Amazing childhood of a god realized master, the childhood of a true guru. Guruji's neighbor friend knows Swami Vishwananda since the age of 4 or 5. They used to go and play around at Guruji’s place. He says, “Each time we would go at his place, me and a friend, we saw him sitting, with lots of chandan on his forehead, doing prayers. inspirational childhood of a true master, Basis of spirituality with a satguru, A god realized master remembers.
Swamini Paragatishwari, his aunty, had a close relationship with Guruji. She remembers, “As a small boy of 6 years old Guruji was always after his grandmother. He would wake up earlier than her and knock at her door. He would call her "Dadi, dadi, let's go for prayers. “ It was not important if He was late for school, He would do all the prayers with his grandmother. And then He would go to school. One week after the wedding, I went to my mother's place. Little Guruji asked me, I want to come with you. Also, if we knew each other since one week, we were attuned because we were praying together. I said “OK, you come.” In the car He asked me, "Do you know why I want to come to your place?" - Maybe you want to know my family. -No, I want to go to the river to fish. I was choked. I was wondering, 'How does He know that there is a river in my village?' He stayed overnight with me at my mum ‘s place. The next day we went to the river. One of his childhood passionate hobbies was fishing. He caught fish and brought them home. As we did not have an aquarium, he put them in a plastic bottle.”
Guruji remembers, “Every morning, before going to school, I used to polish the floor at my grandparents’ place. On Saturdays, I used to wash the long alley with water. It was fun for me and I really enjoyed doing that.”
“Every day I found in the schoolyard where we played gendarmes and robbers, or cat and mouse, a coin of one or five rupees. I hid my economies behind the lintel of the door, in the slits of the wall. I pushed them so much that the money is still there today!
I used the money to buy small images of divinities. Like this, when I wanted to buy something, I found on the ground the coins which I needed. I didn't worship any particular deity, I loved them all.
One day when school was finished, after midday, with my sister we went back home. We passed close to a temple, there was a basin with a statue of Shiva, with water coming out of his head. It was beautiful! I bought a Japa mala at the shop of the temple. One day, my aunty from London had sent to each child of the family 50 rupees. I used them to buy the statue of Shiva.
Swamini Paragatishwari, his aunty continues, "In 1986, when He was 7.5 years old, Guruji started giving satsangs to the children. He would gather the children around Him: His sister Tina who was His first devotee, then my children: Manish, Manju and Vivi. He would call them in His room, He was sitting on his bed and they would sit around Him on the floor. Like the Guru and His disciples. Guruji would sing, play His manjiras and sing with his childish voice and the others would repeat the bhajans and clap their hands. He started doing His satsangs, He invited his school friends and the neighbours’ children. They would enjoy when he was telling them the story of Rama and Shiva. Like this you awake bhakti and become realized.
During the school holidays they would go at the backyard under the tree, and He would talk. He would organise a yagna, picking up the dead branches and leaves He could find for the fire ceremony, he would gather whatever incense sticks and camphor He could find and do His prayers with them.
Tina, His sister, says, "Guruji is first my brother and then he is my Guruji. When I have something, I turn to him. If something bothers me, I ask him for advice. He tells me what is better for me, like a brother."
She remembers this childhood time:” We would do a yagna in the house. Our mother would complain, "One day you will burn the house!" Guruji was always with the grandmother. Every Monday they would do Shiva abhishekam in the Kali mandir. He would go there, observing how the priest is doing the abhishekam. One day the priest did not turn up for the abhishekam ceremony and the ladies asked Guruji to do the abhishekam, he was 7.5- 8 years old. “
Swami Vishwavijayananda (Swami Pepe) travels all over the world. He is a Swami of Bhakti Marga, initiated in 2008 by Paramahamsa Vishwananda, and lives at The Ashram in Germany: Shree Peetha Nilaya (SPN). Bhakti Marga, Bhakti the Path of Devotion, was founded by Paramahamsa Vishwananda in 2005.