At the age of twenty, he had the title "mad Venkaiah". He was with a
worn dhovathi above his knees and a torn shirt on his body, and an
earthen pot (muntha) in his hand and a "Y" shaped stick in the other
hand. He used to wander in the lonely places. He would run away from
the sight of young women like a cow runs away at the sight of a tiger.
He used to run in the streets crying aloud "Dhobi yogam, Barbar Yogam,
Dubuduck, Dubuduck". He disappeared from his 'village for a period of
five years. During this period he became a Swamy. After that, for some
time he wandered on the banks of the river Pennar near Somasila and
Penna Badvel with a torn dhothi on his waist above his knees and a
piece of fire lit rope in one hand and a muntha and "Y" shaped stick in
the other hand. He carried a bundle of old rope bits on his head. He
used to wander in the lonely places.
After some time when Chalamanaidu came in to his service he put up a
hut on the hillock near Penna Badvel. He put an oil lamp in it and
Swamyji went on playing his Yekatara (single stringed instrument) day
and night. Chalamanaidu used to bring him biksha from the near by
villages. The farmers from those villages approached Sri Swamy for the
relief of their diseases and also the diseases of the cattle with his
grace. By Swamyji's blessings and the sacred thread and Udhi given by
Sri Swamyji, they were relieved of all such sufferings. He used to tell
the people the ways of getting out of their troubles and solving their
problems, and the method of relief to their unuttered problems
(prasnas) also. But the method was very peculiar. If we approach Swamy
while seeking alliance to our children, Swamy asks to keep a stone for
each alliance. If we keep three or four stones in a row, he will tell
us that the third stone from the right side is good and you can
decide". At times all of them may not be worth consideration. By
experience we will know that Swamy's words were cent percent true.
There is no proof for the failure of Sri Swamy's words. If there is any
such case, the defect would have been in the proper understanding of
the words of 'Sri Swamy and implementation of his directions.
After Penna Badvel, Sri Swamy lived for some years at Eswara temple at
Kotitheertham village. Here, Sri Swamy, with closed eyes used to play
on his yekatara with date sticks in each hand, chanting the Mahamantra,
" Om Narayana Audi Narayana". He had no other work to do except that.
Even when the strings of his yekatara were broken, he could not notice
that. He will go on playing on it chanting the mantra. When he opened
his eyes and saw the broken strings then he stopped beating and would
join the broken strings and again go on playing the yekatara. At times
he used to continue playing the yekatara in front of the burning fire.
Servants like Chalamanaidu used to get him biksha.
After this, he began to wander wearing a long shirt with long hands.
This shirt was full of ink spots. On some shirts t^g size letters Rama
Rama inTelugu script were also written. These shirts were offered to
him by his devotees. He used to Play on his yekatara for some time. In
the rest of the time he "sed to put his thumb impressions on papers and
give these Papers to the devotees saying that they would be very very
valuable in future and that their worth will be in lakhs. (Rupees or
monds or seers we don't know). Even when he was immersed in the thumb
impression work he kept on the fire burning incessantly. Every day he
was in need of reams of papers and pots of ink. The devotees who were
benifitted by Sri Swamy used to supply him bags of news papers as well
as white papers and ink tablets.
After some years he reduced the thumb impression work and he used to
spend most of the time in silence before the sacred fire. He tried to
raise very big flames by offering cart "loads of fire wood into the
fire. Sitting before the fire, day and night, he used to speak some
mysterious words from which we can not make out any thing. At times he
dictated such words and asked his servants to write those things on
paper and gave these papers to the devotees. He used to bum three or
four cart loads of fire wood in a day. At certain places people thought
it to be difficult to maintain Swamy as there was scarcity of fire
wood. But even there by the grace of Swamy they were able to secure the
required fire wood.
