www.telugubhakti.com 6. Dogmatic rituals for the widow - Vengamamba.

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Hari Om Amma, Rajyasri garu

A Good work indeed. Vengamaba series is good.

 

Please publish more such devotees like Vengamamba,

Kavaitri molla etc., (those great ladies who attained

salvation).

 

Try to publish on Choodala, Maitreyi etc., as well.

 

Jai GuruDev

http://satguruh.org

 

--- maddurirajyasri <maddurirajyasri

wrote:

 

>

> 6. Dogmatic rituals for the widow - Vengamamba.

>

> It was customary to remove the hair and

> Bindi of a Brahmin

> widow. Vengamamba did not agree. One day an old lady

> came to her. She

> informed her of the ritual to be performed but

> Vengamamba laughed it

> away. `I am not a widow. I am a Nitya Sumangali. I

> am married to the

> Divine Lord Venkateswara. So I don't have to undergo

> this

> ritual.'

>

> The villagers could not appreciate her

> Bhakti then.

> Selfishness over took their understanding of her.

> They felt that her

> unreasonable behaviour would bring curse to the

> village. They cursed her

> but she coolly said that the curses would boomerang

> on them. That

> irritated them all the more. They ill-treated her in

> various possible

> ways. They called her names, they threw stones at

> her, they pulled her

> long hair, they made fun of her, but Vengamamba was

> unperturbed. The

> wiseacres of the village put their heads together to

> solve this problem.

> They unanimously decided that they should take a

> barber with them and

> should get her hair removed by hook or crook.

>

> Seetha came for delivery for the second

> time. Once bitten,

> twice shy is the saying. Seetha's mother didn't want

> Seetha to

> meet her good old friend, but Seetha couldn't resist

> her temptation.

> She met Vengamamba secretly. Vengamamba spoke to her

> affectionately and

> said, `Seetha, you will be blessed by twins! You are

> lucky. You will

> beget boy babies. She offered her a banana as

> prasadam. She added,

> `This Pooja Mandir is my house, Lord Venkateswara is

> my husband.

> What else do I need?' Seetha was thrilled to have

> such a saint as

> her bosom friend.

>

> Just as Seetha left, two village heads

> entered. They asked

> rudely whether she had changed her mind. When she

> answered in the

> negative, many more surrounded her. One tied her

> hands together with his

> upper cloth, while the barber removed her hair on

> the head in a jiffy.

>

> Vengamamba stared at them angrily. The

> village munsif's

> leg became paralyzed and the barber's hand became

> paralyzed. The

> villagers, shocked, left the place mutely.

> Vengamamba dipped herself in

> the lake beside, chanting the name of God.

>

> What a surprise! When she got out of

> water, she became her

> previous self with long, black hair! The news spread

> like wild fire and

> the villagers who cursed, teased and made fun of her

> all along made her

> an `Amma' at once. They formed a queue before her

> house to seek

> her blessings. They felt she was a reincarnation of

> Alivelu Manga and

> called her `Devudamma.'

>

> The paralyzed munsif and barber had not

> changed for better.

> They developed hatred for her and successfully

> poisoned the brains of a

> few foolish people who in turn poisoned some more

> weaklings. The village

> was torn into two groups.

>

> Vengamamba made a boy eat a banana when

> he had not touched

> food for two days. Such miraculous powers convinced

> some but others

> argued against those. The anti Vengamamba party was

> still knee bent on

> following the religious practice but who would bell

> the cat? As if

> answering their prayers Sri Sankaracharya

> Paramparaacharyulu visited

> their place. The villagers received him with all the

> pomp and show. They

> gave a written complaint to him. Swami also wanted

> to see her. He opined

> that he could bring about a change in her. The

> villagers too pinned

> their faith on him.

>

> She was sent for. She said she would go

> after, she had her

> dinner. How dare she could answer thus! She was

> summoned again and the

> same answer was received again.

>

> Finally she arrived with a coconut in her

> hand. She stood

> before the Swami's throne, lost in prayer of her

> Swami. She was

> asked to greet the Swamiji but she paid deaf ear.

> The Swamiji himself

> asked why she was not willing to do so. She said,

> `Swami, first you

> step out of that throne, then I will fold my hands

> to you. The Swamiji

> was surprised but still obliged her. The onlookers

> were eagerly staring

> at Vengamamba with expectant looks. She folded her

> hands not in the

> direction of the Swamiji, but in the direction of

> the throne. And Lo!

> The next minute the whole `Simhasan' was burnt down

> to ashes

> with a thundering noise. The frightened mob ran

> helter-skelter to save

> their skins.

>

> The Swamiji was thankful to Vengamamba as

> a saviour of his

> life. So, instead of giving a lecture to her, he

> aimed his lecture at

> the stupidity of the villagers of Tarigonda. He

> said, `She is like

> the eclipsed sun. She is a great Jnani, yogi,

> enriched by the wealth of

> Bhakti and Vairagya. You don't curse her. If you do

> so, you will

> lose all your Punya!'

>

> The speech of the Swamiji was an

> eye-opener to the villagers.

> They praised her and her Lord. Vengamamba sang a

> Keertana then in praise

> of the Swamiji.

>

> Sankaracharya guruni sannuthimpare

>

> Nishkalanka paramayoga mabhyasimpare.

>

> Vengamamba questioned the Swamiji, `O.K.

> I will oblige you

> and get my hair cut totally, but can you assure me

> that it won't

> crop up again?' The Swamiji had no answer. He in

> turn, advised the

> crowd to pray to her as a saint.

>

> One day Seetha saw Vengamamba on her way

> to the temple. What

> a glow in her? She looked exactly like Alivelu

> Manga. When she called

> her friend, she took her to the temple with her.

> They both sat on the

> temple steps for a long time. Vengamamba sang many

> songs. Seetha asked

> her to bless her sons. Vengamamba named them

> Sreenivas and Venkatesh and

> asked her to call them Sreenu and Venku. Seetha was

> delighted at the

> blessings of Devudamma and decided to call them so

> whether others liked

> it or not.

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

 

 

 

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