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Born Anasuya28 March 1923Mannava, Mannava Panchayat, Guntur District, (now Andhra Pradesh), India ( 1923-03-28 ) Quotation "Mother exists forever and includes everything within herself. She who is everything and everywhere is Mother. It is not correct to say Mother of the Universe. The Universe itself is the Mother" Died 12 June 1985, Jillellamudi Similar Ranjit Maharaj, Thakar Singh, Dada Vaswani | ||
Matrusri Anasuya Devi (born 28 March 1923 – 1985), better known simply as Amma ["Mother"], was an Indian spiritual guru from Andhra Pradesh.
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Early life
Anasuya Devi was an Indian guru from Jillellamudi (now partially known as Arkapuri), Guntur District, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. to a couple late Seethapathi Rao, the village officer of Mannava and his wife Rangamma. Seethapathi and Rangamma after their loss of as many as five children. Rangamma conceived a child, said to be a miraculous conception, and gave birth to Anasuya, born with a vermilion on her forehead per the account of biographer Richard Schiffman.
When Anasuya was completing her second year, she once sat under a pomegranate tree in "padmasana" (Lotus Posture) and attained a transcendental meditation state, with her eyes half closed. Every one mistook it as a fit of epilepsy and not noticing the 'yogasana' she had assumed. She returned to her normal consciousness in an hour. On yet another occasion, she was seen sitting in a strange posture with her breath suspended and the eyes turned completely inside. When someone asked her later as to what she was doing, she replied she was in 'Shambhavi Mudra'.`
As a little girl, she never asked for food, just as she never cried for milk as an infant. She accepted food if it was given, only to give to somebody else who was in need of it. She was treated by several doctors to no avail. It is a paradox of Amma's life that one who was indifferent to eating herself, spent a large portion of her time and energy in feeding others.
On 5th May 1936, Amma's wedding took place at Bapatla with Brahmandam Nageswara Rao who became later the village officer of Jillellamudi.
Charitable career
At Jillellamudi, as a young housewife, Amma looked after the needs of her family which came to include two sons and a daughter. In addition to performing her household duties, Amma devised and organized a grain bank to help the poor and needy. Amma used to give food to every visitor to the village; thus she came to be known as "Mother of All" (viswajanani in Sanskrit means mother (janani) of all).
She founded the common dining hall Annapurnalayam on 15 August 1958. This place serves simple vegetarian food day and night to all who came. In 1960, the "House of All" was founded to provide lodging to the residents and visitors.
Amma established a Sanskrit school in 1966 (now the Matrusri Oriental College and High School) and within a relatively short time, one could hear the inmates speaking Sanskrit fluently.
Amma saw only good in people and had no concept of "sin", treating all alike irrespective of faith and religion.
Death
Amma died on 12 June 1985. A temple Anasuyeswaralayam was built, in which a life size statue of Amma was installed in 1987.