Sreepada Sreevallabha Charitaamrutam - 15

Chapter – 15 

 The account of Bangaarappa and Sundara Rama Sarma 

I took leave of Sri Dattaananda Swamy and continued my journey. As I felt thirsty I went to a well nearby. There was a bucket also to draw water. When I looked down into the well, Lo! a strange spectacle was in sight. A person was hanging topsy-turvy supporting himself on the branch of a tree which grew between the circular rings of pottery of the well. That stranger called me with love,“Shankar Bhatt!” I asked him with wonder how he came to know my name. For that he replied, “Not merely your name. I also knew that you are going to Kurungadda for the darshan of Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha. I am only waiting to meet you.” I was thinking as to how to pull him out of the well. The rope tied to the bucket was very weak. That pious person who scented my thought said, “You are a man who had fallen into the well of worldly existence with mundane bonds. I broke those bonds and remained in the bliss of soul in this peculiar yogic exercise. How can you uplift me? I get up on my own accord.If our strength is not sufficient Sri Sreepada will kindly grant us strength.”So saying he stood by my side in the time taken for the flick of an eyelid. I was astonished. He began to tell, “My name is Bangaarappa. You are thirsty. I will quench your thirst.” He drew water with the bucket and was drinking it speedily. Strangely my thirst was quenched. I was surprised. Then we began travelling together. He was saying, “I belong to a family of goldsmiths. I mastered mantras and tantras. I achieved the capacity to kill those whom I disliked with mantra and tantra applications. I got intimacy with ghosts, ogres and devils. I was conducting various activities in the burial ground. People used to shudder on hearing my name. Whenever I was going to any village, the people there used to give me lot of money with the fear that I may cause them troubles and losses by employing ghosts and devils. Major portion of that money was utilised for offering sacrifices to ghosts and devils always depending upon me. If sacrifices were not offered in time those evil spirits would severely harm me. Instead of placidity required in the face of normal people, depraved features and cruel nature of ghosts and devils developed in me. In my wanderings once I came to Pithikapura on account of my past punya. In that town rendered sacred by the incarnation of Lord Datta, there was no dearth of mean conspiracies and mutual wrangles. I heard strange and wonderful things about Sri Baapanaarya and Sri Sreepada. At first I wanted to kill Baapanaarya. I went to a pond and began drinking two handfuls of water without break. I had many varieties of methods to kill a person. One of them is to drink water thinking deeply about the person to be killed. By this all the water I drank will enter into the stomach of that person. Filled with water the stomach gets bloated and bursts. Then the person dies. The leelas of Sri Sreepada are unimaginable. At the time I was drinking water Sreepada was with Baapanaarya. Sri Sreepada lovingly stroked the stomach of Baapanaarya. Even though I was drinking much water it was getting evaporated on account of the power of SriSreepada. I was exhausted after drinking water repeatedly but Sri Baapanaarya remained safe and sound. I was worried as to why my black magic failed that day. The reason was not known. Removing the menace of worshippers of evil forces by Sreepada I had controlling charm over snakes. If I recite it, snakes from all corners gather at the house of the individual whom I meditated upon. The snakes bite the person. I meditated on Baapanaarya and chanted that mantra. Then many serpents reached the house of Sri Baapanaarya. They climbed upon a wooden trellis in the house and dangled like snake gourd vegetables. After a short time the snakes left for the places from where they came. In this way my second attempt also failed. The devils and ghosts with me told me bluntly that they cannot go near to the house of Sri Baapanaarya. I understood roughly all this as the sportive play of Sri Sreepada. As my demoniac nature did not end I went to the burial ground. There I made an image of Sri Sreepada with flour and pierced 32 needles in 32 points. By this process of death, diseases should overtake in the body of Sri Sreepada in those points. Not only that. The needles should change into liquid form and sink into the body of Sri Sreepada. His whole body should be infested with poison and He should die. This attempt of mine had also failed. Curiously during one mid-night time I experienced that excessive water was entering my stomach. It was death agony for me. All the snakes which reached the house of Sri Baapanaarya due to my snake charm, entered my temporary residence in Pithikapuram and bit me. I was having pain in those places of my body exactly where I pierced needles into the flour image of Sri Sreepada. In this manner I suffered from the reactions in my own body to my evil actions. I suffered like hell. I