At Komaranahalli

Komaranahalli is about one Km from Malebennur, on Harihara Shimoga Road. It is a scared place, graced by Sri Lakshmi Ranganatha. The temple is by the side of a small tank, on a hillock. The tank was built by a Helava and hence named Helavanakatte. Sri Ranganatha was Ishtadaiva of Helavanakatte Giriyamma a famous devotee and author of many Kannada kavyas.

The site by the temple was sanctioned by the Government as per recommendations of the Deputy Commissioner of Chitradurga District.

The foundation stone of Sri Ranganatha Ashram was laid on 8-8-51 The Audumbara was planted on the same day. M/s Ramanarayana Avadhani, K. A. Venkatesh Rao, Gundu Rao, of Shimoga and scores of people from Malebennur worked in the construction of Ashrama.

Nadig Subba Rao of Malebennur used to read Kumaravyasa Bharatha. Appa arranged for the reading of the epic and Thimmanna's Bharatha and Jaimini's Bharatha of Lakshmisha. After every parva a grand Santharpana was arranged.

In 1951 Audumbara Ashrama of Miyapur was established.

In 1952 Appa spent Navarathri at Miyapur. Holalu Mallara Bhattaru came and took darshan of Appa there.

Once somebody asked Appa 'why don't you arrange for Jnana dasoha only at Ashrama"

Appa replied 'If one who feeds with Jnana only, can go on without eating, then it will be meaningful.

As a Jnani has the experience of being Atma in all living beings he shows compassion to all living beings. But if he eats food and serves Jnana only to others it will be meaningless"

Appa said we belong to Chidambara Pantha. Anna santarpane should be arranged here on a large scale."

He used to guide his followers both in the worldly affairs and the path of Atma Jnana.

He once told Anaji Chandranna "Chandra one should go beyond the physical sky."

He offered to grant anything to his biographer "Sethi, do you want gold" he kept quite "Do you want the Scorpion." He kept quite. He realized years later that Bangara means Bhakti and Scorpio signifies Atma Jnana.

Appa had assured his followers that he would uplift and liberate them within seven lives. One day when he was in the temple choultry (Lakshman Rao) Achanna asked him "Appa you say that you would uplift and liberate us within seven lives. Tell us what our present state is."

Appa: "Lakshmana have you got a Guru."

Achanna: "Definitely, I have got the greatest possible Guru."

Appa: If so leave it to him. Why do you? Leave it to him. We love ignorant sishyas. Intelligent sishyas indulge in kutarka (Mal-logic)

Achanna: what is kutarka?

Appa: Not believing anything which is addressed to them.

Achanna: Appa you bypass any question I ask. You must answer this one.

Appa smiled and said "Go to tank yard touch the well there and come back. While doing so perform Japa of the manthra I have given you. If you give number of Japas I will tell you exactly where you are..

Dummi Achanna, Anaji Satyanna, Raghanna, Gundappa went to the well and returned. When Appa asked the number of Japas, they could not answer as they had not recited the Japa mentally even once and they fell down at his feet and cried.

Appa assured them that it has happened so because of his will. Follow the Guru. Do not question him unnecessarily.

Vedamurthy Keshava Ghanapaty was suffering from pain in stomach and his finances had nosedived. E came to Appa. Appa cured his stomach pain by mere touch and asked him to practice Purohitya. Ganapathi said "Is it not Parigraha' Appa said "If you demand a sum for a particular homa, Japa of any other Vedic practice, it will be parigraha. If you are satisfied with what a grihasta gives it will not be so."

Sri Sri Sridhara Swamiji of Varada halli came to Komaranahally and gave a discourse on the greatness of Ramataraka Manthra. After Bhiksha Vedanta he was taking rest. But his secretary asked him to wake up as they had to reach Shimoga in time for a procession. Swamiji exclaimed "I wanted to rest in presence of Sri Rama. But the world doesn't allow me to do so.

Shivappa Desai of Hospet was a prominent congress leader and freedom fighter. He was fed with politics after the demise of his wife and came in search of "Bhagavan" at the bidding of a Jyortirlinga. Appa received him well. He gave him certain observances and return to him after nine years. "He named him as Hamsa while the revered Hamsa was at Ramanatha Puram, he could not see the form of Appa during dhyana. One Nagappa of that place was an upasaka of Devi with Siddhis. He voluntarily offered to see Appa and tell him the exact state of affairs. He came to Komaranahalli and met Appa. His ego was removed by Appa, He returned a Sober man. Hamsa established Shankaralinga Ashrama at Arasikere.

