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Guru upAkhyAnam (Tales about Gurus)

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pages 165-171 (concluding part)
samatvam--equality

Whoever the bhakta that comes to him, without looking at the distinctions of paNDita-pAmara--learned and rustic, rich and poor, jAti-matam--caste and religion, his pAngu--(Tamil)manner, of showering compassion to everyone is alAti--special.

"I am taking lessons in music. I need to sing before PeriyavA", a boy supplicated to him.

"sari--alright, sing."

"lambodara lakumikarA..."

singing this song, when the boy was uncertain about some words, PeriyavAL prompts him the right padas--words. Then he asked the boy, "LakumikarA--what is the meaning?" The boy could only blink.

shrI PeriyavAL said, "In Telegu, the word 'Lakumi' is a variation of the word LakShmI; the meaning is 'LakShmIkarA'--lustrous hands. Sing well". He explained and blessed the boy.

Appreciating good qualities

To proclaim a specific guNam--quality, pANDityam--scholarship in a man (even if it is of the size of a mustard seed), and specify it as mountainous, to him in front of others, is a distinctive nature with PeriyavAL.

(a) Guru ArAchanA day in KAnchi MaTham. shrI R.NaTarAja aiyar (Secretary, METTUr Chemicals) stands before him after the ArAdhanA is over, folding his hands over his chest, wanting to take leave. A crowd of people around.

PeriyavAL says: "You do a great upakAram--service, to the MaTham and to me. In addition to doing dhana-sahAyam--monetary assistance, from time to time, all that you did in vaibhavam--grandeur, for the Guru ArAdhanA! kShemamA iru--remain in prosperity." It's not an overstatement that NaTarAja aiyar went meling in the heart.

(b) One J.VenkaTarAma ShAstrigaL is my friend. A man of great vidvat--intelligence/knowledge. One day when he was coming, PeriyavAL spread both his hands, and lifting them above his head and asked me, "varAnA--is he coming?" I understood it as saying 'sumaithAngi--support stand, varAnA--coming?' and said yes. (The man who came was from a place called sumaithAngi). When he came, PeriyavAL told him, "You are much learned, a great paNDita--pandit", and proclaimed to the people around: "This one reads lots of books. Any book that he has not read is one that is yet to be printed! Which is why we refer to him as a real sumaithAngi."

How many mahAns could there be who thus applaud vidvAns--pandits, wholeheartedly? It came to my mind that on this subject, a RAjA--king, called Bhartruhari, has spoken in his book 'nIti shatakam'.

manasi vachasi kAye puNyapIyUSha pUrNA
tribhuvana mupakArashreNibhiH prINayantaH |
paraguNa parmANUn parvatIkRutya nityaM
nijahRuti vikasantaH santi santaH kiyantaH || 79 ||

Let us see how this verse remains as the very lakShaNam--expression, of PeriyavAL:

1. manas, vAchas, kAyam--mind, speech and action, all these full of holy nectar,
2. pleasing the three worlds with numerous actions of beneficence,
3. ever magnifying the minute good qualities of others, and
4. rejoicing and blooming with happiness at heart;

how many such PeriyavALs are there? Not an iota of doubt that PeriyavAL is one who matches all the four lakShaNas mentioned above!

paNDita svabhAvam--scholarly nature

Keeping himself knowing of all the guNAdhishayas--exceptional qualities, and svabhAva--inherent nature, resting with the various kinds of people who come to him, the pAngu--(Tamil)manner, of shrI PeriyavAL advising him or that society of it, even if its a somewhat undesirable svabhAva, is matchless.

(a) A conversation about the progress of the art of printing in these days was going on in KAnchi MaTham.

"In those days, all the people, paNDita-pAmara--learned and ordinary, would read the books in full, even through palm leaves, and educate themselves. These days even with the printing facilities having arrived and books published in nice forms, no one goes through them completely."

A question to me: "As the Golden Jubilee Issue of the Advaita SabhA, a pustakam--book, called 'AdvaitAkSharamAlikA' was published. You read the book?"

"I read some essays (in them)."

"pUrA paDikkalaiyA--not read it in full?"

"No."

"Would there be some panDitas--pandits, who would have read it in full?"

"It's not known to me."

Forthwith what PeriyavAL said: "If we send a mail enclosing the book, and tell them that for those who write back having read the book in full, a sum of rupees two hundred will be sent to them from the MaTham, perhaps they will all read it in full?"

My heart was sad listening to these words. "I shall read it in full as early as possible", was the only reply I could give him.

(b) Once in Tirumala, the Shukla-Yajur Veda jaTA(pATha) pArAyaNam was held. On completion of it, a Veda pandit came to PeriyavAL and said:

"In accordance with PeriyavA's abhiprAyam--intention, we did the pArAyaNam--chanting, well. It came to pUrta--completion, yesterday." He repeated this a few times. (This was because no sambhAvana--honorarium, was given there).

PeriyavAL said, "BhagavAn VenkaTAchalapati would have been satisfied. santoSham--happiness, for everyone."

"Should give me leave to return."

"Go and come back in kShemam--prosperity."

Then in a week, to that Pandit and others, PeriyavA sent the deserved sambhAvana--honorarium, to their homes through a ShrI MaTham pratinidhi--representative.

*** *** ***

PeriyavAL had visheSha kAruNya--special compassion, prIti--kindliness, towards the Veda paNDitas. Just their having memorized the Veda shabdas--Vedic accents and words, is the complete reason for adoring them. This fact has PeriyavAL stressed many times:

(a) Took place in KAnchi MaTham one day. PeriyavAL is asking: "The vaidikas who are the vAdhyArs--teachers,--do they know the artha--meaning, of the karmas they conduct?

"Some people think low of them that there is no use if the meanings are not known."

A mail for the MaTham came to him just at that time, and he asked the vilAsam--address, on it to be read out. The man who read it out, as he read the word PIN, PeriyavAL asked him, "You know what is PIN? Does the postman know (its expansion)? Does the postmaster know it"

The one who read the address stands speechless.

"Even if no one knows the meaning of PIN, once a number is written with the word PIN, the mail reaches its destination correctly, right?

"In the same way, if we recite the Veda mantras with their svaram--intonation, even if we do not know their meaning, the articles of our homam--fire sacrifice, would reach their destined devata. There is no necessity to know the meaning.

"But then I shall give you (the expansion for) what is PIN. It is 'postal index number'." PeriyavAL had known it!

(b) Some other incident. A vaidika sammelanam--meeting of Veda pandits, in KAnchi MaTham. PeriyavAL says to me: "Even some vaidikas are short of their AchAram--required rigours, and live as they like, so why should we honour them, some people ask. For me, the tIrmAnam--determined opinion, is that they must be adored, since the Veda mantras which are devatArUpam--divine form, reside in them."

(c) Guru ArAdhanA in Kalavai. On the evening of the first day, the brAhmaNas appointed for the ArAchanA have assembled. It is time for doing their parichayam--introducing them, to PeriyavAL. PeriyavAL comes.

Arriving at and standing near the stage adjacent to the place the Vaidikas are sitting, where an Asanam--seat, for PeriyavAL is arranged, he said, "when these many PeriyavAs are sitting on the floor, no need for an Asanam for me on the stage."

The Vaidikas went melting like heated sugar syrup.

**********
 
wondering where you vanished,at last your darshan with the post,was missing you in hdf also,though nara (mams) is eloquent as usual there :)
 
siram saidevo,

hope you plz devote some time here in the forum,especially about mahaan like mahaswamigal.its just delightful sir.i too am sorry nara,did not get his arguments in a coherent manner,but i will say this,i was tempted to join with nara in hdf,as i felt he was battling a lonely argument,he just did not have much support,though initially satay did support him.atanu is too good sir,and you again we all know as well as you,a potfull of knowledge that you are,thank you sir.
 
Jnana Deepam
Author: P.M.Jayasenthilnathan, Kanchipuram (in Tamil)
Compiler: T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
Source: Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 1, pages 66-72
Publisher: Vanathi Padhippaham

Jagatguru Sri MahaswamigaL is a God who took form and walked and lived among us in our times. He lived, shrinking his oon and swelling his inner light and poured on us the insatiable nectar of Ananda. Spending most of his time inside his 'mena' (palanquin), he served for the welfare of this world.

MahaswamigaL's power of memory is very big. It was his speciality to keep every little thing keenly in his mind and express it at the right time. We shall recollect an incident here.

This sage was a cherisher of nature and solitude. He liked staying in places such as open sheds and choultries, shades of trees and roadside places during his yAtrA.

He was touring in Andhra Pradesh state once. He stayed in a shed on the roadside. A devotee came in a car to have darshan of Sri Maha SwamigaL.

"My name is Kalyanam. I am appellate authority in the customs department. I belong to the Thanjai district. Lots of problems in my family; no peace of mind. Only Periyavaa should solve them. Which is why I have come for darshan."

Periyavar asked him to sit down and heard his family problems. Then, raising both his hands, blessed
and sent him, giving him a fruit.

One or two years passed. Spring came up in the life of Kalyanam. His problems were solved and peace returned. He came back to thank the sage, who was in his yAtrA at that time too. The man had darshan of PeriyavargaL on the way, lowered the burden of his mind on the sage's feet and stood happily.

"Because of PeriyavargaL my family lives in peace. I want to submit some offering to SriMaTham." PeriyavargaL laughed and said, "Need not offer anything now" and sent him. Kalyanam returned half-heartedly.

Several years passed. maha kumbhAbhiSekam arrangements for Thillai Peruman were being made.

I was asked to come to SriMaTham one morning. Thiru T.N.Krishnamoorthy, who was the SriKaryam of SriMaTham at that time, and I went and stood before Maha SwamigaL. Sitting inside his palanquin, he was giving us orders on the tasks to be done at the time of kumbhAbhiSekam, which included Tirumurai Music, Tirumurai Seminar, reciting Tiruvacakam completely, and the children of dIkSitAs reciting Shambhu Natana Stotra.

A man came. Periyavar asked him to sit with us. The man who had come was Kalyanam, the arbitrator.

