Guest guest Posted November 11, 1999 Report Share Posted November 11, 1999 People kept writing to me, now I consider that this is a call from my mother. Gausima this is also for you, have faith... This is a humble offering to my Mother, who is always protecting me and guiding me: My maternal grand-father used to work as a thasasildar in Bapatla, a small town in Guntur District. My father (now retired as an Asst. Director, Survey and land records) was working as a Taluk Surveyor those days. There is a small village called "jillEllamuDi", where a mother called "anasuya", very famously known as "jillEllamuDi amma". She was believed to be the avatara of Goddess Lalita. She was also called as "Annapurna", because of offering regularly free food for thousands of people. Though the Amma is physically no more, her ashram is still there and the free food distribution is still continuing. I was 11 days old infant then. My parents left me at home at my grand parents place and went to visit "Mother Anasuya" at Jillellamudi. Before that, my parents told me, that they never met her. Yet! The moment she saw them approaching her, she asked them "where is my boy". My parents seem to have surprised. They did not say a word and stood in front of her. It seems she questioned: "how could you do this, poor fellow is at home waiting to see me and you left him and came alone?". My father with out hesitating any more, sent his official jeep back to the town, in order to bring *me* (not yet named :-)) Anasuya amma asked my parents to stay in the ashram for 3 days. During those three days, they say that she her self looked after me. She performed 3 functions (1) namakarana = She gave a name to me (2) annaprasana = she fed me the first morsel of food to my physical body. (3) uuyala = She put me on a bed in the cradle. In our families these functions are considered very important. All these are performed by that divine mother. My mother seem to have asked her to protect me and give education to me. For that "Anasuya amma" replied saying "I shall teach him when the time comes, don't worry". My parents considered all these as spiritual experiences. But I turned their happiness turned in to worry by my childhood behavior. I grew up in a town called Repalle, at the banks of River Krishna. I am considered to be a very knotty boy. My mother got frustrated many times and punished me. I was a questioner. Every thing was a question to me. There used to be a Sri Rama temple in front of our house. The priest in that temple is a vaishnava. He was very fond of me. Because, I was interested in eating the sweet prasad (offering to the Lord) I used to visit the temple and clean the idols and help the priest. I used to call him as "taatagaru", (his real name was raamaanujAcAryulu) he was 90 years old then. He taught me many hymns. He taught me Hanuman chalisa. He used to tell me stories about the valor of Lord Hanuman. Every night, listening from him, the stories of Lord Hanuma was my ritual. Of course, in the morning again I am a notty boy. My mother used to complain to the priest about my misbehavior. The priest used to protect me from my mother's beatings, saying that I am a child... (I shall write more about him when needed) My father's elder brother lives in a town called Guntur. He is 75 years old now. He owns a cinema hall in Guntur. Listening to him is a great education in deed! He is more in to Karma Marga (doing Homas and Pujas and Upasanas). When I was 11 years old, I went to spend my summer holidays at my uncle's home at Guntur. He regularly performs homa. He also has a family Hanuman temple. There is a Goddess Lalita Temple near to their home. It is believed that Mother Kali, personifies in the night time and she doesn't like to see humans moving around the temple at that time. So nobody dare used to go near to the temple in the night times. The pujari leaves the temple by 9PM. I got curious to see that Kali who is scaring away all the disciples. I thought, if she is the mother then she should behave like my mother. I wanted to have first hand experience about Mother Kali. I sneaked in to the temple premises (the temple has a big garden) and stayed there in the night. I did wait to see Mother Kali for 1 hour. But I could not control my sleep. I think by mid-night, some body woke me up. I woke up and looked at her. She was very pleasant, very young, looked very adorable. She directly questioned me "Madhava! what are you doing here at this night?" . I told her that I wanted to Mother Kali. She smiled and asked "why you wanted to see her?". I told her that I am just curious to find why every body is scared of her. She smiled and told me that people are scared with their own shadows, hence they can't see Mother Kali. I felt very happy to see her. I asked her "Are you Mother Kali?". She replied "Yes!". I asked her "what is the proof that you are mother Kali". She laughed loud and told that she expected this question from me. She told me that I am going to meet the "real teacher of my life" the next day. She also told me that I wouldn't realize it till I meet her again after 12 years. After telling me about various things, she finally told me that I should go home and sleep. I obeyed. Normally, the priest locks the main doors of the temple premises, that day, miraculously the temple doors were kept opened. I went home, my uncle was very much worried about me. They are all awake. They asked me where I went. I told them that I went to see mother Kali. He asked me whether I saw her. I told Yes. He was worried. The next day, he did a homa and instructed me to be obedient to Kali. In the after noon, my uncle called me and asked me to go along with him. I went with him in his car. Incidentally, my uncle (father's eldest brother) was the man who invited Swamy Chinmayananda to Guntur for his first ever lectures in Costal Andhrapradesh in the year 1954. He is also a founder member and first general secretary of Chinmaya Mission, Guntur. He took me to a place where paadapuja was being performed to a sanyasini called Swamini Saradapriyananda, Chinmaya Mission. My uncle became busy with discussions with other people. I got curious at the elderly lady who was sitting high in a chair, decorated with garlands. I went and asked her "who are you" :-) My uncle was very