|
Gradually thus, he gained the ability to have an insight
into others' sufferings. He never went to rich relatives for
help. He knew they would make fun. Some times he had to walk
about 20 km. to an immediate relative to request for school
fees, only to be refused by that drunkard relative, who deliberately
would refuse to give that small amount of money and used to
ask Father to come back after few days. With a strong will
power and strong efforts he completed and rose to become a
Doctor, by completing his medical degree successfully. A noble
Doctor, he never considered it a profession but instead he
thought it to be a mission. A mission to help the poor and
needy. A mission is to serve humanity without any discrimination.
He gave the same temperament to all of us children.
A Saint's Blessings: Mother was born to the blessings of
a Saint. In Feb 1913, My maternal Grand Father was posted
as Amildar (Commissioner) in Devanahalli near Bangalore. Shri
Shankaracharya of Koodalimutt was on a visit to that place.
Deeply religious, my maternal Grand Parents received the Saint
with due honors and reception. The venerable Saint was pleased
to visit their home, where after the traditional Pada Pooja
(worshiping a Saint's Lotus Feet by washing with scented water,
offering of flowers etc...), they organized mass feeding.
Very much pleased, the Saint invited My Grand Father, Amildar
Narayana Iyer, to accompany Him to the next town.
Grand Father begged for forgiveness at the feet of the Saint,
by saying , "Oh! Reverend Saint, I may be forgiven that
my wife is expected to deliver a child any moment and she
needs me by her side." Broadly smiling the venerable
Saint said, "Do not worry about the delivery. A female
child would be born. Name her as Sharada. (Sharada is the
name of the presiding Goddess deity of Koodali and Shringeri.
Shringeri is a famous place where Adi Shankara was supposed
to have established a centre during His philosophical sojourn.)She
will be a noble pious, lady and bear noble children in her
womb."
With enormous faith and devotion Grand Father accompanied
the Saint. After the programme was over and when Grand Father
came back, to his surprise, he had been blessed with a beautiful
daughter.
Legend Of Koodalimutt: (Mutt means Monastery)
Koodali is a town about 10 Km. from Shimoga town in the state
of Karnataka in South India. Legend has it that Adi Shankaracharya,
in a Vedic argument, defeated Mandana Misra, a great Vedic
scholar of that time. Later Mandana Misra became a disciple
of Adi Shankara. This happened in the ancient city of Kashi
(Benaras). Mandana Misra's wife Ubhaya Bharati believed to
be an Avatar of Goddess Saraswati, wants to go back to Her
original abode of Brahma. Through a Mantra, Adi Shankara stops
Her and prays to Her to reside on earth. The story goes on
that Adi Shankara wanted to take Her towards Shringeri. Goddess
agreed with a precondition that Shankara should proceed and
that She would follow, but Shankara should not look back.
If Shankara fails to hold on to this condition She said, She
would stop then and there
itself.
Well, the journey started. On the way Shankara used to hear
the foot steps of Shankara arrived at Koodali, as The Great
Saint did not hear the foot steps, forgetting the condition,
He looked back and the Goddess stopped there and came to be
known as Sharadamba. Goddess Sharadamba is in a standing posture
in Koodal. She is in a sitting posture in Shringeri. Shringeri
is also in the state of Karnataka in South India.
The 20th Spiritual Head of this centre at Shringeri, was
Saint Narasimha Bharati. After the Vijayanagar Empire had
collapsed, during 16th century, Saint Narasimha Bharati went
to Kashi and did not come back for 16 years. Assuming that
He might have attained Mahasamadhi, people at Shringeri had
organised Saint Rama Chandra Bharati to ascend as the Spiritual
head.
Later when Saint Narasimha Bharati came back and saw another
person as the Spiritual head, He graciously accepted and went
to Koodal and established a Monastery there. He attained Mahasamadhi
around 1586 AD. The 21st Spiritual descendent of this Koodali
Mutt was the one who had blessed Baba's maternal grand parents
and blessed Baba's Mother Sharadamba's birth.
BABA'S PARENTS, End of part II
copyright SRBY 2002. All rights reserved.
|