Periyavar asked him, "You met me on this day at this place (giving him the details), you remember it?" The man was astonished. When reminded of his second darshan, the man somewhat recollected the details and nodded his head.

"Are you fine now? You wanted to give money to the MaTham! Can it be given now?"

"I shall give it now definitely, no problem," said Kalyanam.

"That money is not needed for the MaTham. It is kumbhAbhiSekam time at Thillai for Nataraja. I have instructed these people about the tasks needed to be done there. You give your money for those tasks and get them done. Let that money go to Nataraja. You discuss with them and come back."

The three of us came out, discussed the details and went back to him. Maha SwamigaL was also happy and bade us farewell with a smile.

To bring to memory in those few minutes, the details of a meeting that took place many years back, and fulfil at the right time a man's wish made long back, chanelling for service to Nataraja Peruman -- it only brings amazement to think about the loftiness of such act of blessing, such divine welfare and divine feeling.

*** *** ***

The prevision of knowing before it happens is a jnana puNya gifted to him. "maunam enbathu jnana varambu" -- 'silence is the boundary of knowledge' is the axiom of wisemen. To remain without speech is the border of knowledge. Maha SwamigaL was the book of silence. He did japam for an hour daily, remaining silent. That silence was total, with no stirring of a limb, like a log dropped on the ground--kASTa maunam. A timepiece would have been placed before him but that was just for its own sake, for when the sage finished his meditation and opened his eyes, a precise time of an hour would have passed. On occasions, this silence would continue for hours--even days. Only Shivam knew his cittam.

If it necessitated to communicate when he remained silent, he would do it using signs. He would also dissolve his silence and give his grace when a situation warranted it. Only his mind was the scale that decided what those situations were.

Another Incident

A school for the visually challenged, functions in Poonamalle. A teacher from this school came and had darshan of Maha SwamigaL who was then staying in Sivasthanam. He prayed to SwamigaL, "I am planning to bring the school children next Sunday to have Periyavar's darshan. Those children have no eyesight. So they can't have a darshan of PeriyavargaL with their eyes. So PeriyavargaL should talk to them a few words and bless them. I have come to inform this proposal, I want anugraham." Maha SwamigaL heard his words with his holy ears, that was all to it, and the man went away.

On the morning of the next Sunday, that teacher brought the visually challenged children for Periyavar's darshan, in a chartered bus, which was parked outside. An assistant of the sage said, "Periyavar observes silence since yesterday." That was all! There was no limit to the distress of the teacher. He cried openly and slapped his head. A sight that moved the onlookers.

"Alas! These children have no eyesight! They can't see PeriyavargaL! Only if a few words are spoken they could hear them and be happy. Even if Periyavar does not talk to us, we would have a darshan of him and go away. What would these children do? It was only for these children that I came last week and prayed. Now I have become a maha paavi who has disappointed them!" The teacher sobbed again and again.

An unexpected situation. PeriyavargaL came out from his room and signed to the teacher to stop his wailing. He asked for a wooden plank to be placed near the well and sat on it. His silence dissolved. He called each and every child near him, patiently inquired the name, place and the reason for the loss of vision, and blessed the child. The children had Periyavar's anugraham for a full hour. He gave a big plate of fruits, raisins and suger lumps to the teacher, asking him to distribute them to the children.

Everyone was immensely pleased with this anugraham. The teacher knew no bounds for his joy. He cried even now. Cried in distress earlier, in joy now.

Even today it overwhelmes the heart with joy to think about the incident when Maha SwamigaL appreciated the needs of the visionless children and dissolved his vow of silence to bless them with words--a silence that he did not give up even for President V.V. Giri or Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Maha SwamigaL is a jnana deepam that never goes off. Let us pray to the flame of light to guide us on our path.

Glossary:
Ananda - pure happiness
oon - (Tamil) meet, body
 
Can a Wife Go on a Pilgrimage Leaving Her Husband at Home?
Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Sep 22, 2006

A young vaidika couple prostrated to Paramacharya and rose in SrimaTham, Kanchipuram. The young vaidika appeared to be around 25 years, his wife about twenty.

The Acharyal, who was conversing with another bhakta paused, 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 not 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 maTham. 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 kSetradanam. 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 kSetras 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 one thing..."

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.

**********
 
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For Salim, a rudrAkSha mAlA
author:....... PoLLAchi JayammAL
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, pages 172-174
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

The time when shrI PeriyavAL was giving darshan as a maunin--man in vow of silence, being carried in a chair (his mena?--sd). Myself and NAgalakShmI were walking in the queue along with everyone. A man who came behind us, saying, "As told by SAmi I have come", and joined his palms looking at PeriyavAL.

shrI PeriyavAL too, without looking at anyone else, looked at him keenly, and blessed him raising his hand.

I inquired him. He said his name was Salim and that he had come from KumbakONam. "SAmi said coming in my dream yesterday, 'Tomorrow is the day I get my kShauram--cutting hair. Come, see me and go back'", he said.

That was the vapana dinam--day of cutting hair. SannyAsins should have their muNDanam--head-shaving, once in two months on the paurNamI tithi--day of full moon. The custom in ShrIMaTham is to refer to it by the SamskRta term 'vapanam'. It is our custom to come only to witness it. But then I could not understand as to why he asked that Muslim bhakta--devotee, to come.

When I told NAgalakShmI about him, as he was telling me back, "His name could have been Chellappan; might have wrongly fell in your ears as Salim", that Muslim devotee was seen again.

He was wearing a rudrAkSha mAlA too. We inquired him again, "You are wearing rudrAkSham. They would not let you enter your mosque?"

"Yes, I am a Muslim; name Salim. I have seen SAmi three-four times earlier. Once when he gave me this rudrAkSha prasAdam, I asked him what to do with it. SAmi said 'It is to be worn on the neck, but then people who belong to your religion might object to it. So, keep it in a box'".

Deciding that I should wear what SAmi gave me only on my neck, I did so. Even when I went to the mosque for my prayers, no one blamed me, nor did any one ask me to remove the mAlA."

Who can know about shrI PeriyavAL's deivIka shakti--divine powers?
 
The good fortune of darshan
author:....... Pulavar Anu VeNNilA
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, pages 175-176
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

I, who was born as the daughter of a father soaked in nAstikam--atheism, until my twenty-third year of age, had known nothing about going to a temple. Later, when a great misfortune occurred in my life, I was left in a situation of living, wherein I got separated from my koNDavan--husband, and my mother-father. I sought refuge in an orphanage in another town, with my child. Unable to tolerate the injustice that was taking place there, I quit the orphanage. Although I had undergone the secondary grade teachers' training, working as a servant, slave, cook, caught in sufferings, knowing no way out, I was dissolving daily in my tears.

It was my habit to paste in a long notebook, the pictures of KAnchi Periyavar in different poses (those published in the weeklies and monthlies). One day I had a dream that shrI SvAmigaL was reposing in my home and that I was massaging his legs. From that day on, I had bhakti--devotion, towards him.

In one moment when I was in the peak of sufferings, I had sent my secondary grade teacher training certificate and shrI SvAmigaL's picture album to a shop that bought old papers. The shopkeeper sent back my certificate and the album thinking that I had sent them to him mistakenly. With the thought that this must have a reason behind it, I preserved them both carefully.

Within the next few months, there occurred a totally unexpected turn in my life. The bad one who was my enemy was punished and I had obtained relief from him. My brother in Chennai gave me support and shelter.

Thus after twelve years, I rejoined in the service of a school teacher. After fifty years of age, I became a graduate in B.Litt., and B.Ed. I have published many books; I do service participating in the works of many samUha-sEva--social welfare organizations.

Although I have had darshan of Periyavar only once or twice, I believe it wholeheartedly that today's life of mine to have been gifted to me by his blessings.
 
Long live Saideo. I am delighted to read the anecdotes related to Maha Periyavaa.
Thank you for bringing those great treasures here, for the benefit of all.
 
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namastse shrI Pannvalan.

I am happy with your appreciation and pray for our Gurus' blessings for continuing my small service.
 
K. Rajaram (ex-minister)
The Spiritual Light That The World Bowed To
author:..... Rajaram, K. (ex-minister)
compiler:... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
book:......... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 2, pages 1-9
publisher:.. Vanathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)

On this holy day of the 110th jayanti of Kanchi Sri Maha SwamigaL, I bow to him again and write about some of his wonderful acts for today's younger generation to know about.

Before I write my devotion to him, I would like to share with you what Tiru. G. Parthasarathy, a respectable genetleman I moved with, told me after having a darshan of Sri Maha SwamigaL. Tiru. G. Parathasarathy was the Indian Ambassador to the U.N. He was the Government Advisor when Tirumati Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. Whenever he visited Tamizhagam from Delhi, he never missed going to Kanchi and having darshan of Sri Maha Periyavar. Everytime he went, Sri Maha Periyavar, had conversed with him for over half an hour. What was surprising about it was that he used to get information from the diplomat about the happenings in the world until that day. He would also advise the diplomat on how our country should conduct herself. Tiru. G. Parthasarathy has described to me those details with surprise. I have many times heard him speak his wonder and appreciation for the nuances of knowledge displayed by the sage. We have both thought and wondered about the actuality of the divine presence in the sage.

*** *** ***

When I went to have darshan of him one day, he was sitting in his palanquin. I went and sat before him. At that time I was having ministerial responsibilities. I had been elected to the Assembly from the PanaiMarathuPatti constituency.

There is a village named UttamaCholaPuram in my constituency. It is located on the banks of the river TiruMani Muttharu. The KaraipuraNatha Swamy temple is there in that village. That was Chera Naadu. It was in that temple that Avvaiyar conducted the marriage of the Benefactor King Paari's daughters Angavai and Sangavai. Avvaiyar has sent tidings in a palm leaf that the MooVendars some come over and attend the marriage. Bowing to her order, the Chera, Chola and Pandya kings arrived and blessed the couples. This is not a story, but history.

Maha SwamigaL came to Salem from the city of Kovai (Coimbatore) on foot. UttamaCholaPuram is on the way. Opposite the road is the Shiva temple built by Uttama Chola, located on the banks of TiruMani Muttharu.

I contested for the first time in the PanaiMarathuPatti constituency in a by-election. It was my custom to pray to Shiva in that temple, who has the special name KaraiPuraNathar, before I went for canvassing votes from the public.

When Maha SwamigaL arrived on the road before the temple, the Shivacharyas there received him with pUrNa kumbham honours and invited him to visit the temple. Raising his head a little, Maha SwamigaL looked at the temple. At that time the temple did not have a gopuram. He said, "You build a gopuram for the temple; I shall come later." Receiving only the pUrNa kumbham honours he continued his yAtrA on foot. I had not known this news for many years. The temple Shivacharyas told me the news when I won the election for the second time and went round the place. For me, it was the yearning that Maha SwamigaL went away without visiting the holy temple in my constituency! Thinking of finding out the reason from him, I asked him a naive question: "Why you did not visit the temple in my constituency?" I had the wonderful opportunity on that day to learn about the power of his memory.

He asked, "UttamaCholaPuram is in your constituency?" I had not told him the village name and it was many years since he passed that place. I was sitting before him, struck with wonder. "It had no gopuram; why don't you build one?" he said.

Maha SwamigaL has given the directive. I took leave of him with the firm intention of completing the task. From Kanchi, I went straight to the home of Tiru. K.S. Narayanan, whose venture was the India Cements company. He told me that he would talk to the company administrators and get me the required number of cement bags. I had to catch a person who would meet the expenses. I contacted Tiru. KailasaGounder of Erode, executive director of ArutSelvar Tiru. MahaLingam's company. He gave me his full consent for the commitment. When I was thinking of a good form for the gopuram, I knew about the NangaValli temple tower. I went and saw that gopuram with friends; it was very well built. I arrange with that sthapati to construct the UttamaCholaPuram temple tower. Somebody should do the administration of all this work? I asked Tiru. R. Jayakumar to be the head of the temple construction committee, and he agreed. At that time, Tiru. Ramasamy Udayar was constructing the Ramachandra Medical College in Porur. I came to know that he had brought teak wood from Rangoon for the construction. I went to him to inquire about the wood needed. He said, "Whatever extent of wood you need for the doors, you saw it off from my stock. I shall send it through my own lorry." A door measuring twelve feet in height was made.

It was initially planned to construct only a three-tired gopuram. On the advise of Tiru. Jayakumar, head of the Committee, it was decided to construct a five-tired gopuram.

The traditional speciality of that Shiva temple was that on the Chitra Purnima day, the Lingam was immersed in a decoration with two bags of cooked rice, and on the next morning sambar was mixed to the rice and distributed as sambar sAdam to the devotees. That was the traditional custom that existed in the temple. So I thought about holding a dinner to the devotees who attended the kuda muzhukku (kumbhAbhiSekam). I met the head of the Washermanpet rice vendors association and asked him to donate twenty bags of rice for the purpose, collecting it from their members. They collected the rice and sent it themselves through a lorry. My friend Tiru. Metha was the Chairman of vegetable vendors association in Kodaikanal. I asked him to send through a lorry, vegetables that grew in those hilly regions such as cauliflower, cabbage, and brinjal, collecting them from the surrounding gardens in sufficient quantity to serve thirty thousand people. My friend Srinivasan was in Dindigul. His 'Savorite Semia' factory was opened sometime ago under my presidenship. I asked him to provide the required semia (vermicelli) from the factory. My Kovai friend Annur Balu sent me a sum of sixty thousand rupees to meet the wages of people who cooked, served and cleaned. The Lankan minister honourable Tondaiman came over and graced the festival. The festival that began with the nAdhasvaram of NamagiriPettai Tiru. Krishnan, went on wonderfully well for three days. On the concluding day of the festival, my ministership was taken away from me.

On the day after, Maha Periyavar, as requested by me, sent Tavatthiru. Jayendra Saraswathi and Tavatthiru. Vijayendra Saraswathi to the temple. They arrived and started the pujas in the temple. It is going on regularly until this day. The reason I have written in such detail is to show how Maha SwamigaL's aruL vAkku (words of grace) became a reality. This is something I cannot forget in my lifetime.

Afflicted by diabetes, I was under medical treatment in the hospital of Dr. M. Viswanathan. Around ten o' clock one morning some I.A.S. officials came to my room with a garland. When I asked the reason for the garland they said, "From today you are our minister." I came to know that after dismissing twelve ministers, Puratchi Thalaivar had given me many portfolios including Agriculture. I did not go to Ramavaram to thank him. When the other ministers went there, he had inquired about me. When he came to know that I was hospitalized, he came straight to the hospital. I was upset when the police officials came running to my room and said, "The Chief Minister is coming (to meet you)." I was admitted on the third floor. I ran to Dr. Viswanathan's room. The doctor himself received Puratchi Thalaivar and brought him to my air-conditioned room. On arriving to my room Puratchi Thalaivar said, "Rajaram should be treated to get well, whatever the expenses."

It was a time of scarcity when the portfolio of Agriculture was given to me. There were no rains. The fields had developed cracks. I did not know what to do, except that I remembered Kanchi Maha SwamigaL. After attending a function in the Kanchi region, I entered Kanchi MaTham. Tiru. Nilakanta Aiyar, the Manager there, knew me from my childhood. He received me and said, "Maha SwamigaL was repeatedly asking about your coming here. He stretched himself a little while ago on the stage and has gone to sleep now."

I said, "I shall stand at a distance and have darshan without making any noise", and went to the stage where Maha SwamigaL was reposing and joined my palms before him. A few minutes passed. Maha SwamigaL turned slightly and suddenly got up and sat. On seeing me he asked, "When did you come?" "Just now", I said. "Why did you sent word that you wanted to see me?" he asked.

I said, "There are no rains in the state. At this time the Chief Minister has given me the Agriculture portfolio. The grounds have developed cracks. How can I survive as an agricultural minister in a state that has no rains? My name will be spoiled. I have come to request you to perform a yAgam for the rains."

"Did you come only for this?" he said. "Yes", I replied.

He was in a meditative state for sometime, bowing his head in silence. After sometime he said, "Right tomorrow I shall arrange for a fifteen days yAgam at the Kamakshi Amman temple."

I had a programme at Chingleput in the evening. Finishing it, I sat in my car. After I had a meal, the vehicle was going towards SriPerumPudur. The vehicle started wobbling at that place. I could not sleep, having reclined on the seat. I get up and have a look. No one will believe what I say. As if pouring water from a pot, the rain is pouring on the windshield. It is a torrent of rain! The word Kanchi Maha SwamigaL gave me has been realized within hours! The grounds were green once again throughout the state. Since there was plenty of water for irrigation throughout the state, my portfolio got a good name. These happenings were made to me and the state by the blessings of Maha SwamigaL.

Glossary:
sEmia - (Tamil) vermicelli
sthapatiH - architect, master-builder, stone-mason or sculptor, carpenter
yAgam - sacrifice
 
ChakkaratthAzhvAr
author:....... S.TirunArAyaNan
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, page 188
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

A great misfortune occurred in the family of my eledest sister. A veda-vittaka--Vedas expert, advised me to do the ChakkaratthAzhvAr mUla mantra japam for one maNDalam--48 days, taking saMkalpam--vow. Accordingly, taking upadesham from the ChakkaratthAzhvAr sannidhi, from the next day, I started doing the japam at my aham--home, in our PerumAL sannidhi.

A refrigerator cabinet was there in front, at the place I was doing my japam.

The surprising thing was that while I was doing the japam, a inner feeling of shrI MahAsvAmigaL too doing japam would be visualized by me daily on the refrigerator door. When I heard that on the very day the maNDalam of my japam was completed, shrI MahasvAmigaL attained mukti, there was no limit to my sorrow. It is an irrefutable fact that he held on to his life only for me for the 48 days and attained God's feet after my japam was completed.
 
A paramANu that came under the glance of MahA PeriyavAL
author:....... R.B.GopAlakRShNan
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, page 189-190
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

In the town of KavErippaTTaNam, adjacent to KRShNagiri in the Dharmapuri district, PUjyashrI Chandrashekarendra Sarasvati SvAmigaL was camping for a month in the year 1944. I was then working as the Postmaster of that town. I was among the general public, notables and government servants who were daily involved in SvAmigaL's daily engagements. Therefore, in addition to having a close connection with the kAryams--actions, of the MaTham, I also got the bhAgyam--fortune, of coming under the direct glance of PeriyavAL many times.

Later, after many years, when he was camping in a different place, and I had the bhAgyam of having darshan of him there, I was moving in the queue of a large crowd of people, to do namaskaram and take tIrtha-prasAdam. When my turn came, PeriyavAL who was giving tIrtham, in an expression of asking me something, looked at me shrinking his eyes. Understanding it, I informed him of having had my darshans at KavErippaTTaNam when I was the Postmaster of that town. Blessing me with his hand, PeriyavAL said with a smile, "bhAradvAja gotram?" Although all these things happened within two seconds, my happiness and rapturous shivers can't be contained in words.

This incident, although it flahsed in my mind often like lightning, I could not forget PeriyavAL's generosity. Thousands of people have darshan of him and do seva--service, to him. Still, as he saw me, his blessing me uttering my gotram--was it due to his supreme memory power, supreme dIkShaNIyam--divinity, or siddhi--spiritual accomplishment? Whatever it is, it can't be contained in words.
 
Paramacharya and Children: Why Do You Use Sand During Bath?
author:..... Ashvati
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated May 05, 2004
Publisher: Viketan Publications

One night, Mother Sarada Devi was doing japam for a long time forgoing her sleep. An assistant who came to know about it came to her and asked, "Amma! Seems you did not sleep well last night?"

The Mother replied: "Yes, I did japam until two o' clock for the welfare of my disciples. Many of my disciples don't do dhyAnam, japam; so I did on their behalf for a long time so that they should get only good things in life."

A similar incident happened in Kanchi.

