Dear Sweet Children,
Let us halt and reminisce for a moment.
You were already told that Amma’s mother RANGAMMA died at Bapatla where the funeral took place. The related ceremonies were performed in MANNAVA, their native village. Amma’s father SEETHAPATHI was the Village Karanam of MANNAVA. Amma attended the obsequies. Subsequently Amma was taken back to Bapatla to stay with her maternal grandfather’s younger brother, CHIDAMBARA RAO, a noted advocate. He was very fond of Amma. He admired her noble qualities. Amma stayed with him for a year. During this period some very exciting incidents took place and I narrated them all to you.
WITH EQUAL LOVE FOR MAN AND BEAST
You may be interested to know that Amma never suffered from the pangs of hunger like we all do. She clearly declared that she had no hunger. Though it may sound queer, it was true. But she could not for a moment bear the sight of a hungry person. She collected food from the kitchen and fed beggars and even pigs which we readily abhor. She did not make any distinction between man and beast while giving them her love even from her tender age. Pigs too enjoyed a lot of intimacy with Amma, and they eagerly looked forward to food from Amma’s hands. Amma used to collect the old clothes of CHIDAMBARA RAO and distribute them to beggars.
AMMA CLEANS LATRINE
I may also share with you in this context a secret that Amma found no service means. In a queer situation, Amma silently and unobtrusively cleaned the latrine in CHIDAMBARARAO’s house when the paid scavenger failed to turn up. Unlike today, those were days when only wet latrines were in vogue. They were cleaned daily by professional scavengers. Amma was just five years old. No one could guess who actually cleaned the latrine. And Amma did not disclose that she did it. She left the elders in a quandary.
AMMA VISITS MANNAVA AGAIN
A year was now coming to an end. The first annual death ceremony of RANGAMMA was to be performed in MANNAVA. All the near relatives were expected to attend the three-day. ceremony. Amma was also to be taken there. She was then about five and a half years old..
SEETHAPATHI deputed the village servant NALLA KHASIM to Bapatla to accompany Amma to MANNAVA while she traveled with CHIDAMBARA RAO and MARIDAMMA THATHAMMA. But it so transpired that CHIDAMBARARAO and MARIDAMMA TATAMMA proceeded in advance to MANNAVA while Amma and NALLA. KHASIM trailed behind.
AMMA CARRIES A DEAD BODY
I may here mention an exciting incident that took place on their way. A young boy aged eight and his old grandfather happened to be co-travellers with Amma and KHASIM during their journey to MANNAVA from Bapatla. The young boy suddenly died when the party rested for a night in a temple at Ponnur, a place between Bapatla and Mannava. Death should not have taken place in the holy temple premises. It was considered a serious blasphemy. Amma, aged five, remained unfazed. She carried the dead body of the boy on her tender shoulders! She even arranged for his burial giving suitable instructions to NALLA KHASIM. This man stood puzzled at the extraordinary behavior of Amma. He exclaimed in wonder if Amma was another famous SUFI SAINT MASTAN who lived in Guntur and performed miracles. during an earlier period. There is now a DARGAH for SAINT MASTAN in Guntur town and it is held in high veneration by people of all faiths.
A RARE ACT OF COMPASSION
NALLA KHASIM carried Amma on his shoulders while he walked to Mannava from Ponnur. On their way Amma saw two destitute children aged seven and two with practically no clothes. on. They were in rags. Their piteous plight deeply moved Amma.. She asked KHASIM to stop. She jumped down from his shoulders. She removed her own clothes and gave them to the children to wear. Amma herself stood stark naked on the road, leaving KHASIM in a tizzy. He knew not what to do with the girl in that bizarre situation which he little anticipated. His main responsibility was to safely proceed to Mannava with Amma. But how could he take a naked girl with him? What would SEETHAPATHI think of him? He was a trusted servant of that respectable family. He grumbled that Amma should not have acted in such indiscreet haste. Compassion too, he murmured.. should know its limits of decency. Amma then suggested to him to go to a neighboring house and collect a spare set of clothes which might have been perchance dropped by CHIDAMBARARAO who proceeded earlier by the same route to Mannava. And that solved the problem..
Dear children! Just imagine a child of five performing this rare act of compassion! I have already narrated several such incidents of Amma’s love in the preceding tales. Even from childhood Amma was an embodiment of selfless love and pity. Whenever a moving incident of this type presents itself before you, you should also emulate Amma and spontaneously rise to the occasion and proffer ungrudging relief. Will you do it? Your parents in particular and your country in general will be immensely proud of you! Selfless love is the very breath of life. Lives of great men remind us that we also can make our lives sublime. They had graciously left their footprints on the sands of Time to guide you. Please get by heart this sunshine verse without fail.
AMMA GREETS NAGAMMA
AMMA and KHASIM reached Mannava by morning. Relatives like her maternal grandfather and grandmother tried to fondle her. There was naturally plenty of excitement. on meeting the child after a long time. But Amma preferred the company of GOLLA NAGAMMA who was perhaps more anxiously waiting to receive Amma. Dear children! You have already read about GOLLA NAGAMMA. She looked after Amma during her infancy when Amma was entrusted to her by her parents. There was a lot of affinity between the two. Nagamma had a daughter by name. SUBBALAKSHMI is much older than Amma. Nagamma conferred Mother’s name “ANASUYA’ on SUBBALAKSHMI’s daughter. That was Nagamma’s extreme affection for Amma. Please remember that this instance was the first of its kind in Amma’s history when the most sacred name ‘ANASUYA’ was given to a baby. It was GOLLA NAGAMMA’s exemplary choice and rare fortune. Glory to GOLLA NAGAMMA !
A DEVOTEE CALLED PUNNAYYA
In Mannava village Amma continued to stay for some days. There was an elderly person by name PUNNAYYA in the village. He was an ardent devotee of Lord KRISHNA. The Lord’s Name was always on PUNNAYYA’s lips. One day Amma climbed a tamarind tree on the outskirts of Mannava and sat on it holding. the branches. Amma was good at climbing all types of trees and effortlessly reach the top. (Amma herself told me so. She once swam in the ocean too.) At that time this old man PUNNAYYA happened to take a walk under the tree. He incidentally looked up and saw Amma. The sight dazzled him. Lo! Amma appeared as Lord Krishna Himself! He at once exclaimed that he saw KRISHNA! Amma got down the tree and greeted PUNNAYYA. He carried Amma on his shoulders shouting through the streets of Mannava that he found Lord KRISHNA and that the ONE on his shoulders was none other than Lord KRISHNA! People thought that just because he was a staunch devotee of KRISHNA, he understandably became ecstatic. But the truth was otherwise. He fully enjoyed the vision of LORD KRISHNA in Amma as he himself repeatedly exclaimed. He was so much lost in Amma’s Darshan as Lord KRISHNA that he blissfully passed away the same evening. “Anayasa Maranam” as people call it! It looked as though he was just biding his time to peacefully pass into eternity till Amma arrived in Mannava and gave darshan as his chosen deity Lord KRISHNA! It was also another meaningful coincidence that Amma graciously stood by his side casting begin looks while the good man peacefully drew his last breath. CHIDAMBARA RAO, who watched the quick succession of events was lost in amazement at Amma’s spiritual stature. Is she Vyaasa? He wondered!
Dear sweet children! We shall stop here for the present. Let us leave Amma in Mannava amidst a large circle of relatives. who arrived to conduct a solemn function in memory of RANGAMMA, our very dear grandmother.