Maha Swami's

Some collections related to Kanchi Mahaswami’s Greatness

1-You Want to Know the Greatness of mantra siddhi?"

Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)

Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Oct 6, 2006

Once a brahmachary (bachelor) youth came to have darshan of Kanchi

Mahaswami (HH Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati). He prostrated before the

sage and got up.

Swamiji looked at him keenly and said, "Are you not Kulitalai Sankaran? You

are fine?"

"With your blessings, yes, Periyavaa", said Sankaran.

"Alright, what is your age now?"

"Thirty, Periyavaa."

Periyavaa laughed: "So you have decided to lead your life as a brahmachari,

without any idea of marriage."

"Yes, Periyavaa", said Sankaran.

"Alright, anything special about your coming here now?" Periyavaa laughed.

"And you wouldn't come without a reason!"

"Yes, Periyavaa. I have come to get a doubt cleared."

"Is it so? Come on, tell me" said Periyavaa. "What is that big doubt you

have?"

"It is a doubt about mantra japam, Periyavaa", replied Sankaran.

Periyavaa asked quickly: "If it is about mantra japam... Are you doing any

mantra japam?"

"Yes, Periyavaa".

"Oho... You have had an upadesam?"

"Yes, Periyavaa".

"Whoever is that Guru?"

"Mysore Yajna Narayana Ganapadigal", said Sankaran.

"Good, very learned; whatever the mantra?"

Before Sankaran could open his mouth, Swamiji said, "Wait, wait. You should

not tell me the mantra. That should remain with you as a secret. Just tell me

which devata (God) it is about."

"Hanumat upAsanA paramAna mUla mantra, Periyavaa" said Sankaran.

"Alright. What is it that you want to get clarified in this mantra japam?"

"It is like this, Periyavaa. I am performing this mantra japam since my

twenty-third year which was when I got the upadesam. I am doing it for the

last seven years, still I don't know anything."

"What do you mean by saying 'I don't know anything'?", asked Swamiji with

surprise.

"What I mean, Periyavaa, is that I am not able to find out if I have got the

siddhi of that mantra" replied Sankaran, his voice echoing his sadness.

Swamiji said without hesitation: "What are you going to do by knowing it?

Anyway, are you doing the japam for AtmArtam (to know the self) or

kAmyArtam (for a specific purpose)?"

Sankaran said: "I am doing it only for AtmArtam, Periyavaa. Still, I am at a

loss to understand if I have got the mantra siddhi and the grace of the

devata. I pray to you to kindly tell me about my progress". As Sankaran said

this with all humility, tears started rolling down his eyes.

"Only the person who does the japam can understand if he has got the mantra

siddhi, by personal experience. There will be a time when the person will

experience it, Sankara," said Swamiji with vAtsalyam (affection).

Sankaran wasn't satisfied. "No, Periyavaa. I haven't had any personal

experience so far. And I don't understand anything about it, though I

continue to do the japam, as advised by my Guru, for the last seven years.

Sometimes my mind becomes very tired, Periyavaa. You should kindly inform

me about any way that I can know it." As he spoke this, Sankaran joined his

palms in reverence and prostrated before Swamiji.

Acharyal (Swamiji) was quiet for sometime. He understood Sankaran's

confusion. He decided to make the disciple understand what he wanted to

know. He asked Sankaran to squat on the floor near him and began talking:

"Many years back, in Sringeri Sri Sarada Peetam, a mahaan named Nrusimha

Bharati Swamiji was the peetathipathi (pontiff). One day, a sishya (student)

of the matam (hermitage) belonging to that region came to have a darshan of

the Swamiji. He did not come for nothing. He bore the same question that you

asked me now.

"After prostrating, he presented the guava fruits to Swamiji.

"'Come, you are fine? Tell me what you want', said Swami Nrusimha Bharati

with utmost kindness. The sishya told him politely, 'Swami, I am doing japam

of a mantra that was given to me by an upadesam. I am doing the japam for

many years now. Still I am not able to know if I have got the mantra siddhi.

How do I know it Swami?'

"Swamiji said at once, in a bid to persuade him, 'You continue to do the japam

in an AtmArta way. That devata itself will bless you with the siddhi phala

(fruits of the efforts) eventually.'

"The sishya was not satisfied with this reply from the Swamiji. He persisted,

'No, Swami. I need to know if I have got the siddhi of the mantra. You must

tell me a way to know it, I pray to you.'

"Swamiji understood the sishya's mental state. He called him near and said

enthusiasticaly, 'Don't worry, my child. There is a way!"

"'Is there a way, then kindly bless me with the knowledge, Swami!' The sishya

was in a hurry of excitement.

"Nrusimha Bharati Swamiji said laughingly, 'Every day, before you start your

japam, spread paddy grains on a wooden seat, and cover it with a vastram

(cloth). Sit over the grains and do the japam. Continue in this fashion day

after day. On that day when the paddy grains on the seat fry and blossom

into flattened rice, you will understand that you have got the mantra siddhi

you have been seeking to know. You understand this?'

"Even though the sishya understood it, he thought confusedly that if the

Swamiji was telling him this way just to satisfy him or if this would really be

possible. Suddenly he asked an unexpected question to the Swamiji.

"'Gurunathar should excuse me. I pray this to you with an intention to know. I

should not be mistaken for testing a sage in the guru stAnam (the position of

a guru). Spreading the paddy grains, covering them with a cloth... and they

will fry...'

"Before he could finish it, Swamiji laughed and said, 'You want to know if I

have had any such experience, right?' He asked for a wooden seat to be

brought then and there and placed facing the direction of east. He asked for

a lot of paddy grains to be spread over the seat. When this was done,

Swamiji placed his vastram (cloth) over the grains, seated himself in

padmaasana and closed his eyes. By this time a large crowd had gathered in

the place.

"Only a few seconds later, there was a continuous noise of the paddy grains

getting fried and flattened. There was a little amount of smoke also. Swamiji

got up and removed his vastram (cloth) that covered the grains. On the seat

were dazzling white flowers of fried and flattened rice! The crowd was

amazed.

"Nrusimha Bharati Swamiji looked at the sishya who asked the question. The

sishya was standing sobbing. No one could speak anything more..."

As Kanchi Swamiji finished his narration of this episode, Sankaran was

standing amazed, with tears in his eyes.

When he started to say something soon after, Swamiji interruped him and

said, "What Sankara, are you going to ask me to demonstrate to you?" and

laughed heartily.

Sankaran fell at Swamiji's feet, his eight limbs touching the floor, and said,

"Enough Periyavaa! You have made me understand the mahima (greatness) of

mantra siddhi. Kindly bless me, and permit me to return to my place."

2-The Astrologer Who Astonished the Arcot Nawab!

Author: Sri P.N. Sankara Raman, Kambarasampettai

Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Jul 24, 2006

As told by the author:

It is several years since the incident I have narrated here happened. At that

time, my father P.M. Nataraja Sarma was working as a Sanskrit teacher in

the Bishop Heber College, Trichy. He had immense bhakti and respect in

Kanchi Mahaswami Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati.

Nattham village is located on the north bank of Kaveri in Trichy district. Once

Mahaswami was camping there. My father wanted to have darshan of the Sri

Tripura Sundari-Sri Chandra Mouleeswararar puja Swamiji was performing

there. With three days coming up as holidays, he reached Nattham village on

Friday night. The puja was over. Since nobody knew my father there, he was

not specifically welcomed. Wearing the vibuti prasadam given by Mahaswami on

his front, he lay down to sleep in a corner of the pandal. The next two days

passed by in the same manner. My father had an eyeful darshan of pujas and

the arAdhanas.

The third day was the Vinayaka Chaturti festival day. After the special puja

was over, my father went to get the prasadam from Swamiji and told him

about going back home. Swamiji raised his head and said, "First take the

kozhukkattai (modakam) (a favourite sweet dish of Sri Ganesha) kept in front

of Pillaiyar, sit somewhere, eat it leisurely and then come back; we shall

discuss about your returning home."

My father was amazed. He wanted to take leave but Swamiji asked him to

first eat the kozhukkattai and come back! After he ate the prasadam, Swamiji

called him. Periyavaa was very happy to learn that my father was the paternal

grandson of Pudukkudi Srinivasa Josyar (astrologer). Swamiji reminisced about

his grandfather and the incidents that happened at that time. My father was

quite surprised!

Swamiji continued: "Your grandfather went to Malayala Desam and learnt

Jyotisha systematically. He also took up the upasana of devatas (chanting

mantras on demigods). It was an interesting incident how he became an

astrologer of Arcot Nawab. At that time, Tiruchirapalli was under the rule of

Arcot Nawab. The Nawab had many astrologers. One day the Nawab ordered

all the astrologers residing in his region, including those with him to come to

his kaccheri (sabha). Many new astrologers assembled. Your grandfather was

one among those present.

"After the Nawab came to the kaccheri, the Diwan got up and told to the

astrologers: 'Nawab is organizing a competition for you people. You should all

write down in a piece of palm leaf the name of the gate on the fort wall

through which Nawab will go out for hunting today, put it inside a (palm) cover

and give it to us. All the palm covers will be sealed and preserved. When

Nawab returns, the seals will be broken and the leaves will be read out.

Nawab will honour the man who has given the correct answer.' So every

astrologer noted down as east or south or west or north as the gate according

to his computation and submitted his cover.

"Ultimately, on that day, the Nawab did not go out of any primary gate. He

demolished the north wall of the west gate (the northern petrol bunk side of

today's Main Guard Gate) and got out, travelled some distance towards

Woraiyur on the west, then turned north and went up to the Kaveri bank.

Then he turned south and moved through the demolished entrance in the North

Andar Street (today's name is Puduppadi Lane) to the northern street of

Rockfort. Then he turned east and came to the East Andar Street via the

slanted rocky path. He came round the Rock from the right and reached his

kaccheri which was at today's Town Hall through the Chinnakkadai Street. He

did not go for hunting at all. After the Nawab returned, the seals were

broken the palm leaves were read out. Only your grandfather's leaf had

mentioned about the Nawab's activities accurately. The Nawab was amazed.

The others in the kaccheri also were wonder-struck.

"Thereafter, the Nawab legally gifted your father 80 acres of land in

Pudukkudi. In the street south of the Rockfort, there is a black temple on the

western side. Near that temple is a tall house with an iron gate. Opposite

that house is a small house with thinnai (sit out). The Nawab also gave these

two houses. Your grandfather spent gradually all the 80 acres of land and the

two houses near the Rockfort for dharmic activities."

With this reminiscence, Mahaswami blessed my father and bid him farewell.

My father used to recite this incident to me often and feel proud about it.

3-"Sleep Near the Serial Furnace!"


Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Sep 9, 2006

Many years back, a Cittirai month. The new year's day. Morning hours. A

large crowd and a long queue at Sri Kanchi Matam. A sixteen year old boy was

among those waiting in the queue, which moved slowly. He reached near the

stage where Mahaswamiji was seated, around ten o' clock. Acharyalh keenly

looked at him for some time. He prostrated at once before the sage, his eight

limbs touching the ground. He did not get up. Swamiji waited for sometime and

then said, "Get up, get up my child!"

He got up, raised his hands over his head and joined the palms. The stirrings

of bhakti hadn't left him yet. Tears were flowing down his eyes.

Swamiji called the youth near him. He obeyed, his palms still joined. Swamiji

inquired: "Who are you my son? What is your name? From which place you are

coming?"

With great vinayah the youth brought his right palm before his mouth and

replied, "Swami, my name is Balakrishna Joshi. I am a Gujarati Brahmin from

Madras. My native place is Gujarat."

"Which place in Madras?"

"Hanumantrayan Koil Street Swami", replied Joshi.

"What have you read up to?"

"Up to the eighth Periyavaa", said Joshi, in a low, hesitant voice.

"Alright. Since today is the new year's day," Swamiji inquired, "you thought

you would have Swami darshan at the temples in this kshetram?"

"It is not that Periyavaa. I came for a darshan of Periyavaa."

Mahaswamiji said at once: "apacAram, apacAram, shouldn't tell that way.

When you go to a place, you should first have darshan of the Shiva, Vishnu

temples there. Wherever I go, I first have darshan at the temples there--

only then any job. You understand?" Swamiji laughed.

"I have now understood" replied Joshi humbly.

"Alright, after you have prasadam from Acharyalh, you must go to the

temples here before you board a bus to Madras, understand?" said Swamiji, a

little emphatically.

Balakrishna Joshi, a little emboldened now, replied: "I understand that well

Periyavaa. As you have ordered, I shall have darshan at all the temples here

and come back to the matam. For your anugrahah."

Swamiji said laughingly, "That's what. I am going to give the prasadam now.

Why come back to the matam? Oho... after Swami darshan you have decided

to have your lunch in the matam and then board a bus! Good, good," Swamiji

gave his consent.

Joshi hesitated. There were tears in his eyes.

"What is the matter?" inquired Swamiji with kindness.

Wiping his tears, Joshi replied: "I wish to stay here for sometime, that's

why..."

Before he could finish, Swamiji interrupted him: "Here means? I don't

understand."

"In the matam Periyavaa", said Joshi with humility.

"What, in the matam? This is a place for sannyasins. What work is there for

young people like you?" Swamiji said with some sternness in his voice. "Have

Swami darshan and get back to your place!"

Joshi did not move. He again prostrated to the sage. And spilled the beans:

"Periyavaa shouldn't say that. My wish is to stay in the matam and serve you

for sometime."

Swamiji understood the situation. The innocent, plain talk from Joshi

attracted him and created in him a special preference for the youth. Without

showing it, he said: "Serving me! There are many young people here! Why you

as another? You start getting back to Madras."

Joshi moved from that place, but not from the matam. He took his lunch in

the matam and got himself seated in a corner outside the room where Swamiji

used to take rest.

The evening set in. Swamiji came out, finishing his bath. He saw Joshi but

hurried past the youth without saying anything. Joshi tried standing within

Swamiji's gaze, wherever Swamiji happened to be. For four days he tried with

the vairagya of bhakti, but to no avail.

The early morning of the fifth day. Mahaswamiji went for his ushas kala bath

in the pushkarani of Sri Kamakshi Amman temple. He saw Joshi as he finished

his bath and ascended the bank. "You haven't gone to Madras?" he asked

obligingly.

"No, Periyavaa! I am not returning until my sankalpa is fulfilled," said Joshi

with vairagya.

"Whatever that sankalpa?" Swamiji asked, as if he did not know.

"It is to serve at your lotus feet for sometime, Periyavaa", replied Joshi

expectantly.

"Shouldn't have a sankalpa which is not a sAdhya." Swamiji walked away.

Joshi did not lose heart. After having darshan of Sri Kamakshi Amman he

went straight to the matam. He stood before the room of the sage.

Swamiji came out for the darshan of his bhaktas. He saw Joshi. His heart

softened at the vairagya of Joshi. He called the youth near.

"Your father has an employment or a business?" asked Swamiji.

"Business only Periyavaa. Buying and selling diamonds," replied Joshi.

"For the kind of temperament you have, you will also become a big diamond

businessman. At that time, you should strive to get the name of a honest

diamond merchant. Alright, as you wish, you stay with the other boys and

serve me for sometime." Swamiji had at last showed him the green flag.

Joshi joined the four or five youth who were serving the sage. Two days went

by in the darshan of Swamiji and doing the tasks he ordered. On those two

days Joshi had his bed at night, along with the other boys, in a corner of the

room where Swamiji slept. Joshi considered this a great boon.

Swamiji called Joshi before he went for bed on the third night. As Joshi

prostrated, Swamiji said, "Balakrishna Joshi, you need to do a thing from

now. Be with me like the other boys and serve me the whole day. But you

shouldn't sleep here in the nights--"

Joshi was alarmed. He interrupted the sage and said hastily, "I pray

Periyavaa should not give me such an order. Kindly grant me the privilege of

sleeping here like the other boys do."

"I am telling you with a reason," Swamiji showed some sternness in his voice.

"You should listen to me."

Joshi stammered: "Alright, Periyavaa. I shall do what you say."

Swamiji laughed and said: "Say that! You go to the kitchen at night. There will

be a wooden bench near the serial furnaces (kOttai aduppu). You sleep on that

bench conveniently. Get up early morning, finish your chores, have your bath

and come here for the service... What, you understand?"

Joshi couldn't say anything further. Wiping his eyes, he said, "I shall do as

you order, Periyavaa," and moved away. The other boys looked at this

happening jocularly. He couldn't find the answer to the question as to why

Swamiji wanted him to sleep alone in the kitchen near the serial furnace.

As he came out, Joshi saw a mate and asked him inquisitvely if Swamiji had

ordered any of them to sleep near the serial furnace. With an expression of

disapproval that boy replied, "Never had Periyavaa asked any of us to do such

a thing."

Joshi felt insulted. It was ten in the night. Sobbing, he entered the deserted

kitchen and settled himself on the bench near the serial furnace. He did not

eat anything that night. Grief choking his throat, he was awake for a long

time before he fell asleep. As the dawn set on the next morning, the matam

woke up. Soon after, the vedic chantings and bhajan songs peculiar for a

matam came floating in the wind.

Joshi awakened. He finished his chores, went and sat down in the sanctum of

Sri Kamakshi Amman. It did not occur to him to go for service to Swamiji.

He came to the matam in the afternoon, had his lunch, and then went back to

the temple sanctum. The usual bed around ten in the night, near the serial

furnace. He did not go the sage at all.

Two days passed in this manner. It was the morning on the third day. Swamiji

called a sevak and aksed him with a worried look: "Two days back a boy named

Balakrishna Joshi came here for seva... He is not seen now! Where did he go?

Perhaps he has gone back to Madras without informing me?"

Hesitatingly the sevak replied, "No, Periyavaa. He is only here in the matam."

"Then why did he not come here for the last two days?"

"No idea, Periyavaa."

Meantime another sevak boy came that side, and Swamiji asked him about the

missing Gujarati boy. He too had no idea.

"Alright, check up with Joshi and tell him that I want him here now", ordered

Swamji and went inside his room.

Joshi stood looking small before Mahaswamiji.

"Come, my child. Why, you were not seen here for the last two days! Are you

not well?" Swamiji inquired with utmlost kindness. Joshi had no reply.

"Any sadness... or anger... with me?" Swamiji asked like a child, happiness

writ on his face.

Joshi slowly opened his mouth. "No anger and all, Periyavaa! A bit of sadness

in my heart though," he stammered.

Swamiji looked at him with surprise. "Sadness... with me?"

Joshi kept quiet.

Swamiji did not stop. "Come on, tell me! Is it not that I should also know

about your sadness?" As Swamiji encouraged Joshi to talk, the other boys

were standing nearby with folded hands.

Prostrating and bringing his palm before his mouth, Joshi began to talk.

"Nothing else, Periyavaa. You ordered me to sleep in your room like the other

boys for the first two nights, and I was happy. Suddenly you called me and

ordered me to go and sleep near the serial furnace! I was saddened with the

thought that perhaps since I am only a Gujarati brahman and not a brahmin of

this side, you might have ordered me to sleep separately. Please pardon me

Periyavaa..." Joshi sobbed and fell at the feet of Swamiji.

Swamiji understood the situation. He did not say anything for sometime.

Silence prevailed there. Then he asked the other boys to leave him alone, and

called Joshi near. With utmost vAtsalyam he spoke: "adAdA... Balakrishna...

For my asking you to sleep near the serial furnace you made up this meaning! I

did not say that with such thoughts in my mind! You are a small boy, so you

have misunderstood me!". With those words, Swamiji asked Joshi to sit before

him. Joshi hesitated and sat down on the floor.

Swamiji spoke with compassion welling up in his voice: "There was never such a

reason as that you expressed now for my asking you to sleep alone on the

wooden bench near the serial furnace. There was only one reason for that,

Joshi. Look here!" Swamiji raised his vastram up to his thigh. There were

bunches of reddish mosquito bites on Swamiji's rosy thighs!

"My child Joshi! You see these bites of the mosquitos I have at night time? I

am a sannyasin, so I can withstand them. Being a child you would have

immense suffering. I saw you struggling with the mosquito bites on the first

two nights. You have a rosy complexion like me! So I wanted that at least you

could sleep well in a safe place, which was why asked you to sleep alone. Since

the wooden bench is lying near the serial furnace, there would be absolutely

no mosquitoes because of the heat from the furnace. And you would sleep well!

