rathyā carpaṭa viracita kanthaḥ puṇyāpuṇya vivarjita panthaḥ |
yogī yoga niyojita cittaḥ ramate bālonmattavadeva || 22 ||
Meaning- The yogi very happily wears discarded and torn rags. He walks on the path that is far away from punya-papa (virtues- vices). Having been able to achieve total ekagrata (concentration) through his Yoga and totally immersed in bliss he wanders like a small child or like a madman.
When referring to Lord Datta, the phrase- ‘balonmatta pisāchavat’. These traits being explained here are very similar to the traits of an Avadhoota. The truth is that such persons are jeevanmuktas. They behave like small children or at times like absolute madmen. They will be jumping and shrieking as if possessed by some ghost. To them no disciplines apply. Restrictions such as ‘this should be done; this should not be done’ are not valid for them. They are free from virtues and sins (punya-papa), positives and negatives, and from joys and sorrows. This does not imply that they will indulge in sinful acts. This means that they enjoy absolute freedom; they are not under the control of any force.
Bewildered by their actions many times we misunderstand them. Externally they appear as if they lack compassion towards others. There is no basis by which we can gauge their actions. They will be wandering in a state that is over and above the limitations of the three attributes of Nature (sattva, rajas, tamas). To one who is in this state, can there be a limiting factor?
The mind of such a person will be omnipresent in all the states of existence (sarvāvastha). It would have merged totally into that of the all-pervading Paramatma. It envelops the entire creation. He will be able to see himself as pervading throughout the creation. He sees himself in every object and in every living entity. He sees them in himself. The limitations of place & time, the extremities of heat and cold, the feelings of like-dislike do not affect him in the least. In fact, he is over and above all these forms of limitations. He is above mind. He does not get entrapped in virtues-vices (punya-papa). Such a person is a omniscient and omnipresent.
Such highly knowledgeable Jnani always appear like ignorant innocent children. It is only the ignorant who seek external pomp. But an all-knowing Jnani is unaffected by any of these. He seeks no external pomp.
Sadashiva Brahmendra was a great Avadhoota. He would roam about in a digambara state. People would not even notice his presence and he too would be oblivious of people around him. He would never accept anything that was offered to him. Simply he would wander about. Once he was walking through a forest where a great Nawab was enjoying with his retinue. The Nawab was enjoying a luxurious meal in his tent when suddenly Sadashiva Brahmendra Swami walked in. The saint stepped on to that plate of the king as he passed by. Unaware and unaffected, the saint exited from that tent and continued to walk. The infuriated Nawab chased the saint and had both the arms of the saint chopped off. Sadashiva Brahmendra Swami was unaware of even this fact as He continued to walk. This is the state of an Avadhoota. After some time, the Nawab realized his mistake, and in great repentance, ran and fell at the feet of the great saint. But what a surprise! Both the arms of the great saint were intact.