Sreepada Sreevallabha Charitaamrutam - 42

Chapter– 42  

Chanting of prayer–“Datta Digambaraa! Datta Digambaraa! Sreepada Vallabha Datta Digambaraa!” – started by Pithikapura residents for the first time, which became universally famous.

             (This chapter is to be read for tracing missing children)

 

Sri Sreepada gave His divine Darshan always to His Parents, Baapanaarya, Narasimha Varma and Pynda Venkatappayya Sreshti.

After lunch Sri Bhaskara Pandit narrated in the following manner. All the brahmins considered the various acts of Sri Sreepada such as -- giving datta deeksha in the houses of soodras; that too giving deeksha for a single night; giving deeksha without following the regulations such as worship, rituals etc. and simply tying a thread on the wrists of devotees and making them do bhajans; declaring Himself as Datta and announcing that all the difficulties of devotees would be eradicated by merely remembering Him. All the brahmins unanimously decided that all the above acts of omission and commission were violation of saastras. They resolved to submit the matter to Sankaracharya and expel Sri Baapanaarya and Appalaraja Sarma from the brahmin caste. However, in the meanwhile the sudden disappearance of Sri Sreepada became a matter for discussion. In spiritual matters no title would be announced without the permission of Sri Sankaracharya. Such being the case, it was thought, that it would be a treason against divinity to declare a boy who was not even 16 years of age, as an incarnation of Lord Datta Him-self. Therefore, some Brahmins who were hypocrites came to the house of Sri Baapanaarya ostensibly to express sympathy. No one in the house was sad because of the disappearance of Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha. To top it all, Sri Baapanaarya said, “Now Datta is flourishing very remarkably. That great Lord moved in our house in the form of Sreepada Sreevallabha. He gave us heavenly happiness. He removed the layer of maaya covering our eyes. Today He is moving in the wink of our eyes. He gave His divine darshan to our inner vision more number of times than before. We are very fortunate.” The visiting brahmins were taken aback. From there they went to the house of Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha with polluted ideas inside but outwardly to utter sympathetic words. There Sumati Maharani, Appalaraja Sarma, brothers and sisters of Sreepada were all extremely happy.Then Sri Sarma averred, “Previously we had lot of anxieties about Sreepada. Now our minds became light. He is appearing before our mental eyes as soon as we think about Him. He is talking with us with gross body as soon as we wish. Our births were blessed because we happened to be the parents of Lord Datta Him-self. We are having unprecedented happiness.” The circumstances there were quite contrary to the expectations of the brahmins.Sri Pynda Venkatappayya Sreshti said like this, “Oh! Noble brahmins! Previously we were spending only few hours with Sri Sreepada but, now! He is not only constantly moving before our mental eyes but also appearing with His physical body and roaming in our house.” 

Sri Narasimha Varma said to the brahmins, “The veils of maaya which shrouded our eyes are removed. That great Lord who is an eternal reveller, rejoicer of divine delight is moving in our house. He is cracking jokes with us and is with us, behind us and is continually in our sight. He is giving us darshan with His physical body more than before.” These matters were conveyed to the sanyasi in Kukkuteswara Temple. Agitation started in the bosom of the sanyasi.His thoughts ran like this, “Sri Sree

pada clearly suggested that He was verily Lord Datta Himself and disappeared. Without the name of another deity or some other deity, Sreepada mentioned Himself as Sree Dattatreya, who is his upaasya deity . Probably Sree Dattatreya incarnated in the form of Sreepada Sreevallabha. If His incarnation is true, then it would be equally true that he would face difficulties in future. Lord Datta is of queer nature. He would bring difficulties to him, see the fun, and rescue only after his total surrender. That is His nature. I thought that it was the mercy of Lord Datta that so many brahmins honoured me on a large scale and money was amassed on a grand scale. In the form of Sri Datta’s mercy, were there any special punishments earmarked for me only?” “Lord Datta knew my hankering for name and fame, money and pelf. The brahmins who followed me were also after money! There was no spiritual power to me or to these brahmins.Datta deekshas were designed only to attract money! In case their desires are not fulfilled those who undertook these deekshas think that it was their failure in due observance of deeksha. If their wishes are fulfilled they believe it was the result of the deeksha. Is not Sri Sreepada going to push me into troubles through some queer and peculiar procedure!” In this way that sanyasi was trembling with fear. In the meantime an old Brahmin came to Kukkuteswara temple. He said that his name was Narasimha Khan, and that he belonged to the lineage of Sage Kaasyapa and that he came from Maharastra Desa especially for the darshan of great Lord Kukkuteswara. He added that he heard that a ‘Paramahamsa Parivrajaka’ was giving datta deekshas there and that he came there to have his

