Arul: Bodhendral

 

There were a couple in Kancheepuram by name Kesava Pandurangan and Suguna. They did not have a kid for quiet some time. They prayed to their guru, Vishwadikendhra Saraswathi, who was then the pontiff of Kanchi mutt. He blessed them that they would have a child very soon and they returned happily. They then had a male child born to them shortly. They named him Purushothaman. Purushothaman was a very bright kid. They performed his upananyanam (sacred thread ceremony) and took him to their guru Vishwadikendhra Saraswathi. Their guru enquired who the kid was and they replied that it was the Guru’s kid. The guru then asked Kesava Pandurangan if he would give the kid to the mutt if he really meant that he was his kid. Kesavan then told his Guru that he would check with his wife and let him know. He then stepped back to speak to his wife. They knew that if they give him to the mutt he would become a sanyasi and that their lineage can not continue as he was their only son. Suguna was now crying and when her husband asked her the reason, she said that she was crying for the only reason that he had told their guru that he would check with her and then give their son. She then said that she and the kid belonged to him and that he belonged to his guru, and there was no need to ask her for permission. Kesava Pandurangan then happily gave Purushothaman to Vishwadikendhra Saraswathi. The guru arranged for a teacher who would teach Purushothaman all the Vedas and sastras. Purushothaman studied along with another boy called Gyanasakaran. He finished all his studies when he was only 18. The only thing left to be learned was Bhramavidhyai and he wanted to learn this from his Guru and Vishwadikendrar had also promised that he would teach him Bhramavidhyai personally. However Vishwadikendrar had gone on a yatra and was now in Kasi. Purushothaman and Gyanasakaran had to go by walk from Kanchi to Kasi. One day they started their journey to Kasi to meet their guru. Gyanasakaran was good in astrology and knew that he would die on the way to Kasi. As they were close friends he told Purushothaman that if something happens to either one of them the other should perform their death ceremony and then give up his life in the Ganges so that both of them can be together even after death. They had only covered half the distance and Gyanasekaran suddenly fell ill and passed away. After performing his death ceremony Purushothaman continued his journey to Kasi. On reaching Kasi he met his guru prostrated to him and told him what had happened to them on their way. He then asked his guru’s permission to give up his life in the Ganges. The guru felt bad as he had planned to make Purushothaman as the next pontiff of the mutt. He then told Purushothaman that if he has do what he promised to his friend and also do what he wanted him to do there was a solution and asked him if he would agree to it. Purushothaman immediately replied that he would agree to his Guru’s words. The Guru then said that getting in to Sanyasa ashram was like having a new birth. This way he would keep up the promise made to his friend and also keep him happy by becoming the next pontiff of the mutt. Vishwadikendrar then gave him sanyasa and named him as Bagavannama Bodhendrar. He then stayed in Kasi and learnt everything from his guru. His guru then asked him to go back to south India and do Nama pracharam and show the power of Bagavan Nama.

There was a great saint called Lakshmidharar in Puri, who had written a book called Bagavannama kowmudhi which was a nama siddhantha grantham. Vishwadikendrar had also instructed Bodhendrar to collect this book on his way back and wanted him to master that that book too. He then came to Puri had darshan of Lord Jagannath and then went to Lakshmidharar’s house. Lakshmidharar had passed away and his son Jagannatha Pandit was there. It was evening and the house was locked from inside. Bodhendrar not wanting to disturb them sat down outside the house and started meditating.

A few days earlier an event had happened there. A couple from south India had come on a yatra to Kasi. One night when they were staying in that village the husband woke up the next morning and found that his wife was missing. He searched for her the next morning and could not find her. He then told the villagers about this and they said that some Muslims would come in the night and kidnap any women they find and take them to be with them as their mistress. The husband felt very bad hearing this but dint want to stop his Kasi yatra because of this.

He completed his yatra and was returning back through the same village that day. He was performing his rituals in the river and a Muslim lady seeing him came running to him and started crying to him. He then realised that it was his wife. When he asked her what had happened, she told him that there was no time now and that they have to escape now and promised to tell him what happened later. They then ran through the forest and came to a safer place. The lady then told him that they had kidnapped her in the night by tying her mouth with a cloth and ravished her. She then asked her husband to save her from them and asked him to have her as maid if not as a wife. The husband then told her that if the sastras allowed this he would take her. They then decided to come to see Jaganatha Pandit to check with him on what the Dharma sastras say.

The couple reached Jaganatha Pandit’s house the same night to ask him what the Dharma Sastras say. Bodhendrar was meditating outside the house and they knocked the door to wake up Jaganatha Pandit. When he opened the door they told him their story and feel on his feet asking him to give them a solution. Hearing this he asked her to say Rama Rama Rama and after that they could live together. As he said this his mother who was seated inside asked him why he degraded the power of Rama Nama by asking them to say it 3 times and told him that his father would ask even the biggest sinner to utter Rama only once and that would take care of removing all his sins. Bodhendrar who was sitting there now stood up and asked Jaganatha Pandit if there was any proof for what he was saying. Jaganatha Pandit then said that his father’s book had the proof for the same. Bodhendrar then asked him to show the book. Bodhenrar finished reading the book the same night with the help of a small lamp. The next day he called the couple and Jaganatha Pandit and said that the sastras were true and that his father had mentioned very clearly what he told yesterday, but the outside world wouldn’t believe this. Bodhendrar then asked the couple to go to the river and take a dip after chanting Rama nama. He then said that though she is now wearing a Muslim dress once she takes a dip after chanting Rama nama she will get back to her old attire and become as pure as how she was before she left her husband. The entire city gathered on the river bank to see this event. The lady came and prostrated Bodhendral and he asked her if she believes that by saying Rama nama all her sins would go away. The lady said that she doesn’t know about Rama nama but she believes him and considers him as her guru. She then said Rama and took a dip in the river. As she came out she had flowers in her head, kumkum in her forehead and turmeric applied all over her body. On seeing this everyone started chanting Rama nama and she happily went to her husband. The couple then prostrated to Bodhendral and took his blessing. Bodhendral then continued his yatra to south India.

On reaching Kanchi he wrote several books as desired by his guru. Some of them that are available today are Bagavannama Rasodhayam, Bagavannama Rasarnavam, Bagavannama Rasayanam. Our guru Sri Krishna Premi Maharaj has translated Bagavannama Rasodhayam in Tamil and the same is now available for people who don’t know Sanskrit. Botherndral was waiting for his guru to come back so that he could show his books to him. Vishwadikendhra Saraswathi finished his yatra and came back to Kanchi. Vishwadikendhra Saraswathi was very happy with his work and asked him to preach the importance of Bagavan Nama. Bodhenral then travelled across India and made everyone chant Rama nama and also preached that the only way to attain god in this Kaliyuga was chanting the name of god.

Sridhara Ayyaval, of Tiruvisanallur was a contemporary to Bodhendral. He was elder to Bodhendral. They happened to meet each other once and after that they would go together to the villages to do Nama pracharam. They would go to a village and initiate everyone in the village with Rama nama. Once done they would move to the next village. Bodhendral once came to a village called Perambur. One day he was invited by a person to his house for Biksha (lunch). His son was dumb (incapable of speaking). Bodhendral would go to places only where people chanted Rama nama. So he initiated him with Rama nama and also asked him to ask his wife to chant the name of Rama while cooking. When Bodhendral came to his house for lunch he felt very bad that there was no way for his son to say Rama nama as he was dumb. He then felt that his nama siddhantam could not help people like him to reach god. After the lunch when the family prostrated to Bodhendral he was filled with tears in his eyes for the boy. On seeing this, the man said that it was his destiny to be born like this and asked him not to be worried about him. Bodhenral then told him that he was only worried about how he would attain god and not because he is dumb. The man immediately told him that now he knew that his son will definitely reach god as there is a guru who is bothered about him. He also said that his guru kripa will help him attain god. After that the kid automatically started chanting Rama nama in his mind. Forever he would be with Bodhendral and do service to him. Bodhendral was about to leave Perambur after 4 months and the kid started crying as he could not bear the detachment from his guru. Bodhendral then gave him his Sri Padukas and left.

Bodhendhral made the Nawab of Arcot as his disciple. Arcot was hit by plague once and there was no treatment for this. The Nawab was also attacked by plague and it so happened that Bodhendral was there in Arcot then. The people in the city went and told their problem to Bodhendral who then asked them to get together and chant Rama nama. Once they did this everyone were cured and there was no trace of plague in the city. The Nawab then gave some land to his mutt and became his follower.

During his yatra Bodhendral once went to a village called Thirukokarnam for nama pracharam. He was initiating everyone in that village with Rama nama. A dassi came there to him and asked if she could also chant Rama nama and if he would initiate her. Bodhendral initiated her with Rama nama without any hesitation. Those days sanyasi’s were not even allowed to speak to women and when he directly initiated a women that too a dassi, the villagers started speaking ill about him. After some days Bodhendral left the village. The dassi was chanting Rama nama religiously and would chant though out the day. Bodhendral happened to come back to that village after some time. By the time Bodhendral came back she had finished chanting crores of Rama nama. The dassi came to have a darshan of Bodhendral and after prostrating to him she left this world through Kabala moksham(spirit leaving the body, opening the top of her skull at her own will) in front of her guru like how a yogi leave this world. The villagers were surprised seeing this and realised their mistake.

One day kids were playing in the banks of Kaveri. They would keep their feet in the mud and close it with mud and then remove the disappeared leg from the sand. Bodhendral had now planned to leave this world, so he went to the children and said that he would come out if they buried him inside the sand. Taking this for true the kids dug a pit and asked him to get inside. They then closed him completely with sand while he was meditating. Next day people in the village were searching for Bodhendral and they couldn’t find him. The kids then told them that he is buried under the sand and that he had asked them to do that. The villagers were now frightened. They then decided to start digging there and all of a sudden there was a voice saying that he was in Samadhi here and that no one should disturb him. After a few years the exact location of his Samadhi was forgotten as they had not build an Adhishtanam.

After 100 years of his Samadhi, Maruthanallur Sadguru swamigal decided to find his Samadhi and build an Adhishtanam around it. He searched for the exact location in Govindapuram. He would tie his legs and crawl on the river bank as he did not want to accidentally touch the Samadhi on his feet. At one place he could hear Rama nama being chanted and he immediately found out that it was the location where Bodhendral had attained Samadhi. He then went to Maharashtrian king who was then ruling Thanjavore and with his help built the Adhishtanam there.

