1940

Baba would recall in His later years the Hampi visit during His school days. 'While I was in Uravakonda, the Municipal Chairman of Bellary, Ramaraju, took Seshama Raju (Baba's brother) and Me to the Virupaksha temple at Hampi along with a small gathering of devotees. The entire party proceeded into the temple. I said that I had stomach ache and thus did not wish to go inside. In the temple, when the Arati was being offered to the deity Virupaksha, the idol of the Lord was not visible. Instead, what the devotees saw in the sanctum sanctorum was My form. Seeing this, Seshama Raju was angry. He thought that having refused to enter the temple, I had surreptitiously entered and taken the idol's place. This, he felt, was gross sacrilege. The Municipal Chairman however did not think so. He felt that Raju was Lord Virupaksha and Lord Virupaksha was Raju. Seshama Raju came out of the temple and found me sitting there. He sent someone inside, and found that I was present inside the temple as well. I was inside the temple, as well as outside. Seshama Raju felt elated in the heart of hearts, but did not speak to Me about it, and treated it as a unique experience for himself. We then proceeded to Bellary and stayed there for a few days. 


I was not addressed as 'Swami' in those days, but simply as 'Raju'. Ramaraju presented to me a shirt, a pair of shorts and a gold collar pin. This collar pin was lost in Uravakonda on My way to school and could not be found. Then I sang a song, "The loss of the collar pin freed Me from attachment to worldly objects".

- Love is My Form, Chapter - 8