thought it was better to die but, I did not get death. The torments of Hell will be known only after death, but I experienced those torments during night even when I was alive. When confronted with unbearable troubles any person would turn towards God. I sought in my mind the refuge of Sri Sreepada. The form of Sri Sreepada appeared before my mental eye and He said, “Bangarappaa! You have to suffer troubles in this world for many years for your heinous sins and you should also undergo many punishments in Hell afterwards. However, taking mercy on you I destroyed your sins in this one night. All your evil practices are destroyed. If anyone who is thirsty is visible to you in your mind, when you drink water and quench your thirst, the thirst of that person will assuage even though he is at a great distance. There is a yogic exercise in which one has to hang up side down. You will derive bliss if you practise it. To step into the house of My parents, or into the house of Sri Baapanaarya; merit of many births is required. You don’t have that luck in this life.Fortune is not something which comes suddenly. Misfortune is not something which is given indiscriminately. When the good deeds of past lives fructify at once it is called good luck. When bad deeds yield results at once it is called bad luck. As Parameswara grants us life He only has the authority to take our life. Since parents grant us birth they deserve utmost adoration. I won’t show My grace on those who neglect them in their old age.You subjected many innocent people to untimely death with your diabolical practices. The result of this sin will haunt you till you see a Kannada brahmin known as Shankar Bhatt. When he is thirsty you quench his thirst by using your skill. Then your sin becomes completely erased. That Shankar Bhatt writes My history.” At the time of this incident the age of Sri Sreepada was about seven to eight years. Dear! Shankar Bhatt! I am waiting for you from that day. Today it is an extremely good day for me!” Bangarappa concluded his speech. For me all this story was very confusing. Then I said, “Sir! How can the thirst of another is quenched when you drink water? Please explain the secret of this.” Then Bangarappa said, “My boy! Living creatures who dwell in the annamaya kosa have material influences and have experiences in the material world. Living creatures in praanamaya kosa have subtle body consciousness. Living creatures in the manomaya kosa have connections with mental world. Living beings in the vignanamaya kosa have connection with the related world. For the living beings in the aanandamaya kosa experience of bliss is available. By means of a yogic exercise I coordinate my praanamaya sakthi (power of life force) with the praanamaya sakthi of other living beings. By this and by the feeling of identity this becomes possible. Through a certain yogic exercise in ancient times Vali was getting double the strength of the person facing him. Therefore, Rama killed Vali from behind a tree. Sage Viswamitra initiated Rama and Lakshmana into two sacred mantras called ‘bala’ and ‘atibala’. If the life force is kept ready according to the vibrations of these mantras one can attract the universal force in the innermost area of the universe, into his system. If the body is not pure extreme pain will be felt at the time of entry of that force into our body. Not only that. Unable to retain that force one may even die. In the order of purity there are 12 stages in human body. The body of Sree Rama belonogs to 12th stage. The body of Sree Datta is beyond stage 12 also. Therefore, Sri Sreepada who is an incarnation of Datta naturally has infinite strength, infinite knowledge and infinite presence.” Then I questioned, “Sir! It is said that Ahalya became a stone from the curse of Sage Gautama and that she was redeemed from the curse as soon as the dust from the feet of Sree Rama touched the stone. Had she really became a stone? Or is there any secret meaning in this?” Then Bangarappa, explained, “You asked a good question. Indra was having connection only with the shadow form of Ahalya. Not knowing it, in great sage Gautama cursed Ahalya to become a rock. Then Ahalya said to Sage Gautama, “You foolish Rishee!What a work you have done?” Gautama lost his intelligence and became a lunatic. He was visiting many holy places and became healthy from the grace of Lord Shiva. In the evolution of consciousness ‘rock’ is the first position. It’s soul would be in a lifeless state. There are many kinds in rocks. Soul in a certain rock is getting some reformation. After those experiences of reformation that soul enters into another class of stone. In the first rock which is empty another soul enters. Only people with yogic vision can know how long a certain soul resided in a particular rock. Assume that when a soul is in a particular rock, the rock was broken into two. When one soul in one piece of the rock remains, another soul in the other broken piece remains. Both the souls undergo some experiences. They do not know what sort of experiences they are undergoing, but