upset that I asked her this. She replied that "she knows who she is..." taking my question quite seriously. Because of my behavior my uncle drove me back to home immediately after the bhiksa (lunch). I did not get a chance to speak to her again for 10 years of my later life. I met her again, along with my sister, at a Bhagawat Gita jnanayagna place in Chilakaluripet. By that time I realized that, as per Mother Kali's instructions, she is my teacher. She taught me Vedanta.... I have three mothers. The one who gave me birth, "Lakshmi prasanna Savitri"... The one who gave me my first food "annapurna", the one who taught me real education "Saarada".. I bow to them from my heart, ever humble, thanking them for the privilege they gave me. mAdhavagurO dayA bandhO mAdhava jnAna dAyinee madhu vAgmaya tAptyarthaM SAradAM praNamAmyahaM || Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 1999 Report Share Posted November 11, 1999 --- "Madhava K. Turumella" <madhava wrote: > > I have three mothers. The one who gave me birth, > "Lakshmi prasanna > Savitri"... The one who gave me my first food > "annapurna", the one who > taught me real education "Saarada".. I bow to them > from my heart, ever > # annapoorNa tinipimca goeru muddalu amba vaaNi naerpimca vaeda saaramu lakshmi taanu laalimci peddajaeyaga mugurammala muddu biDDaDai muripimceDi maadhavaakhyuDai terapainoka jyoetiroopuDai iTa pamcaga vaccinaaDani tanadainavi anubhavammulu jatajaeyucu naatmaj~naanamu hRdayambidi kadalipoevaga praNamilleda maadhavaakhyuku kanudoeyini pomga neeriTa....# namastae! As a "telugu" speaking member of this advaitin list who loves poetry, my response to Sree maadhava's post came as a small ,simple telugu poem which I am posting as it is. I will respectfully leave the task of translation to Sree maadhava himself or some other member who is proficient in both languages. with deep respect to all of you and gratitude to Sree maadhava for sharing his spiritual experiences and the brahma vidya with all the list members.... suprabha ===== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 1999 Report Share Posted November 11, 1999 --- "Madhava K. Turumella" <madhava wrote: > > I have three mothers. The one who gave me birth, > "Lakshmi prasanna > Savitri"... The one who gave me my first food > "annapurna", the one who > taught me real education "Saarada".. I bow to them > from my heart, ever > # annapoorNa tinipimca goeru muddalu amba vaaNi naerpimca vaeda saaramu lakshmi taanu laalimci peddajaeyaga mugurammala muddu biDDaDai muripimceDi maadhavaakhyuDai terapainoka jyoetiroopuDai iTa pamcaga vaccinaaDani tanadainavi anubhavammulu jatajaeyucu naatmaj~naanamu hRdayambidi kadalipoevaga praNamilleda maadhavaakhyuku kanudoeyini pomga neeriTa....# namastae! As a "telugu" speaking member of this advaitin list who loves poetry, my response to Sree maadhava's post came as a small ,simple telugu poem which I am posting as it is. I will respectfully leave the task of translation to Sree maadhava himself or some other member who is proficient in both languages. with deep respect to all of you and gratitude to Sree maadhava for sharing his spiritual experiences and the brahma vidya with all the list members.... suprabha ===== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 1999 Report Share Posted November 11, 1999 In a message dated 11/11/99 4:53:52 AM EST, madhava writes: << I have three mothers. The one who gave me birth, "Lakshmi prasanna Savitri"... The one who gave me my first food "annapurna", the one who taught me real education "Saarada".. I bow to them from my heart, ever humble, thanking them for the privilege they gave me. >> Dear Madhava, And I bow to you thanking you for the privilege of sharing these wonderful mystical encounters with us. They are truly heart-enlivening and definitely need to be chronicled ! May you be inspired to do so with Mother's and Guru's blessings for the benefit of all. Namaste, Gasusima Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 1999 Report Share Posted November 13, 1999 suprabha gaaru Thanks for the poem. I did post one of your poem from telusa to this list. Please do post actively in the advaitin list. Some of your poems are superb. I am sure Madhava can traslate the poem to english as well as into sanskrit. His third mother - H.H. Swamini Sarada Priyananda is currently travelling in States giving discourses on Upanishads and Geeta. She is the embodiment of motherly love with saintly touch. Those who have the opportunity to meet her will understand the devotion of Madhava for his mother and guru. Hari Om! Sadananda >suprabha pavuluri <suprabhau >advaitin >advaitin >Re: (no subject) >Thu, 11 Nov 1999 06:18:32 -0800 (PST) > > > >--- "Madhava K. Turumella" <madhava >wrote: > > > > I have three mothers. The one who gave me birth, > > "Lakshmi prasanna > > Savitri"... The one who gave me my first food > > "annapurna", the one who > > taught me real education "Saarada".. I bow to them > > from my heart, ever > > > > # annapoorNa tinipimca goeru muddalu > amba vaaNi naerpimca vaeda saaramu > lakshmi taanu laalimci peddajaeyaga > mugurammala muddu biDDaDai > muripimceDi maadhavaakhyuDai > terapainoka jyoetiroopuDai > iTa pamcaga vaccinaaDani > tanadainavi anubhavammulu > jatajaeyucu naatmaj~naanamu > hRdayambidi kadalipoevaga > praNamilleda maadhavaakhyuku > kanudoeyini pomga neeriTa....# > > >namastae! > > As a "telugu" speaking member of this advaitin >list who loves poetry, my response to Sree maadhava's >post came as a small ,simple telugu poem which I am >posting as it is. I will respectfully leave the task >of translation to Sree maadhava himself or some other >member who is proficient in both languages. > with deep respect to all of you and gratitude to >Sree maadhava for sharing his spiritual experiences >and the brahma vidya with all the list members.... > > suprabha > > > > >===== > >------ >Discussion of the True Meaning of Sankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy >focusing on non-duality between mind and matter. List Archives available >at: /viewarchive.cgi?listname=advaitin >Mirror Archive Site: http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/ > ><< text3.html >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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