darshan. He concealed many varahaas near his navel. He offered all those coins as dakshina. On receipt of the money the sanyasi was filled with immense joy. At the time of initiation the sanyasi asked the old brahmin to stretch his hand so that he can pour water from the kamandal. The brahmin stretched his hand. Along with water a scorpion fell into his hand. Then the tone of that brahmin turned stubborn. He said, “you poured water into my hand and asked me to drink. What a wonder! The fruits of your tapa earned from so many years were solemnly endowed to me. I am bestowing them in turn to Pithikapuram” . Sanyasi was wonder struck. The old brahmin disappeared in a moment. Suddenly one brahmin cried that he was bitten by a scorpion. That brahmin was one among those who took deeksha. An incantation as an antidote for scorpion bite was applied on him. The pain did not subside. Various mantras were chanted but, there was no improvement. Abhisheka was performed to Kukkuteswara. A large quantity of camphor was lit. That brahmin fainted. Foam was coming from his mouth. It was confirmed that he was bitten by a snake and not a scorpion. Some people noticed that a scorpion fell into the hands of the old Maharastrian brahmin in the water from the kamandalu. Therefore, some people said that scorpion might have bitten the brahmin.God only knows what sort of rumours originate, circulate and involve people in what kind of troubles at any moment in Pithikapur. Some people were suspecting that the sanyasi who gave those datta deekshas was mainly responsible for the non reduction of the pain to the brahmin from scorpion bite in spite of performance of abhishek to Kukkuteswara and camphor haarati to self-manifested Datta. In place of coins offered by the old brahmin from Maharastra coals were there. The heart beat of the sanyasi fluctuated violently with fear that Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha might have come in this fashion to punish him. As large volume of foam came from the mouth of the brahmin it was decided that it was a case of snake-bite. A kind of propaganda gained momentum that there was a kind of vidya(art) known only to ‘koyas and chenchus’ who move in hills and dales and who were well versed in mantras and tantras; that the sanyasi applied that

vidya on this brahmin; that according to that vidya a ghost will emerge from water in the shape of a scorpion; after biting some one that scorpion changes as a serpent; the moment it changes as a serpent foam comes out of the person bitten by scorpion; that serpent transforms itself as a ghost after sometime; that the person bitten by the scorpion starts jumping madly after the serpent changes into a ghost; and that the ghost after sometime enters into the houses of others following the wish of the person releasing it; and that it steals money from those houses and pours it into the hands of it’s master. Poor sanyasi did not know that this Pithikapuram was the home town of all rumours. The brahmin who was vomiting foam got up after some time. He was jumping due to some kind of pain in his stomach. Rumours spread that he will change as a devil after sometime because he was jumping.

It was suggested that every one should write ‘Oh! Devil! Come tomorrow!’ before their houses and on seeing that writing the devil would depart and this affair will repeat every day like this on account of this writing. People were cautioned that if the devil enters into the house, it will steal and take away money from the house. All the brahmins who were supporting the sanyasi so far abandoned him and went to their houses. Without exception, on the outside of every brahmin, kshatriya and vysy house it was written ‘Oh devil! Come tomorrow!’ in charcoal. A cultivator named Venkayya arranged proclamation by beat of tom-tom that a pot filled with coals must be carefully kept in the houses of all soodras and by this the devil sent by the sanyasi will not steal money from soodra houses. After sometime the brahmin who jumped madly with pain recovered. In the meanwhile a farmer approached the brahmin in Kukkuteswara

Temple and said, “Sir! Our caste chief Venkayya wanted to give you the mantra akshatas given by Sri Sreepada. You will become healthy from the efficacy of those mantra akshatas(rice mixed with turmeric and charged with incantations).” 

Then that brahmin thought like this, “Now the ailment abated but I may become really a devil at any moment as per the rumours in circulation. Perhaps according to the stipulation laid down, those mantraakshatas have to be collected from the soodra house. Brahmins give mantraakshatas to soodras but soodras would not summon brahmins to their houses and give mantraakshatas. A gentle Venkayya sent for me wishing only for my welfare.”  With such feelings he received  mantraakshatas from Venkayya and went home. As a result of the rumours spread in Pithikapuram the faith of all castes on sanyasi was lost. Then all of them thought that it was not correct to give dakshinas  to a sanyasi well versed in witch craft. They took refund of the dakshina money from the sanyasi. They sent away the sanyasi without beating him. They asked Sri Baapanaarya what to do with all that money.

Sri Baapanaarya said, “Arrange to bring provisions with that money. Provide a grand feast to all castes.Lord of annadana Sree Dattatreya will be pleased. No individual deekshas are necessary.”Sheds on a grand scale were constructed opposite to Kukkuteswara temple. A food feast was arranged to all eighteen types of castes.All people for the first time chanted the divine name‘Datta Digambaraa! Datta Digambaraa! Sreepada Vallabha Datta Digambaraa!’  Sri Sreepada averred long ago that this name will spread all over the world.

Victory Victory unto Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha !