GURU SMARANA

My father Ekkirala Ananthacharya was well versed in vedas, yogas, ayurveda, and astrology. My elder brother Sriman Krishnamacharya also was a replica of my father in those fields. In 1957 it was decided to conduct Upanayanam for me. Due to the regard towards my father, some of the well versed astrologers at Vijayawada decided an auspicious time for that function. By the time my brother reached Vijayawada from Guntur, his second son who was very very dear to me suffered sunstroke. Exactly at the time of my Upanayanam the boy expired. With that, the spiritual power of my father as well as my brother, and the power of auspicious time of the astrologers seemed to be meaningless to me as those powers failed to save the life of that boy. In fact the very existence of God and spirituality became a matter of doubt for me. With the greatest zeal, up to 1961, I have read so many books. I thought deeply on that issue. I have discussed with so many people. I have given up that effort with disappointment and began to think deeply, daily. All of a sudden, one day I got a collaboration of my thoughts. There was immense peace in my brain. If every thing went on, according to the will of god there was no place for my effort, for my spiritual elevation. If not so, if I have to lift up my self, there is no part of God in it. These thoughts were barriers to my progress.

In that state, without prethinking, I went to Shirdi with my second brother, just as his companion on February 8th 1963.I had a wonderful experience there. With that, I was convinced that there would be a lot of spiritual good by seeing  Mahatmas. I decided to get the blessings of the famous living saints by seeing them in my life. Sri Shirdi Sainath, who is an ever-living spirit, favoured me with a lot of such opportunities. Sri Rangannababu garu of Guntur, Mother Anandamayee, the recluse saint of Chivatam, Pakalapati Guruvu garu, Rakhadi baba, Sankaracharya of Kanchi, Mother Anasuya of Paradsinga and the saints who lived at Cheerala, Sreekalahasthi, Cuddaph etc., are some of the saints whom I could visit with the grace of Sainath. In the presence of these saints when I think of Sainath who is one with all saints, I got their special blessings. I have experienced Sri Sainath's grace in other ways also. Lot of spiritual books, which are Very rare to get, came to my hand and they are reforming my thinking process and ideas. Bhagawan Sri Venkaiah Swamy was one such saint whom I have seen. 

In these trips, even though I have visited so many Ashramas and Temples, I never got the permanent peace, which I got at Shirdi. In 1969 I joined at Vidyanagar, Nellore District A.P., India, as an English lecturer as per the directions of Sri Sainath. There was Satsang in my house from 1972. All the people who were participating in the Satsang were experien-cing the grace of Sri Sainath in many ways.

One day I said, " I am quite sure if all of us did Satsang and bhajan wholeheartedly, every one of us will surely get the darsan and blessings of Sidda purush. In this context, I will tell you an instance, how Baba gave that to us,

It was 1971, Sivaratri day. I have started for the darsan of Mummidivaram Balayogi and got down at Guntur to see Ranganna babu garu (a saint) and wanted to bring him to Vidyanagar. On hearing my request Babu garu said " I can come only after taking the permission from my Guru Kodanda-Ramaswamy. But he will not accept so easily. So many times, many people came to take me to Hyderabad and Madras. But Sree Rama did not permit". When I started from Mummidivaram I prayed " Sai! You are present in all saints and satpurushas. So with your grace Babugaru should accept to come to Vidyanagar". In the return journey when I saw Babu garu he said "AYYA! Sri Kodanda Ramaswamy permitted me to go". He also said "Ranganna! The children at Vidyanagar are conducting Bhajans with devotion. So you may go to see them and come back". He came to Vidyanagar along with me and stayed there for three days and blessed all of us. He came to the plot which I have purchased and told that a beautiful Mandir will come up there and also an Ashramam. On the third day he went to Guntur. As for his blessings there came up a SaiBaba temple at Vidyanagar miraculously.

On sivaratri day in 1975, after finishing my daily worship, it occurred to me to see Bhagawan Sri Venkaiah Swamy at Golagamudi village. I requested my student and a devotee of Sri Swamy, Chi RamakrishnaReddy, to accompany me. Ramakrishna said "we must enquire before hand, whether Sri Swamyji is at Golagamudi or not because he would be visiting neighbouring villages also. Exactly at 8-30 A.M., I offered incense sticks (bathis) to Sri Sai and prayed before starting “Sai you are in the form of all saints. I am going for your darsan in the form of Sri Venkaiah Swamy, kindly bless me with his august presence and blessings." Nearly at 10 O'clock we caught the Golagamudi bus and got in to it. In that bus Chi. Ramakrishna Reddy recognised a sadhu who was   holding theEka-tara of Sri Swamy and enquiredjbrSri Swamy. That sadhu said "four days back sri Swamy came to Nellore and stayed at Datta Mutt. At the begining, he promised to stay there for ten days. So the firewood for his sacred fire was also kept ready by the devotees. But to day at 8-30 A.M. suddenly he wanted to go to Golagamudi at once. So he was sent to Golagamudi in a Tonga (Horse drawn can). He would have reached Golagamudi half an hour back." within a few minutes we were in his presence. As it was a surprise visit, no body came there for Sri Swamy's darsan. Chi Ramakrishna Reddy and myself spent six hours very very peacefully in his presence. Sri Swamy blessed greatly both of us and also the Satsapg at Vidyanagar.

Sri Sai is a complete incarnation of Sri Datta. So I Hope that Sri Sai proved to me that Sri Swamy was also his own form. Now and then I took the darsan of Sri Swamy and in the same way all the members of our Salsang visited Sri Swamyji.

<< PREVIOUS

HOME

CONTENTS

NEXT >>