(Visits with Dates and Knowledge gained) –
– Late Rajupalepu Ramachandra Rao
(Translated by his son R.V. Seshagiri Rao from Telugu into English where the script is in Telugu)
In 1946, we came to know that a lady was staying in the house of Nageswara Rao garu in Vetapalem (Bapatla Tq., Guntur Dist.). As the delivery became difficult, we learnt that the doctor took away almost 4 pints of Blood. We were surprised. At the time of pregnancy usually the lady needs blood and we do not expect the removal of blood. But I did not make any special enquiries. (It refers to the Birth of Chy. Ravi).
Again, I heard the same lady living in a Businessman’s tiled house.
In 1949-50 once again I heard of Mother staying in the house of Sri Ganjam Kutumbarao garu of Vetapalem.
Again we heard of Mother staying in Dr. Ranga Rao’s hospital in Vetapalem for about fifteen days and how she delivered a dead child. The child had been dead for fifteen days in her womb before delivery but no septic conditions developed in the mother. It was a miracle as to how any woman could deliver a dead child. But I was not aware of my Mother, though her presence constantly intruded into my knowledge.
It was 1956. One day Sriramula Venkateswarlu garu (Haridas) came to me in Chirala. In those days my father-in-law Shri A. Srinivasa Rao garu of Vetapalem had an ACC Agency for the district. So he came to me to ask for cement for the foundation of the temple at Jillellamudi. He told me that in Jillellamudi, a village near Bapatla, there is a Mother worth visiting. But I merely said that I had seen many saints. In Bhagavatha it was written that Kalki Avatar was a masculine form and so I had no firm faith that Mother could be an Avatar.
In 1957 September Sri Sitapathi garu (Amma’s father) recovered from Rachapundu (carbuncle). Bamma garu (Kanakamma garu) along with Sri Lokanadham garu was at East Choultry (Toorpu Satram) in Bapatla. A lady there, a devotee of Bala Tripura Sundari) informed Baamma garu that her daughter-in-law was performing Devi Navaratri Puja. So, on these two counts, with the permission of Nannagaru (Sri Brahmandam Nageswara Rao garu. Amma came to Bapatla.
Sri K.V. Sastry garu and Sri Nori Venkateswarlu garu met Amma in 1955. So Sri NV, Dr. Potluri Subbarao garu. B. Akkiraju garu and Sri Prasad garu went to Bapatla and met her. In October Sri A. Sriharsha Rao heard their conversation about Mother at the Dispensary of Sri Potluri Subba Rao garu and told me in the staff room in the High School.
On 13th November 1957 for Karthika Pournami (The full moon day in the lunar month of Karthika) Sri Kothuri Nageswara Rao, Sri Prasad, Sri NV etc. went to Jillellamudi. Being inquisitive, I asked Sri Nageswara Rao garu about their trip. He informed me that Jillellamudi is situated about 7 miles from Bapatla on Bapatla – Jammulapalem Road. One had to walk 11/2 miles after getting down at the 7th Mile. Mother is the wife of the Karanam garu of that village. She is about 30-35 years old. She had three children, two boys Subba Rao, Ravi and a girl – Hymavathi. They live in a thatched hut and before the house there is a thatched shelter (paaka). They arrange food twice and coffee twice. A girl called Prabhavathi aged 16-17, daughter of Sri Gangaraju Lokanadham garu of Kommuru helps mother in cooking food. Amma does not talk philosophy but talks humorously. “You are not the only officer. In our village also, there are officers. (i.e. village officers – karanam) Sri Nageswararao also informed me that Dogs and cats move as friends. He said that there was a pot near a mound of earth which sheltered a snake. He said that she had a great glow in her face and that she had not taken any food since 11 years so I wanted to go to Jillellamudi once.
In the meanwhile I wanted to know more about Mother. So I went to meet Sri N. Venkateswarlu garu and Sri B. Akkiraju garu. I thought I could see her photo if they had one. Previously I had an experience with Yogini Pitchamma garu (Mala Pitchamma garu of Kurumaddala) . I had her photo with me though I had not met her. But when I went to see her, she said that she saw me and knew me.
Sri N.V. had some pocket size copies of a photo of Amma taken by Sri Bhaskara Rao garu of Bapatla. He gave one copy to me. Afterwards I went to Sri B. Akkiraju garu and asked him about his experiences with Mother when he went to meet her at Bapatla. He said, “When I saw Amma and prostrated before her and touched her feet there were vibrations in my spiral column. Some said that I had lost consciousness and was yelling and crying. After sometime I regained consciousness and normality.”
Afterwards in the school staff room when I questioned Sri K.N.R., he told me that he saw Nandi (the holy Bull), Hanuman and other statues in Mother’s photo. So I thought that things would appear as we presume. I felt that the fingers of Mother in the photo were long. I envisioned some travelers, and saw myself as one traveler with my dhoti pulled up short as travelers do. In the meanwhile S.S.L.C. examination answer scripts were to be sent back after evaluation. So I could not go to Dr. Subba Rao’s hospital from 17th to 20th of November. On 21st I wanted to go to Jillellamudi and went upto Sri A. Sriharsha Rao’s house. There I met Sri N. V., who conveyed the news that B. Subba Rao (eldest son of Mother) told him in the ILTD Company that as Mother was out-of-doors (periods), Nannagaru sent word that visitors could not come that week. I went to Dr. P. Subba Rao’s shop. There he told me about his experiences in Bapatla. He also said that she talked about diseases, urine examination etc., and that she gave back as prasadam the same medicine packet that he took to her. He said that he had tears and felt that no examination was needed. He also said that Mother told him what all he did at his house like self-cooking and offering only that food to God as Naivedyam (offering), about his abstinence from even drinking water in other’s houses etc. He said that she even told him about the timings of his taking food. Next day, he wanted to put three (3) questions. He asked two questions and Mother answered all three questions. Thus he said, he came to understand that Mother could read what was in the innermost recesses of one’s heart. Then he recounted how Mother prevented him from making sankalpa and how he had a headache. But while doing all this, Mother never lifted her head. So he said that he came to understand that Mother could do everything with mind alone. Finally, when Mother dropped fruits in his hands he found her body stiffen and thought that she went into trance.
While Mother was in Bapatla Sri Budaraju Narasimha Rao garu sent word enquiring whether they could come to see her. Mother replied that if he had no objections, she had none whatsoever. She said that it is but natural for Sanyasis to come to the houses of Grihast’s (house holders) for Bhiksha (Aims). The gist of Mother’s sayings was that experience gives Shastra (the bookish authority) but not vice versa (ie) bookish knowledge could not get experiences. Even great aphorisms would be merely our words… etc. Rao went to Jillellamudi.
Finally on 29.11.1957, fourteen of us including Sri A. Gopala
– (to be continued….)