Born to ardent Ramana devotees, Smt. Griddaluru Venkata Subbamma and Sri Griddaluru Satyanarayana Rao, Smt. Maddali Bala Saraswathi—lovingly called “Bala” by Bhagavan—was one of four siblings. She and her three siblings—Rukminamma, Krishna Murthy, and Varalakshmi—received their names directly from Sri Bhagavan.
Since her infancy, her life was touched by Bhagavan’s grace. Bhagavan performed her Annaprasana (first rice-feeding ceremony). Once, when she was critically ill as a toddler with severe dysentery that did not respond to medical treatment, her father brought her to Bhagavan. Bhagavan requested the medicine, mixed it with honey, and placed it on her tongue with his own fingers. Within minutes, consciousness returned and the girl recovered.
When Bala was seven years old, Bhagavan gently insisted she write on a sheet of paper: “Oh, Bhagavan of Sri Chinta Deekshitulu”.
At that young age, she did not realize his divinity but after repeated prompts, she scribbled the words, handed him the paper, and ran away to play. Pondering this event at the age of 68, she recognized this divine intervention as her gyanopadesa—a spiritual initiation laying an unshakeable foundation of lifelong devotion.
Throughout her life, whenever difficulties arose, she prayed before Bhagavan’s portrait or wrote directly to the Ashram. Placing these letters on his shrine and partaking of the blessed prasadam consistently brought immediate solace.
Family Life
With Bhagavan’s explicit approval and blessings, Bala married Sri Maddali Subba Rao on 19th May 1948, in Nellore. The wedding was attended by Bhagavan’s sister Alamelu Ammal, brother-in-law Pichu Iyer, and Ashram President Sri T.N. Venkataraman with his family, who brought prasadam directly from the Ashram.
Bala and Subba Rao were blessed with four children: Jayalakshmi, Raghuram, Sivaram, and Rajya Lakshmi. Continuing her lifelong devotion, Bala visited Ramanasramam each year on her birthday until 2019 along with her brother, the late Krishna Murthy to reminisce on her childhood with Bhagavan and seek his blessings.
The Vision of Assurance
On 7th March 1996, when her husband, Sri Subba Rao was admitted to the ICU with cardiac complications, a distraught Bala prayed intensely before Bhagavan’s portrait: “Bhagavan! Only you can save him.”
Falling asleep in prayer, she had a significant dream. She saw herself sitting outside the clinic when a familiar, loving voice called out, “Bala!”—the exact affectionate inflection used by Bhagavan during her childhood. Looking up, she saw a nurse holding medical files who asked why she was sitting alone. When Bala expressed her anguish over her husband’s critical state, the nurse offered divine reassurance: “Do not fear! I am looking after your husband’s file.”
Upon waking, no one was there, but her husband made a rapid recovery. She recognized the dream as Bhagavan’s Abhaya Hastham (protective hand) appearing in the guise of a caregiver.
On 16th May 2026, surrounded by her loving family in Hyderabad, Smt. Maddali Bala Saraswathi merged in the Lotus Feet of Sri Bhagavan. She was 96. A lifetime graced by Bhagavan’s compassion and grace, her legacy remains an inspiring testament to surrender and devotion to Bhagavan Sri Ramana. —
