Sreepada Sreevallabha Charitaamrutam - 48

Chapter– 48 

 Description of Durbar in Panchadev Pahaad 

The manner of addressing men and women by Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha

 Sri Sreepada generally used to hold durbar in Panchadev Pahaad on every Thursday.Sri Sreepada used to step on the waters of Krishna river and walk. A lotus was emerging at every spot where He was about to place His step. It is beyond human imagination as to how wooden sandals stood on that lotus. Not only that. Walking on water is a wonder. For sometime it used to be a wonder to the onlookers. After sometime it was considered as a common sport.When Sri Sreepada arrived at the other bank of Krishna, His devotees were going in advance and were cordially inviting Him. The durbar used to continue till evening. After that, when He was crossing Krishna, He was walking on the lotus flowers that emerged from the water at every step. Then all devotees would bid farewell. During nights He was staying in Kurungadda in solitude.Every Friday He was giving turmeric bits to marriageable girls and to ladies who desire sowbhaagya(auspicious married life).He used to address elderly ladies as‘Mother! Sumatee!’ Sometimes He was addressing them as ‘Mother! Anasuyamma Tallee!’. He was addressing women younger than Him as ‘Ammaa! Vasavee!’ or ‘Ammaa! Sri Vidyaadharaa!’, or ‘Ammaa! Radhaa!’ or ‘Ammaa! Surekhaa!’. He was calling elders who were of the age of His father as ‘Ayyaa! or Naayanaa!’. He was calling young boys as ‘Orey Abbee! or Bangaaroo!’. He was addressing those who were of the age of His grandfather as ‘Taataa!’. In case of such elderly ladies He was fondly calling them as ‘Ammammaa!’. Daily programme of Sri Sreepada and Durbar At times He was holding the friday durbar in Kurungadda. At other times He was holding at Panchadev Pahaad. In the same way the durbar on Thursday was held either at Kurungadda or Panchadev Pahaad. It depended on His liking. During the durbar on Sunday he delivered lecture on the esoteric yogic vidya. After that he was inquiring about the welfare of the visitors. He was patiently hearing their difficulties and granting assurance.In the Monday durbar He was telling episodes from puraanas.After the discourse He was inquiring about the welfare of the devotees.In the Tuesday durbar He was teaching about upanishads.After the teaching, He was listening to individual problems and suggesting solutions and in the same manner granting them assurance.In the Wednesday durbar He was explaining vedas and meaning of vedas. Afterwards He was patiently hearing the woes of devotees and was granting assurance.In the Thursday durbar He was explaining about guru tattwa.In this durbar also there was remedying of worries and chronic diseases of devotees and granting them assurance of protection. However, on that day meals were specially prepared and served to all people. Sometimes, when love for devotees swelled in Him, He was personally serving food to them. For some fortunate people He was personally feeding them. For some people who were very much shy, He used to forcibly push food into their mouths and made them eat. He was telling that His treasure was always full and there was no question of paucity of money or food.In the Friday durbar He was teaching about sree vidya. He was invariably distributing turmeric bits. In the durbar on Saturday He was teaching about the greatness of the worship of Shiva.Those who saw the durbar of Sri Sreepada were indeed fortunate. Devotees were bringing rice, vegetables, jowar and raagi grains. Everyday there was feast of food but on Thursday special preparations were made. Some sweet was prepared and distributed to devotees. The heart of Sri Sreepada was very tender. If any one bitten by troubles like snakes came to the durbar , He used to go out happily after the redressal of those troubles.He used to tell that grace would surely be granted if Sree Datta Puraana is read. The love of Sreepada is that of crores of mothers.He was not allowing anybody to stay in Kurungadda during nights but He permitted the old Sanyasi who accompanied me to stay for some time. I was asked to stay in Kurungadda during night. The old Sanyasi was asked to go and live in Kashi and end his life there. My duty was to clean the cooking utensils, preparation of meals and to look after the comforts of devotees. Meals should be provided at any time to visitors of the durbar . Even if the visitor said that he had meals already, He was ordering that as it was prasaad of the durbar it should be taken without fail. When it was brought to His notice that the food was insufficient and the guests were more in number, He was sprinkling the water from His kamandalu on the food items. Those items of food were becoming inexhaustible. It happened like that many times. During night times celestials used to come in aircrafts to Kurungadda and worship‘Sree Maha Guru’. They were going back after obtaining His blessings. Sometimes yogis from Himalayas were coming. They also used to come by walking on water. Their bodies were effulgent. Sri Sreepada used to personally serve them food. The meal of Sri Sreepada consisted only of a fistful of cooked rice grains! He was telling that He would be very much satisfied if His devotees take meals belly-full, irrespective of whether it was food made of rice or jowar or raagi porridge or pudding. A washerman named Ravi Das had the great fortune of washing the clothes of Sree Charan. Those who did not abandon their evil tendencies even after visiting Him, were facing peculiar difficulties. Again for their redressal they have to take refuge of ‘Sri Sree Charan’ only. He was telling that obsequious ceremonies should be compulsorily performed for the departed elders. He was telling that all the 18 castes were His children and He has no partiality for anyone and that He grants results according to the dharma karmas followed by people.He was also remarking that the great opportunity available that day would not be available again and that He would behave strictly in the ensuing incarnation. He was also observing that His darshan would be available as a result of the merit earned in many births, and that the good opportunity available should be utilized or else sadguru darshan comes only after many births. He was also saying that in the entire wide world 1,25,000 siddha purushas exist in any yuga and that all of them are His segments and if one takes refuge in any one among them His grace emanates through them.He also added that He is the support for all creation and by His will only creation, sustenance and liquidation of it happens. When you salute your guru He will salute his guru. Sri Sreepada said that in this manner, when we salute any guru it will ultimately belong to Him. It was also said that a guru protects when deities are angered but there is no protector against the wrath of a guru. He further remarked that benefits of this and the other world would be gained by those who worship Him and that no one should be hated in this creation, and when we hate any one it will also reach Him. He also averred that if He wanted to accord grace He will not notice even the merits and demerits but, one should have saatwic ideas in him to get His grace.Activities should be always performed with chanting the name of God in the heart It was also remarked that Kurungadda was a Supreme Sacred Kshetra and that Iswara there was an awakened live one and that deities, sages and great persons lived there in disguise without being seen by people. There was a suitable place for everyone. He asserted that God’s name should be retained in Heart while discharging duties always, and that those duties should be in accordance with dharma. He also observed that on getting His darshan all the great sins would be removed and if one follow pious activities it would be possible to derive auspicious results. Let us follow the divine sayings of Sri Sreepada in our life and be redeemed! Victory Victory unto Sri Sreepada Sreevallabha!