when they are in the rock stage that limitless pain of that soul, they experience. They do not have life but the experience of pain would still be there.” Description of agonies experienced in different sources of birth by living beings Then I questioned, “Sir! Pain or pleasure is experienced only when life is there. In such a case how is it possible that a lifeless material undergoes unlimited pain?” Then Bangarappa replied, “When the individual soul exists in the supreme soul it experiences divine bliss. It cannot be described through speech and it cannot be comprehended in the mind. In the same way when the individual soul is in the rock great sorrow as opposed to divine bliss is experienced. It also cannot be described by speech and cannot be understood in the mind. It is a great sorrow experienced when life is extinct. This soul wanders in many rocks and goes on experiencing inexplicable, unimaginable, lifeless, great miseries. In that manner it enters metals. It moves in different kinds of metals and experience life in a dormant state. Suppose you pour upon a metal some poisonous substance inimical to it. Life in that metal suffers in the dormant state and leaves that metal migrating to some other metal. Soul which identified itself with metals enters trees in the process of evolution. Life force which was dormant when it was a lifeless material now becomes active and will have an urge to stand erect or to take an inclining position. It’s roots meant to give it strength pierce through the earth and facilitate its evolution. In this fashion soul enters many kinds of trees and undergo many experiences. In this way it would come out of the stage of 50% life and 50% lifelessness and evolve as worms and insects. In this stage its urge for movement is fulfilled. In this manner it undergoes many refinements as various worms and insects and take the shape of a fish. Then it takes the shape ofa bird. After getting experience in the form of a variety of birds it takes birth as a quadruped. It takes birth as a very sacred cow. As she gives milk to people like a mother she earns punya even without knowing about it. It also cooperates as a buffalo in the production of food cereals. In the next birth it takes human body. Under the influence of mental attitudes, thoughts generate. Then they change into actions. In this fashion virtuous deeds and sinful deeds are done Enquiry about the seven stages in the path of spiritual pursuit Man will be in seven stages in his evolutionary process. In the first stage the organs of gross body and the organs of subtle body are used at the same time. In the second stage he experiences the subtle world with the help of subtle body organs and gains the capacity to perform petty miracles. In the third stage he acquires the capacity to travel long distances with subtle body. Between third and fourth stages there exists an inveigling centre. When inveigled it remains in the same position as it remained originally. When Gautama cursed Ahalya she was subjected to a severe shock. Then she felt that she was in the stone consciousness. She remained in that state till she saw Sree Rama. the body of Ahalya did not become a stone. Her mind only reached that stage. It means that she remained in the over-powering centre between third and fourth centres. When the dust from the lotus feet of Sree Rama touched, her mental blossom began to bloom. She regained her natural state. For the soul which reached fourth state very extensive yogic powers are endowed. If those yogic powers are used for the welfare of the world in accordance with the directions of the inner-self, it becomes possible to ascend to elevated states. On the other hand if these powers are used for sinful activities and mean selfish ends a downfall is certain. It will fall into the rock consciousness. Afterwards there will be no opportunity to step into human birth unless it passes through thousands of births. Those who are in the fifth stage are samkalpa gyaanis. The samkalpa gyaanis continue mundane activities while striving for the realisation of God. Those in sixth stage are bhaava gyaanis(wisemen having devotional ideas) and they have very little concern for worldly activities. Those who are in seventh stage attain the wisdom of infinite position of the supreme self.” Difference between divine incarnations and Saadhakas (spiritual seekers) After hearing the words of Bangarappa some doubts crept in my mind. To clear them I questioned thus, “Sir, Is the evolutionary process limited only to ordinary mortals or will it apply to divine incarnations also?” Then Bangarappa said, “Incarnations come according to the needs of the time. If man becomes God He is called Samartha Sadguru. If God comes as man He is called an Incarnation. A fish swims and moves quickly in water. A tortoise can move speedily both on earth and water. Boar means rhinoceros which runs quickly on the ground. Narasimha incarnation is with the countenance of a lion– the supreme one among animals–and the rest of the body in the form of a man.Vaamana incarnation with the nature