Musings of a Soul Awakening to Its Eternal Home
The Gardens That Never Fade
Every flower lovingly offered to the Lord on earth blossoms forever in His Eternal Garden.”
Yesterday…
beneath the shade of the celestial Kalpaka Vṛikṣa…
I discovered that the Lord allows every liberated soul to rest before entering His Eternal Abode.
The gentle breeze carried fragrances unknown to the earthly world.
The radiant Amāanavas welcomed me with smiles that spoke only one language…
the language of eternal service.
Today…
they invited me to walk further.
The pathway slowly opened into gardens unlike anything words can describe.
There were no seasons here.
Nothing withered.
Nothing faded….
Every blossom radiated conscious beauty.
The flowers themselves seemed to sing the Divine Names.
The breeze carried hymns.
Every fragrance awakened remembrance of the Lord.
The entire garden was alive with loving service.
There were celestial creepers embracing wish-fulfilling trees.
Crystal streams reflected the bluish radiance of eternity.
Birds sang melodies that resembled the Vedas.
Even the gentle humming of bees sounded like continuous recitation of
“Om Namo Nārāyaṇāya.”
As I walked…
one realization quietly arose.
These gardens did not seem unfamiliar.
Somewhere…
my heart had already known them.
Then memories began to unfold.
I remembered the sacred garden lovingly maintained by Swamy Ananthalvān, the great disciple of Jagadācārya Śrī Rāmānuja, upon the holy Tirumala Hills.
When there was no easy path…
when Tirumala was still covered with deep forests…our revered Ācārya sent his beloved disciple with one instruction alone—
“Serve the Lord with flowers.”
Swamy Ananthalvān obeyed without hesitation.
He cultivated fragrant vakula, punnaga, pāṭala, śeṇbaga and countless flowering plants.
Every blossom was grown not for admiration…
but solely for the pleasure of Lord Śrī Veṅkaṭeśwara.
The humming bees…
the singing birds…
the fragrance filling the garden…
all seemed to echo Nammāḻvār’s vision of
“Sindhu pū magaḻum Tiruvēṅkaṭam.”
By the Lord’s immeasurable mercy…
I too was blessed to spend sacred moments in that very garden.
With deep reverence…
I had the privilege of plucking holy Tulasī leaves that would be offered during Archana Seva to Lord Veṅkaṭeśwara.
We also carried a few Tulasī saplings as our small offering to that sacred garden.
Sitting beneath those trees…reciting Śrī Viṣṇu Sahasranāma…under the Magizha Tree…
Swamy Ananthalwan joined eternity with Lord Venkateshwara on the sacred Thiru Adi Pooram day ( July- August) . Even today , Lord Venkateswara visits this garden and bestows honours on the Magizha Tree where his thiruvarasu remains . The satari at the main sanctum sanctorum is glorified as Sadagopa in remembrance of Swamy Nammazhwar and the Satari in the Swamy Ramanuja shrine is glorified as Ananthalwan.
Coming to know about the dedicated service being executed by his dear disciple Anathazhwan Swamy Ramanuja undertook his first trip to Tirumala via Kancheepuram . Looking at the holy hills Swamy immediately prostrated to the Hills . Swamy Ramanuja gave a discourse about the sanctity of the Hills and referred several pasurams which our Azhwars have sung on Lord and the Hills . Watching the gigantic hills , glorifying the animate and inanimate beings who are serving the Lord swamy goes in a divine trance .
Coming to know about Swamy Ramanuja s visit , Tirumala Nambi rushes to the village for welcoming Swamy Ramanuja . .Both the Acharyas are overjoyed to be in the holiest place . Tirmala Nambi requests Swamy to join him for the afternoon prayers and leaves quickly up the Hills .
All the disciples request Swamy Ramanuja to lead them to the hills for having Lord’s darshan . Swamy refuses to trek the hills owing to its sanctity . Swamy informs about all the Azhwars who had remained at the foot of the hills glorifying the Lord and trekking the Hills amounts to overstepping their commands and doubts how to tread upon the holy body of Adisesha
All the disciples plead Swamy to reconsider his decision as so many disciples will be sad to return without having the divya darshan of Lord . Swamy Ramanuja considering the disciples plea decides to trek the hills crawling . It was those days when the route was very tough even to trek .
Crawling , he reaches the Knee breaker Hills . He pauses to take rest on the steep \`knee-breaker’ hill (\`mokalla mitta’). Tirumala Nambi and Ananthazhwar, rush to receive him with the Lord’s prasada — holy tirta and fruits. Swamy is glad to see them . He honours the prasad offering the same to many of his disciples .
He honours one Mango fruit and buries the seeds there. In course of time, a big mango tree grew out of these seeds.
Manavalamamunigal had lovingly referred to this archa form as “Mambazha Emperumanar“.…
During our tek to Tirumala we go inside the temple and seek blessings of JagathAcharyar Swamy Ramanuja and recite Divya prabhandam of Thiruvengadamudiyans pasurams recollecting the divine pastime .
I often wondered whether any service offered with love could ever truly disappear.
Today…
walking through these eternal gardens…
I received my answer.
Nothing offered to Him is ever lost.
Not a single flower.
Not a single Tulasī leaf.
Not a single tear shed in devotion.
Everything blossoms here…forever. Ki
Then the radiant Amānavas gently smiled.
One among them spoke softly.
“Every flower you offered below was accepted here long before you saw this garden.”
My heart overflowed.
Now I understood.
The gardens of Vaikuṇṭha are not separate from the gardens of Tirumala…..
One is the reflection.
The other is the eternal reality.
Our Pūrvācāryas repeatedly remind us that Bhagavān accepts not merely the offering but the loving intention behind it.
Even the smallest act of kainkaryam performed with humility accompanies the soul on its eternal journey.
Nothing dedicated to Him is ever forgotten.
Among the countless blessings received during pilgrimages…..
few remain as deeply etched in my heart as those quiet moments in Swamy Ananthalvān’s Nandavanam.
To touch Tulasī grown for the Lord…
to offer it at His lotus feet…
and to chant Śrī Viṣṇu Sahasranāma beneath those sacred trees…
was itself a glimpse of Vaikuṇṭha granted upon Earth….
Today…
I realize…
the Lord was already allowing me to walk through His Eternal Garden…..
“Flowers fade in our hands… but never in the Lord’s remembrance.”
“The fragrance of humble service travels farther than the soul itself.”
“Every Tulasī leaf offered with devotion has already found its place in the gardens of eternity.”..
Perhaps…..
every flower we have gathered…
every Tulasī leaf we have offered…
every garland lovingly woven for the Lord…
has never truly left His presence.
Perhaps…
they have always been waiting for us here.
Beyond these gardens…
a divine radiance is becoming brighter.
The atmosphere itself is changing.
The welcome is growing deeper.
Someone…
far greater…
is waiting ahead….
Tomorrow…
the Eternal City begins to appear.
“Every flower offered in love…
Every act of humble service…
Every remembrance of the Lord…
Blooms forever in His Eternal Garden.”
To be continued….
Adiyen Ramanuja dasan 🙏
Śrīmate Rāmānujāya Namaḥ
Pictures Courtesy Google images