That was the only reason for my order, but it so happened that you

misunderstood me!" As Swamiji said this laughing, Joshi started sobbing loudly.

He spoke sobbing, "Periyavaa, please tell me that you have pardoned me!

Without understanding your compassion, I blabbered some nonsense!" That

compassionate Lord was just laughing, raising his hands and blessing Joshi.

"Joshi, you will also become a diamond merchant in future. Sell your wares for

a reasonable prize and do a good business." said Swamiji as he blessed Joshi

once again.

In the later years, Balakrishna Joshi became a dharmic diamond merchant and

was a beloved bhakta of Swamiji until the samadhi days of the sage. Some

years later, Joshi also gave up his body to reach God's feet.

Glossary:

apacAram - offense, fault, something which contradicts Acaram or rules of

conduct

Acharyalh - teacher

adAdA - an expression of sympathy

anugrahah - blessing

Cittirai - April

kshetram - holy place

matam - ashram, hermitage

prasadam - a sample of a holy offering

pushkarani - pond belonging to a temple

sankalpa - will, purpose, determination

sAdhya - possible, achievable

sevak - one who serves

Swami darshan - Here Swami means God.

ushas kala - dawn time

vairagya - dispassion, here firmness

vAtsalyam - affection

vastram - cloth

vinayah – modesty

4-Can a Wife Go on a Pilgrimage Leaving Her Husband at Home?


Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Sep 22, 2006

A young vaidik couple prostrated to Paramacharya and rose in SriMatam,

Kanchipuram. The young vaidik appeared to be around 25 years, his wife about

twenty.

The Acharyal, who was conversing with another bhakta, paused it and looked

up at the dampati. Happiness spread across his face.

He said with enthusiasm, "Are you not Raghunathan, son of Madurai Seshu

Ganapatikal? But then, I should address you in such a way! Because you have

now become Raghunatha SastrigaL! Like your father, you have become well

known in the Madurai region."

Paramacharya continued: "Obviously, this is your AmbadaiyaL. She is the

grand-daughter of Tiruchirapalli Vaidhyanatha Ganapadigal. The only daughter

of Subramanya Vadhyar. Am I right? Last year, your father and father-in-

law both came here with your marriage invitation, to seek the blessings of

Matam. You also came and prostrated, correct? Alright. Now as dampati you

are both cooperative and well?" Swamiji asked with rightful concern.

Raghunatha Sastri promptly replied, "We are very well Periyavaa, with your

blessings."

Swamiji did not accept that. "You have said it, but your wife doesn't open her

mouth!" He laughed as he said this.

Gaining her wits, the young wife replied, "My name is Alamelu, Periyavaa. We

are happy only... happy." Swamiji took note of the thread of sadness that ran

through her acknowledgement.

"It is not that Amma! Your tone betrays that you are not all that happy. Come

on, tell me more."

"Nothing of that sort, Periyavaa", Alamenu tried to get by.

"No, no! Your tone is telling me that you have some sadness. Come on, tell me

what it is."

Alamelu said hesitatingly, "Periyavaa, I am a very God-fearing woman. Have

full faith in the shastra and sampradayakah. Before my marriage, I used to

go for pilgrimages with our family, relatives, and well wishers. It was very

much to my liking! I am married with him for a year now. And we have not

gone anywhere Periyavaa, that is the cause of my sadness!"

Before she could finish, Swamiji interrupted, "Why...why couldn't you go?"

Alamelu hesitated. "After marriage, I cannot go for pilgrimages on my own,

isn't it so, Periyavaa? Only if the bharta comes along with me, the fruits of

the yAtra will be realized? I asked him twice or thrice, but he did not come!"

She started crying as she narrated her woe.

Acharyal persuaded her, as he understood the situation. "What Raghunatha

SastrigaL, is it proper to let your wife have a drop of tear in her eyes? After

all is she not asking you to observe a holy routine? tIrthayAtrA and

kshetrAdanam. What is the difficulty in going as she asks you for?"

Paramacharya raised his bows.

Young Raghunatha Sastry prostrated to the sage once again and said, "What

she asks for is reasonable, Periyavaa. But then to visit the northern kshetrAs

for at least ten days, and that bimonthly...is it possible for me Periyavaa?"

"Why don't you try it and fulfil the affectionate wishes of your wife?"

Raghunatha Sastry replied in a poignant voice, "Periyaa knows everything. I

have vaidikam for vritti. My father is also not too well, so I have to take

care of his assignments in addition to mine. You tell me Periyavaa, how can I

go for yAtra once in two months, leaving aside all my vritti?"

Pamaracharya was silent for sometime. Then he said laughingly, "So you both

have come to me for madhyastha in this matter," and continued: "What she

says is reasonable. She has a taste for going tIrthayAtrA with bhakti. She

also knows that after marriage the fruits of any yAtra will be available only if

accompanied by the husband. What you say also has reason. Your vritti is

vaidikam. You will be busy for all the thirty days in a month. It would be very

very difficult to go on tIrthayAtrA with wife, once in two months. So, what

can be done?"

"Only you can tell us a way Periyavaa", the husband and wife said together.

Swamiji sat for sometime, thinking. Everyone was eager to know what he would

suggest as a remedy. After sometime, AcharyaL started speaking.

"Alamenu! You are determined to go on tIrthayAtrA once in two months. You

also are familiar with the dharma shastric rule that the fruits of a yAtra will

be realized only if your husband comes with you. Since he has vaidikam as his

profession, he says it would be very difficult for him to accompany you. So

you do onething..."

Before he could proceed, the couple said, "kindly bless us with a solution

Periyavaa."

Sitting a little more uprightly, Swamiji said: "I shall tell you a way, listen

Alamelu! Whenever you start for tIrthayAtrA, before actually stepping out of

home, request your husband to stand facing east and prostrate to him! What

you do, Raghunatha SastrigAL, place your upper angavastra in the hands of

your wife and tell her that her carrying your cloth is equivalent to your

accompanying her, and bless her for the yAtra. You both will get the punya of

having undertaken the yAtra together. And neither of you will have any

uneasiness of mind. What... happy now?", Swamiji asked them mercifully and

gave them prasAda.

The couple were happy with the solution given by MahaperiyavaaL. With tears

of joy, they prostrated to the sage. Everyone around who were witnessing this

incident were happy with Paramacharya's tactful handling of the situation.

Glossary

AcharyaL - teacher

AmbadaiyaL - Tamil word for a brahmin wife.

bhakta - devotee

bharta - Tamil form of bhartru meaning husband, supporter.

dampati - husband and wife

kshetrAdanam - visiting holy places

madhyastha - mediating

sampradayakah - tradition

shastra - scriptpures

tIrthayAtrA - visiting holy rivers

vaidik - related to Vedas

vaidikam - Tamil for Vedic rituals and chanting

vritti - here occupation, profession.

yAtra – pilgrimage

5-MahaperiyavaL's Magical Timepiece!


Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Dec 04, 2006

Kanchi Paramacharya was once camping with his entourage in a choultry at

Pudukottai, Tamilnadu, on his way to Tirunelveli. After completing the

Chandramouleesvara puja on the night he reached there, Swamiji was seated

before retiring for the night.

He called Nagarajan, a youth who was assisting and told him, "Appa, Nagu! I

need to get up at three-thirty early morning tomorrow for my snAna. You

remember it!"

The youth Nagu with great reverence replied, "As you order, Periyavaa! As

you told me now, at exactly three-thirty in the morning, I shall sing the

namAvali hara hara sankara... jaya jaya sankara."

Swamiji smiled as he understood Nagu's words. He asked him, "Since it won't

be proper to say 'I shall wake you up at three-thirty Periyavaa', you said you

will sing hara hara sankara... jaya jaya sankara!"

Nagu grinned sheepishly. He did not know what to answer.

"Alright, do as you please!" Swamiji went to his room.

It was eleven in the night. The choultry was steeped in sleep. Swamiji had

also retired. Nagu couldn't sleep. Worry caught hold of him. There was not a

single wall clock or alarm timepiece in that choultry. What he had was a very

old watch presented by his uncle on the occasion of his upanayanam. He was

not used to wear it on the wrist as he was with the sage most of the time.

The watch was taking refuge in his old trunk. He did not touch it after

winding it up every day and setting the time.

The apprehension 'How could I wake up Periyavaa, if I wasn't awake at

three-thirty?' took hold of him. Coming to a final decision, he went to the

store room and retrieved his watch from his trunk. He came silently to the

entrance of Swamiji's room and seated himself on the floor. He started

chanting Vishnu Sahasranama silently, taking care that no sound escaped from

him. Looking at his watch now and then, he was reciting the verses in

repeated cycles.

When it was 3:30 exactly, Nagu got up, wiped his eyes, folded his hands,

looked at Swamiji's room sang the hara hara sankara... jaya jaya sankara in a

low voice. Within moments, the door opened. AcharyaL came out smiling, with

the tejas of Lord Shiva himself and gave Nagu his suprapAda darshan. Only

Nagu had the blessing to get this darshan on that day.

AcharyaL slowly walked up to the entrance of the choultry. Nagu rushed to

make arrangements for the sage's bath. The choultry woke up gradually.

The next night, and the next, Nagu's pattern of staying awake, singing Vishnu

Sahasra Namam and the hara hara sankara namavali continued.

On the fourth night when Nagu was doing his routine, tucking his watch at his

waist, he fell asleep inadvertently. Suddenly he was awakened by a divine

voice singing hara hara sankara... jaya jaya sankara. Jolted out of sleep,

Nagu saw the smiling AcharyaL, his face replete with compassion.

Swamiji said with vAtsalya, "My child! It is exactly three-thirty now. Seems

you slept because of tiresomeness. With a full day's service, it is natural you

would have the strain." Smiling, Swamiji started walking slowly towards the

entrance of the choultry. Nagu confirmed that the time was 3:30 from his

watch at his waist.

He was wonderstruck and confused at the sage waking up at the right time.

The divine voice singing the namavali echoed in his ears repeatedly. He hadn't

heard such a song from the sage earlier.

It was eleven on the next night. Swamiji had retired. Nagu vowed to himself

that he would stay awake at any cost the whole night. He had also brought

water in a small brass pot, to wipe his eyes if he was overwhelmed by sleep.

The time was 2:30 in the night. Though he had managed until then, Nagu

couldn't stay awake any further despite his best efforts, so he folded up

sleeping on the floor.

The door opened. AcharyaL came out slowly. He saw the sleeping Nagu and

the brass water pot on his side. He understood and laughed.

"hara hara sankara... jaya jaya sankara. Appa, Nagu wake up!" Swamiji called

softly. Nagu got up, jolted to wakefulness and saw the smiling sage before

him.

"Nagu, it is exactly three-thirty. Poor boy, you couldn't get up in time today

also. Alright, arrange for my bath." Swamiji proceeded to the entrance as he

did usually. Nagu wondered as he checked the time.

After the afternoon puja, Swamiji was seated alone. Nagu went and

prostrated to him and stood nearby meekly without uttering a word.

Swamji began the conversation: "Appa Nagu, from your namaskaram it seems

that you want to know something from me. What is it, ask me,don't feel shy."

Nagu hesitated and tried, "It is nothing, Periyavaa." Swamiji laughed. "I

understand what your mind wants to ask me. When you couldn't stay awake

with a watch on you, you are confused as to how Periyavaa could get up at the

exact time, when he does not have any sort of timepiece! Right?"

Slightly emboldened, Nagu said, "Yes, Periyavaa. In spite of my best efforts,

I somehow went sleeping at the time when I should have been awake. And you

got up and awakened me at the exact time of three-thirty. I am ashamed

Periyavaa. How does Periyavaa know the exact time..."

Swamiji interruped him and said, "You have the doubt that some karna yakshini

tells me the time!" and laughed loudly.

"It was not that Periyavaa. Just a curiosity to know..." Nagu hesitated.

Swamiji continued: "No yakshini told the time in my ear. It was a bus that

told me the time! The T.V.S. bus of Madurai T.V. Sundaram Iyengar's

company. When I came out on the first morning after you awakened me with

your namAvali, I noticed a bus pass by the choultry gate. On the next two

mornings also a bus got past the choultry gate at three-thirty! On inquiry, I

was told that it was the first bus of the T.V.S. company in the morning that

arrives at Pudukottai from Madurai. There was not a second of difference in

the exact time of three-thirty when the bus passed by the gate, day after

day. People used to say that you can adjust your watch using the time of

arrival of a T.V.S. bus at a particular place. I understood they were right!

From the fourth morning, I got up as I heard the noise of the bus. There is

no other secret in this, Nagu!" Swamiji laughed, absorbed in himself.

Nagu was just looking intently at the face of Swamiji, as he finished his

reply.

Glossary

karna yakshini - god of the ears

snAna - bath

namaskaram - the action of prostrating

namAvali - a series of God names

suprapada darshan - having darshan of a sage when he gets up in the morning

tejas - divine splendour

upanayanam - the Hindu thread ceremony

vAtsalya - affection

6-"For this Sanyasi, perform Thirukalyanam for the Ninth time!"


Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Nov 20, 2006

This is an incident that happened some years ago. An evening time. A large

crowd in Kanchi SriMatam waiting for a darshan of Maha Swamiji. Periyavar

came out of his solitudinous room. He came to the stage where he usually sits

and seated himself, leaning on the wall.

One by one the people came before him. Prostrated to him. And appealed to

him with an earnest prayer to solve their problems. Swamiji gave them

suitable replies, blessed them and gave them prasAdam.

Eight-thirty in the night. All the people had gone after darshan. Swamiji was

about to raise and get back to his solitudinous room. A dampati came hurrying

up. Behind them rushed a young girl. All the three of them prostrated to

Paramacharya. Then they extracted the articles they had brought from four

'big shopper' bags, spread them out on the large cane plates that were seen

near them, and submitted them to the sage. AcharyaL pointedly looked at the

cane plates for sometime. They were filled with sugar lumps, cashews,

pistachio nuts, almonds, dry grapes, and dates. Surprised, Swamiji looked at

the people who brought them, and happiness coursed his face lines.

adede! It's our Viswanathan! When did you come from America? Your wife has

also come... Besh, besh! Very glad. Everyone is fine? EndAppa, why have you

brought such a lot of cashews and dry fruits? Any good news of a marriage?

Here, standing by your side, isn't she your daughter? Oho... you have fixed

her marriage! Why, Viswanathaa, there is no marriage invitation on any of

these plates?" Swamiji asked.

That was it. The three of them fell at AcharyaL's feet, sobbing loudly, as if

a sluice was released and a flood of water gushed forth.

Maha Swamiji could not understand. He checked himself and asked with

affection, "Why Viswanatha... did I say something irrelevant? You people are

sobbing like children?"

Immediately Viswanathan patted his cheeks loudly and said hastily, "Shiva,

Shiva! apacAram, apacAram. Nothing of that kind, Periyavaa. The moment you

asked, 'Arranged your daughter's wedding, where is the invitation?', the

three of us couldn't contain our sorrow, Periyavaa! She is now twenty-five

years old. We are trying, since her seventeenth year, coming over from

America and staying here for two months. Not a single varan did crop up,

Periyavaa! Somehow the chance slips by. She is educated. Has beauty. We

have money. With all these things, there is no luck!" He started crying again.

It was nine-thirty at night. AcharyaL understood the situation. He thought of

easing the tightness that prevailed. "It is alright, don't feel sad. Come and

sit here, all the three of you!" He pointed to the floor oppsite him.

The three people sat meekly. AcharyaL started speaking: "Viswanatha! I know

that you are doing plenty of dhana dharma for temples/ponds and the poor and

destitute. Such a mental agony for you! Alright, how many years now since you

went and settled in America?"

"Twenty years, Periyavaa" replied Viswanathan.

Swamiji pointed to the girl. "She is your eka putri?" he asked smilingly, "what

is her name?"

Closing his mouth, Viswanathan replied, "Her name is Aparna. Yes, my only

daughter, Periyavaa."

"Did you show her horoscope to the jyotishikahs?"

"Checked with a number of astrologers, Periyavaa. Everyone of them talks

about some dosha or other. They also suggest remedies. I have done

everything they recommended!"

"What are the things you did?" asked AcharyaL inquisitively.

"I did Pitru dosha pariharah with tila homam at Rameswaram. Then shukra

prIti at Kanjanur. Rahu prIti at Tirunageswaram. Guru prIti at Alangudi.

Special puja at Tirumananjeri near Kuttalam. Shani prIti at Tirunallar with a

bath in the NaLa Tirtham... I did so many of such things, Periyava!" said

Viswanathan.

Before he could finish, Swamiji clinched it with the words, "So you say it is a

lack of phala prApti." Abruptly Swamiji said to Viswanathan's wife, "You have

got the jewels-and-bolts ready for the daughter's marriage?"

"Everything is ready, Periyavaa", she replied.

"Besh, besh! How many sovereigns (of gold) you give to her?"

Viswanathan replied, "Thirty sovereigns for our daughter, Periyavaa. In

addition, we have made two separate sets of jewels worth twenty sovereigns

each."

"What for are those two separate sets of twenty sovereigns?"

"It is like this Periyavaa. If Aparana's marriage is fixed, with that marriage,

we have decided to perform the marriages of two poor girls, meeting all the

expenses. Which is why the two separate sets of jewels. But then Aparna's

marriage itself is not getting fixed, Periyavaa!" Viswanathan expressed his

longing, tears popping up in his eyes.

Swamiji slipped into some serious thinking. It was ten thirty at night. Then he

asked Viswanathan, "Within how many days you people should return to

America?"

"Twenty days more, Periyavaa."

"Besh, besh," Swamiji was happy. "You people have finished your dinner?"

"Not yet", said Viswanathan.

Swamiji sent word for the cook and asked him when he showed up, "What is

available?"

"Rice uppuma and pumpkin sambar", said the cook.

Swamiji asked Viswanathan's family to go the kitchen and have their food. He

waited until they came back. It was eleven in the night then. He looked at

Viswanathan affectiontely.

"Viswanathaa, you have a noble heart! With your daughter's marriage, you are

ready and waiting with jewels for performing dharmic marriages for two other

girls. What a broad mind you have! Kamakshi will guard you". Swamiji assuaged

him with gentle words and said, "Do one thing. You go to Tiruvaikkaval

tomorrow morning with your family. There you perform abhisheka ArAdhanam

to Mother Akhilandeswari and Jambukeswarar and pray to Them. What you

ask of your daughter Aparana is that... there they would have adorned

Mother Akhilandeswari with a shining tATangakah on Her ears. Ask your

daughter to have a keen darshan of the ornaments without blinking her eyes

and praying 'let me be married soon!'. After doing this--"

Viswanathan interruped Swamiji as he said excitedly, "Periyavaa, our family

deity herself is Tiruvaikkaval Akhilandeswari!"

Swamiji said, "Besh! It is a good thing then. So you go with family tomorrow

morning and do this. Then you go straight to Tirupathi. There you perform a

Tirukkalyana utsavam to Srinivasa Perumal and pray to Him. Everything will

turn out well. All these cashew, dry grapes and suger lumps that you have

kept here generously like the endowment rows in a marriage... take all those

things and offer them to Akhilandeswari." As he said this, Swamiji got up.

Viswanathan's family prostrated to him.

Viswanathan looked at Swamiji and said hesitantly, "Periyavaa, since the

seventeenth year of my daughter Aparna, every year when I came here, I

performed Tirukkalyana utsavam to Tirumali Srinivasa Perumal. So far we have

have done it eight times, Periyavaa!"

"Alright Viswanathaa! What is there to lose? As this Sanyasi says, perform it

for the ninth time!" Swamiji said laughingly and hurried to his room.

In the next two days, Viswanathan's family completed the ablution and

worship and tATangakah darshan at Tiruvanaikkaval as ordered by

Paramacharya and reached Tirupathi.