of begging came essentially with the attribute of tamo guna(gloomy inertia). Incarnation of Parasurama came with the main attribute of rajo guna(aristocratic passion). Incarnation of Rama took place chiefly with the attribute of saattwa(sobriety). Incarnation of Sree Krishna came principally as an attributeless one transcending all the three qualities. Incarnation of Buddha is chiefly one of karma(ritual). The incarnation of Sreepada Sreevallabha is a very distinct incarnation of the aeon (yuga). It is an extremely excellent, and an extraordinarily unique incarnation containing in itself the unity in diversity, and diversity in unity of the entire creation. There are no yogic traditions, religious or ethical regulations in the entire creation which do not owe their origin to Sri Sreepada. The stature of Sri Sreepada cannot be perceived by intellectuals, however, great they might be. He is His own equal. All theories and traditions find synthesis in Him. He is the first point and the last point for the entire creation. He is the one who supervises, who proposes and who sets in motion all the affairs of the world which are pulsating in nature. This is a deep divine secret. In what way can I describe His position which is not comprehended even by seven sages? My child! Shankar Bhatt! You are fortunate! Those who got His precious grace are fortunate beings. Others are a waste.” Explanation of the results of good deeds and bad deeds I questioned, “Sir! I got a doubt.If He is the inspirer for all actions why some are born as good people and why some others are born as bad people?” For that Bangarappa laughed loudly, “My boy! You asked a good question. All creation is made with the aid of pair of opposites. If there is no fear of death even his own mother will not love the child. In vedas the word ‘purusha’ was used to mean aatma(soul) but not to suggest the superiority of males. There is as much difference between human dharmas and divine dharmas as there is difference between human dharmas and animal dharmas. If there are no pairs of opposites there is no possibility for development of evolution. If it is said that God is omnipotent, It did not mean that only good powers are in Him. Fraud, deceit and violence which you witness in this world are a part of that omni-potency. Because of sorrow we are yearning for happiness. Without the knowledge of misery experience of comfort is not known. These crores and crores of stars seen by us are formed at first in an unorganized manner. When they collided with each other some more stars formed. When this happened many a time the well organised groups of stars which are seen now are originated. The planets in our solar system are rotating round the sun in an well estalibshed orbit. ‘Dhruva’ planet is the support for sun.In this way creation is going on with mutual attraction or repulsion. The one having attraction for God is becoming a theist and is performing good deeds. The one who is having revulsion is becoming an atheist and is doing bad deeds. He is the support for both theists and atheists. He is the prop for those who perform good deeds and bad deeds. Nothing is steady in this play of creation. Those whom you regard as good people today did bad acts in some births! That is why sorrow could not be avoided even though they are virtuous people in this life. It is nothing but the result of punya from the good deeds done in previous lives, that enable bad people enjoy comforts. Either paapa or punya do not yield results immediately, but a severe paapa or a great punya gives results quickly. Good books relate the way in which a man should conduct himself to live happily.He is given a limited liberty to do a good thing or a bad thing. When unrighteousness overwhelms and righteous people remain in a forlorn state God is incarnating with His Maaya.It is a wonderful thing that God, who has no birth or death takes incarnation as a human being and lives amidst us.” Breaking the bubble of pride of Maharaja The rulers of Pithikapura estate used to move in cognito at times and elicit the living conditions of the people. The Maharaja had a desire to see Sreepada Sreevallabha. Immediately he sent his soldiers to the house of Appalaraja Sarma with an order. The gist of the order was that Appalaraja Sarma and Baapanaarya should bring Sreepada to the presence of the Maharaja in the fort. Sri Sreepada rejected this insulting invitation. Appalaraja Sarma was also averse to step into the fort. A great personage like Sri Baapanaarya would not go anywhere unless dictated by conscience. Sri Baapanaarya asked Sri Sreepada, “My dear! My precious gold! Have you any objection to go into the fort?” Sri Sreepada replied, “Grand’dad! Maharaja has no devotion. Seeing Me is not so easy.” Sri Sreepada told soldiers curtly, “If your Maharaja wants to see Me he can personally come here. He is a ruler merely for this estate. I am king of all kings and an Emperor for the entire Creation. I am the Lord of all the worlds. Then I should not be approached with empty hands. A tribute must also be brought. If the king