Story of Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma

Sri Raghavendra Swamy was a great saint and philosopher who lived in the 17th century. He was a follower of the Dvaita Vedanta school of Hinduism, which was founded by Sri Madhvacharya. He was also a renowned scholar, teacher, and writer who composed many works on Vedanta, grammar, logic, and music. He was known for his devotion, compassion, and miracles.

One of the most famous miracles of Sri Raghavendra Swamy was his interaction with Manchalamma, the presiding deity of Manchale village, which is now known as Mantralayam. Mantralayam is a holy place in Andhra Pradesh, where Sri Raghavendra Swamy entered into a living samadhi (a state of meditative consciousness) in 1671. He is still believed to be alive and blessing his devotees from his samadhi.

The story goes that when Sri Raghavendra Swamy decided to enter into samadhi, he chose Manchale village as the place for his final abode. He asked the local king, Diwan Venkanna, to grant him some land for his samadhi. The king agreed and offered him any land he wanted in his kingdom. Sri Raghavendra Swamy then took a handful of sand from the bank of the Tungabhadra river and threw it in the air. The sand landed on a spot where there was a small temple dedicated to Manchalamma, the village goddess. Sri Raghavendra Swamy said that this was the place where he wanted to enter into samadhi.

However, there was a problem. The temple belonged to Manchalamma, who was worshipped by the villagers for generations. She was not willing to give up her temple for anyone, even for a great saint like Sri Raghavendra Swamy. She appeared before him and challenged him to prove his worthiness to occupy her temple. She asked him to perform three tasks: to fill the temple with flowers, to fill the temple with jewels, and to fill the temple with food.

Sri Raghavendra Swamy accepted the challenge and performed the tasks with ease. He filled the temple with flowers by chanting the names of Lord Vishnu. He filled the temple with jewels by chanting the names of Lord Shiva. He filled the temple with food by chanting the names of Lord Ganesha. He also added that he did not need any of these things for himself, but only wanted to please Manchalamma and show her his respect.

Manchalamma was astonished and humbled by Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s power and devotion. She realized that he was no ordinary saint, but an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself. She apologized to him and agreed to give up her temple for his samadhi. She also asked him to bless her and her devotees. Sri Raghavendra Swamy blessed her and said that she would always be his sister and that whoever worships her would also worship him. He also said that whoever worships him would also worship her. He then entered into samadhi in the temple, which became his brindavan (a sacred tomb).

Since then, Manchalamma has been residing in a small shrine next to Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s brindavan. She is still worshipped by the devotees who visit Mantralayam. She is also considered as the guardian of Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s brindavan and his devotees. She is believed to grant boons and wishes to those who pray to her sincerely.

The story does not end here. There are many anecdotes and incidents that show how Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma continue to interact with each other and their devotees even after their samadhi.

One such incident happened in 1843, when a severe famine struck Mantralayam and its surroundings. The people were starving and dying due to lack of food and water. The devotees prayed to Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma for their help and relief.

One day, a devotee named Narasimhacharya came to Mantralayam with his family and friends. He had heard about the miracles of Sri Raghavendra Swamy and wanted to have his darshan (vision). He reached Mantralayam in the evening and decided to stay there for the night.

 

He went to Manchalamma’s shrine first and offered his prayers. He then went to Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s brindavan and offered his prayers there too. He noticed that there was a small hole in the wall of the brindavan near Sri Raghavendra Swamy’s feet. He wondered what it was for.

He then went back to Manchalamma’s shrine and asked the priest there about the hole. The priest told him that it was a secret passage that connected the brindavan and the shrine. He said that Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma used to communicate with each other through this passage. He also said that sometimes, Sri Raghavendra Swamy would send some food or flowers to Manchalamma through this passage as a token of his love and affection.

Narasimhacharya was amazed and curious to see this miracle. He asked the priest if he could see the passage. The priest agreed and took him to the hole. He told him to look inside and see if he could find anything.

Narasimhacharya looked inside and saw a small basket filled with rice, dal, and vegetables. He was surprised and delighted to see this. He asked the priest if he could take some food from the basket. The priest said that he could, but only as much as he needed for himself and his family. He warned him not to be greedy or dishonest.

Narasimhacharya agreed and took some food from the basket. He thanked Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma for their kindness and generosity. He then went back to his place and shared the food with his family and friends. They all ate the food and felt satisfied and happy.

The next day, Narasimhacharya went back to the hole and looked inside again. He saw that the basket was still full of food, as if nothing had been taken from it. He realized that it was a miracle of Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma, who had provided food for their devotees during the famine.

He then decided to test their grace further. He took some more food from the basket, but this time, he took more than he needed. He also hid some food in his clothes and bags. He thought that he could take some extra food for his future needs.

He then went back to his place and packed his bags. He was ready to leave Mantralayam with his family and friends. He thought that he had fooled Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma and got away with their food.

However, as soon as he stepped out of his place, he heard a loud voice from the sky saying, “Stop! Thief! You have stolen my food! Return it at once or face my wrath!”

Narasimhacharya was shocked and scared to hear this voice. He realized that it was the voice of Sri Raghavendra Swamy, who had caught him red-handed. He also realized that he had committed a grave sin by stealing from a saint and a goddess.

He immediately fell on the ground and begged for forgiveness. He confessed his mistake and returned all the food that he had taken from the basket. He also apologized to Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma for his greed and dishonesty.

Sri Raghavendra Swamy then spoke again from the sky saying, “I forgive you, my child, for you have realized your mistake and repented sincerely. But do not repeat this again or you will suffer the consequences. Remember that I am always watching over you and your actions.”

Narasimhacharya thanked Sri Raghavendra Swamy for his mercy and grace. He also thanked Manchalamma for her benevolence and compassion. He then left Mantralayam with his family and friends, feeling humbled and grateful.

This is one of the many stories that show how Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Manchalamma are still alive and active in their samadhi, blessing their devotees with their grace and love.