Yes, I am blessed

B.L. Satyanarayan Sastry

On a fine early summer morning during 1967, I saw H.H. Sri Chandrasekharendra Sarasvathi Swamiji on the streets of Vijayawada for the first time in my life. I and my younger brother came to Vijayawada from Kakinada to attend the Gruhapravesam function of the newly built house of our cousin-sister. Then Kanchi Matham was camping in Labbipet at Vijayawada.
I and my brother were going to our cousin sister's house by walk. I saw Swamiji coming in the opposite direction. Paramacharya was on His way for a bath in the river Krishna. He was pushing the wheeled cart before Him. Several People were accompanying Him.
I quickly took off my shirt and stopped. As the Swamiji neared us I fell prostrate on the Bandar Road before the august Swamiji. The stopped and looked at me and my brother for a new seconds and proceeded.
After this my brother and I were slowly walking towards our cousin-sister's house. My younger brother suddenly started weeping and said "What an ill luck for me! While your samskara made your prostrate before the Swamiji, on the road of Vijayawada, my ahamkara held me out. I could not prostrate before Him." I consoled him. "We shall have Swamiji's darshan at leisure if time permits." But we were not able to have it.
After returning to Kakinada, I wrote a letter to Swamiji requesting Him to Visit Kakinada. I enclosed a copy of my work on Godavari Valley Development, wherein I made a fervent appeal to the Government of Andhra Pradesh to take up the construction of a barrage on the river Godavari at Polavaram.
A few weeks passed. I got the information that the Swamiji was to visit Kakinada. My joy knew no bounds at the thought that I could see the Jagadguru again.
I joined the Reception Committee to welcome the Jagadguru Sri Paramacharya and the Junior Swami Sri Jayendra Saraswati.
After that I met the Jagadgurus several times during their stay at Kakinada. On one good day, I called on the Paramacharya in the early hours along with Sri Mukkamala Kameswara Rao, then working as camp clerk to Collector, East Godavari District. We told our pravara and gotharm and prostrated before the Swamiji.
Then I placed in his hands a copy of my work on Godavari Valley Development.
The Paramacharya looked at me and my work intently and said "You wrote to us to visit Kakinada. We have come".
"Yes, Swamiji, I said.
For a while Swamiji looked at my work and a map of East Godavari District in the work. He then asked "where is Tulya Sagara Sangamam?"
the river Godavari breaks into seven months in East Godavari District before joining the Bay of Bengal. One such mouth is called Tulyabhaga. This Tulyabhaga joins the sea at a village called chollabgi, some three miles south of Kakinada town.
I showed the place to Swamiji in the map and told him that the joining point is just three miles south of Kakinada.
Then a lively discussion took place between the Swamiji and me on Planning and Development. I told the Swamiji that a project on the river Godavari at Polavaram would greatly help us relieve our food shortage and that the Administration was not taking any action for its construction.
"Why are you worried? It is of no use to you", Swamiji said.
"It will give food to lakhs of people, Swamiji", I replied. I knew that the project was of no use to me as I did not possess even a single cent of land. But I believed that this project will greatly help us in our economic development. To that day the project was still on paper piling up dust in the State and Central Government offices.
Swamiji shut His eyes for some time and said "It will come up during your lifetime."
I felt thrilled and postrated before the Swamiji and took leave of Him.
In January 1989 I went to Kanchi Matam to have the darshan of the Paramacharya.
The Paramacharya was in the palanquin. I and my family members sat before Him, behind the barricade. I place the published copied of my works of Mandukyopanishad and the typescript copy of the Coronation of the Sandals in the hands of the Paramacharya. He first looked at the work and then asked me about the publication.
I information the Swamiji that Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was going to publish the works. Swamiji felt happy and placed some flowers on the works and returned them to me.
The Swamiji then said slowly in Telugu - "mandukyam velugulatu velugu" (Mandukya is the Light of the Lights.)
I felt thrilled and fulfilled. This is the direct instruction from the Paramacharya. This is the SANDESA. This is the UPADESA. Tears rolled down from my eyes. I wept like a child.
My wife lighted the camphor. We offered the HARATHI to our Paramacharya. He blessed us all.
When I reported to my teacher Sri Rani Narasimha Sastri Guru about the discussion I had with the Swamiji at Kanchi, he too wept like a child and said "My child! Now there is no need for you to hear anything more. That instruction from Paramacharya is more than enough. You are blessed."
Yes; I am blessed.