Sreepada Sreevallabha Charitaamrutam - 34

Chapter– 34 

 The story of Sarabheswara

Both of us travelled for some days and reached another village. Sri Dharma Gupta and myself were reciting the name of Sri Sreepada and recollecting His boundless mercy and compassion and carrying on our journey. Some one or the other was giving us hospitality on the way. We continued the  journey in some places on a cart drawn by two bullocks. In some places we travelled on horse drawn carriage. In some other places we simply travelled on foot. We considered it as a sportive grace of Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha who was indirectly looking after us, in whatever way we travelled, or in what manner we received the hospitality from some one or the other. There was a special incident in the village when we reached. All the articles in the house of a brahmin were being thrown out into the street. His wife and children were also outside the house. That brahmin took some loan from a money lender. He could not repay the loan. One day that lender accosted the brahmin and asked him to stop. The brahmin stood. A circle was drawn with a charcoal around the brahmin. That brahmin should not move out of the circle. The lender demanded that the brahmin should declare within how many days he would repay. The brahmin replied that he would repay in two fortnights. He could not keep up the word because he could not get money. The lender had already told him strictly that he would occupy the house after the time limit. He was troubling him in this way. Brahmin, his wife and children were in helpless circumstances. All the villagers were seeing this peculiarity as fun but none of them dared to convince the lender to give some more time for repayment.

Sri Sreepada places devotees in critical situation– He tests their devotion and rescues them

Sri Dharma Gupta was moved on seeing the miserable state of the brahmin. He wanted to help but, he was not having money now. I was originally without money!However, I ventured and said, “Sir! Take pity on this helpless Brahmin and grant him two more fortnights’ time. In the mean-time he will come out of his difficulties on account of the mercy of Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha. Think a bit calmly. I guarantee the repayment of loan by him.” I spoke these words involuntarily. The lender spoke thus, “Ok! I believe you. I am giving time for two fortnights but, you, two travellers should not stir out from here until the loan is completely repaid. In case the debt is not redeemed I will not only seize the house of this brahmin but also bring you both before village bench for making me grant extension of time unnecessarily. Then you both will be liable for the punishment imposed by justice.”It is improbable either for me or Sri Dharma Gupta to repay the loan of the Brahmin before the due time. I made this promise like a fool without thinking about the propriety or impropriety or possibility or otherwise of it. I must blame myself for this sort of thoughtless promise. It is not proper to blame Sri Sreevallabha. I threw Sri Dharma Gupta also into a difficult situation along with me. This will be another sinful act. This example is enough to illustrate how mnay troubles arise if there is no control over speech. Where was the end for the sportive pastimes of Lord? Only when such situations arise, either strong devotion develops or devotion disappears. Sri Dharma Gupta was unworried. He said, “Shankar Bhatt! Don’t grieve over what happened. What happened, what is happening and what will happen is all His playful pastime. The writing of Brahma is bound to happen.” There were no provisions in the house of the brahmin. He was having no money. He and his family members must anyhow, go without meals. They got shelter on account of the grace of Sri Sreepada. I thought at least that much was sufficient.I felt that Sri Sreepada Vallabha is the sole refuge in times of hunger, in times of total exhaustion, in times of troubles from lenders, when caught between the horns of dilemma not knowing what to do or what not to do, in critical circumstances. We finished bath and ablutions. We started reciting the name of Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha as there was no other way except recollection of His name. There was no oil, wicks or other material needed for worship with lights in the house of that poor brahmin. When we were chanting the incantation Sreepada Raajam Saranam Prapadyae all the inmates of the house were repeating it. Boys and old ladies in the street gathered there. They were also chanting the name of Sri Sreepada with devotion. In the meanwhile some cultivators also came to the house of the Brahmin. Propaganda gained momentum in the village that I stood as a guarantor for repayment of the loan by the brahmin and that I was a disciple of a great person and, therefore, I was prepared to redeem the debt of the brahmin through my divine power. Information was also circulated that I would not have given such a strong guarantee without really having any divine power, and I was a great astrologer. The farmers of that village were fond of betting wagers. Some of them were betting that the brahmin would repay the loan while some others were betting that he could not repay. Oh! Bad destiny! From a comfortable position I brought upon myself needless distress. I was cornered into a narrow alley by making an impossible promise by speaking at random. I would be dragged before village panchayat, in case I could not repay the loan of the brahmin. Sri Dharma Gupta also along with me would land into trouble. In addition to this, some people were betting, based upon my hollow promise. At last my ineffective promise was becoming a cause for the betting of gamblers. I believed that the divine auspicious feet of Sri Sreepada who was a divine reveller, who rejoices every moment in delightful sports–were my only refuge. The words of Sage Narada with Maha Vishnu that ‘satyam vidhatum nija bhrutya bhashitam’ came to my memory. I felt that Lord Narayana should observe the words of His servants and take responsibility for making them as truthful words. In that village there lived a scholar by name Sarabheswara Sastry. He was an expert in mantra saastra. He was accurately telling about past, future and present with the help of some ghost. Some bidders approached Sarabheswara and submitted the matter. He sought refuge of the ghost and it said that the brahmin could not repay the debt. With that the speed of wagers increased. The farmers of the village who were gamblers started to bid hundreds of varahaas. Those casting wagers were betting with enhanced enthusiasm that it would be decided in this wager who would be great, whether Shankar Sastry? Or Sarabheswara Sastry?