On that day, a number of bhaktas had remitted money to perform Srinivasa

Tirukkalyanam. There was a large crowd in the marriage hall. Viswanathan's

family was sitting in a corner in the centre portion of the hall. The vaikanasa

bhaTTAcAaryas were conducting the celestial wedding of Lord Srinivasa

chanting vaivAhiha mantras in a grand manner. Their intonations reached a

peak and vibrated throughout the hall.

Viswanathan grieved within his heart thus: 'Appa Srinivasa! Is this your

dharma and nyAya? You get your wedding performed every day in such grand

manner! What sin did my daughter Aparna commit? Why do you not get her

married to a suitable varan?' He started uttering a sob. His wife and

daughter began to sob and weep, suffocating in their grief.

A family was sitting near Viswanathan. The family head appeared to be fifty

or fifty-five years old. He rubbed Viswanathan's back comfortingly. "Sir, my

name is Vaidyanathan. Madras. I am watching you for a long time. On this

occasion of witnessing the Tirukkalyanam with joy and happiness, it is not

proper for you three people to sob and weep," he said tactfully.

Viswanathan was moved. Briefly he poured forth his worries to the gentleman

who comforted him. Vaidyanathan turned and looked at Aparna. His mind told

him that the girl was stately and beautiful.

Vaidyanathan asked him: "Your gotra?"

"vAthUla gotra", said Viswanathan.

"We are Srivatsa. Alright, your daughter's age?"

"She is now twenty-five; why do you ask?"

Vaidyanathan said, "Let this Tirukkalyanam be over. Then I shall take you and

talk to you in detail."

Srinivasa Kalyanam came to a completion and everyone was given prasAdam.

Vaidyanathan took Viswanathan's family to the quarters where he was staying

for the occasion.

There he told Viswanathan, "I have only one son. He is twenty-six now. Name

Srinivasan. We belong to Melattur on the Thanjavur side. I am now working in

the Defence Accounts in Madras. My son is employed in America in the Ford

Motors company with a good salary. He is coming tomorrow to Madras on

leave. I have been searching for a suitable alliance for him for the last three

years, but nothing settled. We are all devotees of Kanchi Kamoti Matam.

Three months back we had darshan of PeriyavaaL and prayed to him with the

grievance of our son's marriage being delayed. He said 'Pray to Tirumalai

Srinivasa and perform a Tirukkalyana Utsavam, your son will get married

immediately.' Only today came the prApta. If that Periyavaa's anugrahah is

there, even you daughter can become our daughter-in-law!"

They exchanged the horoscopes and showed them to a famous josyar in

Tirumalai.

What a surprise! The astrologer who examined the horoscopes said that they

matched on all the ten aspects perfectly! Both the family were very happy.

They returned to Chennai the same night. Srinivasan arrived from America the

next day. He found Aparna suitable for him. Aparna also found him suitable

for her.

Within fifteen days, Viswanathan fixed an auspicious day and booked the

Rajeswari Kalyana Mandapam in Chennai. After the arrangements, both the

families went to have darshan of the Kanchi Mahaan. Since there was a heavy

rush, only around nine in the night could Viswanathan's and Vaiyanathan's

family approach the sage.

Periyavaa looked at them keenly, his two palms shading his eyebrows. Both the

families prostrated to him. Vaidyanathan was standing behind Viswanathan. As

before, Viswanathan submitted the generous offerings of suger lump, dry

grapes, cashews and so on and stood before the sage, his hands folded across

his chest.

A divine happiness was seen on Periyavaa's face. After looking at Viswanathan

for sometime, he said in a loud voice, "EndAppa Viswanathaa! Immediately

after performing the Tirukkalyanam to Srinivasa for the ninth time for this

Sanyasi, has not the phala prApti been gained? Besh, besh, your daughter

Aparna is indeed lucky!" and uttered a rolling laughter.

Both the families were stunned. No one could raise a tongue.

Swamiji continued: "Viswanathaa! You grieved and wept very much the other

day. It occurred to my mind that your daughter was having the janmAntriya

vivAha prati bandhaka dosha. Only for the nivritti of the dosha I asked for

Akhilandeswari's tATangakah darshan and the performance of Srinivasa

Tirukkalyanam for the ninth time! You understand now?" Following Swamiji's

laughter complete silence prevailed there.

Swamiji continued: "Who is going to be your sambandhi? What is his native

place?"

Vaidyanathan, who was standing behind Viswanathan, came to the front and

prostrated to AcharyaL. He said, "It is me, Periyavaa, who is going to be his

sambhandi! It's all your anugrahah."

Periyavaa placed his finger on his nose. "Who is this? Oh Melattur

Vaidyanathan! EndA Vaidyanathaa, three months back you came and told me

that no girl's horoscope was found to be matching for your son working in

America. I remember having asked you to perform Tirukkalyana Utsavam for

Tirumalai Srinivasan and pray to Him. Alright, when did you perform the

Tirukkalyana Utsavan?"

Vaidnathan said, "Both of us performed the Tirukkalyanam on the same day

Periyavaa! We finalised the alliance in Tirumalai itself. All your blessings!" His

voice turned husky as he spoke.

"Rest in prosperity!" AcharyaL blessed them with a filled heart. It was ten in

the night. Swamiji said laughingly, "It is beyond time, Viswanatha! They said

that it is the same rice uppuma and pumpkin sambAr in the Matam today. Do

have your tiffin here without fail!" He bid them farewell with the compassion

of a mother.

Glossary


conduct

abhishekah - ablution

anugrahah - blessing, kindness

ArAdhanam - worship, homage

Adede! - (Tamil) an expression of surprise indicating familiarity

Besh, besh - an expression of appreciation, popular in the Brahmin community.

bhakta - devotee


dosha - defect, deficiency, impurity

eka putri - only daughter

EndAppa - (Tamil) for 'why, my boy!' or a similar expression

gotra - literally, a cow-pen; also one of the 49 sub-divisions among brahmins

supposed to be sprung from and named after celebrated teachers.

Guru prIti - propitiating god Guru (Jupiter)

janmAntriya vivAha prati bandhaka dosha - deficiency from previous births

that goes against the chances of getting married

josyar - (Tamil) astrologer

jyotishikah - an astrologist

nivritti - satisfaction, disappearance

nyAya - justice

Periyavar - Holy man, a grammar-friendly Tamil title for a wise man

phala prApti - attaining fruits, also success in an endeavour

Pitru dosha pariharah - corrective action for deficiency in rituals to

ancestors.

prApta - attainment, fulfilment

prasAdam - a sample of a holy offering

Rahu prIti - propitiating god Rahu

sambandhi - joined in a relationship

Shani prIti - propitiating god Saturn

shukra prIti - propitiating god Shukra (Venus)

tATangakah - ear ornament

tila homam - fire ceremony using sesame

Tirukkalyana utsavam - celestial wedding ceremony

uppumA - a rice dish, also known as kichadi

vaikanasa bhaTTAcAarya - ancient and traditional chief priests in Vaishnava

temples of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka

vaivAhiha - relating to a wedding ceremony

varan - (Tamil) a prospective husband

7-"A Double-Stringed Chain in Eight Sovereigns?"


Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Dec 20, 2006

An early morning, many years ago. It was slightly drizzling. Maha Periyavaa

was seated in solitude at Kanchi Sri Sankara maTham. After the bhaktas had

darshan of him, Swamiji arose to go to his room. Just then an old grandam

and a young woman came running and prostrated to the sage. Swamiji sat down

again, looking a bit keenly at them.

With happiness crawling on his face, Swamiji said, "adede! is it Meenakshi

Paatti? What a wonder you have come in the morning time? Who is near you?

Your granddaughter? What name?"

Meenakshi Paatti said, "Periyavaa! I am coming to the maTham to have your

darshan for ever so many years. Till today I haven't informed SwamigaL about

me. There was no such opportunity. But then, it has come now. This girl

standing by my side is my granddaughter born through my daughter. Since she

was born in this town, we named her Kamakshi. I had only one daughter, and

she closed her eyes twelve years ago, leaving this girl to my care. Some

disease she had. Her husband also died before her due to a heart attack.

"Since then I am plodding on alone with this girl. I put her in a school. Study

didn't get into her head. So I stopped it with her fifth grade. Now she is

fifteen years old. My duty will be over once I give her hand to a man!"

AcharyaL listened to her patiently. "I understood when I saw you come here

and stand before me in the early morning itself, that you who used to bring

pArijAta puS^pam for Chandramouleesvara puja every morning around ten o'

clock, have come to me now with a purpose. What is the news?" he said.

Hesitating at first, Meenakshi Paatti began: "Nothing, Periyavaa. A suitable

alliance has come up for this girl. The boy is also from this place. School

teacher. Sixty rupees salary. Good family. No demand-and-take harassments.

They say that both the horoscopes match well. Somehow only you should

perform this marriage, Periyavaa!" Paatti prostrated to him.

AcharyaL's tone showed some heat as he chided her: "What? I should

perform the marriage? What are you talking?" Within moments he cooled down

and said, "Alright, what do you expect me to do?"

Paatti was happy. "It's like this, Periyavaa! I have somehow managed to save

five thousand rupees for her marriage. I can complete the marriage within

that amount. But then the boy's mother has said compulsively, 'Paatti,

whatever or however you do it, you must present a double-stringed, eight-

sovereign gold chain for the neck of your granddaughter!' I couldn't do

anything big by way of jewels-and-bolts for her within my income. I have

arranged just a bangle of one sovereign each for each hand of this girl. Only

that is possible for me. Where can I go for an eight-sovereign double-

stringed chain, Periyavaa? Only you--"

Before she could finish, Swamiji asked her with some anger: "Tell me, you

want me to provide her with a double-stringed chain in eight-sovereigns?"

Meenkshi Paatti prostrated to him and rose. Patting her cheeks loudly, she

said, "apacAram, apacAram, Periyavaa. I am not coming to say that. A

number of rich and big people come for your darshan daily. Could you not

gesture to any of them to arrange for the eight-sovereign double-stringed

chain?" Paatti asked him longingly.

"What? To gesture to the big people who come for a darshan? There is no

such practice. If you want, you seek some other alliance where they don't

demand eight or ten sovereigns! Only that is better for you." Swamiji got up.

Meenakshi Paatti said anxiously, "I pray that Periyavaa shouldn't leave me

with such advise! This is a very good alliance, Periyavaa. The boy has a

sanguine temperament. They got their own girls married with a gift of an

eight-sovereign double-stringed chain each. Therefore they desire that the

girl coming as their daughter-in-law should also come with a double-stringed

chain. Nothing else, Periyavaa. Only you should provide me with guidance in

the matter!" Paatti begged the sage.

AcharyaL, who had got up, sat down again. He was immersed in deep thoughts

for sometime. Then he started talking with compassion: "Will you do something

I suggest now?"

"I will do it definitely. Please tell me what!" Paatti was excited.

"Go to the Kamakshi Amman temple tomorrow with your granddaughter. Both

of you pray to Her, 'This marriage should take place grandly with the required

eight-sovereign double-stringed chain provided. Only You should arrange it,

Amma!' and do pradakSiNa of the sannidhi five times. Prostrate before ambAL

five times and go home. Pray this way for five days. Kamakshi will arrange the

things as you have desired in your mind." AcharyaL blessed them smilingly.

As she prostrated and got up, Meenakshi Paatti said, "What is it Periyavaa,

you suggest everything five times!" She asked with eagerness, "If I do it that

way, AmbaL Kamakshi will surely arrange my granddaughter Kamakshi's

marriage?"

"I am not suggesting the five-times requirement myself. AmbaL has the

adulation panca saMkhyopacAriNi. She grants favours happily when she is

worshipped in multiples of five." Swamiji said, "I told you only that, nothing

else!"

"When do we start this, Periyavaa?"

Swamiji smiled. "It has been said shubhasya shIghram. Today is Friday. Why,

you start today itself." He said and bid them farewell.

With her granddaughter beside her, Paatti walked towards Kamakshi Amman

temple. Since it was Friday, there was a heavy rush in the temple. Mother

Kamakshi dazzled in full splendour due to special adornments of that day. Both

of them closed their eyes and prayed as advised by Periyavaa. Paatti had an

arcanA performed in her granddaughter's birth star and secured the

prasAdam.

Then they both prayed to Amman about the eight-sovereign double-stringed

chain and went around the inner courtyard clockwise five times. Then they

prostrated to AmabaL five times as Swamiji had suggested. With faith in

heart, they went back home.

On Saturday morning, Paatti started from her house with her granddaughter.

Collecting the coral-jasmine flowers, she hurried to Sankara maTham. There

was a heavy rush in the maTham. Meenakshi Paatti was standing in the queue

some twenty or thirty bhaktas behind. She heard what the person before her

was telling his neighbour with concern. 'Today is the day of the anushA star.

PeriyavaL's birth star. So Swamiji has taken up a vow of silence today. He

wouldn't talk to anybody. Only mukha darshan.'

Anxiety got hold of Meenakshi Paatti. She worried, 'I thought of reminding

Periyavaa about the eight-sovereign double-stringed chain, but it seems that

won't be possible now.' When they got near Periyavaa, they prostrated to

him. That para brahmaM was sitting with no sign of life in him. Paatti paused,

yearning that he would ask something about the chain. Swamiji's assistant told

her a bit sternly, "Paatti, move away please! Periyavaa adopts a vow of silence

today. He won't talk. See, how many people are waiting behind you!"

She made her way towards Kamakshi Amman temple, along with her

granddaughter. As advised by Periyavaa, they performed the panca

saMkhyopacAra worship on that day and got back home. Maha Swamiji

continued the vow of silence on the following two days also. Paatti and her

granddaughter could only have a darshan of the sage at the maTham. Paatti

started worrying, 'Four out of five days has gone by since Periyavaa's advice

but nothing happened! Will Mother Kamakshi open her eyes and bless me or

not?' She could only grieve within herself.

It dawned on Tuesday. Sri Kanchi maTham was very brisk on that day. A

bhajan troupe from Arani was immersing the maTham in bhaktic ecstasy.

AcharyaL came and sat in his usual place. There was such a maha tejas in his

face! He had dissolved his vow of silence. There was a large crowd waiting for

PeriyavaL's darshan. A middle-aged maami in the queue prostrated to Swamiji

happily as her turn came. Happiness was writ on her face. She submitted the

things she had brought--a large bunch of rastaLi bananas, un-shorn coconuts,

sweet lemons, oranges, pumpkins, and chubby raw-bananas--and prostrated

again.

Swamiji smiled to himself as he glanced at the items kept before him. Then he

narrowed his eyes and looked keenly at the woman. "Aren't you Ambujam, wife

of Needamangalam landowner Ganesa Iyer? You came two months back. Told

me something, feeling sad. Looking at the way you have come now with a large

banana bunch, it seems that your problems would have been solved by the

grace of Kamakshi, right?"

Ambujam prostrated again and said, "True, Periyavaa. My only daughter

Mythili was made to stay away from her husband's home for the last three

years. Two months back I came running to you, reported this humiliation and

wept. It was you who advised me to do five circumambulations and five

prostrations for five days and perform ablution and worship in the Kamakshi

Amman temple of this town. I completed them with extreme care, and what a

wonder, fifteen days back, my son-in-law Radhakrishnan who works in

Jamshedpur Tata Steel Plant came over himself and took his wife Mythili back

with him. It's all that Kamakshi's grace and your blessings, Periyavaa!" Tears

of joy filled her eyes as she spoke.

Swamiji said, "Besh, besh, very glad. Let the dampati rest in prosperity! By

the way, where did you get such a big bunch of bananas? Looks massive!"

Swamiji's laughter rolled by like thunder.

Ambujam said smilingly, "This bunch was harvested from our own banana bed,

Periyavaa; which is why it is so big!" She spoke with humility.

Showing happiness, Swamiji ordered her, "Alright, only Amma Kamakshi has

rejoined your daughter and son-in-law. So you offer this big banana bunch to

Her and distribute the fruits to the bhaktas who visit the shrine."

Ambujam said, "No no, Periyavaa. Let it remain in this sanctum. I have an

identical bunch to offer to AmbaL. Now I seek your leave to have a darshan

of AmbaL, complete my prayers and get back here." She prostrated.

"BeshA! After completing your prayers you must take food in the maTham and

then only should get back to your place. Remember it!" Swamiji gave her his

consent to leave him.

There was not much crowd in Kamakshi Amman temple on that day. It was

eleven in the morning. As it was later than usual, Meenakshi Paatti hurried to

the temple with her granddaughter. She halted at the shop selling arcanA

packs, and told her granddaughter, "Hey Kamakshi! Today is the day of

completion. So we shall do everything in five numbers as told by AcharyaL.

What you do, get five arcanA packs with five coconuts, five bananas, betel

leaves, nuts, etc. and come back running!" and gave her the required money.

The granddaughter bought the things as ordered. Paatti performed the

arcanAs to AmbaL and prayed Her with tearful eyes, 'Amma Kamakshi, I am

completely depending on You only! I have no refuge except You and SwamigaL.

Only You should arrange for the eight-sovereign double-string chain and

complete my granddaughter's marriage in a fitting manner.' As Paatti sobbed,

her granddaughter was also moved and wept. Then they started going round

the inner couryard from left to right. They were on their fourth round.

"Paatti... Paatti... Paattee!" Meekakshi Paatti looked back at the loud call

from her granddaughter and chided her angrily, "Why do you cry so loud?

What have you lost to raise such a noise?"

"Nothing lost Paatti, but something gained! Please come here, I shall show

you!" She took her grandma to a corner, opened her right palm and showed

her something. It was a severed, double-stringed chain with a front.

"Where did you find that?" Paatti asked with surprise. Her granddaughter

said, "As I was coming behind you with a bowed head, my eyes chanced on

this chain. I took it at once, and no one had noticed me! This chain is severed

Paatti. Check if it is original or just a coated one."

Paatti took the chain in her hands to guess its weight. She said, "Looks like

sovereign, Kamakshi! May be eight or eight-and-a-half sovereigns. This has

been granted to us by Kamakshi Herself backed by the blessings of Periyavaa.

Alright, let us go out first!" She packed the chain inside the edge of her sari

and hurriedly came out, forgetting to complete her fifth circumambulation.

It was one in the afternoon. Four or five people were waiting for the darshan

of AcharyaL in the maTham. Meenakshi Paatti prostrated to the sage with her

granddaughter and got up. Swamiji looked at her and laughed. She was

confused whether to tell Swamiji about the chain or not.

Swamiji forestalled her. "Today you should have completed your panca

saMkhyopacAra pradakSiNa in order. But then it was not completed because

of a vastu that came to the hand of your granddaughter! That sudden delight

did not allow you to do more than four pradakSiNas. You came hurriedly,

thinking that Kamakshi has given you Her pUrna anugrahah. What, am I

right?"

Paatti was shocked. She became insensate, and swallowed her words as she

spoke: "SwamigaL shouldn't mistake me. Once that (object) came to the hand

of my granddaughter, I assumed that AmbaL Herself had dropped it for my

granddaughter to take. In that sudden delight I totally fogot that I had to

make one more pradakSiNa."

Periyavaa said relentlessly, "Only that you forgot. You did not forget to get

the vastu weighed at Rangu Patthar's shop. Or get the severed portion melted

in the furnace to rejoin." He clinched his talk with the words, "Let it go.

When you weighed it, was it exactly eight sovereigns?"

Paatti and her granddaughter were stunned. "All you said now is satyam,

Periyavaa!" said Paatti.

Swamiji asked her calmly, "Tell me in fairness. To whom does that padArthaH

belong?"

"To AmbaL Kamakshi."

"Tell me yourself, can you take it secretly and pack it inside the edge of your

sari?"

"A mistake... nothing else but a mistake! Should excuse me. I have done it

inadvertently." Paatti was genuninely repenting. She placed the double-

stringed sovereign chain on the brass plate that was found before Swamiji,

her hands shaking. Swamiji laughed.

It was now two in the afternoon. Swamiji asked Meenakshi Paatti and her

daughter to sit before him. It was at that time that Ambujam AmmaL, wife

of Needamangalam Ganesa Iyer, who had taken leave in the morning, came

back full of sorrow and prostrated to the sage. Her eyes were shedding tears

profusely. Swamiji saw this and said affectionately, "adAdA, why do you shed

tears Amma?"

