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Visakhapatnam
An embodiment of service
He was appointed as a lecturer in Andhra University without even applying for the post, but he chose to quit when some vested interests tried to create stumbling blocks in his spiritual mission, "Fusion of the East and West".
That was Ekkirala Krishnamacharya, fondly called by his disciples as `Master E.K'. "Serve until you forget that you are serving" was his main philosophy and he trained his followers that way. He believed that "manpower is greater than money power" and moulded the youth to take up social service activities. He used to say that the only qualification required to learn the `Gayatri Mantram' was the urge to learn it, and today lakhs of people all over the world, irrespective of caste, creed or religion have mastered it.
Master E.K. took upon himself the task of promoting homoeopathy as he believed that countless number of people could be treated at a low cost. Master Homoeo Vaidyalayams have been established in different parts of A.P. through which free services are extended to the needy. The free homoeo service is carried on by his followers and is doing well in Karnataka and West Bengal besides A.P. In Visakhapatnam, the free homoeo service is being extended by K.S. Sastry, T.V.V.S. Rao and Thota Satyanarayana.
"Secularism only means `not guided by religion' but not discarding religion altogether. While some countries do not feel ashamed to call themselves Christian or Islamic nations, it is only India which is giving freedom to all people to practise their own religion," Master E.K. used to say.
"When this is the case, there is no need for us to tolerate the attempts of vested interests to disturb the peace or create differences.
Tolerating the misdemeanours of such vested interests does not make us `secular'. True secularism means being in one's own limitations." These words of wisdom are all the more relevant today.
Born at Bapatla in Guntur district on August 11, 1926 to Ekkirala Anantacharya and Butchamma, Krishnamacharya did not undergo any formal schooling. He learnt the `Bala Ramayanamu' and the `Bhagavad gita' at home and used to puzzle his friends by reciting slokas, when they returned home from school. He did his Intermediate from the Hindu College, Guntur and B.A.(Honours) in Telugu from Andhra University.
Master E.K. was influenced by the moonlight kissing the Vizag beach, he wrote a beautiful peace of poetry "Raasa Leela". However, in later years his literary works underwent a total transformation.
"He was an inmate of the `Viveka Vinyasa' hostel in A.U. and used to observe "Mouna Vratam" on Sundays and after a bath at the hostel in the early morning, he would go to the Shanti Ashram in Pedha Waltair, sit below a fig tree and recite the Gayatri Mantra for about 12 hours," writes Chintalapati Satyadev in his book, "Master E.K. Jeevitha Charitra".
Master EK was appointed as a lecturer at the Hindu College, Guntur in July 1949. He, however, continued with his spiritual programmes. He applied for a three-year study leave in December 1962 and returned to Andhra University for producing a doctoral thesis on "Tenali Ramakrishna Kavya Pariseelanamu" under the guidance of K.V. Narasimham. He was awarded the Ph.D in August 1966.
He used to continue his spiritual service programmes even while doing his research work. One day after delivering a discourse on the "Ramayana", Master EK announced: "I am planning to leave for Guntur this evening." The gathering was perturbed by his decision. In the meantime, freedom fighter and an A.U. Syndicate member, Kandala Sarveswara Rao, met him and said: "The university will be privileged to have an eminent person like you as a teacher. The Syndicate has taken a decision without your consent to appoint you as a lecturer. You can also continue your spiritual programmes".
Master E.K. thought it was God's will that he should stay back in Visakhapatnam and agreed to the suggestion. He was appointed as a Telugu lecturer in December 1966.
Quitting the job in 1974, he toured Europe and America five times between 1972 and 1983 and propagated the message of Sanatana Dharma, spiritual astrology, Pantanjali's Yoga, Bhagavadgita and spiritual psychology.
He derived his spiritual inspiration from Master C.V.V. (Canchupati Veera Venkataswami), whom he had not seen the Master when he was alive! Master C.V.V. radiated his spiritual glory from Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.
He founded the World Teacher Trust (Jagadguru Peetham) in 1971. The WTT has branches in 22 countries today.
Kambhampati Parvathi Kumar became international chairman of the WTT after the death of Master E.K. in 1984.
A bust of Master E.K.has been installed by his followers on Beach Road.
B.M.G.
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