How hot the sun may be or how cold the weather may be, how much pouring
the rain may be, he never got up from the sacred fire. He never got up
from his sacred fire until he completed his accounts. No body knew what
that account was. At times it may be one day, the other time it may be
four days or half a day. We could not say the duration for his
accounting. During such periods he will neither take food and drink nor
attend nature's calls for days together. In these areas there is a term
called "Venkaiah Swamy pandal". At 10 AM he will put up a pole in the
earth and get a palmyrah leaf tied to the pole, so that the sun rays
might not fall on him. Even when the Sun went up and the shadow moved a
long distance, he would neither move aside nor speak to us. He will be
speaking to himself and counting some thing within himself with the
help of his fingers and raising his voice now and then, just like a
real dialogue.
Once Sri Swamy came to Golagamudi and kept his sacred fire burning
continuously for eight years, day and night. Daily he used to offer
four or five cart loads of fire wood to his sacred fire.
Mopur Dasaiah, Venkataiah and some others used to cut down the trees in
the near by forest. Ramanaiah the owner of a buffalo cart used to bring
the fire wood from the forest in his cart. Even today, this Ramanaiah
is in the service of Sri Swamy at Golagamudi. During day time Sri Swamy
also went to the forest with them and spent some time there. Here Sri
Swamy used to wander alone at a certain distance from his servants. For
some years Sri Swamy used to show them particular trees for cutting.
After some years one day Sri Swamy gave them full permission to cut any
tree of their own choice. Due to this continuous sacred fire for eight
years, all most all the forest near Golagamudi was cut down. "All this
place will turn out to be fields. There will be a village here m
future, and we can not get even a little place here said Swamy. To day
all these words became true. Now there came up a beautiful Samadhi
Mandhir at the place where Sri Swamy had his sacred fire for eight
years.
After some years, Sri Swamy once again started his wanderings. There
was no regular programme for Sri Swamy's wanderings. He moved
from place to place as per his will. During 1960-65 Sri Swamy's legs
were affected with a disease. He could not stretch his legs. The knee
joints of both the legs were clamped tightly. Swamy refused the request
of the devotees to take Medicine to get his legs cured. Sri Swamy said
"In the previous births I have broken the legs of a cow. So I must
suffer the fruits of that sin and get relieved of that bad (evil deed)
karma". Now Swamy used to sit at a place as he could not walk or move.
One day he asked Rosireddy "please take me on a palmyrah leaf for some
distance". He did so. After that, Rosireddy used to pull Sri Swamy
sitting "on a palmyrah leaf even up to Nellore which is at a distance
of eight KM. At times when the palmyrah leaf fell in a pit Sri Swamy
was left over on the ground. Rosi reddy would notice that, only after
go'.ng a few yards away. He used to pull the palmyrah leaf as if in a
trance, unmindful of the surroundings. So he could not observe Sri
Swamy slipping down the palmyrah leaf. He would come back, and keeping
Sri Swamy on the leaf he continued their journey. Yeepuru Sundararami
Reddy of Talupur village offered Sri Swamy a small cart with four
wheels of six inches height. (Just like the small cart used by the
lepers). He used to travel from village to village on that can. The
servants used to drag the cart where ever Sri Swamy wanted to go. It
was a very very trouble some and difficult journey. Due to the uneven
roads, the body of Sri Swamy was terribly shaken and gave him a lot of
muscular pain. Some intelligent devotees suggested the method of
carrying Sri Swamy in a doli, which could be carried by two people.
Doli was very very comfortable to Sri Swamy and very light and was easy
for the servants to carry. Till the end, Sri Swamy used the doli for
his journey. In long journeys he traveled in buses and trains also. He
used the doli from the bus stand to the destination. He visited
Nellore, Podalakur, Chittepalem, Pennabadvel, Kulluru, Mudigedu,
Degapudi, Talupur, Cherlopalli, Kalichedu, Siddalaiah hill, Tirupati,
Kanchi, Tiruvalluru, Rajapadmapuram, Tiruvalangedu, Penchalakona,
Gonupalli, Dachuru, Sangam, Penuburthy (near Nellore) Mypadu,
Indukurpet, Golagamudi etc. and some other places.