One day Kanchi Kamakoti pIThAdhipati Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi SwamigaL was taking bath. A small boy, who was nearby, was watching him.

Sri SwamigaL in his usual habit took bath using mRttikA (sand) for soap. When the boy saw this he asked, "Won't you use a soap for your bath?"

"I do not like the smell of soap," said Maha Periyavaa. "That is the reason I use sand in the place of soap."

"Well, when you use sand to scrub your body, some of it might fall in your eyes and irritate them... So I asked!"

Understanding the tender heart of the boy, Sri Maha SwamigaL continued: "Our Shastras say that if we use sand to scrub our body while bathing, all our sins will leave us. So I do it this way."

The boy was not satisfied with his answer. He persisted: "summa sollAtheengo (don't just tell me something)... neengathAn ummAchi Acche (is it not that you are God)? How can there be sins for you? Why should you take bath scrubbing with sand?"

Sri Maha SwamigaL stopped his bathing for a second. He looked keenly at the boy and continued: "I don't know if I am ummAchi or if I have done anything sinful. But then the sins of my bhakta would only be added to me who has the name as their gurunAthar. You have it that I am scrubbing myself with the sand while taking bath, to remove those sins."

Having no further maturity or age to continue the conversation, the boy gave a childish grin.

Glossary:
mRttikA - earth, clay, loam; a kind of fragrant earth; aluminous slate
 
Paramacharya and Children: Baby--Lily--Billy
author:..... SriMaTham Balu
compiler:... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
book:......... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol. 2, pages 177-187
publisher:.. Vanathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)

Baby--Lily--Billy

A veLLALa (farmer) devotee asked, "Can I chant the Gayatri Mantra?"

A question that creates dharma saN^katam (embarrassment to do what is right)! Either of the two replies yes or no is bound to bring up criticism.

SriMaTham's work is to foster and preserve the Sanatana dharmas. The confrontations that Bharat had in the last thousand years are numerous. The Bharata samudAya (public) has always had the skills to preserve its roots, withstanding the attacks, bending like reeds when a hurricane blows and then raising its head once again after storm passes.

But then should SriMaTham intervene in every change? What is its share? Today's thinking becomes obsolete tomorrow and cast away. Though no one can control the gush of floods after it broke the dam, a day has to come when the floods will recede and the flow is streamlined in the river?

Nobody has any knowledge if PeriyavaaL had such thoughts. But he had the unique ability to ease a delicate situation and leave it to its natural course.

PeiyavaaL did not give a direct reply to the devotee. "How many children you have?" he asked.

A surprising reply came from him. "By your grace I have been bestowed with three girls: one five years old, another three and the last six months..."

Periyavaa said: "Name one girl as Gayatri, another as Sandhya and the third as Savitri. Call the three girls by those names. Not as Baby--Lily--Billy!

"If you thus repeatedly say the names Gayatri--Sandhya--Savitri, you would get the puNyA (fruits) of Gayatri Mantra chanting."

The devotees face displayed his happiness. Periyavaa had given him his anugraha of clarity of thought, when he was hesitating to take up an act that was against the sampradAya (tradition).

He went happily, receiving prasAdam from PeriyavaaL.

*** *** ***

Emergency treatment

In the Kumbakonam MaTham, after completing his ChandraMauleesvara puja, Periyavaa was giving darshan to devotees.

A farmer with connection to SriMaTham came rushing to him with anxiety, fell at his legs and wailed, "Save my son, kadavuLe (God)!"

Periyavaa asked his assistant to find out what happened.

The farmer had only one son. When he was taking food, a snake had climbed up his body and moved away. The boy had fainted with fear. It was not known if the snake bit the boy. There was a custom to cure snake bites by a mantra but there was no one nearby who knew the mantra.

"Only Saamy should save him..."

Periyavaa gave him vibUti prasAdam. "Smear it on the boy's forehead."

"saringa" (a reverential yes).

"You have arappu podi (herbal hair powder) at home?"

"It is there", he nodded his head.

"Part the lips of the boy, drop a little arappu podi and rub it over gently. If the boy spits it saying it is bitter, it means the snake did not bite him. If he takes it saying it is sweet, then the snake bit him, and you should treat him accordingly. Go and give him arappu."

The farmer ran to his house and did as Periyavaa told him. When the arappu podi was dropped in his mouth, the boy spit it saying "It's bitter, bitter!" The farmer was relieved that the snake did not bite him.

When the situation turned normal, the farmer couple came with the boy for darshan. Periyavaa said to the woman, "Light a sesame oil lamp daily in your home."

*** *** ***

Should talk only in Tamil

Middle-aged dampati (husband-wife). Four children, all looking modern in their dresses and makeup. Hair cut at neck level for the girl children, like neatly trimmed plants in a fence. English played on the tip of their tongue. Convent education.

Periyavaa asked those children to come near him. Then his intimate inquiries started: "What name? Where do you study?" and so on.

The children became very normal and friendly; they replied readily without any hesitation.

He pointed out a nearby fruit plate and said, "Whoever wants whatever fruit can take it."

The children were very happy. They took the fruits saying, "Thanks."

Periyavaa told them: "If I have a request with you, will you children listen to me?"

The children chimed in chorus in English: "Oh yes! Certainly we will do."

"Talk in English when you are in the outside world, your school or talking to other people. In your home, to your Appa-Amma, me who remains as a Swamy, and then Bhagavan--to these people you would please talk only in Tamil. Tamil is your mother tongue. Your mother is your first god. You should not forget talking in Tamil."

The children said in Tamil, "Hereafter, we will talk to Appa, Amma, Guru and Deivam only in Tamil." They ended their reply with their usual assurance in English: "Promise!"

A kOti sUrya prakAsha on Periyavaa's face. A hundred times brighter than what he displays when he is doing Advaita vicaram with great pandits!

*** *** ***

Dharma is subtle

A devotee said, "Curd rice remained in excess. Gave it to the cow. It ate with satisfaction."

Periyavaa said: "Should not give curd rice or rice mixed with milk to the cow. The curd is obtained from the milk, and the milk from the cow."

The devotee was restless: "I have committed an apacAram (offense), should pardon me!"

"Let it go; don't repeat it. You can feed prANis (animals) like dogs with annam mixed with milk, ghee or curd; but not the cows."

It is possible only for Periyavaa to teach the dharma sUkSma (subtleties of dharma) in a way that sticks to the mind and heart!

*** *** ***

Advance notice

An old man stood worrying after prostrating.

"ennannu kELudA! (ask him what he wants)"

The disciple went and asked him.

"I have darshan of the Yama and the buffalo frequently in my dreams. I am afraid..."

Periyavaa said: "This is an advance notice to you! The notice that your life is going to end shortly, at least from now do some puNya kArya and seek a good course."

"What can I do now?"

"Do some pUrta dharma (charitable acts). Donate a milch buffalo with its calf in a kSetra. Do Shiva darshan, nitya karma, monthly vrata, pArayaNa..."

The old man's worries disappeared; he was clear now. He went telling the disciples, "It is as if Parameswara gave me that advice!"

*** *** ***

For us to ponder

When he was in Chinna Kanchipuram, PeriyavaaL had an unfailing duty to do pradakSiNa of the VaradhaRajaPerumaL temple.

One early morning, with the devotees around him chanting Vishnu Sahasranamam, Periyavaa was walking on the street, after doing his temple pradakSiNa.

A girl child was drawing the kOlam in front of a house.

Periyavaa stopped. "You draw the kOlam very well, besh! But then you should draw the kOlam only with rice flour. Then only the flies, ants and birds would eat the rice flour; and look happily at you who drew the kOlam. If you draw with the mokku mAvu (powdered lime) it won't be useful to any jantu (creature), you see?"

The girl child nodded her head with grace and prostrated to him.

Is this advice of PeriyavaaL for only that child or all the children? Let the mothers think it over.

*** *** ***

Give grass, the sins will leave

A rich devotee sent a friend in his car to an outstation on an errand of his.

Unfortunately, the man permanently left for the 'outstation'! An accident en route, heavy damage to the car, and the friend left for Shivalokam.

There was no end to the grief it caused to the devotee. His remorse that a family lost its head because of him did not diminish. He donated plenty in cash to the family, but then what would the cash amount to their loss?

The devotee got the doubt if the brahmahatyA dosha (the sin of killing a brahman) had ensued on him.

There was no way to share such mana cancala (mental wavering) with anyone and seek shAstra pramANa (scripturual authority) consultations.

So he came to the Supreme Authority.

Periyavaa patiently listened to everything the devotee told him. Then he said, "The car accident was deivA dIna (divine affliction). There is no kalmiSam (dirt) in your thought. Somehow a friction has crept into your mind; and there is lokApavAdam (public censure) too.

"To start with, you do Setu snAnam (bathing in the sea waters at Rameswaram). Get up before the sunrise and give grass to a cow that goes in the street. Daily Shiva darshan, only one meal a day. Do pradakSiNa in a Sivan temple as far as possible. Do all these things, and the blame and sin would leave you."

Satisfied, the devotee received the prasAdam, but stood hesitant.

Periyavaa's look asked him "What other doubt you have?"

"All other things can be done, but it does not look possible to give grass to a cow. I am in a town where the cows don't go about the street in the mornings."

Pat came the reply. "So what? There would be a goshAla (cow pens) somewhere around? You have a car. Get up at five in the morning, go in your car and feed all the cows in the pen with grass."

The devotee had the full satisfaction of having filled his stomach with milk.

*** *** ***

The bad becomes good

A devotee who had long connections with SriMaTham. When he was talking to PeriyavaaL, he had the occasion to talk in dUSaNam (blaming) of another man. He had said, "That man is an utter kArkoTaka (the king of snakes)!"

After a minute, Periyavaa said, "You say he is good?"

The devotee could not understand. "I said he is a kArkoTaka who has destructive venom..."

Periyavaa asked him: "You know pratasmaraNa shloka?

Kaarkotakasya naagasya damayanthyaa nalasya cha
Rithuparnasya raajarsheha keerthanam kalinaashanam


"KArkotaka, Damanti, Nala, RithuparNa--just to think of them would remove the sins. They all remain such puNyavaan (sacred)."

