Chapter 6 – The Story of Narasāvadhāni
Wonderful sights seen at the time of Srīpāda’s birth
Then I said thus, “Sir! Please narrate some more miracles of Srīpāda witnessed by you and make me blessed.” Then Tirumala Das began, “Shankar Bhatt, Narasāvadhānulu was enraged with Bāpanāryulu. He wanted to insult him somehow or other. He thought that Bāpanāryulu was responsible for him to lose favour with the deity Bagalāmukhi. He propagated that Bāpanāryulu nullified his efficiency of that mantra through some tāntrik application. He was much more troubled about the details relating to the incarnation of Srīvallabha. He argued that the nādi books were unreliable, and that it was a sacrilege on the part of Bāpanāryulu to offer food to a
fish-eating Bengali Brahmin. He further argued that no man can be an incarnation of Pūrna-Brahma[1] and that a young lad like Srīpāda cannot be Lord Datta, who is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. He mischievously misrepresented the supra-normal activities of Srīpāda who was uttering pranava (Oum) from His infancy; who was speaking about scriptures in Sanskrit even when He was rollicking in the cradle; who was exhibiting extraordinary intelligence disproportionate to His age. Narasāvadhānulu spread rumours that a Brahmin Vedic scholar who died took shelter in the body of the boy and therefore was speaking in this unnatural way. He maintained that the self-manifested Datta in the Srī Kukkuteswara temple was the real benefactor and that it was wrong to treat the boy as Datta. When Srīpāda Srīvallabha was born, a cobra with three hoods held its hoods as an umbrella for Srīpāda, wherever He was kept, for eighteen days. He came out of the mother’s womb as a dazzling illumination. Sumatī Maharani fainted immediately after He was born. Auspicious musical notes from musical instruments were heard from the labour room. After some time, an invisible voice warned all people to leave the room. Four Vedas, eighteen Purānas, great persons arrived in the shape of brilliant lights to greet Srīpāda. Sacred Vedic mantras were heard outside the room. Silence spread after some time. This astonishing incident was perplexing and beyond comprehension even to Bāpanāryulu.
The sportive plays of Srīpāda’s childhood
“A year elapsed since the birth of Srīpāda Srīvallabha. He started attending the conferences of scholars along with His grandfather Srī Bāpanārya, even when he was a child of few months age.
“Srī Charan used to walk freely, deliver discourses on scriptures and perform wonderful miracles even when he was a boy of few months age. The residents of Pīthikapuram were thinking that a great scholar who died entered into the boy and was performing all these miracles. They were also thinking that Bāpanārya and Raja Sarma were wrongly considering Him as an incarnation of Datta without giving proper medical treatment to the boy and that was not an acceptable matter. As Pīthikapuram is Pādagaya kshetra[2], an important kshetra for the departed ancestors, and as there were some tāntriks[3] who could speak with dead souls resided in Pīthikapuram, such arguments gained strength. As I came from Malyadripuram, I was washing the clothes in the houses of Srī Bāpanārya and Srī Raja Sarma. The washerman who was washing the clothes in the house of Narasāvadhāni died due to old age. He had one son who migrated to Kokanadam called Vāyasapura agrahāram[4]. Therefore, I was engaged to wash the clothes in the house of Narasāvadhāni. Since I was attached to the family of Srī Bāpanārya from my childhood, I gradually changed to be a person having auspicious will. The flame of spiritualism glowed in me. Instead of personally washing the clothes of Srī Narasāvadhāni, I entrusted the work to my eldest son Ravidas. If I saw Narasāvadhāni on any day, I used to get disturbance in my stomach and I was not in a position even to eat food on that day. I was able to wash the clothes of only those families who had auspicious desires.
