“No sooner the Light was perceived, happiness prevailed on me”

who asked, “Did not Yama catch you when he was taking five others? And were you not terrified?” Manickam was to overcome with fright to reply. Then Swami said, “That was Yama, a big thief. Sleep is Yama. You should not sleep when you are in the advanced stage of spiritual path. And if you do, Yama will seize you.”

After some time Swami asked him to sleep. Manickam said he would not sleep as per His warning. Swami agreed and instructed, “If you think of Me and apply the sacred ash before sleeping. Yama will not catch you.”

Thus Avathar Sri Seshadri Swamigal used that strategy of Swapna Drishti to wean His disciple.

With the pictures of Arunachala, Rama and Kamakshi his worship was going strong. He had no sleep and no appetite. He was seen in Chakrath-Azhwar and Kamakshi temples for several hours chanting mantras, slokas, etc. His rigorous and exacting religious practices were viewed with concern by his foster-parents who were taking care of him. He got immersed in Sri Kamakshi’s divine form and regarded himself as Goddess Parvathi (Sakthi aspect of Brahmam). He began doing his meditations in Rudrabhoomi (cremation ground) which was resented and questioned by his people. He was wandering in the streets of Kanchipuram, when he met a Gouda Sanyasi, Sri Balaji Paramahamsa, who finding him worthy and fit, gave him sanyasa (the fourth stage of asrama in one’s life). On the due date, Seshadri’s father’s annual ceremony was performed. To give him his father’s blessings, he was brought home forcibly and kept locked in a room. At a stage, when the room was opened his relatives noticed that Séshadri had disappeared from the locked room and then only realised his greatness and attainment. He was 19 years of age then.