The bhakta who did dUSaNam got into saN^katam. It means that he did not after all talk ill of the other person (though he wanted to)!

"You have yourself told me he is a good man. Isn't that so?"

In Periyavaa's outlook everyone is good.

Kaarkotakasya keerthanam kalinaashanam is the vAk (word) of periyor (great men). Yes Periya(vaa) vAk!

Glossary:
cancala - moveable, unsteady, fickle, unconstant
dUSaNam - spoiling, corrupting, destroying purity, disregarding, detraction, refutation, objection, sin, fault, censuring, blaming
kalmiSam - (Tamil) for kalmaSaH, kalmaSam - dirt, stain, sin
prakAshaH - lustre, light, shining, explaining, commentary, part of a book.
 
The Seitji and His Terminal Illness
Author: 'Paranthaman' (V.Narayanan) (in Tamil)
Source: From the book Paramacharyar pages 142-151, 1992 edition
Publisher: Narmadaa Padhippaham

This incident happened about 35 years ago. Paramacharya was staying in the Chennai city for a few months, blessing people and giving discourses. From Chennai, he continued his yAtrA out of the city and stayed for a few days in a brick tiles manufacturing factory at Noombal in the Poonamallee high road past the city border.

I went have a darshan of Paramacharya one evening, accompanied by a Seitji from Calcutta who was a wealthy philanthropist. In the usual way I prostrated to the sage, my eight limbs touching the ground. Seitji also prostrated in a similar manner. I joined my palms and stood meekly.

Looking at us once by raising his head, Paramacharya asked, "You told me earlier once--it was about this man?" He was matchless in his powers of estimation and retention. I agreed to his words and said with humility, "This man was pestering me for a long time to take him for darshan, which is the reason I brought him here."

I need to tell you a few things about this man. This Seitji is very pious. He used to come daily to my upanyAsas on Mahabharata and Ramanaya, which I held in Calcutta. Since I was giving explanations in Hindi also, a number of North Indians used to come to my discourses.

Before I started my discourse, I would always talk about the greatness of Sri Kanchi Paramacharya for sometime, after the initial prayers. My speech would be about Acharya's immense knowledge, power, tapa shakti, and his greatness with examples that highlighted them. Only then, the actual discourse would commence. This is a principle I have been following for a long time.

Though God has given the Seitji all sorts of fortunes, He had also left him with a large deficiency. It was the misfortune of not being able to take food through the mouth: his gullet was not functioning. His regular food was supplied to his digestive system artificially through a hole in the stomach. With this intensive suffering he was living his days.

There was no treatment that he did not take to get this deficiency rectified. He had met all the world experts in the field of medicine. There was no count to his temple darshans, prayers and the efforts using mantra and tantra. Still there was no cure in sight. Since he had heard about the greatness of Paramacharya from my daily discourses, he desired to have a darshan of the sage and check if at last that would cure his malady.

During a recess in the discourse, he held on to it tightly that he and I should go to Chennai and have a darshan of Paramacharya.

I was apprehensive about taking him without the prior consent of Paramacharya. I told him that I would go to Chennai and get Acharya's consent and then take him. He immediately got me a plane ticket to Chennai.

Reaching Chennai, I informed Paramacharya about this Seitji at an opportune time and asked for his consent to bring the man for darshan. Though he discussed with me about the saykArya (good deeds) in Calcutta, he did not say anything about my request. When I reminded him again after sometime, he curtly said, "Not now". Since Seitji might be shocked at Paramacharya's reply and lose hope in the ultimate cure, I simply told him that I would take him when I left Calcutta after my discourses.

In a way it was a mistake to have brought him, though I did it as a service. All the good and bad that happen in our life are due to our puNya and pApa spread over many births. Man is bound to face them. The sins can be reduced only by suffering their effects. If there is continuous suffering, it only shows the quantum of accumulated sins. If the sufferings are faced with faith in God, their effects will be felt less, and good things would reach us when the sins are exhausted. With his foresight, Paramacharya is clear giving such explanations for the good and bad that we face in our life.

One of the reasons that he would not encourage meeting such sinful people who suffer now is that they would simply look for parihAras without realizing that they have to suffer for their sins.

I stayed a little distance away from him and kept on reminding him about giving darshan to Seitji. He did not give a positive reply. It was getting late at night. I approached him with an intention of taking leave and coming in the next morning.

He sensed my thought and said, "Nothing can be done in his matter! Take him away. Ask him to be devoted to God, do good deeds and God will save him!" I became a little bold and said, "He is doing such good things for years together now. Is there no parihAra at all? Everything should have a parihAra! Aren't our Dharma Shastras provide vimocanas for curses and sins? In God's creation, should there not be a parihAra for everything? You should kindly give him your anugraha." I argued strongly in favour of the Seitji.

Paramacharya listened to me carefully, kept silent for sometime and then asked me to draw near him with the words, "If that is so, come nearer."

"Will he do what I ordain for him?"

"He will do it; I shall ask him to do it."

"If he doesn't do it?"

"If he does it, let him get prosperity; or else suffer."

"It would require a large amount of money for what I ordain for him. Can he make it?"

"He is a millionaire. He would even spend all his wealth to get well."

"He should publish in Sanskrit the eighteen Puranas in our Veda Shastras in separate volumes on good paper in good print and distribute the volume sets free to eligible Vedic pundits. Will he do this? Can he do this?"

"He can. I shall ask him to do it."

"You know the eighteen Puranas? Give me their names."

I told him the names in this order: "1.Sri Matsya Purana, 2.Markandeya Purana, 3.Bhavishya Purana, 4.Bhagavata Purana, 5.Brahmanda Purana, 6.Brahma Vaivarta Purana, 7.Brahma Purana,, 8.Vamana Purana, 9.Varaha Purana, 10.Vishnu Purana, 11.Vayu Purana, 12.Agni Purana, 13.Naradiya Purana, 14.Padma Purana, 15.Linga Purana, 16.Garuda Purana, 17.Kurma Purana, 18.Skanda Purana." I was happy that my act had a happy ending.

I called Seitji and told him the matter. He was immensely happy and said, "Yes, I would do this", as he prostrated to the lotus feet of Paramacharya, shedding tears. Paramacharya blessed him profusely and asked his assistants to give him prasAda.

As soon he reached his place of domicile, Seitji started this task as the first thing. He allotted an entire floor of his large building as office for this venture. He called Vedic pundits and scriptural experts from many states, consulted them, and printed the Puranas in good print on high quality paper in large-sized books, spending a fortune for the task, and distributed them free to eligible Vedic Pundits as ordained by Paramacharya. The word prem (love) was mentioned in the part of the book that mentioned its price.

Without checking if his disease was lessening and without even worrying about if it would reduce, or feeling skeptical about it, he was totally and fiercely engaged in the publication of the Puranas as ordained by Paramacharya. Seventeen Puranas came out as books, but there was no ease in his condition! Even during the days of this dharmic activity, he took food only through a hole in his stomach.

As the work on the eighteenth Purana, the 'Skanda Purana' started, Seitji had suddenly started eating with his mouth as everyone did! His tongue got back its tasting capabilities! He got the bhAgyaM of his birth that was not in sight all these days. The cruel disease that gave him untold suffering every day and minute was at last cured and gone with Paramacharya's anugraha.

When I got the news, I met Paramacharya and told him, "Acharya's shakti is the Shakti! Seitji has come alive due to the boon, the anugraha you gave him! Only Paramacharya's anugraha saved him, after he resorted to all kinds of measures. Only you are the God!" I stood before him, drowned in gratitude, shedding tears.

The words that Maha Shakti spoke at that time gave me a darshan of him as the God seen with my own eyes (kaNkaNda Deivam).

"It is the shakti of dharma shAstras of our country that has saved him, is it not?" he said. Neither I nor has anyone ever heard him declare at any stage that it was his or was done by him. Only after knowing about this miraculous incident, did the experts from the western countries start seeking his darshan.

That Seitji has a five storied house in Lord Clive Street, Calcutta. He is still alive, about 85 years of age now. His name is Mansukh Mohan. This rare incident was narrated (to the author of the book) with bhaya bhakti and in a way that melts the mind, by Mukkur Srinivasa Varadacharyar SwamigaL, the man responsible for the wonder that is the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Chennai.

Glossary:
parihAra - leading round, avoiding, excluding
 
sairam saidevo.the story reminds me of my oldest sister's condition,in the thorasic region,and doctors had dilated the oesaphagus once and because of relapse the doctors had to operate cut and stitch the oesaphagus so that food would pass to stomach.despite a lengthy procedure,the doctors told my parents,operation is successful ,now its all in gods hands.still my sisters condition of food in take was questionable.my mother finally told doctors,that she alongwith her family,will have darshan of the mahaswamigal in kanchi as for us he is our god now,as nadamadum deivam.while having darshan,mahaswamigal enquired and listened as bramhachari ramakrishnan explained to mahaswamigal the situation.finally mahaswamigal asked my parents,and asked,will they do,as directed by him,readily my parents agreed,though my parents never told us,what mahaswamigal wanted them to do,its a mystery for us kids even today.after reaching chennai,despite doctors advice,my parents got my sister discharged from hospital took her home and gave the prasadam,that mahaswaigal blessed.my sister became normal.owing to some deiva kurram done by my sister,again a relapse has taken place,and now neither are my parents alive nor mahaswamigal,only bhagavan sathya sai baba can do the miracle what mahaswamigal did,imho and i pray to him,from the bottom of my heart for my sisters well being this day.sai ram.
 
namastse Nachi naga.

The experience you have narrated about your eldest sister is inspiring us to more bhakti towards KAnchi ParamAchAryAL. You are time and again giving hints of your personal acquaintances/experiences with PeriyavA. Why don't you start a thread and narrate them in detail where they are not too personal to share?
 
namastse Nachi naga.

