Report
by Sri H.V.Prasad
Sri
Swamiji made a sudden and unscheduled visit to Nepal on Monday, 23rd
April 2001. After the completion of the recently concluded lecture
series on Lord Shiva in March, Sri Swamiji had been telling that he
intends to visit Bhairava shrine in the famed Pashupati Nath temple
in Katmandu, Nepal.
On 24, Sri Swamiji visited the Pashupati Natha shrine and offered
Pujas and prayers there. The four-door Shiva temple offers the four
faces of the Shiva Lingam. Shri Swamiji offered Pujas at the Tatpurusha
side of the Shiva Lingam, which faces east. Sri Swamiji offered Panchamrita
Abhishekam. Dhupa and then Arati.
Later Sri Swamiji went to the Unmatta Bhairava Shrine. The metal idol,
which is about seven feet tall, has a ferocious look and is naked.
Sri Swamiji went around the idol and then proceeded to visit the other
shrines in the complex, namely, Jaya Mangala and Mahalakshmi shrines.
Thereafter Sri Swamiji proceeded to the 512 Shiva Linga place where
Nepalis gather once a year and go around the place in honor of their
departed beloved. Sri Swamiji was appalled at the condition of Bagmati
River and expressed dismay that there appeared no effort to cleanse
the river and its environs. There is a place in the Pashu Patinatha
temple complex which is said to be the central spot of Jambu Dvipa
(the land mass called Jambu). Sri Swamiji saw that place also.
In the evening Sri Swamiji visited Bhaktapur. In the central locale
of this quaint medieval looking town is Dattatreya Square. Bhaktapur
is a charming old town with clay brick laid roads and houses dating
back to centuries. It has continued to reflect the aura of its historic
times.
This Dattatreya Temple is believed to have been constructed out of
a single piece of wood from a single tree during the reign of King
Yaksha Malla in 1428. The temple has three tiers and is designed in
pagoda style. There are two huge stone statues of Jaya Malla and Patta,
two popular wrestlers of those times. Standing in front of the temple
is a stone pillar topping with Garuda in kneeling position. The temple
is wholly made up of exquisitely carved wood. The dark brown color
of the wood has a strange whispering attitude and attunes one to those
times of its glory of its construction. The very special feature of
this temple is we do not see the statue of Dattatreya as we know with
one body and three heads. Instead in the main sanctum sanctorum, we
can see three idols of Brahma (left), Vishnu (center) and Shiva (Linga
form, right). There is a huge tree behind the idols. The temple priest
respectfully received Sri Swamiji and Sri Swamiji stood with his eyes
closed and we chanted the 108 names of Dattatreya and the Datta Stavam.
The priest said that on the third tier of the pagoda is a statue of
Anasuya Mata and the whole concept depicts the story of Anasuya Mata
turning the trinity of Brahma Vishnu and Shiva in to children when
they, at the behest of their wives, went to test her power of Anasuya
Mata’s chastity. Sri Swamiji wandered around the Dattatreya Square
and was moved by the humming of some Tibetan prayers close by. Sri
Swamiji went to that place and listened to it for a while and praised
the powers of Tibetan Mantras.
On 25th, Sri Swamiji flew Katmandu – Bangalore – Mysore
and was in Mysore Ashrama by 6 PM.
This unexpected visit to Nepal and specially the visit to Dattatreya
shrine in Bhaktapur was very moving and unforgettable..
Jaya Guru Datta