When Sri Swamy was a wandering saint, many people tried to follow him
and find out what he would do in the forest. If he scented that some
body was following him, he would walk hither and thither in a
crisscross way along the thorny places. The followers could not walk on
the thorns. So they ran back.
He never brushed his teeth or washed his mouth. He will spit out the
chewing tobacco, drink the gruel in a palmyrah leaf plate (Reka or dome)
Sri Swamy the Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent spirit, kept his
fame and occult powers hidden very secretly. His methods of
accomplishing the things were always very rare and not in the range of
human intelligence. As he was the soul dwelling universal spirit, in
all the things he accomplished the work with in the individual. I (the
author) had an excellent experience with Sri Swamy even in the first
meeting. As per the advise of Acharya E. Bharadwaja I prayed in my mind
"Swamy if you are God on the earth, even ^thout my asking, you should
take the jagary and the gram snd allow me to massage oil to your feet.
If you do this with in five minutes I will believe Sri Bharadwaja's
words that you are God on earth". The merciful Swamy fulfilled my two
conditions. Henceforth I became his staunch devotee. With in a few
days, I collected a number of experiences from the devotees around him
and put them on paper. They were all very strange (miraculous)
experiences. In that thrilling mood inspite of the warnings of mother
Tulasamma, I became a Haridas near Swamy and began to narrate all the
material with me, to the new comers. One day Sri Swamy shut my mouth in
a very very amazing way. On that day Sri Swamy said "why do you speak
as you like". Actually I did not open my mouth for the last one hour.
We were the only two , people there. He did not answer any of my
questions after this comment. He spoke to me in my bosom. It was only a
comment on my narration to the visitors. So I kept silent there after.
In the same way Sri Swamy used to tell a native of Golagamudi "Ayya!
people speak stories and stories about me. Is it not a fault?"
To (Tulasamma) "Amma! those people have opened the bags and are lifting
them in carts and distributing. Is it not bad? You tell them not to do
so". On the advise of Sri Bharadwaja, M.Venkata Rao wanted to publish
Swamy's life history in Telugu while Swamy was in flesh and blood. The
book was edited by Bharadwaja garu. Before printing Makani Venkatarao
got the divine message of Swamy that it
was not edited properly (This is only his view). So he did not print it.
Thus Sri Swamy kept his fame and power strictly confidential. It was
only Bharadwaja garu the Atmagnani of our district who ventured to
violate this direction of Swamyji. Sri Bharadwaja garu was the first
spiritual stalwart in the country who preached the greatness of Swamy
with his photos while Swamy was in flesh and blood. He published a four
page articles both in English and Telugu in the Souvenir released on
the occasion of the inauguration of the Saibaba temple at Vidyanagar.
Thustill 1984, that is two years after Mahasamadhi, Sri Swamy was
behind the curtains and he himself came out on 14-8-1984.
Now he dragged me to his lotus feet and through me, he got his first
life history in Telugu released by Acharya Sri. E. Bharadwaja. Name of
the book in Telugu is Avadhuta Leela.
In order to keep his spiritual powers and fame in secret he acted more
than a Natasamrat. He used kotlu, Manugulu, Padagalu, Mashanalu, Patala
loka, Vajra karus like words in his dictations of blessings. He will be
shouting meaningless words when there was nobody to hear. He asks to
pour water to put off the fire, where there is no fire at all. He shows
earth and dung cakes and says "this is all gold". Once he showed the
flames of a house on fire and went on saying "that is all gold". Such
of his actions made the strangers and thedoubting devotees, at times to
mistake him for a lunatic. People avoided crowding around him till Maha
Samadhi.
He would have his shave when ever he had a whim. When all people gave
0.50 paise for the barber, he used to give one or two rupees. After
1980, he used to have a clean head-shave (gundu) also. Among his
devotees Barigala Nagaiah used to do this service to Sri Swamy. In the
photos of earlier period when he was young we see him with mustache and
long hair.