regards Me as his Guru and he should also bring gurudakshina(offering to guru).” Sri Sreepada is skilful in creating problems. In the same way He is dexterous in solving problems.Sri Baapanaarya, Appalaraja Sarma and Pynda Venkatappayya Sreshti were thinking about the consequences, if the king becomes angry. Maharaja on hearing the news from the soldiers was violently shaking with rage. The king loudly cried, “Let me make it known to these weak brahmins as to what happens to their lives if only I think about it. They do not know how much powerful I am.” The moment he cried out like this all his strength departed from his body and he became a weakling. He fainted with weakness. Servants performed all services but he remained weak. In the meanwhile an ugly deformed female appeared in his mental vision. She roared, “I am Shakti. I am jumping into you” and entered forcibly into him. He could not withstand the onslaught of that Shakti. He felt as if his bones were powdered. He cried in a low voice, “Go away at once from me!” The king underwent hellish agony when Shakti was going out. In this way Shakti was entering and exiting from the body of Maharaja. He was undergoing hellish agony through these two operations. Information was sent through the soldiers to the royal priest Kota Sundara Rama Sarma. He performed worship to self-manifested Datta and gave holy teertha(water chanted with mantra). After Raja applied Datta vibhuthi(holy ash) to his forehead the movements of shakti stopped. Then Sarma said like this, “Maharajaa! Have you seen! Our worship gives quick results.You wished for the darshan of Sreepada. that is useless for you. There is Kaalaagnishamana Datta Moorthi in their house. On account of that worship sundry small powers were earned by Appalaraja Sarma. Baapanaarya earned some powers from the practice of mantras. Then Pynda Venkatappayya Sreshti is a vysya. He can purchase cheaply a good article by arguing it as a counterfeit one. He can also sell a counterfeit article by making us believe it as a genuine one. With fictitious fabrications they are investing incredible powers to Sreepada and doing His bhajan. Even though Narasimha Varma is a noble kshatriya he became a fool and is praising Sreepada as an incarnation of Datta. You don’t worry. Our practice of worship is very great. How dare they refuse the orders of a person like Maharaja? The Maharaja can bring Sreepada here even forcibly through coercion!” The king who heard these words and flattery said feebly, “What shall I gain if I bring Him here forcibly? Moreover I would ony get a bad name. I have a doubt that Sri Sreepada has got some techniques of black magic. Sreepada attacked me with a Shakti. Or else why would the Shakti should make a to and fro travel in my body? You have to show a solution to overcome it. You are our family priest and you always cherish our welfare.” Then Sarma said, “Maharajaa! Datta Puraana has to be read devotedly by brahmins.Worship has to be arranged to Self-existent Datta. Feasts are to be arranged to brahmins and they should be given generous monetary gifts. Food should be donated to all castes. If it is done like this Datta will be pleased. Sreepada would be checkmated. The trouble from evil spirits would be removed.” The king made all necessary arrangements as per the request of the royal priest. There were many forests in the Pithikapura region. Menace of thieves was also great in Pithikapura. Thefts became rampant from the day of commencement of paaraayana of Datta Puraana. The king failed to stop them. There was an increase in the alarming dreams to the king. As if the remedy was worse than the disease, troubles increased. The king was seeing his ancestors in dreams. They appeared with weak and lean bodies and were like hungry beggars craving for food pitiably. They questioned, “You! Why are you not offering food of annual ceremony for us? Have we to remain in the bodies of spirits? Are we not having noble positions?” The king said that he was performing obsequies ceremonies to them as laid down in scriptures. The ancestors said to the king, “You are doing, O.K.! but they are not reaching us. Brahmins grew strong and satisfied in the name of obsequious ceremonies. When a brahmin who practises rituals strictly and conduct the ceremonial rites with mantras and when the person who performs the ceremony does it with care and diligence, then only it gives noble position to the manes.” The king was not having any sleep during night with the cries and lamentations of his ancestors. This condition continued even when he closed his eyes or opened them. To compound his troubles the marriageable daughter of the king was seized by ghosts. With dishevelled hair she was laughing frightfully and throwing away all the articles from the house. When sitting for meals plenty of vermin was found in the food. Suddenly clothes were catching fire. Whenever the king was coming to the place where anna daana (donation of food) was conducted he was seeing deceased men and women of his dynasty with thin bodies and ghostly traits. The condition