Arul : The value of Annadhanam

 

It was the time when Kanchi Maha SwamigaL was staying in Kalavai, many years before. It was a Sunday. A large crowd had gathered for darshan. One by one the devotees prostrated to the sage, received his blessings and moved away. A middle-aged couple prostrated to AcharyaL and stood up with folded palms. Keenly looking at them, SwamigaL said, "adede... who (is this)... Palu...r Gopalan! You came a year back. That time you spoke about some problems. Aren't you fine now?" and laughed.

That Palur Gopalan replied, "We are very fine Periyavaa. As directed by you, from the time we started feeding an atithi in the noon time everyday, only good things are happening, Periyavaa! Good harvest in (my) fields. The cows don't die as before! The money that dripped out of hands without control for expenses stays in hands now. All that is (due to) the greatness of the atithi bhojana you have asked us to do, by your anugraha. I am doing it daily. Nothing else (is the reason for the prosperity)." Tears filled his eyes as he spoke. His wife who was standing by his side was also in tears of joy.

AcharyaL said, "besh, besh. It is fine if you have understood that good things happen due to the act of atithi bhojana. Alright. Today both of you have come over here. There in Palur--who will do the atithi bhojana?" AcharyaL inquired worriedly.

Gopalan's wife replied promptly, "We have made alternative arrangements for that Periyavaa. atithi bhojana will not be missed even for a day."

Maha SwamigaL was very happy to hear it. "That's the way you should do it. You must have a resolution to feed the hungry. Doing atithi upacAra will give such an anugraha and safeguard the family! One day SAkSAt Parameshvara himself will come in the form of an atithi, will sit and eat, you know that?" It is a maha puNya dharma that could lead to mokSa!

Author: Sri S. Ramani Anna .

Source: Sakthi Vikatan .

Arul: Anju pradishinam

 

Swamiji said, "adede! is it Meenakshi Paatti? What a wonder you have come in the morning time? Who is near you? Your granddaughter? What name?"

Meenakshi Paatti said, "Periyavaa! I am coming to the maTham to have your darshan for ever so many years. Till today I haven't informed SwamigaL about me. There was no such opportunity. But then, it has come now. This girl standing by my side is my granddaughter born through my daughter. Since she was born in this town, we named her Kamakshi. I had only one daughter, and she closed her eyes twelve years ago, leaving this girl to my care. Some disease she had. Her husband also died before her due to a heart attack. "Since then I am plodding on alone with this girl. I put her in a school. Study didn't get into her head. So I stopped it with her fifth grade. Now she is fifteen years old. My duty will be over once I give her hand to a man!" AcharyaL listened to her patiently. "I understood when I saw you come here and stand before me in the early morning itself, that you who used to bring pArijAta puS^pam for Chandramouleesvara puja every morning around ten o' clock, have come to me now with a purpose. What is the news?" he said. Hesitating at first, Meenakshi Paatti began: "Nothing, Periyavaa. A suitable alliance has come up for this girl. The boy is also from this place. School teacher. Sixty rupees salary. Good family. No demand-and-take harassments. They say that both the horoscopes match well. Somehow only you should perform this marriage, Periyavaa!" Paatti prostrated to him. AcharyaL's tone showed some heat as he chided her: "What? I should perform the marriage? What are you talking?" Within moments he cooled down and said, "Alright, what do you expect me to do?" Paatti was happy. "It's like this, Periyavaa! I have somehow managed to save five thousand rupees for her marriage. I can complete the marriage within that amount. But then the boy's mother has said compulsively, 'Paatti, whatever or however you do it, you must present a double-stringed, eight sovereign gold chain for the neck of your granddaughter!' I couldn't do anything big by way of jewels-and-bolts for her within my income. I have arranged just a bangle of one sovereign each for each hand of this girl. Only that is possible for me. Where can I go for an eight-sovereign doublestringed chain, Periyavaa? Only you--" Before she could finish, Swamiji asked her with some anger: "Tell me, you want me to provide her with a double-stringed chain in eight-sovereigns?" Meenkshi Paatti prostrated to him and rose. Patting her cheeks loudly, she said, "apacAram, apacAram, Periyavaa. I am not coming to say that. A number of rich and big people come for your darshan daily. Could you not gesture to any of them to arrange for the eight-sovereign double-stringed chain?" Paatti asked him longingly. "What? To gesture to the big people who come for a darshan? There is no such practice. If you want, you seek some other alliance where they don't demand eight or ten sovereigns! Only that is better for you." Swamiji got up.

Meenakshi Paatti said anxiously, "I pray that Periyavaa shouldn't leave me with such advise! This is a very good alliance, Periyavaa. The boy has a sanguine temperament. They got their own girls married with a gift of an eight-sovereign double-stringed chain each. Therefore they desire that the girl coming as their daughter-in-law should also come with a double-stringed chain. Nothing else, Periyavaa. Only you should provide me with guidance in the matter!" Paatti begged the sage. AcharyaL, who had got up, sat down again. He was immersed in deep thoughts

for sometime. Then he started talking with compassion: "Will you do something I suggest now?"

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

"Go to the Kamakshi Amman temple tomorrow with your granddaughter. Both of you pray to Her, 'This marriage should take place grandly with the required eight-sovereign double-stringed chain provided. Only You should arrange it, Amma!' and do pradakSiNa of the sannidhi five times. Prostrate before ambAL five times and go home. Pray this way for five days. Kamakshi will arrange the things as you have desired in your mind." AcharyaL blessed them smilingly. As she prostrated and got up, Meenakshi Paatti said, "What is it Periyavaa, you suggest everything five times!" She asked with eagerness, "If I do it that way, AmbaL Kamakshi will surely arrange my granddaughter Kamakshi's marriage?"

"I am not suggesting the five-times requirement myself. AmbaL has the adulation panca saMkhyopacAriNi. She grants favours happily when she is worshipped in multiples of five." Swamiji said, "I told you only that, nothing else!" "When do we start this, Periyavaa?" Swamiji smiled. "It has been said shubhasya shIghram. Today is Friday. Why, you start today itself." He said and bid them farewell. With her granddaughter beside her, Paatti walked towards Kamakshi Amman temple. Since it was Friday, there was a heavy rush in the temple. Mother Kamakshi dazzled in full splendour due to special adornments of that day. Both of them closed their eyes and prayed as advised by Periyavaa. Paatti had an arcanA performed in her granddaughter's birth star and secured the prasAdam.

Then they both prayed to Amman about the eight-sovereign double-stringed chain and went around the inner courtyard clockwise five times. Then they prostrated to AmabaL five times as Swamiji had suggested. With faith in heart, they went back home. On Saturday morning, Paatti started from her house with her granddaughter.

Collecting the coral-jasmine flowers, she hurried to Sankara maTham. There was a heavy rush in the maTham. Meenakshi Paatti was standing in the queue some twenty or thirty bhaktas behind. She heard what the person before her was telling his neighbour with concern. 'Today is the day of the anushA star. PeriyavaL's birth star. So Swamiji has taken up a vow of silence today. He

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

Anxiety got hold of Meenakshi Paatti. She worried, 'I thought of reminding Periyavaa about the eight-sovereign double-stringed chain, but it seems that won't be possible now.' When they got near Periyavaa, they prostrated to him. That para brahmaM was sitting with no sign of life in him. Paatti paused, yearning that he would ask something about the chain. Swamiji's assistant told her a bit sternly, "Paatti, move away please! Periyavaa adopts a vow of silence today. He won't talk. See, how many people are waiting behind you!" She made her way towards Kamakshi Amman temple, along with her granddaughter. As advised by Periyavaa, they performed the pancasaMkhyopacAra worship on that day and got back home. Maha Swamiji continued the vow of silence on the following two days also. Paatti and her granddaughter could only have a darshan of the sage at the maTham. Paatti started worrying, 'Four out of five days has gone by since Periyavaa's advice but nothing happened! Will Mother Kamakshi open her eyes and bless me or not?' She could only grieve within herself.

It dawned on Tuesday. Sri Kanchi maTham was very brisk on that day. A bhajan troupe from Arani was immersing the maTham in bhaktic ecstasy. AcharyaL came and sat in his usual place. There was such a maha tejas in his face! He had dissolved his vow of silence. There was a large crowd waiting for PeriyavaL's darshan. A middle-aged maami in the queue prostrated to Swamiji happily as her turn came. Happiness was writ on her face. She submitted the things she had brought--a large bunch of rastaLi bananas, un-shorn coconuts, sweet lemons, oranges, pumpkins, and chubby raw-bananas--and prostrated again.

Swamiji smiled to himself as he glanced at the items kept before him. Then he narrowed his eyes and looked keenly at the woman. "Aren't you Ambujam, wife of Needamangalam landowner Ganesa Iyer? You came two months back. Told me something, feeling sad. Looking at the way you have come now with a large banana bunch, it seems that your problems would have been solved by the grace of Kamakshi, right?"

Ambujam prostrated again and said, "True, Periyavaa. My only daughter Mythili was made to stay away from her husband's home for the last three years. Two months back I came running to you, reported this humiliation and wept. It was you who advised me to do five circumambulations and five prostrations for five days and perform ablution and worship in the Kamakshi Amman temple of this town. I completed them with extreme care, and what a

wonder, fifteen days back, my son-in-law Radhakrishnan who works in Jamshedpur Tata Steel Plant came over himself and took his wife Mythili back with him. It's all that Kamakshi's grace and your blessings, Periyavaa!" Tears of joy filled her eyes as she spoke.

Swamiji said, "Besh, besh, very glad. Let the dampati rest in prosperity! By the way, where did you get such a big bunch of bananas? Looks massive!" Swamiji's laughter rolled by like thunder.

Ambujam said smilingly, "This bunch was harvested from our own banana bed, Periyavaa; which is why it is so big!" She spoke with humility. Showing happiness, Swamiji ordered her, "Alright, only Amma Kamakshi has rejoined your daughter and son-in-law. So you offer this big banana bunch to Her and distribute the fruits to the bhaktas who visit the shrine." Ambujam said, "No no, Periyavaa. Let it remain in this sanctum. I have an identical bunch to offer to AmbaL.

Now I seek your leave to have a darshan of AmbaL, complete my prayers and get back here." She prostrated. "BeshA! After completing your prayers you must take food in the maTham and

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

There was not much crowd in Kamakshi Amman temple on that day. It was eleven in the morning. As it was later than usual, Meenakshi Paatti hurried to the temple with her granddaughter. She halted at the shop selling arcane packs, and told her granddaughter, "Hey Kamakshi! Today is the day of completion. So we shall do everything in five numbers as told by AcharyaL.

