Swami Mangalananda

More of the story of Swami Mangalananda is told in Lord Meher, Bhau Kalchuri's encyclopedic biography of Meher Baba. See page 5280 of that work, where he is named "Swami Mungalananda Paramhans Dhuniwale".

Now here is more of the story, told to me (Keith) by Amiya on the last visit I made to Jabalpur. Managalananda always seemed a little stereotypical to Amiya, as the sort of sadhu who preys on the good hearts of the Indian villager, to obtain food and shelter, for perhaps no work and only the promise of spiritual advancement.

But, Amiya's heart is such that even someone about whom he harbors such reservations is equally to be told the news about the Avatar's advent, and even encouraged to attend the Avatar's darshan or sahavas, when the Avatar offers it. Furthermore, Swamiji was receptive to the idea of Baba's Divinity, so Amiya didn't feel wrong about suggesting that Swamiji accompany him to the 1958 sahavas at Meherabad (Hindi section). But, before they went, Amiya extracted what he thought was a promise from Swamiji to obey the rules of the ashram.

They traveled together, arriving on the day before Baba was to set foot in Meherabad to start the Sahavas. They found volunteers and quite an organization set to serve their needs, and Amiya felt wonderful anticipation. They were assigned cots in a large pandal that contained all the male sahavasees, and Swamiji's cot was 10 spaces away from Amiya's on the opposite side of the central aisle running the length of the pandal. They were told that it was Baba's order that they should sleep until the light in the tent turned white. This was a clever alarm clock, because running down the ceiling of the tent were colored light bulbs. When daylight overcame the light of those bulbs, it was time to rise, and not before then. The volunteers added that Baba wanted them to not be falling asleep during the day's proceedings.

So you can imagine Amiya's predicament when, quite early in the morning, Swamiji began chanting, in a huge voice, Sanskrit mantras from his bed. Amiya knew this was a problem -- a violation of Baba's orders, and he was hoping that the problem would go away without Amiya having to identify himself as the person who had brought this disobedient Swami to the sahavas.

No such luck. Swamijee kept on, and the volunteers, led by Dhakephalkar, came immediately to his bedside to request Managalanand to cease this chanting and allow everyone to sleep.

"What, cease chanting the name of my beloved God?" demanded Swamiji, to Amiya's horror

In measured tones, Dhake explained to Swamiji that they were all under Baba's order to get good sleep, and it would not be possible with his chanting.

Swami now "went ballistic". "Not chant the name of God?"

Still trying to remain under control of his feelings, Dhake said, "Chant as loud as you like, please dear sir, but chant it inwardly."

Nothing doing. The Swami retorted, "Do you know whom you are addressing? I am the Tiger!"

"Well," responded Dhake, "In that case I am the hunter!" People to whom Amiya told this story who knew Dhake were most amused, because they knew Dhake's wonderful sense of humor and clever nature.

By this time, Amiya knew that he could no longer hide from the situation. Amiya got out of bed, hurried to Swamiji's bedside and reminded the Swami that he had agreed to abide by the rules of the ashram. In response to this, the Swami stormed out of the tent, and Amiya went back to bed, though it seemed to him that nobody in the pandal, including especially himself, got any more sleep that night.

But, eventually morning came. Amiya and his other friends got a wash, got breakfast, and Amiya saw no more of the Swami. Actually, he was quite relieved that the Swami disappeared. But he was not so relieved when he heard his name being called out by Eruch over the microphone to come to the dais on which Baba, Eruch and a young holy man, Balak Meher, were seated.

Baba said, "Where is Swami Mangalananda?"

Amiya said he didn't know, whereupon Balak Meher piped up, "Baba I see him behind that tree a quarter of a mile down the Meherabad-Ahmednagar road." At this, Baba got quite annoyed with Balak Meher (see the reference for the whole story) and Baba then told Amiya to go and fetch the Swami.

Sure enough, Amiya did find the swami where Balak Meher said he would, and noted that the swami was still fuming. "Swamiji," Amiya said, "Baba is calling for you." As if those were the magic words, the swami calmed down immediately and became all smiles. They rushed to the meeting tent and Baba.

Baba spoke to the swami and arranged for a chair to be brought for the swami. However, Amiya noted that the chair was placed at the back of the meeting, in back of all the other sahavasees. Either Mangalananda didn't note the position of the chair as a rebuke, or he didn't choose to note it, but in any case the upshot was the swami sat there throughout the program in all smiles. And, Amiya rued the day when he had thought of inviting Swamiji to the sahavas.

But the story is far from over. At lunchtime, Amiya hears the swami and himself paged to come to the house (now occupied by Ted and Janet Judson) to which He has repaired at the noontime to take His lunch. Amiya enters the house to find Swamiji before Baba. Baba says, "What do you want?"

Amiya is enormously gratified that Swamiji appears to be giving the right answer, Swamiji says, in Hindi, "I want you..." Amiya thinks, "Oh very good." Then his feelings are dashed when Swamiji continues, in English, "to become."

To Amiya's utter shock, Baba says, "All right, I will give you God Realization," Amiya thinks unprintable things about the character of "The Tiger" and wonders how this could be. Baba then gives Swamiji orders: "But you have to follow my orders. First, you must immediately go back to Mandla. Second, you must keep silence for 6 months, from the time you arrive back in Mandla. Third, you must fast for 40 days. Don't worry, I will not allow you to drop the body from so much fasting, but you must do it, and then I will give you God Realization. Is it clear?"

Mangalananda immediately accepts, and the volunteers are so on top of things, that a car is immediately waiting to take Mangalananda to the Ahmednagar railway station. As his last act of stewardship for Mangalananda, Amiya hectors the volunteers to give Mangalananda some food to take with him on his journey, and it is rushed to Mangalananda, who is whisked away, leaving Amiya to ponder the capricious nature of God.

Amiya tells me this story, but he is also familiar with the upshot of the story, so he departs from his first person recounting to complete the story of Mangalananda. It seems that Mangalananda fulfills the first order, in that he immediately takes the train to Mandla, and immediately adopts silence. Returning to Mandla, he is greeted by his disciples, and for three days he fasts, and keeps to all the orders. At the end of the third day, one of his disciples lights up a bong of hashish (use of drugs is common among these "spiritual seekers") and passes it to Mangalananda. Without a moment's thought, Mangalanda takes a pull, realizes that this is a violation of the order to fast, and says "Oh Baba!" thus breaking the third order.

How to recover from this problem? Mangalananda sends an immediate telegram to Baba to announce his little slip. The telegram that comes back from Baba says, "Don't worry. I will give you God-realization, but in My own time."

Amiya feels that this is a lesson for him, too. Amiya says, "Baba is most mischievous. Look at this -- He gives God Realization and then takes it away. He causes me to examine my misconceptions and then gives me the lesson that you have to be ready before it comes to you. And He amuses Himself above all, while playing with His creation." And, there is probably still more to it that I don't even begin to understand."

And that is the long story about Swami Managalananda.