assisting them in their service to God and humanity.

That renunciation however, didn’t harden his heart. It was still soft and sensitive to the feelings of a mother.

–Smitharanjan Pattnaik.

In 2005, my mother wrote to Radhanath Swami complaining that I wasn’t communicating with my family after joining the monastery. Following this, Radhanath Swami instructed me to regularly call up my home, and I duly followed that instruction.

In 2010, my mother visited me. As we conversed in a garden adjoining the monastery, Radhanath Swami happened to come there. Walking to where we sat, he first asked me, “Are you calling home regularly?” Tears welled in my mother’s eyes. Even after five years, Radhanath Swami remembered the concern of a mother.

–Siddeshwar Bhat

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94 replies on “Radhanath Swami’s Heart — Renounced, Yet Soft.”

Thank you for sharing these wonderful pastimes of Radhanath Swami. Radhanath Swami is so personal and caring and yet at the same time very detached and absorbed in devotional service.

Thanks for sharing your experience. The incident was heart melting. Maharaj’s heart is soft like butter. I once heard a lecture of his on Mother’s love, it was very inspiring.

these feelings are so pleasing to ones heart and soul.Radhanath Maharaj has a unique of taking care of every one he comes in contact with.Haribil!!!

Radhanath swami is an expert in engaging everyone in krishna’s service yet he is sensitive to their emotional needs.Thank you for sharing these realizations

It is truly amazing that how sensitive a person, Radhanath Swami can be. Radhanath Swami on one hand is a renunciate and in the same breath he is able to emapthise with the feelings of a mother. In fact this teaching of his pervades strongly amongst all the renunciate monks that train by his guidance.

A moher is always concerned about welfare of her child.
Radhanath Swami is the embodiment of the compassion of the Supreme mother Srimati Radharani.
A true devotee, whose heart is the most tender and sensative for feelings of all.

I feel that this incident shows the ideal way a renunicate should be. Radhanath Swami considers everyone as God’s property and not his. Isn’t this a perfect synthesis of detachment(from possesiveness) and attachment(intense affection that engages everyone in God’s service)! Sublime!!

a true leader is always concerned about the welfare of his followers.
Radhanath Swami is an example of this.

After our graduation in engineering, at the time of parting one of my friends wrote in my autograph book in Marathi,”Lokhand ho,Ayee ho”- meaning,’Be hard like iron at the same time be soft like a mother’.I did not know how this is possible. Radhanath Swami is showing by his own example how this is possible.Radhanath Swami is very srict in his vows of renunciation and spirituality at the same time he is soft towards his students’ emotional needs and concerns.

Thank you for sharing these wonderful pastimes of Radhanath Swami. Radhanath Swami is so personal and caring and yet at the same time very detached.All glories to Radhanath Maharaj

All Glories to H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj

What an amazing experience. Prabhuji Thank you for sharing this experience.

Hare Krishna

So touching pastime with Radhanath Swami. This is really very rare to see a divine personality like Radhanath Swami to be so caring for everyone of us.

Mostly everybody is either on the side of renunciation or attachment, but Radhanath Swami
Maharaj here shows by example how both are beautifully combined in the service of God.

Maharaj shows by personal example that this path of Bhakti yoga or devotional service is about respecting the feeling and emotions and observing them in relation to the Lord. Thank you prabhu for sharingg

True , Radhanath is a pure Devotee of the Lord, who sess everyone with equal vision.
He is an symbol of humble personification

Thank you very much for sharing wonderful experinace. It’s really heart touching, after reading your experience tears rolled over on my checks.

Maharaj is very keen about each and every disciple welfare like Mother takes care her kid.

A story of His Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaj that has wonderfully spoke about his motherly nature.

Very Touching – All glories to HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. Thanks a lot Prabhuji for sharing the nectar.

Thanks for relating this heart touching incident. Radhanath Swami once mentioned that we should never compromise our principles of renunciation yet follow them with a spirit of compassion.

Awesome ! Maharaj’s feelings for everyone is something drives his memory… Thanks for sharing