The experience you have narrated about your eldest sister is inspiring us to more bhakti towards KAnchi ParamAchAryAL. You are time and again giving hints of your personal acquaintances/experiences with PeriyavA. Why don't you start a thread and narrate them in detail where they are not too personal to share?

sairam saidevo.there is a system prevailing in kanchi kamkoti peetham,what is known as 'bhiksha-vandanam'.many families together raise funds for the acharyas well being,welfare of community etc.if i start a thread,it will become way too personal,and i do not have permission from hh jayendrar sarswathy nor hh vijendrar sarswathy,so i am desisting.

we all exist only becoz of guru kripa and now bhagavan's kripa too for me :love:
 
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.
 
MahaperiyavaaL's Magical Timepiece!
Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)
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 ChandraMauleesvara 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.
 
PeriyavargaL pratyakSha deivam
author:....... 'kaRikAitthOli' KRShNamUrti
compiler:..... T.S. Kothandarama Sarma
source:....... Maha PeriyavaL - Darisana AnubhavangaL vol.2, page 191-198
publisher:.... VAnathi Padhippaham (May 2005 Edition)
type:......... book, Tamil

shrI MahA PeriyavargaL, shrI PudupperiyavargaL--both these AchAryas were camping in the Rameshvaram road, T.Nagar, Chennai. My age at that time was eight. Along with my father, I had gone for darshan.

MahA PeriyavargaL asked me: "You know what your ThAtthA--grandfather was?"

"PudukkoTTai Chief Court Judge KRShNamUrti aiyar", I said.

"You should come up like him", he blessed me. Since the time of my getting the ability to think, this was the first occasion I had darshan of him.

*** *** ***

When MahA SvAmigaL was in TenambAkkam, I was to go there. With me came my two friends, who were engaged in the sacred work of building the KarumAriamman temple in SAmiyAr ThoTTam, to seek his blessings.

I introduced them both to PeriyavargaL. They were VaiShNavas. He asked them, "Is the samashrayaNam done for you?" (Check Samasrayanam for details).

"Is done".

"You know what is samashrayaNam?", he asked me.

"Don't know", I said.

"To do such kaingkaryam--service, VaiShNavas should get the anumati--permission from their AchAryas. Without that, it is not uchitam--proper, to get engaged in this." Saying this, he asked me, "Will you build a temple?"

What could I say? I did not reply anything.

But then, two months later, for some reason, those two people, resigned from their positions. They engaged me in that work and made me a secretary.

All Maha PeriyavargaL's anugraham. With donations, that temple was built at a cost of two lakh rupees, and the kumbAbhiShekam too took place in kolAhalam--grand fanfare.

Meantime, once I supplicated to Maha PeriyavargaL, "I am doing the koil kaingkaryam. Same way I should do kaingkaryam to PeriyavargaL too." He said, "Do it for AmbAL (KarumAriamman). It would be like doing it to me."

The very next day that temple kumbAbhiShekam was over, I resigned the post of secretary of the sacred works committee, came to PeriyavargaL and informed him. "You have the skill to collect?" he asked me.

What could I say! I just kept quiet without saying anything.

He gave me this order: "It's of much puNyam, if the cow is given AhAram--food, our ancestors and elders have said. Informing the neighbouring houses, you visit them, collect the peels of vegetables that get collected on Thursdays and Fridays, and bring them here. They can be fed to the cows." I continued to do that kaingkaryam for a long time.

Because of this, I had the bhAgyam to have darshan of PeriyavargaL every Saturday.

*** *** ***

Once I thought this way when I was going to ShrIMaTham. 'PeriyavargaL told me to become like my ThAtthA? He was a judge, whereas I joined a bank and came to practise in a different area of service?'

Isn't Maha PeriyavargaL a pratyakSha deivam--visible god! Whatever we think in our mind, even as we watch the TV to know things happening at a distant place, he would know it by his jnAna-dRShTi--prevision.

When I had darshan of PeriyavargaL that day, he said, "pEran enRAl ivanthANDA pEran--if it is a grandson, it is only this one. One who has the peyar--name, is pEran--grandson. Only his grandfather's name for this one. His thAtthA had alAti--distinctive priyam--love/fondness, for me. Wherever I was, he used to come and have darshan. In the same way, this one too. He is making his thAtthA's name and fame stand firm in time."

To the question I thought about when I was on my way here, PeriyavargaL has given an explanation. My mind was at peace.

*** *** ***

The epithet 'kaRikAitthOli' got stuck to my name KRShNamUrti in ShrIMaTham permanently.

After completion of three years of this kaingkaryam, in memory of it, we purchased nine pairs of vEshTis--dhoties, and submitted them. Examining them, PeriyavargaL inquired about the details. He asked us to first take a pair of dhoties and give it to a kOnAr--milkman. We went to his place and gave it to him saying, 'PeriyavargaL prasAdam'. With great humility, he bowed, joined his palms and received the gift with bhaya-bhakti.

Coming back to ShrIMaTham, we informed PeriyavargaL. Saying, "avan ippaDi vAnggik-koNDAnA?--Did he receive it in this manner?", PeriyavargaL precisely gestured it to us in action! We were surprised. For PeriyavargaL who was sAkShat GopAla, the meyppADugaL--manners and disposition, of the KOnAr, the go-pAlan--cow caretaker, of ShrIMaTham had been known. Also he had the simplicity to act it out like a child!

A Saturday. Arriving at Kalavai camp, we had darshan of PeriyavargaL. It was my custom to take Accountancy classes on Saturdays and Sundays in the MAmbalam Institute. As long as he was in Tenambakkam, it facilitated my taking classes. Since he had gone to Kalavai, I went with the thought it would be difficult to take the class on the next day. Isn't he an antaryAmin--the soul inside us? It seemed that he had come to know of what I was thinking! We could reach there only a bit late in the night. Before our arrival, PeriyavargaL had taken vishrAnti--repose, on a rope cot. Without knowing it we had gone a bit too close to him. He woke up hearing the noise.

"yAru--who is that?"

"'kaRikAitthOli' KRShNamUrti."

Taking a torchlight, PeriyavargaL shined it so his face was seen well in the light. We had a good and happy darshan of him.

"sari--Alright, you can get back to your place", he gave us immediate leave.

An assistant nearby said, "Tomorrow is only Sunday. They may stay here and go."

"Only Sunday is a day of rest for them; and only on that day pala jOli--many tasks", with these words he gave us his blessings and leave.

Since we started at dawn the next day, it was convenient for me to take the class. What to say of PeriyavAL's compassion!

*** *** ***

Pudu PeriyavAL told me that 'go saMrakShaNam--protection of cows' should be undertaken. Accordingly, with the four cows sent by ShrIMATham, the introductory festivities of the goshAla--cowshead at Old MAmbalam Shankara MaTham took place on Aug. 19, 1977, presided by the Chennai Governor PrabhudAs PatvAri. They appointed me as its founder and secretary. Growing quickly, that goshAla is now running with excellence, with fifty cows.

The feeding of vegetable peels to cows went on well for five and a half years. Later in 1989, I got transferred to Lucknow and moved away.

My eldest daughter, when she was a three year old child, contracted the disease septicemia and I admitted her to a hospital. The doctor said it was rare to survive that disease. He said that no food or medicine could be injected for that disease.

My father went to KAnchi and prayed to PeriyavargaL. Caressing his stomach, PeriyavargaL showed abhya-hastam and blessed us. From Salem, PuDu PeriyavargaL sent prasAdam through a disciple, asking us not to worry. The child survived, much to the surprise of the doctor.

Owing to the puNya-phala--fruits of good acts, of collecting the vegetable peels from many houses and feeding them to the cows upon PeriyavargaL's Ajna--orders, it is the satyam--truth/reality that we became vesels for MahA SvAmigaL's anugraham.

*** *** ***
 
The Connection Between the Chettiar's Grandson and the maTham
Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Oct 21, 2006

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.

**********
 
'anubhavam Ayiram' (Experiences, a Thousand): Did Anjaneya Come?
Author: Ramani Anna
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Sep 15, 2008
Type: magazine, fortnightly, Tamil
Publisher: Viketan Publications

One Friday, midday time. In Sringeri, Jagadguru SriSriSri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Maha Sannidhanam, finishing his nitya pUjas, and after the bhikShA was over, sat in ekAntam (privacy) and was conversing with the MaTham disciples.

The students studying in Veda PAThashAlAs in Tirunelveli, Madurai and Ramanathapuram that had Sringeri as their Guru PiTham had then come there to have darshan of Sri SharadambaL and the Jagadguru. SwamigaL had directed them to stay for some days and then return home. Those students also were listening to SwamigaL's conversation.

The talk then turned about the upanyAsakas (speakers) who give pravachana (spiritual expositions). A student called Sankara Subrahmaniyan, of the Veda PAThashAlA, Thallakulam, Madurai got up and prostrated to Jagadguru. Then he said, "About this pravachanam, I desire to do vij~jApana with Gurunathar, something in my mind." Looking a little up and down at him AchAryAL directed, "ennatu, sollEn (what's it, why not tell me)!"

Forthwith in a low tone he said, "Nothing else GurunathA! These days some upanyasakas who do kathA pravachanam leave the sarAmsam (essential truth) and talk much only about other subjects! By this, the sarAmsam gets forgotten, (whereas) the other subjects stay well in memory. We don't get the tRupti (satisfaction) of listening to a good pravachanam! Is this a shortcoming of those who do the pravachana or those who listen to it? Only Maha SwamigaL should favour us with a clarification!"

Others who heard this, said that they too had this doubt. The Jagadguru smiled. Sitting upright in gaMbhIram (majesty), he inquired with compassion, "First, have all of you done your bhojanam (meal)?"

They all rose up, joined palms and said, "Done Swami."

"santoSham (happy)", the Jagadguru smiled and continued: "Wherever, whatever we listen to, we should only absorb the good sarAmsam in it and leave the rest. For this, we should do paripakvam of our mind. Only that is the lofty guNam (personality). Those who do upanyAsa, doing anusAra of the time and audience, at the same time without leaving the 'subject', complete it. Only we should absorb from it like the anna pakShin (the swan bird). What, you understand?" he asked and laughed loudly.

