Gopamma's Pregnancy

One fine morning, Sri Thimmanna Charya had a dream. He saw Tirumala Sri Venkateshwara Swamy glowing with a broad smile in his dream. It was dazzling all over and an aura of spiritualness filled in. Astonished Thimmanna Charya uttered - "Appa Venkanna ! At last you have shown some mercy on this lay man and appeared before me ! I'm grateful and thankful to You." Thus said, Thimmanna Charya started singing some songs and prayed with hymns. He then expressed his dearest wish of having another son. The Lord blessed him and disappeared from his sight with a enormous lightning. Thimmanna Charya was still in a state of surprise filled with happiness. He woke up and saw all around. The same old house and world. Gopikamba was in deep slumber and seemed unusually different to Thimmanna Charya. He sensed some signs of delightful omen around. After Gopikamba woke up, Thimmanna Charya learnt that she was pregnant again.

Gopikamba's countenence was pleasant like an Eastern horizon that gives rise to Moon. Her countenance was as fair as Thimmanna Charya's fame. Thimmanna Charya pounced with joy, remembering his dream and seeing Gopikamba. As days passed by there were remarkable changes in Gopikamba. Her countenance and her entire body glowed like a Sun. This could have been the glow of the foetus that was taking shape in Gopikamba's womb. Probably it must have been the asceticism of the foetus that made her to dislike what ever was offered.

Her gestation seemed to be atypical. She wanted to drink river waters and not purified water ! She ate food that was absolutely undelicious and tasteless! And the gossips that she had with the women folk was the stories of the devotees of Lord Sri Hari and His miracles. Though she had colorful sarees in the wardrobe, she always wore crimson colored sarees, implying, she was about to give birth to another Sun or Moon! The women folk around were surprised to her unusual pregnancy symptoms.

On the other hand, Thimmanna Charya dreamt of begetting a son who would be a great scholar. He performed all the rituals for the foetus as per the Shastras. And eagerly waited for the day to come...

Sri Raghavendraya Namaha !!!