Dr. N. Prahalada Sastry (1934-2015), a former university professor and nuclear physicist who left a successful 23-year career with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai ; Now a noted spiritual guru, better known as Sri Amritananda Natha Saraswati (and generally addressed as “Guruji”) is a living embodiment of the DEVI herself. From a physicist to a Sri Vidya Guru….his heroic and inspiring life is a beacon of deep commitment and service. The most striking thing about him is the humility, openness and compassion with which he shared the mystic coded teachings of Sri Vidya freely with all. No other master in the Sri Vidya tradition is known to have such an open approach to the revelation of the esoteric and secret teachings. But he gave to all who approached him with a smile and a hearty generousness. His wisdom illumination never made him sit on any thrones of the ego as he humbly moved himself among the rural communities to offer service and empowerment to them. There is no air of arrogance about this being, called GURUJI fondly by all.
His creation of Devipuram; the place where he constructed the World’s only Mahameru temple which is in the shape of a Sri Yantra was based on several visions of the Divine Mother, which specified both the design and mission of the temple complex.
Each of the many murthis within the Sahasrakshi Meru Temple was individually sculpted to his specifications, physically manifesting his meditative visions of these deities. The Kamakhya temple is a unique sacred space which honors the presence of the divine feminine and makes available the blessings to all.
My own contact with this great master happened about 3 years ago through a video created by him. Not knowing that the Guru seeks the disciple as much as the reverse, I continued to reject any possibilities of a Living Guru ,keeping the focus sharply on learning Sri Vidya from divine mother’s direct source.
But as destiny has its ways, the floodgates of grace continued to open for me revealing the vast source of the consciousness as Divine Mother’s own will and ways. I visited Devipuram many times and experienced the sacred beauty and power of the energies there. On my visit to Devipuram at Mahakumbhabhishekam in 2019 Feb, I was seeded with the idea of creating a book which was based on Guruji’s vision to take Devi’s blessings to all ,not restricting it to only initiated Sri Vidya upasaks alone and thus the book…1000 AVATAARS OF SRI LALITA TRIPURASDUNDARI took birth. In a mad fury, Shakti & Guru’s grace ensured the book manifesting in just 4 months of its conceptualization.
Simplicity is grace….and Guruji embodies it. His karuna draws me to him like a magnet…..I see in him the SELF which BHAGWAN RAMANAMAHARISHI is. In deep gratitude and surrender….to this gift of a lifetime, No words offer the heart’s satiety & fullness.
Om Guru!
Ye Devi!
Image credits: DEVIPURAM.COM
Dr Pallavi Kwatra is Medical Doctor, Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur and Spiritual Saadhak. She has 11 published books and her books, writings & digital gymnastics can be accessed at her website drpallavikwatra.com.
