As time progressed, Guruji slowly
started losing interest in his job, family, kids, society, colleagues,
friends, and friendships. Not that Guruji was disillusioned; it was just
that these things did not interest him anymore. More and more, his affi
nity to the Divine Mother led his heart to feel happiness in divine
aspects. Eventually, this led to his disinterest in the physical aspects
of everyday living. Topping this off was the persistence of the Divine
Mother asking Guruji to quit his job.
The search for answers to his questions was always in the back of Guruji’s mind: “What am I going to do? What will happen to my wife and kids?” The Divine Mother always kept reminding Guruji, “Don’t worry! I am there for you. I will take care of them.” “How can one let go of a decent job?” Guruji asked Her. “Is there anything more stupid than that?” But in reality, there was nothing more precious than meditating on the Divine Mother! For Guruji, there was nothing more interesting or fulfi lling than reflecting upon Her. So what to do? After returning from Zambia, Guruji was assigned to research in the Air Defense division. Guruji was not that interested to conduct research in Air Defense, and his superiors were not willing to transfer him to a different division either. Yet, following the process, Guruji requested a transfer to a different division. There was no response from Guruji’s management. The lack of Guruji’s interest in his work, the Divine Mother’s persistence in asking him to quit his job, and the lack of response from Guruji’s management all contributed to Guruji losing patience.
One fine day Guruji told his wife, “I don’t want to continue in this job. I will quit.” Married life motherhood enlighten women to better understand responsibilities, and to develop foresight in such situations. When a husband mentions about quitting the family’s only livelihood, most women would be extremely worried. But to Mrs. Annapoornamma these things did not bother her! Instead she told Guruji, “Don’t try to do something that you don’t like to do! Whether you have a job or not, you know your responsibilities. You will anyhow share what you have. So, it is up to you!”
Guruji thought about it and came to a conclusion. He resigned from his job and split his accumulated earnings into five equal parts; one for each of his children, one for the Divine Mother, and the last one to both of them.
After an exemplary 25 years of professional service, Guruji returned to Visakhapatnam in 1981. Many questions remained unanswered from his young age. Even the answered ones were incomplete. When he was growing up, Guruji had decided not to think of these until he was at least 40 years old. Now the time had come when he involuntarily engaged himself in this spiritual journey, seeking answers at 47 years of age after he retired from his job at Bombay.
Upon his return to Visakhapatnam in 1981, Guruji started living in his own home along with his younger brother. Answers to questions that bothered him from his young age gradually bore fruits in the form of divine experiences. Guruji’s sincere efforts in the form of Lalita Sahasranamam parayanam and Navaavarana pujas started bringing people closer to Guruji.
Until then, the common man was scared to chant Lalita Sahasranamam. It was deeply embedded in their minds that strict traditions and customs had to be followed, but that such elaborate rituals were not needed for the common man. In addition, people feared that they might face the wrath of the Divine Mother if they made a mistake knowingly or unknowingly. But over a period of time, people overcame their inhibitions to join Guruji in chanting the Lalita Sahasranamam. There were no bounds to Guruji’s devotion and dedication so he was always surprised to find that people had fears, doubts and inhibitions. He always imbibed confidence that the Divine Mother would never seek to destroy, but instead love and protect her children, even if they committed a mistake unknowingly.
Gradually, devotees realized that the Divine Mother had no reservations or qualms about caste, creed, religion, hard customs, or traditions. Will any kid choose a day or time to sleep in his mother’s lap? Will a mother ever insist on a kid to sleep at a specific day or time in her lap?
The answer is NO! So, Guruji was able to convince and instill confidence that any person can pray to the Divine Mother whenever and wherever they wish. Slowly, women started actively participating in a Lalita Sahasranamam parayanam group.
Sri Chakra temple model
One
day, the Divine Mother in the form of Balatripurasundari appeared to
Guruji and said, “Please construct me a home.” Guruji got the shock of
his life and said, “What? Home? I don’t have one for myself. From where
can I get one constructed for you?” Bala said, “Who said you don’t have
one? Is not mine yours?” Guruji replied, “I agree! Yours may be mine,
and mine may be yours. But where do I have any money to build one?
Sorry! I cannot build one for you, Mother.” But Bala said, “You will
build me one. You will be able to build one soon.” After this divine
intervention, one day during Guruji’s meditation, a multi-layered,
multidimensional, multi-deity formation appeared before him, in the form
of the Sri Chakra with the Divine Mother at the pinnacle. That
visualization was extraordinary and the temple very beautiful. Guruji
was extremely enamored over and over again by the Manidweepa temple that
he visualized in his meditation. He immediately summoned a carpenter to
build a model of his visualization. With the Divine Mother’s blessing,
this Manidweepa temple model turned out to be exquisite.
Sagara Giri Durga Pilgrimage
The Divine Mother said to Guruji, “I would like you
to take 108 bare-footed Lalita Sahasranamam chanting Suvasinis to the
Sagara Giri Temple to perform puja.” Guruji immediately informed all
those near and dear about this mammoth undertaking, and the word spread
around like wildfire. In addition, leaflets were also distributed to
spread the word around every nook and corner. It was in October 1982
this grand event occurred. Abhijit Lagnam (Early morning 6 a.m.) was
chosen as the start time on an auspicious day for this great
undertaking, and all arrangements were made. Many suvasinis
enthusiastically came forward to take part. The previous night, all of a
sudden, there was a heavy downpour accompanied by squalls. It poured
cats and dogs to no avail. Upon seeing this, Guruji’s younger brother
said,“In this heavy rain, do you think anyone will show up tomorrow
morning? Should we cancel the event?” Guruji replied, “No way! We are
not canceling the event. Whether anyone comes or not, the Divine Mother
and I are going. There is no way that program will be cancelled or
postponed.” What else can be done when such a decision is made? The
downpour continued and the house was packed with friends and relatives
and their kids. At this critical juncture, Guruji realized that they
lost power and no one knew when power would be restored. It was dark
everywhere. It was wet, damp and crazy all around.
On one side, when things were in such a bad and confusing state, Gurupatni Smt. Annapoornamma did realize that she had all the raw material ready to make laddus for the grand event, and laddus were not ready yet. Guruji’s sister Smt. Suryalakshmi realized that there was no point in patiently waiting for the power to be restored. So, she took the initiative in lighting a candle and assisted her sister-in-law to prepare laddus in the darkness. The heavy downpour continued and it seemed it would not end in the near future. The next day’s grand event was a concern on everyone’s mind.
Guruji was watching how the events were unfolding. He thought for a moment, and went inside to the shrine room and brought the miniature model of the Sri Chakra that he had designed, and left it in the heavy downpour. Either it was a sheer miracle or blessings of divine beings, that in a span of 15 minutes after that simple action that the rain completely stopped! Guruji brought back the Sri Chakra inside after that. As planned, at 6 a.m. sharp Guruji with the miniature Sri Chakra model safely placed on his head, left bare-footed for the journey. Until then, all the neighbors had assumed that Guruji might have cancelled the program. Once they came to know that the grand event was on schedule, they hurried up and joined the procession.
Ultimately
all 108 Suvasinis were part of the procession chanting Lalita
Sahasranamam and were right behind Guruji who had Sri Chakra temple
miniature on the top of his head. The traditional shahanai music that
accompanied this procession enhanced the spiritual atmosphere. It was a
sight to watch all participants walking bare-footed towards the
seashore. Upon reaching the seashore, all the ladies boarded the boat
that was awaiting their presence. Guruji also boarded another boat,
still with the Sri Chakra temple miniature firmly on the top of his
head. The boats started their journey towards Dolphin Nose. Sagara Giri
Durga Temple is nested on top of Dolphin’s Nose hillock. Upon reaching
the base of the hill, all alit from the boats and continued their
journey to the top of the hill by foot. Guruji continued his journey to
the temple by foot still with Sri Chakra temple miniature firmly placed
atop his head.
Upon reaching the temple, Guruji directly approached the Simha Vahanam (lion vehicle statue) and firmly sat on its back with his legs on either side, still with the Sri Chakra temple model firmly on his head. Upon seeing this, Guruji’s sister Mrs. Suryalakshmi immediately approached Guruji, broke a coconut, lit camphor, and offered arathi. After this, Guruji became his normal self, got off from the Simha Vahanam, and put the Sri Chakra temple miniature down.
All the pujas were performed by the 108 suvasinis on a very elaborate scale, and thus concluded this grant event, which was a success beyond everyone’s imagination. This was followed by distribution of prasadam to all those present. A few days passed after this grand event. It so happened that a temple trustee had visited the Sagara Giri Durga Temple. The Sri Chakra temple model grabbed his attention and he asked the chief priest what it was, and who left it there. The chief priest narrated to the temple trustee what occurred few days ago. Temple trustee: “It is okay for them to come and perform pujas. But they need to take their things back with them. They can’t leave these in our temple.”
The chief priest was left with no alternative but to inform Guruji the next day what transpired between him and the temple trustee. Guruji went to Sagara Giri Durga Temple the next day and brought the Sri Chakra temple model back home. Smt.Annapurnamma asked, “What happened? Why did you bring this home? Is it not something related to the Divine Mother? Had it remained in the temple what would have happened?” Guruji replied, “Don’t worry! They were not fortunate enough to retain this replica of divinity!”
The search for answers to his questions was always in the back of Guruji’s mind: “What am I going to do? What will happen to my wife and kids?” The Divine Mother always kept reminding Guruji, “Don’t worry! I am there for you. I will take care of them.” “How can one let go of a decent job?” Guruji asked Her. “Is there anything more stupid than that?” But in reality, there was nothing more precious than meditating on the Divine Mother! For Guruji, there was nothing more interesting or fulfi lling than reflecting upon Her. So what to do? After returning from Zambia, Guruji was assigned to research in the Air Defense division. Guruji was not that interested to conduct research in Air Defense, and his superiors were not willing to transfer him to a different division either. Yet, following the process, Guruji requested a transfer to a different division. There was no response from Guruji’s management. The lack of Guruji’s interest in his work, the Divine Mother’s persistence in asking him to quit his job, and the lack of response from Guruji’s management all contributed to Guruji losing patience.