Bhagirathamma came and settled at Komaranahalli. She had a piece of wet land at Bannur. She couldn't relies any money from it, nor could she sell it off . Appa sent Narayanamurthy with her to Bannur. He could not return from there to Huzur Jamabandi (Annual inspection of village accounts from the Deputy Commissioner) so he wrote a letter to Appa expressing his anxiety. Appa replied " If you perform the duty of Rama, he will attend to your work"

As the Jamabandi was postponed Narayamurthy did not face any trouble. Bhagirathamma gave fourteen thousand rupees to Appa. Appa purchased a land at Miyapur. It was a barren land and fetched nothing. Later it was partially irrigated by the Bhadra channel. The rice of that land is used at Ranganathaasrama.

Appa's body was being battered by diseases. During certain weeks he could not getup. Once he asked Narayanmurthy to take him to Vaikunta from Kailasa. The Ashram being the abode of Chidambara was Kailasa and the adjacent temple Vaikunta. They carried him on a chair as he could not walk. There was a flowery adornment to the chair. Appa said "My followers have brought Pushpaka Vimana to transport me"

Kulandai Anandar revisited Appa at Komaranahalli. But no details are available. It is stated by some yogis that all the leading yogis famous all over the world visit Appa. We cannot comprehend it.

We can reaccount an incident in this regard. One of Appa's disciples began to suffer from stomach pain which could not be cured..

Another Sishya who regained life lost his eyesight.

They approached Appa and requested him to help them to overcome the disease.

Appa said "Sri Gurunatha has once helped you and gave you life and relief. Don't think that he keeps a shop of miracles."

The sishya suffering from stomach pain approached a world famous Mahatma (who is still alive) and asked him to cure his disease. He said after some time "you are under the care of Parabrahma I am only buffoon in his circus company and am here to direct men towards the ultimate truth. Kindly go to your Guru, convey my pranams and ask him to cure you."

Appa selected a rock adjacent to the asrama and caused a cave to be carved therein. One day Narayana murthy came to Komaranahalli. There was no fuel in Ashrama. The implements to dig the cave were inadequate.

Appa said "Everyone cries for himself and his family. Who is there to cry for Guru!"

During this time the health of Appas body deteriorated. Some men began speculating about his successor in hush-hush. One day Appa heard this talk going on. He said "Here is my Jolige (a cloth made thing to receive alms) He who picks it up and begs in my successor."

Verily Parameshwara descended to this earth as Shankaralinga to uplift and liberate his disciples Shankaralinga became Paramatma by premabhakthi. Paramatma to set an example of Premabhakthi became Shankaralinga. Nithya Siddha, Buddha, Sakshi Chaitanya, Bhuma, Nethi Nethyatmaka Parabrahma seemed to be Shankaralinga. Shankaralinga while engaging his mind in Swarupanusandhana, gave up Eshana-Thraya (Puthreshana, Vitheshana-Dareshana) stood up and realized that he was Parabrahma.

It was Phalguna shuddha Thritiya. Appa was reclining on the cot. Janamma washed his face and applied Vibhuthi and Kumkuma and went inside. The dwellers in Ashrama were engaged in their duties. On the same day Nagappa of Ramanathpuram took darshana of Appa outside the Ashrama and was taught by Appa regarding Brahma. Nagappa of Harihara and Subbabhatta of Malebennur bowed down before him and went away.

All of a sudden 'OM' kara was heard everywhere in Ashrama. Bhutanatha of Ranganathaswamy entered the body of Archakas and cried loudly. The yogamandira was lit by a light equal to light of many suns.

Appa who was Akhanda Brahma stood in Akhanda Brahma (Brahmaivasun Brahmapyethi)

The (followers) Sons of Appa heard the news as though a thunder bold struck them. The Sun of Atmajnana, The Full Moon who was shining in the hearts of sishyas, had set. Fierce sorrow surrounded everywhere.

Next day the body was cremated in the cave which Appa had got dug.

Before cremation the body was bathed with Rudra Prashna. It was worshipped by Shiva sahasranama with Bilva and Vishnusahasranama with Thulasi.

There on the hill at Komaranahalli by the side of Sri Lakshmi Ranganatha Swamy, rests the scared body, the treasure house of Thapas. Performed for Six hundred years, starting from Sri Narasimha Saraswathi upto Shankaralinga.

The place is Kailasa the abode of Samadhi, Vaikunta the abode of Lakshmi Ranganatha, and Sathyaloka the abode of Audumbara.

He who ones goes there will be uplifted towards mukthi, it is like kamadhenu which grants all that Bhaktas seek. Glory be to Shankaralinga our Dear Appa. May he grant us the Ananda of remembering him always.