From, one year before Maha Samadhi he closed his both palms tightly and
would not to open his fist. Even during the times of ill health he
never passed urine or stool on his bed. Rosireddy, a great devotee used
to drink Swamy's urine not leaving even a single drop. So his body
became Amrutamayam filled with heavenly nectar. He never tasIS medicine
till his death.
This Rosireddy lost his eye-sight and did not take food except
liquid diet - Sugar water. He never left his sacred duty and Guru's
order of bringing bhiksha food from the village of Anekepalli, till his
last breath in 1985.
While devoted servants served Swamy, Rosireddy served those servants of
Swamy. In this manner his unflinching faith was his strength. Sri Swamy
had no definite or fixed regular routine activities. At times, for two
or three nights and days he continued shouting loudly "stop the cart,
stop theq cart" or some such meaningless words, and sat completely
immersed in Brahmananda". what ever he utters, one of his servants must
repeat it with the same intonation and pitch of the voice. Whenever
they repeated in a low voice he asked them to say aloud. When he slept
for one or two days he will be lying on his asana without any movement
of the body. Ignorant people thought that, due to old age Sri Swamy was
lying like that and he would not be on earth for a longer period. But
they do not know that he is immersed in Brahmananda. or Nirvi kalpa
Samadhi. I can defmetly prove that it is Nirvikalpa Samadhi or
Savikalpa Samadhi because I saw him responding to the unuttered
thoughts of real devotees in the middle of that spell of three days or
five days. For example, once in 1978 Sri Swamy was lying in such yoga
sleep from the previous evening. I (author) went for Swamy's darsan at
3 P.M. No sooner did I go there than Sri Swamy removed his bed sheet
from his face and sat erect and got his blessings written on a piece of
paper and gave that paper to me and once again he covered his bed sheet
and lay on his bed. He did not respond to the repeated requests of his
servants to take his usual gruel or water because he was on fasting for
the last twenty four hours. With in a few minutes a messenger came for
me with the news that my great grand mother was about to die in an
hour. I took the pada theertha of Swamy preseved by his servants and
went home. My great grand mother took his pada theertha and Udhi and
shed off her physical body. She did not open her mouth after drinking
pada theertham. We tried to give her medicine but in vain. In the last
days, for one year, due to her body pains she used to chant the holy
name of Sainath day and night non stop. So in the form of Sri Swamy
Sainath gave liberation or Moksha to her spirit.
In the above instance though Sri Swamy was sleeping, his sleep is not
like that of our sleep. Even in that state, he knew that I was coming
on foot from three miles. He also knew that with in a few hours my
great grand mother was going to die. He also knew that a man was coming
to take me from Sri Swamy . He also knew her devotion and his
responsibility to liberate her spirit by giving his blessings and patha
theertha in time. So he at once got up from his bed and after giving
the blessings on a piece of paper he continued his yoga sleep, even
without taking his gmel inspite of the requests of his servants.
"A real yogi has no day and night" says Sastras. How aptly this
statement is suited in the case of Sri Swamy.
On another occasion, Sri Swamy blessed and gave darshan to a lady
devotee from Kavali in the middle of his Yogic sleep of three days. I
had been an eye witness for that. Once it was the third day of his
yogic sleep. One poor woman devotee came for Swamy's darshan as per the
advise of Sri Bharadwaja garu. But on the way she got the information
that he was in bed and there was no darsan. Her grief knew no bounds.
Some how she came to Golagamudi. By the time she came SJwamyji took his
bath and put on white clothes and was sitting on a white bed with
smiles. After ten minutes darsan, he once again went into sleep with
out taking any food. There are many such instances.
In his earlier days people were dumb struck on seeing his dispassion
(vyragya). If we offer him laddu when he was hungry, he will accept it
but would mix a little chilly powder and eat. Occasionally Sri Swamy
used to ask for jageri. He would chew a little of it. Rosireddy
prepared a mixture of I horse gram pulses, jagery, dried coconut etc.
made into a powder and kept ready with in Sri Swamy's reach. Sri Swamy
would take it and chew whenever he wanted. One day the servants by
mistake kept a tin containing Shikakai a kind of powder used for the
oil bath (head-bath). It will be bitter to taste. But the tin was empty
by the morning. When he swallowed a glass of Chilly powder; this powder
is after all nothing for him.