One fine day Guruji told his wife, “I don’t want to continue in this job. I will quit.” Married life motherhood enlighten women to better understand responsibilities, and to develop foresight in such situations. When a husband mentions about quitting the family’s only livelihood, most women would be extremely worried. But to Mrs. Annapoornamma these things did not bother her! Instead she told Guruji, “Don’t try to do something that you don’t like to do! Whether you have a job or not, you know your responsibilities. You will anyhow share what you have. So, it is up to you!”
Guruji thought about it and came to a conclusion. He resigned from his job and split his accumulated earnings into five equal parts; one for each of his children, one for the Divine Mother, and the last one to both of them.
After an exemplary 25 years of professional service, Guruji returned to Visakhapatnam in 1981. Many questions remained unanswered from his young age. Even the answered ones were incomplete. When he was growing up, Guruji had decided not to think of these until he was at least 40 years old. Now the time had come when he involuntarily engaged himself in this spiritual journey, seeking answers at 47 years of age after he retired from his job at Bombay.
Upon his return to Visakhapatnam in 1981, Guruji started living in his own home along with his younger brother. Answers to questions that bothered him from his young age gradually bore fruits in the form of divine experiences. Guruji’s sincere efforts in the form of Lalita Sahasranamam parayanam and Navaavarana pujas started bringing people closer to Guruji.
Until then, the common man was scared to chant Lalita Sahasranamam. It was deeply embedded in their minds that strict traditions and customs had to be followed, but that such elaborate rituals were not needed for the common man. In addition, people feared that they might face the wrath of the Divine Mother if they made a mistake knowingly or unknowingly. But over a period of time, people overcame their inhibitions to join Guruji in chanting the Lalita Sahasranamam. There were no bounds to Guruji’s devotion and dedication so he was always surprised to find that people had fears, doubts and inhibitions. He always imbibed confidence that the Divine Mother would never seek to destroy, but instead love and protect her children, even if they committed a mistake unknowingly.
Gradually, devotees realized that the Divine Mother had no reservations or qualms about caste, creed, religion, hard customs, or traditions. Will any kid choose a day or time to sleep in his mother’s lap? Will a mother ever insist on a kid to sleep at a specific day or time in her lap?
The answer is NO! So, Guruji was able to convince and instill confidence that any person can pray to the Divine Mother whenever and wherever they wish. Slowly, women started actively participating in a Lalita Sahasranamam parayanam group.
Sri Chakra temple model
Sagara Giri Durga Pilgrimage
 |
| Durga in Sagara Giri Temple |
On one side, when things were in such a bad and confusing state, Gurupatni Smt. Annapoornamma did realize that she had all the raw material ready to make laddus for the grand event, and laddus were not ready yet. Guruji’s sister Smt. Suryalakshmi realized that there was no point in patiently waiting for the power to be restored. So, she took the initiative in lighting a candle and assisted her sister-in-law to prepare laddus in the darkness. The heavy downpour continued and it seemed it would not end in the near future. The next day’s grand event was a concern on everyone’s mind.
Guruji was watching how the events were unfolding. He thought for a moment, and went inside to the shrine room and brought the miniature model of the Sri Chakra that he had designed, and left it in the heavy downpour. Either it was a sheer miracle or blessings of divine beings, that in a span of 15 minutes after that simple action that the rain completely stopped! Guruji brought back the Sri Chakra inside after that. As planned, at 6 a.m. sharp Guruji with the miniature Sri Chakra model safely placed on his head, left bare-footed for the journey. Until then, all the neighbors had assumed that Guruji might have cancelled the program. Once they came to know that the grand event was on schedule, they hurried up and joined the procession.
Upon reaching the temple, Guruji directly approached the Simha Vahanam (lion vehicle statue) and firmly sat on its back with his legs on either side, still with the Sri Chakra temple model firmly on his head. Upon seeing this, Guruji’s sister Mrs. Suryalakshmi immediately approached Guruji, broke a coconut, lit camphor, and offered arathi. After this, Guruji became his normal self, got off from the Simha Vahanam, and put the Sri Chakra temple miniature down.
All the pujas were performed by the 108 suvasinis on a very elaborate scale, and thus concluded this grant event, which was a success beyond everyone’s imagination. This was followed by distribution of prasadam to all those present. A few days passed after this grand event. It so happened that a temple trustee had visited the Sagara Giri Durga Temple. The Sri Chakra temple model grabbed his attention and he asked the chief priest what it was, and who left it there. The chief priest narrated to the temple trustee what occurred few days ago. Temple trustee: “It is okay for them to come and perform pujas. But they need to take their things back with them. They can’t leave these in our temple.”
The chief priest was left with no alternative but to inform Guruji the next day what transpired between him and the temple trustee. Guruji went to Sagara Giri Durga Temple the next day and brought the Sri Chakra temple model back home. Smt.Annapurnamma asked, “What happened? Why did you bring this home? Is it not something related to the Divine Mother? Had it remained in the temple what would have happened?” Guruji replied, “Don’t worry! They were not fortunate enough to retain this replica of divinity!”
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