What you do, get five arcanA packs with five coconuts, five bananas, betel leaves, nuts, etc. and come back running!" and gave her the required money. The granddaughter bought the things as ordered. Paatti performed the arcanAs to AmbaL and prayed Her with tearful eyes, 'Amma Kamakshi, I am completely depending on You only! I have no refuge except You and SwamigaL. Only You should arrange for the eight-sovereign double-string chain and complete my granddaughter's marriage in a fitting manner.' As Paatti sobbed, her granddaughter was also moved and wept. Then they started going round the inner couryard from left to right. They were on their fourth round.

"Paatti... Paatti... Paattee!" Meekakshi Paatti looked back at the loud call from her granddaughter and chided her angrily, "Why do you cry so loud?

What have you lost to raise such a noise?" "Nothing lost Paatti, but something gained! Please come here, I shall show you!" She took her grandma to a corner, opened her right palm and showed her something. It was a severed, double-stringed chain with a front. "Where did you find that?" Paatti asked with surprise. Her granddaughter said, "As I was coming behind you with a bowed head, my eyes chanced on this chain. I took it at once, and no one had noticed me! This chain is severed

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

Paatti took the chain in her hands to guess its weight. She said, "Looks like sovereign, Kamakshi! May be eight or eight-and-a-half sovereigns. This has been granted to us by Kamakshi Herself backed by the blessings of Periyavaa. Alright, let us go out first!" She packed the chain inside the edge of her sari and hurriedly came out, forgetting to complete her fifth circumambulation.

It was one in the afternoon. Four or five people were waiting for the darshan of AcharyaL in the maTham. Meenakshi Paatti prostrated to the sage with her granddaughter and got up. Swamiji looked at her and laughed. She was confused whether to tell Swamiji about the chain or not.

Swamiji forestalled her. "Today you should have completed your pancasaMkhyopacAra pradakSiNa in order. But then it was not completed because of a vastu that came to the hand of your granddaughter! That sudden delight did not allow you to do more than four pradakSiNas. You came hurriedly, thinking that Kamakshi has given you Her pUrna anugrahah. What, am I right?"

Paatti was shocked. She became insensate, and swallowed her words as she spoke: "SwamigaL shouldn't mistake me. Once that (object) came to the hand of my granddaughter, I assumed that AmbaL Herself had dropped it for my granddaughter to take. In that sudden delight I totally fogot that I had to make one more pradakSiNa."

Periyavaa said relentlessly, "Only that you forgot. You did not forget to get the vastu weighed at Rangu Patthar's shop. Or get the severed portion melted in the furnace to rejoin." He clinched his talk with the words, "Let it go.

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

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

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

"To AmbaL Kamakshi."

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

"A mistake... nothing else but a mistake! Should excuse me. I have done it inadvertently." Paatti was genuninely repenting. She placed the doublestringed sovereign chain on the brass plate that was found before Swamiji, her hands shaking. Swamiji laughed.

It was now two in the afternoon. Swamiji asked Meenakshi Paatti and her daughter to sit before him. It was at that time that Ambujam AmmaL, wife of Needamangalam Ganesa Iyer, who had taken leave in the morning, came back full of sorrow and prostrated to the sage. Her eyes were shedding tears profusely. Swamiji saw this and said affectionately, "adAdA, why do you shed

tears Amma?"

Ambujam Ammal wiped her tears and replied, "It is like this, Periyavaa. Two months ago when I did the five days seva in the Kamakshi Amman temple I prayed to AmbaL earnestly that I would offer Her my eight-sovereign doublestringed chain if she united my daughter and son-in-law, who were then separated. AmbaL has united them. I went to the temple to offer my chain.

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

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

She started wailing.

Swamiji turned his face to Meenakshi Paatti and looked meaningfully. Paatti prostrated to him and got up briskly. She took the double-stringed sovereign chain from the brass plate before the sage in her hand. She turned to Ambujam and said holding up the chain, "Amma Ambujam. Check if this is the double-stringed chain you lost."

Ambujam took the chain from her hand and checked. "The same, the same chain, Paatti. How did it come here? Looks very wonderful!" Paatti narrated everything that happened to them in the same breath. Ambujam Ammal hugged Meenakshi Paatti. "Paatti, you don't worry at all!

I am informing you this before our AcharyaL. I shall arrange for a new double stringed chain in eight sovereigns for your granddaughter! Her marriage will be performed grandly. This double-stringed I have prayed to offer to AmbaL.This evening I shall take you and your granddaughter Kamakshi to the jewellery shop in this down and get her an eight-sovereign double-stringed chain. In addition, I shall give you five thousand rupees for the marriage expenses."

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

Everyone prostrated to AcharyaL. He looked at Meenakshi Paatti and said, "Today you and your granddaughter did not do the five pradakSiNas. Go in the evening, do five pradakSiNas and five prostrations, and have a darshan of AmbaL." Saying this he bid them farewell.

It is not possible to narrate in words the happiness and ecstatic shiver that Meenakshi Paatti and her granddaughter experienced at that time.

Arul : "Sri Subrahmanyaya Namaste"

Kanchi Mahaperiyava's exposition of "Sri Subrahmanyaya Namaste"

In June 1961, Paramacharya was camping at Devakottai (in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu). He was in deep penance for several weeks, not talking or even communicating by gesture. One could not know if he even heard the devotees' words. One morning, some people from nearby Ariyakkudi (‘Nagarathar’) had their darshan of Him, and in the course of their talks, it came out that Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar, the famous carnatic musician, and known simply as ‘Ariyakkudi’, was currently in Karaikkudi. To the surprise of every one, Paramacharya signaled to them, asking if they can bring Ariyakkudi over to meet Him. They agreed and left. That afternoon by three o'clock, Ariyakkudi was at the camp. He was so excited and tense, as Paramacharya had asked to meet him in the midst of his 'kashta mounam' (vow of rigorous silence).

Is not Paramacharya known for His simplicity? So His accommodation at the camp was very simple. His room was on the garden side of a small house. Devotees had to have His darshan through a small window, after passing through dirt and bushes. May be that was His way of admonishing those of us who have grown used to the luxuries of life. On being informed that Ariyakkudi had arrived, Paramacharya signaled to bring him to the rear window. He came, and paid obeisance by falling full stretch at His feet. That was it. To every one's joy, Paramacharya opened His mouth and started talking in a torrent.

"Heard of your receiving the Rashtrapathi award. You would have walked on a red carpet, and been honored in a gathering of eminent persons. But me, I have made you walk on stones and bush and made you sit in a dinghy room. "Why I called you is, I long have had a desire to listen to 'Shri Subrahmanyaya namasthe' rendered perfectly. On hearing you are around, the desire has re-surfaced. Perfect rendition means both the music and the lyrics (sangeetham and sahityam). Many people disfigure the words of Sanskrit and Telugu kirtanas to the extent that we wish they never sang. "The music part (swaras), the rhythm part and the 'sahitya chandas' – what is called 'chandam' in Tamil - would be given for most songs.

The proper way to split and combine words would also be given. The musician has to take care to synchronize the music, rhythm and chandas and split and combine the words correctly so as not to spoil the meaning. The compositions of good composers definitely allow this (padham pirichu padaradhu) but many musicians simply concentrate on the music and rhythm, and ignore the meaning, sometimes leading to ridiculous meanings!

"Even in this song 'Shri Subrahmanyaya namasthe', we have a line 'guruguhayagnana dwanta savithre'. This must be split as 'guruguhaaya agnana dwanta savithre' i.e. 'the one who is the sun for the darkness of ignorance'. Some sing it as 'guruguhaya..... gnana dwanta savitre', ' one who is the sun for the darkness of knowledge'!

"I do not know if you sing the kriti 'Sankaracharyam' (Sri Subbarama Sastri's Sankarabharanam kriti), but Veena Dhanamma's family, Semmangudi Seenu, MS sing this. There is a line 'paramadvaita sthapana leelam' – means 'one who so easily, like a game, founded the great advaita philosophy' - it is to be sung with stress on the 'A' of 'Advaita' (Paramacharya sings

this line) to give the intended meaning. If we really cared, we can, even without proper training, sing with proper meaning. Those I mentioned above also sing properly. But those who do not care, stretch the 'parama' and then sing 'dwaita sthapana leelam', converting the Advaita Acharya to Dwaita Acharya! (laughs heartily for a long time)

"No doubt, in music, there is no Dvaita - Advaita difference. Only music is important. And music makes the mind of the singer into unison with the song - the protagonist of the song. That is why, 'Shri Subrahmanyaya namasthe' is attached to you - a Vaishnavite - or you are attached to it! I have heard you sing that song. I do not have to say anything about your musical ability; and the sahitya part too you do correctly. Which is why I have called you here. "In my dharbar there is only stones and bushes. There is no accompaniment, not even sruti. But please do sing that kriti for me, in spite of all these.” When Paramacharya stopped his torrent, Ariyakkudi was in tears. He prostrated once again, and said "there is no other prestige for me than to be asked by 'periyava' to sing, and singing for periyava. I have no words to express the magnanimity of Periyava, considering me as somebody and giving me this chance. Periyava’s grace has to fill in for the sruti and accompaniment and enable me to sing to the level I am expected to” and readied himself to begin the song.

Paramacharya asked "the raga of this kriti is said to be Kambodhi, but the name given in books is Kambhoji, right?" When Ariyakkudi said yes, Paramacharya continued, "Many of us know Kambhojam is Cambodia (in S E Asia), and that Bharat culture had taken deep roots there. If we inferred that Kambhoji is a raga 'imported' from that place, researchers like Sambamurthy (the late Prof P Sambamurthy) disagree. Cambodians might have imported many things from us, but not we, far advanced in civilization, from them; definitely not in music, where we were much advanced whereas they had mostly folk music.

Then why the name 'Kambhoji'? "I have a thought here - there is another place called 'Kambhojam along India's northern border. Kalidasa, no ordinary poet and quite knowledgeable too, tells Yasha to go this way and that in his 'megha sandesam' – good enough to plot a map! In his Raghuvamsam, describing Raghu's invasions and victories, he has mentioned one 'Kambhojam', beyond the Indus and along the Himalayas. From this, we deduce that, within the extended India (akand Bharat), there was one Kambhojam near the Hindukush mountains. May be our Kambodhi raga was from this place? "Many ragas are named after places, right? Sourashtram, Navarasa kannada, even Kannada, Sindhu Bhairavi, Yamuna Kalyani, like this Kambodhi might have come from Kambhojam region.