Quite strangely, at times, he would not eat certain things. One day
Guravaiah gave raw garlic made into a paste. Sri Swamy at once spit it
out, as soon as it touched his palate. He did not drink cold water for
the last fifteen years. When ever he asks, we have to supply boiling
watermixed with sugar. He never allowed others to touch his body or his
feet except one or two of his selected servants. He never allowed
people to worship him or take Pradakshinas (Circumambulations) around
him. If they want to do Circumambulations he used to say "only one is
enough".
Palmyrah leaf was his seat or throne, earthen pot was his golden
vessel. Gunny bag was his bed. The bare earth was his cradle. Ragi
gruel, garlic chutney, chilly powder were his daintiest dishes. Tom
clothes were his silk and velvet clothes(Pattu peetambaras). What a
great dispassion!
All through his life, even before the time when he was considered as a
mad man or after that event, till the end, he never commented on any
body, either good or bad comments. In the same way he never praised any
body. "Na abhinandhati Na dwesti". He had no likes and dislikes. Even
though the servants around him were always immersed in worldly talk and
finding fault with others, he never asked them why they behaved in that
way or that was not the proper conduct.
He never asked for any curry or ordered in advance to prepare any such
dish of his choice. What ever Allah gave him for the day, he took it as
God's prasadam with great relish ^d satisfaction. When there was no
gruel and he was served some sweets, he mixed some chilly powder and
killed its taste ^d ate. He never advised or commanded any work to be
done in a particular fashion. With out minding the external situations
and conditions, striving on towards the goal was the only aim of Sri
Swamy. He never cared for the heat of the sun or the cold of the rain
or the chill of the wind while conducting the perpetual fire.
Mr. Devudia Venkataiah describes Sri Swamy's method of eating food.
Rice must be served in the leaf plate in full quantity. Leaving a
little in the middle, he will make a wall or a bund with rice around
the edge of the leaf plate. He will eat that little portion left in the
middle and then if served for the second time he will finish the meal
with butter milk or rasam. The rice kept like a bund at the edge of the
leaf plate was brushed aside on all the sides with his finger tips.
When he was eating rice and solid food he wanted three leaf plates full
of rice for each meal. The entire thing was not for his consumption.
More over, we should not serve him with a spoon or "hastam". We must
bring the rice in a basin and the basin must be inverted in his leaf
plate, so that all the rice would fall on the leaf plate like a heap.
He will touch the rice with his ink smeared palm and give that rice to
the host as prasadam. We must serve him in the same fashion second time
also. He will make the rice into small morsels and arrange them around
the edge of the leaf plate. At times he will arrange a second row of
small lumps of rice around the leaf plate. Then he took the rest of the
rice. Usually he never asked for the second round of eating. Some
people say that he never allowed others to remove the leaf plate after
his meal. He him self threw it away with the left over
portions.
He will not eat in anybody's presence. He will ask
us to leave him alone while taking his food. So even when he took gruel
some such curtain like arrangements were usually made.
At times he will ask "Ayya ! give me a little savoury and chilly
powder. If we give chilies, salt and garlic he will mix the three in
his palm adding some water and mix it in the rice and eat. During the
times of stomach disorders he asks for a Karivepaku coriander and
garlic mixture.
One day he ordered his men to cook food. They prepared it and served
Sri Swamy. Then Swamy touched his head with his palm and then the rice
heap in the leaf plate. He repeated it thrice. But he did not eat even
a little. He gave it to a devotee and asked him to distribute it to
all. He also said that they will get rid of the diseases by taking that
prasadam. This order was carried out.
At certain times he would ask "give me urgently betal and nut". He
would keep on asking for them till they are given. He will eat it. "Add
a little more Chunam and give me some more", he would say. But he will
finish the first given lump. Next time if given with a little more
chunam. "Ma! eat, eat, Ma eat. It is good to eat Ma eat" says he as if
he was asking some invisible person. After some time he will ask "Ayya
ask her to go, I will see every thing".
