Oh! AMMA, THOU are the very moving earth,
This little self longing for you, beseech you to be closer
THY all pervasive being shall seep into my core,
To share its joy, equally contain its grief and sorrow.
AMMA, you shall ring in my music, echo in its melody
Me placing total unflinching faith in THY word,
Thy prop and path setting my life course always,
THOU ever dwell in my abode and in nearness to me.
AMMA, your very move shall cause my living modes,
THY tales of mercy shall dispose of my world evenly
THY benign look shall pulsate in my very breath,
THY rare detached disdain too shall cause me to renounce my outlook.
THY ever indulgent bounteous offerings to the needy
Never deemed as alms, but the very empathetic sharing
One’s given lot with those less provided for as their
Entitlement and empowerment endowing a rare dignity;
Elevating the very process of giving and receiving
Uplifting both the giver and recipient in bonds of
Well meaning togetherness and vibrant fellowship
Thus, prompting sharing ever in touching togetherness.
AMMA, THY sublime modes, traits of living
That are exemplary for this little self, equally for
All others shall prompt me always in my conduct,
Guide my deeper quest of the timeless truth
Shall ring in my voice, find vent in my lyrics, and echo
In their melodies; ever move in my breath,
Thus THY uncommon being with and within
Me here in my brief sojourn on this earth.
Brother Raju in his metaphysical speculations perceived AMMA as the very earth in its embodied human form as the manifest motherhood of all that exists including the living and the so-called inert. For, in the true sense, as decreed by AMMA, there is nothing inert, as every substance and all matter is imbued with life force though imperceptible in some cases deemed as inert. Scientific inquiry confirmed this stance by virtue of the atom and molecular structure of matter.
Doubtless AMMA too perceived the self as mother earth and pronounced that “Earth verily is the deity that deserves our worship” (“Avani Aradhya Daivam”) in HER very childhood, by virtue of the earth’s forbearance, unremitting generosity yielding everything regardless of the treatment meted out to her by the humans.
Drawing from these premises, Brother Raju moves further addressing AMMA as the very earth and prays for the nearness of AMMA for him within and without.
To begin with, AMMA pronounced that HER very life is the message for one and all. There is little else to be expounded and AMMA never gave any discourses. Here, Brother Raju prays AMMA to be near to him. Get into his very core to share his little joys of life and contain his woes, pains and privations.
AMMA shall ring in his voice, be the sonorous sound in his song and echo in its melodies. AMMA’S word shall be his dictum and he shall abide by the same implicitly. AMMA’S ways shall cause his lifestyle and set his life mode. AMMA’S being shall pulsate in his life breath in its inhalations and exhalations. Thus his life and living are saturated with AMMA and her being, the very presence. Such is the intense devotional longing expressed here.
Every move and act of AMMA shall guide him and set the life course. AMMA’S merciful looks shall impact his very life breath. As the arbiter of the triple process of creation that includes sustenance and destruction too, AMMA’S rare detached disdain shall cause him renounced outlook towards worldly concerns.
AMMA has always been generous with HER belongings including personal ornaments, clothes at times, even ignoring her personal needs.
Yet AMMA never viewed such generosity as doling out alms but sharing with caring concern towards others. AMMA harped upon empathetic sharing, granting entitlement, and empowerment to the recipients whoever they are and whatever be the things being given or needs met.
Such touching concern, empathetic identification with the needy elevated the whole process of giving others. Both the giver and the recipient are exalted in such a process and such interaction. In the true sense giving, sharing with others is enriching oneself for the future. Brother Raju stresses on this aspect of sharing in mutual concern and well meaning togetherness.
Thus reflecting on AMMA’S life and its facts Brother Raju draws the lessons for the fraternity and fellowship which ought to be followed. He highlights and focuses on the glorious example set by AMMA for mankind.
While portraying AMMA’S exemplary conduct and uncommon traits, he assures that his lifestyle and life course shall be set accordingly. Indirectly, urging the fellow men to be guided by the radiant life and glorious example set by AMMA not being distracted in verbal expressions.
Having stated the foregoing. Brother Raju completes this lyric with the comforting and confirmatory assurance that his word and deed shall follow AMMA and her being in essence. AMMA’S word shall be his guide, AMMA’S says shall ring in his songs, echo in their melody.
His deeper quest after truth shall be prompted by AMMA and his very life breath shall pulsate with AMMA, HER uncommon being and peerless presence in his brief sojourn on earth, which is but a total, abject surrender and complete offering to AMMA, with holding little for himself. Brother Raju’s life truly is an uncommon realistic tale of devotion, surrender and submission. All his lyrics resound AMMA’S thought and truth.
(Adapted from the Song No.38, “DHARAVE KADALI RAMMA” of ‘ANUBHAVA SARAM’ by Brother Mannava Butchi Raju Sarma; also acknowledge the work ‘LO CHOOPU’ by Brothers A.V.R.Subramaniam and Ravuri Prasad.)