Worried by Sri Naraeyana’s growing piety and dismissal of materialism, Kondappa and Muddamma decided that marriage was a panacea for their son’s troubles and had him married to a lovely girl from the village: Muniyamma.
A few years after their son’s wedding, old age and illness caught up with Kondappa and Muddamma, and Sri Naraeyana lost both his parents in quick succession. Devastated and reeling from shock, he turned once more to the Almighty, and sought solace and comfort in the Sri Amara Naraeyana Temple. Through prayer and meditation, he found himself and learnt to heal the wounds of his loss.
Muniyamma, who was by then pregnant, gently reminded Sri Naraeyana of his duties towards his family and nudged him to take up the family business of selling bangles. Sri Naraeyana agreed and, with a renewed sense of responsibility, took on his new role as provider.
At heart, however, Sri Naraeyana was a man of God.
His lack of business acumen, his trusting nature and his unshakeable belief that whatever happened was ordained by the Almighty, resulted in many individuals cheating him out of his rightful earnings. The diminishing income put a considerable strain on his growing household and what were once minor cracks in his marriage soon became a yawning abyss between husband and wife.
Hours spent in the temple of Sri Amara Naraeyana helped Sri Naraeyana deal with the disharmony at home and brought him a sense of peace.
Over time, Sri Naraeyana became father to three children – Pedda Kondappa, Chinna Kondappa and Muddamma – all named after his parents.