How can we know who that invisible person or spirit is?
In Anjaneya temple, one day, he asked to stop singing the tatvalu and
he asked them to repeat the Mantra "Om Narayana Audi Narayana" as he
went on saying the mantra. He did it for a long time. During the
period when he was taking only the gruel, he would ask for some boiled
garlic and fried garlic. He chewed them with the gruel.
This serving of gruel was entrusted to Rosireddy. One day he went for
fire wood. Some other servants offered the gruel to Sri Swamy . Sri
Swamy refused. In the mean time Rosireddy came from the forest and as
usual he was mixing the gruel to serve Sri Swamy. The servants
obstructed him saying, "just now Sri Swamy refused the gruel. Why
should you serve him again?" He did not give up his attempt and offered
the gruel to Swamiji. At once Sri Swamy said "As *you have brought it,
I will drink". He drank the whole lot without any hesitation. The
servants should not change their duties without the permission of Sri
Swamy. That is the secret.
While Sri Swamy was taking solid food, Rosireddy was entrusted with
bringing bhiksha and, serving the food to Sri Swamy. One day a servant
wanted to do that service to Sri Swamy and asked Rosireddy to stay
away. That servant brought food and asked Sri Swamy to come and eat.
Sri Swamy put it there. But Sri Swamy did not eat. After a few minutes
he called for Rosireddy and said in a furious tone "Serve, if you want
to serve. Other wise drag me out of the ashram". From that day onwards
no servant came forward to prevent Reddy from doing that service.
One day Sri Swamy ordered Rosireddy "Go and drink water twice with your
right palm". He did so. From that day his thirst for water disappeared.
Generally when the servants adjusted the fuel in the sacred fire Sri
Swamy did not object. But at times, he
will
not allow any body to come near the fire. Tulasamma used to offer some
incense both morning and evening and offer her respects (Namaskar) to
the fire. One day Sri Swamy kept his arm across the fire and did not
allow her to come near. Most probably at that time some unseen seers,
and rishis or some Gods might be present at the sacred fire . One day
Rosireddy tried to adjust the fire wood. Sri Swamy shouted "Abbo, abbo
can we touch now?"
At times he speaks very humorously. Swamy:- Ayya! are there sufficient
logs of wood? Servant:- There are enough of them, Swamy! Swamy:- If so,
no worry.
He cried some jumbling words which we can not make out any sense.
Servant:- Why do you shout Swamy! Swamy:- I did not shout Swamy!
When Sri Swamy addressed the servant "Swamy" all the others laughed
aloud.
At times he used to put some wet shurbs in the fire. To make them bum,
he would put some hay on them and go on laughing aloud. When the
servants asked the reason for his laughing, Swamy used to say "The wet
shurbs are fighting Ayya!"
One day Sri Swamy was sitting on the ground near his sacred fire. A
stranger who never knew Sri Swamy, came near Swamy to light his beedi.
On seeing the Yekatara etc., he hesitated to take the ember fron the
dhuni. But he was anxious to light his beedi. At once merc'fal Swamy
said "Ayya! you want to light your beedi, then light it". All the
servants wondered on hearing those words. In those days he never
allowed any body to touch a single stick from his fire. From the above
situation it is clear that he responds according to the feelings of
others.
Daily in the evening Sri Swamy distributed all the money he received,
to his servants. He never kept any balance with him for the next day.
During festival season all the sweets and other dishes that were
offered to him were distributed among the visitors and his servants.
Dasaiah, Ramanaiah, Rosireddy and some others were doing more work than
the others. So he kept aside some of the sweets and gave them
separately. Rosireddy used to sit awake along with Sri Swamy all
through the night; At mid night, Sri Swamy called Rosireddy and gave
him the sweets hidden under his mat and asked him "Ayya go to the
back side of the house and eat them".