Ambujam Ammal wiped her tears and replied, "It is like this, Periyavaa. Two

months ago when I did the five days seva in the Kamakshi Amman temple I

prayed to AmbaL earnestly that I would offer Her my eight-sovereign double-

stringed chain if she united my daughter and son-in-law, who were then

separated. AmbaL has united them. I went to the temple to offer my chain.

It slipped from my neck and fell down somewhere. I searched everywhere

anxiously but the chain could not be found. What can I do now, Periyavaa?"

She started wailing.

Swamiji turned his face to Meenakshi Paatti and looked meaningfully. Paatti

prostrated to him and got up briskly. She took the double-stringed sovereign

chain from the brass plate before the sage in her hand. She turned to

Ambujam and said holding up the chain, "Amma Ambujam. Check if this is the

double-stringed chain you lost."

Ambujam took the chain from her hand and checked. "The same, the same

chain, Paatti. How did it come here? Looks very wonderful!" Paatti narrated

everything that happened to them in the same breath.

Ambujam Ammal hugged Meenakshi Paatti. "Paatti, you don't worry at all! I

am informing you this before our AcharyaL. I shall arrange for a new double-

stringed chain in eight sovereigns for your granddaughter! Her marriage will be

performed grandly. This double-stringed I have prayed to offer to AmbaL.

This evening I shall take you and your granddaughter Kamakshi to the

jewellery shop in this down and get her an eight-sovereign double-stringed

chain. In addition, I shall give you five thousand rupees for the marriage

expenses."

Swamiji was sitting as the prat^yakSa kAmAkshi, witnessing this scene.

Everyone prostrated to AcharyaL. He looked at Meenakshi Paatti and said,

"Today you and your granddaughter did not do the five pradakSiNas. Go in the

evening, do five pradakSiNas and five prostrations, and have a darshan of

AmbaL." Saying this he bid them farewell.

It is not possible to narrate in words the happiness and ecstatic shiver that

Meenakshi Paatti and her granddaughter experienced at that time.

Glossary:

adAdA - (Tamil) an expression of sympathy

adede! - (Tamil) an expression of surprise indicating familiarity

ambAL - Mother Goddess

anugrahah - blessing, kindness


conduct

arcanA - worship

besh, besh - an expression of appreciation, popular in the Brahmin community.

bhajan - hymns praising God

bhakta - devotee

closed her eyes - (Tamil) died


maami - (Tamil) a brahmin housewife

mukha - face, countenance

panca saMkhyopacArini - pleased by five kinds of service, honour, worship

Paatti - (Tamil) grandmother

padArthaH - a thing or object

para brahmaM - (Tamil) formless God

pArijAta puS^pam - flowers of the coral tree

pradakSiNa - on the right side, go clockwise

prat^yakSa - visible, perceptible

pUrna - complete, full, whole

rastaLi - a variety of bananas

sannidhi - the building where the deity is installed

satyam - truth

shubhasya shIghram - auspicious things quickly

SwamigaL - (Tamil) Swamiji

tejas - divine splendour

vastu- an article, object (among many other meanings)

8-The Connection Between the Chettiar's Grandson and the

maTham



An evening in Kanchi SrimaTham. A large crowd in a long queue had gathered

to have darshan of Paramacharya. Time was slipping by. Slightly tilting his

head, Swamiji glanced at the waiting people and saw a twenty year old youth

in the queue. Looking intently at the youth, Swamiji called his assistant Ramu,

another youth, who came near him and stood, his hand covering his mouth.

"Ramu, you see the person standing as the fifteenth in the queue? A short

boy with a slightly blackish complexion. You need to buy a shirt and pant piece

that will suit his size", Swamiji ordered. "Get the cash from the office, and

buy good quality cloth from the Mudaliar textile shop near the maTham."

Ramu was surprised and confused at this sudden command from the sage. He

knew that he couldn't ask the reason, so started to proceed on his task.

"Ramu, come here!" Swamiji called. "You know about the name of the modern

textile variety?"

"I know it Periyavaa."

"Come on, tell me?"

"It is called terry cotton, Periyavaa."

"Hm... the same thing. Get a costly piece from that variety."

Within fifteen minutes, Ramu appeared before the sage with the cloth.

Swamiji was very happy as he looked at the cloth from a distance.

"Besh, besh. It is very good da!" Swamiji appreciated Ramu. "You do one

thing. Get a bamboo plate and fill it with fruits, purna phalam, and place the

cloth on them. Tell the manager that I wanted a sum of six thousand and

seven hundred rupees, placed in an envelope, get the money and keep it on the

plate. I shall tell you later about what to do next." With this order to his

assitant, Swamiji started conversing to his bhakta nearby.

An envelope with the amount ordered was brought. Swamiji gestured that it be

placed on the plate.

Now the twenty year old boy was standing before Paramacharya, who looked

at him head to toe. The youth prostrated to him. Swamiji turned and looked

at Ramu, who came near him, running.

"Ramu, take that plate in your hands." Ramu did as he was told.

Swamiji said with a blossoming face, "Give that plate to the boy and tell him

of my bountiful blessings to him and his family."

The youth could not understand anything about the offer of cloth and money.

He simply blinked at the sage, looked this way and that, and stood without

knowing what to do.

AchryaL understood his confusion and anxiety. He spoke, "Ramu, ask him not

to get confused. Tell him it is the blessing from the maTham to him and his

family. Ask him to safely deliver the money in the cover at his home."

The youth nodded his head, though he understood nothing. He again

prostrated to the sage and moved away with the surprise gift.

Fifteen minutes passed. Everyone had left, having a darshan. AcharyaL came

to his room and sat. He called Ramu near.

"Why Ramu, you did not ask me the reason for my honouring the boy in a

special way?"

Ramu hesitated and said, "How can I ask Periyavaa about such things? I am

here only to carry out your orders."

"Alright, you don't have to ask me! I shall tell you the reason myself."

Swamiji spoke: "This incident happened many years back. Our maTham at that

time was finding it a little difficult to make ends meet. I decided to

undertake a yAtra to the north Indian regions with my retinue. We started at

an auspicious time. I came to the entrance of the maTham. There was a small

grocery shop opposite the maTham. It belonged to a Chettiar. The maTham

had an account for buying groceries from that shop.

"As he saw me at the maTham entrance, Chettiar came running. He

prostrated, tieing his upper vastram around his waist. I thought that he had

come to offer his respect knowing that I was about to go on a yAtra.

"'What ChettiarvaL, you are fine? How does your groceries business go?' I

inquired him.

"He closed his mouth and replied meekly, 'Somewhat alright, Swami, but the

going is really difficult. I heard that Swami is going on a yAtra north and

would return only after five or six months.'

"I told him, 'That's right, ChettiarvaL... might take five or six months to

return.' He took his time thinking something, hesitated much and then said,

'It is not that Swami. The maTham has an account with our shop, as Swami

knows. There is a balance amount for the four to five months goods supplied

that remains to be paid. I too find it difficult, with four months rent for this

shop in arrears. I am just submitting my problems to you. You finish your

yAtra and come back.' As he said it, Chettiar again prostrated.

"I said, 'ChettiarvaL! Immediately after coming back from the yAtra, I shall

arrange to clear your dues.' and started on my yAtra.

"When I came back finishing the six months yAtra and looked opposite the

maTham, the Chettiar's shop was locked. Later when I inquired, I was told

that the Chettiar had attained kAla gati three months back suddenly, when he

was out of station. Nothing was known about the whereabouts of his relatives!

I later inquired about the amount of dues to the Chettiar's shop. It was a

sum of eight hundred and seventy five and three-quarters of rupees. I settled

the debt with the principal and interest only today! You understand what I am

saying? The boy I honoured today was none other than the paternal grandson

of the Chettiar. What was due to the grandfather has been settled with the

grandson, with principal and interest. No worry henceforth!" Swamiji finished.

Ramu was wonderstruck as he heard the tale. In the meantime another

assistant boy came that side. Ramu took leave of the sage and rushed to the

entrance of the maTham.

The twenty year boy was standing there with the blessed bamboo plate on his

hands. Ramu was very happy to see him and tactfully inquired about the

matter.

The boy said, "Yes, I learnt from my grandmother and father that my

grandfather had a grocery shop opposite the maTham a long time ago. I heard

that his relatives came to settle in Krishnagiri after the sudden demise of my

grandfather, closing down the shop due to mounting debts.

"Now my father is running a grocer shop there. I came here touring with my

friends from my place. I don't understand why Periyavanga did all these to

me. It is very surprising!"

Ramu was speechless as he understood the foresight of his walking God. He

went inside the maTham, wondering about what he saw and heard. It was

around seven in the evening. AcharyaL was sitting alone in his room.

He saw Ramu and smiled meaningfully. Ramu did not understand. AcharyaL

called him near and said, "You had a doubt about the authenticity of what I

told you. So you got it confirmed from the Chettiar's grandson at the

maTham entrance!" Paramacharya laughed loudly.

Ramu sought his pardon, weeping and saying that he did it out of curiosity

only. Paramacharya blessed him with a raised hand, still smiling.

Glossary

Besh, besh - an expression of appreciation, popular in the Brahmin community.

da - a singular Tamil form used with males, to show affection and liberty.

kAla gati - expiry of time, death

Periyavanga - a form of addressing Paramacharya, generally used by people

who are not brahmins. (Brahmins use the term Periyavaa)

purna phalam - a coconut which is not shorn from its case.

vastram - cloth

yAtra – pilgrimage

9-Paramacharya Stuns a Landowner!


Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Nov 05, 2006

A Citra full moon day, many years back. An abhiSekam was performed in a

grand manner with mahAnyAsa rudra japam at Sri Mahalingaswami Temple,

Tiruvidaimarudur. The person who conducted it with 11 Vedic pundits was the

landowner Narayanaswami Iyer of Tiruvarur. The rudrAbhiSekam that started

at eight in the morning came to a completion around one in the afternoon.

The landowner Narayanaswami Iyer was extremely devoted to Kanchi Maha

SwamigaL. He decided 'this rudrAbhiSeka prasAdam should be submitted to

Periyavaa somehow.' He reverentially kept the prasAdam on a banana leaf and

folded it inside a new silk cloth. That same evening, he boarded the Madurai

Madras passenger train at Tiruvidaimarudur railway station. He got down at

Chingleput station in the early morning, took a bus and arrived at

Kanchipuram.

There was a large crowd at the maTham on that day. Finishing his bath and

other chores, the landowner waited for Periyavaa's darshan. At about 12

o'clock in the noon, Maha SwamigaL came and sat down, after finishing his

Chandramouleesvara puja. The crowd of devotees rushed forward. The

landowner couldn't approach SwamigaL. He showed the prasAda bag and

begged everyone, "All of you please make way! I have brought

Tiruvidaimarudur Mahalingaswamy rudrAbhiSeka prasAdam for Periyavaa. I

have to submit it to him."

No one seemed to make way. An employee of the maTham who saw the

anxiety and haste of the landowner, created a trail for him among the people

and brought Narayanaswami Iyer near PeriyavaL. When he saw PeriyavaL, the

landowner became insensate, dropped down heavily for a prostration and got

up. Maha SwamigaL looked at him raising his head. He raised his brows as if

he inquired what the matter was.

With his hands shaking, the landowner babbled, unpacking the prasAdam bag,

"prasAdam, prasAdu Periyavaa". "What prasAdam?" asked PeriyavaL and

looked at him. In the meantime, the landowner managed to extract the

prasAdam. He kept it on the cane plate found there and submitted it to

PeriyavaL. On that plate were found in a small banana leaf, vibuti,

kuN^kumam, sandal paste together with some bilva dalam, two parts of a

broken coconut, and some poovan banana fruits.

Maha SwamigaL asked, "All these are prasAdam of which kSetra?" and looked

at the landowner once again. The landowner calmed himself and said with

humility, "Periyavaa! I performed the rudrAbhiSekam for Mahalingaswami at

Tiruvidaimarudur yesterday. It was a large abhiSekam with mahAnyAsa rudra

japam. This is that prasAdam. Since Periyavaa would be happy, I have rushed

here to bring it, boarding a train; you must receive it and bless me."

Looking at that prasAda plate sharply for sometime, Periyavaa asked:

"Narayanaswami! You are a big landowner yourself. Even then you performed

this rudrAbhiSekam for Swami, teaming up with some other people to meet

the expenses?"

The landowner replied, "No, Periyavaa! I performed it myself, out of my own

expenses," stressing the 'myself' part a little.

PeriyavaL smiled to himself. He did not leave it at that. "So you did for for

loka kSema at Madhyaarjuna kSetra", he added.

The landowner replied with some uncertainty, "No, Periyavaa! For the last two

or three years there was no yield in my fields. Some fields were even barren.

I checked up with Tiruvidaimarudur Muthu Josyar. He advised me, 'On a Citra

full moon day perform rudrAbhiSekam for Mahalingaswami. That will give you

an abundant yield!' Only on that belief I performed it, Periyavaa".

The prasAda that was kept before the sage remained untouched. AcharyaL did

not accept it. Saying, "So it seems that you did not perform this act either

for AtmArtam or for loka kSemArtam", he closed his eyes and dropped into

meditation.

AcharyaL opened his eyes after fifteen minutes. There was such a clarity in

his face! And a knowing look of having understood many things within those

fifteen minutes. Everyone around was very quiet. SwamigaL continued,

"Alright... How many vedic brahmins attended the rudrAbhiSekam?"

"I had arranged for eleven vedic pandits, Periyavaa!"

SwamigaL persisted, "Did you know who were the vaidikaLs and which place

they belonged to? Was it only you who made all arrangements?"

The devotees who were witnessing the scene were surprised at the detailed

inquiry Periyavaa was making. They also understood that he wouldn't do

anything without a reason. The landowner took a piece of paper that he had

tucked in his waist.

"I am reading out, Periyavaa. Tiruvidaimarudur Venkatrama SastrigaL,

Seenuvasa Ganapadigal, Rajagopala ShrautigaL, Marutthuvakkudi Santhana

Vaadyhar, Sundaa SastrigaL, Subramanya SastrigaL, Tirumangalakkudi

Venkittu Vaadhyar, and then--"

AchargaL interruped him and asked easily, "All experts only, who you have

arranged. Alright, check if your list has the name Thepperumaanallur

Venkatesa GanapadigaL."

Seething with happiness, the landowner replied, "It is there, Periyavaa! He

also attended the japam", showing surprise in his voice.

Though the devotees were taken by surprise at such detailed inquiry about an

abhiSekam that was over, no one said anything. Everyone was silent and

attentive.

SwamigaL said, "Besh, besh! So you had engaged Venkatesa GanapadigaL also

for the japam! A very good thing. Maha Veda vid! GanagadigaL is now very

aged. Even difficult for him to raise his voice. He would feel it hard to

control his breathing and intone the japam."

As if he waited for this remark, the landowner replied, his tone raising, "Yes,

Periyavaa! What you have said is very correct. He did not chant the rudram

well. Sometimes he was siting silent with closed eyes. Often he yawned. All

these resulted in the shrinkage of the counting of the japam numbers. He

gave much trouble yesterday. I regretted having engaged him for the japam."

SwamigaL swelled with indignation. "What you said... What did you say? So

you have the temerity to talk anything because you have the money? What do

you know about the yogyatAMsam of Thepperumaanallur Venkatesa

GanapadigaL? Would you match the dust of the feet of that veda vid? How

can you talk such words about him? I have now understood what happened

yesterday at the Mahalingaswami Sannidhi! You answer my question now! When

the GanapadigaL was sitting quiet with closed eyes at the time of the japam

yesterday, did you not shout harshly at him, 'EngaaNum, are you not getting

the money, you are sitting still with a shut mouth without doing the japam?'

Tell me, did you shout these words to him or not?" The landowner was

appalled. The crowd was amazed.

Narayanaswami Iyer fell at SwamigaL's feet, his eight limbs touching the

ground. SwamigaL did not say anything. The landowner got up himself. He

closed his mouth and replied shivering, "My mistake, Periyavaa! It is true that

I used the very same words you spoke know to the GanapadigaL in the Swami

Sannidhi yesterday. Periyavaa should kindly pardon me."

Periyavaa did not stop. "Wait, wait. Did you do that mistake only? You did

honour the vaidikaLs with money, right? How much did you give each vaidikaL?"

The landowner gulped and said weakly, "I paid ten rupees for each head,

Periyavaa."

SwamigaL did not leave him with that. "Tell me correctly! I know everything!

Did you pay all the vaidikaLs equally with ten-ten rupees each?"

The landowner stood silently. But the AcharyaL did not relent. "Listen, I shall

tell you what you did yesterday. Perhaps you feel shy to talk it out. You

seated the vaidikaLs in a row at the Sannidhi and was giving the sambhAvanA

of ten rupees to each of them. When the turn of Thepperumaanallur

Venkatesa GanapadigaL came, you decided, 'This man did not chant the

rudram properly. Why should I give him ten rupees as I did for the others?'

and gave him just seven rupees. You had the thought that somehow you had

taken revenge on him. Did he care anything about it all? He just accepted

what you gave him and tied it to the edge of his vastram." AcharyaL asked

him hotly, "Tell me, is not what I am saying correct?"

The devotees were stunned. No one did say anything. They wondered how

PeriyavaL came to know what took place in Tiruvidaimarudur temple yesterday.

The landowner prostrated to the sage and said, "A gross mistake, Periyavaa!

It was out of ignorance that I behaved like that! I won't behave in such a

fashion henceforth! Kindly parden me!"

Before he finished, PeriyavaaL continued, "Wait, wait! It would have been less

worse had it ended there." He asked, "For the japa brahmins, you arranged

for the meals at the house of Ramachandra Iyer of Mahadhana street, right?"

"Yes, Periyavaa!"

"You served sumptuous meals, of course, with a feeling of immense happiness.

You had arranged for cooking very tasty sweet pongal, with lots of cashew

nuts and raisins added to it, and you served it with your own hands, with ghee

dripping from it in the meals session, right?"

Narayanaswami Iyer was more and more appalled. He closed his mouth and

spoke with uncertainty, "Yes, Periyavaa! In the session I served only the

sweet pongal with my own hands."

"Alright, does your conscience admit that you did it with the dharma for

serving a meal?" SwamigaL asked him sternly.

The landowner did not open his mouth. AcharyaL said himself, "You need not

tell me, I shall tell you! When you served the sweet pongal, since it was very

tasty, the vaidikaLs asked for repeated helpings. And you obliged them. But

when Thepperumaanallur Venkatesa GanapadigaL, giving up his reticence asked

you many times, 'Serve me more of the sweet pongal, it is very tasty...' did

you not carry on without serving him more, though you heard him? How many

times did he ask you, giving up his normal reticence! And you did not serve him

more! You committed the sin of partiality in a meals session! Was it dharma?

You insulted a great sadhu!" SwamigaL fell into silence, overwhelmed with

distress.

The landowner stood with bowed head. The devotees were amazed and

speechless. Closing his eyes and folding both his legs behind him, AcharyaL sat

upright. His divine frame looked like the Lord Parameswara Himself. He sat

motionless.

Fifteen minutes passed by in complete silence. Then AcharyaL opened his eyes.

Everyone was silent. AcharyaL continued his talk, looking at Narayanaswami

Iyer: "MirasudarvaL! You should know one thing. GanapadigaL is eighty-one

years of age now. He had done rudra japam in countless kSetras since his

sixteenth year. Sri Rudram is always coursing his veins and nerves and breath.

He is such a mahAn. The way you behaved to him is an act of great sin... an

act of great sin!" PeriyavaL stopped, unable to continue further, and closed his

eyes.

He resumed again after sometime: "Your act of partiality in the meals session

affected him deeply. You know what he did? I shall tell you, listen. He did not

go back to his native place Thepperumaanallur yesterday evening. Instead, he

went to Mahalingaswami temple. He did pradakSiNa of the outer courtyard

three times. Went straight to Mahalingaswami and stood before Him. You

know what he prayed for, joinng his palms?" PeriyavaL couldn't continue. He

steadied himself and then resumed his talk.

