As is well known to all of us, AMMA mostly stayed at Jillellamudi entering the sanctum of ANASUYA SWARALAYAM on the 14th of June 1985. Till this moment, AMMA gave audience to HER countless endearing children, who eagerly reached HER at Arkapuri, seeking HER presence and grace always.
Most of the devotees and others who saw AMMA and received HER grace, subsequently being ever the subjects of AMMA’S motherly care and love, verily wished in all earnestness, that the wider section of the children, at least in the contiguous areas who cannot personally reach AMMA too shall be exposed to AMMA’S bounteous love. With this initiative AMMA started touring the other areas around, other districts, even states and so on for the benefit of the larger section of the devotee children.
True to HER motherly ways, in all such tours, AMMA mostly visited and stayed in HER children’s homes like the natural mother, not choosing guest houses and such other exclusive accommodation. SHE lived and shared their home and heart of the person concerned be he small, humble, well placed or lowly placed socially regardless of their credentials and background. Only the devotion and intense longing for AMMA were significant.
Even while visiting the slums in HER Hyderabad visit of April 1974, AMMA walked through their small huts, in some cases entering the same, at times partaking their offerings whatever they be. Thus, many of the slum dwellers were bountifully blessed, in the sense all such little places and huts were soon transformed into proper homes under the World Bank Project of slum development and clearance.
At times, SHE also called at the homes of the celebrities among HER devotee children as per the needs of the situation. Such requests for AMMA’S coming to their areas increased much in the aftermath of AMMA’S GOLDEN JUBILEE in April 1973, which was carried over all the media and received wider attention everywhere.
To recall fondly one such visit, AMMA toured Warangal. There SHE called on the dwelling of His Holiness Sri Sadguru Sivanandamurthy. He is revered by many persons, regarded as their Guru and spiritual master by several. Experiences of his disciples, followers disclose that he has grown up to the level of spiritual eminence with many attainments in that plane. Even so, most spiritual masters, heads, even pontiffs were to call on AMMA, at times also along with their many disciples. Some spiritual masters, heads in the process of evolution too reached AMMA sought blessings as is evident.
Sri Sadguru Sivanandamurthy is a householder in status and regular life with children. AMMA entered their abode and moved as if she is a long known, close, much cherished kin to them. As usual, AMMA went around the house, looking into the interiors as one’s own family member to the delight of the couple and all present on the occasion who reached there to see AMMA.
AMMA was seated in their abode for a few moments. As is customary, reverently the Sadguru Sivananda Murthy couple offered some fruits and milk to AMMA. Sri Murthy revered as the Guru and the spiritual master in his own rights, humbly prayed AMMA saying, “Please partake some of these offerings.”
AMMA, as the very affectionate mother, responded telling both, “Why, partake a little of your offerings? I will take all that is of you.”. This is usually difficult to understand by most of us apparently in the verbal sense. When the subject enters the godly presence with the earnest intent and true spirit, he gets into the divine fold and is covered under the godly tutelage henceforth.
Meaning that from that moment their entire lot is taken over by AMMA. Implying that they have come under the grace, motherhood of protection, the very moment of their submitting themselves to AMMA receiving AMMA at their abode. Thereby meaning they are blessed totally where their entire lot, their cares, concerns, even woes and all come under the benign dispensation and merciful disposal of AMMA.
At this moment, it is proper to draw from the time honored source of our ancient scriptures. The child Prahlada in all his woes, hardships, toils, and all he merely surrendered to the Lord Vishnu and thought of little else, not even his personal safety, nor security. Lord Vishnu took over his entire lot, overall charge of the child Prahlada and saved him from the evil designs of his demonic father, also blessing him with bounteous auspices.
Likewise, even the crocodile gripped Gajendra is also rescued, liberated at the moment of final surrender, submission, abandoning his personal self, his total being to the Lord Vishnu. As is well captured in the verse, meaning that there is nothing left in his personal repertoire, no other means in his hands, to protect the self, save that of seeking the ultimate refuge in the Lord.
Ordinarily, to be summoned into the refuge or the complete, protective sanctuary of the divine, is the outcome of intense prayer, pious supplication, and final surrender, submission which crops up after much trial, tribulation, even suffering, hardship. Such instances are significant and well contained in our scriptures worthy of emulation by others though so woefully placed in the life situation. Intense pleas, ardent worship, humble supplication and such other virtues, efforts beget such total refuge in the divine.
Here when AMMA tours the area, calls at the devotee’s or the subject’s humble abode, the mere mortal dwelling, sets foot partakes their offering, it is verily the munificent, bounteous, boundless blessing for the subject.
Here in the case of Sri Sadguru Sivanandamurthy and his spouse, this is not merely for their couple alone, but for their successive generations who follow in their line. The whole family, their kins and clan are blessed, graced for times to come when AMMA set HER glorious, holy foot in their very household.
Granting this, it is not simply AMMA accepting or partaking a portion of their offerings like milk, fruits but taking over their entire lot, mundane, earthly, worldly as also otherworldly, causing redemption for all.
When AMMA said, “Not merely these offerings, but shall take over your entire lot” meant that AMMA has taken over the charge of their total life and all its concerns of every kind. Sri Sivanandamurthy and his tribe are summoned into the motherly, caring, loving, divine sanctuary of AMMA.
It is pertinent at this juncture to observe, several of those who had undergone such experience of AMMA calling at their humble abodes fortunately, it is virtually, our being taken over by AMMA in the true sense in its entirety.
It is worthy to perceive that this is much more facile, easier mode of taking refuge in the divine, Universal Mother in entirety, virtually abandoning, giving up their cares, concerns in sum toto to the disposal of AMMA; unlike the other modes which involve much effort, even pain, hardship, and suffering.
It is pertinent to add that such experiences are possible and being begot that of AMMA calling on their humble abode(s), even now after AMMA’S consecration in the temple, after the 14th of June 1985, as is being conveyed and reported by some fortunate few.
The individual is persuaded to believe intense longing, a deeper urge to reach AMMA is of real significance. AMMA’S GRACE quite likely befalls the individual with inner yearning that is causative to induce such response. Also, in some exceptional cases as is being conveyed, it is unusual, uncommon, boundless grace of AMMA that brings HER in proximity or summons the subject concerned nearer for reasons known or unknown.
Mysterious are the ways of the divine, ever inscrutable.
“Concealed are MY ways.” – AMMA (“Maruge Na Vidhanam”)