"Researchers say ragas like Mohanam and Kambhoji have been around in most civilizations from time immemorial. Later, may be the raga was given the name of the place that 'polished' it well.

“Kedaram is a place in the Himalayas - you know Kedarnath. Gowla – Gowda region - Bengal. We have ragas in both names, and even Kedaragowla. But all three ragas have been in South Indian music - how? May be the names came from musicans who 'specialized' in these ragas and came from those regions?

People in general, musicians in particular, are referred to with their native places. For instance Ariyakkudi means you! From this, can we say that some of these rags - Kedaram, Gowla, Kannada, Kambhoji etc. - were popularized by musicians from these regions? "Are you interested in research into ancient music?" Ariyakkudi replied "Not much". "But you have set Tiruppavai to tune! But unlike for Devaram songs, tunes have not been specified for Tiruppavai songs, and those whose who recited, did not use a tune. Since only Brahmins have been reciting Divyaprabhandham songs, they have recited only with a kind of up-down delivery (Ethal-Irakkal prasam).

“You set the tune for Tiruppavai according to your manodharma (imagination)?"

"To the best of my little ability" replied ariyakudi.

"But it has become the standard and accepted and sung by other vidwans as well! It seems our ancient ragas have been preserved in their original form (roopam) only in the Devaram songs. Just as the Vedas have been preserved to a note by the Vaidikas through generations, the Odhuvamurthis have preserved Devaram songs - not just the lyrics, but the tunes too. What was a service to devotion, has also been a service to music! The ragas Sankarabharanam, Neelambari, Bhairavi etc. have all been identified as different 'pann's. This list includes Sowrashtra, Kedaragowla, Kambodhi also. Kambodhi used to be called 'ThakkEsi' or something like that. Kambodhi is not a mela raga?" "No. Harikambhoji is the mela raga; Kambhoji is its janya raga" "But Kambodhi is more famous! Just like the son being more famous than the father. Some other janya ragas too are like this?" "Yes, Bhairavi is a janya raga, derived from Natabhairavi"

"OK, you sing. I have been wasting time in useless chat preventing you from doing what you came for!"

Ariyakkudi rendered the song "ShrI subrahmanyAya namasthE" - a rare musical feast. Even without sruti or accompaniments, it still was wholesome. Paramacharya listened to the song with full concentration, eyes closed. Then, "Only because you sang alone (no sruti/accompanists) the song came out with all its beauty. And the words were crystal clear. I say 'thrupthOsmi' (Totally satisfied). Please sing once more - you know why? I will give you the meaning line by line, you stop after every line. Not that you do not know; but let me have the pleasure of dissolving my mind in Sri Dikshitar's lyrical beauty for some more time! More over, others here can also learn the meaning and beauty behind the creations of geniuses."

Ariyakkudi sang one more, this time line-by-line and our Paramacharya gave detailed commentry on the Dikshitar Kriti “Sri Subhramanyaya Namaste”.

Paramacharya further tells Ariyakkudi and the gathering at large, "I'm happy to see that you, coming from a good guru-sishya parampara, are preserving good music. You must also bring up good disciples and keep the tradition going. A Brahmin, having learnt Veda, has a compulsory duty to teach atleast one more person (athyApanam). This can apply to other sastras and arts

too. "One more point about musicians. You should sing the Telugu and Sanskrit kirtanas fully aware of their meaning. It is not fair to say that Tamil songs alone are enough. Great composers in this country have created hundreds of Telugu and Sanskrit songs of much musical and lyrical beauty. If we ignore them, the loss is ours. Do not defend by saying, 'I do not understand them!' - if only we desire, do we not spend time and energy on all sorts of useless things? If musicians dedicate themselves to pure music and proper rendition of words without losing the 'osandha artha visEsham', language can not be a barrier. Now that you are #1 in the music world, do your best towards this. May Subrahmanya's Grace be with you in this endeavor."

Source: Net Search on Kanji Mahaa Periyavaa.

Arul: Sri Sreedhara ayyawal

 

Sri Shridhara Venkatesa, known as Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, was born as the only son of Sri Lingaarya. Sri Lingaarya was a great scholar and was respected by the King of Mysore. The king, who was much impressed with Sri Lingaarya’s scholarship, rewarded him with a high post in the court and huge wealth. As the only child of Sri Lingaarya, Sri Shridhara Venkatesa was the sole inheritor of all these riches.

Even as a child Sri Shridhara Ayyaval cherished great devotion towards Lord Shiva and spent most of his time in chanting the Divine Names of Lord Shiva. He learnt all the scriptures and became an expert at a very young age. At an appropriate age Sri Lingaarya found a good bride for his son from a good and devout family. She too proved to be a fitting match for Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and his devotion.

After his father’s passing away, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was offered the post of ‘Divan’ in the Kingdom of Mysore. A personification of dispassion that Sri Sridhara Ayyaval was, he declined the offer as he considered any material comfort trifling compared to the wealth of bliss attained in worshipping Lord Shiva.

Days passed in loving worship of Lord Shiva. One day, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval decided to move from Mysore. His mind could find no rest in residing in the same place. He could easily sense the divine call guiding him to move around in this world and spread the divine message of true devotion and Nama Kirtan. This meant quitting his well-furnished home which was nothing less than a palace. Quitting the comforts that he had hitherto enjoyed was by no means, a tough decision for Sri Shridhara Ayyaval. But in the intent of knowing his wife’s and mother’s heart, he ran it by them, only to hear back that they were only too happy to follow him. Happily the family decided to leave the city that very moment. On knowing his decision, the king and people of Mysore gathered at his doorstep. Saddened at heart and overwhelmed with sorrow, they pleaded with him to stay back even if he does not want to accept the post in the court. But who can stop the one who is guided by a Divine force to move on? Addressing the loving crowd, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval said, “These riches belong to me no more! Anyone can walk in and take whatever he/she wants without any restriction. Everybody has a right on this wealth from now!” Saying so, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval walked out of his mansion followed by his devoted wife and loving mother, while the King and the people watched on helplessly.

After leaving the city of Mysore, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval passed through many cities and villages. He had taken to ‘Unchchavriti’ way of life wherein one goes on the streets singing the Divine Names of the Lord, accepting things offered as alms and partaking of the same after offering it to the Lord.

He would stop for a day or two in each village and teach the mass the essence of the scriptures. He would chant the Divine Names of the Lord and speak of its glory and ease of chanting it. After winning the hearts of the people there and hearing them chant with devotion, he would continue his journey.

Thus, moving about, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval reached the town of Tirichirapalli in Tamil Nadu, South India. He continued spreading his message of Nama Kirtan by discoursing in a simple language which helped people comprehend the profound truth with ease. His discourses emphasized devotion towards both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva without bias. Every evening he visited the temple of Lord Shiva and spent the afternoons in chanting divine names and reading scripture.

The king of Tirichirapalli was a devout Vaishnavaite (devotee of Lord Vishnu). A few people, who had heard the discourses of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval felt that he had more leaning towards Lord Shiva than Lord Vishnu. They voiced their opinion to the king and wanted him to test the devotion of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval towards Lord Vishnu. The king, who was a great devotee himself, did not like the idea of testing a saint and also feared that it might bring downfall to him and his kingdom. However, the desire to know the heart of this saint sprouted in him and hence he decided to test Sri Shridhara Ayyaval without malice and hit upon a plan. He ordered the priests to dress up Sri Mathrubhuteshwara, Lord Shiva in Tirichirapalli as Lord Krishna and take Him in procession. He thought that Sri Sridhara Ayyaval’s reaction would indicate his bias, should he have any. When the procession passed through the home of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, he was meditating on Lord Shiva. Once out of his trance, he came out of his home hurriedly and finding Lord Krishna there spontaneously prayed to Lord Krishna “Oh! Lord Krishna! When will I spend every moment of my life in meditating on your Lotus Feet by reminding myself of the transitory nature of this world, being humble, knowing my deficiencies, turning blind to other’s faults, being compassionate towards all living beings, being a servant of the devotees of the Lord and eyeing both joy and sorrow alike?”

He thus composed 12 verses known as ‘Krishna Dwadasa Manjari’. In a few verses in this, he did not hesitate to sing that Lord Krishna’s vision was not easy for Lord Shiva Himself! Hearing this, the king was relieved and the people who had induced him to test fell at Sri Shridhara Ayyaval’s feet and apologized for their ignorance and arrogance. Knowing Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to be a great saint of uncommon devotion and glory, the king wanted him to stay in his city forever. He spoke his mind to Sri Shridhara Ayyaval at an appropriate time. But when Sri Shridhara Ayyaval came to know of this, he decided to leave the city that very night. He knew that if he chose to stay in one place forever, then his mission of spreading the divine message to the world would not materialize.

He left Tirichirapalli that very night. The king could not console himself when he came to know of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval’s departure. Perplexed and worried, the king felt very restless, for he felt he had offended the saint by with his request. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval appeared in the king’s dream that night in the form of Lord Shiva and said, “Oh! King! Do not worry yourself. I have incarnated to spread the Divine Name in this world. I have left the city with this very purpose in mind.” It was only then that the king realized Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to be Lord Shiva Himself. Recounting the rare fortune of having been in the Lord’s presence all this while, he considered himself blessed.

After leaving Tirichirapalli, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval passed through many cities and villages before reaching the city of Tanjavur. During the course of his journey, his mother attained the Feet of the Lord. The King of Tanjavur, Shahaji, hearing the scholarship and devotion of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, visited him and felt blessed by his darshan. Though Sri Shridhara Ayyaval stayed for a while in the city he could not stand the bustle of city life for long. He wished to reside in a more serene and peaceful atmosphere and was in search of a suitable place. When he reached the village of Tiruvisainallur, he realised he had found the place he had desired and decided to reside there. Among all the great scholars who lived there, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was the most accomplished and revered.

King Shahaji had tremendous devotion and love for Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and so visited him quite often. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval also loved the king for his devotion and sincerity. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval did not hesitate to give proper counseling to the King whenever it was essential. He had such deep affection for the king that he even accepted the seat of 'Divan' in his court. During this period, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval wrote many great literary works. As days passed, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, who was naturally inclined towards a simple and devout life felt the need to give up the association with king and his worldly affairs. However, the king would not permit this. One day, while Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was pondering over this a messenger from the king arrived. Looking at Sri Shridhara Ayyaval the messenger asked, "Oh Bhagavata (Devotee of the Lord)! Is the Divan in?" As soon as Sri Shridhara Ayyaval heard this question, his face bloomed with joy and he sent a reply in writing stating-"The Divan is dead. Only the Bhagavata remains." When Shahaji saw the reply, he thought Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to be dead and could not contain his sorrow. Weeping, he reached the hut of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval only to find him alive and happy. He enquired as to why Sri Shridhara Ayyaval had written 'The Divan is dead'. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval said, "Since I got the epithet of 'Bhagavata', which is a higher post in the kingdom of God than that of Divan in your kingdom, I replied so!" Shahaji understood the heart of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and did not compel him to continue as the Divan. His respect for Sri Shridhara Ayyaval grew more than ever before.

Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was an embodiment of humility. For the sake of uplifting man he composed many works. Bhagavan Nama Bhooshanam, Aakya Shashti, Dayashatakam, Stuti Paddhathi, Shiva Bhakti Kalpalatha, Shiva Bhakta Lakshanam, Achyutaashtakam, Dola Navaratna Malika etc. are a few to name. Though titled differently, all these works were primarily about the greatness and glory of the Divine Names of the Lord.

Sri Bhagavan Nama Bodendra Swamigal was a contemporary of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval. Sri Bodendra Swamigal had deep reverence for Sri Shridhara Ayyaval. They used to meet often and enjoy the bliss of talking about the glory of the Lord. Though Sri Shridhara Ayyaval saw no difference in the prowess of Lord Shiva's name and Lord Vishnu's name he loved chanting the names of Lord Shiva. Similarly, Sri Bodendra loved the name of Rama more than anything. When Sri Bodendra Swamigal read the work of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval named 'Aakya Shashti', which primarily talked only about the greatness of Lord Shiva's names in sixty verses, he said, "You could have named this work as 'Shivaakyashashti' instead of 'Aakya Shashti'! Though all the names of the Lord are equally sweet and powerful, you have chosen to sing the greatness of only one of them! Why is it so? Don't you like singing the divine Name of Lord Rama?" The moment Sri Shridhara Ayyaval heard this from the great saint, he replied in a beautiful verse emphasizing the greatness of the Divine Name of Lord Rama. "While Lord Shiva, the glory of whose name I have sung in these sixty verses, himself does not cease to chant the Divine Name Rama even for a moment out of such taste and love for that name, how can I dare to describe the beauty and glory of the Divine Name of Rama?"

Sri Bodendra Swamigal shed tears of joy hearing this verse.

Sri Bodendra Swamigal and Sri Shridhara Ayyaval spent many such wonderful moments of divine bliss. Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra, another great Saint of the same time, also used to join Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and Sri Bodendra Swamigal in their discussions.

A few learned scholars of the city envied Sri Shridhara Ayyaval for the place he had found in the heart of the king. Once, they had arranged for the celebration of Janmashtami festival with much pomp and show. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval did not relish the worship that was devoid of devotion. Therefore, he did not participate in the function. The people who conducted the function carried a picture of Lord Krishna in procession. When Lord Krishna's procession came to the door of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, the priests and scholars refused to accept the offerings of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval. Reprimanding Sri Shridhara Ayyaval for not taking part in the festival because of pride, they said, "Why feign devotion when you totally lack devotion?Keep away. Our Lord Krishna hardly needs your worship." Sri Shridhara Ayyaval smilingly replied, "Lord Krishna knows who His devotees are!" Cut to quick by these words, the priests and scholars said, "Well! In that case, why don't you call Lord Krishna? If you are indeed a great devotee, let us see if Lord Krishna accepts your invitation!" Without a moment's hesitation, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval composed and sweetly sang the names of Lord Krishna in a beautiful verse. While Sri Shridhara Ayyaval stood on, the priests ordered the procession to move on. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval too went inside his humble home.

When the procession reached the next house, the priests and scholars found the image of Lord Krishna missing in the photograph! Trembling with fear, they ran to the house of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to beg his pardon. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was putting Lord Krishna to sleep. He composed the 'Dola Navaratna Maalika' on Lord Krishna that night. The priests and scholars who had offended Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, out of ignorance, now understood the glory of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and his steadfast devotion and love for the Lord. To absolve themselves of the sin incurred by offending a great devotee and with a hope to develop the kind of love for the Lord which Sri Shridhara Ayyaval had they too spent the entire night with Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, singing the Divine Names of the Lord.

Sri Shridhara Ayyaval used to visit the Temple of MahaLinga, Lord Shiva, in the nearby city of Madhyarjuna. Rain or shine, he would not miss visiting the temple. He preferred to see the Lord when there was not much crowd and so chose the early hours of the morning for the visit.

Once, Lord Shiva intended to test the love and devotion of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval. That day, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was on his way to the temple as usual. He had to cross the river Kaveri in order to reach the temple. On reaching the banks of Kaveri he found the river flooded. Boatmen refused to ferry the boat across the river. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval could not bring himself to return home without seeing His Lord in the temple. Gazing at the tower of the temple on the other shore, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval stood with tear-filled eyes. He felt he must have offended the Lord in some way and that sin acted as a block to the darshan of His Lord. He composed a soulful prayer called 'AarthiHara Stotra' in which he prayed, "Oh Lord! Please bestow your loving and compassionate glance on me, who is suffering from the pangs of separation from you! You have the untarnished fame of relieving the one who merely chants your Divine name from the clutches of sorrow! How is it that though I have sought refuge in You, I am agonized? Did you not bestow your grace on the hunter who, on death bed, chanted your divine name 'Hara Hara Hara' unintentionally, while teaching his son the way to hunt-'Prahara, Aahara, Samhara'(attack, bring, kill)? Such being your compassion, how can you turn your face away from me who am piteously praying- 'Save me Lord Shiva!'

While Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was lamenting thus a priest of the Shiva Temple, who was known to him, came to him and gave Vibhoothi Prasada (Sacred ashes). He said to Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, "I did not find you in the temple today. Knowying that you would be saddened at not being able to cross the river and have the vision of the Lord I decided to come and give you the sacred ashes." Transported to Bliss Sri Shridhara Ayyaval prostrated before the priest and accepted the sacred ashes with reverence.

While Sri Shridhara Ayyaval moved towards his home, shedding tears of joy thinking of the love of the Lord towards His devotees, the question 'how did the priest manage to cross the flooded river?' arose in him. From his memory he recalled that the priest was not a bit wet and the sacred ashes smeared on his body were not sumdged! Sri Shridhara Ayyaval wondered if it was Lord Shiva himself who had come in the garb of the priest. Next day, the flood subsided and Sri Shridhara Ayyaval went to the temple and found the same priest there. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval thanked the priest for his kindness and said that his mind was at peace only after receiving the sacred ashes from him the previous day. The priest was utterly confused hearing this. He said, "Sir! I never came to the other shore! Indeed, who could have dared to cross the flooding river?"

On hearing this, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was moved beyond words. He realized it was Lord Shiva himself who had taken pity on him and come to give the sacred ashes. With a grateful heart he sang the glory of the compassion of the Lord in the hymn 'Dayashatakam'. In this hymn, he sings, "Oh! The Compassion of the Lord! One is cleansed of all his sins the moment you cast your glance on him! When will you bless me so that I will always be immersed in the bliss of chanting the Divine names like 'Madhava', 'Murari', 'Kaamaarey', 'Shiva', 'Mahadeva', 'Govinda' and 'Purahara'! Be pleased to bestow two boons on me! That my mind may always be established in the Divine Form of Lord Shiva and that my tongue may always chant the Divine Names! In my last breath, let me chant the Divine Name 'Shiva'!"

Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, who composed 100 such verses glorifying the compassion of the Lord, was none other than Lord Shiva himself! Needless to say, he was an epitome of compassion! He could not bear to see anyone suffer. He considered even liberation a trifling matter as compared to compassion to all beings.

One day, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was on his way to River Kaveri for a bath. It was a day of 'Sraardha' (annual death rites for ancestors) in his home and all food offerings were ready. On the way he found a poor man belonging to a low caste fallen down in an unconscious state due to hunger. Unable to bear the sight of the suffering of the poor man Sri Shridhara Ayyaval rushed back to his home and returned with the food prepared for the ceremony. He gave it to the man. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval , who saw the Lord in all, neither had a second thought about doing this nor was he bothered about the sin he might incur. He knew that by appeasing the hunger of this man he would be pleasing the Lord. After giving him food Sri Shridhara Ayyaval went back home and cleaned the entire place. He cooked fresh food for the priests and invited them for performing the ceremony. The priest who were to perform the ceremony were a jealous lot who envied Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and chose this as the right moment to create trouble for him. They picked up an argument with him on this matter. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval quoted scriptures to show the greatness of timely help and said it was in no way sinful to feed a hungry man. However, the priests were adamant and refused to accept any explanation. They all walked out of the house and proclaimed Sri Shridhara Ayyaval as an outcaste. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval accepted this too as the divine will of Lord and continued the ceremony without the help of the priests. The Trinity -- Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma -- themselves appeared at the home of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval and participated in the ceremony! They partook of the food cooked by Sri Shridhara Ayyaval with pleasure. What will the Lord not do for His loving devotee?

Though the ceremony was performed in this manner that year, the following year Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, very compassionate, requested the priests to participate in the ceremony. The arrogant priests refused the invitation bluntly. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval pleaded with them to accept his invitation and said that he would carry out any atonement that they prescribed for the sin incurred. The priests then said, "Take a dip in the Holy Ganga. That is the only atonement for the terrible sin incurred." Sri Shridhara Ayyaval replied, "The Holy Ganga is up in north and I am already old. I do not think I can travel that far. Instead, I shall bring the Holy Ganga to me in the well here my backyard." Hearing this, the priests said, "How preposterous of you to speak so! Of course, there are some verses in the scriptures which exalt the Holy Name of Ganga by saying that if one takes a dip in any water chanting the name of Ganga, he would gain the merit of having taken a dip the Holy River Ganga. But these are nothing but exaggerations! Just as you exaggerate the glory of Divine Names!" and laughed out. "Don't even imagine that you can trick us and become one among us again!" Sri Shridhara Ayyaval humbly replied, "I do not intend to cheat anybody. I shall bring the Holy Ganga right here." Saying this, he prayed to Holy Ganga through eight verses of Gangashtakam composed by him then. And lo! The Holy River Ganga gushed out of the well in the backyard of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval's home! The priests were terrified to witness this miracle. Now they were alarmed to see the river gush out to the roads! They ran and fell at Sri Shridhara Ayyaval's feet and begged his pardon. They requested Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to send the river back! Sri Shridhara Ayyaval invited all of them to take a dip in the river. The panicked mass insisted he send it back and refused to take a dip. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval then prayed to Mother Ganga to stay in his well in the backyard of his home for ever. The Holy River Ganga paid heed to his prayer and subsided into the well. This incident occurred on the new moon day in the month of 'Karthika'. Till this day, many pilgrims travel to Tiruvisainallur to take a dip in this well every year on the new moon day of the Karthika month.