"With tears streaming down his eyes, he spoke to the God, 'Appa, Jyoti

Mahalingam! I am your steadfast devotee. Since my early days I have recited

mahAnyasa rudra japam countless times in your sannidhi. You have listened to

it. I am now eighty-one years old. I have the mental strengh, but that

strength is gone in my speech! It can't be that you wouldn't know what

happened this afternoon when we were dining. I asked that landowner many

times, leaving my shyness aside, for more of that pongal, since it was very

very tasty. Though he heard me, the landowner moved away as if he did not

hear my request. You know that I have an immense fondness for sweet pongal.

Though I asked him out of temptation, I was grieved that he did not serve me

more.

'But then only after I had finished my meals, washed my hands and sat on the

thinnai it occurred to me whether I could have such a jihvA sabalam at this

age. Which is the reason I am now standing before you, Appa Mahalingam!

With you as the mediator, I take a vow from this moment. Everyone gives up

some favourite edible when they go to Kasi. It is only You who is in Kasi, as

well as here. Therefore I take a vow before you that I will not touch the

sweet pongal or any other sweet dish from now on until my soul goes out of

the body! This is a promise Mahalingam.' With that vairAgya pramANam he

said, 'Appa Jyoti Mahalingam! I take leave of you now," and did shASTaaN^ga

namaskaram twelve times. Tears were flowing down GanapadigaL's eyes, as he

left for his place. Now, you tell me... What you did was dharma? Will

Mahalingaswami agree to it?"

Periyavaa stopped. It was then three o' clock in the afternoon. "I don't want

any bhikSA today", said SwamigaL. No one moved from there. Not even for

their lunch. Total silence prevailed. Tears were seen in everyone's eyes. The

landowner Narayanaswami Iyer stood transfixed. He could not raise his tongue

to speak. Everyone's wonder was, 'How does Periyavaa narrate everything

that happened yesterday at Tiruvidaimarudur as if he witnessed them

personally?'

Falling down to Periyavaa's feet, the landowner started sobbing vehemently.

His tongue slurred as he said, "Periyavaa! What I did was a great sin! I did it

out of vanity. Kindly pardon me. Never again shall I behave this way in my

life. You should say 'I have pardoned you'!" The landowner patted his cheeks

loudly.

AcharyaL did not open his mouth. The landowner was persistent. "I pray to

you, Periyavaa! You should accept this Mahalingaswami rudrAbhiSeka

prasAdam. Kindly pardon me!" He pointed his hands towards the prasAdam

plate.

AcharyaL said, "Let it be, let it be there. That Mahalingaswami Himself will

give me the prasAda anugraham."

Before he finishd his words, a voice was heard outside the crowd: "Make way,

make way!" Everyone moved to make way.

Only a tuft of hair knotted at the end on the head. A bright five-folded

dhoti on the waist, with a silky green cloth covering it. A large rudraksha

garland on the neck. A noble man who could be around sixty-five years old,

arrived near PeriyavaL, carrying piously a brass plate on which was the

prasAdam preserved in a silk cloth. He submitted the prasAdam plate

reverentially to AcharyaL and said, "My name is Mahalingam. I am the arcakA

of Tiruvidaimarudur Mahalingaswami temple. Yesterday a rudrAbhiSekam was

performed for Swami. A landowner conducted it. My eleder sister is given in

marriage to this place. I came to submit the prasAdam to AcharyaL and then

look her up. Periyavaa should do me the anugraham." SwamigaL prevented him

as he proceeded to prostrate.

Saying "You people have been given shiva dIkSA, you shouldn't do namaskaram

to me", AcharyaL accepted the prasAdams brought and asked the Shivacharya

to be given the MaTham's honours in return. Meantime, the SivacharyaL saw

the landowner who was standing at some distance. "Periyavaa, it is this man

who had conducted the rudrAbhiSekam there yesterday. He has come himself

come here!" With these words, Mahalingam Shivacharya left the place, taking

leave of the sage.

The landowner Narayanaswami Iyer again prostrated AcharyaL and patted his

cheeks loudly. He pleaded, "Again and again I pray to you, Periyavaa. It is a

great sinful act I have committed. Only you should tell me the remedy for

this act."

SwamigaL got up briskly. "I cannot tell you the remedy for this. Only

Thepperumaanallur Venkatesa GanapadigaL can tell you the remedy."

"Will the GanapadigaL tell me the remedy for the deed of this paavi,

Periyavaa?", the landowner asked with grief.

SwamigaL said in a slightly raised voice, "If you have the prAptam, he will

certainly tell you!" and hurried inside. He did not come out at all.

The landowner waited for a few hours. And then, having come to a decision,

he left the place and arrived at Chingleput boarding a bus. He caught a train

and arrived at Tiruvidaimarudur on the next morning. He finished his bath in

the Kaveri river there and with firmness of heart started walking towards

Thepperumaanallur. He walked briskly with the resolution that he would

somehow meet Venkatesa GanapadigaL, fall shASTaaN^gam at his feet, ask

for his pardon, perform the remedy he would suggest and obtain paapa

vimocanam.

The landowner entered the Thepperumaanallur agrahAram. He inquired the

first man he came across, the address of the GanapadigaL. The man pointed

to a house on the street before which was a crowd of people and said, "You

have come to offer your condolences? That is the home of Venkatesa

GanapadigaL. Early this morning, he suddenly passed away. A painless,

peaceful death. Go and have a look."

Narayanaswami Iyer was stunned. He felt as if someone had hit him on the

head. The firm words of AcharyaL at the MaTham yesterday seemed to ring

in his ears. If you have the prAptam, he will certainly tell you!" He now

understood that PeriyavaaL known yesterday itself that the landowner would

not have the prAptam.

The landowner went to GanapadigaL's house, offered his condolences, and

prostrated to the gross body of the GanapadigaL, seeking his pardon mentally.

Then he moved away from the place.

Later, the landowner met with different kinds of adversities and happened to

lose all his wealth. He went North and did service at the temple kitchens,

finally arrived at Kasi kSetra and attained his mukti there.

Glossary:

abhiSekah - ablution

agrahAram - royal donation of land to Bra1hmans, land or donation given us.

In practical usage, agrahAram refers to the street inhabited by brahmins,

which surrounds a temple like a garland up front, hence the name agra +

hAram.

aMsa - share

anugrahaH - blessings, favour, kindness, acceptance

arcakA - one who performs a worship ritual

bhikSA - alms, offered food

bilva - the wood-apple tree, commonly called Bel

Citra - the month of April

dalam - leaf, petal of a flower, part, division

dIkSA - initiation in general, consecration for a religious ceremony

EngaaNum - (Tamil) a brahmin usage meaning 'why, you!' or 'hey, you!'

jihvA - tongue, tongue of fire (flame)

josyar - (Tamil) astrologer

kSema - prosperity, ease, welfare

kSetram - holy place

kuN^kumam - vermillion, saffron

loka - earth, world, subjects, people

maTham - ashram, hermitage

MirasudarvaL - (Tamil) a respectful address of a landowner

mukti - release, liberation, deliverance

nyAsaH - gathering, placing, depositing, establishing

paavi - (Tamil) pApin - sinner, criminal, wicked

pongal - a popular South Indian rice dish

poovan - (Tamil) a variety of banana

pradakSiNa - on the right side, go clockwise

pramANam - size, shape, limit, determined testimony or proof

prAptam - (Tamil) prAptiH - fate, luck, interference

prasAdam - a sample of a holy offering

sabalam - (Tamil) temptation

sambhAvanA - paying regard to, respect, thought

sannidhiH - nearness, union, presence of

shASTaaN^ga namaskaram - prostration with the eight body limbs touching

the ground

thinnai - (Tamil) a raised sit out at the entrance of a house

vaidika - derived from or conformable to the Vedas; vedic

vaidikaL - (Tamil) one who performs a vedic ceremony

vairAgya - freedom from worldly desires

vastram - cloth

vibhUtiH - holy ashes, power, valor, omniscience, omnipotence

vid - a learned man, conversant

vimocanam - liberation, deliverance, unyoking, alighting

yogyatA - skill, ability, fitness

10-Shambhu's Murti

Author: Sri JanaardanAnanda Saraswathi (in Sanskrit)

Translated by: SriMaTham R. Balakrishna shastri (in Tamil)

Source: Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 2, page 221

Publisher: Vanathi Padhippaham

('There is no sAdhu like an avadhAni' thus was praised by Sri Maha SwamigaL,

a mahAn who had the title Sri JanaardanAnanda Saraswathi.

Shambhor Murti is a very wonderful literary work he wrote in Sanskrit.

Periyavaa's biography is totally written in an adhyAtmika point of view.

SriMaTham Balakrishna ShastrigaL has translated in Tamil this work which

flows like a stream in Sanskrit. Some passages of the interesting work titled

Shambhuvin Murti are given below.)

*** *** ***

In order to teach AtmavidyA and save the people who are trapped in the

jungle of ignorance, and suffering from the intense heat of mundane

existence, Shambhu's figure in the form of Sri Sankaracharya passes through

this world, renouncing its silence and starting from the base of the banyan

tree.

*** *** ***

It is a regulation that for the mUrtis to which puja is done traditionally at

SriMaTham, only a person who takes the title pIThAdhipati can do the puja.

When the pundit who knew the regulations of SriMaTham explained to the

young ascetic that 'this one was Sri Chandramouleesvara and this Sri Tripura

Sundari', they did not seem new to the lad who took over as pIThAdhipati in

his twelfth year. It seemed to him that he had a longtime connection with

them.

When doing an arcanA, the feeling should be 'I remain as God'; there should

no such thought as the self being different from the God that is worshipped.

-- This was explained by the authorized pundit of SriMaTham.

Bala Swami got into some serious thought. 'Is it not that this knowledge of

unity should be present ever? If it is said 'at the time of performing a

worship' does it mean that the jiva brahma abheda buddhi should be present

only at that time?' With this idea in mind he simply asked, "only when doing

an arcanA?"

SriMaTham disciples were very happy at the revelation that SwamigaL was a

jnana vruddha, though he was a lad.

*** *** ***

Tiruvanaikkaval Akhilandeswari temple maha kumbhAbhiSekam with tATangakah

pratiSTA. The right to conduct this temple ceremony rested with Sri Kamakoti

pIThAdhipatis from the ancient times. But then, now Sri Sringeri

pIThAdhipatis contended this right.

The case went to the court. The judgment that was given was 'only Sri

Kamakoti pIThAdhipatis have the right in this matter, Sri Sringeri

pIThAdhipatis should not stay in the place, they should go elsewhere.'

The news of the judgment was informed to Bala Swami. Sri SwamigaL said:

"In the court judgment a feature that is not relevant to the case is told. It

was not needed to say it. Isn't it the case about the right of

kumbhAbhiSekam? The court should have given judgment that was relevant

only to that subject."

Sri Sringeri SwamigaL appreciated Sri Kamakoti pIThAdhipati SwamigaL for

speaking frankly and clearly on a complicated subject.

*** *** ***

Looking at his divya rUpam, some people think that he has conquered

manmatha by his figure. Listening to the expertise of his words, some people

think that he is the sarvajhna who is wearing kalAnidhi on his head as an

ornament. Looking at the enticing movements of his limbs, some people,

experiencing the amrita rasam-dripping looks that float from the corner of his

eye, are happy considering him as Sri Kamakshi, the Lady of the City of Sri

Kanchi and the beloved of Ekambaranatha. Since Sri Acharya remains a

sarvAtmaka, it is only appropriate that different people are delighted with him

in different ways.

*** *** ***

The actions of men are of two kinds: doing as pleased, doing as decreed in

Shastras.

The pravrutti of doing as it pleases is seen the most among people. That does

not result in lofty puruSArthas. Only the conduct according to Shastras is

capable of giving the four puruSArtha (dharma, artha, kAma, mokSa). But

then it has declined. Which is why Arjuna thought that the para dharma

shanti was better for him than his own dharma?

Bhagavan, who wished his welfare, however, made a person like him stand

upright in the conduct as decreed in Shastras.

Just as Sri Krishna did, with the intent of obviating the indulgent actions

throughout the Bharata Bhumi and establishing the Shastra-decreed actions,

and with a purpose to make the people remain in dharmic conduct, yativara

(Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi SwamigaL) undertook his vijaya yAtra from

Rama Sethu to Kasi, the capital of Visveshwara.

*** *** ***

Just as the terms sarvajhna, Ishvara used with Parameshvara, are not formal

usages, (gauNa prayoga), but words that denote the truth, the shabda,

jagatguru used to denote Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi, the yati shreSTa, is

also not a gauNa prayoga, but a satya prayoga.

(Calling a courageous person a line cub or a wealthy man a raja are examples

of gauNa prayogas or upacAra prayogas.)

To call Paramesvaran the One who knows everything, and the One who rules

over everything is not a formal usage, but a true usage. In the same way, to

call Sri SwamigaL jagatguru is also a satya vacas and not a upacAra prayoga.

*** *** ***

Upanishads as the end of the Vedas teach many paths--advaita, samkhya,

yoga, pasupada, vaishnava. People follow a path they choose.

'Just as the rain that falls on different mountains, gush through differently

named rivers and reach the ocean, people who follow different paths all reach

You, who is the ultimate destination!' (says the bhakta kavi Pushpadanta in his

Shivamahimna Stotram).

Sri CaraNar decided to highlight the truth 'All darshans have a determined

goal. There is no hostility about that goal'. Therefore, in the city of Chennai,

he arranged for a sammelana called shanmadAcharya parishad. From all over

the country sAkta, gANapatya, saura, vaishnava, kaumara, saiva

pIThAdhipatis came together, discussed and associated among themselves.

This parishad proved that Sri CaraNar was equal to everyone and that he did

not like the arguments of separation.

*** *** ***

Sri CaraNar, who was devoted to the Veda and Vedanta paths, established

many sabhas such as Veda Dharma Shastra Paripalana Sabha, Advaita Sabha,

and NiyamAdhyayana Parishad. He motivated the Veda adhyApaka and

vidyArthin in all places of the Bharata Bhumi, honouring them in many ways

and rewarding them.

In West Bengal, there were numerous people who belonged to the gautama

shAkhA of the Sama Veda, but there was not single person who studied and

practiced it. When he came to know this, he established a pAThashAlA in

Kolkatta that taught three Vedas, chiefly Sama Veda. He raised the status of

the Sama-Shukla Yajur Vedic School in Varanasi city, Uttarpradesh to a

Shastra school that also taught NyAya and Vedanta. He founded two schools

in Utkala (Orissa) Sri Jagannatha kSetram and arranged for teaching the

pippala shAkhA of Atava Veda, and Shukla Yajur Veda. He also founded a

large school in Hospet, Karnataka that had facilities to study all the Vedas

with their angAs and upAngAs and the Veda bhASyas. In the same manner, he

established several schools in the Tamil and Telegu regions.

Near Nasik, Maharashtra, there was only one person who had studied the

maitrAyaNIya shAkhA of the Yajur Veda. No one came to learn and practice

that branch of Veda from him. Similarly, it came to be known that there were

no students in Kerala to practice the rANayaNI shAkhA of the Sama Veda.

As he came to know this, Sri CaraNar immediately sent suitable students to

those regions and gave a new lease of life to the declining shAkhAs.

*** *** ***

Although there was always a crowd around him, Sri CaraNar, who always kept

his mind engaged in Chandramouleesvara puja and meditation, did never have

any anxiety or worry of mind. No paleness of body; no cloudiness or change of

color of face; no harshness or anaucitya of speech; though redness was found

in his eye, it was not due to anger, but only the mark of maha purushas. With

apparently no sankalpa to do anything, he looked like the sky where the

autumnal moon (sharad candra) was shining,

*** *** ***

Although he involves the people in the good things that are to be done, and

involves himself in them, he remains with a controlled mind as one who has

never smelled the fruits of an action. No worry such as 'Oh it needs to be

done' in any matter; no attachment to anything; no grief or confusion in

anything.

*** *** ***

Like Sri Ramachandra Prabhu, he acts with the purpose of setting an example

in the path of dharma that he wants to establish in the world. (It is said in

Ramatapani Upanishad, dharma margam caritreNa, jnana margam ca nAmadaH)

*** *** ***

Since the last four or five years, Sri CaraNar's state looks very different.

What strict niyamas were observed in snAna, pAnam, sharira shuddhi, pUjA,

dhyAna earlier, were now seen to be indifferent to. It is said in Gita that

this is a state of brAhmI sthiti (the state of remaining as parabrahman).

*** *** ***

Just as in Kailash with all its aishvaryas, surrounded by the adhipati of the

army of devas and the adhipati of pramada gaNas (viz. Kumaraswamy and

GaNanathan), the adhipati of all vidyAs Sri Parameswara is shining, here, in

Sri Kamakoti pITham pujya pada Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi SwamigaL is

shining in the Kanchi kSetra, surrounded by the two yatIndras Sri Jayendra

Sarawathi and Sri Vijayendra Sarawathi.

11-PeriyavaaL and We

Author: Kamala Gurusankar (in Tamil)

Source: Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 1, pages 217-235

Publisher: Vanathi Padhippaham

(The author uses the second person singuar 'nee' in Tamil to refer to

Paramacharya. She also switches back and forth in the three tenses in this

wonderful narration of her experiences. I have tried to maintain the poetic

flow of her thoughts and emotions as much as I can. -- saidevo)

jaya jaya shankara -- hara hara shankara

jaya jaya shankara -- hara hara shankara

kanchi shankara -- kamakshi shankara

kaladi shankara -- kamakoti shankara

These chantings are heard from some distance. Just the noise with no clear

words or meanings initially. Going near, they become clear, and the tiny hairs

of the body stand erect. There comes a large crowd, progressing slowly, like

an army of ants. No pomp, no decorations, no shouts. People of different

castes, speaking different languages, village folks, urbanites, men, women,

children--everyone singing a bhajan in their familiar language; different

namAvalis back and forth in the same procession.

A good sunshine of a four-o'-clock sun. Does the sun play a hide and seek

game? A little cloudiness, seen here and there. A small cycle rickshaw in the

middle of the crowd. As if it's from a circus. Torn jute blankets on and above

it; a mat, an umbrella made of screw pine flowers; plus some sundry items.

With someone dragging the vehicle, behind it, holding the vehicle--You! (Nee!-

-the author uses a singular form of address throughout). As we see you

nearby, we fall down and prostrate on the road itself, our hands and body

shaking. You do not stop or wait, but bless with your eyes, as you continue to

walk. Are they your eyes? No no, they are oceans of mercy!

I was thinking for countless years to see you, to have your darshan. That

yearning in the heart, whenever I hear about you, or read about you. It

occurred to look for what is written about you, whichever magazine is taken.

An apprehension that perhaps it may not be possible to see you. In those

times, you were near Kanchi. Countless number of times we have come to

Madras. I have requested to come over to Kanchi and see you at least once. I

have begged. We are all ordinary people. Trifles. Thinking that only food,

sleep, unnecessary pomp and gossip are the primary things. We will go

wherever we like to go, spend whatever we like to spend. But then it is not

possible to come over and see you.

Every day, when I light the Swami lamp and look at your portrait, I would

feel the twirl of distress in the mind that it would not be possible to see you

with human efforts, unless you called. I never spoke my wish in words. Did

you hear it, anyhow? If the child gets hungry, it need not cry to show its

hunger The mother would understand it herself. Like that, my pain has been

understood by you.

Is it because of my yearning that I couldn't see you that you are coming all

the way to see me? What do you have, a car or a railway coach? You come

walking on this tar road, your feet aching. Worn on those feet, torn rubber

slippers, repaired with manji naar.

Was it a mile, or two? How long you have walked! Appa! You are coming walking

all the way, over thousands of miles. This place we live in, this Hubli city,

whatever puNyam it had accumulated, to have your footprints. We never

thought even in dream that you would come. But then you are coming, it's a

reality. Torn saffron vastram. Some covering over it, made of the fibres of a

tree-bark. Rudrakshas on your neck and head.

A minute's doubt when we look at you. Is it a human figure? No, no. It is

only that Lord Parameswara who is walking on, wearing a tiger-skin! A

moment's satisfaction of having had darshan of bhagavan. bhagavan is

appearing to us in your figure!

