Mr. R. Lakshminarayana, an employee in the Patel Volkart Company, had ample proof that the strange dream he had years before he even heard of Jillellamudi is a green signal to him from Mother, an expression of the fact that she graced him. It only remained to be seen by him whether She looked after his well being in his day-to-day life, whether She was really at his back at every moment of his life. Experiences however soon poured in to confirm even this point. He came to realise that nothing happened either n his life or in his family without Her knowledge.
For instance, after the birth of their first daughter, one day Mr. and Mrs. L. argued and quipped about the child resembling one of them. Next week when they visted Jillellamudi together, they were disappointed to see the very large number of visitors: for they could not have a personal interview with Mother. When they wanted to leave the village along with several others who were seeking Mother’s permission to leave, Mother gave Prasadum to all except these two! She sent word to them and granted them a personal interview. Mrs. I was having the new-born daughter in her lap.
“Your daughter resembles your sister-in-law” said Mother gazing at the child. Mrs. and Mr. L just smiled in reply. Then Mother admonished them in feigned anger. “Don’t you have any hing else to discuss at home?”
***
In those days they were visiting Mother as frequently as possible-once in a week or a fortnight. Whenever they visietd Her, she used to refer to the various victuals they had prepared on the various dates at Guntur, and what was wrong with their preparation and taste! One day she referred to the pancakes which Mrs. L. prepared on a certain day at her home at Guntur. “The hotel made pancakes taste better, don’t they?” asked Mother looking intently at the face of L. For those were precisely the words he uttered days earlier, when his wife offered him the pancakes she prepared! Then she turned to Mrs. L. and advised her. “You are preparing them in a curved pan, they must be roasted on a flat one.”
***
One night, when they were together in the bed. it occurred to them that it is not proper for them to keep Mother’s photograph in their bedroom. So they immediately shifted it to the family shrine in the kitchen room. Later, they visited Mother for the Weekend. Then Mrs. L. without stating what had happend just said to Mother. “Pardon us. Mother!”
“It’s no mistake! It is what is most natural. When you believe that I am omnipresent, what is the need to hide anything from me? There is no need to feel guilty about it” she replied!
One day, their daughter chy. Bhagavathi was coughing and weeping all through the night and she was sleepless. Then L.. took the child in his hands and paced to and fro, singing songs in praise of Mother. At that time, the widowed daughter of his land-lady was sleeping in the open air, just near the main gate of the frontyard, Suddenly she heard the words “Do my pooja, don’t grieve. Immediately she woke up and saw a middle aged hudy, wearing a white sari and big kumkum on herface, entering through the gate. She entered and walked towards the portion of the house in which L. was living. The landlady’s daughter noted that the child stopped crying suddenly. Next day, landlady’s daughter recounted what she saw on the previous night, and seeing the photograph of Mother in L’s house identified the mysterious visitor of the previous evening to be Mother herself! Then she took the photograph and started doing the daily pooja immediately.
***
With the passing of time, owing to the pressure of circum. stances, it became, increasingly difficult for Mr. and Mrs. L. to visit Jillellamudi as frequently as they did. Then L. used, to lie by the side of his baby at night, and touching her tender feet, used to imagine them to be Mother’s feet and be satisfied with that. Later, when they visited Mother, She told some visitor about what L does every day at Guntur! Similarly, she also referred to L’s habit of taking his child near Mother’s photograph and offering her the photograph to be kissed by it.
***
On one of his visits. L. had the most remarkable of his experiences. Mother was resting on her cot near the foundations of the temple which is now under construction. There were, a small group of visitors sitting around her cot. While all of them were enjoying a chat with her. they were called away for supper.1 But none of them was willing to leave her bed side. Then Mother offered to mix the food and feed them all personally. Mother accord ingly mixed the food and when everyone was eagerly awaiting his morsel to be served, Mother asked all of them to move to the varendah of the thatched hut. But they were unwilling to do so. The clear sky. the silvery moon light, the cool breeze, and the Mother amidst them, was an enchanting scene which they did not want to miss. But Mother asked them what they would do if it rained. They simply refused contemplate about something which has no likelihood of happening. Then. keeping the dish of rice on the ground, Mother lifted up her hands to the sky and beckoned as she called out: “Come rain, come!” Then suddenly rushed a tiny cloud over their heads, and lashed out rain so that they could not avoid running for the varendah to which Mother directed them earlier!
***
These, and countless other experiences have laid the fonida tions of firm faith in L’s heart. The commonest of all his experiences, even today, is that whenever he is a bit sad or depressed, some messener or message from Mother reaches him! He forever dedicated himself at Her feet!!
(Concluded)