Ramana Maharshi Devotee "Veterinarian" Dr Narayana Reddy

Reddivari Narayana Reddy’s contact with the Ashram began when Cow Lakshmi fell sick in the year 1948 and his teacher, Prof. Ananathanarayana Rao,advised Chinnaswami to invite his former student to treat her.

At the time Dr. Reddy was the Government Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon working in the veterinary hospital at Tiruvannamalai. He came to see Lakshmi several times and determined that she was suffering from indigestion.

Despite his treatment, however, she eventually succumbed,much to the dismay of devotees. Dr. Reddy says Lakshmi’s digestive condition may have been caused in part, or at least complicated by, devotee’s indiscriminate, though nevertheless well-intended,feeding of Lakshmi with all sorts of delicacies.

Bhagavan acknowledged Dr. Reddy’s efforts and it seems, one day enquired of Chinnaswami whether the doctor had been paid for his visits.

Though Chinnaswami had offered payment for his services,the veterinarian had refused to accept it.When Dr.Reddy met Bhagavan in the old hall, declining once again to accept any form of payment, Bhagavan graciously instructed the attendant to gift him copies of all the Ashram publications in English and Telugu.

Born in 1908 Dr. Reddy ultimately came to Bhagavan through Cow Lakshmi after a long series of bends and turns. He had been attracted to the Theosophical Society and participated in the Salt Satyagraha as part of the Civil Disobedience movement of Gandhiji.

He then came into contact with Sri Ramakrishna Math,Visakapatnam, and was initiated into the order by Swami Yatiswaranandaji. By virtue of his position as the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon at Tiruvannamalai he was blessed to come in contact with the Ashram
and finally to meet Bhagavan Sri Ramana which altered the course of his life forever.

With his spiritual leanings since childhood,and as a gifted orator, Dr. Reddy became and remained an active speaker. To his credit he wrote and published a book (in Telugu) on Bhagavan’s teachings entitled,Atmavicharamu: Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Dr.Reddy is now 103 years old.Healthy and managing on his own, he lives with his son in their native Tanapalli, near Tirupati. —

Source: http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/pdf/Saranagathi_eNewsletter_August_2011.pdf