The Seed Beneath the Volcano
Vol. I, K. Rajasekhara Reddi
Rukmini Devi and Durgamma, 1943Without enjoying the fragrance of life, like a nipped bud, without enamored motherhood at all, at the age of hardly sixteen years, Bharatamma passed away. After performing her funeral rites at Machilipatnam, Pantulu and his wife, with the infant child in their arms, along with their adopted son, Jagannadham, returned to Gudiwada.
For the onlookers, they appeared like breathing dead bodies and walking skeletons. The wife of Jagannadham received the infant from the arms of Durgamma and placed him in the cradle. Necessary remedial steps were taken against evil looks on their journey.
On entering the house, Durgamma swooned on the cot, overpowered by grief. All the thoughts were shooting up at her heart painfully. All that had happened was like a nightmare. She had raised her daughter with utmost care and affection. She would never return again. Durgamma was lying on a cot, as if she was paralyzed, motionless like a corpse.
All the relatives, friends and other well-wishers, visited them one after the other sympathetically. Pantulu leaned in a Narsaraopet easy chair, calmly like a karma yogi. It was not known whether there was a volcano or a forest fire in his heart. At that moment, all his attention was on his wife only. He knew the agony of his wife at Machilipatnam. He was aware of the difficulty for her to come back to normalcy.
Even after one day, Durgamma did not get up from the cot. Her entire body seemed to be frozen, forgetting all its functions. Durgamma did not touch even a drop of water. Pantulu approached her and gently said, 'Durga, take something. Gather your wits. There is no other way to go. Can we pass away along with others? But someday we should. Durga! If you fast like this, what happens to your health? If you stand up, then only, the home will be like a home.' He turned to his daughter-in-law and asked, 'How is the child? Is he fed?' She replied, 'Yes, he is asleep.'
Durgamma gathered her energy and got up in her cot. She knotted her hair and set right her dress. She feebly said, 'I am neither hungry nor thirsty. I gulped something which tasted like a poison. Durga! The body has some functions to perform. We need to take some food, at least for even to weep we need some energy. Don't we?' So saying, he asked his daughter-in-law to get some milk for Durgamma. Accordingly she brought hot milk in a silver tumbler. Pantulu gave it to Durgamma, adding, 'Please take it; and take rest.' She touched the tumbler and it felt hot. She asked her daughter-in-law, 'Look here! Give me cold milk. This is too hot!' The daughter-in-law brought cold milk for Durgamma and took away the hot milk.
'Durga! There is someone here for me, waiting outside! I am going to the Lodge. Somebody has come from Madras. How long will you hold the tumbler in your hand like that? Drink the milk please,' he said softly.
Jagannadham performed all the rites and rituals of Bharatamma. He has a great regard and love for her. After all, she had been a child in his arms. He was unable to believe that this most beloved sister passed away.
Pantulu received a condolence message from Adyar and other places in the state besides from his friends and lawyers.
On receiving the news that Bharatamma died, Sitaramayya felt shocked. He recalled her words to him when he went to Gudiwada a few months back. Venkatappayya sank into his shoes on receiving the heart-rending news. 'Oh, my God! I have been awaiting you with my grandson in your arms! Now, your demise instead! I never dreamt that I'd have to receive such terrible news!' Thus he lamented.
Within a few days after his daughter's death, a friend of Pantulu came running to him with fresh news, 'Have you heard this ghastly news, Pantulu? It seems your son-in-law is marrying again on this coming Thursday. Only 15 days back he lost his wife. What urgency had he to marry within such a short time?'
On hearing the shocking news, Pantulu was aghast! Awestruck. Slowly he recovered his senses, in spite of unpalatable bitter feelings, and replied, 'They may have their own urgencies, if not today on some other day. He should marry again since he is so young,' in a choked voice. 'That may be true, but does it carry any propriety to sit again, as a new bridegroom, when the embers of his dead wife are still hot?' questioned his friend.
Upon knowing this, Durgamma zoomed up with volcanic rage and scolded them for their ruthless, diabolical act. Pantulu pacified her, 'It is all Divine will. Don't get upset.' Later it was known that Sita Ramaiah re-married post hastely because he has to perform his late mother's death ceremony on that year. Only a married son was entitled to do so, not a widower. However, the majority of relatives could not digest this. The stigma remained forever.
Even a fountain of water gets dried up gradually when water is pumped out continuously for a long time. Similarly, the financial conditions of Venkatappayya deteriorated day by day. Earlier, he lost his wife and now his daughter-in-law passed away. It was absolutely inevitable to have feminine dexterity for any home to run smoothly. How long can anybody pull along alone? The vacancy should be filled in without fail. Sitaramayya married again within 15 days. The name of his wife was Suryakanthamma and she hailed from the Nidamarthi family. He was 21 years old and all his long life was ahead.
The earlier attempts of Sitaramayya for a job became fruitful. The great freedom fighter, Dr.Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya, had established 'Andhra Insurance Company' by that time, and, with a favourable word from Vemuri Durga Nageswara Rao, Sitaramayya got appointed in the insurance company.
Sitaramayya started his family life afresh, and, as such, his role as a father in bringing up his son had almost ended after becoming his biological father. The innocent child lost his mother immediately after his birth and he was separated from his father under peculiar circumstances.
Relatives at Gudiwada felt deep pity for the child who was deprived of his mother. An elderly woman said, 'One whose birth leads to expiry of mother lives to establish special quality and go beyond boundaries of his native land to attain name and fame,' by quoting a Telugu proverb.
Meenakshamma and Gopalam, the children of Rukminamma, their eldest daughter who had died earlier, were already under the care of Durgamma. Now, the child of Bharatamma joined them. Jagannatham, too, had his own children. Though so many children were there in the house, Durgamma was feeling the absence of Bharatamm always. She was remembering her daughter and her movements, in every corner of the house and in association with every article in the house. The decorative designs and figures drawn with different powders on the floor by Bharatamma had been as fresh as they were. The manure provided to Tulasi was still fresh in the fort. The clothes of Bharatamma were still hanging on the clothesline in the yard. Durgamma was imagining that her daughter might step in at any time, as if returning from outside.
Pantulu wanted his wife to come to normalcy. 'Durga, this immense grief is a punishment. It is a sort of training for us. We have one and only aim before us. Our daughter entrusted a heavy responsibility to us. Setting aside everything we have, to strive hard towards it. Please don't lose yourself. You are the backbone of the family. You know philosophy well, still I am repeating it. The relationships such as wife, husband, daughter, relative, friend, etc., are all illusions. God is the only reality. He is the director of the grand drama of the world. We are merely playing our roles allotted by him. When the scheduled scene is over, we disappear. The great wheel of time is rolling on eternally and we are small particles on its rim to fall out. We must strengthen our minds and carry on, as per the Destiny. Death is natural. We must understand the divine play and pacify ourselves. We must fulfill our responsibilities. Do you know that the name of our daughter has a special meaning? Bharati is the name of Goddess Saraswathi, or the Goddess of speech and education. The letter Bha stands for light. Thus, the last word of our daughter is a torch in our hands showing us the path to go along.'
They thought that they might go on a pilgrimage to sacred places to have a change of place and attain mental peace. But later they gave up the idea in view of the difficulties involved in taking the infant with them. However, in the name of the son of Bharatamma, clothes were distributed to poor children. Necessary remedial prayers and worships were performed in the house to neutralize the effects of evil spirits, if any, around them.
In order to keep his wife's mind occupied, he invited a 'Bhajan' party from Bezawada to come over to them, along with their orchestra, to stay with them for a week. Accordingly the invitees were singing devotional songs, adapting classical tunes and in accompaniment of their different musical instruments, daily, early in the morning, evening and at night.
It was not an ordinary devotional songs party. They were ardent devotees who sung in praise of God, forgetting even their food and water. The house of Pantulu reverberated with the songs, and the vibrations generated pulsations in the entire body of every listener. The listeners and participants in the concert felt as though they were in a different celestial world.
The mind experiences such an inexplicable, supreme state, and, as such, it is called Sabdabrahma (or God) in the audible form. Form, such form, the real ascetic knowledge emanates. Mere scholarship without devotion is nothing but babbling. Listening to devotional music continuously is more absorbing than scholarship.
Keeping the son of Bharatamma in her lap, Durgamma used to sing devotional songs and to lose her external consciousness. Gradually she overcame the immense grief and melancholy and attained balance of mind. She stopped to recall her sad experiences and even if they disturbed her, she was controlling herself.
Previously at the time of usual daily prayers to God, her mind was not steady. She could not have peace of mind. But now, her mind was peaceful, due to some unknown reason. At the time of worship, she started to listen to OM...OM... again and again in a low tone. She could not know from where it was emanating. Sometimes she was having visions of unknown realms at the prayer time. Now and then she was seeing divine light too.
Thus her devotion gradually started to get elevated to high levels. Not only that, she began to feel some invisible presence nearby always. One day Durgamma noticed a 'hand' on the wall, which scribbled some 'mantra' and disappeared. Was it a mere illusion or a mental distortion?
She put forth her strange experiences before her husband. He was pleased to know all the details of her unusual experiences and commented, 'You are blessed, Durga! I have been meditating for many years and yet I am not as lucky as you are. Please go ahead. Your path gets cleared. Some day, some great invisible person may give you initiation at the right time. Another important point, Durga! Please keep your experiences as your own. They should not be revealed. Don't publicize them. It is the rule.' So saying, Pantulu congratulated his wife for her spiritual progress.
Ascetics at different spiritual levels, philosophers, scholars and logicians used to visit Pantulu, and he hosted all of them happily. Thus, necessary foundation was laid for the transformation of the residence of Pantulu into an important Philosophical Center.
Durgamma started to attend to her domestic work normally. Jagannadham, the adopted son of Pantulu, went to Bezwada. After adopting him, Pantulu got him educated and also gave away a share in his property. After marriage Jagannadham settled at Bezawada as a lawyer.
Pantulu believed that everyone should work hard and rise up by self-effort. He did not like anybody to idle away all the time by spending away ancestral property.
The son of Bharatamma was not fortunate enough to enjoy his mother's affection and milk. He did not relish cow milk or buffalo milk or tinned milk. The milk was not digested and led to loose bowels. He developed a little cough also. They searched for a wet nurse. In those days, just delivered woman of poor families would be hired for feeding. It was learnt that a woman belonging to the Goud community had just delivered a child and she could feed another child also. Her name was Gouramma. She was called for immediately, to come and meet Durgamma.
She could not believe her ears. She was wondering whether she, a poor woman belonging to a lower strata in the society, might suckle a child from a rich brahmin family? She observed that the child was handsome and healthy like a God's gift. His complexion was yellow like a cucumber.
Gouramma felt that it was her good fortune to take him into her arms. She felt thrilled and anxiously tried to suckle him. But the child was indifferent. Gouramma patiently tried to make friendship with him by lulling him and fondling him tenderly. After some time a sort of concord developed between him and his 'hired' mother. He allowed Gouramma to suckle him happily. Gradually a type of bond developed between them. Thus, every day she was coming over to their house three or four times to suckle the child.
Gouramma knew that Brahmins observe the highest level of cleanliness generally. As such, she was cleaning her breast thoroughly before feeding the child. She, too, was very clean and tidy and she enjoyed to suckle him; she did not know why, perhaps it was due to the monthly emoluments she was receiving from Durgamma, or due to any other unknown reason.
Meenakshamma and Gopalam, the children of late Rukminamma, were also being looked after by their grandmother, Durgamma. Their father married again and he was away. Thus it happened to be the responsibility of Durgamma to look after the three children. Meenakshamma was 6 years old and Gopalam three or four. Meenakshmma plays with her young brothers, looks after them and assists Durgamma in her household chores.
When Bharatamma was alive, she was keeping Meenakshamma and Gopalam in cradles and swinging them singing a song. Similarly, Durgamma was swinging Bharatamma's son in a cradle and singing the same song. When Bharatamma was a child, then Durgamma was singing the same song 'Kasturi Ranga-Ranga' which was praising Lord Krishna's childhood heroics, who killed the king Kamsa as a boy. The heart of Durgamma became suffocated when she sang the song recalling the childhood of Bharatamma. The grief was associated with memories of the childhood of her deceased daughter. Music has nostalgic memories.
The usual naming ceremony which is carefully performed in Brahmin families was not performed in the case of the son of Bharatamma. Considering the Birth-Star of the child, sometimes a suitable name would be selected. In the case of this child, the function was not thought of due to some unknown reason.
The mother of the boy was an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. She was telling that her son was the boon of Lord Sri Krishna. As such, everybody thought that 'Gopala Krishna Murthy' would be the appropriate name for the child. Everybody used to call him 'Krishna' or 'Krishnudu'. Pantulu used to call him 'Kittu'. Durgamma used to call him as 'Ramudu' because her husband's name also was Gopala Krishna Murthy, and it was forbidden in Brahmin families for the wife to utter her husband's name.
After some time, due to some unknown reasons, Gouramma was discontinued and the boy was fed with cow milk. The milk did not suit him, and, as such, they searched for another wet nurse. Another from a herdsmen community came forward to feed the child.
At the age of five months, he started rolling on the floor and he was resisting to go to any new person. There were indications that the child had some likes and dislikes, even at this age. He was able to recognize grandmother and sister, Meenakshamma. He was smiling at them. They were enjoying to see his toothless open mouth.
At the age of seven months, he was crawling fast and he was hiding himself behind something or the other, hoodwinking everybody in the house like Lord Bala Krishna. Everybody had to search for him anxiously.
After the child started to crawl freely, Pantulu wished to know the field in which his grandson would thrive in the future. Accordingly, at a distance, in a corner of a room, some money, a book and a pen was separately arranged, and the child was allowed to crawl towards them. They observed that the boy caught hold of a book again and again three times.
It was believed that if a child picks up money, in the future the child would earn lots of money; if the child selects a pen, it would indicate future decent service as an administrator; and if the child picks up a book, he would be a great scholar or a learned person in his life.
One evening, Krishna crawled out of the house silently into the yard and sat under a Pomagranate tree. He had a toy in his hand. Behind the house, there were some fields and a snake crawled over the compound wall and slowly moved towards him. No one observed it. It approached the boy and coiled on itself in his vicinity. The child did not observe the snake at all. He was keenly looking at the toy in his hand.
From inside the house, Durgamma came out to gather the clothes that were hanging on the clothesline. She noticed the boy under the tree and wondered, 'Oh my God! When did he come here? How?' Thus thinking within herself she approached him but suddenly she was shocked to see the coiled snake near him. She began to perspire heavily, her heart pounded at a high rate and she stood motionless, petrified to the core.
She thought of picking up the child for a moment, but any disturbance might make the snake harm the child. The boy, too, might get disturbed and he, too, might place his hand on the snake. Thus thinking, Durgamma stood like a statue.
The boy was not bothered about his surroundings. Now and then, he was moving his head and hands this way and that way as if summoning somebody towards him. He was smiling happily now and then.
The other inmates of the house came out and they, too, were shocked to observe Durgamma and the child. They were thinking that anything might happen at any moment. Somebody ran out through the other door to fetch a snake charmer.
After a little time, the snake unwound itself and crawled further towards the boy. Durgamma felt as though she was dying. Suddenly perspiration formed on her face like beads. She breathed heavily. Her body trembled like a leaf. Her eyes transfixed— motionless. The snake was approaching the boy slowly, and at any moment, the boy might be tempted to stretch his hand towards the glittering snake. Durgamma felt that the time was standing still while she was thinking of God and praying for help.
The snake steadily crawled forward as if it was gazing at the child towards the wall. It was a long snake of a couple of arm lengths and light brown in colour. The child spontaneously looked at the moving snake with wide-open eyes. He did not try to catch it.
All the onlookers were observing the child, and the snake, with wide open eyes, attentively, till the snake completely passed by him, because, at any moment, it might turn back and bite him.
The snake crawled up the wall, and it was observed by the boy, attentively, till it disappeared. After the snake disappeared totally, Durgamma gathered all her energy to pick up the child, instantaneously, and hugged him. Everybody felt immense relief on the exit of the snake. Some divine miracle saved the child; otherwise everything would be in utter ruins. They felt that the child escaped from a danger, miraculously, on that day.
The snake-charmer rushed to catch hold of it, but he was disappointed. He searched for it on the other side of the wall in vain and returned. He said, 'Yes, it was moving about in the fields and observed by many. I have been already trying to catch hold of it. Please don't be afraid. It cannot escape from my grip. In a day or two it is doomed to die in my hands. For the present, I will send you a few enchanted seeds, collected from Peer Saheb, residing in Masjid area.' So saying, he took leave of them.
Within a short while, the seeds were received and Durgamma got them sprinkled all over the yard, to prevent the entry of all sorts of harmful creatures. Durgamma smeared a little sacred ash on the forehead of Krishna, and followed other protective principles for the welfare of the child. She had taken a vow to offer milk to the snake-god, residing in the anthill. She would donate a little money also to the temple as a sort of homage to Him.
It had been observed that the boy was appearing to be inactive and sickly for the past few days, like a snake, which gripped in soil. He was drowsy and dull also. Durgamma could not find the reason for such an odd condition of the child. Was it due to sickness or influence of an evil spirit? Medicines were ineffective. Suddenly it struck her that the child was getting drowsy and dull immediately after feeding. Durgamma scented that the wet-nurse was putting a minute mass into the child's mouth just before suckling him.
Immediately Durgamma shouted at her, 'You cunning creature! What have you just put into the child's mouth? Come on! Speak the truth!' The woman first denied for a while and finally confessed that she had been addicting him to a little opium, so as to protect her nipples from his painful bites. She pleaded for mercy, but Durgamma immediately paid her the due amount and turned her out. Krishna was fed with bottled milk afterwards, in spite of his disliking.
Once on a festival day, while everybody was busy, Krishna suddenly disappeared. He had been playing with his toys till then, in that room. All of a sudden, where did he hide himself? Meenakshamma searched and scanned, finally she located him in a corner, underneath the trellis cot. Immediately she shouted, 'Granny! Here he is!' Durgamma bent down and noticed that the boy was sitting as if he was practicing Yoga like Buddha. She was shocked to observe a dead scorpion nearby. It was covered by a number of ants. A train of ants was crawling over the legs of Krishna and he was unmindful of them. He looked like a little idol in the temple.
Durgamma quickly caught hold of the child and brought him out. She shook off all the ants from his body and cleaned him. While dressing him in a little shirt, she wondered within herself, 'What type of a child! Indifferent to the crawling ants on his body! They might have definitely stung him too. Oh, my god! What a wonder!' A servant removed the dead scorpion and cleaned the area near the cot.
If Krishna wanted any attractive article, it should be in his hands immediately. It was impossible to distract his attention from it. If Durgamma tried to terrify him, mentioning the name of the devil, he would pay a deaf ear and continue his demand. Generally children like to be lifted up into arms. But Krishna was different. He would appear as though he did not need any help or support of anybody.
If anybody distributed edible things to other children, before giving them to him, he would refuse to take them. Even if those things were collected back and given to him, then, also, he would not accept them. That is to say that he felt that he belonged to a superior cadre. He liked to occupy the top-most place--always.
Generally, children are afraid of darkness, but Krishna was never afraid of anything. He was fearless.
While he was playing with toys, if other children approached him, he always invited them to play with him, and he was offering his toys to them in a friendly manner. While he was eating anything, if a young or old person stretched his hands before him, he would always give it away to him, without any hesitation. Noticing such behaviour in Kirshna, somebody remarked, 'Your grandson is BholaShanker. He never says no to anybody.' Selflessness was perhaps a special characteristic of the child.
At the age of eight months, at nighttime, if the child felt the urge to urinate, he would slowly slip down the cot to crawl away a little distance for that purpose.
Once he fell down from the cot dorsally. Durgamma rushed to lift him up. Already on the head of the boy, a bump was formed. But the boy did not cry. While applying a little wet lime on the bump, Durgamma thought within herself, 'This kid is made of steel stuff'.
He was growing teeth one after the other. An auspicious day was fixed for feeding the child with solid food for the first time. A gold-coated bowl contained the necessary sweetened soft rice and the child was fed with a silver spoon. These two articles were used long back for his mother's similar ceremony. The same set of articles was used, for the same function, in case of other children also.
For the first birthday function, new clothes got stitched for him. Pantulu ordered for a silver thread to tie around the waist of the child. A golden chain garlanded him. Afterwards, the first annual death ceremony of Bharatamma was performed on a large scale. Jagannatham, and his family from Bezawada, Saraswathamma and others from Machilipatnam, came to Gudivada to attend the ceremony along with other local people. Bharatamma had a photograph of herself standing by the side of Lord Krishna, playing His flute. That photo was in the prayer room. Durgamma helped the boy to garland his mother's photograph.
When she was alive in the month of Sravan, for Krishnastami (Lord Krishna's birthday), Bharatamma was making special arrangements and organizing the function on a grand scale. A familiar child was dressed like Bala Krishna and decorated. She was drawing little footstep prints of Bala Krishna with fine starch powder on the ground from outside into the house. She was feeling at heart that Krishna was entering in. An idol of Krishna was placed in a swing and she was swinging and singing songs. It was a Hindu religious custom.
Durgamma was imagining that if Bharatamma had been alive, she would have celebrated the birthday of Lord Krishna with her own son, dressed as Bala Krishna.
In memory of her daughter, Durgamma dressed her grandson as Bala Krishna. Silver tinkling bells were tied around his girdle and anklets. He was made to wear gold ornaments. A peacock feather was perched on his head with the help of a cloth. He appeared like Lord Bala Krishna for Durgamma.
Motherly affection is the sumum bonum of all creation. Mother is the supreme of all living beings, sources of all sustenance. She is the 'Empress of the Empyrean Heaven of the Almighty.' As such, Durgamma, by her inherent nature, epitome of unalloyed motherhood, fountainhead of love, affection, caring, and acme of feminine instincts. Durgamma was bringing up the boy with all her love and care. Yet, the boy had a special liking for his grandfather. Pantulu was busy with outside work and he was away. But whenever he stepped in, the boy used to rush to the door to lead his grandfather in. He was always with his grandfather as long as he was at home, clinging like a limpet.
Noticing the inseparable bond between the grandson and the grandfather, Durgamma used to wonder at the affinity. 'The whole day, the child has been with me, but as soon as his grandfather is seen, he forgets me totally and gets attached to him. Grandfather seems to be everything for him!'
Pantulu was a disciplinarian. But there were some relaxations in the case of his grandson. He did not utter even a single word against the child. There was no 'no' for his grandson. But he did not pamper him. He was silent and looked grim by his childish pranks.
One day, while playing happily, the child leaned sidewards and his hands and feet began to shiver. The body was getting twisted all over. Durgamma was terrified and she started her own treatment. There was no improvement. These infantile convulsions appear in the children at even years of age, such as two, four, six, etc. There was a belief that there would be improvement, if the mid-point of the eyebrows is scorched with a fresh smoldering tobacco coil or cheroot.
The boy was struggling with epileptic fits. And Durgamma was feeling helpless. Some powders were mixed with honey and fed to him. By that time, Pantulu returned home.
After a little time, the boy became conscious and gradually became steady. It was not known which treatment was effective. He appeared to have hiccups for a while but soon became calm. The boy felt easy and got up. With a wet cloth, Durgamma cleaned his whole body. The toes of his legs were straightened with jerky movements. The boy appeared weak and he was fed with a little hot milk. In ten minutes, the child was normal and active. Durgamma smeared a little sacred ash on his forehead.
Every night, Durgamma was feeding him with soft rice morsels of food. One day, when she started feeding him, he refused to eat it and began to spit it out. He was nodding his head across. Durgamma tasted the food a little and noticed that it was saltless. 'Oh! He is able to recognize tastes, also,' she thought. On another day, the boy refused to drink milk to which sugar was not added.
While Pantulu was performing his usual prayers in his prayer room, Krishna evinced keen interest. He would watch the entire proceedings with rapt attention and observation. Slowly he began to imitate his grandfather. He developed a real passion and unquenchable thirst for devotion.
At the age of about two and half years, he himself smeared the sacred ash on his forehead and attempted to meditate, like his grandfather, sitting in Padmasana posture. Even after his grandfather got up, Krishna was continuing his meditation. It looked very strange for a small child to meditate steadily. When his grandfather was away, Krishna was entering the prayer room alone, to meditate as usual, and pray to God with folded hands. Durgamma was surprised at his devotion and showed it to all others. The onlookers used to think of 'Bala Dhruva' and 'Prahalada' while observing his meditation. Being pleased with the attention and devotion of his grandson, Pantulu presented him with a silver plank to sit upon and pray to God. The boy was happy with the presentation and ran about the house, shouting, as he liked. He was on cloud nine.
Pantulu had a special prayer room on the first floor. None was allowed to step in. One day his grandson followed him up to the door of the room. Immediately, Pantulu pleasantly asked his grandson to have his prayers freely on the ground floor, only. The child was perhaps disappointed, a little.
At the age of three years, the birth time hair of Krishna was ready to be offered at Tirumala. The presiding deity was Lord Venkateswara. The child had a strong liking for travel. He was always first at the gate.
Now it was journey by train, all the more. The entire party reached the railway station and awaited the arrival of the train. Krishna was more eager than everybody else. The train was whistling while entering the platform. The approaching coal engine train looked like a black devil for some people. Wondering at the sight of the train, along with all the others, he entered it. The carriage was already full of passengers. Sitting near a window, on the lap of his grandmother, Krishna very much enjoyed to see the moving outside scenery. They got down at Bezawada and proceeded to the house of Jagannadham. They spent half a day there, and all of them went to Tirupati by train.
Krishna was now in the lap of his grandfather. He was very cheerful throughout and they arrived at Tirupati. From the foot of the hill, everyone started to walk up the hill. Durgamma carried the child for some time and the wife of Jagannadham also came forward to carry Krishna. The bus route was not yet planned by that time, and, as such, every pilgrim had to walk up the hill.
When they reached a particular spot, at the foot of a hillock, called 'Stars Hillock', a sort of cloth-covered palanquins called, 'Dolis', were available to carry the passengers further up. Krishna wanted to travel by a Doli. Pantulu fixed up a Doli for Durgamma and Krishna.
Krishna enjoyed the new type of transport. The Doli carriers were, naturally, very much tired. They reached the 'Knee Pass' and rested for a while. After some time, they reached the top of the hill. It is called Tirumalai. Durgamma and Krishna were first to reach Tirumalai. Later, Pantulu, Jagannadham and others joined them. The boy felt happy at reaching the top of the hill earlier than others.
They stayed in a choultry, and there were so many new faces around Krishna. He was thrilled in the new surroundings. Moreover, he was going to see God! That idea made him all the more ecstatic.
All the happiness vanished when he was told to get shaven tonsured his head. It was a totally unexpected situation. He turned back and resented it vehemently. All sorts of persuasions from everybody could not move him from his stand. Even threats were in vain.
Krishna ran up and down as he liked. Pantulu caught hold of him skillfully, but the boy was struggling to escape from his grandfather's grips, crying, 'No. No, I don't want to give my hair. No, I won't.' Durgamma pleaded with him in a humble manner, 'Please cooperate. It is a vow. Please listen to us.' The boy was indifferent. 'Let him be god or let him be the grandfather of God—I don't care. I don't offer my hair to him.' Thus shouted Krishna adamantly.
Pantulu requested him to cooperate with him. 'Kittu, I will purchase a new English hat for you. You can have a new pair of chappals also.' But the boy continued to struggle, to run away. On seeing the barber, with a razor in hand, his shoutings increased all the more. His face turned red. He warned the barber that he would twitch him with his nails if he approached him.
Pantulu and Jagannadham lost patience and caught hold of him firmly, against his will. Very quickly, the barber sprinkled a little water on the head of Krishna and shaved him. Krishna had to yield to their force, and he was grumbling all the while.
While looking at the shaven hair on the ground, Krishna commented in a low tone, 'What a God! What does He do with my hair?' Durgamma tried to convince him, 'No, no child. Don't say that. If you give God merely your hair, he will give you whatever you want.'
After the bath, they proceeded towards the main temple. There was a long queue of piligrims. Pantulu was carrying his grandson in his folds. The boy was still angry at heart, at all of them, for forcing him to give away his hair unwillingly. In the queue, also, he was pinching everybody. He was making faces at them like a monkey. But he appeared smooth and handsome, so the other pilgrims ignored his mischief and smiled at him. He was expressing his anger on God in this manner.
Pantulu asked his grandson to bow to God. Krishna unwillingly bowed to God and appeared to have questioned him, 'Why do you want my hair?'
After coming out of the temple, also, Krishna continued to be angry and serious. He did not talk to anybody. Sitting in a corner, he was scratching his shaven head. He did not compromise. He was not afraid of God. After some time he turned calm and said, 'Oh God, You forced me to act against my wish, so I will never come to you again. Why do you want my hair? What do you do with that? I will never come to you again. I will never give you my hair. Do what you can!' In his own way, he expressed his inner feelings in this connection.
It seemed to be the natural characteristic of this boy to resist and fight out any issue with anybody, and everybody, if it was not liked by him.
At the age of four, Krishna developed infantile convulsions again, seriously, and fell down suddenly. He began to struggle like a fish out of water. Medicines did not work. Pantulu performed special worships to Lord Shiva, who conquered Death. Everybody was helpless. Durgamma, too, prayed to God in her own way. After some time the condition of Krishna improved, and he became normal.
Besides, the boy was having severe stomachaches now and then. He was trying to withstand the pain, but sometimes, he could not. Durgamma got him treated for it. The stomachache abated by itself, whether medicines were given or not.
Krishna was developing a cough also. He was getting tired very quickly. It appeared as though it was disturbing digestion, and the alimentary canal. Fasting was considered as the best medicine. He could not eat or drink anything. By fasting for a day, his health was restored to normalcy.
It was observed that Krishna was very intelligent by birth and wiser than all others of his age. He used to observe everybody keenly and imitated them. He was accompanying his grandfather to different types of performances of artists such as 'Harikadha,' and he was imitating them for the amusement of all others.
When his grandfather was away, Krishna used to wear a dhoti, shirt, and a turban, like his grandfather. He was sitting in the office of his grandfather and imitated him in his gestures. Knotting of eyebrows, nodding the head, etc. If anybody happened to notice him at that moment, he was feeling shy and getting out of his grandfather's chair. Sometimes, he was sitting in a majestic manner and behaved suitably. He was thus very skillful in imitation.
In the house, he was hearing comments on other persons very often. A distant relative once stayed with them for a few days. Durgamma did not like her. She commented, 'Subhadramma is a glutton. She always wants to eat something or the other. She is a potbelly. She can very easily gulp in the pot full of rice. It is a wonder how she digests it, though she does not move from her seat. What a lazy Lubber.' Krishna heard Durgamma's comments on Subhadramma.
That night, when Subhadramma was about to take her food, Krishna approached her and asked, 'Show me your pot belly. How can you eat a pot full of rice?' Then, Krishna turned to his grandmother and asked her, 'Granny, were you not referring to this person a little while ago?' Durgamma was shocked. She realized that if she loosely talked before him again in the future, he would plunge her into the soup.
Krishna liked Lord Ganesh very much. Elephant trunk, big belly, winnowing basket-like ears, short stature, and other odd features of Lord Ganesh, attracted him very much. Lord Ganesh is believed to destroy all hurdles that any devotee may have to face day to day. Krishna had a special liking for Lord Ganesh. Every year, in the month of Bhadrapada, on Suddha Chaviti day, an idol of Lord Ganesh, made of clay, on which golden coloured powder is slightly applied, is placed on the worshipping platform. Very many kinds of leaves were collected and brought for the worship of Lord Ganesh. A special umbrella, in a square-form, is decorated with leaves, flowers and fruits and arranged for the Lord. Special sacrificial grass, poa Cyno Survoides, was procured for this purpose. After the devotional worship, it is a practice for the devotee to offer ball-like round cooked rice cakes and milk-porridge to Lord Ganesh and pray for his grace.
Gopalam, the son of late Rukminamma, suddenly developed infantile convulsions one day and began to writhe this way and that. Durgamma noticed it and called for help. Pantulu was talking to somebody in his office room at that time. Immediately he rushed in. It was a case of convulsions. Doctors were called for to treat him. Within a short time, the situation deteriorated and Gopalam died, plunging everybody into grief. Krishna was shocked. A little while ago, a boy playing with him and talking to him, suddenly passed away. Krishna could not understand how Gopalam died. The body was taken to the burial ground outside the town. There were no rituals for the child. He was simply buried. Thus Meenakshamma lost her own brother.
One thing was clear to Krishna, a dead person would never return back to him, to play with him or talk to him.
The house of Pantulu was often visited by a number of palmists and astrologers. Once, a devotee of Shiva visited Pantulu. It was believed that he would prophesy the future of anybody by looking at the face of the subject. Pantulu was always asking his grandson to bow to such visitors and receive their blessings, since the great capabilities and abilities of those visitors were not known.
The devotee of Shiva observed Krishna, closely, for a little while, and closed his eyes. Later, he informed Pantulu that the boy had the grace of Shiva. 'The boy has a great future; he would bring name and fame for the family in the world. But there are some misfortunes and perils, ahead for the boy during the infancy period. With the grace of Shiva, the boy will overcome all of them. Please bring him up carefully.'
* * *
Krishna liked his cousin, Gopalam, very much, but he did not know it earlier. He could not express that he had love for him. While moving about in the house, Krishna felt the absence of Gopalam very much. However, in due course of time, Krishna ceased to be sad in this regard.
After a few months, while playing at home before all others, Krishna became unconscious. Durgamma began to weep, 'My God! Again a test for us, a bad time for us! Why are you testing us like this? Oh God!' This time it was not convulsions because the limbs of the child were normal. His hands and legs were not shaking. Durgamma sprinkled water on his face and rubbed his cold feet. The boy was still. Durgamma did not know what to do. Her heart began to beat fast. Pantulu was out of station. Somebody rushed for the doctor and the doctor examined him carefully. The pulse, as well as the breathing, seemed to have stopped. Was he alive or dead? Somehow, the doctor did not like to declare him as dead. The glow and liveliness in the face of the boy did not disappear. Within a few minutes, there was a little movement and low breathing. The doctor could feel the pulse-beat also. After five minutes, the boy got up as if from a deep sleep. The doctor was unable to understand what had happened to the boy.
Durgamma immediately went to Bheemeswara Temple and worshipped God. Her grandson was fed with a little propitiated food immediately. Durgamma was perplexed and terrified. A few days back, one grandson died. The condition of this grandson had been causing anxiety. He was very wise, but his body appeared to be very weak. Would this weakling survive and live long?
On the next day, Pantulu returned home and he was informed of what had happened. He asked his wife to be brave, saying, 'Durga, don't get disheartened; this boy has infancy misfortunes for some time to come. Everything is governed by God's will.'
'I am losing my mental balance with day-to-day perils and anxieties about the welfare of this boy. I am very much worried, perhaps there is something wrong in my prayers. It is not known why God is testing us.' Thus, Durgamma expressed her helplessness.
'As I already told you, everything is governed by Destiny; we are instrumental.' Pantulu replied in a philosophical manner. Within a few days, again, Krishna had convulsions, for the third time. His limbs began to shake and his head was leaning sidewards. The body was having sudden, jerky movements, time and again. Medicines were ineffective. Prayers also did not yield any fruit. Durgamma collapsed down in a corner of the room, weeping continuously. It was said that this disease is hereditary. Pantulu remembered that he, too, had it in his childhood days. He lost hopes of survival of Krishna. Perhaps he, too, would die like Gopalam. Somebody in his past birth was cursed to be born again, to live with them for a predetermined period, and die.
The boy was made to lie over on a mat on the floor. Everybody lost hopes of his survival. Time appeared to have been frozen. After a little time, the legs and hands of Krishna became normal, and every limb began to function normally; he opened his eyes slowly, and looked at everybody. He breathed heavily, once, and got up. Durgamma embraced him affectionately. Everybody felt a sense of relief.
Very rarely, a child faces infantile convulsions three times like this and survives. Indeed, he has conquered the Death like Lord Shiva—somebody commented. 'Well said!' Actually Krishna was born on the special day when Lord Shiva appeared as Kalasamhara Murthy, that is to say, the day on which Lord Shiva conquered death. Moreover, that was the day when Markandeya was blessed to live forever by the grace of Lord Shiva,' remarked another lady, raising her eyebrows. Thus, Krishna was considered to have the grace of Lord Shiva. It appeared that the boy had a special characteristic of virtual deaths and rebirths time and again.
* * *
Thus, time was rolling on. Durgamma was narrating a number of stories, interestingly, to Krishna at bedtime. The classical stories of Prahalada, Dhruva, boyhood of Lord Sri Krishna, etc., were interestingly narrated and the boy used to get his doubts cleared then and there. She was sometimes feeling it difficult to answer some of his questions. 'This little fellow is asking such questions which none had raised hitherto,' she was thinking within herself. While listening to stories, Krishna was gradually slipping into sleep. But the next day, he was asking her to commence the story exactly where he stopped, to follow it on the previous day. Durgamma was wondering at his memory. Thus, the stories of Prahalada and Dhruva induced devotion at his heart, in his childhood days.
After a few days, Krishna started to sleep with his grandfather. He might have probably thought that there were no more new stories for grandmother to tell. Pantulu used to tell him a few new, as well as old stories. His method of narrating old stories was new and interesting.
Krishna would ask his grandfather questions like, 'How does the wall-clock ring? Why should it be given a key? How does a single engine pull a train of railway carriages?'
For the onlookers, they appeared like breathing dead bodies and walking skeletons. The wife of Jagannadham received the infant from the arms of Durgamma and placed him in the cradle. Necessary remedial steps were taken against evil looks on their journey.
On entering the house, Durgamma swooned on the cot, overpowered by grief. All the thoughts were shooting up at her heart painfully. All that had happened was like a nightmare. She had raised her daughter with utmost care and affection. She would never return again. Durgamma was lying on a cot, as if she was paralyzed, motionless like a corpse.
All the relatives, friends and other well-wishers, visited them one after the other sympathetically. Pantulu leaned in a Narsaraopet easy chair, calmly like a karma yogi. It was not known whether there was a volcano or a forest fire in his heart. At that moment, all his attention was on his wife only. He knew the agony of his wife at Machilipatnam. He was aware of the difficulty for her to come back to normalcy.
Even after one day, Durgamma did not get up from the cot. Her entire body seemed to be frozen, forgetting all its functions. Durgamma did not touch even a drop of water. Pantulu approached her and gently said, 'Durga, take something. Gather your wits. There is no other way to go. Can we pass away along with others? But someday we should. Durga! If you fast like this, what happens to your health? If you stand up, then only, the home will be like a home.' He turned to his daughter-in-law and asked, 'How is the child? Is he fed?' She replied, 'Yes, he is asleep.'
Durgamma gathered her energy and got up in her cot. She knotted her hair and set right her dress. She feebly said, 'I am neither hungry nor thirsty. I gulped something which tasted like a poison. Durga! The body has some functions to perform. We need to take some food, at least for even to weep we need some energy. Don't we?' So saying, he asked his daughter-in-law to get some milk for Durgamma. Accordingly she brought hot milk in a silver tumbler. Pantulu gave it to Durgamma, adding, 'Please take it; and take rest.' She touched the tumbler and it felt hot. She asked her daughter-in-law, 'Look here! Give me cold milk. This is too hot!' The daughter-in-law brought cold milk for Durgamma and took away the hot milk.
'Durga! There is someone here for me, waiting outside! I am going to the Lodge. Somebody has come from Madras. How long will you hold the tumbler in your hand like that? Drink the milk please,' he said softly.
Jagannadham performed all the rites and rituals of Bharatamma. He has a great regard and love for her. After all, she had been a child in his arms. He was unable to believe that this most beloved sister passed away.
Pantulu received a condolence message from Adyar and other places in the state besides from his friends and lawyers.
On receiving the news that Bharatamma died, Sitaramayya felt shocked. He recalled her words to him when he went to Gudiwada a few months back. Venkatappayya sank into his shoes on receiving the heart-rending news. 'Oh, my God! I have been awaiting you with my grandson in your arms! Now, your demise instead! I never dreamt that I'd have to receive such terrible news!' Thus he lamented.
Within a few days after his daughter's death, a friend of Pantulu came running to him with fresh news, 'Have you heard this ghastly news, Pantulu? It seems your son-in-law is marrying again on this coming Thursday. Only 15 days back he lost his wife. What urgency had he to marry within such a short time?'
On hearing the shocking news, Pantulu was aghast! Awestruck. Slowly he recovered his senses, in spite of unpalatable bitter feelings, and replied, 'They may have their own urgencies, if not today on some other day. He should marry again since he is so young,' in a choked voice. 'That may be true, but does it carry any propriety to sit again, as a new bridegroom, when the embers of his dead wife are still hot?' questioned his friend.
Upon knowing this, Durgamma zoomed up with volcanic rage and scolded them for their ruthless, diabolical act. Pantulu pacified her, 'It is all Divine will. Don't get upset.' Later it was known that Sita Ramaiah re-married post hastely because he has to perform his late mother's death ceremony on that year. Only a married son was entitled to do so, not a widower. However, the majority of relatives could not digest this. The stigma remained forever.
Even a fountain of water gets dried up gradually when water is pumped out continuously for a long time. Similarly, the financial conditions of Venkatappayya deteriorated day by day. Earlier, he lost his wife and now his daughter-in-law passed away. It was absolutely inevitable to have feminine dexterity for any home to run smoothly. How long can anybody pull along alone? The vacancy should be filled in without fail. Sitaramayya married again within 15 days. The name of his wife was Suryakanthamma and she hailed from the Nidamarthi family. He was 21 years old and all his long life was ahead.
The earlier attempts of Sitaramayya for a job became fruitful. The great freedom fighter, Dr.Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya, had established 'Andhra Insurance Company' by that time, and, with a favourable word from Vemuri Durga Nageswara Rao, Sitaramayya got appointed in the insurance company.
Sitaramayya started his family life afresh, and, as such, his role as a father in bringing up his son had almost ended after becoming his biological father. The innocent child lost his mother immediately after his birth and he was separated from his father under peculiar circumstances.
Relatives at Gudiwada felt deep pity for the child who was deprived of his mother. An elderly woman said, 'One whose birth leads to expiry of mother lives to establish special quality and go beyond boundaries of his native land to attain name and fame,' by quoting a Telugu proverb.
Meenakshamma and Gopalam, the children of Rukminamma, their eldest daughter who had died earlier, were already under the care of Durgamma. Now, the child of Bharatamma joined them. Jagannatham, too, had his own children. Though so many children were there in the house, Durgamma was feeling the absence of Bharatamm always. She was remembering her daughter and her movements, in every corner of the house and in association with every article in the house. The decorative designs and figures drawn with different powders on the floor by Bharatamma had been as fresh as they were. The manure provided to Tulasi was still fresh in the fort. The clothes of Bharatamma were still hanging on the clothesline in the yard. Durgamma was imagining that her daughter might step in at any time, as if returning from outside.
Pantulu wanted his wife to come to normalcy. 'Durga, this immense grief is a punishment. It is a sort of training for us. We have one and only aim before us. Our daughter entrusted a heavy responsibility to us. Setting aside everything we have, to strive hard towards it. Please don't lose yourself. You are the backbone of the family. You know philosophy well, still I am repeating it. The relationships such as wife, husband, daughter, relative, friend, etc., are all illusions. God is the only reality. He is the director of the grand drama of the world. We are merely playing our roles allotted by him. When the scheduled scene is over, we disappear. The great wheel of time is rolling on eternally and we are small particles on its rim to fall out. We must strengthen our minds and carry on, as per the Destiny. Death is natural. We must understand the divine play and pacify ourselves. We must fulfill our responsibilities. Do you know that the name of our daughter has a special meaning? Bharati is the name of Goddess Saraswathi, or the Goddess of speech and education. The letter Bha stands for light. Thus, the last word of our daughter is a torch in our hands showing us the path to go along.'
They thought that they might go on a pilgrimage to sacred places to have a change of place and attain mental peace. But later they gave up the idea in view of the difficulties involved in taking the infant with them. However, in the name of the son of Bharatamma, clothes were distributed to poor children. Necessary remedial prayers and worships were performed in the house to neutralize the effects of evil spirits, if any, around them.
In order to keep his wife's mind occupied, he invited a 'Bhajan' party from Bezawada to come over to them, along with their orchestra, to stay with them for a week. Accordingly the invitees were singing devotional songs, adapting classical tunes and in accompaniment of their different musical instruments, daily, early in the morning, evening and at night.
It was not an ordinary devotional songs party. They were ardent devotees who sung in praise of God, forgetting even their food and water. The house of Pantulu reverberated with the songs, and the vibrations generated pulsations in the entire body of every listener. The listeners and participants in the concert felt as though they were in a different celestial world.
The mind experiences such an inexplicable, supreme state, and, as such, it is called Sabdabrahma (or God) in the audible form. Form, such form, the real ascetic knowledge emanates. Mere scholarship without devotion is nothing but babbling. Listening to devotional music continuously is more absorbing than scholarship.
Keeping the son of Bharatamma in her lap, Durgamma used to sing devotional songs and to lose her external consciousness. Gradually she overcame the immense grief and melancholy and attained balance of mind. She stopped to recall her sad experiences and even if they disturbed her, she was controlling herself.
Previously at the time of usual daily prayers to God, her mind was not steady. She could not have peace of mind. But now, her mind was peaceful, due to some unknown reason. At the time of worship, she started to listen to OM...OM... again and again in a low tone. She could not know from where it was emanating. Sometimes she was having visions of unknown realms at the prayer time. Now and then she was seeing divine light too.
Thus her devotion gradually started to get elevated to high levels. Not only that, she began to feel some invisible presence nearby always. One day Durgamma noticed a 'hand' on the wall, which scribbled some 'mantra' and disappeared. Was it a mere illusion or a mental distortion?
She put forth her strange experiences before her husband. He was pleased to know all the details of her unusual experiences and commented, 'You are blessed, Durga! I have been meditating for many years and yet I am not as lucky as you are. Please go ahead. Your path gets cleared. Some day, some great invisible person may give you initiation at the right time. Another important point, Durga! Please keep your experiences as your own. They should not be revealed. Don't publicize them. It is the rule.' So saying, Pantulu congratulated his wife for her spiritual progress.
Ascetics at different spiritual levels, philosophers, scholars and logicians used to visit Pantulu, and he hosted all of them happily. Thus, necessary foundation was laid for the transformation of the residence of Pantulu into an important Philosophical Center.
Durgamma started to attend to her domestic work normally. Jagannadham, the adopted son of Pantulu, went to Bezwada. After adopting him, Pantulu got him educated and also gave away a share in his property. After marriage Jagannadham settled at Bezawada as a lawyer.
Pantulu believed that everyone should work hard and rise up by self-effort. He did not like anybody to idle away all the time by spending away ancestral property.
The son of Bharatamma was not fortunate enough to enjoy his mother's affection and milk. He did not relish cow milk or buffalo milk or tinned milk. The milk was not digested and led to loose bowels. He developed a little cough also. They searched for a wet nurse. In those days, just delivered woman of poor families would be hired for feeding. It was learnt that a woman belonging to the Goud community had just delivered a child and she could feed another child also. Her name was Gouramma. She was called for immediately, to come and meet Durgamma.
She could not believe her ears. She was wondering whether she, a poor woman belonging to a lower strata in the society, might suckle a child from a rich brahmin family? She observed that the child was handsome and healthy like a God's gift. His complexion was yellow like a cucumber.
Gouramma felt that it was her good fortune to take him into her arms. She felt thrilled and anxiously tried to suckle him. But the child was indifferent. Gouramma patiently tried to make friendship with him by lulling him and fondling him tenderly. After some time a sort of concord developed between him and his 'hired' mother. He allowed Gouramma to suckle him happily. Gradually a type of bond developed between them. Thus, every day she was coming over to their house three or four times to suckle the child.
Gouramma knew that Brahmins observe the highest level of cleanliness generally. As such, she was cleaning her breast thoroughly before feeding the child. She, too, was very clean and tidy and she enjoyed to suckle him; she did not know why, perhaps it was due to the monthly emoluments she was receiving from Durgamma, or due to any other unknown reason.
Meenakshamma and Gopalam, the children of late Rukminamma, were also being looked after by their grandmother, Durgamma. Their father married again and he was away. Thus it happened to be the responsibility of Durgamma to look after the three children. Meenakshamma was 6 years old and Gopalam three or four. Meenakshmma plays with her young brothers, looks after them and assists Durgamma in her household chores.
When Bharatamma was alive, she was keeping Meenakshamma and Gopalam in cradles and swinging them singing a song. Similarly, Durgamma was swinging Bharatamma's son in a cradle and singing the same song. When Bharatamma was a child, then Durgamma was singing the same song 'Kasturi Ranga-Ranga' which was praising Lord Krishna's childhood heroics, who killed the king Kamsa as a boy. The heart of Durgamma became suffocated when she sang the song recalling the childhood of Bharatamma. The grief was associated with memories of the childhood of her deceased daughter. Music has nostalgic memories.
The usual naming ceremony which is carefully performed in Brahmin families was not performed in the case of the son of Bharatamma. Considering the Birth-Star of the child, sometimes a suitable name would be selected. In the case of this child, the function was not thought of due to some unknown reason.
The mother of the boy was an ardent devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. She was telling that her son was the boon of Lord Sri Krishna. As such, everybody thought that 'Gopala Krishna Murthy' would be the appropriate name for the child. Everybody used to call him 'Krishna' or 'Krishnudu'. Pantulu used to call him 'Kittu'. Durgamma used to call him as 'Ramudu' because her husband's name also was Gopala Krishna Murthy, and it was forbidden in Brahmin families for the wife to utter her husband's name.
After some time, due to some unknown reasons, Gouramma was discontinued and the boy was fed with cow milk. The milk did not suit him, and, as such, they searched for another wet nurse. Another from a herdsmen community came forward to feed the child.
At the age of five months, he started rolling on the floor and he was resisting to go to any new person. There were indications that the child had some likes and dislikes, even at this age. He was able to recognize grandmother and sister, Meenakshamma. He was smiling at them. They were enjoying to see his toothless open mouth.
At the age of seven months, he was crawling fast and he was hiding himself behind something or the other, hoodwinking everybody in the house like Lord Bala Krishna. Everybody had to search for him anxiously.
After the child started to crawl freely, Pantulu wished to know the field in which his grandson would thrive in the future. Accordingly, at a distance, in a corner of a room, some money, a book and a pen was separately arranged, and the child was allowed to crawl towards them. They observed that the boy caught hold of a book again and again three times.
It was believed that if a child picks up money, in the future the child would earn lots of money; if the child selects a pen, it would indicate future decent service as an administrator; and if the child picks up a book, he would be a great scholar or a learned person in his life.
One evening, Krishna crawled out of the house silently into the yard and sat under a Pomagranate tree. He had a toy in his hand. Behind the house, there were some fields and a snake crawled over the compound wall and slowly moved towards him. No one observed it. It approached the boy and coiled on itself in his vicinity. The child did not observe the snake at all. He was keenly looking at the toy in his hand.
From inside the house, Durgamma came out to gather the clothes that were hanging on the clothesline. She noticed the boy under the tree and wondered, 'Oh my God! When did he come here? How?' Thus thinking within herself she approached him but suddenly she was shocked to see the coiled snake near him. She began to perspire heavily, her heart pounded at a high rate and she stood motionless, petrified to the core.
She thought of picking up the child for a moment, but any disturbance might make the snake harm the child. The boy, too, might get disturbed and he, too, might place his hand on the snake. Thus thinking, Durgamma stood like a statue.
The boy was not bothered about his surroundings. Now and then, he was moving his head and hands this way and that way as if summoning somebody towards him. He was smiling happily now and then.
The other inmates of the house came out and they, too, were shocked to observe Durgamma and the child. They were thinking that anything might happen at any moment. Somebody ran out through the other door to fetch a snake charmer.
After a little time, the snake unwound itself and crawled further towards the boy. Durgamma felt as though she was dying. Suddenly perspiration formed on her face like beads. She breathed heavily. Her body trembled like a leaf. Her eyes transfixed— motionless. The snake was approaching the boy slowly, and at any moment, the boy might be tempted to stretch his hand towards the glittering snake. Durgamma felt that the time was standing still while she was thinking of God and praying for help.
The snake steadily crawled forward as if it was gazing at the child towards the wall. It was a long snake of a couple of arm lengths and light brown in colour. The child spontaneously looked at the moving snake with wide-open eyes. He did not try to catch it.
All the onlookers were observing the child, and the snake, with wide open eyes, attentively, till the snake completely passed by him, because, at any moment, it might turn back and bite him.
The snake crawled up the wall, and it was observed by the boy, attentively, till it disappeared. After the snake disappeared totally, Durgamma gathered all her energy to pick up the child, instantaneously, and hugged him. Everybody felt immense relief on the exit of the snake. Some divine miracle saved the child; otherwise everything would be in utter ruins. They felt that the child escaped from a danger, miraculously, on that day.
The snake-charmer rushed to catch hold of it, but he was disappointed. He searched for it on the other side of the wall in vain and returned. He said, 'Yes, it was moving about in the fields and observed by many. I have been already trying to catch hold of it. Please don't be afraid. It cannot escape from my grip. In a day or two it is doomed to die in my hands. For the present, I will send you a few enchanted seeds, collected from Peer Saheb, residing in Masjid area.' So saying, he took leave of them.
Within a short while, the seeds were received and Durgamma got them sprinkled all over the yard, to prevent the entry of all sorts of harmful creatures. Durgamma smeared a little sacred ash on the forehead of Krishna, and followed other protective principles for the welfare of the child. She had taken a vow to offer milk to the snake-god, residing in the anthill. She would donate a little money also to the temple as a sort of homage to Him.
It had been observed that the boy was appearing to be inactive and sickly for the past few days, like a snake, which gripped in soil. He was drowsy and dull also. Durgamma could not find the reason for such an odd condition of the child. Was it due to sickness or influence of an evil spirit? Medicines were ineffective. Suddenly it struck her that the child was getting drowsy and dull immediately after feeding. Durgamma scented that the wet-nurse was putting a minute mass into the child's mouth just before suckling him.
Immediately Durgamma shouted at her, 'You cunning creature! What have you just put into the child's mouth? Come on! Speak the truth!' The woman first denied for a while and finally confessed that she had been addicting him to a little opium, so as to protect her nipples from his painful bites. She pleaded for mercy, but Durgamma immediately paid her the due amount and turned her out. Krishna was fed with bottled milk afterwards, in spite of his disliking.
Once on a festival day, while everybody was busy, Krishna suddenly disappeared. He had been playing with his toys till then, in that room. All of a sudden, where did he hide himself? Meenakshamma searched and scanned, finally she located him in a corner, underneath the trellis cot. Immediately she shouted, 'Granny! Here he is!' Durgamma bent down and noticed that the boy was sitting as if he was practicing Yoga like Buddha. She was shocked to observe a dead scorpion nearby. It was covered by a number of ants. A train of ants was crawling over the legs of Krishna and he was unmindful of them. He looked like a little idol in the temple.
Durgamma quickly caught hold of the child and brought him out. She shook off all the ants from his body and cleaned him. While dressing him in a little shirt, she wondered within herself, 'What type of a child! Indifferent to the crawling ants on his body! They might have definitely stung him too. Oh, my god! What a wonder!' A servant removed the dead scorpion and cleaned the area near the cot.
If Krishna wanted any attractive article, it should be in his hands immediately. It was impossible to distract his attention from it. If Durgamma tried to terrify him, mentioning the name of the devil, he would pay a deaf ear and continue his demand. Generally children like to be lifted up into arms. But Krishna was different. He would appear as though he did not need any help or support of anybody.
If anybody distributed edible things to other children, before giving them to him, he would refuse to take them. Even if those things were collected back and given to him, then, also, he would not accept them. That is to say that he felt that he belonged to a superior cadre. He liked to occupy the top-most place--always.
Generally, children are afraid of darkness, but Krishna was never afraid of anything. He was fearless.
While he was playing with toys, if other children approached him, he always invited them to play with him, and he was offering his toys to them in a friendly manner. While he was eating anything, if a young or old person stretched his hands before him, he would always give it away to him, without any hesitation. Noticing such behaviour in Kirshna, somebody remarked, 'Your grandson is BholaShanker. He never says no to anybody.' Selflessness was perhaps a special characteristic of the child.
At the age of eight months, at nighttime, if the child felt the urge to urinate, he would slowly slip down the cot to crawl away a little distance for that purpose.
Once he fell down from the cot dorsally. Durgamma rushed to lift him up. Already on the head of the boy, a bump was formed. But the boy did not cry. While applying a little wet lime on the bump, Durgamma thought within herself, 'This kid is made of steel stuff'.
He was growing teeth one after the other. An auspicious day was fixed for feeding the child with solid food for the first time. A gold-coated bowl contained the necessary sweetened soft rice and the child was fed with a silver spoon. These two articles were used long back for his mother's similar ceremony. The same set of articles was used, for the same function, in case of other children also.
For the first birthday function, new clothes got stitched for him. Pantulu ordered for a silver thread to tie around the waist of the child. A golden chain garlanded him. Afterwards, the first annual death ceremony of Bharatamma was performed on a large scale. Jagannatham, and his family from Bezawada, Saraswathamma and others from Machilipatnam, came to Gudivada to attend the ceremony along with other local people. Bharatamma had a photograph of herself standing by the side of Lord Krishna, playing His flute. That photo was in the prayer room. Durgamma helped the boy to garland his mother's photograph.
When she was alive in the month of Sravan, for Krishnastami (Lord Krishna's birthday), Bharatamma was making special arrangements and organizing the function on a grand scale. A familiar child was dressed like Bala Krishna and decorated. She was drawing little footstep prints of Bala Krishna with fine starch powder on the ground from outside into the house. She was feeling at heart that Krishna was entering in. An idol of Krishna was placed in a swing and she was swinging and singing songs. It was a Hindu religious custom.
Durgamma was imagining that if Bharatamma had been alive, she would have celebrated the birthday of Lord Krishna with her own son, dressed as Bala Krishna.
In memory of her daughter, Durgamma dressed her grandson as Bala Krishna. Silver tinkling bells were tied around his girdle and anklets. He was made to wear gold ornaments. A peacock feather was perched on his head with the help of a cloth. He appeared like Lord Bala Krishna for Durgamma.
Motherly affection is the sumum bonum of all creation. Mother is the supreme of all living beings, sources of all sustenance. She is the 'Empress of the Empyrean Heaven of the Almighty.' As such, Durgamma, by her inherent nature, epitome of unalloyed motherhood, fountainhead of love, affection, caring, and acme of feminine instincts. Durgamma was bringing up the boy with all her love and care. Yet, the boy had a special liking for his grandfather. Pantulu was busy with outside work and he was away. But whenever he stepped in, the boy used to rush to the door to lead his grandfather in. He was always with his grandfather as long as he was at home, clinging like a limpet.
Noticing the inseparable bond between the grandson and the grandfather, Durgamma used to wonder at the affinity. 'The whole day, the child has been with me, but as soon as his grandfather is seen, he forgets me totally and gets attached to him. Grandfather seems to be everything for him!'
Pantulu was a disciplinarian. But there were some relaxations in the case of his grandson. He did not utter even a single word against the child. There was no 'no' for his grandson. But he did not pamper him. He was silent and looked grim by his childish pranks.
One day, while playing happily, the child leaned sidewards and his hands and feet began to shiver. The body was getting twisted all over. Durgamma was terrified and she started her own treatment. There was no improvement. These infantile convulsions appear in the children at even years of age, such as two, four, six, etc. There was a belief that there would be improvement, if the mid-point of the eyebrows is scorched with a fresh smoldering tobacco coil or cheroot.
The boy was struggling with epileptic fits. And Durgamma was feeling helpless. Some powders were mixed with honey and fed to him. By that time, Pantulu returned home.
After a little time, the boy became conscious and gradually became steady. It was not known which treatment was effective. He appeared to have hiccups for a while but soon became calm. The boy felt easy and got up. With a wet cloth, Durgamma cleaned his whole body. The toes of his legs were straightened with jerky movements. The boy appeared weak and he was fed with a little hot milk. In ten minutes, the child was normal and active. Durgamma smeared a little sacred ash on his forehead.
Every night, Durgamma was feeding him with soft rice morsels of food. One day, when she started feeding him, he refused to eat it and began to spit it out. He was nodding his head across. Durgamma tasted the food a little and noticed that it was saltless. 'Oh! He is able to recognize tastes, also,' she thought. On another day, the boy refused to drink milk to which sugar was not added.
While Pantulu was performing his usual prayers in his prayer room, Krishna evinced keen interest. He would watch the entire proceedings with rapt attention and observation. Slowly he began to imitate his grandfather. He developed a real passion and unquenchable thirst for devotion.
At the age of about two and half years, he himself smeared the sacred ash on his forehead and attempted to meditate, like his grandfather, sitting in Padmasana posture. Even after his grandfather got up, Krishna was continuing his meditation. It looked very strange for a small child to meditate steadily. When his grandfather was away, Krishna was entering the prayer room alone, to meditate as usual, and pray to God with folded hands. Durgamma was surprised at his devotion and showed it to all others. The onlookers used to think of 'Bala Dhruva' and 'Prahalada' while observing his meditation. Being pleased with the attention and devotion of his grandson, Pantulu presented him with a silver plank to sit upon and pray to God. The boy was happy with the presentation and ran about the house, shouting, as he liked. He was on cloud nine.
Pantulu had a special prayer room on the first floor. None was allowed to step in. One day his grandson followed him up to the door of the room. Immediately, Pantulu pleasantly asked his grandson to have his prayers freely on the ground floor, only. The child was perhaps disappointed, a little.
At the age of three years, the birth time hair of Krishna was ready to be offered at Tirumala. The presiding deity was Lord Venkateswara. The child had a strong liking for travel. He was always first at the gate.
Now it was journey by train, all the more. The entire party reached the railway station and awaited the arrival of the train. Krishna was more eager than everybody else. The train was whistling while entering the platform. The approaching coal engine train looked like a black devil for some people. Wondering at the sight of the train, along with all the others, he entered it. The carriage was already full of passengers. Sitting near a window, on the lap of his grandmother, Krishna very much enjoyed to see the moving outside scenery. They got down at Bezawada and proceeded to the house of Jagannadham. They spent half a day there, and all of them went to Tirupati by train.
Krishna was now in the lap of his grandfather. He was very cheerful throughout and they arrived at Tirupati. From the foot of the hill, everyone started to walk up the hill. Durgamma carried the child for some time and the wife of Jagannadham also came forward to carry Krishna. The bus route was not yet planned by that time, and, as such, every pilgrim had to walk up the hill.
When they reached a particular spot, at the foot of a hillock, called 'Stars Hillock', a sort of cloth-covered palanquins called, 'Dolis', were available to carry the passengers further up. Krishna wanted to travel by a Doli. Pantulu fixed up a Doli for Durgamma and Krishna.
Krishna enjoyed the new type of transport. The Doli carriers were, naturally, very much tired. They reached the 'Knee Pass' and rested for a while. After some time, they reached the top of the hill. It is called Tirumalai. Durgamma and Krishna were first to reach Tirumalai. Later, Pantulu, Jagannadham and others joined them. The boy felt happy at reaching the top of the hill earlier than others.
They stayed in a choultry, and there were so many new faces around Krishna. He was thrilled in the new surroundings. Moreover, he was going to see God! That idea made him all the more ecstatic.
All the happiness vanished when he was told to get shaven tonsured his head. It was a totally unexpected situation. He turned back and resented it vehemently. All sorts of persuasions from everybody could not move him from his stand. Even threats were in vain.
Krishna ran up and down as he liked. Pantulu caught hold of him skillfully, but the boy was struggling to escape from his grandfather's grips, crying, 'No. No, I don't want to give my hair. No, I won't.' Durgamma pleaded with him in a humble manner, 'Please cooperate. It is a vow. Please listen to us.' The boy was indifferent. 'Let him be god or let him be the grandfather of God—I don't care. I don't offer my hair to him.' Thus shouted Krishna adamantly.
Pantulu requested him to cooperate with him. 'Kittu, I will purchase a new English hat for you. You can have a new pair of chappals also.' But the boy continued to struggle, to run away. On seeing the barber, with a razor in hand, his shoutings increased all the more. His face turned red. He warned the barber that he would twitch him with his nails if he approached him.
Pantulu and Jagannadham lost patience and caught hold of him firmly, against his will. Very quickly, the barber sprinkled a little water on the head of Krishna and shaved him. Krishna had to yield to their force, and he was grumbling all the while.
While looking at the shaven hair on the ground, Krishna commented in a low tone, 'What a God! What does He do with my hair?' Durgamma tried to convince him, 'No, no child. Don't say that. If you give God merely your hair, he will give you whatever you want.'
After the bath, they proceeded towards the main temple. There was a long queue of piligrims. Pantulu was carrying his grandson in his folds. The boy was still angry at heart, at all of them, for forcing him to give away his hair unwillingly. In the queue, also, he was pinching everybody. He was making faces at them like a monkey. But he appeared smooth and handsome, so the other pilgrims ignored his mischief and smiled at him. He was expressing his anger on God in this manner.
Pantulu asked his grandson to bow to God. Krishna unwillingly bowed to God and appeared to have questioned him, 'Why do you want my hair?'
After coming out of the temple, also, Krishna continued to be angry and serious. He did not talk to anybody. Sitting in a corner, he was scratching his shaven head. He did not compromise. He was not afraid of God. After some time he turned calm and said, 'Oh God, You forced me to act against my wish, so I will never come to you again. Why do you want my hair? What do you do with that? I will never come to you again. I will never give you my hair. Do what you can!' In his own way, he expressed his inner feelings in this connection.
It seemed to be the natural characteristic of this boy to resist and fight out any issue with anybody, and everybody, if it was not liked by him.
At the age of four, Krishna developed infantile convulsions again, seriously, and fell down suddenly. He began to struggle like a fish out of water. Medicines did not work. Pantulu performed special worships to Lord Shiva, who conquered Death. Everybody was helpless. Durgamma, too, prayed to God in her own way. After some time the condition of Krishna improved, and he became normal.
Besides, the boy was having severe stomachaches now and then. He was trying to withstand the pain, but sometimes, he could not. Durgamma got him treated for it. The stomachache abated by itself, whether medicines were given or not.
Krishna was developing a cough also. He was getting tired very quickly. It appeared as though it was disturbing digestion, and the alimentary canal. Fasting was considered as the best medicine. He could not eat or drink anything. By fasting for a day, his health was restored to normalcy.
It was observed that Krishna was very intelligent by birth and wiser than all others of his age. He used to observe everybody keenly and imitated them. He was accompanying his grandfather to different types of performances of artists such as 'Harikadha,' and he was imitating them for the amusement of all others.
When his grandfather was away, Krishna used to wear a dhoti, shirt, and a turban, like his grandfather. He was sitting in the office of his grandfather and imitated him in his gestures. Knotting of eyebrows, nodding the head, etc. If anybody happened to notice him at that moment, he was feeling shy and getting out of his grandfather's chair. Sometimes, he was sitting in a majestic manner and behaved suitably. He was thus very skillful in imitation.
In the house, he was hearing comments on other persons very often. A distant relative once stayed with them for a few days. Durgamma did not like her. She commented, 'Subhadramma is a glutton. She always wants to eat something or the other. She is a potbelly. She can very easily gulp in the pot full of rice. It is a wonder how she digests it, though she does not move from her seat. What a lazy Lubber.' Krishna heard Durgamma's comments on Subhadramma.
That night, when Subhadramma was about to take her food, Krishna approached her and asked, 'Show me your pot belly. How can you eat a pot full of rice?' Then, Krishna turned to his grandmother and asked her, 'Granny, were you not referring to this person a little while ago?' Durgamma was shocked. She realized that if she loosely talked before him again in the future, he would plunge her into the soup.
Krishna liked Lord Ganesh very much. Elephant trunk, big belly, winnowing basket-like ears, short stature, and other odd features of Lord Ganesh, attracted him very much. Lord Ganesh is believed to destroy all hurdles that any devotee may have to face day to day. Krishna had a special liking for Lord Ganesh. Every year, in the month of Bhadrapada, on Suddha Chaviti day, an idol of Lord Ganesh, made of clay, on which golden coloured powder is slightly applied, is placed on the worshipping platform. Very many kinds of leaves were collected and brought for the worship of Lord Ganesh. A special umbrella, in a square-form, is decorated with leaves, flowers and fruits and arranged for the Lord. Special sacrificial grass, poa Cyno Survoides, was procured for this purpose. After the devotional worship, it is a practice for the devotee to offer ball-like round cooked rice cakes and milk-porridge to Lord Ganesh and pray for his grace.
Gopalam, the son of late Rukminamma, suddenly developed infantile convulsions one day and began to writhe this way and that. Durgamma noticed it and called for help. Pantulu was talking to somebody in his office room at that time. Immediately he rushed in. It was a case of convulsions. Doctors were called for to treat him. Within a short time, the situation deteriorated and Gopalam died, plunging everybody into grief. Krishna was shocked. A little while ago, a boy playing with him and talking to him, suddenly passed away. Krishna could not understand how Gopalam died. The body was taken to the burial ground outside the town. There were no rituals for the child. He was simply buried. Thus Meenakshamma lost her own brother.
One thing was clear to Krishna, a dead person would never return back to him, to play with him or talk to him.
The house of Pantulu was often visited by a number of palmists and astrologers. Once, a devotee of Shiva visited Pantulu. It was believed that he would prophesy the future of anybody by looking at the face of the subject. Pantulu was always asking his grandson to bow to such visitors and receive their blessings, since the great capabilities and abilities of those visitors were not known.
The devotee of Shiva observed Krishna, closely, for a little while, and closed his eyes. Later, he informed Pantulu that the boy had the grace of Shiva. 'The boy has a great future; he would bring name and fame for the family in the world. But there are some misfortunes and perils, ahead for the boy during the infancy period. With the grace of Shiva, the boy will overcome all of them. Please bring him up carefully.'
Krishna liked his cousin, Gopalam, very much, but he did not know it earlier. He could not express that he had love for him. While moving about in the house, Krishna felt the absence of Gopalam very much. However, in due course of time, Krishna ceased to be sad in this regard.
After a few months, while playing at home before all others, Krishna became unconscious. Durgamma began to weep, 'My God! Again a test for us, a bad time for us! Why are you testing us like this? Oh God!' This time it was not convulsions because the limbs of the child were normal. His hands and legs were not shaking. Durgamma sprinkled water on his face and rubbed his cold feet. The boy was still. Durgamma did not know what to do. Her heart began to beat fast. Pantulu was out of station. Somebody rushed for the doctor and the doctor examined him carefully. The pulse, as well as the breathing, seemed to have stopped. Was he alive or dead? Somehow, the doctor did not like to declare him as dead. The glow and liveliness in the face of the boy did not disappear. Within a few minutes, there was a little movement and low breathing. The doctor could feel the pulse-beat also. After five minutes, the boy got up as if from a deep sleep. The doctor was unable to understand what had happened to the boy.
Durgamma immediately went to Bheemeswara Temple and worshipped God. Her grandson was fed with a little propitiated food immediately. Durgamma was perplexed and terrified. A few days back, one grandson died. The condition of this grandson had been causing anxiety. He was very wise, but his body appeared to be very weak. Would this weakling survive and live long?
On the next day, Pantulu returned home and he was informed of what had happened. He asked his wife to be brave, saying, 'Durga, don't get disheartened; this boy has infancy misfortunes for some time to come. Everything is governed by God's will.'
'I am losing my mental balance with day-to-day perils and anxieties about the welfare of this boy. I am very much worried, perhaps there is something wrong in my prayers. It is not known why God is testing us.' Thus, Durgamma expressed her helplessness.
'As I already told you, everything is governed by Destiny; we are instrumental.' Pantulu replied in a philosophical manner. Within a few days, again, Krishna had convulsions, for the third time. His limbs began to shake and his head was leaning sidewards. The body was having sudden, jerky movements, time and again. Medicines were ineffective. Prayers also did not yield any fruit. Durgamma collapsed down in a corner of the room, weeping continuously. It was said that this disease is hereditary. Pantulu remembered that he, too, had it in his childhood days. He lost hopes of survival of Krishna. Perhaps he, too, would die like Gopalam. Somebody in his past birth was cursed to be born again, to live with them for a predetermined period, and die.
The boy was made to lie over on a mat on the floor. Everybody lost hopes of his survival. Time appeared to have been frozen. After a little time, the legs and hands of Krishna became normal, and every limb began to function normally; he opened his eyes slowly, and looked at everybody. He breathed heavily, once, and got up. Durgamma embraced him affectionately. Everybody felt a sense of relief.
Very rarely, a child faces infantile convulsions three times like this and survives. Indeed, he has conquered the Death like Lord Shiva—somebody commented. 'Well said!' Actually Krishna was born on the special day when Lord Shiva appeared as Kalasamhara Murthy, that is to say, the day on which Lord Shiva conquered death. Moreover, that was the day when Markandeya was blessed to live forever by the grace of Lord Shiva,' remarked another lady, raising her eyebrows. Thus, Krishna was considered to have the grace of Lord Shiva. It appeared that the boy had a special characteristic of virtual deaths and rebirths time and again.
Thus, time was rolling on. Durgamma was narrating a number of stories, interestingly, to Krishna at bedtime. The classical stories of Prahalada, Dhruva, boyhood of Lord Sri Krishna, etc., were interestingly narrated and the boy used to get his doubts cleared then and there. She was sometimes feeling it difficult to answer some of his questions. 'This little fellow is asking such questions which none had raised hitherto,' she was thinking within herself. While listening to stories, Krishna was gradually slipping into sleep. But the next day, he was asking her to commence the story exactly where he stopped, to follow it on the previous day. Durgamma was wondering at his memory. Thus, the stories of Prahalada and Dhruva induced devotion at his heart, in his childhood days.
After a few days, Krishna started to sleep with his grandfather. He might have probably thought that there were no more new stories for grandmother to tell. Pantulu used to tell him a few new, as well as old stories. His method of narrating old stories was new and interesting.
Krishna would ask his grandfather questions like, 'How does the wall-clock ring? Why should it be given a key? How does a single engine pull a train of railway carriages?'