That day you took bath several times for your Ashrama dharma. With the

result, you had intense cold and fever, people who were with you tell us. If it

is just a human body primarily meant to take food, it would necessitate in

seeking treatments, care and comforts, lying down.

But then in your 86th year of age, without proper food or any sort of

comforts, you are walking on with fever. That is the strength of your tapas.

Solid power. You appear as a mixture of man and God. Human body, divine

energy. Goddess Shakti is residing in you. That is why you appear as God, as

Shiva. People say that on that day you had already walked for eighteen

kilometers, so you should not strain further. It is only we who strain you. We

invite you to come here and there and everywhere.

As the sun had started going down, you are received in a roadside village, to a

garden, near a cattle shed, in a small hut, its roof woven with straw. Like a

small child, sometimes you too listen to everybody and give your consent.

Did not you feel tired, walking so much distance? Did not you have thirst and

hunger? At this hour, when the light is fading, you are sitting in a small hut,

not knowing any fatigue, giving darshan to thousands of people; isn't it a great

thing? Only when a king is sitting in his palace, he has thousands of worries.

Here, before a pauper, is sitting on the sand and dust, the Maharaja of

Sandur, with his family--and so much joy in his mind!

On the next day, since you wanted to go on pattina prevesam, we prostrate

and take leave of you and unwillingly leave you at the village border and get

back. My husband is given the responsibility to repair the crystal garland of

yours that got severed. What puNyam did we do, to have in our hands the

garland that adorned your body? We repeatedly touch and see it with

excitement.

You won't eat anything. You have no hunger or thirst. No fatigue. But then

aren't your assistants just ordinary people? They have their hunger and

thirst. On that night they say that they do not have the strength even to

prepare their food. But you wouldn't let them go to sleep with hunger and

thirst. You would demand to be shown at least some uppuma (kitchadi) or rava

porridge. I say that I will send them some food. And they say that they

would prepare a little of uppuma and show it to you. What to do? To satisfy

you, they need to sometimes deceive you.

It was a Saturday. The entire city is abuzz, since you are arriving there on

the next day. We know that you wouldn't enter houses. Still, festoons in

every house; Kolam designs on the floor, made with flour. We have decorated

everything with flowers. The look and feel of a wedding ceremony everywhere.

Everyone is excited. Happy. Immense joy in everybody's heart. Our home is

full of holy articles and grocery.

Why so much joy and happiness on your arrival? Are you a king, or a big

politician? A millionaire? Or a cinema or drama actor? You are just a pauper

with nothing on hand. A sanyAsin. A sanyAsin of sanyAsins. At least a

sanyAsin will have a maTham. You don't have even that. Such a bhAgyaM for

us?

We were considering where to house you when you consented to visit us. The

worry was that we did not have a river bed, a pond or a well that is required

for you. By chance, we had dug a well in our garden, and it was full of water.

The remaining work on the well was completed in haste and a holy worship was

performed to it. A small hut was built, touching the fence of our house and a

shed was erected near it. Vacating the outhouses of our home, it was

arranged to house your people and facilitate their cooking.

Henceforth, no mention as 'you'; only 'Periyavaa'!

On the next day, a Sunday, on 13-5-79, it is the 86th jayanti of PeriyavaaL.

We have the fortune to celebrate it in Hubli. Under his (Gurusankar, my

husband) leadership a committee comprising the people of Dharwar assembled.

The VIPs held counsel among them and collected money from the people.

Everyone was given a specific job in the arrangements to receive PeriyavaaL

and celebrate his jayanti. The arrangements were made under the supervision

of Sri Balachandra Sastri, a vedic pundit in Dharwar. Whenever we think

about the name mentioned above, we remember what PeriyavaaL said: "You

shoud pronounce the name as Phalachandra, not Balachandra. It means one

with a forehead that resembled the moon."

On the Sunday morning, after having our bath, with pUrna kumbhA and holy

music we all go at the time of dawn, to the place where PeriyavaaL was

staying, to receive him and get his blessings. PeriyavaaL is brought into the

city in a procession along the Gadag Road, with bhajans, namAvalis and

nAdaswara music. Some of us leave the procession, come back home and wait

at the gate to receive PeriyavaaL with Arati. The cottage meant for

PeriyavaaL has been erected in the golf course near our compound wall. Green

grounds as far as eye can see. A railway line on the opposite side of the

cottage. Beyond that the Udipi Krishnan temple and the Raghavendra

Brindavan. Since it was a large ground we thought we could manage the crowd,

but we faced much difficulties as the crowd that assembled was far larger.

At some distance from our home, say about three kilometers away, the

jayanti arrangements have been made in a Hanuman temple. AyuSya Homa,

Navagraha Homa and many others, done by 121 brahmins with the chanting of

mantras was a sight that eyes could not accommodate. As requested by the

city notables, my husband and I acted as kArya kartAs, maintaining

ceremonial purity (madi) and observing the dharmic and vaidik regulations, and

went to the Hanuman temple to honour PerivaaL. We haven't seen such

arrangements and divine presence so far. Shastrokta puja and vaidik acts are

begun. Vaidikas from different parts of the South have assembled.

The homas begun in the morning go up to nearly three in the afternoon.

PeriyavaaL is brought in a procession to the Hanuman temple. A heavy rush of

people. PeriyavaaL is sitting on a small stage opposite the homa gundam. The

buzz of people everywhere.

In the vasodara homam performed, my husband and I pour ghee during

pUrNAhutI. PeriyavaaL sitting opposite us. After the homa is completed, we

take the prasAda and tIrtha, go to PeriyavaaL, and prostrate, with the rush

of people surging behind us. PeriyavaaL accepts the prasAda. Somebody gives

a bilva garland to my husband asking him to offer it to PeriyavaaL, who

accepts the garland taking it from my husband's hands and wearing it himself.

This same garland is given back to us as prasAda. I could not control the

tears of joy and my body is shaking. Such a bhAgyaM for us! Whose puNya is

this? Ordinarily, one gets countless fortunes in life. But then the bhAgyaM of

honourng a mahAn to whose feet the world prostrates--how can I term it?

Only the fruits of earlier births. It only occurs to us to pray 'Hey bhagavan!

Make us the best people in this life and give us this same fortune, birth after

birth!'

As soon as we got PeriyavaaL's prasAda, the women there touched our feet

and said one after another we were so much fortunate. I went very emotional

and cried. And then, saris and blouses were distributed to 27 sumangalis, and

skirts to spinster girls who sat for the kanyA girls' puja. It was nearly five o'

clock when everything was over and we took our food. By then PeriyavaaL had

started from there, and walking a dirty way we thought he should not happen

to walk through, reached his cottage.

*** *** ***

When we see the news that PeriyavaaL is staying in a place called Hagari near

Bellary, we couldn't contain our joy. This is an episode of 14 or 15 months

back before he arrived at Hubli. At that time my mother-in-law, father-in-

law and sisters-in-law have all come over to our home at Hubli.

We all start and go to the river banks of Hagari where we are presently

sitting. PeriyavaaL is in his japa inside the cottage. Suddenly a flame of light

at the entrance to the cottage. As if there is no difference between the

tender morning sunlight and his saffron clothes, everything looking the same

color, as a flame of light, he gives us a sudden darshan. Then was our first

darshan of PeriyavaaL. We look at him, filling our eyes with the sight, as if it

was a vindication of this birth of ours. But then they say that PeriyavaaL

observes kASTa maunam on that day. We also remain there till evening and

then get back. Like cats that have tasted milk, we go back to him for

darshan, again and again.

It was evening when we went to Hagari the next time. PeriyavaaL is sitting in

a new Shiva temple whose construction is in progress. It is more or less dark.

A standing brass lamp and a hurricane lamp are burning steadily. We prostrate

to him with our children. When my husband told him his name (Gurusankar) he

asked, "Who gave you this name? And what for did they give you this name?"

My husband said that it was his grandfather who gave the name and that he

did not know the reason for this particular name. PeriyavaaL called an

assistant and asked him to write down the name on the floor and show him. He

then inquired about our native place and family and asked if the names Vedic

School Krishnaiyer and Divan Seshaiyer had ever fell on our ears. We said no.

(Later, when we made inquiries, it was known that they were our ancestors).

He asked if we had come by the Railway First Class or Saloon. And he told my

husband, "Till this date, electrical engineers have not been posted in this

railway post? How did you get it? Mostly, only those from the operating

department are posted as D.S."

PeriyavaaL inquired my husband about the extent of his jurisdiction. He asked,

"Do you know that a road goes parallel to the railway line from Raichur to

Poona?" This man (ivar) said that he did not know. He asked about Poly

Vaidhyanath. We were then worrying that our son Sankar was not able to

secure a seat of admission in any of the colleges. I thought within my mind

that he should get an admission and come up well in life. I did not even tell

this to PeriyavaaL. But my son got a seat in a college due to PeriyavaaL's

grace and also studied well. He had PeriyavaaL's anugraham in many respects.

I have narrated this episode to tell how PeriyavaaL asked us about our

ancestors. Nearly a year after this happened, did he come to Hubli. He

stayed at Hampi and Hospet for a long time.

Let us now continue PeriyavaaL's jayanti at Hubli. About ten o' clock in the

night after the jayanti vaibhavam was over. We were all with PeriyavaaL. On

that day, devotees continued to arrive from different parts of India. They

came in special buses and cars. Since we had no accommodation even in that

large hourse of ours, we made arrangements for them to sleep in the portico,

car shed and other such places.

PeriyavaaL is sitting in the light of the standing brass lamp. The hut is

otherwise dark. Even people who were standing were not properly visible. He

called us inside suddenly and asked, "Here, the one who is standing, isn't she

your relative?" We couldn't understand instantly who or what. The woman's

voice from behind replied, "Yes, yes." When we came to know it, it was

Parvathi, who was standing then, the daughter of Mysore Chottappa's elder

brother. Only then was it known that she was a relative. Periyavaa asked

again, "On that day I asked you about Krishnaiyer, Seshaiyer. You said you

did not know them. So later on you asked someone to know about them. Whom

did you ask? May be you asked some elder person in the home," and replied to

his question himself. He also asked us about the children's education. Then he

inquired about the arrangements made on that day for the jayanti including

details such as how many persons dined. Then he started narrating himself

that on that day someone brought Ganga jalam for his bath, that a mango

fruit he had in his hand slipped and fell in the water pot and that later when

he tasted the water it was very sweet.

Chuckling to himself like a child he said that he himself couldn't understand,

'Did Ganga become sweet because of the mango fruit? Or, because of Ganaga

the mango fruit became sweet?' and laughed. He ate a little of that mango

fruit and sent the remaining fruit to us. We also received the Ganga jalam.

Both were very sweet. The reason why Ganga tasted as if suger was added to

it was not clear.

At eleven o' clock in the night, some people came in a car from Kanchipuram,

carrying the prasAdams of the puja done for PeriyavaaL. We made way for

them and came out.

Those who arrived slipped a large garland around PeriyavaaL's neck as

Kamakshi's prasAdam. And they tied Kamakhsi's rose-coloured silk vastram as

a holy scarf around PeriyavaaL's head (parivattam). Periyavaa asked, pointing

to his head, "Is there a golden lace in this?" They replied in the affirmative.

He asked, "The lace is a dotted one?" They said yes. He touched the cloth

and asked, "Is this silk or fibrous silk? It feels like silk to touch." "Yes, silk

only." "O they have brought and tied silk to my head!"

In two coconut halves were Kamakshi's prasAdams: the arcanA kuN^kumam

and homa bhasmam. He took both of them and applied them profusely to his

forehead. It was a sight that our eyes couldn't accommodate. Then as he

started talking to those who had come, about the MaTham and such things, we

left the room and were standing outside. Soon he asked, "Where is she?

Gurusankar's bhAryA? Call her." We were somewhat apprehensive as he called

us all of a sudden. We both go inside and prostrate. He took both the coconut

halves along with the prasAdams and dropped them in my hands. Nothing was

immediately intelligible to me. The greatness of the act was understood only

when we were told, "what amount of puNya should you have accumulated to

receive Kamakshi prasAdam from Periyavaa's hands!"

In this manner, PeriyavaaL darshan for four days and nights. Days of

happiness. Inexpressible joy. The most puNya-filled days of our life.

House full of people. What name? What place? What ancestry? What status?

Nothing we knew. Everyone looks very close to us. Seems we can talk to

everyone in an AtmArta way. All seem to be part of a large family. Everyone

of the PeriyavaaL family, which was filled only with devotion and love. We met

different kinds of people; and were delighted sharing the experiences of each

other.

Fourth day. Suddenly he comes out of his cottage and checks the air in the

rickshaw tyres by pressing them. Does he hint at his departure from here?

The disciples confirm it. "Periayavaa knows that after many days we are

comfortable in your house, so he would leave now" they say. We prostrate to

him that night and tell him that it was our wish that Periyavaa should come to

our garden and sit for sometime. He does not reply. A long silence. The people

around us jeer at us. 'Must be fortunate to have Periyavaa come such a long

distance. Still is he needed to come inside the garden?" they laugh.

We go to PeriyavaaL early the next morning. We are taken aback at the news

he tells us. Periyavaa says that he went round our garden at two in the night

and we did not see him as we were fast asleep! An inexpressible sadness and

disappointment in our hearts. We stand in silence, with tears in our eyes. We

do not know if our asking him to come inside was right or wrong.

PeriyavaaL is doing japam. Suddenly he got up and looked around, his japam

disturbed. As he suddenly ascended the stairs to our garden and slowly went

round our house, one of his wooden sandals broke. Just the knob was found

between the digits of his toe. He did not stop because of that. Wearing a

sandal on one foot and just a knob on the other he started walking. His

assistants ran and brought another pair of sandals. What a compassion!

Knowing that the moment we learned about his night trip to our garden we

would feel immensely distressed, for our peace and joy, to make another trip

to our house in our presence--what to tell of that mercy? What to compare it

with? Only an ocean of mercy.

His sudden departure for another place gave us pains. Everyone started

following PeriyavaaL from our house. Suddenly the house became empty. It

was like a theatre after the play was over. It seemed that all relatives have

left us in a single day. But then Periyavaa, who is everyone's relative, coming

and staying with us, blessing us and giving measureless anugraham -- it is

something to reminisce repeatedly with joy throughout this birth.

After we had darshan of PeriyavaaL, the anugraham and anubhavam we got

can't be expressed in words. He has made us happy telling things like a

grandfather, a close relative, a mother would tell us. To say that suger is

sweet is not enough; only when we put it in our mouth could we know about its

taste. In the same way, it might be difficult for others to understand the

extent of our experiences with PeriyavaaL if we talk or write about them. The

greatness and rarity of it could be known only when a person actually

experiences it in an AtmArta manner.

12-Maha PeriyavaaL's Story About the Value of annadhAnam

Author: Sri S. Ramani Anna (in Tamil)

Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Jan 18, 2007

It was the time when Kanchi Maha SwamigaL was staying in Kalavai, many

years before. It was a Sunday. A large crowd had gathered for darshan. One

by one the devotees prostrated to the sage, received his blessings and moved

away. A middle-aged couple prostrated to AcharyaL and stood up with folded

palms. Keenly looking at them, SwamigaL said, "adede... who (is this)... Palur

Gopalan! You came a year back. That time you spoke about some problems.

Aren't you fine now?" and laughed.

That Palur Gopalan replied, "We are very fine Periyavaa. As directed by you,

from the time we started feeding an atithi in the noon time everyday, only

good things are happening, Periyavaa! Good harvest in (my) fields. The cows

don't die as before! The money that dripped out of hands without control for

expenses stays in hands now. All that is (due to) the greatness of the atithi

bhojana you have asked us to do, by your anugraha. I am doing it daily.

Nothing else (is the reason for the prosperity)." Tears filled his eyes as he

spoke. His wife who was standing by his side was also in tears of joy.

AcharyaL said, "besh, besh. It is fine if you have understood that good things

happen due to the act of atithi bhojana. Alright. Today both of you have

come over here. There in Palur--who will do the atithi bhojana?" AcharyaL

inquired worriedly.

Gopalan's wife replied promptly, "We have made alternative arrangements for

that Periyavaa. atithi bhojana will not be missed even for a day."

Maha SwamigaL was very happy to hear it. "That's the way you should do it.

You must have a resolution to feed the hungry. Doing atithi upacAra will give

such an anugraha and safeguard the family! One day [i]sAkSAt Parameshvara

himself will come in the form of an atithi, will sit and eat, you know that?"

SwamigaL was talking with kutUhala. To listen to these anugraha words, the

people standing in the queue surrounded him. He asked everyone to sit down on

the floor. The crowd of devotees sat down.

A devotee asked SwamigaL: "Is there such greatness in doing atithi bhojana,

Swamy?"

SwamigaL replied immediately. "Yes yes! It is a maha puNya dharma that could

lead to mokSa! It has benefited a number of people! Only when you ask people

like this Gopalan who have experienced it, they will tell you. Such a lofty

dharma is this one!"

A devotee got up and prostrated to the sage. He said with humility, "My name

is RamaSethu. Tiruvannamalai is my native place. We all pray together to

AcharyaL. We desire to listen more elaborately about the greatness of this

atithi bhojana in a way we can understand it. Periyavaa should take mercy on

us!"

SwamigaL asked him to be seated. The devotee complied. Everyone was

watching the walking God in silence. That parabrahmam started talking after

sometime.

"My memory is that it was (the year) thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight

or thirty-nine. SriSankara MaTham was doing its administration from

KummoNam (Kumbakonam). I am going to tell (you about) an incident that

happened at that time. If you listen to it devotedly, the greatness that lies in

this (incident) can be understood! I shall tell you (now), listen (carefully)."

Swamigal stopped for a brief while and then continued: "There was a large

house on the western bank of the Kummonam Maamaanga (Mahamaha) kulam. A

grocer by name Kumaresan Chettiar was living in that house. I remember very

well... The name of his dharma patni was Sivakami Achi. They belonged to

Pallathur near Karaikudi. That couple had no children. They had brought a

dependable boy from their native place and kept him with them for taking care

of the grocery shop.

"At that time, the age of Kumaresan Chettiar was perhaps fifty or fifty-five.

That Achi's (age was) perhaps within fifty. At all times only the nama

smaraNa 'Shiva Shiva... Shiva Shiva' would be issuing out of the mouth of

those two people. There was no other talk! Chettiar had in his house a single-

bullock cart. Seating Achi in the cart, Chettiar himself would drive! Every day

both them would arrive in their cart at the banks of Kaveri to take bath.

Finishing (their) bath, they would come to our MaTham, prostrate, receive the

blessings and go back. They were such an intimate couple. About them, I am

going to tell (you now) something that will overshadow all these, look (listen)!"

He took to silence to keep them in suspense for sometime. The devotees were

waiting with eager expectations. AcharyaL started speaking again: "You know

what work that couple had been doing for many years? To serve and feed the

atithis! Don't be surprised! They would entertain the Shiva disciples with food,

every day at noon in the hall of their house, without shrinking a face,

whatever the number of disciples they received as guest. They would seat the

disciple in the thinnai at the entrance (of their house), wash his feet with

water, wipe with a cloth, apply sandal paste and vermillion to them and lead

them to the hall and seat them there.

"They did not have any cook in their house! That amma would cook with her

own hands, whatever number be the guests of Shiva disciples! Another

important thing--if you ask what it is--is that they would inquire from the

Shiva disciples the details of the vegetables and dishes they like, go and get

them, cook and serve them! Such an elevated mind! Do you think how SwamigaL

knew about all these things... There is no sort of secrecy about it. (One Sri)

Sundaram Iyer, who was close to the MaTham, was looking after the accounts

of Kumaresan Chettiar. Only he would tell me these things when he was free.

Understand now?"

AcharyaL stopped for sometime and relaxed. None of the seated moved an

inch. They were all looking with fixed eyes at Maha SwamigaL. That walking

God continued: "One day it was raining very well. (It was) noon time.

Kumaresan Chettiar came to the entrance (of his house) and looked (here and

there). No atithi was in sight! Holding an umbrella, he descended the steps of

the Mahamaham pond and surveyed the scene. A Shiva disciple was seated

after bath in a small building there, wearing vibhUti (all over his body).

