An ardent
devotee of Lord Ram (Seventh Avatar of Lord Maha Vishnu) from Northern part of
India visited Tirumala on Pilgrimage. His name was Bhavaji. He was so
fascinated by the majestic appearance of the Lord that he decided to stay in
Tirumala for ever having darshan of the Lord all the time. He constructed a
Mutt (a place where the saints live near the temples) and settled there.
Bhavaji used to have the darshan of the Lord at least thrice a day. Still, he
wasn’t satisfied of his darshan. He used to look at the lord unmoved for long.
This continued for a few weeks. Temple employees have observed Bhavaji visiting
the temple and gazing at the lord continuously for longer times. Finding
suspicious about his acts, they reported the matter to the Temple Authorities.
Next day when Bhavaji entered the temple premises to have the darshan of the
lord, he was pushed out of the temple without allowing him to have his Ram’s
darshan. He pleaded not to separate him from his Lord Ram. No one listened to
his cry. Instead, he was warned not to enter the temple for Lord’s darshan
again. A sad and dejected Bhavaji returned to his Mutt.
After
getting back to the Mutt, he cried with the Lord. Hey Lord! My Ram! What is my
fault? Is it a sin to have your darshan? You know it very well that I can’t
live without having your darshan. Why you punished me this way? What am I
supposed to do now?
Next
morning, Bhavaji went to the temple as usual to have the darshan of the lord.
But, he was pushed out of the gate. A dejected Bhavaji retuned back to his
Mutt. He was not sure how to pass his time without having the Lord’s darshan.
He then took up a dice board and started playing the dice himself assuming that
he was playing with the Lord on the other side. He himself used to throw his
dice and the Lord’s dice on His behalf. In this way, he played the game all
along the day and fell a sleep. When he was in a deep sleep at night, he heard
a pleasant voice calling, Bhavaji! Wake up! It’s me, Your Ram! Bhavaji opened
his eyes and saw the Lord standing in front of him. He couldn’t believe his
eyes. Is it real or a dream? Amazed Bhavaji asked the Lord. The Lord replied
that it wasn’t his dream. He really visited him to play dice with him. There
was no boundary to the happiness of Bhavaji. A jubilant Bhavaji laid a mat on
the floor and sat with the Lord Balaji to play the dice. Bhavaji defeated the
lord in his game. The Lord then asked Bhavaji to seek any boon against his
victory over Him. Bhavaji politely said, Hey Lord, what can I ask you more than
this? I am satisfied with your Vishwaroopa darshan. I do not need any material
pleasure or wealth. Give me a little place at your feet to serve you. I need no
favour than this. A pleased Lord blessed Bhavaji and vanished with a promise to
get back for the game again.
Next day,
Bhavaji excitedly waited for the sun to set so that he again plays dice with
the Lord. Finally the wait was over. When the temple doors were shut at night,
the Lord moved out of his Ananda Nilayam and visited Bhavaji to play the game
of dice. After finishing the game, the Lord returned back to Ananda Nilayam
promising to come back again. It became a regular practice for the Lord to
visit the Mutt and spend time playing dice with Bhavaji at night when the
temple doors were closed. One day when the Lord was playing dice with Bhavaji,
He heard a voice of someone calling Bhavaji. The Lord asked Bhavaji to go and
check it out. When Bhavaji went out to see if anyone was there, he found none.
He then returned back to inform the Lord, but he found that the Lord has
already left the place without informing him. When he picked up the dice board
to keep it safe, he saw a diamond studded necklace of the Lord lying at the
board. He picked up the necklace and kept it safe thinking that the Lord might
have forgotten it and he would return when He comes back to play next time.
Next morning
when Pradhana Archaka was getting ready to give bath to the Lord, noticed a
missing necklace. He then took it to the notice of Temple Authorities. The
Temple Authority was worried about the theft of Lord’s necklace. All the
employees were called up on and enquired about the missing necklace. The
Pradhana Archaka informed the management about the incident of Bhavaji in the
recent past and straightaway raised suspicion over him. The Temple Authorities
ordered to get Bhavaji for enquiry.
On the other
hand Bhavaji was waiting for Lord’s arrival to play the game of dice. For long,
the Lord hasn’t come to play. In the mean time, he heard someone shouting his
name at the doorsteps. By the time he reached there, the soldiers got in and
started searching all over the place. Bhavaji was surprised to see them
searching all over. He tried to enquire what was going on. He was told that
someone has stolen the Lord’s necklace. Bhavaji immediately understood what
they were looking for and got the necklace he held it safely to return the Lord
when he visits again. Is this the necklace you were looking for? Asked Bhavaji!
One of the sainiks said, here you go. You have stolen the Lord’s necklace. You
are under arrest! Bhavaji pleaded his innocence but they haven’t listened any
of his word. They arrested and took him to the temple Authorities. On enquiry
by the Temple Authorities, Bhavaji told them that the Lord used to visit his
Mutt and Play dice with him every night when the temple doors were shut. The
Lord had forgotten His necklace at my Mutt after playing the game yesterday.
When I noticed, I picked up the necklace and kept it safe to return back when He
comes again. The Pradhana Archaka of the temple raised his eyebrows and said;
we have been doing all sorts of poojas and sevas every day to the Lord for so
many years, the Lord hasn’t appeared to us and He appeared to you? Moreover He
played dice game with you? Whom are you bluffing? Are you a greater devotee
than us? There should be a limit of speaking false. Some of the Authorities
suggested presenting him before the King’s courtyard for justice.
