Popularly known among his disciples as Swami Karapatri ji Maharaj, Swami Hirananda Saraswati studied at Sangveda Vidyalay, Varanasi. Every night after dinner, the boy Hirananda would massage his Guruji’s legs till his preceptor fell asleep.
Once, around 9 pm while serving his Guruji after dinner, Swami ji asked his teacher – “How do I receive the grace of Mata Saraswati and how do I seek her blessings?”
Hirananda’s Guruji knew that his student is a deserving aspirant of knowledge. So, he told him the correct method, mantras and the associated sadhana to appease the Goddess of Knowledge, Mata Saraswati.
After acquiring this Saraswati upāsana vidhi,Swami Karapatri ji Maharaj took a sankalpam (meaning – a vow, a pledge, a resolution) to start his prayers the next day itself.
At 3 am the next morning, Swamiji went 3kms from his Vidyalaya in the north-west direction towards the banks of Ganga River, where he found a huge Banyan tree with a hollow in its trunk. He decided to make this natural tree cave as his place for worship and started living there.
करपात्री जी महाराज का जीवन परिचय
Every day, Swamiji’s routine was to take bath three times a day and offer prayers during trikāl sandhyā. He devoted rest of his time to perform intense jap and anushthanam for seeking blessings from Saraswati Devi.
Neither heavy rains, sun, wind nor any other natural forces could deviate the young boy Hirananda from his tapasyā. During the entire period, he survived solely on Ganga jal.
His sādhana continued for several weeks. At the end of the three and half months, around 4 am after his morning Ganga snānam, Sadhak Hirananda sat down for his morning sandhya.
Suddenly, Goddess Saraswati appeared in front of him as a 7 years old girl. The Goddess held a veena and was dressed in white saree. Saraswati Mata said – Var mango (ask what you wish for and I shall bless).
The boy Hirananda said – “Mother! Bless me that till the time I am alive I will never be defeated in any shāshtratha or Congress of Scholars (debate of scholars). In any shāshtratha, I should be the sole winner.”
Saraswati Mata raised her hand and said – Before any shāshtratha, after you recite the mangalacharan, move your hands thrice around your head. Then, it’s not you, but I who will do the shāshtratha by presiding over your tongue.”
Having said this, Saraswati Mata disappeared.
After three and half months, Swami Karapatri ji Maharaj came back to his Guruji at Sangveda Vidyalaya, prostrated before him and said – “Guruji, with your blessings, the task was achieved successfully. Now I need your blessings too.”
Guruji lifted both his hands and said – “Sarva shāshtra jyanta bhava”
From that day onwards, whatever Swami Hirananda would read, hear once, or if he attended a class, he would memorize everything effortlessly.
DHARMA SAMRAT BRAHMAJYANI SWAMI KARAPATRI JI MAHARAJ
From then onwards, Swami Hirananda ji, later known as Dharma Samrat Brahmajyani Swami Karapatri Ji Maharaj, was never defeated in any scholarly discussions. In any debate of scholars, Swamiji would sit down in his seat, recite the mangalacharan and move his hands thrice around his head and tell the judges/scholars – ‘Ask me anything’. All sastras would be available on the tip of his tongues.
During his lifetime, Swami Karapatri ji Maharaj went on to write 108 granthas. Among these – Vedārtha Parijaat, Ramayana Mimamsa, Bhakti Sudha etc. are important ones.
(About Sangved Sanskrit Vidyalaya or the School of Sang Veda – It is a Samskrit medium school. This is a residential Vidyalaya where students lead the life as per the guidelines of Vedic ashram. In other words, the life of a monk. They strictly abide by the rules of celibacy, chastity, yoga, and meditation.)
PERHAPS ANOTHER STORY ABOUT LADY OF THE MAT AND HOW SHE WAS BLESSED BY THE UNIVERSAL SOUL WILL INTEREST THE READER.