Nanna, the embodiment of love lived his life like a sadhana and constantly enjoyed and experienced the bhava of Mother's love. He not only experienced the love himself but also shared and showered it on everybody associated with him. The virtuous blessed ones enhanced that bhava of love and continued sadhana. Jeeva Goswami said ‘how can one attain that rasa bhava which Krishna was constantly immersed in, without seeking shelter at Sri Radha’s feet; without residing in Brindavan and without the association of Mahatmas who are immersed in Radha bhava?’ Nanna’s life exhibited this state most of the time.
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Wherever Nanna is present, Brindavan is there only. Since he was in Radha bhava all the time, Radhaji was present wherever he was. Every word spoken by him in Radha bhava is a flow of Radha rasa. We had a real experience of this fact while we were traveling by train from Guntur to Brindavan in 1982-83. A Muslim, a Professor from Bhopal sat near us in the train. Nanna was in dhyana. A person nearby was smoking a cigarette. The Muslim Professor reacted: ‘Leave this place immediately. Didn’t you realize the greatness of this person? How can you do such a henious act in the presence of such a Mahatma?’ and sent that man away. Seeing Nanna in dhyana, he placed his hand on Nanna’s eyes, forehead and heart and said ‘Idhar Radhaji hai’ (Radhaji is here) and felt very happy. We can never forget that scene. It is really a wonder that a Muslim who is totally unaware of Nanna realized his divine state! Probably he saw Brindavan in Nanna’s surroundings and the glow of Radha in him!
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He asked us ‘who is this Mahatma? Where are you going?’ ‘He is our Guru. We are going to Brindavan. Radhaji is his deity. He wrote a book on Radha Paratattwa.’ Nanna was sitting silently with his eyes closed. The Professor gave a betel leaf saying ‘we are returning after performing nama sankeertan (recital of name) in Radha Krishna mandir near Bhopal for three quarters of a day. I wish to offer the Prasad of that temple to this Mahatma.’ When we informed Nanna about it, he stretched out both his hands took the betel leaf and put it in his mouth. The very next moment, he became immersed in bhava. ‘There is no need to go to Brindavan. This is Brindavan! The Mahatmas from there are Brindavan! If the book ‘Radha Pratattwa’ is printed in English or Hindi we shall include it as a non-detailed text book in the syllabus of our University. Please give us the permission to do so’.
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The life of the Mahatmas who are always immersed in bhava is indeed Brindavan! They experience the constant leelas of Radha and Krishna. They distribute the essence of their experience to the surrounding people in the form of their words filled with rasa. We could not realize the secret of his tattwa though we lived in his proximity. Each and every word spoken by Nanna has a depth of meaning as it is expressed with bhava. Nanna’s words and songs are the essence of the Vedas, Upanishads, scriptures and the secrets of the lives of Rasika Mahatmas.
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Many devotees have experienced that they are in his presence as they read the Volumes of ‘Nannatho’ – ‘Our Association with Nanna’. I pray to Nanna that 16 Volumes of this book must be published (Shodasa kalalu), representing 16 aspects of art. May he grant Rasamani the inspiration to write the future volumes!
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Sri Radhasakhi charanarenuvu
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(A speck of dust at the holy feet of Radhasakhi)
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Radhamahalaxmidevi
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