Often, in the dress one puts on, even in the rain wear there is a hood that covers the head of the person wearing the same. Thus, the hood in the clothes protects the head of the person. AMMA with the uncommon mastery in diction of multiple languages, apart from the mother tongue, vernacular Telugu, puns upon the words of English, Telugu, even other languages.
Referring to the hood of the dress, that protects the head or covers the same, AMMA punned on this word saying, that hood gives protection; if so, motherhood means protection, to the delight of everyone present at the moment. Regardless of this linguistic nuance, truly “MOTHERHOOD IS BUT PROTECTION” as pronounced by AMMA.
This truth is well established and confirmed beyond any doubt by the personal experiences of the devotees of AMMA, verily deemed the beloved children to be saved, protected by AMMA always and ever. This can be verified by some very revealing, stark experiences undergone by us at different times and varied occasions.
This is very well established in the experiences undergone by Brother K. B. G.K. Murthy, well known as Gopal Annayya in the Jillellamudi fraternity. In the late 1970s, he was returning from Chennai, in person. bring the English film copies of AMMA which was taken at that time.
The Howrah Express train that he was traveling on met with a severe accident. He was very near the accident spot, traveling in the compartment very close to the engine of the train. This compartment was fully smashed and crushed with several passengers within causing gore and bloodshed.
Gopal Annayya virtually, physically was retrieved from the crushed compartment with great difficulty fetching outside mechanical help. Everyone was surprised that he was safe, alive and survived such a severe accident. It is incredible that any person could survive being involved, exposed to that degree of severity causing loss of life. Even so Gopal Annayya has come out unscathed, to the disbelief and pleasant surprise of one and all.
In another episode, he stood as the lone guard for the security of AMMA in the Naxalite raid of Jillellamudi, on the 31st of December 1975, which was truly his crowning moment. One of them violently thrust an iron spear on the person of Gopal Annayya attacking him frontally.
Yet he did not stir from the spot and stood his ground vehemently. Despite such a direct, frontal attack the iron spear missed him miraculously, causing a very minor injury, when he shouted ‘AMMA’ as a last defense in such a grievous attack.
On both these occasions or the grave accident episodes, survival is impossible let alone suffering major injuries to the physique that could have caused loss of limb or even life. Yet, his total survival is the incredible truth which is well recorded in the annals of Arkapuri.
Obvious wisdom is that grace, AMMA’S intense mercy saved him. Nothing else but that. Granting such a fact, if grace were to be so exceptionally kind in saving the person, why at all such accidents happened and the subject person is involved. This is the rational poser for any thinking, discerning
The response is that the ordained cannot be averted. It must be gone through by the individual concerned. It is preordained in the given lot of the individual that he shall suffer the accident in such manner at a specific moment. If so, it happens and cannot altogether be avoided. The individual shall go through his given lot or the specified course already which cannot altogether be changed, nor avoided totally. In AMMA’S parlance “The expected may not happen, but the ordained cannot be averted.”
Changing the predetermined course, is rewriting the set course of life, the already laid law which ordinarily does not happen. For, the law maker cannot be the law breaker. The set course, given lot or the ordained is in terms of actions, acts that already took place earlier. If so, the predetermined cannot change ordinarily.
Yet grace could rescue, mitigate, or dilute the consequences, impact of such a lot, in such accidents caused in the set order. To cite AMMA again, “Grace is that the thorn piercing the eye, shall prick the feet.”(“Kantlo Digavalasina Mullu, Kallo Digatam Karuna”). If it were to pierce the eye as set before, the individual loses the sight. Even so if the effect of the thorn on the individual is inevitable as per the karmic law, pricking the feet, fulfills the set or laid down karmic process, saving the sight, yet hurting the sole of the feet, which is minor, not causing major harm or loss of sight.
While narrating this, I am prompted to put forth my personal experience that is poignant, illustrative, instructive too, which exactly fulfills the spirit of this AMMA’S aphorism on this aspect. Once reached Jillellamudi in the early 1970s, which is prior to the aforesaid Gopal Annayya’s episode, along with a Bank colleague from Hyderabad, seeking AMMA’S darshan. On reaching Jillellamudi, we were told that AMMA left for Tenali on a short visit.
Tenali being a nearby town to Bapatla, both of us decided to proceed to Tenali to see AMMA, having come this far from Hyderabad, much reluctant to get back to Hyderabad without seeing AMMA. Therefore, I thought of coming back to Bapatla and leaving for Tenali by the RTC BUS.
While boarding in the rush to get in or board the bus in the absence of any queue, the corner of the person’s bag boarding before me, which is very hard, pierced me with much pressure just below my eye socket. Feeling hurt immediately, reckoned within with some feeling of relief, that if the same impact were to be a little higher, quite likely, the eye could have been lost.
While reflecting thus within himself and trying to board the Bus, the other friend traveling along with me suddenly blurted out saying, that “Your mother, meaning AMMA, is quiet, right here” pointing to the side of the Bus entrance, where we were both boarding. To put the same in the exact Telugu vernacular, “Idigonandi Mee AMMA Ikkade Vundi”.
Very much surprised to hear his words, how can AMMA be at the Bus entrance at that moment which is almost an impossibility. Musing thus within, for a moment, looked aside of the Bus entry. To my utter disbelief, and pleasant, delightful surprise, I found AMMA’S GOLDEN JUBILEE poster with HER outstretched hands lovingly towards the children, the most popular photo, as also the calendar of AMMA, pasted beside the bus entry.
Seeing at the poster that is sizable, conspicuously drawing the attention of the persons traveling by the APSRTC BUS, my joy knew no bounds. Felt as if AMMA literally posted herself there, or made a mystic presence through such a poster, saving my eye that day.
Almost AMMA’S most popular aphorism occurred to me,” GRACE IS THE THORN THAT SHALL PIERCE THE EYE, PRICKS THE FEET.” AMMA exemplified this aphorism to me in practical, experiential terms. Aphorism expounded in the pragmatic sense, in a real life situation.
In all such cases, the truth is often, or in almost all cases, the other by-passed alternative of greater injury, harm, loss is not apparent to the individual. AMMA conveyed this much important, most gracious aphorism, exposing, both the alternatives, at the very same spot, as also moment to this petty self, bestowing complete understanding of this far too important aphorism.
The allotted lot, the preordained course may take place, in conformity with the karmic law, operation of the results of one’s actions, yet grace can lessen, mitigate the same with its merciful intervention. This is the soothing shield of some other positive Karma, that necessitated, induced, or prompted the saving intervention of AMMA’S GRACE. It could be a causeless, merciful spontaneous operation of AMMA’S boundless motherly love too.
Presumably seeking AMMA, being in AMMA’S proximity, reflecting on AMMA, ever being mindful of AMMA, or reaching AMMA in one’s lifetime shall beget such timely, prompt gracious disposition always fruitful in our mundane life. That being the AMMA’S saving grace in our lives, ever beset with uncertainty and unknown random happenings, not unlikely fraught with risk and undue exposure.