The divine grace of Srīpāda on Tirumala Das
“Ravidas is my eldest son born to my first wife. Instead of washing Narasāvadhāni’s clothes myself, I was getting the clothes of Narasāvadhāni washed by Ravidas. Narasāvadhāni somehow came to know about it. He ordered me to wash his clothes. Orders of elders are to be complied with. I washed the clothes while recollecting the name of Srīpāda. Ravidas took them to the house of Narasāvadhāni. Strangely, Narasāvadhāni felt as if scorpions and poisonous centipedes crawled on his body when he wore the washed clothes. However, there was no effect on other members of his family. Narasāvadhāni was troubled as if his body was put on burning fire. The clothes were like apparels of fire for him. He sent word for me. He told me that I introduced some evil spirit into his clothes through witchcraft and that I would be punished for this heinous act. He lodged a complaint with the judicial officer. The judicial officer decided that I was innocent. My dear Shankar Bhatt, the plays of Srīpāda are unthinkable. After I returned home from the judicial officer, Srīpāda came to our house as a fresh young person of sixteen years. From the time of His birth, Srīpāda was appearing to His devotees according to His chosen age. All of this appears quite natural to those who are acquainted with the sportive plays of Srīpāda. With utter excited amazement I submitted, ‘Sir, You are born in a superior Brahmin caste. It is not good for you to come to the colony of washermen.’ For that Srīpāda replied, ‘Who do you think Narasāvadhāni is? He is a washerman carrying a load of sin on his head comparable to a washerman’s bundle, whereas you are a washerman yearning for the knowledge of the Absolute[5]. Hence you are a superior Brahmin. Therefore, it is not unreasonable for Me to come here.’ Then I fell on the feet of Srīpāda and sobbed. Seeing me with His ambrosial looks, He lifted me from the ground with His divine hands. He kept His divine hands on my head. Then my entire past life came to my memory. The yogic forces in me reached a state of momentum. The kundalini shakti[6] was activated. Srīpāda disappeared quietly with slow steps.
“Narasāvadhāni was growing thotakura in his house. The thotakura in his house was very tasty. He was not giving the vegetable to anyone even after their strong pleadings. Only when he was expecting great return from anyone, he was giving that thotakura to that person. Srīpāda requested His mother to cook thotakura curry. He asked her to collect the vegetable only from the house of Narasāvadhāni. This appeared as an impossible thing. His grandfather Bāpanāryulu said, ‘My dear Srīpadā, tomorrow morning you better request Narasāvadhāni to give you thotakura. I will carry you to their house. If Narasāvadhāni will not oblige, you should not insist about that matter.’ Srīpāda agreed to that.
“Next morning Bāpanāryulu carried Srīpāda to the house of Narasāvadhāni. Bāpanāryulu told Srīpāda that children should respect elders and ask for their blessings. Srīpāda agreed. Narasāvadhāni sat on the verandah of his house. He was having a shikha[7] on his head. A barber just came there and he was trying to shave Narasāvadhāni. Srīpāda, who was sitting on the shoulders of His grandfather, saw Narasāvadhāni and saluted him with folded hands. Narasāvadhāni was taken aback at this sudden happening. Srīpāda’s penetrating looks fell on the shikha on the head of Narasāvadhāni. Automatically, the shikha of Narasāvadhāni fell down. He was confused and did not understand how his shikha fell down. Then Srīpāda said to His grandfather, ‘Grandpa, the shikha at the top of Narasāvadhāni’s head was very dear to him. Now it fell down on its own. It will not be nice for Me to now ask him for thotakura, which is very much loved by him. Why should I subject him to more misery when he is already having intense sorrow? Let’s go to our house!’ After that, Srīpāda never asked for thotakura.