Chettiar prayed to him and brought him for dining (at his home). He seemed

somewhat like a well-read Shiva disciple. He came singing Thevaaram. Washing

his feet, Chettiar led him to his hall and seated him. The couple prostrated to

the Shiva disciple. Chettiar's dharma patni went to the disciple and asked,

'What vegetables are the favourite of Swamy? Please tell me, so I can go to

the shop, get and serve them after cooking.'

"It seemed that the Shiva disciple was in good hunger. He got up and went to

the backyard and looked around. He saw sprouts of tender spinach there. He

came inside, called the mother and said that he needed nothing except the

tender spinach in koottu and their stems in sambar and that it would be

sufficient for him. Chettiar went to pluck the spinach with a bamboo plate in

his hand. The rain had stopped by then. Since it was becoming late, the Shiva

disciple who was very hungry, decided to give a helping hand for plucking the

spinach, so he asked for a bamboo plate and went to the backyard.

"Sivakami Achi was standing at the backyard entrance, watching the two men

pluck the spinach. Both of them placed their plates inside the house after

enough spinach was plucked. You know what that amma did immediately? She

washed the two spinach plates separately. She lit two furnaces, kept the

spinach in two separate pans on the furnaces and started cooking. The Shiva

disciple who was looking at her act was surprised! He was confused: 'What is

this? Both the plates has the same spinach sprouts. Without using a single

vessel to cook them why this mother lights two furnaces and cooks them

separately?'

"After sometime, that amma took the pans out of the furnaces, took the

disciple's spinach only to the puja room and offered it as nivedana to Swami.

The disciple who was watching it was pleased with immense pride! Know what

he had thought? He decided, 'I am a big Shiva bhakta. Sannyasi. So this

mother has understood that Lord Shiva would accept only the spinach I

plucked and offers it as nivedana. Still I would ask the mother herself after

my meal about the offering.'"

Stopping here briefly, SwamigaL watched the devotees sitting opposite him.

Nobody lowered a jaw. He continued: "The Shiva disciple, who had finished his

dining, asked that Achi about his doubt. You know what reply did the Achi

give? (She said 'Ayya, when the spinach was plucked in the backyard, I was

watching. My husband chanted the name 'Shiva Shiva...' and plucked the

spinach. So it became ShivArpaNa then and there. There was no need to

offer it again. You plucked (the spinach) without chanting any name. That is

why, I lit a furnace, cooked your spinach separately and offered it to the

Lord.' The disciple was embarrassed to hear this. The couple then prostrated

to the disciple. He appreciated the Achi's bhakti and wisdom and started on

his way. They were a couple who served annam in such a way..."

AcharyaL stopped. The crowd of devotees was sitting with amazement.

Nobody lowered a jaw. SwamigaL continued: "You know what was the phala

prApti that was given to them for such incessant atithi bhojana? Some years

later, they celebrated their shashti apta pUrti (completion of 60 years of

age). On a Maha Shivaratri day they sat for darshan of the four sessions of

puja in the Kumbeswarar temple. When they returned home, that amma, who

sat in the puja room complaining of exhaustion, stretched out and breathed

her last. Shocked, the Chettiar called her by name and went inside, but he

too fell down and breathed his last. That was all. On that very day of Maha

Shivaratri both of them attained the Shiva sAyujya together. Did you see the

position that couple attained because of their act of incessant atithi bhojana?

Even now, on every Maha Shivaratri day, I would remember the couple. They

are the couple who served food in such a lofty manner."

AcharyaL finished. Tears seeped from the eyes of those who heard the story.

The walking God stood up and said, "Seems it is almost two o' clock. Everyone

will be hungry. Go inside and dine well", and bade them farewell with

compassion.

Glossary:

arpaNa - offering , delivering , consigning , entrusting

atithi - guest, a person entitled to hospitality (from a-tithi: one who has no

fixed day for coming)

bhojana - feeding, enjoying, eating

kulam - pond, usually near or in the precincts of a temple

kutUhala - curiosity , interest in any extra-ordinary matter

mokSa - emancipation, liberation, deliverance, release from

sAkSAt - before one's eyes, in person, in bodily form, visibily

sAyujy - intimate union, communion with

smaraNa - the act of remembering or calling to mind, calling upon the name of

a god, a rosary of beads held in hand, not worn as a necklace.

upacAra - service, act of civility, polite behavior

13-The bhakta parAdhIna and the Paattiamma

devotee:...... A very old woman (Paatti)

author:....... Raa. Ganapathi

source:....... KaruNaikkadalil sila alaigaL, pages 77-80

publisher:.... Divya Vidya Padhippaham (Jun. 2005 Edition)

type:......... book, Tamil

It is not clear to my mind if this incident happened at the SriMaTham camp in

Trichy National College High School campus, or Madurai Sethupathi High

School campus.

The darshan queue was stopped from moving because of some important

deliberation that was going on inside the SriMaTham camp. An old woman was

standing in the queue. She can be described as the old woman of old women!

She could have been over a hundred years old, standing bent at a right-angle,

a staff in her hand that she was holding shakily. She was crying with all the

tiredness of her soul: "Sankara, my Sankara! I was agitated if I would see

you, or leave this world without seeing you. You came seeking this place! Since

you have come, I came to have your darshan, but you have stopped me

(nirutthi vecchu-tiyedaa) Sankara!"

Sri Sambha Murthi SastrigaL was going inside the camp, passing the old woman

on his way. He was the pUrvAshrama younger brother of Maha PeriyavaL. He

was of a kind heart, true to the family blood that coursed his veins. No

sooner he heard the old woman's wail of yearning than he hastened his steps

towards the interior. As he entered, he told Sri CaraNar who was immersed in

an important delibration, "Outside--a Paatti--of a hundred or hundred and

twenty or whatever age. Stands yearning and wailing for Periyavaa's darshan."

Before the last words were out of his mouth, PeriyavaaL stormed outside!

"Why have you stopped me, Sankara?" The Paatti was wailing repeatedly. He

went to her, stood very near to her and said, "PaattI, here your Sankaran

has come. Look! Without knowing that you have come, I was busy with

something inside. And as I came to know it, here I have come running." The

Ruler of Grace spoke the words of nectar, which came up as the essence of

his love.

"Vanduttiya, Sankara (so you have come, Sankara)!", said Paatti and held his

hands tightly! The hands that were held by his mother Mahalakshmi AmmaL,

were held today by another person, after a span of about 55 years!

As she raised her face and looked at the holy visage of Sri CaraNar, the

vRiddhAmbikA (the good old mother) said, "Though you have come running for

my sake and stand before me, I cannot look at you properly with my dim

eyesight! ennappA (my son), only you should give me some good sight for a

good darshan."

It was the time of a hot sun. There was a narrow, thatched roof over the

heads of the people in the queue. At Paatti's words, the bhakta parAdhIna

jumped aside the shelter of the roof and stood in the hot son, barefooted!

"Is the vision better now, Paatti?" he said.

"It shows up very well ennappA, it shows very well!" Paatti patted her cheeks

loudly.

PeriyavaaL gave her a complete darshan of his person, letting sunlight fall well

on his face, tilting it, lifting it, and turning it in many angles, even turning his

whole body giving her a darshan of his back.

In a torrent of emotion, without knowing what she spoke, the old woman

stuttered and lisped, cried profusely and was very happy!

Sri CaraNar came near her again and said, "Have you seen me well Paatti! Can

I go?"

"Yes, I have seen you very well (PAtthuNtempa), my son! Even for this

anAmadeyam (nonentity), KaruNAmurti, you have given your darshan. I was

holding my soul just to see you. I have seen you know. Take me now my son,

take me!" The parama bhakta prayed to him.

"PaattI! When the time comes, let us take it. I shall ask you now to be

dropped in your place. Go there and remain in Swami smaraNa (remembrance

of God). Don't come running again to see me! I shall always be with you

without leaving you aside for a moment!" The kRupA varSA (shower of

compassion) gave her his words.

Is there anything that matches the bhAgyam of the Paatti who received such

words of assurance from Sri CaraNar who out of his modesty uses words only

sparingly when he gives his abhayam to the bhaktas?

Glossary:

ambikA - mother, good woman

kRpA - tenderness, compassion

parAdhIna - entirely engaged in or intent upon or devoted to

pUrvAshrama - of an earlier ashram or stage, before the sanyAsa stage

smaraNa - remembrance, reminiscence, recollection

varSa - rain, shower

vR^iddhA - old woman

14-"Where did you learn?"

As narrated by Sri D.Sivasubramanian, Dy. Director Handloom (Retd.) TN

Govt. now doing seva at Sri MaTham Office, with thanks to him for his

permission to post his recollection in KF:

As an ardent devotee of Kanchi MahaswamigaL, I have great pleasure to read

articles appearing in magaziness, souvenirs etc. about MahaswamigaL and I am

used to preserve them in my library.

On one such occasion I was thrilled by an article written by Dr. C.R.

Swaminathan, former Deputy Educational advisor to Govt. of India. given to a

souvenir. I reproduce a gist of the article, the message of which, I feel,

should be spread among the present generation.

This happened in the year 1956-57, when H.H. Sri Kanchi MahaswamigaL was

camping at the Madras Sanskrit College, Mylapore, Madras.

One evening, MahaswamigaL was about to address a huge gathering in which

great personalities like Rajaji were present. He was contemplating about the

topic he should speak on.

Suddenly, he called late Prof. Sankaranarayana Iyer, who was standing by the

side of the dais and recited two lines of a Sanskrit verse. He asked the

Professor if he remembered the remaining two lines of that verse. The

Professor pleaded ignorance and got down from the dais.

This conversation took place before the mike, so audience gathered could

easily hear its details. Dr. C. R. Swaminathan, the author of the article on

Mahaperiyava, heard the beginning of the Sanskrit verse that Periyavaa

recited. Since he happened to know the other two lines of the verse, he went

to Prof. Sankaranarayana Iyer and told him those two lines.

The Professor went up the dais again and recited the lines before

MahaswamigaL.

Mahaperiyava asked him, "You said you did not know the lines. How come you

know them now?"

The professor replied "Someone in the audience remembered it and told me."

Mahaperiyavaa inquired who was the person and told the Profession to call Dr.

Swaminathan to the dais. When he came, Paramacharya inquired about his

name and occupation. Then the sage asked, "Where did you study?" Thinking

that the question was about his academic education, Dr. Swaminathan replied

that he studied in the Presidency College, Madras.

"Not that. Where did you learn this verse?"

Dr. C.R. said that his grandfather taught him the verse when he was a child.

Paramacharaya inquired about his native place, his grandfather's name and his

family details. The entire conversation was held before the mike, so the

audience heard every bit of it.

The verse in question was the following:

arthathuranam na gurur na bandhu

kSudhAthuranam na ruciki na pakvam

vidyathurANAm, na sukham, na nidhrA

kamathuranam na bhayam na lajja

One who pursues wealth knows no guru or relations.

One who is hungry knows not taste or if the food was cooked well.

One who pursues knowledge knows neither comfort nor sleep.

One who has desires knows no fear or shame.

Later in the discourse, Paramacharya dealt with the Kenopanishad and

explained how Goddess Parvati came as a teacher to enlighten the celestials

about the supreme Brahmin.

When concluding the discourse, he referred to the earlier incident and said:

"Before I started delivering my discourse, I called a young man to the stage

to know where from he learnt the subhashita verse, of which I recited the

first half. I knew who he was. What I wanted him to tell you about his

reciting the other two lines this moral verse was that he had learnt it, not

from his school or college, but from his grand-father, and that during his

childhood days. It was to impress upon you all that children should get moral

education at home from elders because they cannot get it from the modern

schools and colleges".

Dr. Swaminathan concluded his article with these words:

"I am recalling this incident to show that an insignificant person like myself,

extremely nervous, while standing before H.H. on the dais, noticed by about

thousands of people forming the audience, could be utilisied by the Acharya to

drive home to the audience that (a) a joint family system with elderly parents

and grand parents can serve as a valuable supplement to the school education

of young children (b) the elders can usefully spend their time by narrating

such stories and morals to the children and (c) such teaching can be retained

in one's memory only if imparted at the formative age."

The above incident happened 50 years before, but the message holds good

even today and will stand for years to come.

15-Sita Rescued...The Boy's Voice Got Restored!

Author: Sri S. Ramani Anna (in Tamil)

Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Mar 18, 2007

An evening time many years ago. A large crowd in Kanchi Sri Sankara MaTham

to have darshan of Maha SwamigaL. Coming out of his room, SwamigaL stood

for a while looking keenly at the devotees crowd and then sat down leaning

against a wall. The devotees came in a line one at a time, prostrated to the

sage, spoke about their problems, received remedial advice and moved away. A

middle-aged man was standing in the queue holding tightly to a boy's hand.

Tears flooded his eyes and poured out in a stream. The boy stood motionless,

looking bewildered.

When he moved to stand before PeriyavaaL, he did a shASTaaN^ga

namaskaram (prostrated with eight limbs touching the ground). The boy also

prostrated.

Maha SwamigaL looked at him with narrowed eyes and inquired comfortingly,

"Endaappaa! Aren't you the Mylapore Auditor SankaraNarayanan? Why do you

stand with such soggy eyes? What is your problem?"

His grief swell with Periyavaa's words of comfort. He began to sob and said,

"Yes Periyavaa! An unbearable misery has fallen on me now. Don't know what

to do. You are my God, somehow only you should remedy it for me. There is

no other go!" He prostrated to the sage once again.

Understanding the situation, Periyavaa said with vAtsalyam (affection),

"Sankara, don't get worked up! You sit there for sometime. I shall call you

after these people have spoken to me and gone!" The sage pointed to a place

opposite him.

"As per your orders Periyaa... I shall do it." The Auditor sat opposite the

sage, at a distance. Within a half hour, the devotees had their darshan of

AcharyaaL and left. There were none there except SwamigaL's two assistants.

SwamigaL gestured to Auditor SankaraNarayanan to come to him. The Auditor

came and prostrated. Looking at him affectionately, AcharyaaL said,

"Sankara, is the practice going on (well)? You are the 'leading' auditor, so

what to speak about the practice? Alright, your father Panchapakesa Aiyer is

in Thajavaur (right)? He is well (I hope)?"

Wiping away his tears, the Auditor said, "The practice is going on well,

Periyavaa. My father and mother had gone to stay with my younger brother in

Bombay. It's two months now. Only for me a duHkham (distress) has happened

Periyavaa! I can't bear it... only you should get it rectified Periyavaa!" Saying

this, he hugged the boy nearby and started sobbing.

That walking God understood instantly that something related to the boy had

affected the Auditor Sankaranarayan's mind very much.

SwamigaL told him, "Shouldn't cry Sankara... Whatever it is, puruSa (men)

shouldn't let their eyes get soggy! Alright, who is this puLLaiyAndAn (boy),

your putra (child)?"

"Yes, Periyavaa! This is my son. Name Chandramouli. It was only for him

Periyavaa, suddenly..." SankaraNarayanan was unable to speak further, grief

choking his throat.

With a worried face, AcharyaaL asked him, "Sankara! What happened to him

suddenly? Chandramouli is studying in school?" and said comfortingly, "Why

don't you tell me in detail, without getting upset?"

Wiping his eyes SankaraNarayanan said, "Periyavaa, the boy Chandramouli is

studying in his seventh standard in the P.S. High School, Mylapore. He is

eleven now. Very shrewd in his studies. Stands first in the class. Twenty days

ago, suddenly his speech was gone, Periyavaa! When asked, he gestures that

he cannot talk. He has not gone to the school from that day. Takes his meals

and tiffin as usual, sleeps well, those things are alright Periyavaa, but then he

is not able to talk, what can I do? Only you should show mercy and make him

talk!" Tears rolled down his eyes as he prayed to the sage.

SwamigaL kept silent for sometime. Then he asked the Auditor, "You have the

custom of going to temples with the boy? Chandramouli has bhakti (devotion)

towards God?"

"He has it in plenty, Periyavaa. He would start for the school daily only after

he takes bath and recites the Kanda Shasti Kavacham and the shlokas on

Anjaneya and Rama. There is a large portrait of KothandaRamar in our house

Periyavaa; a Thanjavur portrait from my grandfather's days. This boy would

daily prostrate to it morninig and evening and would touch the feet of Sita and

Rama several times and then dab his eyes (with the fingers that touched the

feet). He would often say, 'I like Sita and Rama very much.' Two or three

days in a week he would go with his mother to Kapaliswara, Mundaka Kanni

Amman and Luz Anjaneya temples and have darshan. For such a good child,

this has come about Periyavaa..." Unable to control his grief,

SankaraNarayanan started sobbing again.

AcharyaaL pacified him and asked, after contemplating for sometime: "You

have the custom of taking him to the upanyAsas that take place in Mylapore?"

"I do Periyavaa! Sometimes I would take him personally. Even the previous day

before his speech had stopped, I had taken him for a Ramayana upanyAsa at

Rasika Ranjana Sabha. He listened to it with shraddhA (eagerness and trust).

And this happened on the next day!"

AcharyaaL laughed and said, "You mean to tell me that this happened due to

his listening to Ramayana?"

The Auditor patted his cheeks loudly. "Rama, Rama! Not that way Periyavaa! I

just wanted to tell you that it was from the next day (that he couldn't talk)."

"Aright. Whoever did the upanyAsa?"

"Srivatsa Jayarama Sarma, Periyavaa."

"Besh, besh. Somadeva Sarma's son; a good lineage; well read. Let it go,

Sankara. Did you show him to a doctor?"

"I did, Periyavaa."

"Who was the doctor?"

"Doctor Sanjivi."

"What does he say?"

"He did all the tests and said, 'Two nerves in his larynx are affected. He may

be alright with an operation.'"

"Did he not say that the boy would surely be alright (after the operation)?"

"He did not give that assurance, Periyavaa. Somehow, only you should make

him to regain his speech. Only you should save us!"

AcharyaaL talked after keeping silent for sometime. "You do one thing,

Sankara. You take the boy and visit all the temples in this city, have darshan

and pray. Take food in the MaTham and stay here for the night. You meet me

at ten in the morning, finishing your bath and any anuSTAnam (religious

routine) that you might have."

AcharyaaL's words were very comforting. Prostrating to Periyavaa, both of

them went away for temple darshans.

It was ten o' clock on the next morning. The walking God had come earlier and

was sitting. There was not much crowd, only five or six people were waiting.

Everyone of them had darshan and left. Prostrating to AcharyaaL,

SankaraNarayanan stood before him with hands folded on his chest. SwamigaL

looked at him penetratingly for a while and said: "Sankara, do one thing. Take

the boy to Mylapore Sri Kapaliswara temple, do a pUrNAbhiSekam (an

elaborate ablution) to Swami and AmbaaL and make the boy have darshan of

them. Thereafter what you do, keep looking for the news of the same

Srivatsa Jayarama Sarma holding a complete discourse on Srimad Ramayana.

If he holds the discourse in a temple or in a sabha (auditorium), do one thing,

from the Sundara Kaandam until Sri SitaRama PattaabhiSeka vaibhava (glory),

take Chandramouli and make him do shravaNa (listening)! What you do on the

day of completion with Sri SitaRama PattaabhiSeka, buy some good hill-grown

banana fruits, hand them over to paurANika (discourser), and both of you do

shASTaaN^ga namaskaram to him. You pray within your mind to that

PattaabhiSeka Sri SitaRama and the paurANika. That Pattabiraman will save

you... do not at all worry... good bye!" The Parabrahmam bade them farewell

with this advice.

The Auditor started checking daily for any news about Srivatsa Jayarama

Sarma's Ramayana pravacana (discourse) in Chennai. One day, he saw the

happy news that Sri Srivatsa Jayarama Sarma's Srimad Ramayana upanyAsa

will take place as navAham (for nine days) at Mylai Sri Shirdi Sai Baba

temple.

That was the day of starting the Sundara Kandam. SankaraNarayanan went to

Sri Sai Baba temple with Chandramouli. It was a moving upanyAsa and

Chandramouli listened to it forgetting all about himself. Sometimes tears

started issuing from his eyes. At those times, SankaraNarayanan caressed his

back and comforted him.

