Please Click Here to read the previous parts of this story..Now please continue reading this part..
On that darkness filled night in the dense forests of Naimisaranyam..
All the pious members of the mystic Brahmin Nemani Subbarao’s holy gang kept gazing into darkness, with fear,unable to understand what that roaring sound was and from which corner of the forest it was coming…
With fear gripping their minds and anxiety holding them captive,each one of them,who was on top of the building that night,tried to give an interpretation of their own to that roaring sound but none of them dared to move a bit forward and find out what that wild animal was and from which corner of the forests it was roaring..
On the contrary..
Everyone was looking at everyone for support and then was keeping quiet after seeing the same fear in the other person’s eyes..
Unable to know what next to do..
They all silently waited for a few more minutes without moving from the place where they all have gathered at that time on that building..Fear was the common factor that was keeping them all grounded at that moment..
Freezing them furthermore
There was another round of huge roaring sound again..
This time they have not only noticed a more ferocity in the roaring sound but have also noticed that it was not a single animal that was roaring at that time but a bunch of animals that have grouped together and roaring in a chorus..
Dhak..Dhak..Dhak..Dhak..
Everyone was literally listening to the other person’s heart beat..Suddenly they all started reciting in a low tone,the holy verses from Sree Anjaneya Dandakam..
“..Sri Anjaneyam..Prasannanjaneyam..Prabha divya kaayam,..Prakeerthi pradayam.. Bhaje vayu putram.. Bhaje vaala gathram..Bhajeham pavithram..Bhaje surya mithram.. Bhaje rudra roopam……”
(Sri Anjaneya Dandakam is a series of sacred verses in Telugu/Sanskrit recited in praise of mighty Lord Sri Anjaneya Hanuman requesting Him to drive out the feelings of fear from our mind and body)..
After that recitation of Sri Anjaneya Dandakam,there was some silence all around..
Not sure whether it was due to the power she acquired after the recitation of Sri Anjaneya Dandakam or due to the inborn courage she possesses,Venkata Lakshmi,the noble wife of the more noble mystic Brahmin Subbarao,had finally decided to move from the place where they all were sitting in fear that moment..
Even by nature,Venkata Lakshmi is a very strong and courageous lady and certainly not the one who would sit idle for a longtime succumbing to fear..
She was for sure disturbed by the roaring sounds in that darkness filled night,however,she was not much deterred by that sound and was in fact curious to move and find out what exactly that sound was..
Furthermore,the recitation of Anjaneya Dandakam pumped up the courage levels in her and she was just rearing to go..
And she moved..
Before someone could even realize what she was actually doing,Venkata Lakshmi got up from the floor and rushed towards the parapet wall to know what was that wild animal threatening them for a long time..
Everyone there on that building went almost breathless with her sudden reaction..Subbarao too tried to move but everyone stopped him and made him sit forcibly..
THEN..
Everyone,without even battling their eyelids,kept staring at Venkata Lakshmi..
Venkata Lakshmi,after reaching the parapet wall,kept gazing into the darkness for a few seconds to know from where that deadly roaring sound was coming..
Then,after adjusting the focus of her eyes,to the distant darkness,Venkata Lakshmi fixed her vision on an area where there was a little light..After concentrating more on that area she could successfully spot the group of wild animals that were thus far making their night miserable..
For a few seconds,she couldn’t believe what she was seeing..
It took a few more seconds for her to realize what she was seeing..
And after having realized what she was actually seeing..
Venkata Lakshmi started laughing..
First mildly..
Then loudly..
And then boisterously..
And remained laughing so for almost a minute..
Then,she turned back and looked at her other gang members who were at that time looking at her with utter confusion in their eyes and extensive fear in their mind..
Observing their fear and confusion,Venkata Lakshmi waved her right hand at them and asked them to come to the the parapet wall..They all got up hesitantly and slowly reached the parapet wall and kept looking at her..
She then turned her left hand towards a point in the darkness and asked them to look there..
Obeying her instructions,just like the school boys in a march-past obey the instructions of their master, they all turned their heads and kept looking at the light spot where Venkata Lakshmi asked them to see…
Now it was their turn to burst into a huge laughter..
However,they were not laughing looking at those pious animals but were laughing at themselves for fearing for nothing and were laughing looking at their ignorance that made them fear for nothing.. PERIOD
But they all remained unmoved,for a long time,looking at that amazing scene wherein hundreds of colorful Peacocks were walking one behind the other,in a line,screaming in between their walk expressing their love and affection for each other…
Peacocks when scream loudly make a sound that’s similar to a roaring like sound..And those who are not aware of this scientific fact mistake it for a wild animal..Same thing happened in the case of the mystic Brahmin and his other pious gang members too..
So the confusion…
Now..Allow me to tell you all a very important point that would help many among you overcome fear..
As we all know,when we are locked in an extremely fear filled state,our mind shuts down completely for a few minutes; in some cases for a few hours and in extreme cases for a few days,and doesn’t allow us to think logically either to understand or comprehend the situation we are locked in or to know the cause of our fear..
However,if only we practice to gain the ability to do that and try to remain composed during all such extremely fearful situations and try to understand the exact reason for our fear,am sure we can forever overcome the fear in us..
I have learned this truth the harshest way in my life when in 2006-07 I have suffered from a series of fear and anxiety attacks consistently for a longer period of time..These panic attacks were triggered by a couple of life threatening setbacks I had suffered in my professional life that period..
These setbacks combined with my frequent flying to different destinations in India have spoiled my health for a very longtime..
As a result,I suffered from acute tinnitus and vertigo for many months and literally would sit in a sofa for many nights trying to sleep in a sitting position..Lying on bed would aggravate my Vertigo so I had to be in a sitting position all through and always for many nights..
Several medicines were tried and several doctors were visited but nothing helped me..What made things worse in my life was a particular visit to a doctor..That idiotic doctor,currently a leading ENT specialist in Hyderabd,completely diagnosed my case wrong and said
“..You are young and have a long way to go in life..So I advise you never to travel in flights and trains.. Not to move in high traffic zones..Not to work in studios where there are huge sound systems..And am sorry yaar..You should not even go to theaters and watch movies,auditoriums and watch concerts and stadiums and watch Cricket matches..”
I looked at him silently for a few seconds and then said..
“Goddamned Doc..Then what’s the purpose of my living and why the hell should I live..First of all tell me who is that idiot who awarded you a doctors degree..You do not even have the sensibility to deal with a patient who’s in trauma..I hate you..”
Saying so,I just got up from my chair; banged the door on his face and walked out fretting and fuming..
But that idiot’s words really worked on my psyche and later implanted that fear in my mind which was until then known to be an intrepid mind..And then started a series of fear,anxiety and panic attacks in me which have almost driven me crazy and consumed my precious life..
But I waged a tremendous battle not with the world but with my fear filled mind just to protect myself from self destruction and to stay alive for my two lovely daughters ..
And exactly at that point..
God interfered and showed me a Homeopathic doctor who not only saved my life but also gifted me a new found energy and courage which I haven’t noticed in me before..More than that Godly doctor it was a board in his room that saved my life..
There were just a few lovely words written on that board..Will you believe me if I now say that I find more power in these cute words than the power I find in all the hundreds and thousands of sacred slokas that I have learned in my life..
And these were the words that were written on that doctor’s board..I shall never forget them in my life..
“Do Not Fear..Try To Understand..”
It was after that traumatic phase in my life that I have realized that “..without keeping it’s solution ready God will never give us a problem..”..
And this new found theory of mine helped me write all that am writing today..
If this unpleasant experience of mine can save a few lives then God I believe am blessed..PERIOD
Please Click Here to read the Hindustan Times news column that explains what exactly happened in my life during that most traumatic phase of 2006-07…
If done..Let us come back to the main story
After that fearful yet hilarious night in Naimisaranyam,Subbarao and Venkata Lakshmi woke up at 3.45 a m the next morning..To their utter shock they found pitch darkness all around..Then they realized that there won’t be power supply during the nights in Naimisaranyam..
Using a small torchlight,they carefully came down the building and entered their room..Later using the same light.Subbarao finished his bathing and went to the Lord Venkateswara temple in the premises to seek the holy Lord’s blessings before commencing his penance at Naimisaranyam..
After taking the holy Lord’s blessing,Subbarao.for a few minutes searched for a suitable place in the temple to sit and meditate but he didn’t find any,to his convenience..Later,he went up the building and found an ideal place in the North Easter corner of the terrace; sat down there and commenced his meditation..
But he couldn’t sit properly even for a few minutes as hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes and dragon flies started attacking each and every inch of Subbarao’s body..Just unable to know what exactly to do,he kept staring at those little creatures with unbearable agony and anger..
After a few minutes of observation,Subbarao again tried to close his eyes and continue his meditation but the menacingly powerful little creatures started making Subbarao’s meditation miserable..
Then remembering Jagadguru Sri Adi Sankaracharya’s style of meditation,Subbarao took a large sheet of cloth from his bed roll and covered himself,from head to toe,in that cloth ..Now,except nostrils nothing was visible in his body..
With a cloth draped all around his body,Subbarao was looking so funny at that time that it wouldn’t be a surprise if someone who suddenly looks at him thinks “there’s an Extra Terrestrial creature sitting on the terrace”..PERIOD
Finally at 7 a m..
After surviving,for a couple of hours amidst so many hurdles and so many living and non living bodies, Subbarao could successfully complete his first round of meditation at Naimisaranyam..
Later,he heart fully thanked the holy Goddess Gayathri for sending him to perform penance at the most sacred place on the earth..After that,all the nine members of the group went to the nearby Gomathi river and took a holy dip there..
On his return from the river,Subbarao sat down in the Temple of Lord Venkateswara,beside the deity of Lord Garuda,and recited the sacred “ARUNAM’ which he learned from his spiritual teacher,Brahmasree Vishnubhatla Jagannadha Ghanaapatee..
“ARUNAM” is an important chapter from the Krishnapaksha Yajurvedam,Taitreya Samhitha Aranyakam which many great devotees read almost everyday..Although ARUNAM has many verses written in praise of Agni,Varuna,Indra and Parjanya,it is chiefly dedicated to the Sun God..
If recited reverentially and regularly by everyone,it is believed,ARUNAM gives robust health to all it’s chanters and also to all those associated with them..Subbarao chanted ARUNAM,that day,to request the all powerful Sun God to help him successfully perform his penance at Naimisaranyam for forty full days..
Later,all the nine members helped each other in the cooking activity and by about 1 pm completed their lunch..After that,Subbarao retired to his bed for a good two hours..
In the night a major discussion took place among all the members of the group when they gathered again on the terrace for their night sleep..
Except Subbarao,everyone in the group was of the opinion that “It would be impossible for us to survive here in these forests for more than ten days..And to stay here for forty days..No way..”
After carefully listening to the whole discussion,Subbarao finally said,
“I have come here on my Mother Goddess Gayathri’s instructions to perform penance for forty days..So there’s no way that I too can return home without completing my forty days penance here..Those of you who want to go home are most welcome to do so..I shall not have any objection..However,please do not force me to come with you..”
They all had a disturbed sleep that night..
Subbarao woke up exactly at 3.45 am the next morning and went to wake up his wife Venkata Lakshmi.. She didn’t wake up..He called her again..She didn’t wake up..He made a couple of more attempts but she didn’t wake up..
He had then realized that “she’s too tired to wake up” so decided to go down all alone using that small torch light..Carrying his bed roles in one hand and the keys of the room and a torchlight in the other, Subbarao slowly started walking down the steps..
Except the little light of that torch in his hand there was no light anywhere around..With a frightening darkness all around and a deafening sound of silence everywhere,Subbarao started walking towards his room,literally counting every step his feet were crossing…
He knows pretty well that there are many poisonous snakes all around that place..He also knows well that since they are all nocturnal creatures there may be many hovering around him as well..
Walking extremely cautiously and offering prayers to the holy Goddess Gayathri,Subbarao slowly but surely reached his room and carefully opened the door lock..
Later,exercising great caution he slowly walked inside..Again counting every step he slowly reached the bathroom,using that small torchlight,to begin his morning activities..
He knows well that there are many holes to that damp bathroom and there is every chance of a snake or a scorpion entering the room through those moss filled holes..
Carefully throwing the light on those vulnerable areas of the bathroom,Subbarao started checking every small hole to see if there’s any creature in that hole..
He didn’t notice at that time but there was great sweat all over his face and body caused not by the dry Summer weather there but by the gripping fear deep inside his mind..
And..
Then it happened..
Right behind him..
And a startled Subbarao quickly turned back..
WARNING : All rights whatsoever concerned with this story belong solely and wholly to Narrenaditya Komaragiri – as it’s writer and creator – and anyone violating the same,by trying to copy a part or full portion of this story for any other website,Facebook page, novel or book,T V Serial, feature film or for some other commercial purposes,is liable to be prosecuted under criminal laws of Indian judiciary..
Please Click Here to read the “Shocking True Story Of A Mystic Brahmin Who Converses With Goddess Gayathri-Part Twenty Three..
Love and regards
Narrenaditya Komaragiri
To know more about the author please click here