“Narasāvadhāni came to know the pretense behind Srīpāda joining his hands in reverence to him. When Narasāvadhāni sat in meditation, a bright person closely resembling him came out of him. Narasāvadhāni asked him who he was and where he was going. That bright person said, ‘I am the punya sarira[8] inside your body. You have recited Vedas numerous times so far. You worshipped the self-manifested Datta. When that very Datta incarnated as Srīvallabha you insulted Him. If you had at least one in ten thousandth degree of the love and affection you harbour for your thotakura and shikha towards Srīpāda, your birth would have been redeemed. Destruction of infatuation[9] is liberation[10]. You are shackled by the bonds of infatuation. You are going to face penury very shortly. To avert it, Srīpāda desired to take a donation of vegetables from you. Had you offered Him thotakura as requested, the impending poverty would have been neutralised. Not only that, you would have been granted with wealth. You have spoiled such an opportunity on your own. Even then Srīpāda is an ocean of mercy. He is going to conceal His present incarnation and will take another incarnation. At that time, you will take birth as a poor Brahmin. You will grow thotakura in your house even then. At the appropriate time I will re-enter your body. Afterwards Srīpāda will visit your house and eat the curry of thotakura cooked and served with love. He will grant you riches. I am, however, leaving you for the present. The salutation of Srīpāda was not intended for you. It was a command to me, an embodiment of your merit, to leave you and merge with Him. As you received the salutation of Srīpāda, you lost the merit personified in my form residing in you. Only the personified sin remained in you.’ Saying so, the punya purusha merged in Srīpāda.
“From that time onwards, the living conditions of Narasāvadhāni deteriorated. No one cared for his word. The lustre that was in his body disappeared. Cholera spread in Pīthikapuram. Many people were dying. The doctors concluded that due to the pollution of the water, bacteria was growing and it was responsible for the spread of the epidemic. Fear-stricken people prayed to Bāpanārya to save them from the dreadful disease and to find out the ways prescribed by scriptures in the interest of people. They requested him to take suitable steps immediately.
“Srī Bāpanāryulu viewed the problem with his inner sight. He found out that the disease was caused by pollution in the airy hemisphere and not due to the pollution of water. The doctors bluntly said that the statement of Bāpanāryulu was against the tenets of medical science and, therefore, it was not acceptable. People were performing various pūjas[11] to the village goddess and offering many animal sacrifices to appease her. When an animal is killed, its life force would be forcibly released. By chanting of mantras, that life force would come under the control of the person offering the animal sacrifice. Bāpanāryulu stated that many yogic practices were available for increasing the prānic force, and that many sātwic[12] ways of worship existed; and sātwic modes of worship were to be adopted to propitiate the village goddess. In spite of that advice, people did not stop offering animal sacrifice.
“Some persons who had faith in Srīpāda Srīvallabha and His divine actions asked Srīpāda about this matter. Then Srī Charana told them that He ordered the village goddess not to ask for animal sacrifice and that she went to the sea-side for a bath, and that by offering milk pudding, Goddess Kāli would be pacified. He directed that the information should be widely made known to the people of the village and the nearby villages through a proclamation by the beat of a tom-tom on a leather drum. When asked who should be employed for the purpose, Srīpāda told them that Venkayya, who was suffering from cholera, was to be selected for the job and he must be told that it was His command.
Word References
[1] The complete God
[2] Pithapuram, as the place where the feet of the asura (demon) Gaya fell
[3] Persons using trantric practices
[4] The town of Kakinada
[5] Here: Brahma jnana
[6] The serpent powers lying coiled at the base centre in a human beings
[7] A long tuft or lock of hair left on top or on the back of the shaven head of a male orthodox Hindu.
[8] Body of merit
[9] Here: Moha
[10] Here: Moksha
[11] Ceremonies
[12] Pure
[13] An Indian unit of time equalling to twenty-four minutes
Episode 1 of Part 3 Chapter 6 of The Story of Narasāvadhāni – Sripada Srivallabha Charitramrutam (English)
Episode 2 of Part 3 Chapter 6 of The Story of Narasāvadhāni – Sripada Srivallabha Charitramrutam (English)
Video of Part 3 Chapter 6 of The Story of Narasāvadhāni – Sripada Srivallabha Charitramrutam (Kannada) – Coming soon
Video of Part 3 Chapter 6 of The Story of Narasāvadhāni – Sripada Srivallabha Charitramrutam (Telugu) – Coming soon
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