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THE CALL OF THE GURU

In 1966, I was appointed as Graduate Assistant (science) at Talupur high school, Nellore (Dist) A.P. At that time Swamyji used to visit my neighbour's house, very frequently. I had the good fortune of seeing Swamyji from a very close distance. As I was then ignorant of his spiritual power I have never prostrated before him nor have I approached him with a worldly purpose like other people who visited him daily. In 1975 fortunately by the grace of God I had contacted Parama Pujya Sri Acharya Bharadwaja Masterji. I'used to take his darsan regularly once in a week spending twenty rupees for each trip. Inspite of his persuasion for one year, I did not approach Swamyji who was available in our village, Kalichedu, thinking that he was not worth visiting. After one year Sri Bharadwaja Master forced me to test the spiritual power of Swamyji, the God on earth and be devoted to him. He also gave me certain hints for finding out the spiritual powers of Swamyji.

Sri Swamy never allowed any body to touch him except the three specific servants among the twelve servants who usually serve him. He would not receive with his own hands any thing from any one. If the servants placed tobacco on the mat he would take it. So when I went to the Swamy, I prayed to Sai baba "You have demonstrated that you are in all saints. If Sri Venkaiah Swamy is a perfect saint like you, with in ten minutes, he should ask me to massage oil to his feet and take this little Jaggary and pulses (fried Bengal gram) and eat without my asking. Two of his servants would always attend  on Swamy lest the visitors would touch Swamy's feet. Within a few seconds both the servants went out to attend the nature call, leaving the Swamy alone. Merciful Swamy at once stretched his hand asking me "Ayyaa! Will you give me something to eat?" My joy knew no bounds. I made a powder of the pulses and jagary and Swamy took it from my hands and ate it. He also asked me to massage his legs with oil. I massaged not only the feet but also all his body and gave him an oil bath also. From that day on wards I used to visit Swamyji frequently and spend all my leisure time in his august presence. In his blessed presence he used to answer my every unuttered thought and helped my budding faith in him to blossom rapidly.

Whenever I requested Swamy to grace my house, Swamyji used to say, "Not now, we shall see later". In 1977 I have completed the thirteenth parayana of Sri Saileelamrutam on the holy Gurupurnima day. On that day, we were conducting Sri Sai Japa Yagna for twelve hours. We prayed Sainath to grace the function in the form of Sri Venkaiah Swamy. Quite surprisingly he complied with our prayers and came to my house on the Gurupurnima day. He graced my house with his sacred fire and also the house of Sri T.V. Seshagiri Rao where the Japa Yagna was being conducted. Thus Swamyji demonstrated that he was none other than Sri Sainath of Shirdi.

During the devotional reading of Sri Saileelamrutam one night, I had a dream in which I have lost every thing (Property) and resorted to Sri Venkaiah Swamy for help. When Swamy visited my house on the Gurupurnima day he spoke  to me of my previous dream in a veiled language but did not give any details.

On 13-04-1980 I have taken the darsan of Swamy at Talupur village. He gave me a chit stating "The teacher must take Matam".  At that time I could not understand the purport of the statement; But by December 1983, When Swamy commanded me to stay permanently in the Ashramam at Golagamudi, I came to understand the relevance of that blessing given on a piece of paper nearly three years back.

On some other day in my dream, Swamyji directed me, "bum the tree without oil". Whenever I took oil stuff, my Asthma trouble began to flare up. Gradually I was able to understand the meaning of the dream direction and began to avoid oil content in my food and got relief from the chronic disease, Astma.

One day I requested swamy to permit me to stay in his presence for some time and serve him. Sri Swamy told me "You can stay and serve on condition that you should eat your own food". From that day whenever I visited Swamy I cooked my own food and ate.

One day in my dream Sri Sainath ordered me to avoid Chilies, tamarind, and salt in my food. So to follow this direction I had to cook my own food separately. So in the form of Sri Swamy, Sri Sainath made me to follow his direction.

After Swamy's mahasamadhi on 24th August 1982, I did not visit Sri Swamy's Samadhi frequently. In October 1983 I have transgressed the direction of Sri Swamy by taking my food in my friend's house. As a result, from the next moment   I suffered with not only severe asthma, but also cough and terrible chill for a month. All the medical treatments of all systems including Homeopathy failed and the doctors advised me to go to Madras for treatment. Whenever I took any kind of diet whether liquid or solid it flared up my suffering. So I became a skeleton with in this month. Before going to Madras I wanted to stay for three days at Swamy's Samadhi at Golagamudi. Miracle of miracles happened. From the moment I got into the bus to go to Golagamudi, all my troubles vanished like a flash in a magic show. I stayed at Golagamudi for three days and ate well and slept soundly and picked up my normal body weight with in three days and there was life in my eyes and face. On the third night when I packed up my luggage for my departure in the next morning, at once all my previous troubles of astma etc. jumped on my head and I suffered for one and half hours. At the suggestion of Bangaia Nagaiah I vowed Swamy to visit his Samadhi every night after discharging my official duties during daytime and prayed Swamy for his mercy. Within a few seconds all my suffering vanished.

So from that day onwards I used to travel nearly hundred and forty kilometres up and down, daily to take the darsan of Sri swamy at Golagamudi. In this manner daily I traveled for one year. But there was no direction of Swamyji for me to stay away at Kalichedu my native place. So I brought my family also to Golagamudi and continued my up and down daily journey to earn my livelihood. From November third of 1989 Sri Swamy directed me to resign my teacher's job and to be in his service. I did so and I am spending all my time in the blessed service of Bhagawan Sri Venkaiah Swamy.

With the blessings of Sri Swamy and the encouragement and advice of Acharya Shri E. Bharadwaja I have collected the experiences of the devotees with Sri Swamy and got it edited and published by Acharya E. Bharadwaja garu in Telugu language in August 1984 with the title "Avadhuta Leela". This present book in English is purely a translation to the original text in Telugu, Avadhuta Leela, by Acharya Sri E. Bharadwaja garu.

Today, I believe that suffering is also a type of blessing in disguise. Through my suffering I am blessed with his seva at his glorious samadhi mandir that removes the suffering of the mobs with a mere darshan of his samadhi.
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