Mukthi Dwaram
Death is inevitable to all creatures. Bhagavatgeetha and other sastras say that the desires and aspirations which the creatures had in their mind at the time of their last breath are fulfilled in their subsequent birth. Usually people will be spending all their lives with worldly thoughts. So they will get the same memories even at their last breath. But due to the merits of their previous lives, certain people resort to mahatmas and spend all their life time in their thoughts and service. Naturally, such people will get some such good memories at the last breath and so they get good positions in their next birth. When we go through the life history of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Sai, we will find that many creatures have attained salvation or moksha in their holy company. Here, we will see some such instances from the life history of Sri Swamy.
One day a devotee came to Sai, to get proficiency in astrology with his grace. He gave a book of astrology to Sri Sai for his blessings. But Sai turned the pages of that book this way and that and gave the book to Bapusaheb Booty, who was a millionaire from Nagpur. But Booty has the least interest in that book. Yet with great reverence, as that was given with Baba's blessings, he used to turn the pages now and then. Mysteriously, he got great proficiency in that sastra. Booty was able to say in advance the number of votes with which his friend was going to win in the elections. It came to be literally true. Perhaps sadguru's grace was essential to obtain proficiency in these sastras. By the way, did Sai recognize astrology as valuable sastra or not? Sri Sai had neither praised that sastra nor spoke against it. One day Sri Sai said to a man who was praising the greatness of the astrologers, "I am also like your astrologers. They take accounts of planets and are able to predict future to some extent only. But without any calculations I can tell you a little more further, except that, I do not have any special powers" he laughed.
Sompalli Ramanaidu studied astrology and stayed in the service of Sri Swamy for a number of years. We do not know whether he served and worshipped Sri Swamy to get proficiency in that sastra. But in course of time he was able to predict to exact future very perfectly. He answered the questions of the people also. One day a house holder lost a necklace, with the help of astrological calculations, Ramanaidu told that the lost necklace was in the thatched wall of their bath room. When they dismantled the thatched wall of their bathroom, they got the necklace in it. When a man lost his buffalo he said "Day after tomorrow, if you go at the sunrise to the village which is at a distance of three miles towards the north of your village you will get your buffalo". He did so and his buffalo was coming on the way.
One day Sri Swamy was going on his tour to some other village. Ramanaidu asked for the permission of Sri Swamy to stay back as his health was not good and stayed back. On the second day Sri Ramanaidu died in the ashramam at Golagamudi for no conspicuous reasons. When they told Sri Swamy of this news Sri Swamy asked them to bury his body at a certain place in the ashramam. The devotees did so.
By the side of this Samadhi, there is samadhi of Poli reddy garu, one of the servants of Sri Swamy. Polireddy always followed Sri Swamy and served him. Wherever Sri Swamy stopped, he went in search of that area and gathered leaf vegetable and cooked them and served them to Sri Swamy because Sri Swamy used to eat that leaf curry with great relish. Beyond this satisfaction, we find him desiring nothing from Sri Swamy. Forty days before his death Sri Swamy said "On Fortieth day god will come for inquiry. On that day all of us should not touch even water". No body could understand the meaning of those words. On that day Sri Swamy was on the sea shore at Mypadu village. Abruptly Sri Swamy ordered "Ayya! Till we reach Golagamudi Ashramam we should not touch even water. Let us start at once. We should not stay here even for a minute." Due to cyclone the roads were damaged. There were no buses on that day in that route. They reached Nellore by walk and from there they came to Golagamudi in a taxi. Exactly at the time of Sri Swamy's order at Mypadu Polireddy died at Golagamudi. How and where to conduct his last rites, was the topic of discussion among the devotees at Golagamudi. They do not know the where abouts of Sri Swamy for informing Sri Swamy of Polireddy's death. Omniscient Swamy came to Golagamudi at the right time. With his own hands Sri Swamy performed the last rites to Polireddy's body.
Polireddy was an earnest seeker of liberation. He desired nothing but Sri Swamy's service. Sri Swamy with his own hands placed his body in the Samadhi. It is the proof that he got liberation. Sai once said about Megha who served Sai without expecting anything from Sai. "He is my real Bhakta". He not only walked for some distance towards the burial ground but also with his own expenditure conducted Annasantharpana. "Selfless service is real Bhakthi".
An income tax officer had brought up his pet dog with love and affection. When the dog was ill and the doctors failed they brought it to Sri Swamy in a car. Sri Swamy saw the dog and the dog saw Sri Swamy and immediately the dog breathed its last. That creature which died in the presence of Sri Swamy should have certainly got Sadgathi. In Sai Sainaths life history too, a tiger left its mortal coil after seeing the merciful Sai.
Korakutti Narasimlulu Naidu and his wife were staunch devotees of Sri Swamy. They had great faith in the words of Sri Swamy. One day, Sri Swamy ordered Naidu to leave Golagamudi for a year and live some where west of Golagamudi. So they build a thatched house at Talupur and lived there happily. If he did not follow the words of Sri Swamy he would have entangled himself in a murder case, for no reason.
In 1983 his wife was suffering with cancer. They gave up hope. They sought for Sri Swamy's help. They were giving the udhi and pathatheertha regularly. They also tied Sri Swamy's thread to her neck. K Bujjaiah had a dream. She was kept on bier and was decorated with garlands. Her face was shining like the face of Goddess Kanaka Durga of Vijayawada. The next morning she actually died. Sri Bujjaiah and her relatives may think that Sri Swamy did not save her life. But as her life span was over, there was no scope to do anything with her. To inform this Sri Swamy gave a dream vision to Bujjaiah.
As she was made to appear in his dream with heavenly brilliance we can be rest assured that her spirit got liberation.