His reply created amazement among the disciples. Looking at Jagadguru, they discussed something secretly among them!

A shiShya by name Suryanarayanan got up and prostrated to Maha Sannidhanam. Then he asked with bhaya bhakti (reverential devotion): "A prArthanA (prayer) to Jagadguru! We all desire to listen to Srimad Ramayanam. Only Jagadguru should show kRupa..." Before he finished, "adukkenna... bEshA (why not, very well) we can arrange it. I shall get well-read paurANikas (puranic exponents) from Mysore and ask them to narrate it," said SwamigaL.

Hearing this, the shiShyas looked at one another with yearning. A shiShya named Yagyanarayanan got up hesitantly and prostrated to Jagadguru. Then he beseeched with humility, "To do shravaNam of Srimad Ramayanam through Jagadguru's amRuta vAk (nectarine speech) is our longtime desire. Gurunathar should do anugraha."

SwamigaL went supple. Still, laughing with a rattle and not showing out his feeling, he said, "Oho! So much pIDikai (bush-beating) only for this?! Let's see, let's see," and went inside. Disappointment for the disciples!

Days passed by. That day was Friday too. The time of sandhyA kAlam (sunset). At Sri SharadambaL's temple, the crowed filled up and swelled. Suddenly... SwamigaL came to have darshan of AmbaaL. It would have been eight o' clock when he came out finishing his darshan! The disciples waiting readily at the temple entrance, on seeing SwamigaL, fell flat and prostrated. AchAryAL stood transfixed.

Looking at them and smiling, he said, "EtEtu, viDamATTEL pOl irukkE (whatever way, seems you people will not leave me)? Alright, alright. It can be held it as desired by you! Selecting an auspicious day, we shall have the prArambhaM", and moved away quickly.


That auspicious day too came. It was decided that AchAryAL would do exposition of the Sundara KANDam for seven days. The news, 'Maha Sannidhanam himself is going to do pravachana anugraha' spreading, the crowed was heavy. It had just finished drizzling!

Those who had darshan of the Jagadguru who came and sat in gaMbhIram on the Asanam (wooden plank), felt as if sAkShAt Veda Vyasa Bhagavan himself had come and seated himself. The pravachanam started in a majestic voice. Half an hour would have passed. SwamigaL halted his pravachanam suddenly and called an assistant of the MaTham. To him he ordered, "Was to tell you in the beginning itself... forgot! What you do, on my side at a small distance you lay a wooden plank. Spread a silk cloth over it. Then, in a silver plate, keep two guava fruits before the seat. shIghram (Quickly)!" His orders were carried out and he continued with his upanyAsam.

The fifth day upanyAsam was also completed. SwamigaL, who elaborated well in a way the students could understand, also explained them the nuances of dharma shAstras.

A student named Venkatesan belonging to the Tirunelveli Veda PAThashAlA came up slowly, prostrated to Jagadguru and said in hesitation, "I have a doubt, Gurudeva."

"What doubt, ask it", said SwamigaL.

He stumbled as he asked: "GurunathA! From the day the upanyAsam was commenced, you ask them to place a plank near you and also keep the guava fruits in a plate before it! Can't understand what is it for..."

Hearing this and laughing rattlingly, AchAryAL said, "Shall tell you, listen... 'yatra yatra raghunAtha kIrtanam, tatra tatra krta-masta kAnjalim'--'wherever Sri Rama's greatness is talked about there will readily come Sri Anjaneya Swami' is a belief. Here we recite Srimad Ramayanam itself. So Swami would come certainly? Can we make him stand? He is the 'nava vyAkaraNa pandita'! The Asana palakai is for him to sit on. Then... this is like doing upachAram with fruits, bakShaNam (savouries), coffee to a guest who comes to our home. Swami likes koyyAppazham (guava fruit) very much. Have understood now?"

Venkatesan nodded yes. Didn't that Deivam (God) know that this tender fruit wasn't clear yet!

Heavy crowd on the sixth day too. Jagadguru completed that day's upanyAsam in a way that moved everyone.

After everyone prostrated to SwamigaL and went away, the PAThashAlA students also, one by one prostrated and moved away. At the last of them was the Tirunelveli PAThashAlA student who prostrated shASTaangam and stood with joined palms. SwamigaL glanced at him with a smile and asked, "What's your full name?"

"Prasanna Venkatesan, GurunathA!"

"Which place is your pUrvIkam (native)?", SwamigaL asked.

"A hamlet near Tirunelveli Kadayanallur, GurunathA!"

"What is (your) takappanAr (father) doing?"

"upAdhyAyam (Vedic occupation), GurunathA!"

Saying "bEsh, bEsh", AchAryAL took with his golden hands the two guava fruits dedicated to Anjaneya Swami and gave it to him. Then he gave him leave with the words, "VenkatesA! These are the uchChiShta prasAdam (remnants) eaten by Anjaneya. Cut it, drop a piece in your mouth and share it with others!"

But then Prasanna Venkatesan did not move away from that place. He stood rolling the guava fruits in his hand and looking at them!

Having understood his flow of thoughts, AchAryAL said smiling within himself, "What Prasanna Venkatesa? Keeping the fruits in hand, what is that deep contemplation? Why not tell me a little, let me also know it!" He hesitated.

"Come on", the Jagadguru emboldened him.

"Nothing else, GurunathA! On that seat, Anjaneya Swami comes and sits and listens to Srimad Ramayanam, eats the guava fruits dedicated to him and leaves..." SwamigaL interruped him before he could finish.

"This is not told by me! This is a custom observed tradition after tradition with pUrNa nambikkai (full faith) by the elders who do Ramanayanam pravachanam. This is satyam too! What is your doubt in this?" asked the JnAnaguru.

Even in that chill weather Prasanna Venkatesan was perspiring. He hesitated to talk. Asking him to come nearer, AchAryAL encouraged him, "Whatever the matter... tell me boldly what strikes your mind."

He said in reply, "While listening to the pravachanam I was also looking at that plank often... For my eyes, nothing of Anjaneya Swami coming and sitting was seen! I also checked up with the sakas (friends) near me. They also said having seen nothing. That's why..." Venkatesan gulped and faltered.

AchAryAL asked, "Alright, alright. This is your first doubt! The two guava fruits are intact, they should have been parted had Anjaneya Swami eaten them is your second doubt (right)?"

Then he explained, "With AtmArta bhakti (soulful devotion) and shraddhA (trust), we too can have darshan of Anjaneya Swami sitting bhavyam (pious) with bhakti and doing Srimad Ramayana shravaNam! If Anjaneyar comes as viShva rUpi and sits, will everyone have the shakti to look at him and bear with the sight? So he would come in sUkShmam (subtle form) and return after listening!" Further he asked Venkatesan, "You know to read grantha letters?"

"I know, GurunathA!" said the boy.

Forthwith, he asked for a Upanishad related grantha book to be brought to him from inside. Opening it at a page and showing a small passage, "You should memorize this in five minutes and recite to me, try if you can", he said with a laugh.

Venkatesan moved to a distance with the book. Precisely five minutes passed by. Coming back to AchAryAL he recited the specific pasage with no mistake of even a syllable.

parama santoSham on AchAryAL's face. He took the book in his hand. Keeping the passage he asked the boy to memorize, he said, "Venkatesa! As asked by me you read and recited (the passage) in just five minutes! Just because you have absorbed those specific akSharas (letters), they haven't disppeared from their places! Aren't the grantha letters intact in their places? This is similar to that! Whatever we dedicate to God, He does svIkAram (claim) of only the ruchi (taste) accompanied by bhakti shraddhA and leaves the padArthas (eatables) to us with supreme compassion. Do you now understand the secret of those two guava fruits remaining intact, in full, without withering or shrinking?", AchAryAL asked him and laughed rattlingly.

Prasanna Venkatesan was sitting in amazement. Peace prevailed there for sometime. They all prostrated in shASTaangam.

The day of pravachana pUrti (completion of discourse)! At three in the afternoon itself AchAryAL came to the stage. The upanyAsam was going on very movingly. The time of completion, and everyone was listening, forgetful of their own selves. It was at that time that miracle took place!

A large vAnaram (monkey) came by leaps and bounds to the upanyAsam hall. Without taking heed of anyone, it jumped up the stage, went and sat quietly on the Asanam meant for Anjaneya Swami, facing AchAryAL! The Jagadguru was looking at it for sometime without moving his eyes away. It did not even regard the guava fruits kept before the seat! The crowd wondered at this sight!

Five o' clock in the evening. That vAnaram did not sway this way or that until then. Did not also touch the fruits. Completing his upanyAsam, AchAryAL recited the phala sruti. Then turning his head to his right and looking at the vAnaram, he said, "Anjaneya Swami, very happy that you came and sat here to listen to Srimad Ramayanam!" and requested, "Those two guava fruits are only for you, should do svIkAram of them." Looking around at the crowd once, the vAnaram took the fruits and keenly looked at AchAryAL for sometime with affection.

Meantime a voice proclaimed from the crowd, "Anjaneya... Rama, Rama!" Everyone looked towards the direction the voice came from. Prasanna Venkatesan was standing there with joined palms, his eyes filled with tears. By this time the vAnaram descended slowly from the stage, walked majestically and disappeared.

Coming to Jagadguru with filled eyes Prasanna Venkatesan said, "Gurudeva! That which came and sat on the plank near you did not appear as a vAnaram to my eyes. I saw sAkShAt Anjaneya Swami with his sharIram (body) that is AjAnubAhu (arms reaching knees) sitting in gAmbhIryam (majesty)! I also saw Swami saying something to AchAryAL! The tAtparyam of what you told me is now understood by me, GurunathA!" He fell at the Jagadguru's pAdAravinda. With so many people consoling him, no one could control his flowing tears.

That para brahmam blessed him with raised hands!

