Sometime ago when I visited Rishikesh, I gave Darshan to Swami Purushottamananda living in Vashistha cave located on the way on the way to Badrinath in the Himalayas. He was doing Tapas, living alone in the cave. He used to keep a small oil lamp in that cave. The cave was located a little in that cave. The cave was located a little interior from the road point. He used to purchase milk and make some tea with it. That was his only food. Rest of the time, he was always immersed in Tapas. Days rolled by. After sometime, he did not have enough strength to come to the road point for purchasing and again getting back to his cave. Hence, he made his trips less frequent, that is, once in a week, to obtain milk. One day, he came to know that Bhagavan Baba was staying in the Shivananda Ashram for a few days. He was longing to have Swami’s darshan. He, therefore, sent a letter through a messenger praying ‘Bhagavan! Please come to our cave and grant Dharhan to me.’ I was aware of his intense devotion towards Swami. I saw his letter and I immediately rushed to Vashistha cave to give him Darshan. The entrance to the cave was closed with a door. Purushottamananda had no energy left in him to get up and open the door. Kasturi accompanied Me during My trip. He was quite strong then. Both Kasturi and Myself tried to open the door. At last we could succeed the door. Purushottamananda was extremely happy on seeing both of us. He wanted to spend a few minutes alone in the Divine Presence of Swami. He, therefore, advised Kasturi to go inside the cave and have a look at it. Kasturi, with journalistic inquisitiveness went in. Purushottamananda fixed his gaze on Me and was lost in bliss. After a few moments, he regained his normal self. I told Purushottamananda that I would visit his cave once again. The next day I visited Purushottamananda and spent some time with him again. After My return to Shivananda was a bit disappointed that I visit Purushottamananda’s cave twice and did not find much time to spend in the Shivananda Ashram.
On my second visit to Vashistha cave, I took a piece of paper from Kasturi and wrote a particular for My next visit to Purushottamananda’s ashram. On the scheduled date, Purushottamananda took a holy bath in Ganges and was eagerly waiting for My Darshan. Deeply lost in contemplation on My Divine Form, he had Divine Vision after sometime. A few minutes later, he left his mortal coil in that deep Samadhi state itself. The news was conveyed to Me while I was in Delhi. I was informed by a telegram that Purushottamananda merged in Swami. I confirmed the saying, ‘yes, yes.’ Strangely, his birthday and the day on which he attained Samadhi were one and the same. Later on, when the door of the Vashistha cave was opened, the entire cave was smeared with Vibhuti! The body of Purushottamananda was later let into the river Ganges by the disciples of Shivananda. From then on, the name and fame of Purushottamananda spread far and wide. The disciples of Purushottamananda thereafter visited Prasanthi Nilayam to have My Darshan. They stayed in the ashram for full ten days, I provided them good accommodation and all conveniences. They enjoyed Swami’s darshan, Sparshan and Sambhasana in full measure and finally left for their place, carrying with them the love and blessing of Swami. Purushottamananda was a noble soul. He was really a Purushottamananda (the best among men). This is the story of Purushottamananda.
Every one was happy to read in newspapers that Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had visited on two days the ashram of Swami Purushottamananda. Your happiness is My happiness. The Vashistha cave is still as it was when Purushottamananda lived there. It is perfectly clean and holy, permeating divine atmosphere in the entire ashram. The disciples of Purushottamananda told Me. ‘Swami! The entire atmosphere in the ashram is permeated by divine vibrations. We feel as though Swami Purushottamananda is still with us’. I told them: ‘Fine! You continue to feel his presence there and enjoy bliss’. During My last visit to Delhi, I arranged for conducting Bhajan on Purushottamananda’s birthday, keeping a photo of Purushottamananda there. Thus, several sages and seers display intense love and devotion towards Me and pine for My Divine Darshan. (DD on 11.10.2005. p 6-8)
Swami Purushottamananda Is Granted A Divine Vision By Sathya Sai Baba
On the way back Sathya Sai Baba stopped the bus at a place, where a thin little iron rod carried a half-distinct nameplate, ‘Vasishta Guha.’ He proceeded to descend the rather precipitous incline to the river bank, as if He had been there often before and as if He had become aware of an engagement with the occupant of the cave.
The Ganga takes a wide curve near the cave; nearby a small rivulet pours her offerings into the Ganges, and so the scenery is doubly attractive. The Vasishta Guha bears a hallowed name; it has been sanctified by the austerities performed therein by many great recluses and monks in the past.
Swami Purushottamananda, a disciple of Swami Brahmananda of the Ramakrishna order, initiated into Sanyas by Mahapurushji, another direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, had been living in the cave since 30 years and welcomed Baba as if he too was expecting Him!
More than seventy years old, he had spent the major part of his life in asceticism of a most rigorous kind and in the study of scriptures. His face has the genuine glow of spiritual joy and the slightest mention of the glory of Godhead would send him into Samadhi (spiritual ecstasy). When he was still a young man, Swami Brahmananda had read his palm at Kanyakumari and predicted that he would enter a cave and go on meditating and meditating!
Baba reminded him of the travails he endured when he first came into the cave, leopards and cobras and the three-day trek to Rishikesh and the desperate struggle for salt and matchboxes! He spoke of the succour that came to him through sheer Divine intervention!
Baba repeated the visit the next evening in spite of a rumbling sky and the grumbling of some persons who accompanied Him. But, the rumbling ceased and the grumblers were humbled; by Baba’s Grace, the sky became clear and the rain held back.
Baba himself sang a number of songs that day in the Vasishta Guha and when one of the Swamis attending on Swami Purushottamananda requested Him to sing a song of Tyagaraja, He very graciously asked him which of Thyagaraja’s Krithis (compositions) he most liked to hear. Swami Kalikananda said that he was longing to hear “Sri Raghuvara Sugunalaya”!
Baba sang it, just to make him happy. No one had heard Him sing that song before and so it was an unexpected piece of good luck for which we thanked Swami Kalikananda. Hearing that Swami Kalikananda was suffering from chronic stomachache since many years, He took some ‘candy’ from nowhere and gave it to him, with instruction about diet etc. He also gave Purushottamananda, a Japamala of shining Sphatika beads, which ‘manifested’ itself in His Hand.
But, more mysterious and significant was the Vision that He vouchsafed to Swami Purushottamananda that evening. After sending every one outside the Cave, Baba and the Sage went into the inner room.
Sri Subbaramiah, President of the Divine Life Society, Venkatagiri, describes what he was able to see from outside the cave, thus:
“Even now that picture is imprinted in my memory. I was standing near the entrance of the cave. I could see what was happening. Baba placed His Head on the lap of Swami Purushottamananda and, laid Himself down! Suddenly, His entire body was bathed in divine brilliance. His Head and Face appeared to me to have increased very much in size. Rays of splendour emanated from His face. I was overwhelmed with a strange inexplicable Joy. The time was about 10 p.m.”
When pressed later to divulge the vision, Baba informed us that it was a Vision of Jyothir-Padmanabha! (Lord Vishnu as the Flame of Love-Wisdom) What supreme Karuna! (compassion) What immeasurable Good Fortune!
(Swami Purushottamananda s Room Where He Attained Mahasamadhi On Shivarathri 1961)
Swami Purushottamananda passed away on Shivarathri Night, 1961, four years later, during the Lingodbhava Muhurtham – the time Baba manifested the Lingam that Shivaratri.’ (SSSm Vol.1, pp. 111-113).