It was the day of completion of Srimad Ramayana upanyAsa. A 'good' crowd

in Mylai Sai Baba temple. At 10:30 hours in the night, Srivatsa Jayarama

Sarma finished the Sri SitaRama PattaabhiSeka narration and ended his

discourse telling the audience about the fruits of listening to a Ramayana

discourse. One by one, the people from the audience prostrated to him and

moved away. After both of them prostrated to him, SankaraNarayanan gave

the bunch of a dozen hill-grown banana fruits to Chandramouli, asking him to

submit them to the discourser and prostrate to him again. He did as his

father told him. The discourser took the banana bunch happily and gestured

them as arpaNa (offering) to the holy portraits of Sri Rama PattaabhiSekam

and Sri Shirdi Sai Baba behind him. Then he plucked two fruits from the

bunch, gave them to Chandramouli and said, "Kozhandhe! (my child!) You will

remain in prosperity. You eat both these fruits," and blessed him. As they

came out of the temple, Chandramouli ate the two bananas.

A miracle took place on the next morning. After he brushed his teeth in the

bath room and came to the hall, Chandramouli gave voice loudly to his mother,

"Amma, is the coffee ready?" Astonished, his father who was reading the

newspaper and his mother who was in the kitchen came running to the hall.

Chandramouli was standing there smiling.

"Was it you who gave the voice inquiring about the coffee, Chandramouli!" His

mother hugged and kissed him, happiness overwhelming her. SankaraNarayanan

took the boy on his shoulders and danced! Chandramouli started talking fluently

as before. All the familiar people came over and were happy witnessing this

change.

It was 5:30 hours in the evening on the same day. Maha SwamigaL was sitting

in ekAnta (alone). There was not much crowd. Auditor SankaraNarayanan came

in a van with ten to fifteen people.

The Auditor prostrated to the sage with Chandramouli and got up.

AcharyaaL's first question was, "Chandramouli, you are able to talk now

fluently? Besh, besh! It is all the grace of that SitaRama!"

Chandramouli immediately chanted loudly, "Hara hara Sankara... Jaya jaya

Sankara." Everyone stood in ecstasy.

That Parabrahmam talked after sometime. "Sankara, I shall tell you now,

listen! There was no other reason for this sudden happening to Chandramouli.

By nature he had abundant priya and bhakti (love and devotion) towards Sita

Devi and Sri Rama. He could not withstand if they came to any distress.

When he first listened to the upanyAsa, Jayarama Sarma should have been

narrating about the part where Ravana abducted Sita Praatti. Am I right,

Sankara?"

The Auditor who stood amazed opened his mouth to affirm. "The same thing

Periyavaa, the same thing! On that day, he talked very movingly only about

that part."

SwamigaL continued: "The moment he heard that a rAkSasa (demon) was

abducting Sita Mata, towards whom he had abundant love and devotion, he

suffered from a condition of mental pressure inwardly that resulted in

helplessness and stoppage of the faculty of speech. It was nothing else. What

was the only remedy, way out for this? It occurred to me that if heard with

his own ears from the same paurANika's words that Mother Sita had been

rescued without any distress to her, that would ease the pressure in his mind

and speech. It was for that reason that I asked you to do what I advised

you. Now everything has concluded well with the grace of SitaRama.

Chandramouli, you will remain parama kSema (in complete prosperity)!"

Everyone who heard the words of that walking God, stood transfixed!

Glossary:

ekAnta - a lonely or retired or secret place

paurANika - versed in ancient legends and stories, a mythologist

puruSa - a man, human being, male, person

shravaNaH - ear, listening to, hypotenuse of a triangle

17-Periya Doctor... (The Great Doctor)

author:...... V. MeenakshiSundaram, Secretary, Hindu Dharma Manram,

Chennai-33

compiler:... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma

book:......... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 1, pages 197-205

publisher:.. Vanathi Padhippaham (Aug 2006 Edition)

My memory is that it was the year 1957. Kanchi Maha SwamigaL and Sri

Jayendra Saraswathi SwamigaL were camping in a house in Rameswaram Road,

T. Nagar (Chennai). I was living with my parents in the northern end of the

same street. My age then was twenty-two. I was studying in a Secondary

Grade Teachers Training School.

Sometimes Maha PeriyavargaL used to pass through my house, either during

the morning or the evening hours. I had often seen Sri SwamigaL cross my

house on the street. My mother at those times would be waiting at the

entrance with a camphor plate, after having drawn a kolam in front of our

house. It became her custom to show the lighted camphor before Sri Maha

PeriyavargaL when he came in front of our house, and prostrate to him.

The progressive thoughts in my mind, a sense of defiance, the nerve of youth,

the lack of maturity to distinguish between good and bad--all these came

together when I chided my mother, "This man is some sanyAsi. Why do you

prostrate to him? What do you gain by that act? You are thus prostrating to

him in an uncivilized way continually, is he going to save you? Don't do such

wrong things hereafter." Hearing my indecent words my mother said, "Podaa,

po!" ("mind your business!") and went inside.

Years rolled by. I started working as a teacher in the P.S. High School,

Mylapore, Chennai in the year 1959.

A few years later, my mother started suffering from a severe setback in her

health, her B.P. shooting up. The V.H.S. hospital at Taramani, Chennai had

just then been established. I admitted my other there for treatment. At that

time I was taking tuition at their home for the two sons of Mani Aiyer,

proprietor of Kalyani Hotel (the hotel is no longer there now) near Mylapore

Kapali temple. His family was very devoted and loyal to Sri Maha SwamigaL.

They would often go to Kanchipuram and have darshan. They would consider

doing service to his holy feet as their most enduring happiness.

Mani Aiyer was residing in a house in Mandaveli near Mylapore. In the small

puja room opposite the hall of their house, an adorned holy picture of Sri

Maha PeriyavaaL was kept. A lamp would always be burning by the side of the

picture. I would be sitting on the swing in the hall and taking class for the

two boys. Since the puja room was always kept open, when Sri PeriyavaaL's

picture came under my glance, a prickling sensation would arise in me. I would

get down, go and close the puja room doors and then continue my teaching. It

has happened several times this way.

As I mentioned earlier, I was worrying over my mother's health condition and

was teaching the lessons somewhat for the name of it. Tears would fill my

eyes. The worry and fear that my mother would pass away leaving me alone

would surge through my mind.

One day when the teaching was going on, Tiru. Mani Aiyer who was just back

home asked me, "What Sir! You are worried, your eyes have turned red! What

is the matter?" Wiping my eyes I said, "Nothing of that sort Mani Aiyer! My

mother's health is not alright. Hypertension. I have admitted her in the

V.H.S. That is the cause of my worry."

Mani Aiyer: You showed him to a good doctor?

Myself: I told you already that I have admitted her in the V.H.S.

Mani Aiyer: What did they say?

Myself: They said that she will be alright, no cause to worry. But I am not

satisfied with their words.

Mani Aiyer: Sir! Let your worries go. I shall take you to a big doctor. Your

mother will become alright if she just looks at him.

Myself: Is that so? Who is that doctor, my mother would be cured if she is

shown to him? Where does that big doctor reside? When can I see him? Shall

I bring my mother right now?

There was anxiety in my reply; also haste and enthusiam; much anticipation;

because my mother should get well completely soon.

Mani Aiyer: Your mother need not come. It is enough if only you come.

Myself: Mani Aiyer! The disease is not for me, but my mother! If I come how

can my mother become alright? Shoud not that big doctor test my mother?

Mani Aiyer: Not necessary. If that big doctor just looks at you, your mother

will become alright.

Myself: (with some distrust) If I am seen my mother would become alright?

Such a kind of doctor? Alright. If that is the case I shall come right now.

Come on, let us go and see him.

Mani Aiyer: You cannot see him just like that. He is not here. He is in

Kanchipuram.

Myself: In Kanchipuram? Why should such a big doctor reside in that place?

Who is he? M.B.B.S. or M.D.?

Mani Aiyer: He is beyond those degrees. He is the doctor of the doctors.

(Pointing to Periyavar's picture in the puja room) He is the doctor I referred

to.

Myself: (laughing loudly without being aware of it) What Mani Aiyer! This man,

doctor? He is the doctor of doctors? What do you babble? How can a sanyAsi

become a doctor? If it is a question of some puja or rituals I can believe it.

But then you talk of this man as a big doctor! Hmm.. would it be possible for

this sanyAsi to cure my mother? This is just your imagination... (The words

came out of the edge of my sorrow).

Mani Aiyer: What, MeenakshiSundaram! You who is born in the brahmin

community talk this way?

Myself: What then Sir! After saying that you would take me to a big doctor,

you now say that you would take me to a sanyAsi! How can it be possible, this

kind of an action?

Mani Aiyer: MeenakshiSundarm, your mother should become alright for you.

Only that, right? I am responsible for it. We go to Kanchipuram tomorrow

itself, alright?

Myself: (with klesha) Mani Aiyer, if we go to him will my mother really get

well?

Mani Aiyer: Certainly. Enough if you have darshan of him and just speak about

your mother. Your mother will certainly get well. You can also remain in peace.

Myself: In that case I shall come to Kanchipuram. But when we are there you

should not compel me to remove my shirt, take bath, wear vibhUti-kunkumam,

or do namaskAram. I shall come; see him; tell him about my mother; that's

all. (The torsion of the young blood was not gone yet).

Mani Aiyer: What ayyaa, would you not take bath daily? Would you not

remove your shirt occasionally? Not wear vibhUti-kunkumam even rarely? Do

those things just once tomorrow! What, will that drown your lineage?

Without knowing why, I did not object but agreed to those words of him. On

the next day, the three of us--Mani Aiyer, myself and Tiru. Venkataraman

who worked with me--started and reached Kanchipuram in the morning hours.

Taking bath in the Sarva Tirta KuLam and wearing vibhUti and dhoti, I

reached the gates of Kanchi SriMaTham for the first time in my life. And

yes! There was a feeling of something like an electric vibration in my body.

We enter the MaTham. Kanchi MahaSwamigaL in the front hall! Yes, the big

doctor! He was sitting, leaning on a rice bag. Fruit plates and garlands of

flowers are seen before him. Also a queue for his darshan. We too tucked

ourselves in that queue.

A bamboo plate in my hand. In the plate are fruits, spinach and some

vegetables. My glance falls on the ascetic king seated there. Without any

efforts, tears start to flow from my eyes. Yes, I weep without my knowing it.

I don't understand the reason. Why should I weep?

His keen look that has divine light falls on me. Raising his head, that god

gestures me to come to him. He might have known my sorrow with his

prevision.

Again that talking god beckons me with a raised hand. I walked slowly and

peacefully to him, placed the bamboo plate in my hand before him and

prostrated to him unknowingly.

"You are ashtasahasram (a sub sect)?"

"Yes."

"What relationship do Seshadri, Kunju in Karukudi have with you?" (Karukudi is

a hamlet near Tiruvaiyaru).

"They are relatives of my aunt."

"Your grandfather was the Palace Receiver in Thanjavur! Was he before or

after Sundaram Aiyer?"

I nodded head that I did not know it. Silence prevailed for sometime.

Raising his head, "You have admitted your mother in the hospital? How is she

now?"

What! That god asks me the same question that I came to him with, seeking

remedy. For this too, I just stand sobbing, with no reply from me.

"Don't worry! Your mother will get well and return home."

Yes, that big doctor had given a new lease of life to my mother! That mahaan

looked sharply at me for sometime. Then, giving me prasAdam, he blessed,

"Give this to your mother. She will get back home well."

To this date, I heartily bow and adore that "great doctor" who vanquished the

demon of ignorance in my mind and put me on the right path.

As foretold by that "great doctor", my mother got well and arrived home

safely. The big doctor has saved my mother's life. He is taking care of us till

this day.

18-The 54 Lives Saved by Annai! (Mahima of Sringeri Sri

SharadambaL)



Series: Wonders Witnessed by this Adiyavan

This happened several years ago. We decided on a yAtra (pilgrimage) to the

kSetras (holy places) in Karnataka, more than fifty devotees of us teaming up

for the tour. We started our journey in a large tourist bus. It was our custom

to first go to Kanchi, have darshan of PeriyavaaL and then continue our

journey.

Around 4 o' clock in the afternoon of that day we stood up after prostrating

to Maha SwamigaL in SriMaTham. Giving us his blessings, laughing and raising

both his hands SwamigaL asked, "You people have come as a large ghoSTi...

well, what's the matter?" Forthwith I elaborated on the details of our

Karnataka Yatra to SwamigaL.

Feeling happy he asked, raising his eyebrows, "What is the uddesha (motive)

about the first place to go?" I said, "It is our uddesha, Periyavaa, that on

reaching Mangalore, we would first go to Talakkaveri, do our saMkalpa snAnam

(bath and prayer) there and then go to Sringeri. After that we have decided

to have darshan at SubrahmaNya, Dharmasthala, Udipi, Kollur Mukambika,

Kateel Durga Parameswari... in this order."

Before I could finish SwamigaL interrupted me. "Wait, wait... In the list you

have mentioned, you have missed an important place..." Looking at us who

were all standing with a question mark on our faces, and smiling, Periyavaa

advised us, "What, you don't understand? I shall tell you... Horanadu kSetra!

Mother is staying there as Annapurani, giving her anugraham. A very special

place. Must have darshan!"

He continued: "You people do as I tell you now. First go to Sringeri kSetram

from Mangalore. There, do your snAnam in Tunga, first have Guru Darshan,

get prasAdam from them, then have darshan of SharadambaL and start from

there (to other places). After this, you may go to the places in your order of

preference. Let one thing be kept in mind though. Anyday you go to Sringeri,

as far as possible, reach the place before sAyarakSai (evening)."

All of us nodded our heads in affirmation, prostrated and got up. That

Walking God ordered distribution of anugraha prasAdam to us all. The driver

and conductor of the bus were called and the prasAdam given to them too. We

started thereafter.

On the next morning, our journey from Bangalore to Mangalore. We stayed in

a Kalyana Mandapam in Mangalore at night. On the morning the next day we

got ready to move after taking bath. A man named Ramanathan who

accompanied us came to me and said persuadingly, "We shall first go to

Talakkaveri from here. After doing our saMkalpa snAnam there, why not go to

Sringeri later?"

I did not agree to that. "Whatever uttaravu (direction) Kanchi Periyavaa has

given, we should only follow that!", I said. It was not acceptable to them.

"First we should go to Talakkaveri only!" they compelled me, as if having

discussed it already among them. However much I pleaded with them, nobody

was prepared to lend me ears.

The bus travelled towards Talakkaveri. Staying there for a day and after

finishing our saMkalpa snAnam, we started our journey towards Sringeri. It

was 8:00 o' clock in the night. Both the front tyres of the bus that was going

on the mountain road to Sringeri got punctured and the bus stopped. It was

pitch dark outside. In the light from a torch light, Driver and Conductor

started working on removing the wheels with the punctured tyres and fixing

the Stepney wheels in their place. Hunger pinched our stomach; our last meal

was at noon in Bagamandala. Somehow the bus started moving at 10 o' clock.

Suddenly it started drizzling. It was 11 o' clock and yet there was no sight of

Sringeri. Only then we had the doubt whether we were going on the right

road! As God-given, we sighted a man coming in the distance. We stopped the

bus near him and inquired. He patted on his head and said, "This road leads to

another place. 15 km before you should have turned on the road that

branched to the right." It gave us a shock!

So the bus needed to be turned towards the direction we came. Driver got

down and had a look. A narrow road, with valleys on both sides. Climbing onto

his seat, Driver said with a falsely assured courage, "You people don't worry.

I shall back up little by little with sharp turns on the steering wheel and

somehow move the bus to an about turn!" and got on the task. Sitting with

fear, we started chanting Rama Namam. Somehow having managed to turn the

bus ninety degrees, Driver said in a loud voice, suddenly worried, "Sir, sir...

Howevermuch I step on the brake, the bus starts slipping behind! Raise an

even louder ghoSaNam (proclammation) in the name of God... Only He should

save us all now!" His words had the effect of dissolving tamarind inside our

belly. We too felt the bus slipping behind. All of us with tears welling up in

our eyes started wailing, "Sringeri Sharadambaa, save us Ma! Sringeri Maha

Sannidhaname, save us! Kanchi PeriyavaaLe, Ramachandra Murtiye, save us,

save us...!"

Suddently Driver said, "Sir, I have now taken my leg from the brake! The

vehicle is not slipping behind! As if a hundred people are supporting it from

behind, the vehicle stands intact! Now no worry at all. Shall turn the bus in a

few moments" and started on his efforts. We did not stop the nAma

ghoSaNam.

appAda! (At last) the driver managed to turn the bus. All of us breathed a

sigh of peace! It was exactly 12:00 hours midnight. Exactly at one-thirty we

reached the entrance to Sringeri Samasthanam. A GanapadigaL who was

standing at the entrance to receive us (it is my recollection that it was

Nageswara GanapadigaL!) said with a laugh, "Vaango, vaango! You are all

coming from Madras, right? First wash your hand and feet and come have

some food. You would be hungry. Rice Uppuma and Bringal Gotsu are ready!"

"How do you know, ShastrigaaL that we are coming? We did not even write to

you?" I asked him. He said laughing, "It is vAstavam (true) that your coming

will not be known to people who are like us. Maha Sannidhanam, dIrgha

darshigaL (with foresight) will be knowing everything, you see? It was only

Maha Sannidhanam who called me around eleven o' clock and gave orders, 'To

have darshan of Sharada, 54 Bhaktas from Madras are coming in a bus. They

all come with great hunger! So ask our people to prepare Rice Uppuma and

Gotsu and keep the food ready. In addition, for them to stay, arrange a large

hall.' After arranging all that I have come to stand here and receive you all!"

He sunk us in surprise.

Seeing the dIrgha dharsanam and karuNa (compassion) of SriSriSri Abhinava

Vidyatheertha SwamigaL, Adiyen (I) wondered. Tears rushed to my eyes.

Seeing that ShastrigaL said, "You are amazed at this thing... I am going to

tell you another thing in the morning; you would then be really stunned!" and

led us on. Hot Uppuma and Gotsu were served ready in 54 nuni (top) banana

leaves. We ate the food filling up our stomach.

The next morning. Finishing our snAnam in the Tunga river, we started to have

darsh of Maha Sannidhanam SriSriSri Abhinava Vidyatheertha SwamigaL. The

ShastrigaL we met last night was seen by us.

To him I asked joining my palms, "You said you would tell us some vishayam

(news) in the morning. I pray that you please tell it now."

ShastrigaL started talking: "Would have been around 12 o' clock last night.

Sitting in his ekAnta (private) room, Maha Sannidhanam was examining some

Shastra books. I was sitting in the outer hall. Suddenly coming out, Maha

Sannidhanam kept both his hand pressed hard to the wall and started

murmurming some mantra. I too got up. From the posture of Maha

Sannidhanam it seemed as if he was supporting the wall from falling. I did not

understand anything. Five minutes later, taking his hands off the wall, Maha

Sannidhanam came to me and said, 'You witnessed and wondered why I kept

my hands against the wall in that pose and did some Japam. It is nothing else.

The bus wherein came those people from Madras to have darshan of

SharadambaL missed its way. Later when they realized the mistake and turned

the bus, the brakes did not apply... bus started moving behind on its own.

The Bhaktas in them wailed, 'save us, save us!' calling aloud the name of

Amma Sharada. So I supported the bus from slipping behind by resting my

hands on the walls. Now everything is alright, and the bus is coming towards

Sringeri! You go and make the arrangements as I told you', and went inside his

room. I stood stunned!" Listening to this, all of us wept. We started to have

darshan of that Walking SharambaL.

Looking at this Adiyen who prostrated and got up, SriSriSri Maha

Sannidhanam said laughingly, "Should always listen to what the Mahaans say.

And follow it. If you make a change in it everything that happens would be

changed too. What, you understand?" With these words he did anugraha of

prasAdam. This Adiyen then realized that Maha Sannidhanam only informed in

sUcaka (by indicating) to the fact of our not following what Sri Kanchi

Periyavaa ordered for us!

Glossary:

sUcaka - indicating, betraying, informer, sign, omen

ghoSTi - group, gathering

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