Glossary:
anusAra - m. going after, following; custom, usage; nature, natural state or condition of anything; prevalence, currency; received or established authority, especially of codes of law; accordance, conformity to usage; consequence, result;
prArambha - commencement, beginning, undertaking, enterprise
pravachana - m. one who exposes, propounds BhP.; n. speaking, talking Pan5cat.; recitation, oral instruction, teaching, expounding, exposition, interpretation; announcement, proclammation, excellent speech or language.
paripakva - completely cooked or dressed, completely burnt; quite ripe, mature; accomplished, perfect; highly cultivated, very sharp or shrewd
tAtparya - reference to any object, aim, object, purpose, meaning, purport
vij~jApana - humble request, respectful communication

**********
 
'anubhavam Ayiram' (Experiences, a Thousand): Sri Shantananda Mahima
Author: Ramani Anna
Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Sep 28, 2008
Type: magazine, fortnightly, Tamil
Publisher: Viketan Publications

The time AdiyEn (I) was fully engaged in the Nanganallur 'Adhi VyAdhihara' Sri Anjaneya Swami Alaya nirmANa kaingaryam (temple construction works). (The year 1994).

The noontime of a Saturday in the month of Kartikai. Sitting in rest after the meal at home, I fell into a short sleep involuntarily. At that time Sadguru Sri Santhananda SwamigaL who appeared in my dream with a smiling face asked with the privilege of intimacy, "enna dAsanE (what, my devoted servant)! It is a long time... since you are seen near Skandasramam! Have forgotten it?" and then disappeared.

I woke up with a jolt. My mind was filled with bliss. I started on that very evening. Stayed at Salem for the night. Was at the Skandasramam on the morning of the next day (Sunday). A divine laughter on the face of Sadgurunatha who had spotted me at a distance!

Raising my hands high above my head, I fell prostrating shAstAngam before SwamigaL. Looking at me with a smile for sometime without taking his eyes away, he blossomed his holy mouth: "enna dAsanE, not at all seen before my eyes for many days together! What is it for today... looks like a wonder! Some soppanam (dream) came up yesterday?" Even before he could finish it, I felt perspiring and once again fell at his golden feet with a thud and got up!

That Parabrahmam laughed. "Satyam GurunathA! Only after having a dream yesterday I have now come running! How come you..." before I finished he talked: "EnDAppa (why my boy), why would it not be known? Only I came in your dream!" Saying this that dIrgha darshi (one with a foresight) laughed loudly!

I did not know what to talk. I stood like a column. Then somewhat coming to senses, I said: "Only vAstavam (real) GurunathA! At the time I went into a short sleep after taking my meal at noon yesterday, you came in my dream and asked, 'Not seen near Skandasramam... Have forgotten it?' That is why..."

"You started to come here!", he said laughing before I finished. "Only when dreams come up in this way, it seems that it would occur to you to come."

AdiyEn did not understand what to reply to that Deivam who knew everything. I stood in silence.

Gurunathar himself dissolved the silence. "You have not taken any tiffin in the morning?"

"No, GurunathA!"

"Today in the ukkirANam (kitchen), veN pongal (salt pongal) and brinjal kotsu (salad) have been prepared. First go there, and come back after finishing your tiffin!..." With supreme compassion, that God sent me away!

When I returned finishing my morning tiffin, a large crowd for darshan of Gurunathar. Calling the people one by one and talking to them, he was sending them back. Leaning myself against a pillar, AdiyEn was watching it.

Twelve o' clock in the noon. The crowd had become less. Sadgurunathar gestured and called me. Getting up and running, I prostrated to him.

"Nanganallur Temple works are going on in jarUr (briskness, swiftness)?" SwamigaL asked.

"Going on, GurunathA!" I said.

"What is the decision in uddesha (approximately) about when to conduct the mahA kumbAbhiShekam?"

"We are making efforts to finish it within the coming year. Only Gurunathar should give anugraham."

SwamigaL said with a sudden utsAha (enthusiasm), "bEsha naDakkum... bEsha naDakkum (will be held very well)!" Then he asked eagerly, "It is alright, but when did the yantra pratiShTA vaibhavam (yantra installation festivity) took place there?"

"On the date of 16th February, 1992, the yantra pratiShTA was held, GurunathA!" I said.

"That was a day of Punarvasu (PunarpUsam) NakShatram?"

"Yes Swami", I said, surprised!

SwamigaL continued his question: "It is alright. Is the Anjaneya Swami going to be installed there is only Eka mukham (single-faced)?"

"Yes, GurunathA."

"But then the pratiShTA yantram itself seems like that of pancha mukham (five-faced)!", said SwamigaL.

"Yes, GurunathA! What was installed in the AdhAra pITham (root base) was only the pancha mukha hanumat yantra", I agreed with him.

Sadgurunathar did not leave it at that. "Let that be. Three years ago... my remembrance is that it was in ninety... taking that yantram, with ten or twelve devotees, it seems you people went on yAtrA (tour) to many kShetras (holy places) and even came to Skandasramam!", that Parabrahmam asked smiling and raising his eyebrows.

AdiyEn was in confusion! About the pratiShTA that took place and was over, why SwamigaL inquires with such probing questions, I was nervous, unable to understand it.

SwamigaL continued: "See if one thing comes to your mind! As I received that large pancha mukha hanumat yantram and kept it on my lap, you know the experience I had? I shall now tell you, listen. I felt like sAkShAt pancha mukha Hanuman himself coming down as a shishu (infant) and sitting on my lap. It was a Yantra with such a jIva kaLai (pulsating life)! I read without missing anything, the grantha akSharas (Sanskrit letters) found on the Yantra surfaces. 'With what shraddhA (care and faith) have they created this', I felt very proud. 'Who is the one that made such a wonderful Yantra' I asked you at that time.

"What you said at that time... 'AnathANdavapuram Ramadas Aiyar and here, the man standing by my side, Marutthuvakkudi Sundaresa Josyar... these two people together prepared it' is still in my memory! What, all that I say is correct?" SwamigaL asked.

Standing amazed, I nodded my head with humility in agreement! I couldn't think of anything to talk to him!

Sadgurunathar himself continued: "It entered my mind that a prati (copy) of that Yantra which was parama sAnnidhyam (of supreme divine presence) should be there in our Skandasramam. Forthwith I told you, 'Take a prati of this pancha mukha hanumat yantram and ensure it reaches me'. Nodding your head with vigour and only after saying, "uttiravu (your orders), GurunathA" in happiness, you moved away!

"The yantra pratiShTA was also over! But to date you have not at all given the yantra prati to me! I also know that it was not your mistake. A man who accompanied told you, 'Ramani... We should not give to other people the Yantra we prepared exclusively for Anjaneya Swami. (Or else) its sAnnidhyam (divine presence) will lessen", one person among you said it. I also know who is he!", he said.

Tears leaked from my eyes. My body shuddered! Falling at the holy feet of Sadgurunathar, I wept, sobbing. Before I could gather myself to speak something, SwamigaL himself said: "The elders say that dharmam to the poor and dAnam to the renunciate should be done. What am I going to do keeping that yantra prati! If necessary, I shall use it for loka kShemam (welfare of the world), what else?" Saying this, SwamigaL called an Asramam official to come near him.

To him he said, "Bring me the 'mantra mahottati' book kept inside in the almirah (shelf)." The book was submitted to SwamigaL. Turning its leaves over, he took two sheets of paper from it and displayed them. Then he asked, "Are these two papers familiar to you?"

I looked at it attentively. One is a handwritten copy of the Nanganallur pancha mukha hanumat yantram! In the other sheet something was written in order in the grantha lipi! It was not intelligible to me.

Still, gathering courage, I asked him, "That Sadgurunathar should pardon me is what I ask you first doing ananta koTi shAstAnga namaskAram. It is all a miracle to me! Without anyone of us giving it, as to how the Nanganallur pancha mukha hanumat yantra prati came into your hasta (hands)..."

Before I could finish, SwamigaL laughed, "So you desire to know how, is that so?" Then he asked, "You know Pudukottai Dr. Vaidheesvara SastrigaL?"

"I know him very well, GurunathA", I said.

"If that be so, you do one thing. Go to Pudukottai and meet the elderly man Vaidheesvara SastrigaL. He knows these details! And he will tell you." Saying thus, SwamigaL gave me leave to return. Prostrating and receiving prasAdam, I started my way back.

That very evening, I was at the house of Pudukottai Dr. Vaidheesvara SastrigaL.

"varaNum, varaNum (welcome, welcome)", SastrigaL received me with a blossoming face and inquired, "on what purpose have you come?"

I told him everything in great detail. Listening to it with interest, SastrigaL said, "This is a samAchAram (news) that is parama rahasyam (of complete secrecy)! Even then, since Sadgurunatha himself has sent you to know it, I shall tell you. You should also keep it in your mind only." He cautioned and took me to the vAsal thiNNai (raised portico) nearby.

As we sat there, SastrigaL continued: "A day three years ago... Sadgurunathar sent word for me hurriedly. I went to Skandasramam at once.

There, taking me to a room privately, SwamigaL asked me to pick up a sheet of paper and a pen. Then he sat down upright, closing both his eyes. I was unnerved! As a jaTA makuTadhAri (with a crest of matted locks of hair), it looked as if sAkShAt Paramesvara was sitting!

Without opening his eyes, he ordered, "Now you should write down in Samskrtam what I shall go on telling you, without missing anything." Then he started telling, and I too took it down fast and finished it! Then as SwamigaL opened his eyes, I asked him, "SadgurunathA, what you told me now looks like the pancha mukha hanumat paramAna yantrottaraka shlokam (the root verse to write up the Yantra)?" Then he gave me all the details!" SastrigaL stopped to steady his breathing.

I was impatient. "That is alright, SastrigaaL... Did Gurunathar say anything about who gave him the yantrottAraka mUla shlokam of the Nanganallur pancha mukha hanumat yantram?", I asked with eagerness.

"He told me."

"Whoever was that?"

To this question of mine, Dr. Vaidheesvara SastrigaL replied with tears leaking out of his eyes.

"He said it was sAkShAt Sri Bhuvanesvari Ambikai!"

Hearing this, I stood in amazement! I raised my hands high towards the direction where that Sadgurunathar stands tall as a living holy figure and worshipped him.

**********
 
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