The next
morning, he was presented in the courtyard of the Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya,
as a culprit who had stolen the necklace of the Lord. After listening to the
charges, Sri Krishnadevaraya asked Bhavaji’s explanation. Bhavaji explained all
that had happened with him. The Emperor felt him very innocent. He thought it
would be unjust to punish him without sufficient proof and proper
investigation. He therefore, decided to put Bhavaji on test. Sri
Krishnadevaraya told Bhavaji that he will be given an opportunity to prove
himself innocent. For this, he will be dumped with heaps of sugarcane in the
cell and if he succeeds in consuming the entire heaps of sugarcane by the wake
of the dawn tomorrow; he will be released innocent and if he fails to do so, he
will be punished for the theft.
Bhavaji
never perturbed. He had no choice but to accept the Emperor’s decision. He was
then taken to the prison cell and tons of sugarcane heaps were dumped before
him and locked the doors of the cell. Bhavaji sat in the corner, closed his
eyes and prayed the Lord. Hey Lord! I am innocent and you know the fact very
well. I have been charged of theft and put on test of eating this sugarcane
heaps. Hey Ram! It’s not my test. They have put you on test. They want to test
your existence in this world. If anything I need in this life is a little place
before your feet to serve you till my last breath. He left everything on the
shoulders of the Lord and immersed in deep penance.
A little
later, a giant Elephant appeared in the cell and by the wake of the dawn, the
Elephant ate all the heaps of sugarcane dumped there for Bhavaji. The Elephant
then awake Bhavaji from his penance with its trunk. Bhavaji was surprised to
see an Elephant in the cell. When he saw the entire heaps of sugarcane were
finished, he realized that his Ram has arrived for his rescue and immediately
fell upon his feet and cried Ram…! Oh Ram..! My Ram…! You have come up for my
rescue. How lucky am I? The Elephant then blessed Bhavaji with its trunk and
trumpeted at loud. On hearing the Elephant’s trumpet, the guards peeped through
the key wholes and wondered to see an Elephant inside a locked cell. They
immediately rushed to the authorities and informed the matter. Meanwhile, the
Elephant broke open the doors and ran away immediately. Some guards tried to
follow the Elephant but it disappeared thereafter.
When the
Emperor visited Bhavaji, he was found gazed at the direction where the Elephant
has left, repeatedly uttering a word “Hathiram..!” When asked, who was Hathiram
and how the elephant entered the prison cell? Bhavaji told that his Ram has
come in the form of a Hathi (an Elephant) to save him. Everyone who had
assaulted him on the charges of theft exclaimed at the great devotion of
Bhavaji. One and all had accepted his devotion to Lord Balaji is eternal. The
Pradhan Archaka in particular begged his pardon for the assaults made on him
out of pride and ego.
Sri
Krishnadevaraya relieved him of all charges and appointed Bhavaji as the
Pradhana Archaka of the temple of tirumala. He happily obeyed the orders of the
Emperor as he got a life time opportunity to serve his Lord. Since the Baba
Bhavaji’s beloved Lord “Sri Ram” has personally come to the rescue of Bhavaji
in the form of a Hathi (an Elephant) he as been named as Hathiram Baba. As a
Pradhana Archaka of the Temple, Bhavaji served the Lord for many years. He
later sacrificed his soul to the Lord and entered into a Jeeva Samadhi. His
body was cremated near Venu Gopala Swamy Temple on the way to Papavinasam on
the hills of Tirumala. A Samadhi of Hathiram Baba had been constructed there
and daily pooja is being performed even today. People visiting Venu Gopala
Swamy Temple pay their homage to this great devotee of Lord Venkateswara. The
Hathiram Baba Mutt had been built on the southern side of the temple in his
remembrance.
Conclusion:
I hope many
might have now really understood that Hathiram Baba’s real name was Bhavaji and
he was called Hathiram Baba not because he was fat like a Hathi or Elephant but
because his beloved Lord Ram has come to his rescue in the form of a Hathi,
when he was in danger.
The Jeeva
Samadhi of Great saint Hathiram Baba still exists near Venu Gopala Swamy Temple
on the way to Papavinasam on Tirumala Hills. Pilgrims visiting Venu Gopala
Swamy surely pays homage to this great saint’s Samadhi and seeks his blessings.
If any body had been there and returned back without paying homage to this
great saint’s Samadhi in ignorance, please do so if you visit the Samadhi next
time around. You can also find the Samadhi of many other saints all around the
place out there.
You can find
Hathiram Baba Mutt on the southern side of the Venkateswara Temple of Tirumala
near the main entrance built up at an elevated place, in remembrance of the
great saint Hathiram. You can also visit there to know more about this great
saint.
I tried to
gather information regarding the name of the location or region in the North
from where Hathiram Baba has come from. I found the term North India in all the
books but no specific region or location has been referred to. Therefore, I too
used the term North India. Another reference to his period also put me in
confusion. It might be around 1430 and 1529, though it’s a matter of debate. I
suppose there might be some date written on Hathiram Baba’s Jeeva Samadhi. I
haven’t noticed any such date on the Jeeva Samadhi though.