Sri Shridhara Ayyaval joined Sri Bodendra Swamigal in spreading the message of chanting the Divine Names as the easiest means to gain both material and spiritual benefits. One day, while Sri Shridhara Ayyaval was on his way to visit the temple of Lord Shiva he discoursed to his devotees emphasizing the glory of divine names and love for the Lord. Sri Shridhara Ayyaval looked unusually bright and lustrous that day. In the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord, with tears in his eyes, he prayed to the Lord through many verses. Overwhelmed by the pangs of separation from the Lord and unable to stand it any longer, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval rushed to the Sanctum of the Lord in order to embrace Him. While the priests attempted to stop him Sri Shridhara Ayyaval ran and disappeared into the Sanctum of the Lord. The Lord, in the form of Linga, shone brightly like a sun for some time. The awestruck devotees stood looking on, as this wonderful incident happened, and shed tears.

Sri Shridhara Ayyaval spent every moment of his life striving to uplift the mass by spreading the nectarine Divine Names of the Lord. Let us all pray to Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to bless us all with a taste for the Divine Names of the Lord.

RamRam

Arul 49 : Periyava’s order –To send money to Poor Man in Calcutta

 

Once he suddenly called the agent of the Mutt and ordered him to send by telegraphic money-order a sum of five hundred rupees to one poor man at Calcutta. After some months had elapsed, one fine day a poor fellow rushed to His Holiness sobbing and fell down at his feet saying that Sri Mutt's money order was received in time when his father expired and that he was able to do the last rites for him. His father was once connected with Sri Mutt Camp and he served by sorting Vilva leaves for Pooja.

Another instance is: a man rushed to His Holiness praying that he had settled his daughter's marriage but could not manage to find sovereigns for Thirumangalyam as was demanded by bridegroom's parents. His Holiness told him that as a sanyasi he did not have sovereigns but directed him to the temple of Sri Kamakshi and pray for the same. Meanwhile some gentlemen of High respectability from Bombay arrived to have Darshan of His Holiness and placed before Him some sovereigns as offering along with huge money. After they left, the poor man after praying to Sri Kamakshi came to His Holiness, who said to him that his prayer was heard and that he had the ten sovereigns.

Arul 48 : தியானம் (Dyanam)

மனஸை அடக்கினவன்தான் முனி. ‘முனிவனின் குணம் எதுவோ அதுதான் மௌனம்’ என்பதே அந்த வார்த்தைக்கு அர்த்தம். முனிவனின் குணத்தில் பேசாமலிருப்பதுதான் தலை சிறந்தது என்று பொதுக் கருத்து இருந்திருப்பதால்தான் ‘மௌனம்’ என்றால் ‘பேசாமலிருக்கிறது’ என்று ஆகிவிட்டிருக்கிறது.

மனஸை அடக்கினவனின் தன்மை என்றாலும், அதுவே நம் மாதிரி மனஸ் அடங்காதவர்கள் அந்த நிலையை அடைவதற்கு உதவுவதாகவுமிருக்கிறது.
பிரம்மஞானியான முனிவன் மௌனம், மௌனமாயில்லாமலிருப்பது என்ற இரண்டையும் விட்டு விடுகிறான் என்று உப நிஷத் சொல்கிறது.

முதலில் படித்துப் பண்டிதனாகி, ரொம்பவும் வாதங்கள் சர்ச்சைகள் பண்ணி ஸத்ய தத்வத்தைத் தெரிந்து கொள்கிறான். அப்புறம் பாண்டித்யம், பேச்சு எல்லாவற்றையும் விட்டு விட்டு ஒரே நிஷ்டையில் போய் விடுகிறான். அப்புறம் பிரம்ம ஞானியாகிறபோது மௌனத்தையும் விட்டு விடுகிறான், மௌனமில்லாமையையும் விட்டுவிடுகிறான் என்று உபநிஷத் சொல்கிறது. இப்படிச் சொன்னால் அது எப்படி ஸாத்யம்? ஒன்று பேச்சை விட்டு மௌனமாக வேண்டும்; அல்லது மௌனத்தை விட்டுப் பேச வேண்டும். இரண்டையுமே விடுவது என்றால் எப்படி முடியும்?

அந்த ஞானியின் நிலைக்குப் போனால்தான் இது புரியும்.
அவனுக்குப் பேச வேண்டும் என்றோ, பேச வேண்டாமென்றோ எந்த சொந்த அபிப்ராயமும் ஆசையும் இருக்காது. லோகாநுக்ரஹத்துக்காக அவன் மூலம் உபதேசமாகப் பேச்சு வந்தாலும் அவன் தான் பேசுவதாக நினைக்க மாட்டான். அதைவிடப் பெரிய மௌன உபதேசத்தில் தக்ஷிணாமூர்த்தி மாதிரி அவனைப் பராசக்தி உட்கார்த்தி வைத்திருந்தாலும் ‘நாம் மௌன விரதம் என்று ஒன்று அனுஷ்டிக்கிறோம்’ என்று அவன் நினைக்க மாட்டான். இதைத்தான் மௌனம், அமௌனம் இரண்டையும் விட்ட நிலை என்பது.

- ஜகத்குரு காஞ்சி காமகோடி ஸ்ரீசந்திரசேகரேந்திர சரஸ்வதி சங்கராச்சார்ய ஸ்வாமிகள்

Arul 47 : Gajana -Ganesh Chandrasekar and Kalyanasundaram Ramachandaran

 

ஒருமுறை காசியிலிருந்து திரும்பும் வழியில் பெர்ஹாம்பூரில் சாதுர்மாஸ்ய அனுஷ்டிக்கும்போது நெடுநாட்கள் சுத்த உபவாசமிருந்தார் பெரியவா. அதையும் மடத்தினருக்கே தெரியாமல் ரொம்ப ரகசியமாக செய்தார். மடத்து கஜானாவை நிர்வகித்து வந்த ராமச்சந்திர ஐயருக்கு எப்படியோ ரகசியம் தெரிந்து விட்டது. பெரியவாளிடம் சென்று உபவாசத்தை விடுமாறு வேண்டினார்.

அவரும் உடனே பிக்ஷை தயாரித்து கொண்டிருந்த பணியாளரை கூப்பிட்டு, மறுதினம் தம் உணவில் இன்ன இன்ன சேர்க்கும்படி கூறினார். "கஜானா" சந்தோஷம் தாங்காமல் திரும்பினார். திரும்பியபின் அவருக்கு சந்தேகம் எழுந்தது. "ஆனானப்பட்ட அன்னதான சிவன் போன்றவர்களின் வேண்டுகோளுக்கும் மசியாத பெரியவாளா நம் கோரிக்கைக்கு இத்தனை சுலபமாக மசிந்து விட்டார்?" என்ற சந்தேகம். பிக்ஷை தயாரிக்கும் பாரிஷதரிடம் போய் குடைந்தார். அவருடைய சந்தேகம் சரியானதே என்று நிரூபணமாயிற்று. "நீங்க அந்தண்டை போனதுமே பெரியவா, "அவர் மனசு சமாதானமாறதுகக்காகத்தான் அப்படி சொன்னேன். அதை அடியோட மறந்துடு"ன்னார்" என்று அந்த பாரிஷதர் நிஜத்தை கக்கி விட்டார்.

"கஜானா" மறுபடி பெரியவாளிடம் போனார். பல முறை போனார். அனால் அவர் வாயை திறக்கவே பெரியவா இடம் கொடுக்காமல் அடியார்கள், சிப்பந்திகள், பண்டிதர்கள் என்று எவரையேனும் சுற்றிலும் வைத்து கொண்டு ரொம்பவும் சீரியசாக ஏதாவது அலசி கொண்டிருந்தார். இப்படி பல நாட்கள் ஓடின. கடும் உபவாசமும் தொடர்ந்தது. கடைசியாக ஒருநாள் இரவு 10 மணிக்கு மேல் "கஜானா"விடம் பெரியவா பிடிபட்டார். சுக்ரவார பூஜை சற்று தள்ளாட்டத்துடனேயே முடித்துவிட்டு, ஓய்வுக்கு பெரியவா சாய்ந்த சமயத்தில் கஜானா அவரை பிடித்து விட்டார்.

"நாளைக்கு பெரியவா வயிறார பிக்ஷை பண்ணலேன்னா நான் மடத்தை விட்டே போய்டறேன்" என்று முரண்டு செய்து பார்த்தார் கஜானா.

அதுவும் பலிக்கவில்லை. முகமெல்லாம் சிரிப்பாக பெரியவா "நீ இல்லாட்டா மடம் நடக்காதோ?" என்றார்.

"அப்போ இந்த லோகத்தை விட்டே போய்டறேன்" என்று தம்மை மீறிய ஆவேசத்துடன் சொல்லி அழுதே விட்டார் கஜானா.

"சரி! பிக்ஷை பண்ணறேன். நாளைக்கு என்ன? இப்பவே பண்றேன். வயிறார பண்ணனும்னியே பண்றேன், பண்ணி வைக்கறையா?" என்றார் பெரியவா
"காத்துண்டு இருக்கேன்" என்று கஜானா நமஸ்காரம் செய்தார். அந்த இரவு வேளையில் பெரியவா பாலும் பழமும் தவிர எதுவும் உட்க்கொள்ளமாட்டார் என்று நினைத்தார். பெரியவா உட்கொள்ளும் அளவு தெரிந்த பிக்ஷை பாரிஷதரை கூப்பிட்டார்.
"அவனை ஏன் கூப்பிடறே? ஒன்னையேதானே பிக்ஷை பண்ணி வெக்க சொன்னேன்? நீயும் ஒப்புத்துண்டையே!""அளவு தெரியாததால அவனை கேட்டுக்கலாம்னு....." கஜானா இழுத்தார்.