At the time of Maha Samadhi Sri Swamy's age would not be less than
hundred years and above. During the last twelve years he lived only on
liquid diet. But we could not find on his body the symptoms of old age;
that is wrinkles on his skin. His skin was always attached to his bones
with smooth texture and bright twinkling shades. The enlightened souls
like Acharya E. Bharadwaja at once recognised Swamy as a great Yogi and
that, that was the yogic skin.
The serenity and profundity were quite conspicuous in his eyes. The
shining and glittering eyes are natural ornaments for that
Mahatma.' During the last days Guravaiah used to sit awake
near Sri Swamy's head day and night. He used to repeat the same sounds
spoken out by Sri Swamy. Sri Swamy used to hold his pillow under his
head and and kept on gazing at the sky and lie on the bed, motionless.
During those rare periods, Guravaiah sat motionless with his eyes on
Swamy's face and enjoyed an eternal bliss, he had no desire to leave
Sri Swamy.
Guravaiah says that in such moments he experienced a "light" flowing
from Swamy's body into his body.
From three years before Mahasamadhi Sri Swamy was always in Samadhi
nishta. So when we arranged a cotton bed, he did not object. He even
pulled Guravaih and made him to sit on his bed.
BED OF SRI SWAMY:- They spread a date mat on the hay, which was spread
on the floor. A palmyrah leaf was placed on the mat. Then it was
covered with a gunny bag. That was Swamy's bed.
Vakkamma collected some husk, while doing the namajapa. Servants made a
bed with that husk. Sri Swamy accepted it.
After that, they used cotton stuffed beds. When ever Sri Swamy went to
a village he stayed there for a day or two and moved to other place or
to some other place in the same village.
Servant:- Swamy! when you leave the world, who is to look after us?
Swamy:- Ayya, where do I go?
I will be here till the ( sun and the moon exist. Please note,
"Venkaiah is in all the creatures".
From the day before Mahasamadhi Sri Swamy was continuously shouting
"Sampannathwam, Sadfiaranathwam, Sadguru seva." Perhaps that might be
his sacred advice to his devotees.
One day Sri Swamy was in Narayanadas Ashram at Talupur.
Swamy:- Ayya which village is this?
Servant:- Is it not Talupur, Swamy? /
Swamy:- Alright OK.
Geetha:- Natatbhasayathe suryo nasasanko napaakaha
yadgatwa nanivartante thadhama paramam
mama
So, Sri Swamy was in that state which could not be brightened by the
Sun and Moon and Agni and after obtaining
that state, the man will never return again into the state of ignorance.
One day Sri Swamy said. Even in future, all of you continue to do the
same services which you are doing now. I am present in those services.
Some days prior to Mahasamadhi. Sri Swamy counted all the coad pieces ,
bed sheets and towels and gave them to Guravaiah and asked him
''preserve all these with great care." At times Sri Swamy would be
sitting before his sacred fire day and night for days together without
food and water. Even though he was awake he will not be in our
consciousness. He would ask "which place is this?" His ignorant
servants laughed at him and said "Is it not Talupur village Swamy?"
At another time, it was ten o* clock in the night. The kerosene
lanterns were glowing bright in the dark background. Sri Swamy asked
"Is it day or night Ayya?"
The ignorant servants not knowing his state, laughed about that (his
state, unable to know whether it was day time ornighttime.) They could
not understand that it was the highest state of existence named
"Nirvikalpa Samadhi" Eventhough-he was with wide open eyes, he was not
in our Mundane world. The above two situations were witnessed by me.
Sri Swamy was in such a great state. From three years before
Mahasamadhi. on the advice of a doctor, he was given arrow root-biscuit
powder, sugar mixed in very hot milk. Even in his last days, tremendous
control over his palate could be seen clearly. At times he drinks all
the gruel without sparing a drop. At other times he takes the gruel
leaving out the thick liquid at the end. Generally that thick liquid
was more tastier than the rest because most of the insoluble sugar and
biscuit powder will be in it. we the normal people, will generally like
to eat it with great relish. But Sri Swamy, inspite of pressures and
persuasions, will never take a drop or touch it. He will simply throw
it on the floor. He, being the kingliest of yogis, alone knew the exact
minimum quantity of his diet (not a drop less nor more) he takes.
