AMMA, shall my heart sing THY glory, the lyric so
Sung set to the sonorous Vedic chanting tunes?
Truly the tinkling sound of THY bangles conveys a message,
The mild rings of THY anklets dispel my earthly doubts which
Lurk in me, THY very life’s message gives out a fresh breath
Setting the new path, prompting us ever with novel vibrant ideas
THY sufferings like the furiously closing desert storm with all
Its countless sand particles swirling and whirling in its thick
Swarm; like the tempestuous waves of the ocean raging at the sky
Torrents of water lashing and crashing all over the tossing vessel
AMMA, shall I sing thy peerless glory that is ever, timeless,
That posterity may hear like Sama Gana, the melodious Vedic Chant
AMMA, THOU are the little lamp held in the earthen pot, not
Much seen outside, yet like the very temple light held aloft
On the post showing the way to your countless children in the dark
THY word the precept of dispassion, THY every step guiding
Us the adorable children, in the new ways of love and touching care.
Despite the suffering your even, equal disposition towards all
With little difference, shall guide us in moving towards the
Boundless affinity, inducing the divine trait in us the mere mortals
That empathizes and vibrates to other’s woes with concern ever
AMMA, as pronounced THY very life is the purposive message.
THY every step unraveling the path ahead for lesser mortals,
Truly THOU are the radiant, shining beacon that is timeless,
Such effulgence prompting us overcome the limited affiliations
And restrictive affinities sans envy and pettiness, to move
Ahead in the bright aura of yours towards fruitful fellowship
In harmony and mutual good will treading into the path divine
For times to come. THY message is well cherished and imbibed.
AMMA, shall I sing THY uncommon, peerless glory for
THY dear children in the immortal music and melody of SAMA GANA!
This is the lyric penned by Brother Raju portraying AMMA, her unique being and presence which events on this earth and comes close to mankind very rarely once in several eons of this endless wake of time. In the very beginning, Brother Raju beseeches AMMA in all humility to grant him the writ to sing her glory with all his longing, pouring out his heart in earnestness.
Beginning thus on the right note, Raju reflects, mulls within and depicts AMMA’S uncommon traits and ways that spell a new path for mankind, turning a new leaf for all the seekers in quest and aspirants of truth timeless. Verily AMMA struck a new note in the spiritual domains scripting new modes and ways that are amenable to contemporary society. Simply AMMA’S life, living, actual moments of being all imply a new path for the ordinary folk.
AMMA never took to a life of ease and comfort despite HER uncommon prowess and stature. Always courted suffering, invited hardships in daily life, and took the miscreants who caused her difficulties into close warmth. Hugged the meek and the weak, drew the needy, the deprived and the low placed into her nearness to better their lot.
AMMA deemed, rather sublimated suffering for the individual’s growth and elevation. AMMA pronounced “Suffering is verily the right material to worship the God of forbearance.” Suffering teaches the person to endure and overcome worldly woes. In the process understand and empathize with the hardships of those less placed and not well provided for. Prompt the individual aspirant to stretch his hand to reach those in pain and want.
In personal life, AMMA endured, suffered many torments and misdoings in silence not letting others know nor making the outsiders aware of the same. These sufferings are like the desert storm with all its sand particles closing all over in thick clusters almost blinding the eyes. Like the raging tempests in the sea with waves rising sky high and tossing the tiny vessel in the mid sea threatening the very existence.
Yet, AMMA has gone through the torments, tortures, in silent undisclosed agony in Christ like forbearance, always mending such persons and not reacting harshly towards them. AMMA’S official biography discloses quite a few of such episodes. Physically, even when she is stung by the scorpion, AMMA does not even wince, silently trying to remove the broken sting stuck in her arm where she has been bitten.
All such realistic events teach us much more valuable lessons than public discourses and elaborate verbal precepts. They convey without doubt that suffering sublimates and not to be spurned or avoided when it occurs caused by circumstance. AMMA pronounced. “There is no greater teacher than Circumstance”.
Further AMMA’S choice of simplicity and very ordinary life of the middle class householder not opting for pomp and luxury conveys a much meaningful lesson for us. That one shall live within his given ambit and work, move towards higher goals.
Goodness in life is a well cherished value. There is no greater mystique than personal goodness towards one and all. Thus in such living mode, as the person deserves begets without craving for them and not treading in the wrong ways undermining personal values. Simply one begets and all worthies come closer on their own unasked for as he deserves without hankering after them.
With such uncommon ways, exalted stature and peerless presence, that descends to this earth as an uncommon rarity to grace us, AMMA is like the lamp within a pot. Not apparently seen but emitting the radiant light as one comes near. Here, widely viewed in this perspective, AMMA too is like the lamp held aloft on the temple post in a ritualistic mode, in the month of Karthika, which radiates and summons people to the sanctum to be blessed and cared for like the true mother that AMMA is.
In such glowing light, AMMA, named ANASUYA by the parents meaning embodied dispassion radiates HER message through her very life and being. Even HER personal ornaments like the bangles and the amulets through their tinkling sounds convey their own meaning in a sonorous mode. This prompts Raju to convey AMMA’S message extraordinary, to be sung with all his heart’s core like the Vedic chant, Sama Gana that is at once melodious, yet meaningful and instructive for us all.
Such a stance is taken in the very opening of the lyric. Just as Vedic lore is immortal and didactic AMMA’S life, living and being convey much more in a very simple, common style to be understood and appreciated. Easy to adapt, practiced by the contemporaries. Spiritual pursuit is brought closer to life and earthly reality not as commonly alleged to be remote and distant. Thus AMMA heralds a spiritual renaissance.
AMMA couched her sayings in the very touching motherly love, care and concern that drew one and all with little distinction. Everyone longed to be in the mother’s lap, AMMA being the MOTHER OF ALL and the UNIVERSAL MOTHER, the VISWAJANANI. The instruction touched up, mellowed in mother’s love and affection, bringing an inner change that is imperceptible by the subject even at times. Silent alchemy wrought from within.
By the very name ANASUYA, AMMA meant dispassion, non discrimination, and acceptance of all evenly, equally, the good, the bad, the ugly, the virtuous the crooked and evil. AMMA drew all of them near and gave out HER love to all with little difference. Such dispassion also implies acceptance of everyone without any reaction towards anyone, even the wrong doers.
This approach of universal acceptance causes suffering to AMMA. Some bent on criticizing, causing even woes and deliberate hardships. AMMA took all this in silent forbearance, and limitless patience like the very mother earth which AMMA deemed the truly divine.
AMMA decreed that pains and hardships are the material to worship the God of FORBEARANCE. These are not to be avoided as they come but to be undergone with restraint, for suffering sublimates, just as the sculpture suffers the chisel to gain its form and beauty.
Verily, as AMMA pronounced, “GOODNESS EXCELS EVERY OTHER MYSTIQUE”. There is no other greater precept or lesson than being good always towards everyone. This stance shall be the rightful, soothing balm for the fast eroding values of contemporary society.
Brother Raju completes this lyric with the dictum that AMMA’S bright aura, radiance and being shall prompt mankind towards such new purposive, fruitful modes of life. These new ways to be sung by him like the very SAMA GANA, the ancient, sacred, cherished immortal Vedic Chanting for all times to come.
(Adapted from the Song No.3, ‘PADANA NAA HRUDAYA VEENA PI’ of ‘Anubhava Saram’ by Brother Mannava Butchi Raju Sarma; also acknowledge the work ‘LO CHOOPU’ by Brothers
A.V.R. Subramaniam and Ravuri Prasad)