HIS GREATNESS

S. Panchapakesa Sastrigal

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In Kanchipuram Sivasthanam, the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Advaita Sabha was held. A number of maha vidvAns (great pundits) had gathered. NooraNi Sri Ananta Krishna SastrigaL was also there. One of the Udupi ParyayapIThAdhipatis (pontiff) was on his vijayam (tour) to Kanchi. NooraNi Sri Ananta Krishna SastrigaL supplicated to PeriyavaaL to bring the Udipi pontiff to the Advaita Sabha. Sri PeriyavaaL asked Sri Ananta Krishna SastrigaL himself to bring the pointiff to the Sabha.
Udupi SwamigaL visited the Sabha with happiness. Everyone asked him to give ananugraha bhASaNa(holy lecture). So he gave a longvicAram(inquiry) and spoke that the Advaita Shastra had its own shortcomings. He elaborated on many things in his talk of nearly an hour. Looking at the Pandits, he asked them to reply to the points he raised in his lecture. But then since he talked fast and long, the vidwans asked him to repeat his lecture. To that Udupi SwamigaL said that if Sri PeriyavaaL directed him to repeat his lecture he would do so. Sri PeriyavaaL at once said with amandahAsam(gentle laugh), "You don't have to repeat it. I shall do the anuvaadam " and did his anuvaadam like a tape recorder, without leaving anaMsam(part) of what Udupi SwamigaL had said. All the vidvAns, including the Udupi SwamigaL were wonder-struck. Since I was also present there at the moment, I had thebhAgyamof experiencing the greatness of Sri PeriyavaaL.