By 1978 he was unable to walk. So he collected his urine in an earthen
pot (muntha) and the servants removed it. During the last four years
Rosireddy used to drink all that urine of Sri Swamy as his invaluable
prasad, not leaving even a drop. So his body was amrutamayam (full of
amrutam).
If Swamy wants to go for stools, we have to carry him in a doli to a
perfect lonely place not previously infested or used by the people. The
servants spread hay or leaves on the ground and spread a mat on it and
placed Sri Swamy on the bed and went away from his sight. Then he
passes his stool. If the servant pours water he will wash and come back
to the venue and immediately, and inevitably, he takes a bath. Nearly
one year before Mahasamadhi he was completely immersed jn a deep
Nirvikalpa Samadhi for days together. At such times only, he passed
urine and stool on his bed it self. The servants washed the body and
changed the bed without his knowledge.
If the heat of the water for his bath was a degree (centigrade) less he
will cry aloud "chill, chill, chill". If the temperature is a degree
(centigrade) higher, he would cry "Abba Abba". If the water was of
correct temperature "Addi, •Addi, Addi, (yes, yes, yes) aha, aha says
Swamyji. At times while we were washing his body he went into his
samadhi state. At such times the servants would finish his bath
abruptly and dry his body with towels, change the coad piece and carry
him on hands and keep him in lying position on the fresh bed prepared
by some other servants. The water from his coad piece was taken as his
Pathatheertha by the devotees. Some people used that water of the coad
piece for their eye and other diseases. When Sri Swamy was in our
consciousness he did not allow the use of soap for his bath. So they
used shikai powder and Manga Chekka powder, Bengal gram powder to clean
his body. He never cared for the quality of the powders. Only during
the last days, as he was in Samadhi state, the servants used Mysore
sandal soap for his bath.
At times when he is in our consciousness he asked us to massage his
body with gingily oil. As per the strong desires of his true devotees,
at such times, now and then they were given the opportunity to touch
his body, that too with his permission. At certain times with a pretext
to remove a thorn in his foot, he will give his foot to such devotees
who have been longing very much to touch his sacred body. No body
except one or two was allowed to touch his body, even among his retinue
of servants.
In the months of December, January and February the atmosphere will be
full of mist and fog during night. At. that time Sri Swamy will always
be suffering with cold. So some of the servants would put up a pandal
over his fire place. At once he would leave the pandal and change tlie
venue to an open air place in the fog and mist. During some seasons
there will be a great trouble of mosquitoes. When they bite, he would
say "Ayya! police people are poking a lot. Ayya scratch a little. His
body was scratched with a comb. To protect the Swamy from the mosquito
bite, devotees put up a mosquito net. Immediately Sri Swamy pulled it
down and threw it in the dust. Only in the last days of his life a year
before his Mahasamadhi, the devotees succeed in their attempt to set up
a mosquito net to Swamy's body. These two acts bring to our mind the
leelas of Sri Saibaba.
Usually Sri Swamy ordered that they should be at a distance of five
feet from him. But during the winter all the servants slept very near
to Swamy around his sacred fire for the sake of the comfortable warmth
from the chill wind around them. Sri Swamy never objected them in such
odd times.
One day Sri Swamy said " To day no body should talk.
We must go for the sea bath. We must take Vakkamma with us."
But on that day Sri Swamy did not go for sea bath. So nobody could
understand the real significance of these words. But on that day
Vakkamma had a dream in which she took a sea bath along with Sri
Swamyji. To indicate them that Vakkamma's dream was not a casual one
and that Sri Swamy 'himself was gracing her with that sacred
experience, might be the intention of Sri Swamy in saying about the sea
bath on the previous day. No body had requested for the reason why Sri
Swamy advised them to observe silence on that day.