of the king was very pitiable. The circumstances in the house of Sundara Rama Sarma were also not better. His wife who was calm and docile was suddenly striking his head with cooking utensils. His son was tying him with a rope to a pillar. The daughter was spitting out on her father and giving blows on his face with her shoes. When Sarma requested for food they were serving him with dried grass. If he was not eating it they were threatening to burn him with red hot iron rod. The brahmins employed by Sarma, however, continued the paaraayana of Datta Puraana. After they finished meals on completion of paaraayana for the day, ghosts, spirits and ogres were moving freely in the house and terrorizing the inmates. Some women were laughing horribly and proclaiming, “The ancestors of the king for whom you are the priest,without regarding other women as their mothers, raped them. Those women are none others! We are those victims! They committed heinous crimes in not allowing us to live comfortably with our husbands. We want to take revenge on the family of the raja. We don’t get noble status when you merely give us obsequious offerings. You received large amounts of money from the king. You possessed that tainted money. Therefore, we want to harass your families.” Brahmins who were conducting paaraayana, Sundara Rama Sarma and Maharaja also were very much frightened. All of them were remarking with anguish and sarcasm, “We heard that by devoted reading of Datta Puraana auspicious results are achieved but what is this abnormality? On reading this Puraana Shankara was pleased and is dancing fiercely along with His hordes of ghosts, spirits and devils. Reading of this Puraana pleased Vishnu and while denying meals to us, He is granting grace to those beggars who sought food. Brahma who was pleased created those who are harassing us with obscene and insulting words. Oh! If reading of Datta Puraana will make us living corpses in this manner where Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara who are delighted torture us with words; protect us without allowing us to die with the nature Vishnu; exhibit weird dancing arts to please devils, spirits and ghosts– Oh! Lord! Such devotion of Datta is not required for many many births.” Man is a labourer in creation; Sreepada is the one who gives wages Then Brahmins, Sundara Rama Sarma, Maharaja surrendered to Sri Sreepada and sought His refuge. Then Sreepada averred, “Every human being in this creation is only a labourer. I am the Owner. If I am pleased I will give more wages than those due to you. If I am displeased I will reduce how much amount is to be reduced and give that balance. I am the Self-manifested Datta in the temple! I am the one in the form of Kaalaagnishamana Datta! I came in the form of Sreepada Sreevallabha out of compassion for living beings.How can you derive any result if you give lighted camphor offering to my face, but drive nails in My feet? Whom do you think are My parents? Vishnu Datta and His wife of this Datta Puraana are born in this kali yuga as my parents Appalaraja Sarma and Sumati Maharani. Sri Baapanaarya was born as Labha, son of Sri Vighneswara in one age; in another age as Laabhada Maharshi and as Bhaskaracharya in Bruhat Sila town. His lineage is revered by those born in vysya caste. It is a part of divine plan that I was born on Ganesh Chathurdhi. The bond of indebtness with Sri Pynda Venkatappayya Sreshti from the time of incarnation as Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari, the bond of indebtedness with Narasimha Varma in My form of Lord Nrusimha in Simhachala Kshetra are everlasting. As they are really pious they got connection with Me in this incarnation. Their love and affection binds Me in birth after birth.When I incarnate as Narasimha Saraswati I will be born with exact resemblance of my maternal grandfather Sri Baapanaarya.Just as he is redeeming ghosts and spirits by sprinkling water from his copper pot I will drive away ghosts and spirits troubling My devotees who visit My Gandharvanagar during My incarnation as Narasimha Saraswati. I will grant noble position to those ghosts and spirits.One should not be arrogant simply because he is wealthy. The wealth with you should have purity of money. Otherwise you will have sorrows. If you are proud that you are holy, you are not at all holy. I have your account with Me. I am telling that I cancelled the results of your sinful deeds out of compassion. If you are discouraged that you are a sinner and If you seek My refuge and call Me with love‘Sreepada Dattaa! Sreevallabha Digambaraa!I will in a trice burn all your sins and make you virtuous.As you have considered truth as untruth, and untruth as truth you met with all difficulties. You have abused Sreepada Sreevallabha and because of that you were entangled in strange and peculiar problems. Even though you conducted devoted reading of Datta Puraana it has not given you any relief. Datta Himself has come as Sreepada Sreevallabha. This is true.” Victory Victory unto Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha !