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Initiationby the ‘Paramaacharya’ |
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By his devotion, impersonal work, simplicity and selfless service, Sri Hari Vithal had endeared himself to the munificent grace of several Holy Masters of his times. Top most among them was His Holiness Sree Chandrsekharendra Saraswathi Maha Swami of Sree Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
In the year 1959, Sree Chandrsekharendra Saraswathi initiated Sri Hari Vithal in his seventeenth year, opening up the path for his life. Sri Hari Vithal visited Kancheepuram, to prey for his Mother’s recovery from a tetanus attack and pay his obeisance to Paramacharya. While he waits for his turn for the darshan of His Holiness, with a serene calm and smile Paramacharya called him by name, without even an utterance from Sri Hari Vithal, enquires him on the purpose of his visit and reassured his mother’s welfare. On this occasion, in presence of a group of devotees from TN, Paramaacharya annunciated that while the Bhagavad Gita was for practice, Sree Vishnu Sahasranaamam was for Paarayanam. Then he personally elucidated the tremendous potency and redeeming power of ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranaamam’ terming its protective prowess as ‘Vajra Kavacham’. Ever since, ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranaama Parayana became the life breath for Sri Hari Vithal. His Holiness Paramacharya, citing the Chandogyopanishad, impressionably advised him that Sahasranaama Parayana done with the knowledge of the meanings, with earnestness and insight delivers manifold efficacy. His Holiness Paramacharya ordained Sri Hari Vithal to embark himself on the mission to transmit the divine glory of ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranaamam’.
His Holiness’s Paramacharya’s visit to Hari Vithal’s abode in Vijayawada in February 1969, installation of ‘Sree Chakra’ therein, personally naming his first daughter ‘Naaga Sundari’, breaking his ‘mouna vratam’ (Penance in Silence)-when Sri Hari Vithal met with a serious rail accident and blessing Sri Hari Vithal’s eldest son to reassure Sri Hari Vithal’s safety are just a few instances of Paramacharya’s unbounded grace on him. A couple of years earlier 1966-1967 Sri Hari Vithal was graced by His Holiness Srimad Abhinava Vidyateertha Maha Swami of Sringeri Sharada Peetham, by at his abode in Vijayawada.
Later years the bliss continued through Sri Hari Vithal’s close and regular traction with His Holiness Sree Jayendra Saraswathi Swamy, who used to lovingly address to him “Hari Vithal –Maa Friend” and affectionately commend him as “Walking Vishnu Sahasra Naamam”.
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Miraculous Osmosis by Master EK |
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Sri Hari Vithal’s spiritual sojourn from 1972, over his Andhra University career, later life had progressed and evolved through his ardent discipleship to the New Age Teacher- Master EK (Sreemaan Ekkirala Krishnamaachaarya), disciple of Master CVV. Master EK took him into his fold and graced him with his boundless consciousness as the impetus to fulfill his life mission. Sri Hari Vithal’s ideas about life and mission were decisively formulated during his early association with Master EK. Under the tutelage to Master EK, he developed instinctual, perceptive grasp, exceptional command over a variety of subjects and encyclopedic scholarship. With his solemn and affectionate aura on Sri Hari Vithal, Master EK blessed him with unparalleled oratory to spontaneously elucidate, powerfully synthesize and instantly integrate from a number of sources. To the sheer surprise of many, Sri Hari Vithal never had to prepare or rehearse any of his speeches and used to just flow like free verse-which he always attributed to the grace of his Master. Many who have personally seen and heard Master EK vouch for his miraculous osmosis to Sri Hari Vithal. It was a sheer marvel to find him sound and look exactly like Master EK in many of his discourses. |
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Satya SAI ‘Vibhuti’ |
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Similar was the loving grace he received from Sree Satya Sai Baba, blessing him often with his many wakeful Visions and Darshans. Satya Sai’s ever loving address to him ‘Hari Vithal Bangaaru’ and Sri. Hari Vithal’s three lectures on 60th Birthday Celebrations of Satya Sai in his divine presence were greatly cherished memoirs to him. While Sri. Hari Vithal was to actually speak only on “Education in Human Values”, to his surprise- Satya Sai ordained him to also speak on ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranaamam- Spiritual applications’. Sri. Hari Vithal was very happy at Swamy’s grace and on his return to his stay at Prasanthi Nilayam, he wondered within him at the sheer out reach possibility to the global congregation the “Efficacy of the Mantra Shastras”. To his sheer delight, Sri. Hari Vithal was invited again, on the very next day to speak on the Efficacy of the Mantra Shastras, as one of the scheduled speakers could not turn up. Sree Satya Sai walked in to enquire with his characteristic smile about his engendered innate wish - “Bangaaru, eee roju emi cheputhunnavu (My Dear, what are you speaking on today?”) and blessed him “Continue Bangaaru… you will have to do a lot of good work “.Bhagawan Satya Sai’s miraculous healing of the hand fracture of his 5-year-old daughter Chy. Bilva Nilaya, Satya Sai’s reported cancellation of the scheduled darshan at the time of the train accident of Sri Hari Vithal on 25 December 1984, Satya Sai’s gracing Sri Hari Vithal by literally delivering his ‘Vibhuti’ to him to the bed, ward, in CMC Vellore and Satya Sai Baba inquiring with him about these miracles at his subsequent darshan at Puttaparthi are just a few among the countless experiences of Sri. Hari Vithal. |
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‘Yateendra SamSparsanam’ |
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Another incident that would have otherwise sounded as an idyllic fabrication, or a sheer fabled tale to yester year children, unbelievable and awe-inspiring for any of us to day, actually happened to Sri. Hari Vithal in 1980, with His Holiness Sree Lakshmana Yateendrulu, at the Railway Community Hall in Satya Narayana Puram Vijayawada.
During his famed “Nritya Samkeerthanams” Sree Lakshmana Yateendrulu, in his ecstatic delight usually throws off garlands adorning him. When he did so on the occasion above, a garland descends exactly on to Sri HariVithal – who was just one among the hundreds of audience. Defying all our known rationality of chances, and theory of probability, to the sheer surprise of all, the Second garland and even the Third one, thrown around randomly by His Holiness from different places and angles, adorns Sri Hari Vithal. Post Samkeerthanam, Sree Lakshmana Yateendrulu called upon Sri Hari Vithal and embraced him to annunciate “Hari Vithal, Manadi Janma Janmala Anubandham” (“ Hari Vithal, our relationship has been over several births” ) . His Holiness was further pleased to discover that Sri Hari Vithal was the offspring of the pious parents, who were disciples of Sree Seethrama Yateendrulu, and that Sri HariVithal was under the mentorship of Master EK.
The association of His Holiness further strengthened Sri HariVithal’s conviction, infused indefatigable energies and equipped him to champion his future course. Sree Lakshmana Yateendrulu penned his divine foreword to Sri Hari Vithal’s first booklet on ‘Sree Vishnu Sahasranaama Strotram’.
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Echoing the Gospels |
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Sri Hari Vithal’s marathon evening discourses for several months during later 1970’s, and early 1980’s on the Gospel of Sree Rama Krishna Paramahamsa at Ramakrishna Mission Vijayawada was another exclusive work of its kind. His enlightening speeches on the Gospel of Sree Ramakrishna received all round admiration for him, from the citizens of Vijayawada and the Ramakrishna Mission Leadership.
The President of Sree Ramakrishna Mission - Swami Ranganathananda – The Vivekananda of the 20th Century ,was much pleased and showered upon him his profuse appreciation. Later, Sri Hari Vithal had become the distinguished personal translator to Swami Ranganathananda translating his English speeches into Telugu all over AP. On a related account, Sri. Hari Vithal had also been the blessed Translator to Swami Viswesa Teertha of Pejawar Math (Sanskrit to English, Sanskrit to Telugu) during his visits to Andhra Pradesh.
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Landmark address at the 500th Anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu |
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Sri. Hari Vithal’s address in 1986 at Mayapur -West Bengal, on the occasion of the 500th Birth Anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu -was specially appreciated by the then President of India Gyani Jail Singh, who graced the inaugural function. |
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Leading Without Titles |
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Master EK continued to be the guiding force throughout Sri. Hari Vithal’s life. With his benediction, he could attain enhanced perception to experience ‘the one Lord’ in his many forms and serve his fellow beings as worship to ‘His’ manifestations. Sri. Hari Vithal served a plethora of organizations of varying scales and spans. An illustrative few would include- Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, The Ramakrishna Mission, Vivekananda Yuva Maha Mandal, Satya Sai Seva Samithi, The World Teacher Trust, JET -Jeer Educational Trust, The Theosophical Society, Pejawar Math, Chinmaya Mission, ISKCON International, BHISHMA-Mumbai (Bhagawan vedavyasa Ithihasa Samsodhana Mandir), Avatar Meher Baba Trust, Rishi Samskruthi Vidya Kendra, The Century Rayon- Aaditya Birla Group-Mumbai, KCP Cement, Transport Academy of Andhra Pradesh, Sree Gaudiya Math, Chaitanya Tapovan, Yateendra Seva Samithi, Mumukshu Jana Peetham, Shanthi Ashram-Kotagiri-Ooty etc., Many International service organizations like the Red Cross, Rotary International, the Lions International, the Rotaract International, the Jaycees, and countless number of Colleges, Universities, academic and cultural institutions have hosted Sri Hari Vithal’s lectures. His rich perspectives and interpretation of the Four Wheel Testament of Rotary International and its syntheses to Indian Scriptures was profusely admired.
As a leader, Sri.Hari Vithal always knew the path he pursued and he guided many on that path. He delivered his mission without any titles. By principle, he never became a member or titleholder, but contributed through many windows to the best of his mite. He never placed any valence on external indices. He categorically dissuaded all the attempts to confer on him, typical titles in vogue those days. He preferred to be a volunteer to serve on any platform and under any auspices. In all his countless felicitations across the country, he urged his audiences for only one thing- to share their uplifting experiences with others so that, together they could spread the energy and positively impact many more lives
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