In plain words
They think it brings them respect. But that is not respect. Respect comes only from humility and obedience. “Do you need a coolie to carry this small box! No, I will bring it,” and with that Vidyāsāgar took hold of his suitcase and asked, “Where do you have to go?” He said he was to put up at a hotel. Vidyāsāgar carried the box all the way to a hotel. Since the officer had never seen Vidyāsāgar before, he took him to be some coolie, and when they came to the hotel he took out his purse to pay him. “Sir, I do not need your money. I did not do this work for money. I did it for love,” said Vidyāsāgar, and he went away from there. Later the officer went to hear Vidyāsāgar's lecture. He saw all the elders on the platform garlanding the man who had carried his box at the station that day. “Oh no... So this is Īśvaracandra Vidyāsāgar! How free of ego he is!” he thought to himself. He was ashamed of what he had done. When the meeting was over he went up to Vidyāsāgar, took both his hands and begged his pardon.
The Mother of Īśvara, Easwaramma
Today we are celebrating ‘Easwaramma Day’. Who is Easwaramma? The mother of Īśvara is Easwaramma. This name was not given to her by her parents; Kondamaraju, the grandfather of this body, gave it. The name her parents gave her was Namagiriyamma. But one day, after she was married, Kondamaraju turned to her: “My dear! The name Namagiriyamma does not suit you. Easwaramma is the right name for you,” he said. From that day on he went on calling her Easwaramma. For he knew that she was going to be the mother of Īśvara. Easwaramma lived in a very poor family. Never was there a naya paisa in her hand. She never knew what it was to eat rice; it was ragi sankati every day. My habit is the very same! In Karnataka many people eat ragi sankati. That is just what I like very much. Children eat kurmas and all sorts of other things. But I do not like them. I am very fond of sankati with groundnut chutney. Both of these are to be had in our Puttaparthi. Even when I come here, I bring ragi flour from Puttaparthi.