Sri Pratti Narayana Rao stands immortalized in “Sai Literature” by translating the English version of the divine “Sri Sai Satcharitra” (the English version is a translation by Sri Gunaji from the original Marathi version of Sri Sai Satcharitra By Sri Hemadpanth) into Telugu . In fact, this is the first book on Sri Sai Baba in Telugu language which stands as an uneclipsed Sun in the galaxy of Sai literature. The complete details of Sri Narayana Rao is not available. As mentioned by himself in the forward to Sai Satcharitra-“Like a sparrow is drawn with string tied to its leg, so too Lord Sai dragged me from west coast to east coast”. These words are indeed true.

Sri Pratti Narayana Rao was born at Icchapuram of the Srikakulam district (in Andhra Pradesh) in a Vysya family. His parents were Sri Pratti Kaamayya and Smt.Pratti Ramaratnam. He was their second Son. He had a brother and a sister.

Pratti Narayana Rao got married to Smt.Kameshwaramma on 15th May 1924. Pratti Narayana Rao later shifted to Vijayanagaram where he ran a tutorial college and was taking tuitions. Pratti Narayana Rao and Smt. Kameshwaramma had one eldest daughter Smt.Chandramathy, and two sons namely Shri.Satyanarayana (was working as a school teacher at Vijayanagaram) and Shri.Krishna Rao (was working as an Engineer at Bhilai Steel plant and is no more).

Pratti Narayana Rao Marriage Invitation

Pratti Narayana Rao Tutorial College Photo

Even as his elder son was as young as five years, a dispassionate Sri Pratti Narayana Rao left his residence in search of truth. Pratti Narayana Rao left home leaving behind his eldest daughter Smt.Chandramathy who was just 10 years at that time. From the moment Pratti Narayana Rao left home, his wife Smt.Kameshwaramma became bed ridden. Ever since then, Smt.Chandramathy took care of her ailing mother and her younger brothers Satyanarayana and Krishna Rao at their grandfather's house. Smt. Kameshwaramma, wife of Pratti Narayana Rao passed away in 1967.

Young Pratti Narayana Rao when he left his home

Pratti Narayana Rao during later years

Pratti Narayana Rao's Eldest Daughter

During later days, it was found that Pratti Narayana Rao was in Shirdi which he made his permanent residence. Some excerpts of Sri Pratti Narayana Rao’s stay at Shirdi was available from Sri sivanesan Swamiji who had met the former at Shirdi in early 1950’s. For a month and a half, both used to meet at Chavadi and discuss about Sri Sai Baba for a long duration. It was noted by Sri Sivanesan Swamiji that Sri Pratti Narayana Rao used to translate the divine Satcharitra by sitting in the holy womb of Chavadi. There were days, when Sri Pratti Narayana Rao used to translate more than a chapter and hence he was able to complete the entire book by the benign grace of Sri Sai in a short span of just 40 days.

After finishing the translation, Sri Pratti Narayana Rao followed the doctrine laid by Hemadpanth as “Naama Yajna” and in order to purify himself , did Sai Naama Japa for three crore times and got the Telugu version printed. Later, he personally did Parayana of the same at Kashi, Kolhapur, Kurnool, Mahurgadh, Kuruvapur, Gangapur, Humnabad, Akkalkot, Shirdi, Somanath, Srisailam, Ujjain, Mahabaleshwar, Pareli, Dhakini, Rameshwaram, Aundh, Tryambakeshwar, Ghrushneshwar (Ellora), Junagadh, Bhadrachalam, Dwaraka, Pandharpur, Vemapalli, Puri, Tirupati, Sri Rangam and Tiruvananthapuram.

The first print of Telugu Sai Satcharitra was released on 19th May 1953. Sri Pratti Narayana Rao was also instrumental in doing Sai Prachara in Andhra Pradesh through his discourses in Telugu.

After Sri Pratti Narayana Rao attained Samadhi, his final rites were done on a grand scale (place where he attained Samadhi is not known) by Sai devotees.

(Source: Telugu Sai Satcharitra Preface and Smt.Pratti Annapoorna)