"அளவு தெரியாட்டா என்ன? இருக்கறதை ஜாடா கொண்டா"
"சரி நாம் பழக்கூடைகள், தட்டுகள் யாவும் கொண்டு வந்து வைப்போம். பெரியவாளே வேண்டியதை எடுத்து கொள்ளட்டும்" என்று கஜானா நினைத்து அவ்வாறே செய்தார்.
அதியாச்சரியமான கட்டளை பெரியவாளிடமிருந்து பிறந்தது "சுக்ரவார நைவேத்யம் சொஜ்ஜி, சுண்டல் எங்கே? கொண்டா சட்னு"
கஜான ஓடோடிபோய் பெரிய பெரிய பத்திரங்களில் நிறையவே இருந்த சொஜ்ஜியையும், சுண்டலையும் சமர்ப்பித்தார்.

"அதி"க்கும் மேற்பட்ட ஆச்சரியம் நிகழ்ந்தது. பெரியவா அவ்வளவையும் வெகு விரைவில் உட்கொண்டு பாத்திரங்களை காலி செய்தார். "இவ்வளவுதானா?" என்று வேறு கேட்டார்.

பன்னிரண்டு திருவோணம் அட்டேன்;
"இன்னம் உவப்பன் நான்" என்று சொல்லி எல்லாம் விழுங்கிட்டு போந்து நின்றான்!............என்று ஆய்ச்சி மொழியாக ஆழ்வார் பாடியது உண்மையாயிற்று.

பழக்கூடையும் சடுதியில் காலியாயிற்று "இன்னும் என்ன இருக்கு" என்று கேள்வி கஜான வெலவெலத்து போனார்.

"வயிறார பண்ணறேன்னு ஒப்புண்டு பசியை கிளறிட்டியே! உசிர் போறதே!" என்ற பெரியவாளின் வார்த்தையை தாங்காமல் ஒரு பெரிய கூஜா பாலை திருமுன் வைத்தார். கடகடவென்று அதையும் பெரியவா காலி பண்ண, தடதடவென கஜானா கன்னத்தில் போட்டுகொண்டு அவரது பாதத்தில் தடாலென விழுந்தார்.

"பெரியவா க்ஷமிக்கணும். இனிமே ஒருநாளும் பெரியவாளை தொந்திரவு பண்ண மாட்டேன்" என்று விக்கினார்.
குழந்தையாக சிரித்த பெரியவா, "இனிமே என் வம்புக்கு வரமாட்டியோல்யோ?" என்று கை தூக்கி ஆசிர்வதித்தார்

Arul 46: காதில் விழவே இல்லையா"? (Kathil vizhalaya)

 

தகவல் " காஞ்சி மகான் அருளிய அற்புத அனுபவங்கள் "  ரா வேங்கடசாமி

காஞ்சி மகானின் கருணைக்கு எல்லையே இல்லை . தனது அத்யந்த பக்தர்கள் தன்னை எந்த நேரத்தில் அழைத்தாலும் அவர்களுக்கு அருளாசி வழங்காமல் இருந்ததே இல்லை .

திரு ராஜகோபாலின் மனைவி கீதா பலவருடங்களுக்கு முன்பு சென்னையில் வசித்துகொண்டிருந்த சமயம் , மகானிடம் பெரும் பக்தி , அவருக்கு மட்டுமல்ல அவரது குடும்பமே மகானை கண்கண்ட தெய்வமாக வணங்கி வந்தனர் .

ஒரு சமயம் கீதாவின் தந்தைக்கு உடல் நலம் சரியில்லை ,  எல்லா விதமான மருத்துவ சிகிச்சையும் கிடைக்கசெய்து மசியாத அந்த நோய் அவரை படுத்த படுக்கயக்கி விட்டது

மருத்துவ சிகிச்சை தொடர்ந்தாலும் கீதா மகானிடம் வேண்டாத நாளில்லை , இருப்பினும் தந்தையின் உடல் நாளுக்கு நாள் மோசமகிகொண்டு வர , ஒரு நாள் அவர் மூச்சு விடவே மிகவும் சிரமப்பட்டார் , அந்த நிலை நீடித்தால் சில மணி நேரங்களில் அவர் உயிர் பிரிய நேரும் பூஜை அறைக்கு போய் மகானின் படத்தின் முன் விழுந்து நமஸ்கரித்துவிட்டு " இதனை நாளாக என் குறையை தீர்த்து வையுங்கள்" என்று கதறிக்கொண்டு இருக்கின்றேனே பெரியவா உங்கள் காதில் விழவே இல்லையா ,

காதில் விழவே இல்லையா என்று கடைசியாக வாய் விட்டு கதறிய போது வீட்டின் அழைப்பு மணி ஒலித்தது அங்கே சென்று கதவை திறந்தபோது " கஞ்சி மடத்தில் இருந்து வருகின்றோம் மகா பெரியவா இந்த பிரசாதத்தை உங்களன்ண்ட கொடுக்க சொன்னார்" என்றனர் வந்தவர்

காதில் விழவே இல்லையா என்ற குரல் கேட்காமலா இந்த பிரசாதங்களை அனுப்பி இருக்கின்றார் , கண்களில் நீர் பெருக கீதா அவசர அவசரமாக ஸ்ரீ மடத்தில் இருந்து வந்த தீர்த்தத்தை தான் தந்தையின் வாயில் ஊற்ற , அவரது மூச்சு திணறல் நின்றது , அதன் பிறகு அவர் தந்தை நீண்டநாள் சுகமாக வாழ்ந்தார் என்பது தான் வியப்பிற்குரிய விஷயம்

மகன் தன் பக்தர்களை பற்றி அல்லும் பகலும் நினைக்காமலா இருகின்றார் "காதில் விழவில்லையா என்று கேட்டவுடன் காலிங் பெல் சப்தம் கேட்டது எப்படி

Arul 45 : ஒழுக்க நெறிகள்!

 

நம்மளவு சௌகரியமோ, அறிவோ அழகோ இல்லாதவர்களைப் பார்த்து நாம் தாழ்த்தியாக நினைத்துக் கர்வப்படக் கூடாது. கர்வம் என்பது சொறி, சிரங்கு எல்லாவற்றையும்விடக் கொடிய பெரிய வியாதி போன்றது. போன பிறவியில் நம்மைவிடத் தப்பு செய்ததால் அவர்கள் இப்போது பணத்தில், புத்தியில், அழகில் நம்மைவிடக் கீழாக இருக்கலாம். ஆனால் நமக்குக் கர்வம் வந்தால், இதுவே அவர்கள் செய்த தப்புக்களையெல்லாம் விடப் பெரிய தப்பு. இதன...ால் நாம் அடுத்த பிறவியில் இப்போது அவர்கள் இருப்பதைவிடக் கீழான நிலையில் பிறப்போம்.

இன்னும் பலவிதமான அழுக்குகள் இருக்கின்றன. பிறர் இல்லாத போது அவர்களைப் பற்றி கேலியாகவோ, நிந்தையாகவோ பேசுவதில் உங்களுக்கு எண்ணம் போகவே கூடாது. இப்படிப் பேசுவதில் ஒரு சுவாரசியம் இருக்கிறதே என்பதற்காக இதில் ஈடுபடக்கூடாது. ஒருவனிடம் தப்புத் தெரிந்தால், அதை நேரில் நல்லபடியாக, நயமாக, அன்பாக அவனிடமே சொல்ல வேண்டுமே ஒழிய, அந்தத் தப்பை மற்றவர்களிடம் சொல்லி சந்தோஷப்படுவது வெறும் கோழைத்தனம்தான். இப்படிப் புறங்கூறுகிறபோது அங்கே அந்தப் பையன் இல்லாதிருக்கலாம் – ஆனால் எங்கேயும் உள்ள ஸ்வாமி அங்கேயும் இருக்கிறார். என்றைக்கோ ஒரு நாள் அவர் தண்டித்து விடுவார். அதற்கு யாரும் தப்ப முடியாது.

பொய், பயம், பொறாமை, நிந்தனை ஆகிய அழுக்குகளைப் போக்குகிற சோப்பு, சீயக்காய், அரப்பு, வாசனைப் பொடி மாதிரி சத்தியம், தைரியம், விட்டுக் கொடுக்கிற சுபாவம், இன்சொல் ஆகியன இருக்கின்றன.
இப்படியே நம் மன அழுக்கைப் போக்குகிற நல்ல குணங்கள் பல இருந்தாலும்கூட, வேறொரு ஜலம் இல்லாவிட்டால் இந்த நல்ல குணங்கள் மாத்திரம் நமக்கு மனத்தூய்மையைக் கொடுக்க மாட்டா. அந்த ஜலம்தான் தெய்வ பக்தி. எல்லா அழுக்குகளும் நீங்குவதற்கு, கங்கா ஸ்நானமாக இருப்பது ஸ்வாமியிடம் செய்கிற பிரார்த்தனைதான்.

- ஜகத்குரு காஞ்சி காமகோடி ஸ்ரீ சந்திரசேகரேந்திர சரஸ்வதி சங்கராச்சார்ய ஸ்வாமிகள்

Arul 44 5: Shri Bodendral Swamigal

 

 

லக்ஷ்மிநாராயணனின் பெரியப்பா நடேசய்யரும், பெரியவாளும் திண்டிவனம் அமெரிக்க மிஷன் பள்ளியில் ஒன்றாகப் படித்தவர்கள். பெரியவர் விழுப்புரம் வரும்போதெல்லாம், நகர எல்லையில் உள்ள பாப்பான்குளத்தில் இருக்கும் பாபுராவ் சத்திரத்தில்தான் தங்குவார். பெரியவரை லக்ஷ்மி நாராயணனின் தந்தைதான் பூரணகும்பம் கொடுத்து வரவேற்று, சத்திரத்துக்கு அழைத்துச் செல்வார்.

மடத்தின் பரிவாரத்தில் யானைகள், குதிரைகள் எல்லாம் இருந்தன. சத்திரத்தில் அவற்றையெல்லாம் கட்டிப் பராமரிக்க அப்போது வசதி இருந்தது.

அப்படி ஒருமுறை, பெரியவா பாபுராவ் சத்திரத்தில் வந்து தங்கியபோதுதான், அவரை முதன்முறையாகத் தரிசித்தார் லக்ஷ்மிநாராயணன்.

”எனக்கு அப்போ ஆறு வயசு இருக்கும். என் பெரியப்பா என்னை பெரியவாகிட்ட கூட்டிண்டு போய், ‘என் தம்பி பிள்ளை இவன். மூணாங் கிளாஸ் படிக்கிறான்’ என்று அறிமுகப்படுத்தினார்.

