Part 3 - Chapter 3 - Encounter with Palaniswami - Sripada Srivallabha Charitramrutam

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Chapter 3 – Encounter with Palaniswami – Visit to Kuruvapuram

The good results earned by offering food to devotees of Datta

Srī Palaniswami said, “This serpent was a female in a previous life. She became old. She had some sin and also some virtue. Once, she offered some food to a Brahmin who was a devotee of Datta. It is the nature of Datta to be pleased easily. The lady went to Yama Loka[1] after her death. Yama Dharma Raja[2] asked her, ‘You have earned some sin[3] and some merit[4]. As you offered food to a Brahmin who was a Datta devotee, you received very great benefit. At present, Srī Dattatreya lives in the human world in the form of Srīpāda Srīvallabha. He ordered us to make changes in your account of your merit and sin so that you gain great merit and take less sin. So Chitragupta[5] made changes in your account. Do you want to experience the results of sin at first or enjoy the happiness of merit?’ For this she replied that she would like to undergo at first the suffering on account of the small amount of sins and that she would enjoy the life resulting from merit later. Therefore, she took birth as a snake on this earth. As she had a mentality of harming others, she was biting all those who crossed her way. So, she was accumulating more sin. My dear, there are four classes of snakes. The first type of snakes will not harm anyone but simply take air as food and live like yogis. The second type of snakes will kill those whose shadow falls on them. They become angry when the shadow of anyone falls on them. The third class of serpents will try to keep away from the view of humans. They run away with fear if any person comes face to face with them. The fourth class of snakes will take a revengeful attitude against anyone and bite him even though no harm is caused to them by the person concerned.

“That lady was filled with rajas[6]. So it bit Mādhavā who came nearby. She had bitten him because of the merit earned in the previous birth. Mādhavā lost his life because of sin earned in his previous life. By the grace of Srīpāda Srīvallabha, that old woman was liberated from her serpent life and attained a higher world. As an embryo, the jīva[7] lies in the form of a serpent in the fetus stage. On account of nāga dosha[8], mortality of children takes place.”[9]

Donating food to a yogi

Srī Palaniswami said, “Srī Datta will be delighted for very modest services. If food is provided in the name of Datta to a worthy person, the donor derives immense benefit. A portion of the food essence transforms into mind. Mind, intellect, will, ego and body of the donor of the food get filled with auspicious vibrations. By that, he will be endowed with the power to attract all objects in the creation. Bountiful plenitude of materials come from the grace of Goddess Mahalakshmi[10]. The whole Creation is governed by subtle vibrations and fine regulation”, Srī Palaniswami explained.

The greatness of Srīpāda

Chanting the name of Srīpāda brings wealth and prosperity as blessings of Srī Lakshmi. How can we describe the luck of those who obtain His grace? On account of the mercy of Srīpāda, Mādhavā remained intact even though he was buried in the ground ten days before. Now Srīpāda is granting him life force. How can one explain the grace, mercy and the divine miracle of Srīpāda?

Mādhavā was gaining consciousness. He asked for water for quenching his thirst. Srī Palaniswami cajoled him and made him drink ghī. That ghī was also one hundred years old. Mādhavā refused to drink ghī. Srī Palaniswami persuaded him by promising to give him water after he drank ghī. After Mādhavā drank the ghī completely, he was given fruit juice. After some time, water was given to him.

Description of Nāga Loka[11]

Mādhavā regained his life. Our joy knew no bounds. Mādhavā was telling thus, “I reached Kuruvapuram in the subtle form. Srīpāda Srīvallabha is very tall. He has large eyes. Compassion, mercy and love overflow from His eyes continuously towards all creatures. As I was in a subtle body, I was invisible to other devotees there who were in gross bodies. Srīvallabha ordered me to go to the middle of the island in Kuruvapuram. Chanting the name of Srīvallabha, I went into the depths from the middle of the island. I noticed that many fortified structures existed in the depths of the earth at its center point. I learnt that it was Pātāla Loka[12]. For those in gross bodies, only gross material forms will be visible. For those like me >who go there in the subtle form, the subtle world is visible there. The inhabitants there belong to the Nāga race[13]. They have the power to take any form they like. They usually prefer to be in the serpent form only. I saw many great serpents there. Some serpents had thousands of hoods. Diamonds decorated their hoods. Light emitted from those diamonds. Some serpents remained in a posture of deep silence and appeared as if they were in a yogic trance. A wonder! There was a great serpent among them. It had thousands of hoods. On that serpent, Srīpāda Srīvallabha was resting like Srī Maha Vishnu. Some of the great snakes were reciting Vedic hymns. Srīpāda was listening to that melodious singing in a rapturous mood. The big serpent beside me was saying this:

