Experiences with Maha Periyava: The very thought of changing Guru itself is wrong!

Of the many occasions I had visited this great Mahan, I used to stand in awe by the side and watch for a few hours many mortals come and go. On one occasion, He noticed me standing in a corner and wondering and allowing all others to come and go. He asked His sincere devotee, Balu Mama:”Why is he standing there? Does he want anything? Ask him.

Balu Mama came and asked me, “Periyava wants to know if there anything you want. Why are you just looking at Him and not coming to have the prasadams?” I told Balu Mama (most of the time tears of joy used to roll down my eyes), “Every time I come here, I have witnessed a rare incident between Periyava and His staunchest devotee. So today also I am just waiting in the side lines for one!”

Periyava overheard this and He said smilingly, “Let him wait for a few more minutes and one such incident is about to happen!”

Many men and women passed by.

Soon a lady, Saroja, came to see Periyava. She hesitated a bit to go near Him.

Periyava asked Balu Mama to ask her ‘what she wants’.

She replied to Balu Mama,”I am coming here for the first time. I have heard from my neighbours in Hyderabad talking so much about this Mahan. So I came to have His darshan”.

Periyava smiled and asked her, “There is something more than the darshan you are trying to seek from me!”

She started weeping like a small child. She might have been around 55 years old!

“Yes Swamiji. I am really unable to bear the agony.”

“You must be a Dwaithin…” Swamiji said. Dvaithins are Maadhwas, followers of Guru Shri Madhwacharya. Vishishtaadhvaithins are Iyengars, followers of Guru Shri Ramanuja.

She was startled to know that: “Yes Swamiji… Indeed Yes.” and her weeping power overtook her much more to the dismay of everyone around!

Swamiji asked her: “What is that which is worrying you inside?”

She started narrating in-between her weeps:

“I have been sincerely following one saint for more than 25 years now. I never found anything wrong with him and I have gone to Sanmarga only through this Guru. But of late I have found my Guru is not a real Guru. He has some behavioural problems and I stopped going to him altogether. But I am unable to stand this happening as I trusted this Guru so much and suddenly I find a vacuum in my life, in my spiritual life. That’s why when my friends recommended me I came all the way to have darshan of You and be a devotee of You forever in my life!”.

Periyava started smiling…

“So you think by just switching over to another Guru like Me all your problems will get solved?”

“That is what I feel.”

Periyava said: “You are wrong. Krishna says “Yathathohyapi kauntheya, Purushasya Vipaschithaha…”

“The moment you are born as a human, you are bound to make mistakes. There is no escape for anyone in this world. Just because you switch over to another Guru like me, what is the surety that I am more pure?

The very thought itself is wrong, as every human being has his own limitations.”

“No doubt I can understand your agony. What you should do is to start praying silently within yourself to a God of your choice.Try to get that inner “Anandha” instead of searching for another Guru who according to Krishna “May be much worse than the one you have experienced.”
There was spellbound silence everywhere…

I went to get His Blessings. He said smilingly, “For you I will ever be the Guru, Don’t worry.”
Silence was broken with laughter everywhere…

I came out wiping my tears of joy…
Source: As narrated by a devotee in Sulekha​