dreams and reality (1)

[Guest guest]

I was a sleep walker in my childhood. I never remember that I woke up and

walked to some place. Next day morning when my mother questions "do you

remember what you did yesterday night?", I used to reply that I don't know.

I thought they are just exaggerating. I felt embarrassed some times when

they say that I walked in sleep to a graveyard. I guess, the first time I

walked in my sleep was at the age of Seven. I was at my grandfather's place

in Repalle. During summer we sleep outdoors. My maternal-uncle Srinivas was

sleeping next to me. My mother told me how much horrified she was for not

finding me on my bed.

 

It seems Srinivas saw me waking up from my bed, he questioned but I did not

reply. I walked straight to the graveyard which is situated one and half

kilometers from our home. He got curious and woke-up his friends, who were

also sleeping there. His friends were there to prepare for their

examinations. Since they were together they were not afraid to follow me to

the graveyard. Then I went to the graveyard and stood there for some time

and returned. I returned back to my bed and slept. They told me that while

I was standing in the graveyard I was talking as if I was talking to

somebody. I laughed as if I was sharing a joke with somebody. I returned

home while sleep walking and slept. Next day morning when I woke up, they

started questioning me. I was a boy then... I was embarrassed, I thought my

uncle and his friends made up a story, to just play with me. But I realized

it is true when my mother questioned me the same....

 

Some times I walked to the temples, sometimes in to the playground. I don't

know, how long this continued but my mother says it has stopped by the grace

of Sri Tadepalli Ragavanarayana Sastrigaru.

 

Sri Tadepalli Ragavanarayana Sastrygaru lived in a village called Candolu,

which is in between the towns Bapatla and Repalle, in Guntur District,

Andhra Pradesh, India. He was a mystic and known for his astrological

intuitions. It is not only believed but proven at his death, that Goddess

Lalitha lives in him. When he died, his body was cremated. During the time

of cremation, a thick cloud came out of the fire and took the shape of a

Goddess, it stood there for 3 minutes looking down at the body that was

being burned to ashes, as if having a final look at a dearly home before

leaving it finally... All the famous newspapers have published the photo of

this extraordinary event, showing the cloud of smoke taking the shape of a

Goddess and standing there for 3 minutes. Thousands of people prayed homage

to him after papers published the photo of this saint who lived a humble

life and left the body with a message.

 

Hundreds of people used to visit him to find out answers for the problems

that they are facing in life. He was a great scholar of Sanskrit and a

Grihasta (married man). His approach to life was down to earth. He never

used to accept money from the devotees who approach him for any help. He

used to say that he was there to help and only to help. His daily program

is quite predictable. He performs his pooja by 6AM. After performing the

pooja he answers the questions. He also said to have got mystical powers.

 

 

Though he never shown his powers to the elders, for us children, he used to

make an exception. When ever he visits Guntur, some times, he used to stay

at my uncles place. My cousin brothers used to guard him from intruders

while he was performing his ritual of sandhyavandan and gayatrijapa. One of

my cousin brothers Satyam stood guard for him once. After coming out of the

pooja Sri Sastrygaru asked my brother on what he wants, it seems my brother

asked for a hot biscuit. And he waved his hand and gave a biscuit which is

very tasty. After that, my brother told me that Sastrygaru can give

anything you ask. This point I kept in my mind. I determined to ask

Sastrygaru for chocolates next time I visit him.

 

Lot of calamities struck our home. My mother started feeling disturbed by

all the events happening. She took me to Sri Sastrygaru, by early in the

morning bus. I still remember it. Sri Sastrygaru came out of his pooja room

and looked at my mother's face and questioned her "amma Savitri, what

happed? why are you so worried"? My mother broke and started weeping

silently. I used to call him as "tatagaru" (grandfather). He shown his

finger to me and told my mother "look Savitri, if this little fellow is

causing you worry, I should assure you that there is nothing to worry". My

mother became confident once that assurance was given. Then he came to me

and patted my head and said "you are behaving naughty and you should come

down".

 

Then I complained to him that my friends, my uncle and his friends all are

mocking at me by calling me as sleep walker. He smiled and said, "dreams

play an important role in your life, they take you near to the reality". I

did not understand what he meant. But I immediately asked him "taatagaru, I

want to eat chocolates"... He smiled and looked at my mother and said "let

me give him chocolates and he shall never worry you again", by saying this

word he waved his hand and gave me a bunch of chocolates. He was wearing

just an angostram (a small cloth that covers lower parts of the body). His

hands were empty but he gave me chocolates. I ate them happily. At least I

had something to boast about in front of my cousin-brothers, who told me

stories that Tadepalli Sastrygaru gave this and that....

 

Sri Tadepalli Ragavanarayana Sastrygaru, has shown path, gave solace to many

hapless people. A great soul, personification of Goddess Lalita, passed

away a few years back, leaving behind the reality that there is something

higher which is not cognizable to the rational intellect. "Be humble and do

as good as you can" this is his message as I understood.

 

My mother returned home happily. After that, she says, I never walked in my

sleep again. Later years a different reality has struck me, as Sri

Sastrygaru said "dreams turned to reality", he did not say but they have

revealed me horrifying events. Of course, my Teacher was there to get me

out of the situation again.

 

(To be continued...)