The magnificent glory of Srī Dattatreya

“‘In the ancient aeon, Lord Datta was born as a son of Atri and Anasuya on Anasuya Mountain in Chitrakoot of Nepal. He did not end His incarnation, but moved in a subtle form in the Nilagiri Mountain[14], SrīShaila Mountain[15], Sabaragiri hill[6] and Sahyadri[17]. Those who wear directions as robe, those who are sky-vested are famous as Digambaras[18]. Datta was absorbed in yoga in Sahyadri. He taught kriya yoga[19] to Gorakshanāth[20] who was a follower of the Nātha tradition[21]. He appeared to a yogi named Jnaneswar[22] in a formless yogic form seated in Kechari Mudra[23]. He surpasses time and place. For us who are in the presence of the Lord, past, future and present time elements do not appear differently. Everything is an eternal present time for us.’

Viewing Dattatreya along with Anaghā Devi

“Another great serpent by my side said, ‘My boy Madhavā, we are kāla nāgas[24] and we are called rishīswaras[25]. Srī Datta wanted to conceal Himself after ruling [over the universe] for many thousands of years. He went under water in a river and remained immersed in water for many years. Then He came to the surface. We, as His followers, remained there with the hope that He would return with us. We knew that He was trying to conceal Himself from us. He again dived into the water and came out after many years. However, this time He had a goblet of wine in His hand. In another hand He held a beautiful damsel of sixteen years. We went away regretting that we misunderstood Him as God and He seemed to be a drunkard and womanizer. He disappeared. After He disappeared our eyes got opened. It occurred to us that the goblet of wine in His hand was ambrosia of yogic ecstasy and the beautiful damsel was Anagha Lakshmi Devi who combined in Herself the triumvirate of Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati. We undertook a rigorous penance for His reincarnation on this earth. Srī Datta was compassionate and took the incarnation of Srīpāda Srīvallabha in Pīthikapuram.

Description of Srī Kuruvapuram

“‘The place where He went into the water for bath is now the sacred Kuruvapuram. Just as He was in watery samādhi, we were also in a state of yogic samādhi with finer pulsations in this subtle world. Kuru was the ancestor of Kauravas and Pāndavas. It was at this holy place that King Kuru was imparted divine knowledge. My dear Mādhavā, even Ādi Sesha[26] cannot describe the greatness of Kuruvapuram.’

The previous history of Sadasiva Brahmendra Swamī

“I paid obeisance to the holy feet of Srīpāda Srīvallabha. Merciful Srīvallabha spoke thus: ‘My son, this divine form of My dārshan is very rare and a great fortunate thing. One of the serpents that spoke with you will take birth as Jyoti Ramalingaswamī[27] in the ensuing centuries. It will disappear also in the shape of radiant light. The other serpent that spoke to you will be born on the earth in the centuries to follow with the name of Sada Siva Brahmendra[28] and demonstrate many miracles. Pīthikapuram is very dear to me. My pādukas[29] will be installed in Pīthikapuram. My pādukas are going to be installed in the house of My maternal grandfather where I was born. The acts of My birth are divine and mysterious. They are to be kept as carefully guarded secrets. You visit the place in Pīthikapuram where My pādukas will be installed and from there proceed to Pātāla Loka. There you meet the kāla nāgas which undertook rigorous penance. You come back after that.’” With smiles, Srī Palaniswami said, “My son Madhavā, let us talk about the kāla nāgas of Pithapuram afterwards. We must immediately take bath and carry on meditation. This is the order of Srīpāda Srīvallabha.”

Victory unto Srī Srīpāda Srīvallabha!