‘பையனுக்குப் பூணூல் போட்டாச்சோ?’ன்னு விசாரிச்சார் பெரியவர். ‘இல்லை’ன்னு சொன்னதும், ‘சரி, சீக்கிரம் பூணூல் போட்டுடு. ஸ்கூல்ல லீவு சமயத்திலே இங்கே என்னண்டை அனுப்பி வை’ன்னார்.

அதுக்கப்புறம் நாலு வருஷம் கழிச்சு 1946-47-ல அதே பாபுராவ் சத்திரத்துல மறுபடியும் பெரியவா வந்து தங்கினா. அதுக்குள்ளே எனக்குப் பூணூல் போட்டாச்சு. பெரியவா சொன்னாப்பல, ஸ்கூல் லீவ் நேரத்துல மடத்துக்குப் போய் பெரியவாளுக்குச் சேவை செய்ய ஆரம்பிச்சேன். அதுதான் ஆரம்பம். வில்வம் ஆய்ஞ்சு கொடுக்கறது தான் என் முதல் டியூட்டி. பெரியவா பத்து நாள் அங்கே இருந்தா.

ஹைஸ்கூல் ஹெட்மாஸ்டர் ஜெயராமய்யர் பெரியப்பாவுக்கு சீனியர். அவர் பெரியவாளை வந்து தரிசனம் பண்ணினார். ‘நீங்க ஊருக்குள்ள வரணும்’னு கேட்டுண்டார். ‘ஊருக்கு வந்தா என்ன தருவே?’ன்னு கேட்டா பெரியவா. ‘உன்னோட வீட்டைக் கொடுத்துடறியா? நான் பத்து மாசம் இங்கேதான் தங்கப் போறேன்’னார். குறும்பா கேக்கறாப்பல இருக்கும்; ஆனா, அதுக்குப் பின்னாடி பெரியவா மனசுக்குள்ளே பெரிய திட்டம் ஏதாவது இருக்கும்.

‘தினம் என்னால அவ்ளோ தூரம் நடந்து பெண்ணையாத் துக்குப் போக முடியாது. அதனால எனக்கு இங்கேயே ஒரு குளம் வெட்டிக் குடுக்கறயா?’ன்னு கேட்டா பெரியவா.

பாணாம்பட்டுன்னு ரெண்டு கிலோ மீட்டர் தூரத்துல ஒரு ஊர். தோட்டத்துல வேலை பாக்கறவா 200 பேர் சேர்ந்து மூணு நாள் தோண்டினதுல, அஞ்சு அடியிலேயே ஜலம் வந்துடுத்து. ராமருக்கு அணில் உதவின மாதிரி நானும் இந்தக் குளத் திருப்பணியில பங்கெடுத்துக்கிட்டேன். முட்டிக்கால் ஜலம்தான். ஆனா, ஸ்படிகம் மாதிரி இருந்துது. அதுல இறங்கி ஸ்நானம் பண்ணிட்டு, கங்கா பூஜை பண்ணினார் பெரியவா.

பத்துப் பதினைஞ்சு நாள் போயிருக்கும். ஒரு நாள்… ‘இங்கே ஒண்ணரை கிலோமீட்டர் தூரத்துல வடவாம்பலம்னு ஒரு ஊர் இருக்கு. அங்கே சுப்பிரமணிய ரெட்டியார்னு ஒருத்தர் இருக்கார். அவரைக் கூட்டிண்டு வாங்கோ’ன்னார் பெரியவா. அவரைப் போய்ப் பார்த்து விஷயத்தைச் சொன் னோம். பெரியவா நம்மளை எதுக்குக் கூப்பிடறானு அவருக்கு ஒண்ணும் புரியலே. அவர் நல்ல வசதியானவர். அவர் வந்து பெரியவரைப் பார்த்து, ‘நான் என்ன செய்யணும்?’னு கேட்டார். ‘தாசில்தாரை அழைச்சுண்டு வாங்கோ’ன்னார் பெரியவா. அந்தக் காலத்துல, தாசில்தார்னா கலெக்டர் மாதிரி… அவ்வளவு பவர் அவருக்கு.

தாசில்தார் வந்தார். அவர் கும்ப கோணத்து பிராமணர். அவர்கிட்டே பெரியவா, ‘இந்த ஊர்ல என்ன விசேஷம்? ஃபீல்டு மேப் இருக்குமே? அதுல பாத்து கண்டுபிடிச்சு சொல்லு’ன்னா.

ஃபீல்டு மேப்பை வெச்சு அவரால ஒண்ணும் கண்டுபிடிக்க முடியலே!

அப்புறம் பெரியவாளே, ‘ஒரு இருநூறு வருஷத்துக்கு முன்னால பெண்ணையாறு இங்கே வடவாம்பலம் கிராமத்துக் குப் பக்கத்துலதான் ஓடிண்டிருந்திருக்கு. நாளாவட்டத்துல ஒதுங்கி ரொம்ப துரம் தள்ளிப் போயிடுத்து’ன்னார்.

‘வடவாம்பலத்துல முன்னே ஒரு பெரிய சித்தர் இருந்திருக்கார். அங்கேதான் ஸித்தி அடைஞ்சிருக்கார். ஆத்ம போதேந்திரான்னு ஒரு பீடம் இருந்திருக்கு. அதை எல்லாம் வெள்ளம் அடிச்சிண்டு போயிடுத்து’ன்னா பெரியவா.

தை மாசம் அஞ்சாம் தேதி வரை கங்கை அங்கே வர்றதா ஐதீகம். ஆத்துத் திருவிழாவா கொண்டாடுவா. சாப்பாடு எல்லாம் கட்டி எடுத்துண்டு போவா. அந்த இடத்துல ஆத்ம போதேந்திரா சமாதி ஆகி, லிங்கம் வச்சு அதிஷ்டானம் கட்டியிருக்காளாம். திடீர்னு ஒரு நாள் ராத்திரி, ‘இந்த க்ஷணமே அங்கே போகணும்’னா பெரியவா. நாங்க ரெண்டு பேர் டார்ச்லைட் எடுத்துண்டு அவரோடேயே நடந்து போனோம். ராத்திரி ரெண்டு மணி சுமாருக்கு அங்கே ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட இடத்துல உட்கார்ந்து ஜபம் பண்ண ஆரம்பிச்சுட்டார் பெரியவா. விடியற்காலை நாலு மணி வரைக்கும் ஜபம் பண்ணினார். அப்புறம், இருள் பிரியறதுக்கு முன்னே ஊருக்குத் திரும்பி வந்துட்டார்.

அப்புறம், மூணு மாசம் கழிச்சு மறுபடியும் கிளம்பி, பெரியவரோடு அதே இடத்துக்குப் போனோம். ஒரு பெரிய ஸர்ப்பம் எதிரே வந்துது. நடுங்கிப் போயிட்டோம். ‘ஒண்ணும் பண்ணாது. ஒரு நிமிஷம் நில்லுங்கோ’ன்னார் பெரியவா. அது ஊர்ந்து போய் மறைஞ்சுடுத்து. முன்பு போலவே பெரியவா அங்கே குறிப்பிட்ட இடத்துல உட்கார்ந்து ஜபம் பண்ணினார். நாலு மணிக்கு ஜபத்தை முடிச்சுண்டு எழுந்து வந்துட்டார். அங்கே அப்படி என்ன விசேஷம்னு எங்களுக்கு எதுவும் புரியலே.

மறுபடி சுப்பிரமணிய ரெட்டியாரை அழைச்சுண்டு வரச்சொல்லி, அவர்கிட்ட, ‘எனக்கு இங்கே ரெண்டு ஏக்கர் நிலம் வேணும். வாங்கித் தர முடியுமா?’ன்னு கேட்டார் பெரியவா. ‘ஆகட்டும்’னார் ரெட்டியார்.

தஸ்தாவேஜு எல்லாம் ரெடி பண்ணி, ஏக்கர் 200 ரூபா மேனிக்கு ரெண்டு ஏக்கர் 400 ரூபாய்னு பத்திரம் எழுதிக் கொடுத்து ரிஜிஸ்டர் பண்ணியாச்சு. பணம் வாங்கமாட்டேன்னு மறுத்தார் ரெட்டியார். ‘இல்லே! நீங்க வாங்கிக்கத்தான் வேணும். இல்லேன்னா நாளைக்கு ஒரு பேச்சு வரும்’னு சொல்லி, மடத்துலேருந்து 500 ரூபாயை ரெட்டியாருக்குக் கொடுக்கச் சொல்லிட்டார் பெரியவர்.

அப்புறம், அந்த ரெண்டு ஏக்கர் நிலத்துல தோண்டிப் பார்க்கணும்னா பெரியவா. அவருக்கு மாமா பிள்ளை ஒருத்தர் இருந்தார். அவரையும் அழைச்சுண்டு அந்த இடத்துக்குப் போனோம். ஒரு இடத்தை செலக்ட் பண்ணி, அங்கே கடப்பாரையால தோண்டினார் அவர். வெளியே எடுத்தப்போ கடப்பாரை முனையெல்லாம் ரத்தம்!

அவர் அதைப் பார்த்து மூர்ச்சையாகி, அங்கேயே தடால்னு விழுந்துட்டார். என்ன பண்றதுன்னு தெரியாம கையைப் பிசைஞ்சுண்டு நின்னோம். அரை மணி கழிச்சு அவரே, ‘எனக்கு ஒண்ணும் இல்லே’ன்னு எழுந்து உட்கார்ந்துட்டார்.

பெரியவாகிட்ட விஷயத்தைச் சொன்னோம். ‘பயப்படாதீங்கோ! அங்கே, அடியிலே ஒரு கோயில் புதைஞ்சு கிடக்கு. நாளைக்குத் தோண்டிப் பாக்கலாம்’னார்.

அப்படியே மறுநாள் போய்த் தோண்டினப்போ, முன்னே ஒரு காலத்துல அங்கே கோயில் இருந்ததுக்கான அடையாளங்கள் தெரிஞ்சுது. ஒரு சிவலிங்கம் கிடைச்சுது. ரெண்டு மாசம் அங்கேயே இருந்து, அந்தக் கோயிலை மறுபடி புதுப்பிச் சுக் கட்டிட்டு, காஞ்சிபுரம் திரும்பிட்டா பெரியவா.

அந்த நேரத்துல நான் 3, 4 மாசம் பெரியவாளோடு கூடவே இருந்தேன். அந்தச் சம்பவங்களையெல்லாம் இப்போ நினைச்சுப் பார்க்கிறப்போ சிலிர்ப்பா இருக்கு!” என்று சொல்லி நிறுத்தினார் லக்ஷ்மிநாராயணன்