Lord Sreepadaa! At last you have placed me amidst gamblers. You prepared me to be dragged to the village court. You wanted to subject that poor Brahmin to difficulties after creating all sorts of hopes. I am unable to comprehend the inner meaning of this divine play. I am having only a nominal education and I do not possess any spiritual strength. I do not know astrology and other great arts. I do not observe japa and tapa, yogic exercises,

strict principles and devotion. I intended to write the divine hagiography of Sri Sreepada out of curiosity but, I do not have any qualification needed for that. I prayed that it is His will as to how He would rescue and uplift me. It is a proverb that a stubborn person is more stronger than a king. Courage which was hither to not in me began to sprout. I firmly believed that whatever has to happen will happen and that Sri Sreepada would save me by some means. Sarabheswara Sastry had a sister. She was also living in the same village. She had a dream in the early hours of the day. The gist of the dream was that she had high fever, that her husband expired and that she became a widow. She inquired from her brother Sarabheswara Sastry about the outcome of that dream. Sarabheswara questioned the ghost worshipped by him about the matter. Then that ghost said that her husband was in another country and on the way the robbers attacked and killed him after robbing the money. She was weeping bitterly. In the meantime the people who were betting came to that house. They informed that in their village a great person by name Shankar Bhatt was staying, that he was capable of doing and undoing things, that he was adoring a great deity called Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha, and from him a real explanation could be obtained. She had so far not heard of any other pandit who was greater than her brother. She heard for the first time about a pandit greater than her brother and wanted to submit her trouble to that great personage and obtain his blessings. She was brought to the house where we had put up. She prayed to me in a pathetic way, “Brother! Save my maangalya(the life of her husband).” Some charmed turmeric rice grains given by Sri Sreepada to the farmer during his marriage at Panchadeva Pahaad were still with me. I had some sort of divine inspiration. It struck me that because the charmed turmeric rice grains were given by Sri Sreepada Himself, the maangalya of the lady would be protected. I said to her, “Mother! Take these mantraakshatas(rice mixed with turmeric and charged with incantations). These are golden rice grains of turmeric. Preserve them in your pooja-room. Your husband will join you in a few days. This is true.” 

This news was conveyed to Sarabheswara Sastry by the cultivators who were betting. He became enraged. His sister announced that if her husband returned alive to the house she would not only repay the loan amount of the poor brahmin, but also accept Shankar Bhatt as her preceptor and worship Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha. Three days passed. In these three days farmers were bringing food materials to the house of the poor brahmin where I was residing. They laid wagers in my favour. If I succeed they would also win. They get lot of money in that wager.

After three days, on the fourth day the brother-in-law of Sarabheswara Sastry returned safely from distant lands. The joy of that brahmin lady knew no bounds. She thought that her sowbhaagya(auspicious married life) was retained on account of the mantra akshatas given by me. When some thieves were about to kill her husband in the course of the journey a Muslim wrestler killed them and rescued the brahmin. Oh! The greatness of Sri Sreepada is boundless! The arrogance of Sarabheswara Sastry was destroyed. As my prophecy came true, Sarabheswara Sastry repaid the loan of our house-owner. Sarabheswara requested me and Sri Dharma Gupta to accept hospitality in their house. We agreed.Sarabheswara remarked, “Sir! I worship Dhoomravati Devi, one of the dasa maha vidyas. According to the tantra books.She is actually Ugra Taara! If she is happy, she destroys all diseases and sorrows. If she is angry she destroys all comforts and pleasures. When surrendered to Her all calamities are destroyed and all riches are gained. If she is angered, hunger and thirst, quarrels and all kinds of poverty will result. I obtained the grace of that great Mother. That Great Mother wards off all ill effects of exorcism and deadly exercises of killing. Her devoted worship is unavoidable for getting protection for all people suffering from witch craft etc. I behaved for some days without the greed of money working for the good of the people. Afterwards I became avaricious of money and demanded much money from those suffering from the afflictions of uchhatana and maarana exercises. This was not acceptable to that Great Mother. In the meantime, I got connection with a very strong spirit of dead person in the praanamaya jagat . With the assistance of that soul of the dead person I derived an unusual power of telling about past, future and present informations. These manes will turn those who worship them ultimately into miserable ones. One should not worship them. In case they are worshipped the money earned through those powers should be utilized for the use of the public and it should be donated to the distressed and people in want of money. By doing that the soul of the dead one will be constantly in our control. If it is not done like that and money is earned selfishly those spirits will give some wrong prediction and subject the worshipper to shame and turn him a pauper. Not only that. Sometimes even death may take place. The mass of punya in us will be depleted due to selfishness. Then that soul of that dead person will expose us to ashta kashtaas (eight varieties of difficulties). I lived as a selfish person without discrimination, earning money. Therefore, that soul of the dead escaped from my control. It gave a wrong prophecy and landed me in embarrassment. I faced ignominy. You are my Gurudeva from today. Please accept me as your disciple.” Then I said, “Sir! There is no other Guru for this world or creation except Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha. If I arrogate myself as a guru I have to experience more insults than you. When we were coming from Kurungadda Sri Sreepada told briefly about dasa maha vidyas. He added that remaining details will be taught completely at the appropriate time up to the appropriate extent. I learnt from you about Kaali and Dhoomravati of the dasa maha vidyas. Sir! Kindly do not make me a

guru. I am caught here under some peculiar circumstances. I came out of them.Sri Sreepada is an adept in creating difficult problems. He is very dexterous in pulling out His devotees from them. Constant remembrance of the name of Sri Sreepada is the only means of achievement in this and the other world.” 

 

Victory Victory unto Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha!